Archive of Our Own ^beta

Three.

Tzuyu can do exactly three things before her brother notices her presence in his office. 

The first one obviously being opening the big glass door. 

The second: walking to his desk, looking around — making sure everything is in order, that Renjun is there and not in court, or checking if he finally changed the frame on his desk — is a step of her plan that can sometimes become the last if it wasn’t for a very important factor. 

Indeed, the third thing she does is the only one that can ever get her brother to notice that she has been standing in front of his desk for minutes. 

It requires huge skills and great knowledge of your whereabouts so as not to break anything, nor cause any heart attacks to a certain caffeinated someone. Tzuyu has been practicing for months now.

Three: she drops a pile of papers on Renjun’s desk, ungracefully as one can be.

Renjun startles, jumping up on his chair a little before he looks away from his computer to look at her face. Then at the papers, which could be the papers he has required for his ongoing case. That, or the sign of his doom for another week or so. 

When he’s lucky, the new cases that come in are short, just a few days max. But in a law firm, there is little to no rest: cases keep coming in every single day.

Renjun pays almost no attention, glancing back at his screen as he goes back to work and tries to act as indifferent before the new loads of work his older sister just — quite literally — dropped on him. However, Tzuyu doesn’t budge.

If he paid attention, he would’ve noticed that those were not paperwork but something else. Instead, he asks.

“Which case are these for?” 

His first question, simple and obvious. Which other reason could there be for his sister not to leave immediately, but the fact that it’s a big case, or that it requires extra explanations?

They are family, after all, and neither of them like to waste their time.

Tzuyu answers with a smile, dimple caving only one of her cheeks, “Your vacation.”

“Huh? What case is that, is it a new one?” Renjun groans, the simple thought of having a new case to start working on freezes the blood in his veins. He loves his job, maybe a little too much, but between entire days spent in court for big lawsuits, or smaller pro-bono cases, his hair has been growing white much faster than he’d like. Too much stress and too much work are bad for the body — Renjun knows that. 

But Renjun is also one of the best lawyers in the field, at the head of his family firm, one of the best firms in China, and that comes with sacrifices. Duh.

“You see, this is exactly why those papers are here!” Tzuyu exclaims, pulling the chair out and taking place in front of his brother, on the other side of the desk. “Now, if you stopped looking at that screen!” 

Renjun groans, obliging against his will. He understands very little of what’s going on, until Tzuyu lays in front of him a hotel's pamphlet and maybe his brain starts working outside of law. More or less.

“Is this a new hotel that wants to hire our services?” Renjun asks. The desperate sigh Tzuyu lets out answers enough on its own.

“Hm, how can I put this so you will understand?” Tzuyu frowns, scratching the back of her head, her right dimple — the thinking one — showing off this time. 

After a few seconds of silence, she exclaims, “You work. You stress. You get to rest!” Proud of her rhyme, she unfolds the pamphlet in front of her brother’s eyes, which the latter rolls to the back of his head.

“Tzuyu. Seriously, get to the point! I’ve got a shit ton of work to do, I don’t have time for this,” he scolds.

“That’s exactly the point, Jun! You’ve been working very hard, but you’re so brain fried. You’re going on a vacation, that’s what it’s all about.”

“What?!”

“You heard me. It’s time that you take some time off, look! I have it all planned. Summer in Italy, just you and yourself…Surprise!” She leans back on her chair with a grin going from ear to ear.

Renjun looks bewildered. “I- what- Tzuyu, no.”

“What do you mean, no? You can’t say no, actually. It’s all pre-paid, it’s just waiting for you.”

“Tzuyu, there is so much work to do here, who thought this was a good idea?” Renjun stands up and Tzuyu follows.

“I did! Listen, you’ve been working non-stop for the past five months. And we’ve had some of the biggest cases ever, your career’s been blooming even more than it had already. I appreciate it so much, you’ve done so much for the firm. But I’d appreciate it more if my brother took some time for himself as well. This is why…I’m here to talk to you about your vacation.” 

“You can’t force me to go on vacation if I don’t want to.”

Tzuyu sighs, her brother has always been the most stubborn, she’s been dealing with him since she was ten, but if Renjun thought she didn’t come prepared, he surely doesn’t know his sister well.

Of course, the only person to be against taking a holiday would be him!

“In fact, I can. I’m ordering you to go on that vacation. That or I’m firing you…or something. You definitely won’t get any more cases if you’re still here when you’re supposed to be in that gorgeous five star hotel I found for you on the Italian coast.”

“You can’t do that! Tzuyu, this is our firm?! I’m the boss around here too,” Renjun retorts, crossing his arms.

“Yes, but I’m still the eldest. So whether you like it or not, I’m your boss. It’s on the contract.”

Renjun sits back down on his chair, sighing loudly to let out his annoyance. His sister does make a point. 

As she sees her brother close up on himself, she sits back down and, voice softer this time, she continues. “Look, I know that you’re really into your job and it’s good that you are. But you haven’t been taking good care of yourself. Overworking yourself just because you don’t realise you are is definitely unhealthy. You deserve some time off, okay? It’s just two and a half months far away from here so you can just drop all of the tension you’ve accumulated on your shoulders. It’s not like I’ll be leaving, I’m still here and I think I’m pretty good at my job too. Me and Sana have already organised ourselves to take Yuqi with us, so you’ll be able to go enjoy yourself, enjoy your youth. You know, find some nice Italian guy to fall in love with-”

“Alright! Alright! I get your point Tzuyu. I get it,” Renjun finally says, unable to hide the smile in his voice. It makes his sister hopeful, “I guess it’s not too bad either, a vacation is definitely long overdue.”

Tzuyu exults jumping up from the chair. “I can’t believe this worked!”

“But…” Renjun interrupts, reprimanding.

Tzuyu whines, “Oh no, why does there have to be a ‘but’?!”

“I’m taking Yuqi with me.” Renjun finishes, ignoring his sister. 

“Oh.” That was definitely unexpected, Tzuyu was bracing herself for the worst, “yeah, yeah. That’s fine I mean…I wanted to free you from all stress—”

“Who knows when I’ll go on a vacation again after this, might as well bring my daughter. Besides, I haven’t been spending a lot of time with her lately, I owe it to her.”

“Totally. I totally get that. It’s great, really. You two are going to have so much fun! God, I can’t believe this really worked!” Tzuyu rambles, a little surprised. His brother smiles.

He pulls his chair closer to the desk, sitting up straight, “C’mon, show me this hotel, will you?” He asks.

Tzuyu snaps out of it, nodding as she takes out all the papers and pictures she accumulated, planning some tourist stops as well. She gets all excited again and Renjun points it out, teasingly. 

“Hard to believe you’re the eldest when you act like a kid.”

“Oh, shut up,” she nudges his shoulder with her fist, “how can I be the kid if you’re the one that still needs me to take care of him?” She replies, leaning over to pinch his cheek. Renjun smoothly avoids it but it’s all it takes for the siblings to start bickering.

That is how Renjun ended up here, at the Gran Hotel Da Vinci in the city of Cesenatico on the Adriatic coast. In Italy. Far, far away from the Huang-Chou law firm.

If he didn’t think about it when they landed, or on the way to the hotel, he sure as hell does now: this was a terrible idea.

However, his daughter Yuqi seems to think the opposite.

Besides being a fan of flights — which is flashnews because Yuqi had never been on a plane — she’s absolutely frantic about being in Italy.

For a good two hours Renjun had to listen to her cutely explain all that she learned about Italy in her geography class, right before she fell asleep for the rest of the flight.

Actually, the excitement his daughter is showing about travelling and spending a holiday with her dad might be the only good thing about this. As it often happens, Yuqi is the best thing about it all the same way she was — and still is — the best thing to happen to Renjun.

Now, onto why Renjun thinks this is a terrible idea; the list is long.

One, the jet lag. Renjun has travelled many times for his job before. It is not the first time he has had to deal with timezones, but being seven hours behind will definitely take some time getting used to. 

First day of the holiday and he’s already tired. He knows he should try to fight it to settle into the rhythm but all he can do for now is fall asleep at five in the afternoon and wake up at two in the morning. 

Two, the language. In fact, it happens that Italian is one of the only languages missing in Renjun’s repertory. Again, for business matters, Renjun has had to learn various languages and he does so with pleasure and ease but Italian was one he had just never needed to learn. 

He’s glad for how sweet the hotel staff is, and speaking English is not a problem for either. But it happens that not every waiter, taxi driver, and cafe owner Renjun will have to communicate with can speak fluent English. Renjun doesn’t doubt he will manage to pick up a few words in the next months, but for now he has a vacation ahead of him in a country where he cannot understand nor be understood.

Three, being away from work makes him almost as stressed as when he is at work. Thinking about all those cases, lawsuits or court meetings that are going on, right now, on the other side of the world, that his sister or their employees are taking care of and he knows nothing about drives him absolutely insane. 

It’s day three of the vacation, both him and Yuqi have finally — sort of — gotten used to the Italian timezone and decided on spending the afternoon at the hotel’s swimming pool. Renjun appreciates the view, the pool, the sunlight, the kindness of the staff and the cool drinks but he cannot help but stress over the cases he is not working on.

He is so caught up in his thoughts that he doesn’t realise Yuqi has walked out of the kid’s pool and has been walking around — away from where his father is basking in sunlight and worry — and closer to where a brown haired young man is lying under the sun just the same as Renjun, with a big jar of biscuits.

Now, Yuqi was pretty sure she saw a sign that indicated there was no food allowed around the pool, but she might’ve assumed wrong after all, she just based herself on the drawing. She can’t read in Italian, she’s just seven years old!

Renjun doesn’t realise Yuqi has managed to coerce said young man to hand her a cookie from the jar partly by gesticulating and partly by simply staring at them. Anyone would catch the hint.

Once Yuqi has obtained her cookie, all happy, she eats it quickly before she goes back to the pool. 

The next time Renjun checks on her, forgetting his job and remembering he’s leaving his daughter without supervision, he sees her in the pool following the gestures of one of the staff as he does a routine of aquagym to entertain the guests. Renjun thinks it’s a good idea, and that his daughter looks absolutely adorable.

Reassured and aware of Yuqi’s whereabouts, Renjun goes back to trying — keyword: trying — to relax. 

Later, at dinner, he assumes the reason Yuqi is not eating a lot is that the jet lag is still cutting her appetite, or that she still hasn’t gotten used to Italian cuisine. In fact, Renjun stays completely unaware about the cookies Yuqi goes asking for from a hotel client every time they’re at the pool. 

It’s only on day six that Renjun finally finds out. 

That same day, when they arrived at the pool after going for a walk in the streets around the hotel (Renjun feared too much of getting lost), a young man had waved to Yuqi who had smiled and waved back. Renjun hadn’t over-thought it, he assumed he was one of the entertainers that took care of the kid’s activities in the afternoon or in the evening. 

The service offered for kids in the hotel was spectacular, Renjun had to admit it and thank Tzuyu for it. Whether it was after dinner, in the afternoon and even in the morning, a group of staff was always there to involve kids in all sorts of activities, allowing parents to rest and take time for themselves. Renjun liked to stay around anyways. Seeing his daughter make friends, dance or draw made him incredibly happy. Tzuyu hit the jackpot when she found this hotel. 

It wasn’t only the great client service, or how pretty it was, but the view was beautiful. Renjun hadn’t managed to go to the beach yet, unsure on how to get there and not wanting to risk it, but from his balcony, the view on the sea reminded Renjun why he had always wanted to travel to Italy. The sunsets, different every night, offered a splendid view and a Boticelli painting sort of breathtaking. 

For now, Renjun was very content inside of the hotel, so content that he also slowly started worrying less about what was going on back home.

After a phone call with Tzuyu — who had reassured him over and over again about the firm — that afternoon, he felt particularly and surprisingly calm. Calm he hadn’t felt in ages .

He found himself ranting about how nice the hotel and how good the food was, once his worries had been appeased.

“Italy must be magic,” Tzuyu had said, surprised to hear her brother so talkative about something unrelated to law. “It’s only been five days! By the looks of it, you’re never going to want to leave.” She groans on the other line, “I want to come there too! Offer me a vacation, one day. Okay?”

Renjun laughed, “Yeah, sure! Say bye to Sana from me.”

“Hey! I’m serious about it.”

“I know you are,” Renjun grins, “Tzuyu. Genuinely, thank you,” he says, serious all of a sudden.

“Oh c’mon. I had to, I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself Jun. I’m gonna go now, say hi to Yuqi and give her lots of kisses from me! Okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, Tzu. Go to sleep now.”

“Give her kisses, idiot,”  Tzuyu insists through the phone to which Renjun just laughs, wishing her one last goodnight before he hangs up the call. Once the phone is away in his bag, he searches for Yuqi with his eyes.

He almost has a heart attack when he doesn’t see her anywhere in the pool. The aquagym has started already, but his daughter’s brown pony tail is nowhere in sight. 

He stands up from his spot near the bar immediately, his breath accelerating as he scans every single face of every single person shorter than 5 feet that his gaze comes across. He doesn’t find her, his heart beats faster. He doesn’t see her, he just lost his daughter in the hotel pool. She can’t be far, she mustn’t be. 

He’s about to ask one of the staff when suddenly, he spots her. 

Yuqi is on the other side of the pool, also the opposite side from where the bar and the usual deck chair he tans on are. She’s talking with a young man that Renjun recognises to be the one from earlier. 

His first reflex is to panic, as most fathers would — hopefully. He runs — speed walks actually, you’re not allowed to run around the swimming pool — towards her.

“Yuqi!” He calls her.

The little girl turns around with a smile and a cookie in her hand. She waves at him, totally innocent and unaware of the fright she just caused her dad.

“Papa! Look what Mr. Nana gave me.” She smiles, waving her cookie proudly in the air before taking another bite as soon as Renjun has reached her.

He kneels in front of her and puts both his hands on her shoulders. “Yuqi, you scared me! Don’t run off like that again,” he tells her, ignoring the chocolate crumbs on Yuqi’s face. 

“It’s okay Papa, I just came to ask for a cookie from Mr. Nana!” She pouts, mouth full.

“Have you considered that you were bothering him?” Renjun asks her in Mandarin before turning to where the so-called Mr. Nana is sitting on his beach lounger. 

But the young man his eyes are met with doesn’t seem Italian at all. Now, Renjun isn’t anyone to assume and he knows he shouldn’t, his brain freezes for a second unsure of what to do, but also upon noticing how attractive the young man is.

Mr. Nana smiles, shaking his head before Renjun or Yuqi can say another word. “It’s not a problem, please. She wasn’t bothering me at all,” he says in perfect English, “for a biscuit a day I just can’t say no to such a sweet and kind girl.”

Renjun is surprised about the stranger’s answer but Yuqi tugs at his swimsuit. “See! I told you it was alright, Papa.” She grins.

“You understand Mandarin?” Renjun asks, still a little taken aback by Mr. Nana’s intervention in the conversation.

“That’s an overstatement. My Mandarin is quite clumsy but I can still catch a few words. Oh, by the way! I’m Jaemin Na, nice to meet you.” He reaches his hand out and Renjun shakes it politely.

“Huang Renjun. I’m sorry again for Yuqi, I haven’t been keeping my eyes on her—”

“Oh please! I told you, it was not a bother at all. It was nice to meet you, Yuqi told me alot about you.” Jaemin smiles, kneels in front of Yuqi and high fives her. Then he stands up again and brushes the creases on his white shirt.

“I guess I’ll be seeing you around, I have to go now. Bye Renjun, bye Yuqi.” He waves at them and walks away with incredible nonchalance. Renjun follows him with his eyes until he’s too far, on the way out Jaemin greets clients and staff left and right. He assumes Jaemin must be a regular at the hotel.

Renjun doesn’t know if it’s an Italian thing to already be on a first name basis after meeting once, but who knows, maybe he’ll find out later on. Because he surely hopes this is not the last time he meets Jaemin.

***

Renjun was right, it wasn’t. They are bound to meet again when he finds out they happen to have neighbouring rooms.

Renjun was locking the hotel door when Yuqi tugs at his shirt.

“Papa look! It’s Mr. Nana.”

Renjun turns around to where his daughter was pointing her finger to see Jaemin locking his door just the same. He looks up to them and smiles.

“Renjun, good morning! We meet again.” Renjun greets him back, nodding his head.

“Are you two going to the beach?” Jaemin asks.

“Oh no, we were going to the pool. Right, Yuqi?” Renjun answers, squeezing his daughter’s hand.

“Yep. Papa doesn’t know how to get to the beach so we just go to the pool,”  Yuqi adds innocently, a big grin on her face. Renjun’s cheeks dust pink.

“It’s not far, you could come with me if you’d like,” Jaemin suggests. “Hmm? What do you say, Yuqi, wanna come to the beach?”

“Yes, yes!!! Papa, can we go to the beach with Mr. Nana?” She tugs at Renjun’s arm excitedly, and if Renjun finds it always so hard to say no to her, it gets even harder when she looks at him with that smile.

“I guess we can go, yeah. If we’re not bothering,” Renjun says finally.

“Of course you’re not. Let’s go.”

Renjun follows in Jaemin’s step with an extra-hyped Yuqi hanging at his hand. Renjun feels embarrassed when Jaemin turns at the corner of the hotel and he sees the sea. Renjun knew it wasn’t far from the hotel but he also knew his Italian wouldn’t have brought him far.

In the past week, the furthest he had gone was across the street, to the ice cream shop in front of the hotel. His Italian had seen an opportunity to grow, enough to buy Yuqi ice cream — gelato — which she absolutely adored. Especially because this particular ice cream shop had three melted chocolate fountains: dark, milk and white chocolate. You could ask for one of them in your cone before they put in the ice cream and it was, in fact, heavenly.

Renjun considered it enough, a good artisanal ice cream shop not too far and a few Italian words added to his vocabulary — un cono con pistacchio e cioccolato al latte, perfavore — it made Yuqi happy, therefore it made him happy, too.

Renjun is glad he had not decided to go to the beach alone before, because when they arrive at Bar 63 on the beach, a little further away from the hotel, and Jaemin greets people in his nice Italian accent, Renjun is well aware he wouldn’t have known how to act.

It’s an unusual sight: parasols of different colors all aligned perfectly for meters and meters all along the beach, covering every inch of sand. Renjun had never seen such a well organised beach and, to be honest, he didn’t mind it. 

The skyscraper, even closer from where they were, also didn’t go unnoticed. Yuqi was in awe looking up to the huge tower.

“What do you think?” Jaemin asks suddenly, as both Renjun and his daughter are looking around. They’re in the front terrasse of the bar, the white and yellow parasols well in sight, now Renjun can see all the people under them, tanning or sleeping. 

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,”  Renjun shrugs, a little in awe.

“Welcome to Cesenatico! Things are pretty much like this everywhere, here. You rent a parasol for the season, and then you have your spot at the beach all summer. I barely use mine so I’d be very happy to share.”

“Oh Jaemin, please there’s no need—”  Once again, Jaemin interrupts Renjun to insist. How lucky did Renjun get to run into such a sweet stranger, he wonders. Although it just started, his vacation would’ve most likely ended more catastrophically if it weren’t for Jaemin.

“Mine is E3, so we’re down near the shore. It’s even better for checking up on Yuqi,” Jaemin smiles, “Let’s go settle down.” Jaemin continues, ignoring Renjun’s protests. Yuqi, next to them, trembles in excitement, just waiting for permission to run into the water.

Renjun can’t deny feeling extremely uncomfortable sitting there in the shade, watching as his daughter splashes in the water, while, next to him, Jaemin lies down, reading through a book. 

His sunglasses are resting on his head and his Hawaiian print shirt is long forgotten, serving as a pillow. Renjun can’t deny the young man is rather attractive, but it’s all such an uncomfortable situation. He doesn’t know how to act nor what to do with his body. For the past few minutes he’s been trying to convince himself to break the silence even if it means disturbing Jaemin in his reading.

After all, if he must spend time with Jaemin he might as well get to know him. That way he’ll feel less bad about benefiting from his kindness.

“I imagine you’re a regular here,” Renjun starts, a little insecure — a tone you’d never hear from him in court; but this is not one of his cases, this is the beach, this is the city of Cesenatico and next to him is a shirtless Na Jaemin with a heartthrob smile. 

He closes his book, a glint in his eyes letting his excitement about the upcoming talk appear.

“I am. Cesenatico is one of my favourite places in the world — my father used to bring me here every summer when I was a kid. It’s still a little underrated nowadays but, I can’t complain now can I?” He laughs, “How did you end up here, by the way? It seems quite obvious that you are not from Italy at all. Cesenatico usually isn’t the first spot tourists find.”

“I’m not quite a tourist,” Renjun replies, “I’m here on vacation. My sister found this place for me, no clue how, but she did. So here I am, flew all the way from China to come here. I’m not regretting it.” He shrugs, thinking back at how it all started — it took him some time, but Renjun ended up settling down and appreciating the calm and the occasion to rest.

“Well, your sister sure has a flair for these things. It’s quite the perfect spot for summer vacation. How long are you staying?”

“Until the end of August, she really wanted me away for the longest time possible,” Renjun chuckles.

“Beware or you might fall in love!” Jaemin exclaims, but upon seeing the confused look on Renjun’s face he corrects himself. “I mean with the city,” he adds, laughing awkwardly. “Those places have something sort of magical, you come here once and then you feel the need to come back every summer. It happened to me, and my father before me.”

“Oh, I see,” Renjun smiles, “Are you Italian, Jaemin?”

“Half,” the other grins, “My mother is. My father is Korean but he came to Italy where he met my mother. She was born not too far from here and used to come to Cesenatico when she was a kid, so one summer she brings my dad here and poof!” Jaemin gesticulates with his hand, some sort of melody in his voice as if he had told this story many times before.

“I do go back to Korea every now and then, but in summer you’ll always find me here.”

Renjun smiles, “That sounds very nice, you must speak so many languages!”

Jaemin scratches the back of his head, “I do, I do, but it helps with work. And I’ve heard you speak many different languages too!”

“As you said, it helps with work. I used to travel alot for my job, actually I think it’s the first time in forever since I’ve travelled somewhere for holidays.”

“That sounds exhausting! What do you do?” Jaemin asks but the answer is interrupted by someone.

“Jaem!”

It’s a voice calling from behind Renjun, and he sees Jaemin’s eyes wrinkle as he smiles and waves with his hand.

Renjun turns around to observe the two men that are walking towards them.

“Donghyuck! Mark! I knew I saw your stuff, totally forgot you two go for morning walks on the beach,” Jaemin says (in what Renjun can recognise to be Korean), standing up to hug them both.

Donghyuck, the first one, immediately spots him and Renjun feels quite embarrassed. Jaemin seems to notice and immediately switches languages to introduce him.

“Oh, this is Renjun! He’s a friend of mine staying at the hotel, he’s on vacation here from China.” Renjun is surprised to hear Jaemin call him friend already, but he stands up, smiling politely and greeting them, shaking Mark’s and Donghyuck’s hands respectively. 

“I’m Donghyuck and this is my husband, Mark. Very nice to meet you.” They all adapt to English with ease. 

“They’re friends from Korea, also under the spell of Cesenatico. I brought them here once and they’ve been coming every summer since,” Jaemin explains.

“We even married here,” Mark adds, “This place has its charm.”

“Papa!” Yuqi comes running towards him, with her fist closed. Both Mark and Donghyuck turn around, staring at the little kid running towards them.

“And this is Renjun’s daughter, Yuqi,” Jaemin adds.

“Look, papa, look! I found a crab!”  The young girl screams, cheerfully showing the little creature she’s holding in the palm of her hand. 

“Be careful Yuqi, you might get hurt,” Renjun scolds.

“I won’t papa, don’t worry.” She looks up from her hand to see Mark and Donghyuck looking at her with sweet eyes. She blinks back at them, suddenly quiet.

Renjun notices immediately, “These are Mark and Donghyuck, Jaemin’s friends. You can say hi.”

Yuqi’s face immediately changes into a smile as she greets them both, Donghyuck lets out a coo at the little girl's sweetness as he immediately kneels down on the sand to talk to her about the crab.

“Donghyuck and kids,” Mark sighs, looking lovingly at his husband.

“Donghyuck adores kids. Him and Mark have been thinking about adopting one for a while, they really want one,” Jaemin whispers in his ear, catching Renjun off guard and making a shiver run down his spine. 

“We’re gonna go to the bar now, okay? If you need anything you can find us up there,” Renjun tells Yuqi before she heads off happily to the shore with the crab still in her hand.

“Renjun, she’s absolutely adorable!” Donghyuck says once they’re finally sitting at a table. They all order breakfast and Renjun just follows Jaemin’s advice for his order when the latter insists that he tries a bombolone . Their order quickly arrives at the table and Renjun is met with a round pastry covered in sugar that seems to be quite popular: Mark, Donghyuck and Jaemin have taken one as well.

“I assume you’re married?” Mark asks before taking a sip of his coffee.

“Was. We divorced when Yuqi was three years old.” He shyly takes a bite of the pastry: yellow cream hides inside the dough and Renjun is quite sure, this must be heaven. “Oh my god this thing is delicious.”

Donghyuck smiles, mouth covered in sugar as he’s just finished his own bombolone. “They’re the best thing ever, right?” Mark rolls his eyes as he cleans the sugar off of his husband’s face with his thumb. 

“So you’re single?” Donghyuck asks, bluntly. 

Renjun blushes, a little surprised, and almost chokes on his food — he still has to get used to Italian habits. “I am.” He nods. Donghyuck grins and winks at Jaemin, discreetly enough for Renjun not to notice.

The morning passes by quickly, as time is said to when you’re in nice company. When lunch time comes around, Yuqi is quick to show herself, as her stomach rumbles, and with a growing sunburn on her cheeks.

As Jaemin, Renjun and Yuqi all head back to the hotel for the meal — Mark and Donghyuck have their own apartment — Renjun writes a mental note for himself to put suncream on Yuqi next time, and to have her try a bombolone at all costs.

As expected, his daughter goes crazy for them. It earns a remark from Jaemin, when the three of them are eating breakfast together — “Like father, like daughter,” he says, smiling widely as he watches Yuqi cover her entire face with sugar while she eats the pastry.

It’s been a few weeks and Jaemin’s presence in his every day has become a habit for Renjun, a rather comfortable one. 

When they’re at the beach, every morning before lunch, they spend time with Mark and Donghyuck, while Yuqi builds sandcastles or picks up seashells. She always gives one to each of them at the end of the morning when they part ways to eat lunch at the late hour of 1pm. Renjun is even getting used to Italian habits now. In fact, he’s found out to have quite the hand for a local card game played in pairs called maraffone , or maybe it’s just that Jaemin is a good partner. They’ve been winning often against the married couple. 

When Yuqi is playing at the pool, they keep each other company talking about everything and nothing, getting to know each other or the towns they both have travelled to, making the hours pass faster.

It has all become a routine and Renjun surely doesn’t mind it. 

“Papa?” Yuqi says suddenly, mouth full of pastry.

“Yes, dear?” Turning around to look at her, Renjun puffs at the state of her face: she has cream in the corner of her lips and sugar on the tip of her nose. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, finish eating first,” he tells her before she says another word. 

Jaemin hands him a napkin which Renjun uses to clean her as the young girl chews, frowned eyebrows and grave expression on her face. She’s adorable, and Renjun is way too busy cooing at her to notice the way Jaemin stares fondly at them both. 

When Yuqi has finally swallowed all the bombolone, she exclaims with a serious tone: “Why doesn’t Mr. Nana eat with us at the hotel?”

“Huh?”

“He’s always eating alone! He could eat with us instead, no?”

Renjun looks at his daughter, wide eyed. “Y-yeah, I guess so. Hum, do you want to ask Mr. Nana if he’d like to eat with us?”

Yuqi nods, smiling and faces Jaemin who’s sitting in front of her and has obviously heard everything of their conversation. She clasps her hands in front of her, as she’s seen her dad do many times, especially when he’s talking business with aunt Tzuyu, and politely, she asks the man to join them for the meals.

“Of course I will.” He laughs, “I’d love to join you two for lunch today, if it’s okay.” He addresses the last words to Renjun more than his daughter, who reassures him by nodding.

“No! Not just today.” Yuqi exclaims, “forever!”

Jaemin can’t help but burst into laughter at Yuqi’s cuteness, as he empresses to agree with her. Renjun watches the scene, smiling.

Jaemin joins them for breakfast, lunch and dinner after that day. Not having him by his side becomes unnatural to Renjun. To think that a few weeks before, he did not even know him, and now Renjun can’t go without Jaemin’s presence.

***

“Are you sure I don’t bother? She’s sleeping so soundly–”

“Oh Jaemin quit it. Come in,” Renjun interrupts him, inviting him into their hotel room. They had gotten very invested in a conversation over a few glasses of wine at dinner, which was rather boring for Yuqi as she fell asleep on the chairs there and then after the big meal, so they had decided to move to Renjun’s room to continue talking.

Not only was it because that way he could check on Yuqi, but also because he had the best balcony, facing the seaside. That’s where they both settle, once Yuqi is tucked into bed and Jaemin has stopped acting polite and gives into his desire to spend more time with Renjun.

Looking at the horizon, they continue talking about their lives and their childhood while the stars dot the night sky over their heads.

“Would you have studied anything else, if you had the choice?” 

Renjun shakes his head, taking a sip from his glass. “Thinking about it now is hard, I don’t think I’ve ever thought about it. Growing up with lawyers, I think I simply didn’t give myself the chance to even think about anything else. I knew I’d have to go into the family firm, so the sooner I’d like law, the better.”

“Are you ever unhappy because of that though, do you ever regret not giving yourself a choice?” Jaemin asks.

Those are questions Renjun has never dared ask himself before in fear of what they could bring, however it’s on a balcony in Italy, with a man who was just another stranger three weeks prior, that he opens up without fear. 

“I don’t think so. I turned out to really like law, and even now I really love my job. My sister literally had to force me away.” He takes a minute to think about it, “But it was tough, following my father’s steps and living up to the expectations while also taking care of Yuqi alone. I wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for Tzuyu, but I guess that’s what a family law-firm is all about. You know?”

Jaemin looks up at the sky, resting back on the lounge chair.  “Yeah, I get that. You’d expect growing up in the business makes you sure of what to do, when you have that path all laid out for yourself but, I don’t know, when I was a kid I never thought I’d take over my father’s business. We argued about it all the time, I wanted to go be a doctor – but look at me now...directing the hotel just like my father had always planned.” He chuckles, bitterly. “At least I hope I’m doing a better job than he did.”

There’s a second of silence and Renjun thinks he saw a shooting star, then he realises what Jaemin just said.

“Wait a minute, did you just say hotel?” Renjun turns around to look at Jaemin’s silhouette in the dark.

“Yeah– Oh wait, damn I never told you, did I? Now that’s embarrassing…” Jaemin brings his hand up to his face – to hide it, although there’s not much Renjun can see in the dark. “I’m the owner of the hotel, I guess.”

“You guess?” Renjun adds, but the smile in his voice lets Jaemin know there is nothing he has to worry about. Renjun is not about to be mad at him, or anything like that. He was surprised, but now there are a few things that make a little more sense, and what does it change if Jaemin is the owner of the hotel or not?

Jaemin tells him his story, his younger days in the hotel, the fights with his dad, how he never made it to medicine school and how he ended up owning a hotel he did not want and making it his life goal to make it the best ever. 

There is no barrier between the two, and it’s like they’re teenagers again sharing life stories on a rooftop, and not two grown adults laying on lounge chairs on a balcony.

“I think it’s nice, the fact that you spend as much time here as you can. Meet the guests, but also stay in contact with your employees. It’s a very good thing. You’re doing a great job, Jaemin. This is the best hotel I’ve ever been to, ever,” Renjun tells him softly.

“Thank you, Renjun. It means a lot.”

They let silence fall comfortably after that as they both stare contently at the night sky. Renjun isn’t sure he knows how he feels, it all feels so intimate and calm and he couldn’t ask for anyone better than Jaemin to share this moment. But he’s an adult, Renjun is aware this isn’t just sympathy, it’s not something he does for every client, laying on their balcony sharing hopes and regrets. But he doesn’t want to think about what could come next, he wants to do what his sister recommended, enjoy his vacation and relax. 

“Art,” he says, suddenly.

“Hmm?”

“I think I might’ve done art instead. If I hadn’t studied law.”

Jaemin hums, “I can see that. It fits you.”

Renjun walks Jaemin to the door an hour later, or so. Renjun wishes him goodnight with a soaring heart as he watches Jaemin enter his room across the hallway before he locks his door and heads to sleep.

“Papa?” He hears when he comes out of the bathroom, changed into his pajamas.

He walks to his daughter’s bed and sits on the edge, caressing her cheek and brushing a few strands of hair away from her face.

“Yes, baby?” He whispers.

“Do you know what I learned today?” Yuqi mumbles in her sleepy voice, eyelids struggling to stay open.

“What?”

“The word papà. It’s dad in Italian,” she smiles, leaning into her father’s hand but now clearly opening her eyes, looking at Renjun. “Don’t you think it rhymes well with Mr. Nana?”

Renjun’s heart stops in his chest for a second, his entire being freezing at his daughter’s words. Although he reacts to what she just said, he doesn’t comprehend just how much this means. Maybe he will in the morning, after a good night of sleep.

He smiles, “Good night, sweetheart.”

He leans down and presses a kiss on her forehead. “Goodnight papa,” she replies softly before closing her eyes again.

Renjun lays awake on his bed thinking as he waits for sleep to get to him, too.

What he always cared the most for in the world, had always been his daughter since the day she was born. His daughter, her happiness and her wellbeing, and if she gave such a good sign about something this big, something that would not only concern her father’s happiness but eventually her own as well, then maybe Renjun truly did not have anything to worry about.

Kids are so smart.

***

Renjun sits with his eyes closed under the sun, enjoying the light and the calm. Or should he say trying to enjoy the light and the calm; it is not an easy thing to do with someone as chatty as Donghyuck sitting in front of you. But Renjun appreciates it nonetheless.

“So, Renjun...your vacation going alright?”

“Perfectly, I’d say,” he answers, smiling.

“That’s very good to hear.” He pauses, shortly, strategically. “And how is it going with Jaemin?”

Renjun opens an eye to look at Donghyuck, the fake innocence on his face — hardly hidden behind a grin — reaches his voice. Renjun realises he is not joking after a few seconds of scrutinising him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he shrugs off, shifting in his chair to sit more comfortably, closing his eye again with nonchalance.

“Oh, come on!” Donghyuck groans, “I’m not blind! I know something’s going on.”

Renjun gives up his sunbathing rest to turn his chair towards the table, and to face Donghyuck. “I don’t think I should be talking about this, besides nothing is going on.”

Donghyuck smiles, leaning back on his chair. “Oh Renjun,” he coos. 

Renjun rolls his eyes. “We’re a little old for this Donghyuck, don’t you think?”

“Objection your honor! We are never too old for gossip about feelings!”

Renjun laughs, “Yes, we are. Also, I’m not a judge, I’m a lawyer.”

“You can’t tell me you don’t say that sometimes? They do in Suits , from what I know!” He smiles, then something behind Renjun catches his eye. “Would you look at that! Our men are coming.” He nods towards the pathway that goes through the beach to the bar, where Mark and Jaemin are walking in their direction – and very shirtless at that.

Renjun catches himself staring.

“Nothing going on, huh?” Donghyuck whispers as the two men have reached their table, before standing up and greeting Mark with a kiss on the cheek. Renjun almost blushes.

“Your daughter is absolutely restless Renjun,” Mark says as he sits down, “I don’t know how you do it.” Him and Jaemin sit in front of each other, and next to Donghyuck and Renjun respectively. Jaemin crosses his legs and rests his arm against the back of Renjun’s chair. Renjun isn’t the only one who notices and he can’t miss Donghyuck’s wink.

“Believe me, I don’t know either...Is she having fun?

“She’s having a blast in the water. Me and Mark just don’t have that energy anymore. You should be careful, she might become a fish with how much time she spends in the sea,” Jaemin replies.

“You poor old men,” Donghyuck teases.

Rejnun asks, a little confused, “A fish?”

“It’s an Italian legend,” Jaemin explains, “about a kid who loved the ocean so much and spent so much time swimming in it that he became a fish.”

Renjun nods after understanding. “But wait, shouldn’t someone keep an eye on her if she’s still in the water?” Renjun asks Jaemin, hands on the chair’s armrest, ready to stand up and go check on his daughter.

“We got her out, she was drying up,” Jaemin reassures him, and Renjun realises how close they actually are. Renjun can see the droplets of water falling from the tip of his hair strands, and sliding down on his neck and shoulders. 

He could swear he hears Donghyuck laugh when Jaemin suddenly asks, “Are you alright? You look a little red.”

Renjun clears his voice. “Yeah, yeah..probably just got a little sunburnt.”

“You should put on sunscreen. I can go get some if you want?” 

“It’s alright, don’t worry,” he says softly. Jaemin smiles.

So much for being a grown adult — ‘teenager’ would be more correct.

Soon after, Yuqi – who has meanwhile, become a bombolone addict – joins them at the table, begging her father to get her a pastry. Although Renjun denies it to her, Jaemin ends up getting her something anyway. As long as she promises to eat everything at lunch.

Later, as they’re walking back to the hotel, Renjun addresses the earlier events. Him and Jaemin are walking side by side, keeping an eye on Yuqi as she happily hops in front of them.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t interfere when I say no to Yuqi. I don’t want her to get used to having someone else giving into her every request behind my back.” He stops. “Oh gosh that sounded so rude, I’m so–”

“Oh I get why you’re a lawyer, Mr. Huang!” He laughs at Renjun’s embarrassed, pink dusted cheeks, then more seriously he adds, “But you are totally right. I should be the one to apologise, I shouldn’t have stepped in like that. It was overstepping boundaries.”

Renjun smiles, looking at Yuqi who is now yelling at them to hurry, “You’ve given her enough food between meals I believe...I think we’re good for the summer.”

“Oh right! The cookies! I forgot about those…” They both laugh – in their own little world, not speeding up despite Yuqi’s request.

When the laughter dies down, Jaemin says “You know, I’m glad a little girl came to ask for cookies one day...and that she brought you to me.”

“I’m glad a trustworthy stranger gave her cookies, I don’t know how these holidays would’ve actually went down if it weren’t for you...Oh, by the way, what was the brand of those biscuits? They were really good.” Renjun asks, and Jaemin laughs again, absolutely gorgeous and melodious. It is the kind of laughter that can make one happy instantly, or maybe Renjun is just biased because he’s been exposed to its effect for a while. Renjun likes it a little too much.

“They’re gocciole, they’re my favourite ever, too. You don’t find them anywhere but here.”

“I’ll have to bring as much as the airport allows me to back home.”

They finally catch up with Yuqi in front of the hotel. Then, the trio heads to lunch, content.

***

“Pink night?”

“Yes,” Jaemin nods, “Pink night. La notte rosa , that’s what I said.”

“What’s that?” Renjun asks, looking at Jaemin across the hallway. He looks a little nervous, but maybe that’s just the fatigue playing tricks on him.

“I won’t lie, it’s been a few years living here and I’m still not sure what it is, or why it’s called like that, but it’s a very nice celebration around here. Everyone dresses pink, the skyscraper is lit pink, the streets are decorated pink and there’s fireworks at midnight.”

“That sounds fun.”

“Trust me, it is! I'd love to bring you around, walk down the main street, stop at a bar and go see the fireworks at the beach...if you’d like.” Renjun opens his mouth but Jaemin frets to add something before he can speak, “We could leave Yuqi to the staff, they’re organizing a theme and movie night. I could ask Giada to bring her to bed after they’ve watched the fireworks all together. She’ll have fun, you won’t have to worry and we could go out...”

“Like a date?” Renjun asks, cocking his eyebrow, pleased to see Jaemin so flustered, and so sweet. 

Jaemin exhales, “Yeah...like a date.”

“I’d love that, Jaemin,” Renjun answers with a smile and Jaemin starts beaming. Renjun can see him containing himself from cheering. 

“Yeah, great. Alright, so...tomorrow night?”

“Sure. Goodnight, Jaemin.”

“Goodnight Renjun, wish goodnight to Yuqi from me too.”

“I will.” Renjun smiles, entering his hotel room. They close their doors at the same time.

The darkness of the room envelopes Renjun as soon as he shuts out the light from the hallway. Yuqi is already sleeping. Renjun feels young – not that he’s old or anything, 29 years old isn’t old at all, actually. He likes to think he’s still pretty young, but right now, he feels like a teenager, being asked out for a first date. After all, it is the case, this will be Renjun's first date in quite some years. 

But, Jaemin makes him feel so young, like he has nothing to worry about, and maybe it’s the Italian blood of it all, or the Italian way of planning things at the last minute, or maybe it’s just because it’s summer and he’s on holiday. He would have never done something so suddenly before, Renjun has an agenda and it’s hard to fit things in his tight schedule, most of the time.

But maybe he really has easily adapted to Tzuyu’s request of enjoying summer and relaxing, or – maybe – Jaemin just helps him loosen up a little. 

It’s with a smile that he goes to bed that night, and this time he worries not about the future, although it might be the fear of what could happen that stops him from thinking too far ahead. It’s not his style to avoid upcoming events, but he’s in Italy, so why not?

***

“Papa got himself a date? Oh my! Who would’ve thought Italy would do you this good, Jun?” Tzuyu laughs through the phone screen. “How’s this Jaemin guy, Yuyu?” 

“Mr. Nana is sooooo cool auntie! He’s very nice and he always buys me food.” Yuqi smiles, holding the phone in her tiny hands. 

“Oh, he surely knows his way to a seven year’s old heart and her dad’s!”

Renjun groans, “Tzuyu, shut up! Make yourself useful instead — Baby can you turn the phone towards papa so that annoying aunt of yours can help me choose how to dress?” Yuqi laughs when Tzuyu gasps and cusses her little brother in Mandarin, not so under her breath. 

“Tzuyu!” Renjun exclaims.

“Woops, Yuqi dear you didn’t hear anything! Now, Renjun, show me your options.”

Renjun sighs, exasperated by his sister who’s so incredibly energetic even at night. He really doesn’t know how she does it — coffee never worked that well for him.  

He grabs two shirts from the pile on his bed and brings them up to his chest one by one so that Tzuyu can see them.

He shows a button up pink shirt with short sleeves first, “This shirt or…this one?” He holds a pastel orange colored polo, moving the pink shirt out of the frame.

“Oh, have you tanned?! I don’t remember that orange looking like that on you! And…gosh did you buy that ?”

“Tzuyu! A little serious, please! I also would rather have you here to go shopping together, but right now you make me want to hang up the phone and make Yuqi choose the outfit,” Renjun whines, when his sister gets side tracked, again.

“Jun, cut me some slack — I never thought my little brother would ask me for help with getting ready for a date, and even less that it’d happen when I’m 30!” The frown leaves her face, “Now, Yuqi what do you think, the gay pink shirt or the apricot polo?”

Yuqi giggles, “The pink shirt! The pink shirt! So papa is also following the dress code.”

“There’s a dress code?” Tzuyu asks.

Renjun explains, “Yeah, something like that. It’s called the pink might and people dress pink.” 

“Then, go for the gay shirt, and wear those stripped jeans that look so good on you! Yuyu what do you say?”

“I say Papa will look great!”

“Yay!” Tzuyu cheers with her niece. Renjun walks up to Yuqi’s bed after leaving the clothes on his bed, separated from the pile of rejected items for the outfit. He takes his daughter in his lap and helps her switch the camera so it’ll face the two of them.

“Thank you Tzuyu.”

“For what? The vacation or helping you with the outfit?” She winks, teasing her brother gleefully.

“Both actually. But let’s say only the outfit for now,” Renjun answers.

“It was my pleasure,” She sighs, big smile on her lips, “gosh you’re making me feel like a teenager again!”

“Yuqi, say bye to auntie,” Renjun tells his daughter who immediately starts waving at the phone camera.

“Bye bye Yu, bye Jun! Good luck on your date~”

Renjun thanks her and greets her goodbye once again before hanging up the call. He feels bad for keeping his sister up so late, from how energetic she was he almost forgot she was on the other side of the globe where it was currently night, and not five in the afternoon. They might be siblings, but coffee never worked the same on the two of them – more like, it worked on Tzuyu and not him.

“Well, now that’s done..should we get ready, miss?” Renjun asks, picking his daughter up in his arms. She hums.

“Good, then let’s wash all that salt away from your hair now!”

“You too, Papa! You too! You came in the water with me and Mr. Nana too. And you have to look handsome tonight!”

“You’re right, but you should still go first.” He tells her before they both go fill the bathtub with water and bubbles for Yuqi.

Father and daughter wash salt off of their skin and hair, and Renjun listens to Yuqi sing in the bath with a smile on his lips. 

When he’s brushing her hair, he asks, “Are you really sure it’s all good for tonight Yuqi? We can come back earlier if you want.”

“No Papa! You have to watch the fireworks with Mr. Nana. I’m a big girl and I'm going to be alright! Just stay out for as long as you want and I’ll watch the fireworks and then go sleep I promise!” She turns around and looks at him, “But you’re a grown up and you can stay out longer. So have fun with Mr. Nana, okay?”

“Okay.” Renjun replies softly, before leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Now go get your pink dress! We have to go to dinner soon.”

“Yes papa!” She stands up from the edge of the bed and walks towards the closet where she had fun putting all her clothes in the first day they arrived. Renjun watches her fondly, it’s incredible how much space that little being takes up in his heart. He wouldn’t be much without his daughter — when work gets too stressful to handle, Yuqi can make it all better with only one smile.

Actually, Renjun is sure he would be nothing without her little hand holding his a little tighter when they walk to their usual dinner table where Jaemin is already waiting for them, looking gorgeous as ever. He would be nothing without his precious little girl who’s got one too many traits from her aunt and stares at him cheekily, when she sees him off to his evening date before walking away and joining the group of kids who have started making pink flower necklaces. 

In fact, as soon as she’s gone, Renjun feels more nervous.

But there’s a string, a sort of connection between his daughter and Jaemin, because even if he’s the cause of his nervousness right now, he blows it away just as fast. And Renjun is at ease again.

After dinner, Jaemin and Renjun immediately head out of the hotel. The streets are full of people, pink decorations hang from each lamppost to another and music and chatter fill the air. From afar, Renjun can see a bit of what he guesses is the skyscraper completely lit pink.

“Happy notte rosa , Renjun,” Jaemin whispers to him, leaning a little closer to his ear while Renjun stands a little in awe before the lively night. 

He turns around to face Jaemin and smiles. “To you, too. So, where are we going?”

“You’ve never really walked around besides going to the beach, right?” Renjun nods, “so we’ll be going towards there.” Jaemin points to the bit of the skyscraper they can see standing tall in the sky, over the trees here and there, alongside the street, and takes Renjun's hand. 

“I’ll be showing you just a little more of Cesenatico!” He tells him walking forward, until they are at arm’s length and Renjun is obliged to follow unless he wants their hands to break apart. They cross the street and dive into the crowd. 

An infinity of bars and shops, arcades and restaurants border the main street. Renjun wouldn’t know how to choose one, if he had to. Music and cheers fill the air, making the city bust with life even at the light hour. 

And when it gets hard to walk through the crowd, Renjun holds onto Jaemin’s hand to not get lost.

“Would you like to get something to drink?” Jaemin asks, as they’re walking in front of a bar where the music is much louder. 

The tables on the terrasse are all taken and Renjun can see a line of teenagers or young adults at the counter, dancing or laughing. It makes Renjun feel a little out of place for some reason, this is not his kind of thing anymore, but Jaemin had a word for everything and for everyone — especially him.

“Or would you prefer to be treated to ice cream before I bring you to the beach?”

“Let’s go for the ice cream,” Jaemin nods and brings him to a little nice ice cream shop right across the street that Renjun hadn’t even noticed.

Once they got their two cones — Jaemin had insisted on paying for both of their ice creams — they continued down the decorated, lifefull street. Renjun feels so happy.

He is so caught up in watching in front of him: on his right, on his left, Jaemin, the crowd — everywhere but up — that when they reach the end of the street, he doesn’t notice the view until Jaemin stops in his tracks.

Renjun hadn’t looked at the sky earlier, or else he wouldn’t have missed the pink skyscraper rising up to the stars in the middle of the square.

When his eyes catch it, he stands in awe. The ferris wheel next to it — also lit up in pink shades — spreads gorgeous hues all around and Renjun is marvelled. 

You couldn’t miss the skyscraper whenever you looked up in Cesenatico, but Renjun had never gotten so close to it. He feels so, so tiny. 

Jaemin squeezes Renjun’s hand, which he has yet to let go of. 

“Pretty, huh?” Renjun nods, turning around towards Jaemin and warmth spreads all over his chest when he sees him smiling wide, pink lights on his cheeks. He stares at him for a while, longer than he did the skyscraper and he would do so for even longer if time would allow it.

Jaemin looks away, “I forgot the ferris wheel was still there…Do you want to go take a look?” 

Renjun shakes his head, to deny or shake himself out of his Jaemin-daze? Probably both. “No it’s alright, let’s just go to the beach.”

“As you wish!” Avoiding the most crowded bits of the square, where it gets hard to walk around, they walk down towards the beach, getting rid of their shoes once they get onto the sand. 

And their hands always find their way back to each other. 

It’s comfortable, the way they fit together so perfectly. Until Jaemin asked him on a date, and since that night on the balcony, physical contact hasn’t been rare between the two of them. Whether it be light touches, Jaemin’s hand around his shoulder or the back of his chairs when they’d sit at a table with Donghyuck and Mark playing cards, at dinner when Yuqi wasn’t focused on them, being close was natural. However, this was the first time they had held hands, and for so long. 

The sound of the waves and the faraway music were the only noises keeping them company, the rest of the world quiet as if theirs.

“You know, I really appreciate that you thought about everything and took Yuqi into consideration in your plan.”

“How could I not? I do love spending time with you both, but if I wanted to get you alone I had to find a way.”

Renjun rolls his eyes with a giddy smile he can hardly hide, “Thank you, really, not everyone would think about her.”

Jaemin’s face shifts in surprise, mouth slightly agape, “What do you mean?” Both his eyebrows rise up and his lips almost close in a pout. Renjun finds him adorable.

“Tzuyu was very determined to get me to date again, but not everyone stuck around when they found out I had a daughter, or — worse — they’d just ignore it. It was hard to find anyone I’d want to date and slowly I just didn’t feel like it anymore. Tzuyu tried so hard — she’s a gemini, you see she gets really stuck on things like these — but she gave up quickly once I did.”

Jaemin exaggerates a scandalized gasp to lighten up the mood, and it’s mission complete because Renjun laughs. “That’s their loss! Both you and Yuqi are great people to have around, I wish I could see you two every day. Well I already do right now…” He lets out a breathy chuckle, “I think I haven’t had such a fun summer in ages . I’m really glad Yuqi introduced me to you, somehow. And I guess your sister too, very indirectly. You should let her know she succeeded in the end!” Jaemin winks and Renjun laughs. 

The feeling he gets hearing Jaemin talk about his family, and wanting to introduce him to his older sister leaves a weird aftertaste in his heart. 

“I should be the glad one. It really wouldn’t have been the same without you, I doubt I could’ve enjoyed this vacation at all.”

“I’m glad we both had a nice impact on each other’s summer, then.” Jaemin smiles, “And that I’m making your Italian holiday unforgettable.” He looks straight into Renjun’s eyes, the city lights shimmering a little less from behind Jaemin. And even when his smile turns into a smug grin that Renjun un-sees by rolling his eyes, Jaemin’s smile is contagious. Renjun feels his heart swell. 

Instants that seem to extend for minutes actually last only for a few seconds and Renjun finds himself blushing a little too easily for his own liking while the two walk on the sand.

Jaemin tells a few jokes — after a conversation about how “It’s better when love just surprises you in the most unexpected ways, right?” — and Renjun laughs as they share life stories. Renjun tells him a little more about Yuqi’s childhood, Jaemin asks questions, genuinely interested, laughing loudly, making the entire earth vibrate along Renjun’s heart when he tells him about that one time Yuqi threw a tantrum because it was cold outside and his dad told her she had to wear trousers instead of a skirt — but eventually got to wear a skirt anyways thanks to wool stockings Tzuyu bought for her. She had spent the entire day mocking him and Tzuyu for having to wear trousers while she could wear her pretty skirt with her pretty and warm stockings.

Jaemin tells him about the year Mark and Donghyuck got married: they had the reception at the hotel in spring so that there weren’t as many guests, and Jaemin convinced Mark to pull a little prank on Donghyuck as revenge for an infinite list of other jokes. So Jaemin had asked a few members of his staff to pretend they were from this one TV program that was on a lot back then, ‘Four Weddings and One Honeymoon’. Donghyuck actually believed it and was so invested, competitive as he is, although surprised at first because of the short notice and the arrival of three women he had never seen before that commented on his wedding all along. All ends well of course, because once they told him about the joke Mark actually revealed his special honeymoon-gift. 

Renjun tells him more about his job, when Jaemin asks he tells him about his childhood and his sister — who hadn’t always been his sister, although now he couldn’t imagine it any other way. His mother had died when he was nine, and after a few years his dad remarried Tzuyu’s mother. Renjun didn’t know he needed an older sister until he had her, and since then life without her has been absolutely impossible.

While they talk, it feels almost as if Renjun didn’t have to tell him any of it for Jaemin to already know, as if they had known each other for so long, anecdotes like those had already been told.

Again, that feeling lights up the chest and the mind of a man that has been so lonely, only to find The One miles away from home, during a hot Italian summer quite like all the others. 

“You know, Yuqi likes you alot.”

“That’s good, I’m glad!” Jaemin says, a little too enthusiastically, “I mean…I love being around her, she’s so fun and precious. You can see she has grown up with so much love. I haven’t been around kids in a while despite my job, it’s so refreshing. Oh-” Jaemin points his finger in front of them. The sand stops there, where a line of rocks starts along the pier and dives into the sea. Two light towers rise at the edge of the jetty on each side. 

“That’s our firework watching spot!” Jaemin tells him. When they get closer, Renjun sees the canal dividing Cesenatico in two. 

Jaemin had explained to him how that canal serves as an exit and entry for boats to get in the open sea or the port, and the two towers served to signal where the canal was situated for boats to find their way easily at night and not crash into the reef. The pink skyscraper shines behind them. 

They fit their shoes on again, and with a jump Jaemin is on the pier, reaching out for Renjun’s hand. When he pulls him up, Renjun stumbles a little and they end up chest to chest, hand in hand. Jaemin hovers over Renjun, if he were to kiss him, Renjun would have to stand on the tip of his toes, not that he’s thinking about it. He blushes, looking away from Jaemin as the latter steps back, flustered as well.

“Let’s walk towards the edge of the pier, they’re shooting the fireworks from the sea so we’ll see them very well from there,” Jaemin tells him, clearing his throat.

There’s a few other people around there, a few teenagers sitting together on the rocks, chatting loudly in Italian, a few couples walking and holding hands — him and Jaemin must look just like them to other walkers, Renjun thinks.

The sea extends in front of them, they sit at the edge, feet dangling over the waves. Renjun was almost scared to fall, there was no safety barrier. 

“Do people ever fall in the water?”

Jaemin laughs, “If you’re clumsy, drunk or with bad friends, yeah I guess it can happen. It’s not the most secure spot but at least it’s just a little dive in the water. And it’s not very high. I sort of get vertigo when I’m walking around here at night. I don’t know why…but I never fell!” Jaemin tells him. 

“Yeah, it doesn’t look very reassuring, walking too close to the water…”

“You can swim, right? Let me know if I need to come and save you.” Jaemin puts a hand over his heart and Renjun laughs, nudging him with his shoulder. 

Then he looks up at the sky and sighs, “The stars are so bright.” The city lights being far behind them, and the darkness of the ocean and the night in front of them makes the constellations more visible. 

“It’s very pretty,” Jaemin say,  looking at him. Renjun hums. The sea in front of them is almost invisible except for the places where light-up boats reflect on the water. A vast, infinite and dark land before them, looking like dense black oil, that they can recognise as the sea only for the soft sound of the waves under their feet.

Midnight ticks and, as punctual as ever, fireworks boom in the sky. Renjun’s caught off guard, his body bumps on Jaemin’s from the scare. Jaemin laughs and wraps his arm around him.

With every explosion Renjun’s heart thumps in his chest, the way only a loud noise or a warm hold can make it drum. 

Gold, red, blue, green, purple and orange light up the entire sky in front of them. Everytime a firework is fired up, they can see the boat it’s sent off from for a millisecond, before it looks like the sea is throwing up a bunch of sparkling colored rocks again. 

Renjun stares in awe, Jaemin’s and his own face lighting up with the colors reflecting in the water and the sky. 

When silence falls for the first time, thinking the pyrotechnic show to be over, he opens his mouth to speak to Jaemin, but another loud bang covers his voice.

It happens a few times, a new bang always surprising him when he least expects it, as the fireworks become gradually more spectacular but after a good ten minutes the final booms resonate all around — it was so loud Renjun’s ears are ringing by the end. He feels adrenaline in his veins, his skin tingles, he feels absolutely euphoric and incapable of reducing his smile although his cheeks are hurting.

Renjun loves fireworks, somehow they always make him feel things stronger. He doesn’t know if Jaemin’s smile is the first he should see after the show, with that beautiful smile and shiny eyes of his, he doesn’t know if his hand should be the first one he holds, he doesn’t know if it’s a good idea. 

But Renjun has stopped weighing the pros and cons since he saw the pink lights on Jaemin’s face. 

They get going soon after that so as not to leave Yuqi alone for too long, as she goes to bed in their room alone in the hotel that Renjun can actually spot from the pier. The streets are starting to move again, frozen under the fireworks a few minutes earlier. Jaemin brings Renjun towards a less crowded road that joins with the one they usually take to walk back from the beach. (Renjun is starting to get familiar with the city thanks to Jaemin. He knows the main streets as well as a few little paths that are less crowded and faster. He’s able to orientate himself much better now, and every road takes him back to the hotel. Every road takes him back to Jaemin, and this time his daughter.)

As they’re about to take a turn, Jaemin sees Renjun stop, guided off-track by some music. Following him through a crowd that has formed on the sidewalk, they end up at the source of the music: a street musician along with his guitar. He’s singing Wonderwall , playing the chords clumsily and looking at his hand every now and then where Jaemin can see lines of ink which he guesses are the lyrics. 

He checks on his side, to Renjun, whose eyes are glued to the musician, a smile on his lips even as they move slightly to mouth the lyrics. He sways to the melody and something about that entire moment: the lights casted on Renjun’s face, the pretty melody he knows so well and the lyrics, the singer’s honest and expressive voice, that instant still in time, makes Jaemin’s heart stop. For a second, or maybe two. Not much, really.

But it’s enough for the world to freeze in motion with the rhythm of his heart and Renjun is the only thing he sees.

It’s enough to decide about everything that has to happen, whatever it takes. He knows this is not going to be just a summer sort, a summer thing. Maybe he knew from the moment he laid eyes on Renjun, or maybe he realized it now, but he didn’t do all he did to be nice, a good friend, a kind stranger. He knows it clearly in that moment in which Renjun is the only thing he sees in his city, the only one he sees in the whole wide world.

And then, Jaemin knows what to do.

***

“Thank you for tonight, Jaemin. I had a lot of fun,” Renjun says once they’re in front of their rooms.

“Me too. I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Jaemin smiles. Silence falls, awkward as it does when it is time to say goodbye. It’s hard, you never really know how to: when you’re supposed to hang up the phone, when you’re supposed to open the door, Renjun doesn’t know how and when he’s supposed to say bye. It’s been a long time since he’s done this.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then?” He speaks, a little uncertain.

“You mean today?” Jaemin cocks his eyebrow, the serious look on his face dissolves away with a chuckle and Renjun holds back a laugh, clumsily covering it with an endeared, more than fakely exasperated, sigh. 

“Yes, you’re right. Later. Goodnight Jaemin.”

“Goodnight.”

Renjun turns around, pressing the card to his door. It beeps and clicks open. He doesn’t hear Jaemin’s do the same. He pushes the handle down and steps in, without really looking back.

The room is dark, he can hear Yuqi’s soft and regular snores from her bed. The window is slightly open, and a cool breeze swirls into the room, natural coolness during the warm nights.

Yuqi prefers it to the air conditioner, and she’s right. 

He walks to her bed, smiling at her peaceful sleeping face and the drool on the side of her mouth. He presses a light kiss, lighter than a feather, to her forehead. There’s a knock at the door.

It startles Renjun a little, who walks to open the door quickly to avoid the knocks to get louder and wake up his daughter. Who could it be at this hour?

He opens the door slowly, and it’s Jaemin standing there, a little nervous, a little absorbed by his thoughts. He’s taken back to earth when his eyes absently fall on Renjun.

“Hey…Sorry it’s me again. I…I know it’s late but I know I won’t sleep if I don't do this. And Hyuck might honestly slap me. I just—”

Jaemin’s eyes move up from the floor to Renjun’s face and before he knows it, two hands cup his face and a pair of lips is on his. 

Renjun kisses Jaemin back — once the surprise has brushed off. His hands grab Jaemin’s t-shirt over his chest. It’s simple between them, Renjun is happy and Jaemin is even more. It feels comfortable, it feels right — there isn’t all that anxiety that used to come when Renjun was seventeen — it feels like kissing Jaemin is what he should be doing.  Renjun shuts off any signal from his brain that isn’t propice to this moment — the little voice that’s unnecessarily telling him to be careful. Renjun is not afraid to fall when he’s standing at the edge of Jaemin, kissing his lips. What should he be careful about?

They’ll talk in the morning, or in a few weeks, who knows, they just will. They’re not teenagers anymore, they’re adults and Renjun is the kind of adult that always talks it out in the first place. But for now Renjun just kisses him again and again.

A spark blooms in his chest — it’s been a while.

They break apart, it’s barely a few inches, just enough to breathe. Jaemin’s cheeks are dusted pink and they’re lifted up in a huge smile. Renjun’s heart flutters. “Actually, I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep anyways,” he says with a gooey grin and a honey-dripping-euphoria-sky-high voice, sickeningly sweet and Renjun who’s just as giddy, giggles.

“Goodnight Jaemin, see you later.”

“Goodnight Renjun,” he answers as they both enter their rooms at the same time, hearts soaring higher than the fireworks.

La notte porta consiglio , the night brings advice. Renjun heard it from Mark — an Italian proverb. What this night brings instead, is a piece.

A missing piece to a puzzle Renjun thought was complete. 

***

“Are you sure it’s alright?” Renjun asks Mark and Donghyuck for the hundredth time. Although, mostly to Mark because Donghyuck has already started cheering with Yuqi.

“Of course it is, you guys go without worries,” Mark reassures him, to which Donghyuck adds, still holding the little girl in his lap, “We’re more than glad to take care of her for tonight! You guys go have your little dinner date!” 

Donghyuck was enthusiastic, Renjun knew he had asked the right people and he was grateful to Jaemin for introducing the couple to him.

Jaemin had asked Renjun out for dinner. Originally, it wasn’t a date, Yuqi was supposed to come along, but she herself had insisted on staying at the hotel. It was karaoke night for the kids today, she wouldn’t miss it for nothing in the world — not even a dinner with her Papa and the one she has occasionally been calling Papà, when neither of them can hear. 

Renjun, however, felt bad to ask the hotel staff to take care of Yuqi and bring her to bed again, so he had the idea to ask Mark and Donghyuck. They accepted happily and Yuqi herself seemed really satisfied.

“Then we’re all good!” Jaemin concludes, clapping his hands before putting an arm around Renjun’s shoulder, where it has become a frequent sojourner. Yuqi, who had stopped playing with Donghyuck momentarily, turns around towards Renjun and Jaemin and, with big eyes, asks her dad — catching everyone by surprise (yes, even Donghyuck): “Papa, can Nana come sleep with us tonight after you come back from dinner?”

Jaemin’s face drops, Donghyuck lets out a loud cackle and Mark just stares, a little embarrassed, holding back a laugh as Renjun blushes. 

Jaemin hurries to dissuade the girl, “Yuqi, you know I have my own room..and it’s right next to yours any—” He laughs awkwardly.

“If he wants to, I guess Nana can come sleep with us, baby,” Renjun interrupts, nonchalantly. Jaemin turns towards Renjun who’s already looking at him with an obvious look, and nods once he's found the reassurance he needed in Renjun’s eyes.

“Yeah, I’d love to,” He says with a tiny voice.

Donghyuck cheers with Yuqi as she continuously chants, “Sleep o-ver! Sleep o-ver! Sleep o-ver!” and Mark looks from his side, silent and pleased like a spectator of some rom-com TV show. 

Later that day, Jaemin and Renjun sit by Yuqi as she eats her dinner, anticipating the karaoke. Renjun has to tell her multiple times to eat slowly.

“I hope Uncle Huck can participate in the karaoke! He sings sooooo well Papa!” She says, munching on her bread.

“Uncle Huck?” Renjun asks while Jaemin laughs at the cuteness of the girl who still cannot pronounce Donghyuck’s full name.

“Hmm hmm!” She hums, content. 

They wait for the couple to join them at the dinner hall, and send them off to their dinner date. Which Donghyuck enjoys doing a little too much. The four of them walk towards the terrace where most of the games for kids have been taking place after dinner. Renjun and Jaemin leave Mark and Donghyuck at a table there, while Yuqi is already headed to play with some of her new friends.

When they walk out of the hotel, hand in hand, Jaemin doesn’t take the turn towards the main street. In fact, Renjun has no idea where they’re going for dinner. It’s all just going to be a big surprise, and his excitement is palpable. Jaemin most definitely can feel it. 

“I’m taking you to a very special place. It’s a little far away though, so…” He walks a little down the sidewalk right out of the hotel and stops near a row of scooters and bikes. Jaemin takes out keys from his back pocket and brings them up to his face, in Renjun’s sight, shaking them and making them dingle the way keys do. “We’re going for a ride.”

He drops Renjun’s hand and slides in between two motorbikes. Renjun tries to guess which one is his before Jaemin can open the trunk at the back of a mint green vespa with beige seats. It looks brand new.

He throws his wallet and phone inside, and to Renjun’s surprise, takes out no helmet.

“I hope you don’t mind driving without a helmet, I swear it’s a really short ride, five minutes top.” He grins, innocently.

“You do know it’s illegal?” Renjun tells him, anxious more than anything, he has never ridden a motorcycle, and even less without a helmet. It’s not that he doesn’t trust Jaemin, it just doesn’t feel very safe.

“I promise I won’t go very fast. I just didn’t want us to walk for twenty minutes when we can get there in five minutes with my vespa!” Renjun observes him quietly, thinking whether he should go for it or not, but Jaemin’s big, round, puppy-like pleading eyes make it hard to consider anything at all. He nods, giving in with a sigh and Jaemin happily tells him to put anything he’d have inside his pockets in the trunk to make sure he doesn’t lose them.

“You won’t need your wallet by the way, it’s alright if you lose it,” Jaemin jokes which earns him a glare from Renjun who shoves him gently. He wonders for a second though, if Jaemin is taking him to a very special place for dinner — where you wouldn’t need to pay — or if he’s just planning on paying for everything again. 

Jaemin locks the trunk and turns on the engine of the vespa. He moves it out of the parking lot and then gestures to Renjun to hop behind him. He looks way too natural and Renjun isn’t sure if he finds it attractive or a little worrying. Renjun awkwardly sits, his back against the trunk, he’s never been on one after all. He tells Jaemin that.

“Well then, I’ll make this your best first vespa ride ever. Hold tight and enjoy!” He says with a fake flight-assistant voice, but still sweetly squeezes Renjun’s hand around his waist and over his stomach. Then, they’re off.

Jaemin did not keep his promise.

Renjun gasped at first when Jaemin left off fast, definitely faster than Renjun expected, and he tightened the grip around his waist. Jaemin laughs as the wind blows his hair back as if he absolutely wasn’t driving a scooter faster than he should without a helmet. 

However, once the fright has passed, adrenaline replaces it. Renjun lets the air graze his skin and get into his clothes and mess up his hair. He can’t control a smile to stretch his lips. They zigzag in between the few cars on the road, next to them the noise of cars speeding down the highway a few miles on their left accompanies them. It’s a nice sensation. 

Renjun has just started to enjoy when the scooter tilts with their weight at every turn, when Jaemin stops. 

Renjun looks around, there’s a few pretty houses in what looks like an abandoned village — if it weren’t for the lights and the music coming from the windows. There are a few people walking around, coming home from the beach in tank tops and swim suits. The concrete is damaged where a few roots of the pines that border the street have won over human work.

“You can get off,” Jaemin tells him. Still looking around, Renjun does as he’s told and waits for Jaemin to turn off the engine. The houses are pretty and taken care of, the wooden blinds are freshly painted in different colors, but Renjun can guess this is the type of place where Italians come only for summer. It must be such a lonely and empty place in winter.

“Here.” Jaemin hands him his phone, but not his wallet. Renjun doesn’t even ask, and just wraps his hand around Jaemin’s arm. “Let’s go.”

The sky’s colors get brighter while, at the horizon, the sun paints it pink and orange. 

They head towards a building Jaemin points to, right at the end of the street and much bigger than the others. 

“This is the best Italian seafood restaurant ever! The fact that it’s hidden in a little boring village that’s not even on the map makes it an even rarer pearl! It’s one of my favourite places.”

Renjun listens attentively to the story Jaemin tells him about how his father used to bring him here when the restaurant first opened, until something catches his eye. It’s a husky, being walked around by its owner, with the whitest and fluffiest-looking fur he has ever seen. Renjun almost coos right there and then. 

Looking at him with big eyes and surprise — Jaemin learns something new: Renjun really likes huskies.

“I can ask if you can pet him if you want?” Jaemin whispers to him and Renjun hurries himself to nod. The owner who saw them eyeing the puppy kindly allows them to. Jaemin’s heart fills with warmth — so as not to say another word that starts with “L” — as he watches Renjun pet the dog and whisper to him in Mandarin. 

The dog shakes his tail happily and lets himself be caressed with a satisfied expression. 

Renjun quickly stands up and thanks and greets the owner goodbye in his own clumsy Italian, and all content, they head to the restaurant.

The place looks fancy, the decoration is pretty, marble statues and a fountain greet them at the entry, inside the pavements are shiny and the setting looks refined. Even the bathroom looks awfully fancy, but the menu tells otherwise. Each dish sounds delicious, the prices are modest and it takes Renjun forever to decide.

After they both ordered, following Jaemin’s recommendation, who seems to know most of the staff pretty well — maybe it’s something between people who work in the hospitality industry.

It’s the feeling in Jaemin’s chest that brings the conversation. The sooner the better.

“Renjun, I think we should talk about us.”

Renjun takes a sip of his water, looking calm. He nods, he knows it’s important too. “I’m leaving in less than a month and flying back to China. I am a father and a brother and the head of a law firm, and it’s stuff I’ll drop for nothing in the world. But I really like you, Jaemin.”

Jaemin exhales, reassured. 

Not expecting that reaction, Renjun asks “What?”

“Oh, nothing, I was afraid I wasn’t anything serious to you…or that you’d think you weren’t anything serious for me.”

“Do you think I would’ve let you close to my daughter, if that were the case?” He chuckles, “Did you know that she wants to call you ‘Papà’? And I wouldn’t mind if she did.”

Jaemin is speechless, he holds Renjun’s hand in his from across the table. “To think I was supposed to do the talking,” He chuckles, “I really like you too, Renjun, and I adore Yuqi so much. I really do. And obviously I would never ask you to leave your life for me.” He breathes in, “I never thought I’d meet someone like you, and it’s scaring me to think that you have to go back to China soon and I can’t follow you…at least not yet.” 

Renjun’s heart drops, but he was aware of that, his head was. His heart was just being a little selfish, because it happens that he likes to be.

Jaemin looks away as he starts rambling a little, “The way you have your firm, I have the hotel here and one of us can’t just drop everything for the other. I don’t think that’s right. But I want to figure something out with you, if you’d like to do this with me? Even if it’s unsure, it’s not something we’d have a chance at if one of us didn’t want to.” 

Renjun nods, “I’m okay to try. I’m taking your words but I haven’t really met someone like you either. I never would have done anything like this, or would do long distance but there’s just something with you — Jaemin you make me feel like a teenager,” Renjun says, laughing. “I’m a successful lawyer and a happy father and I thought I wouldn’t need anything more than that. But, turns out it wasn’t like that. And I want to try, however it goes.” Renjun stops a little, looks at Jaemin’s face and he knows exactly why he’s doing all of this. There is no other reason but him. “Besides, I’m pretty sure my sister would kill me if I let you go,” Jaemin throws his head back laughing and agreeing, saying Hyuck would do the same. “Now I’m starting to think Yuqi wouldn’t forgive me for it, either,” Renjun shrugs.

“We’ll find a way. As long as it’s a way with you.” Jaemin brings Renjun’s hand to his lips and places a gentle kiss on his knuckles. It’s soft and delicate and intimate and it makes Renjun’s heart go crazy in his chest. 

The atmosphere lightens, even if it hadn’t really gotten tense in the first place. 

It’s like a weight has been taken off their shoulders now that they know where they’re going. Or, better even, now that they don’t know where they’re going, and where it’s going to know, but they’re together in that.

The food arrives, and a delicious smell makes its way through their noses and goes to knock at their stomach’s door. They are both starving. 

The conversation continues in between warm bites and sentimental talk about how they met and got this close in just two months, ways to make long distance work, and how it’s alright even if it sounds like an immature and impromptu thing to do. They’re together.

“You know, I was thinking,” Jaemin says, sucking the meat out of another clam, then licking his oily fingers, “It’s funny how the two people who threaten our lives to make sure we make sure this relationship works are both geminis.”

Jaemin’s remark pleasantly catches Renjun by surprise, he laughs. “Oh it really has something to do with their birth chart.” Renjun brings another tortello to his mouth, but before eating it he frowns and after a short thinking he says, “It’s also the people Yuqi calls ‘aunt’ and ‘uncle’.” 

That realization makes Jaemin incredibly happy. It’s a little thing, Renjun already told him how much he matters to Yuqi, but the idea of their little family — if he can be allowed to call it ‘their’ — taking place inside his brain brings a peace to his heart he’d never thought could be reached. Jaemin always liked kids, entertaining them is one of the things he liked the most about his job, but he never thought he would be a family man himself. The thought of it sends butterflies flying in Jaemin’s stomach.

“They should totally meet one day,” Jaemin tells him. Renjun hums with his mouth full, contentment coming from his full stomach and heart.

After Jaemin pays and they giddily walk back to the vespa, Renjun hanging off of Jaemin’s arm, he asks.

The three words don’t come around, but when you’re 29, with a daughter, and find what you know is love, you don’t need to say it. Neither of them need to say it for the other to know.

And you know you have to keep it. 

Renjun knows this might be his last chance to find the one, then it might be too late, then he might never find someone to grow old with, someone who will take him and his daughter. 

On the way home, he holds onto Jaemin’s waist a little tighter, kisses him a little harder to thank him for the dinner. 

Yuqi is already asleep when they arrive at the hotel, Mark and Donghyuck are sitting on the balcony, talking. They talk for a little longer altogether, then they wish them goodnight before they head off, all the while Renjun holds onto Jaemin who can’t go very far anyways because he is staying the night.

The only moment they are apart is when they get ready for bed, Jaemin goes to his room to get his pajamas and Renjun thinks.

When you find someone who makes you feel things again, things you only thought could be felt as a teenager — as a young, careless and dumb boy who has nothing really left to lose but believes he has everything to win — you’re also scared.

What if it doesn’t work out? What if it’s temporary? What if they can’t last more than a few months? After all, he’s known Jaemin for two months, it’s far from being enough to start a relationship of this grandeur. 

What will he tell Yuqi, who’s only seven, if everything ends?

Jaemin knocks at the door, changed into his pajamas, a bit of toothpaste smeared at the corner of his mouth, and clean clothes in his hand for tomorrow morning.

And Renjun is a lawyer, he’s good at defending people, his daughter, himself, those whom he loves. That’s his job. He’s good at talking, knows how to convince others, knows all tricks and twists to rhetoric discourse, and he’s that: that capacity of proving points, of defending a cause no matter what, of being able to say things in a way that will leave others incapable of doubting him. He’s all that before he is the one who knows the law by heart.

After all, isn’t that what love is all about?

Defending your person, no matter what.

Maybe Renjun is a little biased, he’s been swimming in everything related to law since he was a toddler, maybe that’s why it’s the only thing he can compare it to. 

Right now, when he sees Jaemin in his truest form: just a tired, happy and pretty guy, who gets toothpaste on his face and was so impatient to just be with him again that he couldn’t wash it away properly, Renjun feels like he could go to the ends of the world for him.

Defend him in court even if he had murder on his hands, even if all the evidence were to pin him guilty, even if he was actually guilty.

And maybe it’s a little wrong and definitely hyperbolic but after all, isn’t that what love is all about?

Love is also about waking up in the worst way possible but bearing with it because you are with the ones you care about the most.

Renjun takes his sleep very seriously (when he’s not at work, Tzuyu would say, but whatever) it’s important that he gets enough rest and wakes up peacefully of his own will. Or else he’ll feel incredibly irritated all day long.

The complete opposite of his ideal morning is his daughter — too energetic for the godly hour of 7am — jumping on his bed shouting to “wake up! wake up! wake up!”

Worse than an alarm, actually — Yuqi should never serve him as an alarm, even if she is most effective, because if she did on a workday, Renjun might ruin someone in court. 

He groans and opens up his eyes, then closes them almost immediately when he realises how bright the sunlight is. It’s too early for this.

He tries to mumble something to get his daughter off his case, let him sleep five more minutes, or ten, or one hundred and twenty! But a low mumble next to him shakes him awake. 

It’s Jaemin.

He is — was — sleeping on his side, turned towards Renjun. Now he’s just sprawled all over, face down on the pillow. 

Yuqi keeps on jumping between them.

“Wake up! Wake up! It’s time for breakfast!”

“Yuqi, what have I told you about jumping on the bed?” Renjun groans again, eyes closed.

“But you have to wake up! I don’t want to be late, the cereals I like are never there when we go when Papa wakes up late,” she pouts. Jaemin turns around. Renjun can see his face now, he smiles. 

“I’ll get you all the cereals you like, in industrial quantities, but Yuqi you gotta let us sleep a bit more. We’re old, you know?” Jaemin says in a groggy voice as he turns around to look at the young girl. Doing so, his arm leaves its previous position around Renjun’s waist, who doesn’t complain even if he would like so, because Jaemin has just saved him.

“Yay! Thank you!” She jumps a little more, absolutely elated but stops when Renjun scolds her. Yuqi doesn’t miss a beat, “Can I watch TV now that you’re both awake?” The two of them turn around to look at each other, seeing the same exasperation in each other’s eyes makes them explode in laughter. Renjun never thought sharing such a domestic moment of his life as a dad with someone else could make him so happy.

Yuqi, who doesn’t understand, sits in between them, covering their eyes to see if it’s the eye contact that’s making them laugh hysterically. Soon it turns into a tickle battle, started by Jaemin, and of which Renjun politely retires himself, just staring at Jaemin playing with Yuqi and making her laugh like he had never heard her laugh.

The summer light shining into the room, the harmonious sound of laughter, Jaemin’s smile, his messy hair and the white t-shirt and black shorts he uses as a pajamas, Yuqi’s legs and arms frantically moving, trying to get away from Jaemin as her laughter is unstoppable, the messy bed. 

Mornings where he doesn’t wake up as he would like might not be so terrible anymore. Renjun could get used to this.

***

Summer has a particular magic of its own. 

The only reason Renjun has realised it now of all times is that, one: it’s the first summer he spends without working at all, therefore without something to distract him and morph his perception of time and two: time ticking reminds him of who he is about to leave.

Summer slips away rather bittersweetly, after it’s made you feel like the world couldn’t become more wonderful. 

Renjun and Yuqi are flying back home in a week, and just yesterday it felt like they were arriving. 

Tzuyu called Renjun this morning to send him his plane tickets, even if she didn’t mean to, the reminder of the vacation coming to an end makes Renjun particularly sad. Yuqi is the same as well.

Seven days past the time of a kiss, shorter compared to the one Renjun and Jaemin exchanged at the airport gate, one last time.

He, Mark and Donghyuck all insisted on driving with them to Venice airport, an hour away from Cesenatico to properly greet them goodbye.

This past week, Renjun felt like he was home rather than on vacation in a place he had never been to before. They still went to the beach every morning, but every night Jaemin would sleep in their hotel room again, they’d watch a movie or watch Yuqi while she enjoyed the after dinner activities at the hotel, like a real couple — real parents — watching their daughter.

Yeah, that’s how it felt, a little family built in the span of three months. Renjun’s little family.

In the few weeks after the first so-called ‘sleepover’, Yuqi had started calling Jaemin ‘papà’. Not constantly, it came out unexpectedly a few times and Renjun doesn’t know who between him and Jaemin was more happy about it.

But eternal and constant happiness doesn’t exist, there’s ups and downs and Renjun is going back to work Monday — two days from now — and Yuqi will go back to school in a week. They are flying back to China this Saturday morning. Jaemin is driving back to Cesenatico in a few hours, he has to take care of the hotel, close the summer season in beauty and plan for the future.

It was all planned, they had talked about it: Renjun would start taking proper holidays during the year, fly to Italy with Yuqi, and when Jaemin could he’d come visit them. They’d call and text and they would make this work, or at least try.

Yuqi is as sad as he is, she’s crying in Donghyuck’s arms and begs for Jaemin to hold her too once her father and him break their kiss apart. Jaemin’s eyes are lit with a sadness Renjun never thought he could see in him, he takes the girl up in his arms and hugs her tight as she whines in his neck.

“I don’t want to go! Why can’t you come with us?” She cries.

Jaemin doesn’t answer her. Renjun’s heart breaks a little at the scene. “Be a good girl, okay? Take care of your Papa for me!”

In a pout and with wet cheeks, Yuqi nods. The intercom rings again, last call for passengers of the flight to Beijing, the plane will depart soon, please head to the gate for your check-in.

Jaemin puts Yuqi down, kisses her forehead as he wipes her tears, “Quit crying, I’ll see you soon…” He stands up to look at Renjun, “Okay?” 

Yuqi sniffles in answer, Renjun nods. He waves goodbye to Mark and Donghyuck, who were watching the scene before them with empathy, as Jaemin walks them to the gate. He hands their tickets to the hostess and waits before walking past the line that will separate him and Jaemin, for good this time.

“Call me when you get there, alright?” Jaemin tells him before kissing him one last time. “Bye bye Yuqi. Bye Renjun.” Yuqi doesn’t look back, eyes too red and puffy, she sniffles again, Renjun bites his lip and hopes the tears won’t fall. He doesn’t really cry.

He holds Yuqi’s hand and walks ahead. Jaemin leaves the airport once he sees the plane take off with his own two eyes.

***

Renjun groans when his ringtone interrupts his The Devil Wears Prada rewatch. It’s Thursday and he hasn’t been to work since Monday — since he was supposed to. 

Not very professional of him, he guesses, but he just didn’t feel like it just yet. Tzuyu understood, he just let him be for a while, but her name on Renjun’s phone screen told him she was getting a little fed up. He wanted to stay with Yuqi, who had been looking a little sad, the last week of summer vacation before school. This morning, however, she had been invited to her friend’s house, so Renjun was alone.

When he picks up, a little annoyed by his sister’s call, he doesn’t have time to speak, Tzuyu wins him over.

“Look, I know I sent you away to rest, take care of yourself and take a break from all your stressful work, and that you came back to me miserable because you happened to meet the man of your dreams but I’m begging you can you come to work? Please? I genuinely understand you, Jun, really. I swear I would leave you one more week if this wasn’t so urgent. There’s this new client that has been harassing Sana at the reception just to see you for the past two days. He didn't want to see me, and didn’t leave his name either. He’s insisting on needing to hire us for a very important deal but just wants ‘to talk to Huang Renjun’. Can you please, please pleas-”

Renjun rolls his eyes, sighs and agrees. Tzuyu is a little bewildered, but Renjun recognises the joy in her voice. 

“Okay, I’ll let him settle in your office. Thank you, Jun. You can take until Monday after this, I promise.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll see you in 20,” Renjun replies before hanging up.

He has nothing to lose, maybe it won’t be so bad to just get out of the house. 

He shaves, dresses in suit and tie, and shows up at the firm 19 minutes later. He likes to be punctual. 

He greets Sana at the reception, who looks absolutely delighted to see him. His employees greet him when he passes in the hallways, he answers with a nod and mostly walks ahead without stopping. When he arrives at his office, he can see through the glass doors, Tzuyu standing near his desk, talking to a man who’s sitting on the armchair, showing his back to the door.

Renjun thinks his eyes fail him. He knows that back, he’s pretty sure he could tell it amidst a hundred others, pretty sure he has done so before. 

But it can’t be, now can it? The last time he talked with Jaemin was Tuesday evening, he was upset because an important deal for the hotel was taking a while to get settled. 

Maybe going out wasn’t the best idea. Renjun just misses him, he knows that, and he knows there’s no way he is there, in his office right now. 

He enters after recollecting himself, Tzuyu nods towards him.

“Oh, here he is.”

Renjun straightens his suit jacket and heads towards this potential new client. He reaches his hand out to greet him, looks up, and — if this is a dream don’t wake him up — Jaemin is there.

For God’s sake, is it that bad? Has Renjun started hallucinating? Maybe he needs to take another vacation, rest some more, go to Cesenatico, see Jaemin…

“Hello Renjun.”

Renjun’s heart jumps in his throat as he jumps at Jaemin’s neck.

He’s there. He really is. Maybe it’s an exaggerated reaction, Tzuyu is definitely caught by surprise and looks at the two of them from the side, before her gears start working and she assembles the puzzle on her own, she has always been good at that.

“Oh my god, what are you doing here?” Renjun manages to say in between the surprise and exhilarating happiness that’s making every inch of his body vibrate. He can’t let go of Jaemin, he just leans back to see his face better, hands cupping his face.

“Well, we are expanding! And I may or may not have a hotel opening in town soon…” Jaemin says, looking away innocently although his giddy grin gives it all away.

Renjun gasps, “Are you kidding me?!”

“Not at all,” Jaemin beams, wrapping his hands around Renjun’s waist. 

Renjun could literally bounce all around the room from happiness right now. It might freak the shit out of his sister though so he won’t.

He just hugs Jaemin again, tighter and tighter. 

“I’m so happy, Yuqi is going to be so happy,” he whispers to his ear and Jaemin just hugs him back.

Tzuyu clears her throat which makes both Renjun and Jaemin look at her.

“I will leave you alone and I’m sure we will have a proper introduction later Jaemin, I’ve heard alot about you!” She chuckles, lifting her shoulders as she begins to stray away from the point but coming back before she gets lost, “But for the whole hotel legal stuff, are you sure you want to ask Renjun that? I think I’d be much better for the job, I usually take care of cases like those. You know, Renjun is more on murder cases and all that stuff—”

“Tzuyu!” Renjun protests, annoyed to be interrupted.

“Alright, alright! We’ll talk about it later, I get it.” She rolls her eyes, and starts heading out but before she’s out the door she yells, “Welcome to the family Jaemin!” And then she’s gone.

Renjun hides his face with his hand while Jaemin laughs loudly, “Gosh, she’s like Donghyuck but the girl version.”

Renjun sighs, “Please remind me to never have them in the same room, I’d go insane.”

Jaemin laughs again and finally kisses him. It was long awaited. 

“So you’re settling here?” Renjun asks him, breaking apart quickly, a thousandth questions burning on his lips. Jaemin nods.

“But…what about spending time at the hotel and working there?” 

“I’ll have to stay a while here to supervise everything until the opening…but I was thinking I could spend the year in the hotel here…and go to Cesenatico in the summer, with you and Yuqi. How does that sound?”

“Perfect.” Renjun smiles, before leaning in to kiss him again. On his tiptoes, yes, he knew he would have to if he were to kiss Jaemin.

The puzzle is complete, all pieces have their place, have been glued together and put in a frame that Renjun will have on his desk. The picture of him, Jaemin and Yuqi in front of the Grand Hotel Da Vinci, on the day of their wedding.