Work Text:
“We’re home!” Taeyong announces from the threshold just as little Mark lets go of his hand, his backpack bouncing along to his steps as he sprints through the hallway with an inexplicable energy after a long day.
Taeyong shucks off his coat and hangs it on his designated hook on the wall adjacent to the door. He quickly instructs his son to wash up before dinner and trails behind the boy who continues to sprint toward his room without a word, his little feet padding across the floor with little to no sound, and Taeyong opts to the kitchen where his husband should be. As expected, Jaehyun is there and the smell of stew deliciously permeates in the air that it makes his stomach grumble.
His husband is already in his pajamas, looking cuddly and ready for sleep, which indicates that he must’ve been home for a long time. He’s hunched over the counter chopping some spring onion and he turns around immediately as soon as Taeyong walks in, a bright smile adorning his features. “Hey, baby. Welcome home. The food is almost ready, or did you guys already eat out?”
“No, we didn’t,” he replies, shooting the man a smile back, albeit tiredly. He makes a move to him and Jaehyun is quick to open his arms so he can melt into him in no time. The latter hums into the embrace before planting a solid kiss to his husband’s temple. “Markie said and I quote, ‘Daddy’s kimchi jjigae is so much better than McDodo, Appa, can we eat that instead?’.”
Jaehyun giggles into the crown of his hair, the moist air from his breath tickling his scalp, and he inhales the man’s scent in response. He’s home, indeed.
“Great because that’s what I cooked for tonight. I wasn’t sure if you’ll be eating but we can always reheat it.”
The timer goes off and they disentangle themselves from each other but not foregoing the quick kiss on the mouth that they always make sure to do every day they come home to each other. A simple greeting after each day which shouldn’t be weathered by time, a daily reminder, Jaehyun had told him in the beginning of their marriage. The man goes back to stirring the stew while Taeyong decides to set the table for the three of them.
“Speaking of that,” he starts. “Sorry I wasn’t able to text you what time we’ll be coming home. My phone died sometime after I informed you I’ll take Mark to window shopping. It took longer than I expected to calm him down.”
“Mm. What made him so upset, anyway?”
Taeyong pauses on his movements to make sure he’s facing his husband when he breaks the news to him. The matter has been brought up so many times in their household, only for Jaehyun to consistently reject it as soon as it’s being touch on each time. Taeyong swears up and down he admires his husband’s consistency but not for this matter surely. Jaehyun is watching him with crossed arms, waiting, and he almost lets out a petty chortle for the inevitable confrontation to come for him. He knows his partner loathes this kind of conversation.
“Their teacher made them watch Lady and the Tramp and when I went to pick him up this afternoon, he wouldn’t stop chewing my ear off about getting a puppy. He was so upset when I told him we couldn’t do that so I had to take him to the mall to take his mind off of it.”
“Oh my god, I swear this conversation better not reach my mother or else I’ll be coming home one day to a dog in our living room,” Jaehyun dramatically shudders at the mental image. He goes back to stirring the pot with a shrug. “You know she spoils Mark more than you do, honey.”
Taeyong spares his husband an unimpressed look. “No, I don’t. Besides, that’s not the point here. This is your fault that our son has been having these episodes lately just because you wouldn’t bend for what he wants.”
Jaehyun turns around again, a cheeky smile on his face this time. “See? You definitely love to spoil him,” he counters teasingly, just because he enjoys getting a raise out of his husband and at this point on, it’s about to unfold out of Taeyong.
The said man gives him a warning look but their conversation comes prematurely when Mark saunters into the kitchen already in his pajamas, glasses askew on top of perky nose and big eyes looking sleepy under. Jaehyun automatically coos at the sight and he turns off the stove so he can direct all of his attention to the little boy.
“My baby! Did you have fun at the mall?” he asks, strategically leaving behind the topic which caused his son to be upset.
“Daddy, I already told you to stop calling me a baby when I turned six. I’m seven!” Mark whines, looking very much contradicting on his seat as he stubbornly flaps his short legs in protest.
Jaehyun can’t help but chuckle. “Which was a year ago and Daddy doesn’t really have the best memory. Besides, you’re barely reaching my waist, baby, how about we wait until you can be at least the same height as my shoulder, hm?”
“I would be too old then,” Mark mumbles with a pout.
“So whiny,” Taeyong mutters lightly before mouthing a ‘he’s just tired’ to Jaehyun.
The family starts eating after that and the table is occasionally filled with Taeyong’s compliments to his husband’s cooking and Jaehyun’s random stories recently at work. He told about how Yuta’s cubicle was coincidentally moved next to his which was both a blessing and a curse. They’ve known and annoyed each other for so long and even have been each other’s best man that at this point it’s not maliciously ill to think of poisoning the other with the company’s god-awful instant coffee.
By the time they finished, they can’t help but chuckle pitifully at the state their little boy is in. Their window shopping must’ve truly tired him out and adding the fact that he’s been sulking on the idea of not getting a puppy since the afternoon that he’s barely holding himself up after dinner. He’s been polite enough to give answers to Jaehyun whenever he asked about his day, even convinced his parents that he wasn’t mad that Taeyong didn’t get him a new toy, and sometimes nodded along to the conversation even if he probably didn’t get why his Daddy was complaining about work.
Jaehyun carefully lifts him up in his arms and out of his chair before his face completely ducks into the soup bowl and almost immediately he completely succumbs to sleep.
“A big baby,” Jaehyun chuckles softly just above his head. “He keeps on insisting that he’s not anymore but he just still is.”
Taeyong shares his husband’s mirth and quickly reassures him that he’s doing the dishes tonight so he can tuck Mark in. After doing the chore and making sure everything’s cleaned up, he noticed that Jaehyun still hasn’t come out of the room so he decides to lounge idly at the couch with the television on. He doesn’t pay attention to it though, as he chews on his nails absently and thinks about the approaching deadline he has for a white paper instead.
He’s a freelance writer which allows him to work from home and more importantly, to have an easy and flexible schedule to tend for Mark, whereas Jaehyun works as a marketing agent alongside his longtime friend, Yuta, in a company so he comes home later every day. At mornings, he’s in charge of taking Mark to school and that leaves Taeyong the responsibility of fetching him every afternoon. During weekends when Taeyong is usually drowning in workload, Jaehyun tries to spend as much time as he can with their son by taking him to the park or wherever he wanted to go. Most of the time they end up in the Kims’ household, though, because Mark loves to hang out with Duckie.
It’s a routine they have carefully built up around their busy lives for years and of course, the couple always remind themselves that no matter how busy they become or how unaligned their schedules become due to commitments, it’s always important to make time for the family. They didn’t want Mark to grow up emotionally distant to them so even with their tight schedules, they always resisted the idea of getting a nanny to tend for Mark’s needs. They want to be hands-on and full-time parents on their child’s rearing on top of all.
Taeyong doesn’t notice his husband plopping down beside him until he feels his warm hand urging his own head to lean on his shoulder and his other hand taking both his own to gently caress the outside of his palms, effectively avoiding him to damage his nails further.
“Shower?” Jaehyun asks. “I’ll fix a bath for you. I’ll even throw one of those bath bombs thingy if you want.”
Taeyong looks at his husband amusedly, but before he can get a word out, the man shoots him a cheeky grin. “But don’t tell Mark though, he’ll probably get upset if he finds out I occasionally steal his bath bombs. You know I rarely buy them. They’re too expensive for a one-time use product.”
Taeyong laughs, and although he’s reluctant to leave the snuggly position they shared on the couch, he stands up and pulls on the man’s arm, urging him as well. “Then I won’t have it. Come on, go to sleep and I’m just gonna take a quick shower. I’ll join you later.”
“Or I’ll join you.”
He lets out a breathy laugh. “Didn’t you shower already? Look at you, you’re ready for bed.”
“Actually, a second shower doesn’t sound so bad.” Jaehyun starts tugging them towards their bedroom, one hand clasped on Taeyong’s wrist and the other simultaneously undoing his buttons. Taeyong continues to giggle, letting the man lead them without any resistance. He can feel Jaehyun silently buzz with excitement and it’s like they’re in the initial stages of their marriage all over again.
“Okay. Whatever suits you,” he mutters, lightly slapping the other’s butt.
The next morning is Saturday which means it’s another day closer to the deadline Taeyong’s chasing after. He usually has the whole weekends tucked away especially for the projects he needs to finish within that time because these are the only days he can hole up in his office for the whole day without worrying about Mark and he’s already dreading for the hectic days to come.
However, he wakes up to a beautiful sight instead. Mark’s big, expressive eyes stare down at him innocently as soon as he opens his own eyes. Taeyong, in his groggy state, right away decides that today is going to be a great day despite the glaring duties waiting for him at the other side of the door to his office. Mark’s sitting on the bed where Jaehyun is supposed to be, legs crossed and tiny hands holding onto the pads of his feet as he rocks himself back and forth. He still looks sleepy himself and it seems like he’s avoiding that by engaging with the motion.
It’s not an uncommon sight per se, Mark is an early bird which is a bonus to his parents because they never really had a hard time waking him up for school and the husbands are used to their son barging into their room to wake them up during the weekends. Taeyong had joked about it to Jaehyun once, how he didn’t need to set up an alarm during the weekends in case he sleeps in because their son will do it for him. Mark always has high spirits whenever the weekend comes because his Daddy had told him they can do whatever he wants in those days.
As soon as he noticed Taeyong is awake, his eyes light up and he crawls the small distance to get closer to the man. “Good morning, Appa!”
“Hey, baby. Good morning to you too,” Taeyong coos, puckering his lips as a signal to let him kiss the boy on the cheek. Mark immediately leans forward, smiling widely to his Appa. “Where’s your Daddy?”
“In the shower!” Mark slightly bounces on his seat. “Appa, we’re going to make waffles and later we’re going to Duckie’s house.”
Taeyong stretches with a soft groan before rolling over to the edge of the bed to pick up his shirt. He slips it on in one fluid movement. “That’s great, baby. Have fun, okay? And kiss Duckie for me, please.”
Jaehyun comes out of the bathroom then, looking fresh and awake, and Mark jumps down from the bed to run towards the door.
“Hi. Good morning, beautiful,” Jaehyun greets with a smile which Taeyong quickly gives back, and he leans down a bit to kiss him on the mouth and then on the forehead.
Mark, already standing by the door and a hand grasping on the doorknob, rattles it impatiently, saying, “Hurry up, Daddy! I want to make the waffles now.”
Jaehyun obeys at once, and when they slip out the door, Taeyong slides out of the comforter and into the bathroom. He takes his sweet time under the water knowing he won’t have the luxury to indulge himself for the rest of the day once he starts with his work. He dressed comfortably after and then he’s out the room.
When he comes into the kitchen, he’s greeted by a pleasantly hyperactive energy buzzing in the air. Jaehyun’s phone is blasting the song ‘I’ll Make A Man Out of You’ from Mulan and Mark is so engrossed to singing along using a wooden spoon as his makeshift microphone. Mark has a borderline unhealthy obsession with the movie and it’s one of those shows he mandatorily watches from time to time no matter how many times he has seen them, or that he’s memorized some of the lines and songs already. He even proclaimed several times that Mulan is his favorite Disney princess. Sometimes, he would engage in imaginary fights and combat trainings with himself or with Duckie, and the husbands would let them because it’s a normal playtime habit for boys their age as long as they don’t get too far and end up hurting themselves.
He’s running around the space, jumping up and down the stools to the kitchen island as he sings, and occasionally gripping at his dad’s shirt to balance himself while he tip-toes to check on the waffles.
Jaehyun has already prepared the insulated coffee mug for Taeyong, filled with freshly-made coffee and a generous amount of milk, as he’s never been a fan of bitter drinks, or bitter food in general. He grabs it, kisses his husband on the shoulder with a small ‘thank you’, manages to snatch Mark for a second to kiss his head, and then he’s out of the kitchen.
Jaehyun cooks for a little while longer while the Mulan playlist continues to drone on and he wonders why Mark has requested a few more batches than usual. When he turns around, Mark has calmed down and is now silently drinking his milk.
“Baby, are you hungrier than usual? What do you need all these food for?” he asks.
Mark shakes his head no. “I found out that Aecha really loves waffles and I promised her I would give her more when I come visit the next time. I wanted to give her a lot today, Daddy.”
Jaehyun nods approvingly but doesn’t question anymore. He doesn’t know a kid named Aecha but he supposes she’s just another neighbor’s kid. After all, the Kims are really friendly and hospitable, especially Doyoung, and it’s always a welcome concept that Mark is constantly gaining new friends to play with.
Jaehyun removes his apron and packs the rest of the waffles in the Tupperware. He instructs Mark to go get dressed while he does so as well and afterwards, he makes sure that everything’s packed including the condiments to go along with the waffles.
“Are you ready?” Mark nods. “Let’s give some to Appa before we go, baby. He didn’t have breakfast yet.”
“Okay, yes!”
Mark balances a plate of warm waffles in one hand as the other attentively knocks on the door to Taeyong’s office. He knows he should be careful when knocking on this particular door because his Appa is working hard and should not be disturbed unless needed. When Taeyong’s voice calls for affirmation, the boy comes in wearing a proud smile that automatically makes his dad smile too.
“Is that for me, baby?”
“Yes, it’s very delicious. Daddy and I made them. You should eat them too, Appa!”
“Of course, baby. Thank you,” Taeyong replies graciously. “Give Appa a kiss so I can enjoy them so much more.”
Mark sets the plate onto the desk confidently, albeit a little clumsily. He giggles before leaning closer to land wet and audible kisses on both sides of Taeyong’s cheeks then he practically skips over to the door shyly where Jaehyun is waiting. The man says goodbye and tells his husband he’ll come by Taeil’s place and then they’re off.
In the car as Jaehyun starts driving through the neighborhood, Mark casts a glance sideways at him from the shotgun. He’s sitting perfectly buckled and behaved, yet he seems timid from something. The man waits for him to be ready to speak up about it.
Mark plays with his fingers for a moment, alternating between fiddling with them and drumming them against his thighs. Then, finally, he looks at his dad again. In a small voice says, “Daddy, can I ask you something?”
“Of course, baby. What is it?” Jaehyun replies encouragingly.
“Do you hate dogs?”
Jaehyun is taken aback on his seat and he panics momentarily, then decidedly parks the car beside the road where he thinks is safe. He opens his mouth to speak then shuts them off completely, trying to think of better words to express himself. His son is a little confused, wide eyed under the specs blinking back at him, waiting patiently.
“I certainly do not hate dogs,” he begins. “Mark, where did you get this idea? Is it because I said I didn’t want one in our home?”
The child nods shyly.
Jaehyun sighs softly. He feels bad for his son because he knows how much he loves animals, especially dogs, and has expressed several times his want to raise pets at home. He was surprised about the question but he doesn’t blame him for reaching that conclusion. After all, Mark is just seven and doesn’t know the significant responsibilities that come with raising pets. In a child’s perspective, it’s easy to come up with that reason. Children are honest about what they like and what they do not. However, when you grow older, it’s not simply about those things anymore. Things in between start to exist and they need to be considered as well.
As a father, it’s also his job to explain these things to his son. He reaches out to ruffle his hair adoringly. “You know your Appa and I always tell you about this, right? That when you raise a dog, it’s not easy.”
Mark nods obediently to let him know he’s paying attention.
Jaehyun shifts on his seat so that he’s facing the young boy. “There are a lot we need to do in order for the puppy to live their best life and to make sure they’re given the love, care, and attention they deserve. They also needed to be trained. It’s not easy, especially because you need to deal with the not-so-pleasant side of things like them peeing or having a doo-doo, hmm?”
Mark laughs at the last part and this effectively lightens the mood. Jaehyun exhales a breath, watching his son nodding earnestly at his words.
“Does that mean we’re going to get one someday, Daddy?” he asks with a higher tone and this prospect seems to please him so much that he starts bouncing on his seat. He does that all the time whenever something excites him.
“Sure, baby. Daddy will promise that to you.” Jaehyun smiles widely which Mark returns just as wide. He’s glad Mark is back to his usual crooked smile and bright eyes. “Now let’s bring these waffles to Duckie.”
They drive for a few more minutes and Mark hums a song all the way through which Jaehyun faintly registers as a song from Coco once they are parked right outside the Kim household. He’s a bit in a hurry so he doesn’t bother to step out of the vehicle. He hands Mark the tote bag which contains the food and tells him to have fun. Mark steps out and promptly runs toward his uncle Doyoung who meets him halfway in the stone path leading to the front door. Jaehyun honks the car and Doyoung waves at him before he maneuvers the car back onto the road.
It’s not long until he arrives in his cousin Taeil’s place. He parks the car, lets himself in through the gates and as usual, it’s not the man who greets him but Chex — a nine-year-old female Irish Wolfhound.
“Hey there, big girl,” Jaehyun crouches down to receive her affection and pats the dog everywhere he can reach in return. She’s always lively and affectionate even now that she’s old.
She has been around longer than Mark is and she has grown so big ever since Taeil adopted her. For some reason, Mark is a little cautious around her. He likes her just as much as his parents do, there is no doubt, but Jaehyun guesses it’s because of her height. Maybe he’s intimidated. This is also one of the reasons why he’s hesitant about getting a dog because what if the idea is pleasing but if they do get one, it doesn’t meet Mark’s expectations?
On a more serious note, he’s actually convinced Mark is allergic to dogs. As far as he knows, his only contact with dogs is Chex herself and those happen whenever they come visit Taeil. For some unknown reason, Mark always sneezes around her. It even got to the point where he was convinced Mark had an allergic reaction on one of their visits. He was sneezing so bad that his eyes turned red and watery. He has told Taeyong about bringing this subject to Mark’s pediatrician but the older assured him that the doctor said Mark was completely fine.
Now, he doesn’t know much about dog allergies and how they work exactly, he notes this to himself that him and Taeyong should discuss about this matter some time, but as of now he’s convinced that is the case.
As he enters Taeil’s house, a faint smell of something being cooked wafts through the air and he walks further into the kitchen where the smell becomes more distinct. It’s definitely a new smell. He doesn’t recall smelling this before, which is probably why his cousin invited him over. The door leading to the backyard is open and as he peeks behind it, Taeil is there doing an outdoor cooking.
“Hi, you came!” Taeil greets, lively, and waves him over.
Jaehyun steps out into the sun and the smell is definitely stronger now. He resists the urge to sneeze. “What’s this smell?”
Taeil has a habit to collect rare, exotic herbs and spices in his kitchen and he’s also a big foodie. He likes to incorporate those in the food he cooks and most of the time lets Jaehyun and/or Taeyong be the judge of his new creation. Those dishes tend to be spicy since he’s a big fan of the flavor so by nature, they have a strong sense of aroma, sometimes harsh even, very much like the smell Jaehyun is faced with right now.
“I got this Middle Eastern meat spice when I was out of town last week. It smells immaculate. And I’ve mentioned the newly opened restaurant near your workplace, right? I happened to order their Bulgogi the other day and now I’m craving some. Then, I remembered I had this spice so I decided to incorporate it in my recipe but make it Taeil-level spicy.”
Jaehyun slightly scrunches his nose in horror. He has a lot lesser spice tolerance in his system compared to his cousin than he would like to admit.
“If this turns out good, I’m thinking of cooking this the next time Taeyongie and little Mark visits.”
“The smell is a bit strong, don’t you think?”
Taeil waves his hand dismissively. “Oh, don’t worry! I won’t make it this spicy. I’m just cooking this the way it suits my taste right now because I don’t really mind watching you suffer, as opposed to seeing your family trying to take on spicy food.”
“I’m not eating that, then.”
They continue to banter pettily after that and when it’s time for lunch, Jaehyun finds himself actually enjoying the food Taeil cooked and for the most part, he manages to stomach the spiciness of it. Sometime along the meal, his cousin once again brings up the restaurant and Jaehyun told him he’ll bring Taeyong with him to see the place sometime.
When Jaehyun enters the master bedroom after tucking Mark to sleep, he finds his husband already under the comforter with his reading glasses on and a book in his hand.
“How’s the project going for you?” he asks as he slips in beside the man.
Taeyong’s cheeks are tinted rosy and his hair is still a bit damp, like he’s just taken a warm shower. His skin is flushed under the soft, thin fabric of the shirt he’s wearing. It’s also oversized, leaving his pretty collarbones to be exposed under the saturated light of the lamp. In short, he looks ravishing and needless to say, Jaehyun is a weak man for his husband.
“It’s almost finished. I’m scheduled to submit it next week.” Taeyong gives him a brilliant smile. He removes his glasses, puts the book aside, and turns off the lamp on his own side of the bed.
“Come here, TY,” Jaehyun beckons, using the nickname he used to call the man back when they were a lot more younger, and Taeyong preens at the name.
The second he’s got Taeyong in his arms, Jaehyun immediately buries his face onto his chest, nosing at his sternum. He smells sweet and his skin is pliant under his lips so he wastes no time mouthing at a particular warm expanse of skin. Jaehyun hears his husband breathe heavily above his own head, his fingers tightening slightly around his nape.
Jaehyun takes this as a signal to deepen the sweet ministrations of his mouth against the older’s chest, slowly up, up, up, stopping briefly to place wet kisses on his collarbones until he reaches the tender skin of his neck. He makes a home there; mouthing, sucking, and licking, and letting Taeyong’s sensitivity from his touch come alive.
He intertwines their legs together so that he’s half on top and Taeyong lets out a breathy sigh before sneaking his hands down into the collar of his shirt to claw at the middle of his shoulder blades. He can feel himself start to harden at the south and it takes a lot of self-control to resist the urge of grinding against his husband’s leg.
Jaehyun pulls away breathlessly. “Taeyong, I want to… Can we—“
“Yes, please,” Taeyong replies desperately, just as breathless.
Jaehyun leans back to take his shirt off quickly and does the same with Taeyong’s. He dives right back down a little more forcefully this time. He begins kissing the fully exposed skin on the man’s torso, hot skin meeting with his hot breath, and registers Taeyong’s fingers tugging on his hair. The man is already rendered incoherent but Jaehyun knows what he’s trying to say. More, more, more.
Just as Jaehyun is in the middle of sucking a hickey on his ribcage, Taeyong suddenly speaks up, still breathy but he seems determined, “So… about the dog.”
Jaehyun pauses, a little dazed but more surprised. “Babe, what the hell?”
Taeyong grips on his shoulders and pushes him back slightly. His eyes are no longer lustful or dilated, just the usual puppy-eyed look in them. Jaehyun is a little offended, what with the heavy thing still sitting between his legs.
Taeyong leans against the headboard and brings the other with him to sit up. His hands stay on his shoulders, thumbs brushing against the pools of Jaehyun’s clavicles. “It’s just that… I can’t get it out of my head somehow. I know you’re not sold on the idea yet and I understand, I really do, but can you, I don’t know, reassure me that you’re not closing the possibility?”
“You’re actually worried about this?” Jaehyun asks, annoyed. “Yong, I was literally about to suck your dick off and you chose to ruin the moment.”
“I know, I’m sorry, but I really, really, really want a dog, Jaehyunnie, and Mark wants it too so what’s stopping you, exactly?” Taeyong stares up at him, wide-eyed and pouting. His chest is still a little flushed and Jaehyun wants nothing more than to get this topic out of the way so they can pick up where they had left.
He shrugs. “I’m not against it, you know that, but I also don’t want to spend wads of cash to buy a dog. Adoption sounds good, though. If we’re lucky enough to happen to find a stray one, I wouldn’t mind keeping it,” he says lightheartedly in an attempt to brush off the topic.
But of course, Taeyong is insistent. He continues to pout and even shakes his shoulder a little. “Come on, I know that’s not all.”
He sighs and puts a warm palm against his husband’s exposed thigh. “Okay. I have a theory that our son is actually allergic to dogs.”
Taeyong frowns. “What do you mean?”
“Every time we visit Taeil’s place, he sneezes, Yong. Like sneeze sneeze, not just a regular one-time sneeze or a coincidental sneeze, but every single time. You know, I even told you to ask about this to his doctor, right? And guess what is in Taeil’s home that isn’t present in ours? That’s right, a dog. Chex!”
Jaehyun is actually kind of complacent once he’s finished the reveal to his husband, like he discovered the secrets of the earth or something, and expects a rational reaction from the other but instead, Taeyong just starts laughing.
His stomach drops and he feels all the sexual energy that previously possessed him draining out of his body in that moment. He raises an eyebrow. “And why are you laughing?”
“Oh my god! How did you come up with this, babe? First of all, Mark doesn’t have a dog allergy. He’s fit as a fiddle. His pediatrician can attest to that, by the way. Second, Chex is a hypoallergenic dog which means she’s less likely to cause allergies than other dogs, except when a child is highly susceptible to it, which I don’t think Mark is anywhere near to that. Lastly, how do you not know any of these?”
It’s not a judgmental question per se, he knows it’s genuine coming from his partner but Jaehyun is still a little skeptical. “Then explain to me why Mark has these reactions when he comes into contact with Chex.”
That catches Taeyong off guard. Jaehyun can see the exact moment his mood shifts into something that is dampened. He immediately regrets his words.
“I don’t know. I’m not a doctor,” the older says in an eerily neutral tone. Then in a swift motion, he slides off from under him. “But I already told you, right? He’s not allergic. I can’t believe you won’t trust me in this one.”
“Yong, that’s not it—“
Taeyong quickly holds up a finger which translates that he doesn’t want to listen and just then, his phone pings a notification from the bedside table. He goes to pick it up, reads the message, and puts it aside once again.
“It’s Taeil,” he informs the other.
“He’s inviting us for lunch, isn’t he?” he assumes when he remembers what his cousin had told him. Taeyong nods. He hesitates, “Okay.”
The next morning is kind of an awkward deal, especially in the presence of their son. Jaehyun believes it’s not exactly a fight, just a little misunderstanding which happens every now and then. Still, Taeyong talks to him in minimal sentences and he tries his best to cover this up in case Mark starts to suspect something. He also needs to apologize soon because after all, it kind of is his fault. He should’ve listened to what Taeyong had said and together, they would figure out the problem. Instead, he acted like an asshole.
He’s sure Taeyong isn’t seriously mad at him so that at least comforts him. This he knows because they actually did make love last night.
After the little argument, they ignored each other and put their shirts back on dejectedly. Taeyong must’ve felt petty because throughout the night, he hogged all the extra pillows and even the comforter. After a few hours though of trying to ignore the fact that the both of them weren’t really asleep and just kept on tossing on the bed, Taeyong wordlessly pulled him to himself and started kissing him.
It all happened so fast and the next thing Jaehyun knew was that his husband was on top of him and muttering words like, “This is your fault. You should finish what you started.” Needless to say, angry sex is one of the best out there in Jaehyun’s opinion.
Jaehyun kisses Mark goodbye and to his relief, Taeyong also lets him kiss him. He adds a few more extra kisses on his head to which the other stares up at him a little confusedly but he just gives him a dazzling smile and then he’s out the door.
During lunch, Yuta shoves his phone screen onto Jaehyun’s face which shows a page of an online shopping application. Jaehyun squints and what he’s seeing are varieties of canine care products such as potty pads, training sprays, dirt scoopers, and many more.
“God, the amount of nasty situations I’ve seen in my house for the last two weeks are more than what I can count on all of my fingers and toes combined. Jae, you can only imagine.” Yuta rants on.
Jaehyun frowns at him in response and the first thing that comes to his mind is that, “Why do you need these products?”
His friend squints at him blankly. “I thought you already know? Didn’t Taeyong tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“Hello? That we recently got a puppy? Are you even my friend at this point?” Yuta says accusingly, all the while making wild gestures with his arms to emphasize his point.
Jaehyun’s mouth promptly falls open. “Since when?!”
“I’ve already said it, two weeks ago,” the other man deadpans.
He’s still in shock. “Wait, wait, wait. Why didn’t anyone tell me about this? Yuta, we literally see each other every day! Are you even my friend at this point?” he counters.
Yuta just rolls his eyes and pockets his phone. He goes back to eating his egg rolls as if nothing happened. “So does your family. I thought they already told you about it. Besides, I didn’t think you care much about it since Mark has came crying to us quite a few times because his daddy wouldn’t let him own a puppy.”
Speaking of Mark, every little thing that recently happened seems to align now, they’re coming to him slowly, and it starts to make sense.
“Is the puppy named Aecha?” he asks.
Yuta nods enthusiastically. “Uh-huh. She’s a sweet girl, Jae, and in fact Mark has been really getting along with her. At some point, my baby came crying to me because your little boy had snatched her away from Duckie. I told them not to fight because of it, though.”
“So this is why he’s been asking me to make more waffles, huh?”
Yuta laughs. “Yeah, for the three of them, waffles are like their own little thing right now.”
Jaehyun smiles. Mark has been spending time with the Kims’ puppy all along so that significantly means he’s not allergic to dogs after all. This makes him feel so embarrassed and he thinks back to his little argument with Taeyong. He was being plain dumb. Does this revoke his own self-proclaimed title of being a Dad with a capital D?
If his son isn’t allergic, the reason why he’s been constantly sneezing during their visitations was because of… Taeil’s spices? So is that why he’s been resisting the urge to sneeze himself because the spices were that strong? Somehow, this triples his embarrassment. How could he not think of this all along? He’s a horrible dad and husband.
Before Jaehyun can tread further into these deprecating thoughts, Yuta speaks up again. “If you’re still doubting about getting one after this, I tell you, Jae, it’s genuinely fun. The ugly stuff is easily overruled by the joy of owning a pet. In the end, it’s all worth it.”
The weekend falls again and Jaehyun comes home from having Mark dropped off at the Kim’s for a sleepover. They got the whole weekend and house for themselves now.
He goes straight to the bedroom so he can start to dress up. As far as he knows, Taeyong had finished on the recent project he was working on so now he definitely has free time. He’s planning to take his husband on the new restaurant Taeil had told him about as part of his apology. The past few weeks have been so busy that they rarely have time to indulge in their relationship and now is a perfect time for that.
Jaehyun takes his time styling himself in front of the mirror. He pushes his hair back and applies a generous amount of gel so that it stays slicked back, letting a thick lone strand hang by the side of his forehead. He has also laid out on the bed an outfit for his husband, one where it matches his own. It’s cute.
After getting dressed and feeling satisfied with how he looks, he carefully knocks on the door to Taeyong’s office. Once he hears his voice, he lets himself inside.
Taeyong looks up from his desk, mouth hanging open the second he sees the breathtaking sight that is his husband. He melts immediately and it’s just then he realizes how much their little argument has been affecting him for the past few days. Even if he’s still slightly annoyed at the man, all he wants to do is hold his hand and kiss his face.
Jaehyun walks up to him, wearing a smile so brilliant he can’t help but to think how lucky he is to have a Jung Jaehyun to spend the rest of his life with, the same man who he’s raising an equally wonderful child with.
The man takes his hands in his and kisses his knuckles tenderly. “I’m so sorry, love. I really am.”
Taeyong squeezes at their hands. “I told you, it’s okay. I wasn’t even mad in the first place, just sulky I guess. Not mad. You’re already forgiven.”
“Still, I am,” he insists. “Yong, I promise I’ll become a better father to Mark and a better husband to you.”
“Baby,” Taeyong mutters softly, a hand reaching out to caress his cheek. “You don’t have to prove anything. You’re already the best dad and husband. Mark and I couldn’t ask for a better pillar for this family. You always do your best for us and that’s more than enough, love.”
Jaehyun smiles, dimples out and pretty, and he covers Taeyong’s hand on his cheek with his own before gently pulling it away to land a kiss on the inside of his palm. “Thank you. You’re the love of my life, Taeyong. Will you let me take you out on a date, beautiful? We have the whole day for ourselves.”
Taeyong grins then he nods with enthusiasm. “With you looking like that? I’m certainly not one to turn down.”
Jaehyun grins back before leaning in to capture his lips in a brief kiss. He takes Taeyong by surprise when he wraps his strong arms around him and lifts him off his seat. He doesn’t resist and wraps his arms around his husband’s neck instead, letting him carry him into their bedroom bridal style.
“Jaehyun?” Taeyong mutters against his neck. “I love you so much.”
“I love you so much too,” the response comes in a heartbeat. Pressed up against him, he can also feel the man’s heartbeat, pulsating into his own to become one. “And Mark.”
He giggles. “Of course, and Mark. Our very own little angel.”
“Daddy, what’s your favorite weather?” Mark looks up at him, eyes squinting from the sun yet very much still looking curious.
Jaehyun sways their hands together as he thinks about his answer. They’re walking along the path in the park with the sun high on the skies and the breeze blowing on their hair. They stop walking and Jaehyun kneels in front of his son so he doesn’t have to look up so much at the sun’s heat. He smiles and tucks a hair behind Mark’s ear.
“I definitely like sunny weather,” he answers. “Just like today, baby. The sun is present and the wind is cool. It’s a perfect balance.”
Mark seems satisfied with the answer because he starts nodding zealously. “I really like it too!”
Jaehyun’s phone starts vibrating in his back pocket. He immediately picks it up and is greeted with Yuta’s voice on the other end. He doesn’t normally call during weekends unless it’s about work and his suspicion proves to be right when he starts talking about their incoming presentation in the company. They discuss a bit about the main concerns and when other concerns are being brought up, he excuses himself and tells him he’ll call later on within the day. When he looks up though, Mark is no longer in front of him.
Panic sets into him in an instant and he searches around the park. He calls for his son’s name while trying to locate him, and after several agonizing minutes, he hears a rustle followed by a whimper behind the bushes.
“Mark!” he calls out, relief rushing through his system the moment he sees the child. “What were you thinking—“
He doesn’t get to finish his sentence. Mark is hunched over in a protective stance by the bushes and his eyes widen when he sees the thing under his son — a puppy.
“Daddy, I think he’s alone,” the little boy says and his voice wavers at the end as if on the verge of crying.
“Mark… Come here, baby,” he gently coaxes his son away from the puppy. His paternal instinct immediately kicks in at the prospect that his son might be in danger. The animal is obviously a stray and there are a lot of potential risks he would rather not put his son into.
He manages to let Mark stay at a safe distance while he examines the animal. The puppy is pitifully dirty and scrawny and he’s cowering in fear at their close proximity. Jaehyun calls out to him gently and he slowly approaches the man. He picks him up cautiously and breathes a sigh of relief when he doesn’t try to break free.
“Daddy, what are we going to do to him? I feel sad for him,” Mark says.
“Come on, let’s go back to the car.”
Inside, Jaehyun lifts the puppy up into the air to survey him once more. He has a beautiful white fur, kind of grimy from the dirt, and a pair of blue eyes. He isn’t sure what breed he is but he thinks he’s already charmed by the puppy’s adorable floppy ears.
A thought hits him in that second, one when he had told his husband that particular night how he wouldn’t mind keeping a stray puppy. He quietly laughs to himself as he thinks about how coincidental the whole situation is. Taeyong would absolutely laugh at his face and tell him something corny like they were meant to raise a puppy after all or something like that.
“Why are you laughing, Daddy?”
He turns to his son, a smile stretching his lips. “Do you want to keep this cute little guy?”
“Really?” Mark covers his mouth in disbelief, eyes wide and twinkling. When his dad simply nods, he cheers loudly and starts bouncing with his shoes on the seat.
They start driving back home after Mark has calmed down and now he’s cradling the puppy on his lap, tiny hands careful and gentle as he continuously pats the animal, as if he’s aware how it hasn’t adjusted to its surroundings yet and might feel insecure. Jaehyun feels a surge of pride in his chest at the sight. His little boy is so natural around animals like he doesn’t even need to try for him to appear approachable to them. He’s also really dependable for his age and the love he had developed for animals is something that makes Jaehyun’s heart warms. He definitely got this trait from his other dad.
“Daddy?” Mark calls out to him quietly.
“Yes, baby?”
“I just want to tell you that you can share my bath bombs too. I won’t get upset, I promise!”
Jaehyun blushes before he starts laughing and nodding. He briefly reaches out to ruffle his son’s hair.
“Jaehyunnie, we’re home!” Taeyong calls out from the hallway.
Mark excitedly rushes past him, the slings of his backpack barely hanging on his shoulders at the intensity of his actions, and goes straight to the kitchen to see his Daddy after a long day at school.
Taeyong doesn’t get a reply so he trails behind their son only to hear music blaring from the kitchen as they approach. The sight that welcomes him makes him instantly giggle. Jaehyun’s back is turned facing them. Scamp, the name Mark gave to the puppy as a tribute to Lady and the Tramp, stands on his hind legs as he tries to match his owner’s movements. Jaehyun, on the other hand, is passionately singing to the dog using a wooden spatula. He’s so absorbed on his mission that he doesn’t notice the newly-arrived audience.
Taeyong laughs and turns to his little boy. “Go greet Daddy, Mark.”