Work Text:
Hiring Jaemin as a full time babysitter is one of the best and worst things that Jaehyun has ever done.
He does not regret his decision, Jaemin is the most capable person to handle little Dami, with his early education bachelor's degree and multiple diploma programs on early childhood and how to care from babies to preteens, and he also is such a caring person, always with a warm smile and a treat to Jaehyun's daughter, his sweet yet firm character won Dami's heart in an instant — and maybe if Jaehyun was brave enough he would admit that Jaemin has won his heart too — making her feel at ease when she is in his care.
Truly, Jaehyun is marveled with Jaemin, but the natural caring personality plus his handsome features are making Jaehyun life a little difficult. Jaemin is not only caring and capable, he is also the most beautiful person that Jaehyun has seen and unfortunately for him, Jaehyun has never been good at how to behave in front of good looking people, so doing or saying anything stupid in front of Jaemin has been a part of their routine for the last five months, and of course, Jaemin only laughs softly and makes sure to let him know that everything is okay, like the true angel he is.
Maybe Jaehyun is a little infatuated.
🍬
He still remembers when all this started, with one Johnny Suh entering his office five months ago, during a Monday morning at exactly a quarter past eight, when Jaehyun hadn't had his second cup of coffee yet, to just be greeted by a "You look like shit, dude"
Then Johnny sat right in front of him slurping the last of his iced americano with an obnoxious noise watching Jaehyun's face with a bit of pity.
Jaehyun did look like shit. He knew that but he also appreciates the oblivious looks that his coworkers tried to give him, ignoring what a mess he was but not Johnny though. Johnny liked to be brutally honest or a total ass in Jaehyun's opinion.
"Thanks dude, just what I wanted to hear first thing in the morning" Jaehyun said, mind running hundreds a mile, trying to order his work from the most urgent to the least.
"You're welcome" Johnny smiles at him after a last big slurp with a grin, tone changing to a serious one "But seriously you look awful, did you sleep at all?"
The sigh that Jaehyun let out was so loud that for a moment he thought the office next door could probably heard him "Dami had a fever all night, I had to stay with her"
The memory of his daughter all snuggled in the blankets, almost crying for how bad she felt still breaks Jaehyun's heart, even after the doctor gave her some medicine to placate the fever. He could only tend to her and be there until the fever got down almost at four a.m.
"Is she okay?" Johnny's tone changed immediately at the mention of little Dami, worry all over his face. Jaehyun smiles at him, nodding and reassuring that she is better.
Johnny has been there since day one, when Jaehyun got full custody of Dami, being his support at court and everything. He and his –then boyfriend, now husband – helped Jaehyun whenever they could. Jaehyun is just so grateful for them.
"She is better, my mom came to watch her for the day"
"If you or Dami need anything just let me know" Johnny says "me or Mark would go at anytime"
"Thanks man"
🍬
It occurred days later, both Jaehyun and Johnny were sharing lunch with Yuta at the restaurant just across the street from the company, when Johnny suggested the craziest idea.
"You should get a nanny" he said just as he took the first bite of his sandwich, crunching sounds coming out of his mouth looking completely unfazed at the look of murder that Jaehyun was giving him.
"what?" The tone of disbelief on Jaehyun's voice makes Yuta focus on him.
"Yeah, you should," He agrees with Johnny, looking at Jaehyun with a knowing look "Dude, obviously you need help with the amount of work you do"
"Dami and I are alright" Jaehyun has always had a bad time accepting help from others and it got worse when Dami entered his life, it took him a bad cold to let Johnny help him to take care of Dami.
"Tell me what days you had picked her up on time during the week" Johnny challenges him, eyebrow raised at Jaehyun, he already knows the answer to it.
"Two," Jaehyun's voice says confidently, grinning at Johnny as he just answered the one million question
"That was because I had to physically kick you out of the company" Johnny informs him, sandwich halfway done, Jaehyun looks at him with guilty eyes, he knows Johnny is correct, he hasn't been the greatest dad lately.
"Getting a nanny sounds like a good idea" Yuta intervene between Johnny and Jaehyun staring contest with a softer argument "Just try it and if you don't like it, you can fire them."
"I guess"
"Great, now let's eat. We have only ten more minutes"
🍬
Jaehyun saw too many currículums late at home and none of them looked promising enough to be a good nanny to Dami. There is always a little detail that makes Jaehyun change his mind.
"You're being ridiculous," Johnny had said, sitting in one of Jaehyun's chairs drinking the last bit of his coffee.
"Excuse you, this is my daughter's care we are talking about" Jaehyun's voice sounded so offended by it.
"I'm just saying that not hiring someone for not liking ice-cream is a little bit ridiculous" Johnny said with a shrug.
Jaehyun knew that Johnny was right but he was not going to openly admit to him, he just kept reading the currículum that he got his hands on, another reject, this one doesn't like dogs and Dami loves dogs coffees.
"Anyways, here is another curriculum, Mark said that he is your best option, dude has a tone of certifications and has been a nanny since he was 18"
Jaehyun took the curriculum from Johnny's hands, reading it right away. Na Jaemin reads at the top of the page with his basic information, an early childhood education degree with a bunch of certificates as a professional babysitter and an impressive list of references all of it at the young age of 24, Jaehyun was impressed.
"Wow"
"Are you going to call him?" Johnny raised an eyebrow like a challenge.
"Probably" Jaehyun definitely was going to call him.
🍬
Jaemin was nothing like Jaehyun had imagined, he was the most beautiful man he had ever seen, with a pair of warm brown eyes and a smile so wide that showed all his teeth — Jaehyun didn't know that teeth could be that beautiful — a soft but rich voice, calmed and collected, perfect to talk with kids.
Jaemin also proved to be great with children or well with Dami. It just took him two days to click with Dami, both bonding with their love to cats and dogs.
And a week later, Jaemin was all set to live with them, in the guest room down the hall.
🍬
With Jaemin in their lives, everything is easier, for once Dani is always picked on time from school and she doesn't have to be rushed to kindergarten for last minute reunions at 8 in the morning, enjoying her time with Jaemin at their house.
There is also a lunch packed and cup of coffee ready to go at seven thirty every morning waiting for Jaehyun with cute little notes from Jaemin and homemade food, every afternoon he arrives at home with a nice chat while Jaemin joins him during dinner.
Jaehyun's heart feels warmer too. The sight of his little girl giggling with Jaemin when he arrives at home is an image that he doesn't want to forget — and if Jaemin's smile is in the memory it is no one else's business but his — the little stories that Dami share encouraged by Jaemin, confidence growing on her.
The silent moments with Jaemin fills his heart too, the other guy's presence makes him relax, sharing the moment in a comfortable silence while getting ready for the next day.
There are weekends that feel lonelier than others when Jaemin isn't around. Both him and Dami missed him a bit.
🍬
"You're home"
A soft voice greets him, and as soon as he steps foot in his house, a pretty smile accompanies it. Jaemin is wearing his pink apron, flour all over it and a tray of baked cookies on his hands, Jaehyun's heart is beating so fast at the sight of Jaemin.
"Yeah, I am" He says laughing awkwardly at his own lame response "sorry for being late"
"Don't be" Jaemin giggles a bit, putting the tray at the counter "the little one is already on her pajamas and waiting for her bedtime story"
"Thanks" Jaehyun says with an apologetic smile, walking towards her daughter's bedroom a soft 'daddy' awaits him.
Twenty minutes later he is back at the living room slash kitchen, with Jaemin finishing the last of the dishes, drying his hands in the pink apron.
"Do you want a cookie?" Jaemin offers, motioning to the cookies with his head.
"Thanks" Jaehyun takes one, munching on it, delighted by the flavor.
"You look so tired" Jaemin comments, a sorry smile on his face.
"Well I am, this job is kicking my ass" Jaehyun tries to laugh it out but his shoulder only sinks at it.
"You should rest"
"I will" Jaehyun says unsure, adding a little "… Soon" at the end.
Jaemin doesn't say anything, he just opens the chair for Jaehyun to sit and he does, there is a mirror in front of them and Jaehyun can see Jaemin's hands hovering over his shoulders hesitating at something but finally takes a breath and asks
"Can I?" and Jaehyun can only nod at him.
Jaemin's hands are soft on his shoulders, pressing the correct angles to dissipate the soreness of his muscles, fingers working firm on the stress bundles of Jaehyun's shoulders. Little sounds come out of Jaehyun's mouth every time Jaemin hits a sore point, it feels amazing.
"I'm glad"
Did he say that out loud?
"It's okay" Jaemin placates "Ready, you will feel better"
"T-thanks" Jaehyun says, standing and turning at Jaemin, smiling shyly at him "You should rest too"
"I will" Jaemin laughs softly, rosing his shoulder with Jaehyun when he passes besides him "Good night"
🍬
After that night there are more gentle touches between them, fingers touching whenever one of them handles the other something, a hand at the back of the other while passing on the kitchen, secretive smiles when they catch each other's eyes.
It feels more intimate and Jaehyun doesn't know what it means.
"He wants it in your pants" Yuta deadpans "that is what it means"
It's 9 am and Jaehyun is having a crisis in Yuta's office with an already bored looking Johnny.
"But what if I'm reading the wrong signals?" He pouts at his friends and both of them make disgusting faces at him.
"He offered you a massage, I don't know what can be more obvious than that" Johnny adds in his two cents.
Jaehyun shakes and whines one more time, until his cell phone vibrates with the alarm for his next reunion.
🍬
The next couples of days go on as normal, Jaemin will make lunch for Jaehyun and say goodbye with a pretty smile before turning to Dami to prepare her for kindergarten, Jaehyun will come back from work and sit and talk with Jaemin after putting Dami to sleep, both of them sharing pieces of information about themselves.
Jaemin tells him how he likes to be with kids, helping them and taking care of them since he was young. He will be at parties hanging out with the younger kids playing with them, helping his aunts with his cousins before starting working as a babysitter part time, and every time he talks about it he does it with a big smile that makes Jaehyun smile too.
He opens to Jaemin too, he tells him about how his ex-girlfriend – Dami's mom – left him when Dami was only a few months old, she wasn't ready to be a mother so she left and never came back. He had to leave law school for a year until he got a little more settled, that is when he met Mark – both him and Jaemin are friends of his – and how he and Johnny had been at his side since then.
Jaemin's hand holds his during it, thumb rubbing at the skin there comforting him.
"Thank you for telling me" the smile that Jaemin gives him is the most beautiful sight he has ever seen, filled with gratitude and tenderness, and a little bit of admiration.
"Everytime I see you, I want to share everything with you" the words live in Jaehyun's mouth without him processing them, too concentrated in Jaemin's eyes.
Jaehyun sees how Jaemin moves closer until his smile is centimeters away from his face, soft breath fanning his own lips, hand moving to hold Jaehyun face guiding him to his own lips, kissing him softly and quickly, careful of not scaring Jaehyun.
The latter closes his eyes at the sensation of soft lips, missing the touch when Jaemin pulls away, opening his eyes to look at the other, his hand taking Jaemin's jaw softly and pulling him to his lips again kissing him firmly, opening his lips so Jaemin can push his tongue inside, savoring the warm of each other, it has been so long since Jaehyun has felt this way and he love it.
Maybe this is the best decision ever made.,