Archive of Our Own

“No, I understand.  It’s fine, take all the time you need.  I’ll just...I’ll figure something out.”

With a sigh, Ken ended the call and rubbed his face in frustration.  A quick glance at the clock told him that he needed to leave in fifteen minutes if he had any hopes of making it to work on time, and he couldn’t afford another late strike in his record.  His manager’s been incredibly understanding of his situation, but that didn’t mean Ken could just do whatever he wanted, even if he did have a perfectly valid reason.  

“ Tatay?” 

He whirled around and schooled his face into what he hoped was a reassuring smile as his son, Kuro, approached from the shadows, clutching his black stuffed kitty cat.  

“Hey, baby,” Ken murmured as he scooped Kuro up in his arms.  No matter how bad life got at times, Kuro’s bright smile and loud giggles always brightened up his day.  

“Is ate Lily coming soon?” Kuro asked him, clutching onto his shirt tightly, and Ken pressed a soft kiss to his temple.

“ Ate Lily had an emergency,” Ken told him after a few seconds.  “She had to take her little sister to the hospital, so she won’t be able to babysit today.” 

And now, Ken had no fucking clue what to do.  He had to leave for work in less than ten minutes.  His usual babysitter, Lily, a call center agent who needed extra cash, always managed to work around his schedule and watch Kuro whenever he needed to.  When she called earlier and explained the situation with her sister, Ken just wanted to cry in frustration, but he had to stop and reassure her that he understood.  

Now though... 

Now, he has less than five minutes to figure out how to find someone to care for Kuro while he’s at work.   If Lily was not available, he’d usually try Josh and Justin, both of whom were more than happy to take Kuro in at a moment’s notice, but then he remembered they’d both gone out of the city for their anniversary trip together.  He would then try Pau, but the man also had to work the same hours he had.  He could ask any of his neighbors and see if anyone was available but...well, he didn’t trust any of them with his son.  

He bit his lip, going over his options.  He could either stay home from work (and possibly get fired), or he could take Kuro with him (and also possibly get fired).

With a sigh, he pulled away slightly from Kuro’s embrace and looked him in the eye.  “Okay, baby, here’s the deal.  You’re going to come to work with me, but can you please be on your best behavior?” 

Kuro’s eyes brightened and he nodded eagerly.  “I can go with you, tatay?”

Ken nodded, grinning as Kuro smiled brilliantly.  “Yes, you can go with me, and then after work, maybe you and I can have ice cream at the park.”

Kuro’s resounding cheer lifted his spirits up, and soon enough, they were leaving their apartment and making their way to the bus stop.  

Ken only hoped his manager would be as understanding about this.

Kuro was thankfully asleep for most of the journey, but as they walked the last few blocks towards his office building, he sat atop Ken’s shoulders and stared up around the large buildings with wonder and excitement.  Ken couldn’t even be mad that his little boy was messing up his hair, not when he had the biggest smile on his face as he chattered excitedly about their afternoon plans.

Ken could have never imagined just how much his life changed when he became a father.  The day Kuro was born, and Ken saw him for the first time swaddled in his tiny baby blanket, he instantly fell in love.  Moreover, when he finally held his son close, Ken feared his heart would burst in his chest with how much love he had for this tiny being that rapidly became the center of his world.  

Sadly, Kuro’s mother hadn’t survived the birth, leaving Ken with a newborn and no fucking idea what he was doing.  It’s been six years since then.  It took time as Ken grappled with his grief and stepped up to care for his son.  If it weren’t for Josh, Justin, and Pau - his three best friends that supported him through his rocky journey into fatherhood - Ken didn’t want to think about where they might have ended up.

All the struggles were worth it though, just to see Kuro’s giant smile and brilliant, larger-than-life personality.

“Alright, time to get off my shoulders,” he said with a grunt as he reached up and gently put Kuro down.  He immediately held his hand out, which Kuro took, and he led them inside the building.

They got settled at Ken's desk.  It wasn't a big space, but Kuro was more than happy to sit on a plastic chair and doodle on his coloring books while Ken got settled to work.

For a few hours, they were okay.  

They were not okay.

It's been all of five minutes.  Ken stopped to speak to one of the office managers, as he and Kuro made their way to get food, about an upcoming project he might like to be on 

It was a short conversation.

So, it really didn't make sense that when Ken looked down, his son was no longer by his side.

Swallowing down the panic that threatened to bubble up - because it wouldn't do him any favors if he started yelling his son's name in the middle of their large and quiet office - he cautiously made his way down the hall.

Have you seen…

His name is Kuro, black hair…

About this tall…

He's asked probably half a dozen people by now, all of whom shook their heads, saying they haven't seen him at all.  Ken was about ready to just storm through and demand that someone find his son, but a loud and familiar giggle has him stopping.

Ken follows the sound and he ends up staring at the scene before him.

"Can we watch it again, Mr. Stell?"

"Of course! Here, let me play it for you."

The music of Cocomelon wafted through the phone's tiny speakers, and Kuro was giggling as he sat in the large office chair of Stell Ajero.

Stell Ajero, who was Ken's manager .

Fuck.

He must have made some noise because both Stell and Kuro looked up.  Kuro beamed at him, and Stell…

Well, Stell was smiling - he always smiles - but it wasn't a "you are so fired" smile or a "you owe me for entertaining your son" smile.

The softness of his grin caught Ken off guard, and he seemed almost fond as he looked between father and son.  Ken had no idea what to do with that information.

"Mr. Stell was letting me watch Cocomelon, tatay!" Kuro exclaimed, and Ken would smile at that if his heart could stop beating like a jackhammer for one goddamn second.

"Hope it's okay.  He just wandered in here," Stell said, pausing the video, which reminded Ken of why he was having sudden heart palpitations.

"Why did you leave my side, Kuro?" He asked in a level voice, fixing his son with a look, and his son's smile crumpled almost immediately.  "Do you have any idea how worried I was? You're lucky Mr. Stell found you because I know him, but what if it had been someone else?"

Kuro, thankfully, seems to understand.  "Sorry, tatay," he says, lower lip trembling as he tries not to cry.  "Are you mad at me?"

This was always the hardest part of parenting, being a disciplinarian, and Ken let out a sigh.

"I am more relieved that you are okay, but I am a bit disappointed that you disobeyed me when I asked you to stay by my side," he explained calmly.  "This means no ice cream this afternoon, and no video games when we get home.  Now, let's go."

Kuro is crying, and Ken wants to take it all back, but he knows that if he gives in, it won't benefit his son.

He carries him in his arms and turns back to Stell who had been quietly watching.

"Thank you for keeping him entertained," he said after a few beats.  "Sorry I had to...had to bring him.  No babysitter today."

Stell waves off the concern, a grin on his face.  "It's alright, I'm just glad he's okay and that I had YouTube kids on my phone."

"Thank you for understanding," Ken replied.  "I promise, it's just this once, and it's never gonna…"

Stell cuts him off with a look.  "You can bring him here any time.  Don't worry about it.  Are you both going for lunch?"

"Yeah we are," Ken replies, and Kuro nods shyly, his eyes mostly dry at this stage.  

Stell beams at them and before Ken realizes what’s happening, his manager grabs his wallet and his keys and walks towards them.  “Can I join you, then?  I’m about to head out for lunch, myself.”

Kuro perks up at that and turns to Stell.  "Yes please join us, Mr. Stell!"

"You can just call me Stell, buddy," came the reply and Ken watched, fascinated, as Stell gently ruffled Kuro's hair who giggled and pretended to hide his face in Ken's neck.

"Let's go, I know of a really good restaurant with an amazing kid's menu," Stell was saying as he led them to an elevator, and Ken gaped at him until Kuro tugged on his shirt and said "Let's go, tatay!"

And Stell smiled at them as they approached, and Ken found himself smiling in return.

Lunch with his son and his manager was a little bizarre.

As they waited for their food to arrive, Ken watched as Stell kept up a continuous stream of conversation with his son, not in the least bit deterred when Kuro took some time to respond or to get his words out.  Kuro even dug out his coloring books and showed each single page to Stell who complimented him on every single detail of the drawing, nevermind that Kuro still couldn’t color within the lines.  

“It’s a masterpiece, Kuro!  I love the colors, they’re so pretty.”

And to Ken’s utter surprise, Kuro tears out the page and hands it to Stell.  

“You can have it, Mr. Stell,” he said with a beaming grin, and Ken watched as Stell gingerly took the paper, folded it carefully and placed it in his wallet.

“Thank you, Kuro.  I’ll be sure to frame this as soon as I can.  I think it’ll be a lovely splash of color in my office.”

There have been many people before who were very good with Kuro.  His friends - Josh, Justin, and Pau - come to mind, and even Lily was immediately enamored by the little boy the first time she came over for her babysitting job.  But Kuro took a long, long time to even warm up to people.  He was still shy around Ken’s friends - Kuro’s actual godparents - and though he and Lily were close, it took months before he was comfortable around her.

To see his son already sharing his drawings and chattering excitedly to someone he’s known for less than an hour...well, he doesn’t really know what to think.

“You’re good with him,” he mentions later to Stell as they make their way back to the office.  Kuro had promptly fallen into a food coma, so Ken carried him in his arms all the way back.

Stell shrugged, but he was smiling.  “I have a lot of nieces and nephews.  I love kids.  I’ve learned the best way to get them to open up is to just talk to them.”

“No, you don’t understand, Kuro doesn’t usually like new people.  It took him ages to be comfortable around his own godparents,” Ken pointed out, which had Stell blinking in surprise.

“Really?” 

“Yeah, so I was just a little bit in shock during lunch,” Ken added with a chuckle, and his heart seemed to skip a beat when Stell laughed.  He was about to say something when Kuro sniffed in his sleep, causing him to pause so he could adjust his hold on his son.  

They arrived back at the office, making their way to Ken’s workstation first which was covered in several folders and other notebooks.  Ken shifted, wondering where he could deposit his son for a nap, but there was no space unless he made something under the table.

Stell seemed to be reading his mind when he tugged at Ken’s sleeve and urged him to follow.  “Come on, I have a couch in my office.  He can sleep there.”

Not for the first time that day, Ken found himself staring dumbfounded as his actual, literal, work boss arranged pillows on his office couch and made space for his sleeping son.  Stell even pulled out a small comforter and he handed it to Ken who gently draped it over Kuro’s sleeping form.  

“Thank you,” he finally managed once he was sure Kuro was fast asleep, and Stell smiled brilliantly at him.

“It’s no problem, and it’s the least I can do to help.  You go back to work, I’ll keep an eye on him and let you know when he wakes okay?”

And Stell said it so casually, so easily, like watching over a six year old was something he was more than happy to do.

Then again, it wasn’t just a random six year old.  This was Ken’s six year old son.

“Go, you only have a few hours left on your shift anyway.  Let me help you,” Stell said, placing a hand on Ken’s shoulder, and it was all Ken could do not to kiss him then and there.

“Thank you,” he repeated, and after pressing one gentle kiss to his son’s forehead, he walked back to his work station and booted up his computer.

His shift ends, and the first thing he does is walk straight back to Stell’s office just in time to see Kuro sitting at Stell’s desk, his crayons scattered everywhere as he draws on some pieces of paper that Stell most likely offered him.  

Kuro had woken up an hour after he fell asleep, but he insisted on staying with Stell until Ken finished his shift.  Ken had hesitated -  because even if Stell did like kids, he may be overstaying his welcome at this point -  but Stell merely agreed with a huge grin directed towards Kuro and cleared some space on his desk for the little boy to work at.

“Alright, baby, it’s time to go home,” Ken said, and Kuro gave him the biggest pout he’s ever seen on his kid.

“But I want to stay here with Mr. Stell!”

“Mr. Stell still has work to do,” Ken explained.  “Now go on, pack your bag, and let’s go home.”

With a small, petulant whine that had Ken raising his eyebrow, Kuro started shoving his stuff in his bag, not caring in the least if he broke his crayons.

“Kuro, be careful,” Stell said just as Ken opened his mouth.  “And you have to listen to your tatay, okay?  When he says you have to go home, it’s time to go home.  Thank you for keeping me company, and I had so much fun with you here.”

Kuro beamed at him before turning to Ken.  “Can we visit Mr. Stell again?”

Ken sighed, but he let out a soft chuckle.  “I think that can be arranged.” 

Kuro cheered, and so did Stell, for that matter.

“I’ll talk to your tatay so we can hang out again soon, okay?” Stell said as he crouched to Kuro’s level.

And because the day was not yet done surprising him, Ken’s heart grew three sizes when Kuro lunged forward and wrapped his little arms around Stell in a hug.  Stell let out a breathless gasp at that, but he returned the hug with the same amount of enthusiasm.

“Well, we better go, but seriously, thank you,” Ken said, and Stell waved him off.

“It was my absolute pleasure, and I enjoyed the time we spent together,” Stell replied with a grin.  “Now go, before you get caught in traffic.”

As they made their way home, Kuro still talking about his new best friend, Mr. Stell, Ken couldn’t help but wonder if this was the beginning of something beautiful.

The text arrived just as he put Kuro to bed.  Ken glanced at the notification and did a double take when he realized it was Stell who was texting him.

[From Stell] Hope you guys got home safe! Found a frame for his masterpiece.

Attached was an image of the drawing that Kuro had given Stell earlier that day, and sure enough, it was in a nice wooden frame, most likely perched on Stell’s desk.

[To Stell] You didn’t have to do that, he texted back. 

[From Stell] Are you kidding?  This is a Kuro Suson original! It deserves to be displayed like the art it is.

Ken is sure he’s smiling like an idiot, because fuck it, Stell was so cute.

[From Stell] And hey, feel free to say no…

[From Stell] But I was wondering maybe you, Kuro, and I could hang out on the weekend?

[From Stell] I have extra tickets to that new Spiderman movie 😊

[To Stell] Holy shit are you kidding?

[To Stell] That movie’s all Kuro could talk about.  

[To Stell] I’m sure you’ll make his entire year.

[From Stell] So, that’s a yes? 

[To Stell] We’d love to.

[From Stell] Great! It’s a date then! 😽

For the first time in how many years, Ken found himself grinning like a loon, heart fluttering in his chest as he responded with It’s a date.

The weekend couldn’t come soon enough. 

Fin