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“See you next week, everyone.” Professor Im told the lecture hall, everyone instantly packing up to leave the room.
Eric was among them, shoving his books into his shoulder bag, following the crowd out of the door. A voice calling his name distracted him, forcing him to look up. His best friend's figure came speed walking down the hall with a smile on his face.
“Guess what?” Sunwoo asked as he finally made his way to his side.
“What?” Eric answered, chuckle on his lips at the other's enthusiasm.
“My next class is cancelled, which means I'm free for the rest of the day. Which also means I can come back to your apartment with you.”
“Oh, goodie.” The shorter responded sarcastically.
Sunwoo placed a hand on his chest, as if in pain, a gasp echoing throughout the hall. “Stop acting like you don't enjoy my presence. Plus, I'm sure Minjun will appreciate me coming over.”
“Minjun likes it when anyone comes over just so he can have someone to play with who isn’t me.”
“I’m ignoring that statement because I know I'm his favorite uncle.”
“Keep thinking that dude.” Eric teased. He was just messing with Sunwoo, he knew Minjun absolutely adored him.
——
Eric dropped his keys into the bowl by the front door, him and Sunwoo taking their shoes off before walking further into the apartment. He made his way into the living room where he heard 2 voices laughing together. The sight that greeted him was typical, but it never failed to make him smile.
Minjun was on his back, giggling his adorable giggle while Eric’s cousin, Olivia, tickled him. The two didn’t seem to notice the newcomers, so he spoke up to get their attention.
“You guys seem to be having fun.”
Olivia looked up with a surprised smile while Minjun shot up at his voice. The 4 year old ran towards him as fast as his short legs could carry.
“Papa.” He screamed, running into Eric’s legs, hugging him tightly.
Eric laughed, full of love, as he crouched down to hug his son tightly. “Did you miss me, bud?”
The child pulled away to spread his arms out wide, “I missed you thissss much.”
Sunwoo came into the room, cooing at the adorable boy. “Did you miss me too Junnie?”
Minjun glanced behind his fathers legs, eyes widening as he spotted Sunwoo. He ran towards him, Sunwoo grabbing him and carrying him up to eye level. Eric laughed as he 2 began to babble about something random, turning back to Olivia who had been cleaning a bit of the mess they left.
“Thank you again for looking after him.”
Olivia waved him off with a smile, finishing up and getting off the floor. “It’s no problem oppa. He was wonderful as always.”
Eric gave her a grateful smile. “I’ll send the money to your account.”
The short girl glared at him. “How many times do i have to tell you not to pay me? We’re family.”
“I know, I know. I just feel guilty, you take so much time out of your week to take care of him.”
Olivia’s expression softened, “Don't worry about it. I love spending time with him.”
She grabbed her bag, walking over to where the other 2 were still conversing, or well, where Minjun was speaking and Sunwoo was nodding his head every once in a while.
“Hello Sunwoo oppa.” Olivia greeted him.
Sunwoo smiled at her, “Hello Olivia.” he paused, “changed your mind about introducing me to that friend of yours?”
Olivia rolled her eyes, “Jake is too good for you.”
Before Suwnoo could respond, Eric interrupted them with a pointed look at Minjun who was clearly listening. “I don't know if you’ve forgotten, but my child is still here.”
Sunwoo sighed, “Fine, but I won't give up.” He spoke with a small glare at Olivia who simply smiled angelicaly at him.
“Minjun-ah, noona is leaving now. Can I get a kiss?” She put her hands out to grab him from Sunwoo.
He gave her a kiss on the cheek, smiling brightly up at her. “Bye noona, I love you.”
Olivia squealed quietly, giving him a kiss in return. “Noona loves you too! Bye guys.” She set him down and walked over to the door, waving at them and shutting the door behind herself.
Eric glanced down at Minjun. “What do you want for dinner, baby?”
Minjun tilted his head in thought. “Chicken!” He exclaimed.
“Good choice, how about you stay with Sunwoo hyung while I go and change quickly?” He turned to sunwoo, “Could you order some chicken for all of us?”
Sunwoo agreed, Eric giving Minjun a kiss on the head before heading to his room to change out of his outfit and into pajamas. It was 6 pm so he wasn't inclined to stay dressed in case they went out. He glanced at a picture on his nightstand of him and Minjun, the then 1 year old, smiling his signature eye smile at the camera while Eric smiled at him brightly.
While many people looked down on teen parents , Eric saw it as a blessing. Sure, it would've been more responsible to wait until he was older, out of college and maybe married, but he could never regret having Minjun.
He had been in his final year of highschool when his ex-girlfriend, after months of not attending school, showed up on his doorstep in the dead of winter, with a baby and two bags of his things. She’d immediately broke down, telling him how she knew she wouldn't be able to take care of a child and that she knew Eric would be a much better parent than she could ever be. He'd been stunned, listening to her story before watching her leave. His parents came to see what had taken him so long, unable to keep the matching looks of shock on their faces as they noticed the swaddled baby in his arms.
Until then, the child had been sleeping, but the new voices woke him up. He glanced at Eric with his big brown eyes before breaking out into a smile. Eric had immediately felt attached to the little boy. The family went inside, Eric’s brother glancing up, turning back to his phone, before doing a double take at the addition. They sat around, discussing how to move forward. His parents had obviously been disappointed, a lecture about the importance of protection was given as Eric barely paid them any mind, too focused on the bundle in his arms. Ultimately, they all decided that it would be wrong of them to put Minjun up for adoption, although it wasn’t like Eric would’ve agreed to that anyway.
They went through the stuff she’d given him. The boy’s birth certificate read Son Minjun, Eric’s name on the father line, the mother line left blank. He was 6 months old, a summer baby. Additionally, she’d given him a few changes of clothes, toys, formula, a couple diapers. It wasn’t nearly enough to take care of a growing baby. They made plans to go out the next day to get more things to set up a nursery in the spare room next to Eric’s. The Son family was well off, so money wasn’t an issue, something Eric was immensely grateful for.
The next few years had been interesting. Eric had juggled college applications, dance practices, school and raising a baby all at the same time. His family had been incredibly helpful, offering to take care of the baby when Eric was too busy. But Eric had made a vow to himself that he would do his best to be present in Minjun’s life. When he had decided to attend SNU to study dance, he had packed all of his and his son's things, moving them into a 2 bedroom apartment by the campus. The only people who really knew about Minjun were his close friends and family. He didn’t feel the need to advertise his status as a single parent.
And while it had been hard, he wouldn’t change a thing. Minjun had brought him immense joy and gave his life a true meaning.
“Eric!” A shout pulled him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the clock, noting that he’d been sitting there for 15 minutes. He got up, walking out to the living room.
Minjun and Sunwoo had settled onto the couch, watching reruns of a subbed episode of spongebob. That was probably for Sunwoo’s sake more than Minjun’s since Eric had made sure to raise his child to be bilingual, just as he was. Sunwoo looked up as he entered.
“Finally, I was beginning to think you’d gotten hurt in there.”
Eric chuckled, sitting next to Minjun, the little boy wordlessly crawling into his lap, not taking his eyes off the screen for a second. The black haired man wrapped his arms around his son, placing a kiss on his head.
“Dude.”
Eric looked at him, humming in response.
“When are you going to put yourself back out there? Find someone to date.”
Eric groaned, “All of a sudden? When are you going to let that go?”
“Never.” Sunwoo laughed. “Come on, it’s been years since you’ve even gone on a date.”
“I have a kid Woo, I don’t have time to go on a date. Between my classes, and performances and taking care of Minjun, I barely have time to eat let alone spend time with someone in a romantic setting.”
The doorbell ringing kept Sunwoo from answering. Eric got up quickly, setting Minjun down on the floor to guide him to the door.
“You want to greet the ahjussi?” Eric asked.
Minjun nodded enthusiastically, running to the door and impatiently waiting for his dad to open the door. Eric pulled it open, smiling at the delivery man.
“Hello ahjussi, thank you for the food!” Minjun basically yelled.
The man laughed slightly behind his helmet. “You’re welcome kid. Have a great night.” He directed at them both.
The 2 of them walked back into the living room, setting the food onto the table. Sunwoo had set the table so they all settled down to begin eating.
Sunwoo kicked him lightly, turning Eric’s attention away from where he was cutting Minjun’s chicken into small pieces.
“We aren’t finished with our conversation.”
Eric glared at him, “Yeah, we are.”
——
Eric shut the door behind Sunwoo at around 9 pm. It was a Friday night so Minjun was still awake, but it was about time he set him down to sleep.
“Come on baby, time to sleep.”
Minjun didn’t put up much of a fight, grabbing his dad's hand and following him into his bedroom. Eric tucked him into his pororo themed bed, tucking his favorite teddy bear, Honey, next to him.
“What book do you want me to read tonight?”
Minjun looked at him with wide eyes. “Can you read The Hungry Caterpillar?”
“Sure.”
5 pages into the story, Minjun was sound asleep. Eric brushed a hand through his hair, smiling down at him softly.
“I love you.”
Eric hadn’t been lying when he told Sunwoo he had no time to date. Minjun was an amazing child, but that didn’t take away from the fact that raising a child was time consuming. Not to mention he was in his 3rd year of university, so his schedule was always packed. But, that didn’t mean he didn’t feel lonely sometimes. He was a secret romantic and seeing many of his friends so happily in love, it was hard. He let out a sigh, shutting the nightlight off, and exiting the room.
——
“Minjun-ah, stop running away from me.” Eric shouted after his son where he was sitting on a picnic basket.
The father-son duo had decided to go to the park since the early spring weather was too nice to stay indoors. Minjun loved the park, always had since he was a year old. His energy was overflowing, constantly running around and chasing bugs. Eric couldn’t stay mad as he watched his son giggle as a butterfly landed on his nose.
“Baby, come here.”
Minjun came running quickly, plopping down next to his dad. Eric pulled out a container of tteokbokki, placing it down as he searched for the chopstick he had packed. He finally found it, handing it to Minjun who was eager to eat. They silently ate for a while, enjoying the food as Eric observed their surroundings.
It was a Saturday so the park was pretty busy, families, couples and friends scattered across the grass, Eric and Minjun blended right in.
“Papa.” Minjun spoke up causing Eric to turn back to him.
“Yeah, buddy?”
“Can we get ice cream?” He asked, giving Eric puppy eyes and a small pout.
Eric laughed, deciding to tease him. “Hmm, I don’t know. Have you been a good boy for papa?”
“Yes!”
“Are you sure? You don’t remember leaving your legos on the ground for papa to step on? I got really hurt.”
“Minjun’s sorry! I won’t do it again.”
“Ok, ok. We can get ice cream in a little bit. Finish your food first.”
An hour later, the 2 were packing their things into his bag (read:Eric was packing their things) before heading towards the food stalls that lined the water near the park. Eric held onto Minjun’s hand as they walked in the direction of the ice cream stall. The line was quite long so they stood there, looking at the menu. A few minutes later, Eric glanced down and noted that his shoes were untied so he knelt down, tieing them quickly.
He stood up. “What flavor do you want Jun?”
No reply came. He looked down, panic rising as he noticed that Minjun wasn’t standing there. He looked all around, not able to see his son anywhere.
“Has anyone seen a 4 year old running around?”
The people around gave him pitiful glances, shaking their heads. He got out of the line, rushing around and yelling Minjun’s name. The boy usually never let go of his hand but his curious nature might have caused him to walk off.
“Minjun! Where are you?” He shouted, ignoring the stares from strangers who didn’t bother helping him.
He was about to start crying, terrified at the possible outcomes of this. As he took out his phone to call the cops, a small voice spoke up.
“Papa.” He glanced around and quickly found Minjun running towards him.
Eric dropped to the ground grabbing his son and pulling him into a tight hug. Tears finally started falling down his face, anxiety lessening slowly. He pulled away to look at him.
“Where were you? I thought I told you not to let go of my hand. It’s dangerous.”
Minjun looked at him apologetically, pouting up at him. “I’m sorry papa, I saw a cool bike and I wanted to see it closer.”
Eric opened his mouth to scold him further when someone walked up to them.
“You shouldn’t blame him too much, I’m sorry my bike distracted him.”
Eric looked up at the stranger. The man seemed to be around his age, although the mask covering half his face obscured his vision. His hair was a muted blue color, something Eric didn’t see often but it made the man more handsome. The father shook his head, focusing back on the matter at hand.
“Pardon?” Eric spoke, getting off the ground while carrying Minjun.
“He saw my bike and started following me. I didn’t realize until after a few minutes. I apologize.” The man bowed his head.
Eric shook his head. “No, it’s ok. He should know better than to run off after strangers. I raised him better than that.”
If the man was surprised by him being a father, he didn’t show it. They remained silent until the man’s phone rang, interrupting their staring contest.
“Hello?” He looked at Eric with apologetic eyes.
Eric simply looked over Minjun, ensuring that the boy had no injuries or cuts. The boy giggled as he placed a hand on his cheek causing Eric to nuzzle his face into his neck, laughter increasing in volume.
“I have to go.” The man spoke up.
Eric looked at him, nodding. “Thank you for bringing him back to me. I was quite worried.”
The man must’ve smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “It’s no problem. It's what any decent person would’ve done. Have a great day.”
He started walking off before Eric called after him.
“Excuse me, what’s your name? So I can thank you properly.”
The blue haired man hesitated, Eric noticed it in how he glanced around, although he didn’t question it. A moment later he answered softly. “Jaemin.”
Eric smiled at him kindly. “Thank you once again, Jaemin-ssi.”
He gave him a small nod and with that the man walked off, Eric staring at his retreating form with a feeling akin to awe. He stood frozen for a moment before a small hand on his cheek turned him to face Minjun.
“Can we get ice cream now?”
——
“So, you’re telling me that you met an attractive man at the park who helped you find Minjun and you didn’t ask for his number?” His brother, Vernon, spoke during their weekly FaceTime call.
Eric glared at him. “You’re starting to sound like Sunwoo.”
“Sunwoo must be a smart guy, then.”
“Not everything is about dating. I just told you I couldn’t find my son for a few minutes and that's all you care about?”
Said toddler was currently playing with his toy cars, making sound effects as he moved them across the hardwood floors. The event had left his child mind but Eric had been unable to let it go, something about the man had intrigued him.
“See, I know that face. That’s your ‘I saw a hot person’ face. You can’t fool me Eric-ah.”
“Hyung, drop it please.” He looked at the clock, sighing softly. “I have class in half an hour, I’ve got to go. Talk to you next week.”
Vernon looked like he wanted to push it but decided against it, bidding him goodbye and ending the call. The doorbell rang and he walked over to open the door, Olivia greeting him with a smile.
He got ready quickly, grabbing his bag and pulling his shoes on. “Olivia, me and the guys are going out to dinner tonight after class, ok?”
The young girl nodded. “Yeah, I’m staying over tonight.”
He nodded, smiling at her gratefully. He went to Minjun’s side and hugged him.
“Papa is leaving now, I’ll see you later.”
Minjun barely acknowledged him, giving him a quick kiss. Eric knew he was being dismissed so he laughed, ruffling the boy’s hair and leaving quickly.
——
“Do you listen to any idols, Eric?”
Eric looked up from he was looking at the bbq menu, face turning into one of confusion. “Not really? What brought this on?”
Jaehyun shrugged, eyes straying back to his phone. “I was just wondering. That Nct dream group just had a comeback and I thought the music might interest you.”
“I think you’d like them, Eric. They’re just your style.” Sunwoo tacked on.
“Aren’t they that really cutesy group? They had a song about gum if I remember. How would that be my style?”
Sunwoo rolled his eyes. “Damn, I didn’t know you were this clueless. They changed their concept years ago, they’re mature now.”
“Do you wanna watch the mv?” Jaehyun asked, not even waiting for an answer before shoving the phone into Eric’s face.
Said boy scowled at his friend but took the phone, looking at the screen with a small amount of interest. 5 seconds in he sees a flash of a slightly familiar hair color. He squinted at the video, before pausing on a clip of a man with blue hair. He stared at it intensely, brain working in over time as he tried to convince himself that this was just a coincidence. The man’s hair was the exact shade of the boy with the bike, the one from the park. Even though he hadn’t been able to see the rest of his face, his eyes had left a deep impression on Eric and he was sure it was him.
“Why are you staring at my screen like that? It’s gonna burst into flames.” Jaehyun suddenly spoke.
Eric glanced at him and handed it back, heart slightly racing. “Would you believe me if I said that boy was the one who helped me find Minjun?” He himself winced as he said it, the incredulity of the situation dawning on him.
Juyeon, who had previously been distracted with the menu as well, glanced up with raised eyebrows. Sunwoo stared at him like he’d grown 2 heads and Jaehyun started laughing.
“Haha, so funny Eric.” Jaehyun sarcastically responded.
Eric simply stared at them, waiting for them to realize he was serious.
“Wait,” Sunwoo spoke, “you aren’t kidding? That’s seriously him?”
Eric pouted at them, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “Yes I’m serious. What would I get out of lying? I barely knew who the group was until 5 minutes ago.”
“Only Eric would meet a hot idol and not even realize it.” Juyeon shook his head in amusement.
“His name is Jaemin if you wanted to know.” Jaehyun suddenly interjected.
“Whatever, let’s order.” Eric mumbled, hand raising to alert the waiter.
——
Eric stepped into his apartment, taking his shoes off carefully. Footsteps ran towards him, Minjun smiling as he spotted him.
“Baby! Papa missed you.”
“Minjunnie missed you too.”
Eric carried him into the living room where Olivia was watching a video. She glanced at him briefly, sending a smile his way, before turning back.
“What are you watching Olivia?”
“Oh, a music video.”
“Anyone I know?” He asked as he sat down beside her.
The screen displayed a group of guys dancing, for a split second he saw a glimpse of Jaemin’s face.
“Nct dream.”
Eric held back a groan. It’s like he couldn’t get away from this forsaken group. Just as she answers, Jaemin comes up on the screen, smirking at the camera and causing Eric’s heart to malfunction.
Olivia looked at him in concern. “Oppa, what’s wrong?”
He faked a smile, “Nothing Olivia.”
She’s shrugged, turning back to the tv just in time for Minjun to shout at it.
“Papa! That’s the man with the cool bike!”
Olivia looked at him in disbelief. “Are you sure buddy?”
Minjun nodded, running to the screen where the group was dancing to the chorus. “He even let me touch it! It was red and black and shiny.”
The girl turned to her cousin. “Were you ever going to mention this or was I supposed to hear it from Minjun?”
Eric winced at her tone. “Sorry? I didn’t even know he was an idol.”
Olivia burst into laughter at his defensive tone. “Oppa, only you would bump into a celebrity and have no idea.” She paused. “Was he nice? Is he as attractive in person?”
“Yes.” He muttered, not looking at her.
“To which question?” She pushed.
“Both.”
Olivia's evil laughter rang throughout the apartment as Eric grumbled under his breath about never inviting her over again. Minjun turned to them with a curious expression.
“Papa, can we see the nice hyung again?”
Eric gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry baby, that hyung is probably too busy to see us again.”
Olivia, who had gotten up to get a glass of water, turned towards them. “Actually, it just so happens that Nct Dream is having a fan signing in a few days.”
A glare was sent her way. “Don’t put ideas into his mind. I doubt we’d even be able to get tickets so late.”
His cousin gave him a mischievous smile. “Don’t worry, oppa. I have my ways.”
——
And that’s how Eric found himself, along with Olivia and Minjun, sitting in a room waiting to meet an idol group he’d only become aware of in the past week.
“I still can’t believe you managed to convince me to come. I feel like an idiot.”
“Lighten up Eric. It’s not like liking idols is exclusive to women.”
Eric looked around with a pointed look. “Olivia, there’s 3 other guys here. Plus, I have a child.”
He glanced down at Minjun who was dancing in his seat to the music being played. He’d become quite a fan of Nct Dream, which was Olivia’s doing, so he even knew some of the words, although much of it was gibberish. He had asked his father to dress him up in his favorite outfit - a striped blue and white shirt with a pair of jean overalls and his slightly worn out sandals. Eric had settled on a white shirt and jeans, not wanting to try too hard.
An older looking man came onto the stage, informing them that the group was going to be coming out momentarily. Screams erupted from the small crowd, Minjun got startled but ultimately joined them in their excitement. Eric couldn’t help but be endeared by it, seeing Minjun be so excited had been the only reason he agreed to come. True to the man's words, a moment later the group of 7 was entering from a side door, smiling and waving at their fans. They introduced themselves quickly before taking a seat to get the meet and greet started.
They were instructed to line up by row, so Eric watched as the first row got up and walked over to the tables on the stage. They were in the 5th row so they, thankfully, didn’t have to wait too long until it was theirs turn. Until they got up, the boys periodically took some time to interact with the crowd, making jokes, wearing stupid hats and overall, just acting like young men. Eric had done his fair share of research on the group, purely out of curiosity and had found that they were all, except for one, younger than him. He was a junior in university after all. Since they’d debuted quite young, it was no surprise that a few of them were still living out their last teenage years. And, if he did more research about Jaemin to find out how old the man was, how he’d gotten injured, and how many times he’d changed his hair color, well, that’s his business.
Olivia pulled him up when it was their turn, speaking quickly about how excited she was. She handed Eric a copy of the album to have them sign, which he took and then handed to Minjun who begged to hold it. His cousin moved up and sat in front of the first man, whose name Eric could not remember.
Eric followed in her footsteps when she moved onto the next person, picking Minjun up so he was at eye level with the man.
“Hello!” He spoke to Eric before glancing at Minjun, who was giving him a huge smile. “Oh, hi, who are you?”
“I’m Minjun.” The little boy exclaimed.
The boy cooed. “Wel, it’s nice to meet you Minjun! I’m Renjun. Is this your hyung?”
Minjun laughed as if the man had made the funniest joke ever. “No, this is my papa. His name is Eric.”
The boy looked embarrassed at his mistake to which Eric simply waved it off. “Don’t worry, many people assume.”
Renjun still looked apologetic. “I’m still sorry, it was rude of me.”
Eric simply thanked him, handing the album over to get it signed.
“Who should I write it to?”
“To Minjun please. He’s become a huge fan of your group.”
“Is that so? We’re so lucky to have such an adorable fan.”
Minjun looked at him shyly, although he did have a small smile on his face.
Eventually they got through 5 other people. Eric had been sneaking glances at Jaemin, who was sitting all the way at the end of the table, throughout the time the others were speaking to Minjun. He thanked Jeno, who Eric felt kind of looked like him, finally sitting down in front of Jamein, who was a bit distracted with his manager.
The man turned around and paused, Eric giving him an awkward smile while Minjun talked excitedly.
“Hyung! Do you remember Minjunnie? You let me touch your bike! It was so cool, I wanted papa to get me the same one but he said I have to wait until I’m older.”
Jaemin’s eyes shifted from Eric to Minjun, giving him a kind smile. “Of course hyung remembers you Minjunnie. How could I ever forget such a cute face?”
“Say thank you, baby.” Eric instructed into his son's ear.
“Thank you hyung.” Minjun practically yelled.
Eric looked around, slightly concerned about the volume but noticed that no one was paying them any mind. He turned back to Jaemin.
“I’m sorry if you’re uncomfortable. He found out you were an idol and insisted that we come and see you.”
“It’s no problem, I’m sure it was quite a shock.” He paused. “By the way, you never gave me your name.”
Eric laughed, loosening up a little. “Well, it’s not everyday you run into a man who helps you find your child only to find out he’s famous. And my name is Eric.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say I’m famous.” Jaemin chuckled awkwardly, opening the marker to sign the album.
“So you being on my cousin's wall isn’t considered famous? I guess I must’ve missed that detail.”
“You got me there.” Jaemin glanced up at Eric, hesitating USF like he did at the park, before writing something else in the book. “I’m glad you guys came. Minjun is a great kid.”
Said kid was once again distracted by a toy he’d found on the table, watching with wide eyes as it lit up.
“Oh, thank you.”
A manager came up, whispering something in Jaemin’s ear. The boy looked at him apologetically.
“Sorry, we have to move on.”
Eric looked around and noticed that he’d been holding up the line. “Oh, I’m so sorry. Thank you for your time.”
He grabbed the album, picked Minjun up and bowed at the man. “It was nice seeing you, Jaemin-ssi.”
The other looked shocked, before breaking out into a smile. “Likewise Eric-ssi.”
Eric walked towards Olivia who pulled them towards the door, whining about getting lunch. He barely paid attention, flipping through the album to see the signatures. Many of them included little drawings for Minjun but Jaemin’s is the one that stood out. Why? Because under his name was a string of numbers that could only be a phone number, along with a quickly drawn smiley face.
“Are you paying attention to me?” Olivia demanded.
“Huh?” He asked, looking up at her annoyed face. “Sorry, got a little distracted.”
She looked at him warily before ultimately letting it go. She turned to Minjun.
“Your papa is a weird man.”
And normally, Eric would flick her for a statement like that, but he couldn’t hear over the sound of his heart pounding against his chest.
——
It was if the number was mocking him, laughing at his inability to contact its owner. Admittedly, Eric was nervous.
Minjun’s mother had been the first and last relationship he’d had and that had been nearly 5 years prior. He was rusty in the flirting and dating departments, something his friends and family never let him forget. So forgive him if he was hesitant in contacting Jaemin even though the other was the one to make the first move.
Deciding to just get it over with, he typed a quick message, sending it and throwing his phone onto the counter as he went about making dinner.
About 10 minutes later, a notification sounded throughout the kitchen. He glanced at it, setting the pot down onto the stove and walked over.
Jaemin(?)
I was beginning to wonder if you would contact me
Thought I was maybe a bit too forward
Eric stared at the screen for a minute, trying to process the answer and figuring out what to text back. He bit his lip in thought.
Eric
I decided it would be rude to not reach out
Jaemin
I’m glad you did
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since we met that first day
Eric
Is that so?
I’m flattered
Jaemin
I hoped you would be
Eric got distracted by the back and forth messages, dinner completely forgotten. Well, that is until Minjun came running into the kitchen in just his diaper and a small towel wrapped around his neck. Eric glanced at him and did a double take, eyes widening. He set his phone down
“Minjun, where are your clothes? Didn’t I just dress you?”
Minjun looked at him with a serious look. “Papa, I’m a superhero.” He placed a hand on his hip while the other shot up into the sky. “I’m Super Junnie.”
Eric reluctantly let out a laugh. He had to admit that Minjun looked adorable.
“Ok, come on Super Junnie. Let’s get some clothes on you.”
After some wrestling and a quick bath, Minjun was wearing his pajamas and sitting on the couch as he waited for Eric to finish dinner.
“Minjun!” He called out as he placed the food on the table, grabbing Minjun’s favorite sippy cup to fill it with apple juice. “Dinners ready bud.”
Eric picked him up as he came running, placing him in his big boy chair and handing him his chopsticks to begin eating. He grabbed his own plate and sat next to him. They discussed random things for a while, Eric telling his son about his school work while Minjun rambled about the movie he’d watched with Olivia. He was in the middle of explaining the plot of the spongebob movie when Eric’s phone rang. He picked it up from the table and answered without looking at the caller.
“Hello?” He spoke, shoving the phone between his ear and shoulder to help Minjun pick up some meat with his fork.
“Hey.”
Eric paused, pulling the phone away to glance at the caller id. He fought the urge to slap his forehead for not checking who was calling him. His screen continued its earlier taunting, presenting the name Jaemin proudly. He heard a voice speak once again so he took a breath, putting the phone on speaker.
“-o still there?”
“Yeah, I’m here. Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you to call me.”
Jaemin let out an awkward chuckle. “Sorry, you weren’t answering so I thought you’d prefer to talk on the phone.”
Eric felt a blush creep up his neck. Minjun looked at him curiously, perking up at the new voice.
“Me and Minjun are eating dinner, that’s why I wasn’t answering.”
“Oh, is he there? Could I say hi?”
Minjun was way ahead of them both. “Hello!” He shouted, food forgotten as he tried to reach for the phone.
Eric attempted to calm him down by placing the phone on speaker in the middle of the table so it was between them.
“Minjun-ah, do you remember me?”
The boy thought for a moment. “Min-hyung.”
Jaemin laughed. “Yeah, Jaemin hyung.”
“Oh, hyung! Minjunnie watched another video of you. You were tiny, like me, and you kept spinning around and your hair was brown and not blue like right now.”
“You watched chewing gum? Did you like it?”
“I loved it. I want to be like hyung.”
Eric faked pain, holding a hand to his chest. “Minjunnie, appa can dance too. You don’t want to be like me?”
“Papa, that’s not what Minjunnie said.” The boy gave him an exasperated look before getting up.
“Wash your hands.” Eric called after his dramatic child.
“You dance?” Jaemin butt in.
“Um, yeah. I’m a dance major in university.”
“That sounds super cool. Also, that reminds me, I never asked how old you were Eric-ssi.”
“22. You?” He asked as he gathered the dishes to bring them to the sink.
“20. I guess I should call you hyung then.”
“Hyung is fine, Jaemin-ah.”
Some rustling was heard on Jaemin’s end, a door opening and a new voice joined.
“Who are you talking to hyung?” An unknown person asked.
Eric placed the phone on the counter as he started washing the dishes.
“No one Jisung-ah. Mind your business.”
“Ooo, what’s with the secrets hyung? You got a boyfriend or something?”
Eric heard Jaemin groan, a grin subconsciously taking over his face.
“Jisung, don’t be a brat and get out of my room.”
“Fine, fine. Have your secrets. I’m gonna tell Renjun hyung.” The door shut behind him.
“Sorry you had to hear that, Jisung is a bit nosy.”
Eric simply laughed. “Don’t worry about it, it was cute. You guys just be close.”
“Oh, definitely. We’ve trained together since we were practically still fetuses. They’re like my annoying brothers who I’m forced to spend time with but I still love them.”
The older hummed as he rinsed the utensils. “Me and my friends are kind of similar. I’ve known Sunwoo since we were in diapers and the rest I met in highschool but we’ve become quite close. They help a lot with Minjun so that’s a plus.”
“Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask about that but it’s totally fine if you don’t feel comfortable answering.”
Eric had been expecting it so he wasn’t offended. “Don’t worry, it’s not a sob story. I got my first girlfriend pregnant when I was in my junior year. She couldn’t handle having a child and gave me Minjun to raise. It’s been tough but I wouldn’t trade him for the world.”
The line stayed silent for a while causing Eric’s nerves to rise before Jaemin finally spoke up.
“You know, I really meant it when I said he’s a wonderful kid. I don’t think I’ve ever met a more polite 4 year old. You’re a great father.”
Eric had always prided himself in doing a decent job at raising his son but hearing a semi-stranger tell him that made him feel good.
“I really appreciate that.” Eric glanced at the clock before cursing quietly. He had a music theory report to finish revising that he’d completely forgotten about. “Listen, I have to go. But it was really nice talking to you.”
“Likewise.” A pause. “Maybe we can do this again sometime?”
“Of course. Goodnight Jaemin.”
“Goodnight hyung.” Jaemin responded back.
Just as he ended the call Minjun ran back into the room. “Can I get chocolate now? I washed my hands.”
Eric looked down at him and ruffled his hair. “Yeah, Super Junnie can have some chocolate.”
——
“-and then he said that I couldn’t hand in the assignment late because I didn’t have proof that my grandmother had passed? The fuck was I supposed to use as proof? A picture of her in her casket?” Changmin spoke angrily, hands moving around rapidly as he talked about his annoying art history professor.
Eric stared at him from across the library table with a hint of amusement but mainly concern. “I’m sure one assignment won’t hurt your grade too badly.”
Changmin paused in his spiel. “Well, yeah, you’re right but he’s still a dick.” He huffed.
Chanhee looked at him with thinly veiled disdain. “You’re so dramatic.”
“Dramatic? Me? Coming from the drama king himself? That’s a bit too ‘kettle calling the pot black’, don’t you think?” Changmin shot back.
The 2 started bickering causing Eric to sigh and go back to his laptop. He tuned them out, a skill he’d learned from years of experience, and started typing again. 10 minutes later a message notification popped up on the side of his screen. He smiled and started writing back quickly.
“Who are you talking to?” A head leaned over to look at his screen. Eric shoved them back, glaring at his friend.
“Ever learned about privacy?”
Haknyeon stared at him blankly, an innocent smile in place. “Nope. Privacy? Never heard of her.”
“Well, maybe you should learn about it sometime.” He snarked, turning back to the screen.
“Ooo, you’re hiding something. Who is it? A boyfriend maybe?” Haknyeon persisted.
“It’s no one.” He replied only for another message to pop up before he could shield Haknyeon’s view.
“Who is Jaemin? We don’t know any Jaemin’s.” The older spoke loud enough to get the attention of the other 2 who’d finally stopped fighting.
“What’s this I hear about a Jaemin?” Chanhee spoke, intrigue written all over his face. Changmin had a similar expression, always ready to piss Eric off.
Eric looked at them with quickly reddening checks. “Why must you all try your hardest to embarrass me?”
“It’s our duty as your best friends to tease you within an inch of your life. It’s written in the bro code or something.” Sunwoo, who Eric had forgotten was even there, spoke up, not bothering to look up from his textbook.
“You guys suck. Minjun is my best friend.”
“Damn, that’s kind of sad.” Haknyeon looked at him with a little pity.
Eric sighed. “Seriously, it’s no o-”
“Wait.” Sunwoo interrupted. “Did you say Jaemin? Like Na Jaemin? Nct dream Na Jaemin who helped you find Minjun? Whose fan sign you went to last week?”
Despite the rapid fire speed of the questions, Chanhee and Changmin caught onto his words. “Na Jaemin?” They spoke unison.
“Can you guys seriously stop talking at the same time? It’s genuinely creepy.” Haknyeon said, to which the 2 glared at him.
“If I say yes can you leave me alone?” Eric directed it at all of them.
“Sure.” Sunwoo shrugged.
“Yes.” Eric answered simply.
“How the fuck did that happen? Are you sure it’s him and not some random person pretending to be him?”
“Um, we may have FaceTimed. Once...or twice.” He whispered under his breath.
“Wow.” Chanhee smirked. “Eric’s out here dating idols now? Impressive.”
“Who said anything about dating?” Eric whined. “We’re just friends. Plus, Minjun really likes him.”
“So, he's a hot idol who likes kids and texts you frequently? Explain to me why you aren’t dating?” Changmin looked at him incredulously.
“I hate you all.” He gathered his things and started heading out.
“Where are you going?” Haknyeon shouted after him, immediately getting scolded by the librarian and a couple other students.
“None of your business.” Eric responded.
——
“Now, Minjunnie, promise papa that you’re going to behave and not throw any tantrums. We want your hyung to know you’re a big boy, ok?” Eric spoke as he held Minjun’s hand while they walked towards the restaurant.
“I promise papa. Minjunnie is a big boy.” The boy responded, looking up at his father with a huge grin.
“That’s my sweet baby.” Eric reached down to pinch his cheek causing his son to giggle and swat at his hand.
He stepped foot into the restaurant and let out a sigh of relief at the fact that it wasn’t incredibly fancy. He’d heard of it before and had actually wanted to try it out but had never found time to do so.
“Hello, welcome. Do you have a reservation?” The hostess asked.
“Uh yeah. It should be under Na.” Eric spoke softly, leaning down to pick an energetic Minjun.
“Yes, there’s a reservation for 3. Is your third coming soon?”
“He should be joining us shortly.” Eric answered as he followed her to a table near the back that was fairly secluded.
She set the menus on the table and gestured for him to sit. “Your waiter will bring a seat for your son.” She smiled and walked away.
A money later a waiter came and introduced himself, setting the chair down. Eric asked for some water as he waited for Jaemin. Minjun sat in the seat quickly, immediately distracted by the coloring page they’d given him. They didn’t have to wait long, 5 minutes later he could see Jaemin being escorted to where they were seated.
Eric smiled at him, Jaemin returning it. He pulled his mask off, sitting down in the empty chair.
“I’m glad you could make it.” Jaemin said to Eric before turning to Minjun. “Hey buddy.”
Minjun looked up from his crayons and gasped when he saw Jaemin. “Hyung!” He exclaimed, bouncing in his seat in an attempt to get closer.
Eric placed a hand on the seat to make sure he wouldn’t fall. “Calm down baby.”
Jaemin chuckled, leaning closer to the child. “Did you miss me that much? I missed you too.”
Minjun blushed, head ducking in embarrassment. Eric laughed incredulously. “My god, you even have my kid enamored by you.”
Jaemin looked up at him with a nonchalant shrug. “What can I say? I have that effect on people.”
Eric rolled his eyes playfully. “Ok, if you say so.”
Jaemin opened his mouth to protest when the waiter came back to get their orders. Eric ordered for himself and Minjun while Jaemin ordered without looking at the menu.
“You must come here often.” Eric spoke as the waitress walked away.
“What? Oh, yeah. The rest of the guys introduced it to me and we come when we have time.”
The black haired male hummed, leaning his head on his palm. “How is that like? Being an idol and stuff.”
Jaemin leaned closer as well, thinking for a moment before speaking. “It’s interesting. I was 15 when we debuted so it’s kind of odd to think about it. Our group is large, but my unit is pretty tight knit so we get along really well. It’s fun, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a lot.”
“15? Damn, I can’t even imagine.”
“Yeah, it’s not for everybody but it’s a job like any other. Just with a ton more traveling and screaming fans, I suppose.” He laughed.
“I suppose.” Eric teased.
“How about you? How do you juggle having a kid and going to college?”
“Surprisingly, it’s not that bad. I mean, I have a lot of help from family and friends so I can’t take all the credit. But it does get tiring at times.”
“I can imagine.” Jaemin spoke, eyes landing on Minjun who was still preoccupied. “He’s adorable though, so that must help.”
“Oh definitely.” Eric giggled. “He gets all his good looks from me.”
“I can tell.” Jaemin answered, completely serious causing Eric to blush.
“Please don’t.” He groaned, covering his face in embarrassment.
“Fine, fine.” Jaemin chuckled.
The rest of dinner went by well. Minjun seemed to enjoy the food and spent a majority of his time telling Jaemin about all the shows he watched and all of Eric’s friends he spent time with. When he mentioned Olivia, Jaemin looked at him with a questioning look that smoothed out when Eric said she was his cousin. Eric and Jaemin talked about random things like their favorite foods and dance since they had that in common. He enjoyed their time together since it seemed like Jaemin was genuinely as interested in him as he was in the other.
“Thank you for inviting us. I really enjoyed myself. Did you have fun Minjunnie?” Eric asked his son who started dozing off on his shoulder.
His eyes only opened slightly but a big smile made its way onto his face. He hummed in confirmation before shoving his face into the crook of Eric’s neck.
“Sorry about that, it’s almost his bedtime.” Eric chuckled, looking up to make eye contact with Jaemin. If he didn’t know any better he’d think that the other was looking at them a bit fondly.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure he needs his beauty sleep.”
Eric nodded, “Fair enough.”
Jaemin looked around the street. “How are you getting home?”
Eric pointed at a small sedan a few cars down. “I drove here.”
Jaemin nodded. “Let me walk you to your car then.”
Eric easily agreed, careful not to jostle Minjun too much. They remained silent for the duration of the short walk but it wasn’t the awkward kind. They paused in front of the car and Eric struggled for a little bit to pull his keys out of his bag. Jaemin stepped up and gently moved his hand.
“Let me.” He spoke softly, putting his hand into the baby bag and pulled out a set of keys on a pororo keychain. “Cute.” He smiled broadly at Eric who snatched the keys with a slightly embarrassed look.
“Don’t judge me, Minjun loves that cartoon.”
Jaemin raised his hands in mock surrender. “I didn’t say anything.”
“Sure.” Eric sarcastically responded. He opened the car and gently placed Minjun in his car seat, grabbing the blanket he kept in his car to tuck around the toddler. He straightened after closing the door, turning to smile at Jaemin. “Seriously, thank you for inviting us out. We don’t get out too often with me being busy with classes and stuff. This was nice.”
Jaemin ducked his head, a wide smile overtaking his face. “I’m glad you did. I don’t get out much either, as you can probably tell.”
They both paused, unsure how to continue. Eric glanced at his watch and decided he should probably go.
“I should probably head out, put Minjun to bed.”
The blue haired man nodded, pulling his mask down and hesitating in his movements before leaning close enough to give Eric a kiss on his cheek. “Good night.” He started walking backwards towards his own car. “See ya next time Eric-ah.”
Eric watched him leave, a hand reaching up to touch the place Jaemin had just kissed. He knew he was blushing from how warm his face was getting. “Damn, that kid is smooth.” He grumbled as he walked to the drivers seat.
——
Eric tried to remain silent as he glanced between the curtains. He could see a tiny body running around, giggles erupting from his son as he kept searching for Eric.
Eventually the body stopped in front of the curtains and Eric jumped out, roaring as the child screamed before bursting into laughter.
“Papa, I found you!” He spoke between his laughter, jumping up and down in excitement.
Eric scooped him up, blowing raspberries into his neck. “Ah, you did. You’re so good at this game Junnie.”
After a few rounds he set Minjun in front of the tv as he headed to the kitchen to check on the food. Just as he closed the stove the doorbell rang and he could see Minjun rush to open it. He hurried after hin, watching as the 4 year old struggled to reach the lock.
“Let me get it baby.” Eric spoke, easily opening the lock and pulling the door open.
“Vernon-samchon!” Minjun screamed, jumping onto the tall man who held his arms wide open and picked him up with ease.
Eric laughed, opening the door wider only for his brother to walk past him without so much as a greeting. “Hello to you too brother.” He sarcastically shot at him.
He turned back to smile at the rest of the guests. “Hey hyungs.”
Seungkwan laughed, reaching over to pull him into a hug. His brother’s fiancé had always been an extremely affectionate man and he’d taken a liking to Eric from their first meeting. “Thanks for inviting us Eric-ah. And sorry about Vernon, you know how much he loves that kid.”
Eric waved him off as he walked in. “Come in guys.”
Mingyu and Wonwoo towered over him as they pulled him into a group hug. The couple adored Eric almost as much as Seungkwan did and they’d taken their roles as honorary brothers very seriously.
The 3 of them entered the living room and watched as Vernon and Seungkwan tried their best to keep up with Minjun’s incredibly fast storytelling. Mingyu and Wonwoo joined the conversation just as Eric went to start setting the table. A few minutes later Seungkwan joined him, helping him by taking plates and cutlery out.
“How have you been Eric-ah?” Seungkwan asked.
Eric glanced at him weirdly, a confused smile on his lips. “I’m good hyung. You?”
“Come on, tell me for real. How are you? Anything new in your life? A girlfriend? Boyfriend?”
Eric laughed as he understood. “Ah. You’ve been spending too much time with Vernon hyung.”
“I mean, I do live with him but I see your point. But come on, you can tell me.”
Eric paused, debating whether or not he should mention it. “Um, I made a new...friend recently.”
“Friend huh?”
“Yeah.” Eric spoke as he pulled the stew off the fire. “Well, at least I think we are. We’ve talked a lot and went out together a couple times, with Minjun of course. It’s nice.”
Seungkwan smiled at him softly. “You really like this guy.”
Eric blushed but didn’t bother disagreeing. “We haven’t talked about anything..like that yet. But I feel like it’s going that way? I don’t know, I haven’t dated anyone in so long so I don’t know how this works.”
“Don’t worry about it too much. Just do what feels right.” They moved to set the table as they watched Vernon and Mingyu tickle Minjun while Wonwoo filmed it. “Is he hot though?”
“Incredibly so.” Eric answered.
“As you should Eric, as you should.” Seungkwan winked at him.
“What’s taking so long?” Vernon called out as he held an out of breath but smiling toddler. The 2 ignored him as they brought out the last dishes from the kitchen.
“Come eat.” Eric called out.
They spent the next few hours eating, catching up and laughing. Eric watched with fond eyes as Minjun told a bad joke while the rest of them laughed just to humor him. He got up to start cleaning and Vernon offered to help. They worked in silence for a while, Vernon grabbing plates while Eric rinsed them to put into the dishwasher.
He was halfway through when Vernon leaned against the counter. “You know, I just want you to be happy.”
Eric glanced at him. “Yeah. What brought this on?”
“I don’t want you to think that I bother you about being in a relationship just because I want to annoy you. I want you to enjoy your life to the fullest.”
“I know and I’m grateful for that.” He paused. “I’m trying to put myself out there.”
Vernon smiled brightly at him. “I’m glad. Just try not to give Minjun a sibling anytime soon.” The older male tried to dodge the towel thrown at him but he was a bit slow. He ran out of the kitchen as Eric watched his retreating figure with a huge smile.
——
Eric left his music theory class with a sigh, mind filled with thoughts of his hot meal and his bed. He walked out of the building, heading in the direction of his apartment when he spotted a familiar car parked just outside the door. The window of the passenger door opened and a familiar face smiled at him with a small wave. Eric rushed over, glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention.
“What are you doing here?” Eric laughed incredulously.
“What? I can’t visit you now?”
Eric shook his head in amusement. “I never said that. How did you even know when I finished classes?”
“A little birdy named Sunwoo told me.”
Eric was really starting to regret introducing them to each other. Sunwoo had begged him for weeks to let him meet the idol and Jaemin had been incredibly eager to meet a friend of Eric’s. They’d instantly hit it off and had exchanged numbers to talk about Eric much to his chagrin.
“Of course he did.” He pulled the door open as Jaemin gestured for him to enter. “Where are we heading?”
Jaemin glanced at him as he pulled out of the campus. “I was thinking we could get takeout and head to your place? I know you need to get home to Minjun.”
Eric smiled secretly at the thought that Jaemin had even considered Minjun in his plans. “Sounds good.”
They drove to Eric’s favorite Chinese takeout spot, getting enough to feed a small army before driving to his apartment building. Just as they reached the front door, he turned to Jaemin.
“Just as a heads up, my cousin Olivia is here and she’s a huge fan so don’t mind her if she freaks out.”
Jaemin nodded. “It’s cool, I’ve definitely dealt with worse.”
“Well, I warned you.” Eric mumbled as he pulled the door open. They entered and took their shoes off. Eric lead him to the living room where he found the 2 napping on the couch.
He cooed as he walked over and gently shook Olivia awake. She opened her eyes and smiled sheepishly at him before getting up.
“Sorry, we were watching cooking videos and then-“ she cut herself off, eyes wide as they landed on the figure behind him.
Jaemin smiled at her kindly, waving a single hand in greeting.
“Oppa, am I dreaming right now? I must be because there’s no way Na Jaemin is standing in your apartment.”
“You aren’t dreaming Olivia.” Eric giggled, kneeling beside the couch to brush Minjun’s hair out of his face as he tried to wake him up. It was about an hour too early for him to sleep and if he left him he would undoubtedly wake Eric up at 3 in the morning.
“Hi, it’s nice to meet you. Eric’s told me a lot about you.” Jaemin bowed at her.
Olivia shot up from the couch and almost gave herself whiplash from how quickly she bent down to bow at him. “Oh my god. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m a huge fan.”
“You came to our fan fight with him a couple months ago, right? I remember your face.”
Olivia looked as if she was going to explode. She turned to Eric. “He remembers me!” She squealed.
Eric nodded just as Minjun got up and started to feel more awake.
“Jaemin hyung.” The boy mumbled, getting up from the couch and walking to hug him despite his half asleep nature.
Jaemin knelt on the ground and hugged him gently. “Hey buddy, are you glad I came to visit?”
Minjun nodded, opening his arms to signal that he wanted to be picked up. Jaemin immediately obliged and picked him up, letting the kid tuck his head on his shoulder. He looked up after making sure he was comfortable only to be met with a fond looking Eric and a shocked Olivia.
“Olivia, close your mouth hun. You might catch flies.” Eric shut her mouth as he walked past.
The girl shook herself out of her perpetual stillness as a blush took over. “I’m sorry if I’ve creeped you out. It’s not everyday that an idol walks into Eric oppa’s home.”
Jaemin shook his head, dismissing her apology. “Don’t worry about it. I can understand why you were incredibly shocked.”
Olivia nodded, gathering her things and turning to Eric with a look that said ‘we’re gonna have a talk about this’ to which Eric simply winked. She bid them all goodbye after a promise from Jaemin to get her a signed Nct Dream album. Eric locked the door after her and headed back to the dining table where Jaemin was feeding Minjun some noodles and occasionally taking a bite for himself.
“You’re good with kids.” Eric spoke as he sat down and opened his own container of food. “Do you want any of your own?”
Jaemin looked up with a thoughtful look. “Yeah, it’s definitely a possibility. I’ve always been good with them, I used to take care of my younger cousins when I still lived at home.”
“I was the complete opposite.” Eric giggled at Jaemin’s shocked face.
“What? That’s impossible. You’re so good with Minjun.”
“It’s probably because he’s my child. Kids used to terrify me, I’d literally hide when my cousins came over.”
“Now that’s an interesting image.” Jaemin chuckled.
The rest of the meal passed by quickly as it seemed Minjun was incredibly close to falling face first into the table. Eric asked Jaemin to help him brush his teeth as he cleaned up to which the idol agreed and carried the boy to the bathroom. Eric attempted to hurry and clean, glancing at the clock that read 7:30 pm. He walked to the bathroom and smiled at the sight of Jaemin drying Minjun’s face.
“Come on Junnie.” Eric said softly as he guided them to Minjun’s room. Jaemin laid him down on his bed, helping Eric tuck his race car sheets around him.
“Do you want a bedtime story baby?” Eric chose the sharp inhale he heard coming from the other adult in the room.
Minjun looked to be in thought for a moment before he nodded. “Can hyung read it to me?” He asked shyly, looking at said hyung with puppy eyes.
“Sure.” Jaemin answered, l happy to do anything the little boy asked of him.
Minjun unsurprisingly asked for the hungry caterpillar and Jaemin was lucky that they had a Korean version of he would’ve had to struggle through the English one. 10 minutes later the boy was knocked out with his hands clutching Honey. Eric gestured for Jaemin to be quiet as they left the room, making sure to turn his nightlight in before leaving.
“When are you expected home?” Eric asked, turning to look at Jaemin.
“So eager to get rid of me?” Jaemin teased, settling next to Eric on his couch.
“Ha ha.” Eric shoved him. “I just wanted to make sure that you won’t get in any trouble for being here too late. But now I think you should go.”
Jaemin gasped, hand clutching his chest. “You wound me. But no, I’m good since we don’t have any schedules tomorrow.”
Eric nodded, leaning comfortably against the arm of the couch, stretching his legs to rest by Jaemin. The younger boy grabbed his feet and pulled them into his lap, gently massaging them. Eric wasn’t one to deny an impromptu massage so he simply closed his eyes and sighed in content. He let out an involuntary min when Jaemin’s thumb dug into the sole of his right foot.
“You should take care of your body better.” Jaemin noted. “It wouldn’t do for a dancer to get injured half way through the semester.”
Eric hummed in answer, too content to say anything. He knew he should probably tell Jaemin to stop before this got any further but it was the first time someone wanted to take care of him and he wanted to bask in it. Consequences be damned.
Jaemin’s hands started straying further up his legs, fingering practically leaving indents in Eric’s calves. Eric opened his eyes, looking at Jaemin from under his eyelashes. The idol made eye contact with him, searching for something Eric wasn’t aware of. He must’ve found whatever it was because he lowered his legs to the couch before slowly leaning over his form.
Eric watched his movements, making no move to stop him. Jaemin’s face was a few inches away causing Eric’s breath to get caught in his throat. One hand made its way to his cheek, the other landing somewhere near his hip. Jaemin nudged his nose with his own.
“Tell me to stop.” Jaemin whispered in the little space between them.
Eric shook his head, one hand coming up to bring Jaemin in for a kiss. Despite the intense build up. The kiss was incredibly sweet, exactly what a first kiss should be. It stayed chaste for a while before Jaemin’s tongue licked across his bottom lip asking for permission that was instantly given. Eric sighed softly as their tongues made contact, hand traveling to run through the others hair.
After a couple minutes of them making out, Eric reluctantly pulled back. Jaemin tried to chase after his lips but Eric stopped him with a hand.
“I’d love to continue but Minjun is only a couple rooms away. We should probably stop.”
Jaemin pouted but ultimately agreed, giving him one last peck before rolling off him. Eric sat next to him, smiling secretly as the other put an arm around his shoulder to pull him closer.
——
Eric had never been in such an awkward situation.
After him and Jaemin had become….something(they had yet to put a label on it much to Eric’s stress) the other had suggested that Eric meet his band members. When he’d stepped foot into the dorm they had gone through introductions despite all of them having met him at their fansign and Eric had sat with them in their living room making stilted small talk while Jaemin sat beside him with a hand on his thigh.
A silence followed after a while and he could feel the judgement exuding from a few of the members. He excused himself to head to the bathroom.
He stood in front of the sink, looking at himself and attempted to catch his breath. He was used to being judged for his single father status, even more when people found out he was a teen dad. He want ashamed of himself or of Minjun but it definitely made it difficult to put himself out there fore fear of rejection.
He’d been trying to avoid having that talk with Jaemin but it was clearly a bigger issue since his members seemed uncomfortable about the fact. He wet his face slightly and dried it before quietly stepping out into the hallway. He was walking back when he heard his name and paused to listen in.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” One of them spoke.
“Am I sure what is a good idea? Getting chicken for dinner?” Jaemin chuckled at his own stupid joke.
“No, dating a guy who has a kid.”
Eric inhaled sharply at the judgemental tone.
“I don’t see why not? I mean, I like him and I get along with his son, so I don’t see the issue.”
“The issue is that it’s a lot of baggage. What if you break up and the kid gets attached? That’s a lot to deal with.”
“Normally I wouldn’t agree with Donghyuck but you should think about it. Are you really willing to get invested in such a messy situation?”
A long pause followed and Jaemin didn’t say anything to defend him, his heart breaking just that much more.
Eric was familiar with the sting of tears as he listened to their words. It was as if they’d picked up every single one of his insecurities and aired them out like wet laundry. He quickly wiped his tears and took a deep breath before walking out with an apologetic smile.
“Hey, sorry but I really have to go. Family emergency.” He spoke quickly, ignoring Jaemin’s confused look as he gathered his things. He turned to bow at them without looking at them, not wanting to see the blatant judgement in their faces. “Thank you for inviting me. Sorry for leaving so abruptly.”
He practically ran to the front door, pulling his shoes on while he attempted to wipe the tears that just wouldn’t stop falling. He reached for the door just as a hand grabbed his arm to stop him from leaving. He refused to turn around.
“Hey, what’s going on? Are you ok? Is Minjun on? Do you need me to come with you?” He spoke quietly, genuine concern in his voice.
“No, everything’s fine. I just really need to go.” Eric shrugged the others hand off his arm.
He pulled the door open before Jamein spoke up again. “Talk to me, don’t shut me out.”
Eric finally turned, giving the other a sad smile. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ll see you around Jaemin.”
And with that he rushed down the stairs, not bothering with the elevator.
——
“What’s going on Eric? You haven’t been yourself for a couple days.”
Eric looked up from where he’d been staring at his missed calls. He pushed the 52 red notifications out of his mind as he gave Sunwoo a fake smile.
“I’m fine, just some regular stress.” He looked around the grassy courtyard and sighed softly at all the happy couples he saw mulling around.
“Did something happen with Jaemin? You haven’t mentioned him in a while. He texted me asking for you.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Really? Because I think we should. You aren’t happy, dude, I just want to help.”
“Drop it.” Eric snapped, all the anger he’d been feeling since the unfortunate event a week ago coming out.
Sunwoo looked at him with a shocked look. “Ok, calm down. I just wanted to help.”
Eric instantly felt guilty. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m just going through something. I’ll get over it.”
Sunwoo nodded, giving him a small smile, he started talking about a random assignment as Eric did his best to listen.
Eric got out of his car, walking towards the front entrance of his apartment building before he heard his name being called. He looked up and cursed, rushing to get his keys out and dropping then in his haste. He reached to pick it up when another hand beat him to it.
“Hey.” Jaemin looked at him with an awkward smile. “Long time no see.”
Eric nodded slowly, reaching to snatch the keys away from the other. He finally got the door open and Jaemin, unsurprisingly, followed him in.
He sighed, turning to look at him. “Let’s not do this.”
“Do what?” Jamein looked genuinely confused.
Eric gestured between them, “This, us. Let’s stop it before we both get hurt.”
Jaemin stepped closer only to be stopped by Eric putting a hand between them. “What are you saying? I thought we both enjoyed what happened 2 weeks ago? Why the sudden switch up?”
“I’ve finally come to my senses. We’re too...different. It wouldn’t work out. So let’s save one another the heartbreak before we go too far.”
“What are you talking about? We have plenty in common, we get along incredibly well. What brought this on?” Jaemin looked so calm and it finally caused Eric to snap.
“You don’t fucking get it!” He yelled, barely aware of how Jaemin flinched back slightly. “It would never work. You’re a fucking world famous idol, you have teen girls screaming for you everywhere you go. You’re barely ever free and you have management breathing down your neck at every given moment. And me? I’m just a fucking loser who has a toddler and attempts to live a normal life despite nothing about it being fucking normal. We couldn’t be more different. You can have anyone in the world so why would you pick me? Not to mention, your friends made it pretty clear that they don’t think I’m worth the effort.”
“So that’s what this is about? You’re worried that they won’t approve? I’m a grown man, I don’t need anyone’s permission to date you. You’re the one I want. Isn’t that enough?”
Eric laughed but it lacked any humor. “Don't be naive Jaemin. This isn’t just about them, it’s about everything plus that.”
Jaemin stood there before he suddenly nodded, his face not giving away any of his thoughts. “Fine. I see how it is.” He started walking away before turning back. “You know, I thought you were different. I thought you understood me. But it’s clear that you just think of me as a child who doesn’t know what he wants. I’ll go, but just know that it was never like that for me. I was serious about you but you clearly weren’t about me.” And then he exited the building, taking Eric’s heart with him.
A drop of water touching his hand broke him out of his reverie and he turned to walk towards the elevator as he tried to ignore the emptiness inside him.
——
“Papa, are you ok?” Minjun whispered for the 5th time as they sat next to each other watching a movie.
“Hmm? Oh, yeah, I’m fine baby.” Eric smiled at him although it was a bit distracted.
Truthfully though, he’d been a mess for the past month. Ever since that fight with Jamein, the other had completely ceased contact and although that was what he wanted, it didn’t mean it hadn’t hurt. He tried to occupy himself with school and taking care of Minjun, but the absence of the other was clear. He’d become an important part in both of their lives and for him to suddenly stop coming around had taken some getting used to. Minjun had constantly asked for him, wondering why his Jaemin hyung had stopped coming around. He’d even decided a few times thinking it was his fault. Eric had assured him that the other was just too busy to come around. Eric had kept up with his group's promotions though. He’d told himself it was just to make sure the other was doing good but it was definitely because he missed him no matter how much he lied to himself.
“I’m going to get a drink, do you want anything Minjunnie?”
“Can I get a juice box?”
“Sure thing.” Eric got up and walked to the fridge to pull out a coke for himself and a fruit punch juice box for Minjun. He was looking for a glass when he heard the doorbell ring. Eric hadn’t been expecting anyone so he decided to just ignore it. Unbeknownst to him, Minjun had run to the door to see who it was.
The sudden sound of the door open and Minjun talking someone caused him to set the stuff in the counter to run towards the door. Damn Sunwoo for teaching him how to use a stool to reach the lock. He rushed over and paused as he noticed who was at his door.
“Eric-ssi, we were wondering if we could talk?”
And that’s how Eric found himself sitting across from 6 of the 7 members of Nct Dream after he’d set Minjun up with his juice box and a coloring book at the table. He sat in the loveseat as he regarded them with caution.
“You wanted to talk? So talk.” He hadn’t meant for his words to come out so rudely but he hadn’t forgotten how these people had talked about him the minute he’d been out of the room.
Renjun was the first to talk. “First off, we’d like to apologize for the way we spoke about you when you came over. We don’t know you well and we had no right to be so rude.”
Eric hummed, eyes still narrowed.
Donghyuck was the next to speak up. “We were just trying to look out for Jaemin. He’s a bit… hasty in his judgments so we wanted to make sure he was sure about your relationship.”
“Interesting.” He leaned forward. “So you don’t think he’s what? Smart enough to make his own decisions? Isn’t he older than you?”
Mark elbowed Donghyuck who had started pouting at Eric’s words. “It’s not like that. We made some quick judgements and thought we were doing the right thing. But we were clearly wrong. Jaemin has been miserable.”
Eric’s heart ached at those words. Although a part of him had secretly hoped that Jaemin was as affected by their break up(?) as he was, it still hurt that the other was hurting.
“Yeah, he’s barely been eating or drinking. He never comes out of his room and ignores us like we aren’t even there.” Jisung spoke, looking at Eric with large eyes and reminding him a bit of Minjun.
“He clearly felt something strong for you and it was not our place to question that.” Chenle continued, surprisingly seeming like the most mature of them all.
“Does Jaemin know you’re here?” Eric spoke after a moment.
“No, we told him we were getting dinner and he decided to stay home.” Jeno said, leaning back against renjun who rubbed his hand in what seemed like a nervous habit. “We’re hoping you might reach out to him soon.”
“Ok.” Eric said after a moment. “I accept your apology. It’s not like I’m not used to it but I appreciate you coming all the way here to do so.” They all winced at his words but no one interrupted. “I’ll have to think about all of this but you’ve definitely cleared up a bit of it for me.”
The group got up since they were clearly being dismissed. Eric walked over to Minjun and told the toddler to say goodbye. He might not like them that much but he wasn’t raising his son to be rude.
“Bye. Please bring Jaemin hyung next time.” He spoke without even looking up.
Eric smirked down at him, ruffling his hair and walking over to shut the door as they filed out. Renjun’s paused before leaving.
“I hope you know we’re being genuine. We had good intentions but we aren’t always aware of how to get our words out correctly. We didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Eric finally broke, giving the younger boy a smile. “Don’t worry about it, let bygones be bygones. I’ve already moved on.” He winked at him.
Renjun beamed at him, bowing at him one last time before following the others. Eric shut the door with a sigh, leaning against it as his thoughts sm raced through his head. “Fuck.”
“What papa?”
“Nothing.” Eric hastily answered.
——
“Are you sure I should be here?” Eric asked Renjun who nodded enthusiastically.
The 2 of them had been in contact since they’d apologized and surprisingly had become pretty good friends.
Eric looked at him hesitantly. He glanced around the practice room and tried not to feel too out of place. He’d never been in such a fancy dance studio and it was making him feel a bit self conscious.
“It’s the only way we can convince him to get out of his room these days. This way you can corner him and you guys can talk it out.”
“But what if he doesn’t want to see me?” Eric wasn’t usually one to be so anxious but he really wasn’t sure that this plan was a good idea. There was a very real possibility that Jaemin would take one look at him and leave. And that would probably make Eric die on the inside.
Renjun smiled at him. “You have nothing to worry about. Just be yourself and he’ll listen, trust me.”
10 minutes later the door to the studio opened and Jaemin walked in with his head down, looking down at his phone. He didn’t look up for a while and therefore didn’t notice Eric standing there. Eventually he looked up and paused as he saw him.
“Um, hi?” Eric spoke up, an awkward wave added on.
Jaemin gaped at him. “Am I dreaming?”
Eric laughed quietly, shaking his head slowly. “Nope. Surprise?”
Jaemin walked closer, expression guarded but clearly a bit happy to see Eric which gave the older man the courage to continue talking.
“I know I might be the last person you want to talk to but I really hope you’ll let me explain my side of things before you kick me out.”
The now black haired man nodded, gesturing for him to continue.
Eric nodded to psych himself up before he started talking. “I’m sorry. Not only for disregarding your feelings before I broke things off but also for treating you like a child who couldn’t make his own decisions. I know I shouldn’t let other people's opinions of me impact my relationships but it’s not like I can help it. I’m not perfect, I’m insecure, I’m brash, and I’m impulsive. I make decisions quickly so as to avoid confrontation but obviously that didn’t work this time. And I know you might have already moved on or decided I’m too much work-“ he held up a hand to stop Jaemin from interjecting. “No, let me finish. It would be completely fair for you to tell me to leave and never come back. But...but I’m hoping you’re still willing to give us a try.” He paused to take a deep breath.
“Ok, can I talk now?” Jaemin spoke cautiously.
Eric looked up at him and nodded. “Go ahead.”
“You’re a dumbass.” Eric made an indignant sound but didn’t interrupt. “You’re such an idiot but I honestly have not been able to stop thinking about you. I wanted to be mad at you so badly but it always ended with me being mad at myself. For not being a better person, for not defending you when my friends stepped out of line, for not being there when you were clearly having a rough time. And it hurt when you ended things, but nothing hurt more than the thought that you didn’t even want to try. Because I really fucking like you Eric. I like your flaws and your odd habits and your horrible taste in tv shows. I love spending time with you and Minjun, no matter how much you think it’s a turn off. I knew you were a dad when we met so do you really think I would’ve left because of it?”
Eric sheepishly shook his head, suddenly very interested in a piece of dirt on the floor. A soft hand cups his cheek and makes him look up. He made eye contact with a pair of kind brown eyes and for the first time in what felt like forever, he relaxed.
“I know we still have some things to work through but I really want to try again. Because you make me so fucking happy and I hope I do the same for you.” Jaemin whispered.
His response came in the form of Eric launching himself at him, their lips coming together in a long overdue kiss. Jaemin’s arms tightened around his waist, pushing the other until he was against a wall, lifting his legs to circle around his own waist. Eric was content to let him do whatever he wanted, sighing into the kiss and losing himself in the feeling. The kiss started to deepen when the sound of the door opening forced them to pull apart. Eric looked over Jaemin’s shoulder as the younger boy placed gentle kisses on his neck.
Renjun and Jeno gaped at them, cheeks reddening quickly.
“Enjoying the view?” Eric teased, hand coming up to pull Jaemin away. It’s not that he didn’t enjoy it, it’s just that they really shouldn’t go any further.
“Uh-“ Jeno started although he clearly didn’t know how to proceed.
“We just wanted to check up on you guys. But you’re clearly doing well so we'll go. Congrats by the way.” Renjun then pulled a still frozen Jeno out of the room, the door shutting with a resounding slam.
“Now, where were we?” Jaemin whispered, leaning back in to catch his lips.
Eric moved out of the way, laughing as Jamein started whining. “We really shouldn’t continue in such a public place. Anyone could walk in.”
Jaemin obviously wanted to protest but ultimately agreed, gently settling Eric back onto his feet. “You’re right.”
“Of course I am.” Eric chuckled. “I should get going.”
Jaemin tried to hide the hurt in his expression. “Oh right.”
Eric cooed at him, squeezing his cheeks. “You’re coming with me dumbass. Minjun hasn’t stopped asking for you, it’s driving me and all my friends crazy.”
Jaemin’s eye brightened, pulling Eric quickly to the door. “What are we waiting for? My favorite child is waiting for me.”
Eric let him pull him out, heart full with so much love as he followed behind his boyfriend.
——
“Minjun, can hyung get a kiss before he leaves?” Jaemin called from where he was leaning against the front door.
Small footsteps ran in his direction before he saw a tiny figure launching themselves at him, Eric following slowly behind. Jaemin instantly caught him, carrying him up to give him a hug.
“I’m gonna miss you.” Minjun mumbled into his chest.
Jaemin cooed at him, ruffling his hair. “Oh baby, I’m only going to be gone for a week. I’ll be back before you even notice. Plus, you can watch me perform on the tv. Isn’t that cool?”
Minjun reluctantly nodded, bursting into giggles as Jaemin started tickling him.
“Come on, don’t be sad. That’ll make hyung cry.”
Minjun instantly smiled, not wanting his hyung to cry. He leaned in to give Jaemin a wet kiss on the cheek. Jaemin set him back on the ground, giving him a kiss of his own before the kid ran back to his toys.
“Bye appa.” Minjun yelled back, unaware of the shocked looks on both the adults in the apartment.
“Did he-did he just-“ Jaemin stuttered.
Eric chuckled, coming closer to wrap his arms round Jaemin’s shoulders. “I think he just did.”
He leaned up to give him a quick kiss to distract him from his shock. It seemed to work so he pulled away.
“He must really like you.”
Jaemin nodded, unable to keep the tears from falling down. “I love that kid so much.”
“Aww, you big baby.” Eric mumbled as he wiped his tears away gently. “He loves you too, probably always has. You’re a great parent to him.”
“Is that ok with you? Him calling me appa.”
“Of course it is. I wouldn’t want anything less.”
“I love you.” Jaemin whispered as if he was in awe, leaning down to capture his lips in a deeper kiss.
Eric eventually pushed him back. “I love you too. Come on appa, you have a kcon to get to.”
Jaemin nodded reluctantly. “Yeah, that’s true. I’ll get going then.”
Eric helped him put his coat on, watching him head to the elevator. Jaemin turned to wave him goodbye once more.
“I love you.” Eric called out, blowing a kiss and laughing as Jamein caught it and put it in his pocket.
“Love you more. Watch me on tv!” He called out, finally disappearing.
Eric sighed happily, pulling the door shut and walking to the living room.