Archive of Our Own

The house was unusually quiet during the early mornings.

Lately, Mafox had really started to notice just how busy his Phor Book was. It had gotten to the point where Book would slip out of the house for his schedules at dawn, long before Fox even opened his eyes, and he wouldn't return until late at night when Fox was already fast asleep. Some nights, he didn’t come home at all because of multi-day lock-in tapings.

Luckily, his Papa Force was around. Force had already wrapped up shooting his own latest drama and was currently spending his days managing Rowie’s. Because his schedule was far more flexible, Force was always there to pick up the slack at home.

Still, Fox missed his Phor Book terribly.

Fox had even tried being stubborn and acting out at school again just to get Book’s attention. He’d refused to finish his afternoon activity, crossed his arms, and pouted until the teacher was forced to call his parents. It worked and Book did pay attention, but only enough to jump on a quick video call, give Fox a gentle scolding, and hand the rest of the situation over to Force. Book knew fully well that Force tended to let their son get away with almost anything, casually brushing it off with a lazy smile and saying, "It's just part of growing up, Bi. Kids are supposed to have a little attitude."

"Alright, little man," Force said, stepping over and tossing his towel onto a chair. "What’s with the long face tonight?"

Force moved around the room effortlessly, arranging Fox's pillows, fluffing up the duvet, and reaching over to hand Fox his warm glass of milk.

As Force worked around, Fox took a giant gulp of milk, wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve, and launched into a full-blown ramble.

"Pa, it's been one thousand years since I saw Phor Book!" Fox announced dramatically, waving his free hand in the air. "I only see his shadow in the morning when I'm half-asleep! And then when I wake up, he's gone! Poof! Like a ghost! Is Phor a ghost now, Papa? Is he living at the company?"

Force bit his lip to keep himself from laughing as he folded a stray shirt on the chair. "He's not a ghost, son. He's just working hard."

"But he's working too hard!" Mafox insisted, taking another quick sip before setting the glass down and hugging his knees. "Yesterday at school, Teacher asked what my favorite thing to do in the morning was, and I told her my favorite is seeing Phor Book's face! But I couldn't even describe his face properly because I forgot what he looks like! What if he comes back and he has a beard like a wizard? What if he forgot my name?!"

"He didn't forget your name, buddy," Force chuckled, stepping over to double-check Fox’s backpack for school tomorrow, making sure his pencil case and water flask were packed. "And he definitely doesn't have a wizard beard."

As Force zipped the bag shut, the non-stop background chatter suddenly cut off. The sudden silence made Force pause. He turned around and saw his son staring at the foot of the bed with a deep, solemn, almost tragic frown.

Force let out a quiet sigh, finished placing the backpack by the desk, and walked back to the bed. He took the empty milk glass, set it on the nightstand, and helped his son lie down properly under the covers before stretching out himself on the mattress beside him.

Mafox rolled onto his side, clutching the blanket up to his chin and looked up at his father with big, worried eyes.

"Papa..." Fox whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "...do we not have any money left?"

Force had to bite the inside of his cheek so hard, just to keep from bursting out laughing right then and there.

"Because... is that why Phor is working so hard?" the little one continued, his voice laced with absolute, genuine panic. "Does he have to leave before the sun comes up every day because we're super poor now? Are we gonna lose the house?!"

Before Force could answer, Fox’s eyes went huge as another terrifying thought hit him.

"Wait..." Mafox gasped, sitting up slightly. "Remember when the three of us went to Vietnam for work and that fanmeeting? Did... did they not pay you, Papa?! Is that why Phor is working ten jobs at once? To earn all the money back?!"

The sheer, heart-wrenching tragedy in Fox’s tone was too much. Force had to fake a loud, violent cough into his elbow just to cover up the laughter bursting out of his chest. Fox looked utterly horrified by the idea of his parents doing free labor.

Force cleared his throat, wiped a tiny tear of amusement from his eye, and composed his face into a mask of pure seriousness. He decided to lean right into the drama.

"Well..." Force began, letting out a long, heavy sigh that practically oozed fake remorse. "Fox... do you remember asking your Phor Book to buy you all those toys online recently? The robot set, the limited-edition action figures, and the giant box of building blocks?"

Fox gave a slow, hesitant nod, his eyes widening by the second.

"Yeah," Force shook his head solemnly. "Those toys cost so much money, Fox. Your Phor's bank account is basically empty now. He's running around doing tapings non-stop just trying to pay off your toy debt."

Fox’s jaw dropped. He looked utterly stricken with guilt. "B-but... I thought Papa was going to pay for those! You said you had the big credit card!"

"Nope," Force said, keeping his voice deadpan. "You asked Phor Book, so Phor Book used his own money. Now he has to work overtime every single day."

Fox went completely silent. The weight of his apparent financial crimes crashed down on his tiny shoulders. Force watched in amusement as his son grew visibly guiltier by the second, his eyes darting around the room as if trying to figure out how to solve a national economic crisis.

Finally, Fox reached out with both hands and clutched Force’s arm tight.

"Papa," Fox whispered, his voice trembling like he was on the verge of tears. "Can we cancel the order? Can we send them all back to the store? I don't need toys! I just want Phor Book back!"

Force looked down at him, trying to keep a straight face. "All of them? Even the cool ones?"

Fox bit his lip, contemplating heavily for a few agonized seconds, warring with his own deep desires. "Can... can I keep just one? Just the bicycle?"

He looked up at Force, big tears welling up in his dark eyes. Fox had seen his parents riding a bicycle together in their Melody of Secrets series, and he had wanted to learn how to ride one too. Mostly because his parents had looked so impossibly happy and so deeply in love in those scenes, laughing in the sunlight.

Seeing the genuine, heavy tears about to spill over his son's cheeks, Force realized his joke had hit a little too well.

"Hey, hey, wait! No crying!" Force quickly sat up, pulling Fox into his chest and wrapping his arms tight around him before the waterworks started. "I'm just joking! I'm totally kidding, buddy! Look at me, I'm teasing you!"

Force confessed fast, partly because he hated seeing Fox sad, but mostly because if Book ever found out he made their son cry over a fake financial crisis, Book would enter full, terrifying "Tomato Mom" mode and Force would be exiled to sleep on the couch.

"Papa!" Fox let out a loud, furious whine, shoving his face against Force's chest and pounding his tiny fists harmlessly against Force's ribs. "You're mean! You're so mean!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Force laughed softly, pulling the blanket higher and rubbing soothing circles onto his son's back. "We're not poor, I promise. We have plenty of money. Phor Book just has a really busy shooting schedule that was locked in months ago, so he has to finish all his work now."

When Fox pulled back, still pouting with watery eyes and looking a little skeptical, Force leaned in and whispered, "Besides, I was the one who actually paid for those toys you ordered. Phor didn't lose any money."

That finally satisfied Fox. He let out a long, shuddering breath, wiping his eyes with his sleeve and settling back down into the comfortable warmth of the bed. Force pulled his son close against his side, wrapping an arm around him to settle him for sleep.

What Force intentionally kept secret was the real reason Book was pushing himself so hard to the brink of exhaustion. Book was trying to cram two full weeks' worth of filming into just five days so he could clear his entire schedule for their son's upcoming birthday. But Force kept that locked away, if he spoiled Book's big surprise, Book would definitely hit him.

"We just have to be really good boys for your Phor Phor when he comes home, okay? No throwing tantrums, no hardheaded stuff at school," Force murmured gently.

Fox nodded sleepily, his eyelids growing heavy as he snuggled closer. "Okay... but I still miss him a lot, Papa."

Force smiled fondly into the dim room. He leaned down, pressing a warm, lingering kiss on top of Fox's head. "I miss him too, buddy. So much."

At school the next day during lunchtime, Fox walked up to their classroom teacher after finishing his meal.

"Teacher, can I go to the art room?" Fox asked politely, standing on his tiptoes. "I want to borrow some big paper and lots of colors. I want to make something special for my Phor Book."

The teacher smiled warmly, touched by his sweet request. "Of course, Fox. Come on, let's go."

She led him down the hall to the bright, cheerful art room, pulling out a chair at a wide wooden table for him. Before she could walk over to the supply closet, the door suddenly burst open, and Jummo and Avocean trotted in, full of energy.

"Fox!" Jummo called out, running over. "Come play tag with us outside! Cean said he's gonna be the monster!"

Fox shook his head politely. "I can't right now, Mo. I'm doing an important project for my Phor."

Curious, both Jummo and Avocean walked over and pulled out chairs on either side of him.

"What kind of project?" Avocean asked, tilting his head with serious eyes.

"A drawing," Fox said proudly, puffing out his chest. "A super giant gift and a reward because he's working so hard and I miss him."

Jummo and Avocean exchanged a thoughtful, quiet look. Just then, the teacher returned, setting down a heavy plastic tub filled with markers, colored pencils, pastels, and fresh sheets of thick paper right in the middle of the table.

"Why don't you boys join him?" the teacher suggested with a gentle smile. "It's nice and cool in here."

"Okay!" Jummo agreed instantly, grabbing a bright orange marker. Avocean nodded, pulling a sheet of paper toward himself.

Soon, all three were deeply focused on their creations, the room filled only with the sound of markers squeaking against paper.

Tomafox drew his family, himself standing right in the middle, holding a squeeky duck wand, with his Papa and Phor leaning down from both his sides to press a soft kiss on each of his cheeks. Jummo drew his family standing together on a bright performance stage with big giant hearts above them. Avocean carefully drew his family at the top of a giant mountain, looking out over a tiny city view.

Fox leaned back to inspect his work, feeling thoroughly satisfied, before glancing over at his friends' papers.

"Honestly," Fox remarked casually, picking up a pink crayon to add small hearts around his picture, "doing art like this is really out of character for the three of us."

Jummo stopped mid-stroke, humming thoughtfully as he tapped his marker against his chin. "Yeah... usually we're running around screaming or breaking stuff." He smiled. "It's nice to do stuff like this once in a while. It's peaceful."

"Yeah," Avocean agreed, adjusting his grip on a blue crayon and carefully coloring a cloud. "It's definitely better than the three of us getting into trouble with each other and having our papas called."

A few seconds later, Jummo set his marker down with a loud, proud grin. "Done! My Dad Ju is probably gonna cry when he sees this, and my Dada Mark is gonna hug me so tight I won't be able to breathe!"

Mafox and Jummo both turned to look at Avocean, who was still hunched over his paper, his nose almost touching the table as he colored with terrifying intensity.

"You're way too focused, Cean," Jummo noted, poking Avocean's shoulder. "It's just a mountain."

"I have to take this seriously!" Avocean declared without breaking his stride, his eyes sharp. "My Papa Sea will definitely be proud no matter what I draw, but my Papa Jimmy will find any excuse to tease me about my lines. He'll say, 'Cean, is this a cloud or a potato?' I have to make sure I don't color outside the lines!"

Fox and Jummo burst out laughing, clapping their hands at Avocean's struggle.

Fox beamed, hugging the paper carefully against his chest like a treasure.

"And speaking of your Phor," Force added, starting the engine with a bright chuckle, "he called me while you were in class. He gave strict orders that I have to buy all your favorite food and get your favorite drink, and boot up your favorite animated movie on the big TV."

Fox's eyes sparkled like stars. "Really?! Phor said that?!"

"Really," Force nodded, reaching over to pat Fox's face. "Looks like someone missed his baby boy big time and wants to spend the whole evening cuddling and hanging out."

Fox nodded eagerly, looking down at his drawing with a huge, happy grin that didn't fade all the way home.

The second Force unlocked the front door of their house, his son sprinted inside without even taking off his shoes first, calling out at the top of his lungs, "Phor?!"

Force laughed at his son's impatience, kicking the door closed behind them and pointing toward their bedroom down the hall. "He's in there."

Fox dashed down the wooden hallway, his socked feet sliding slightly.

Book was crouching near the closet with his back to the door, unpacking a small duffel bag from his taping. Before he could even turn around at the sound of footsteps, Fox launched himself forward like a tiny rocket, wrapping his arms tight around Book's neck from behind.

"Phor!" Fox squealed, burying his face in Book's shoulder.

Book gasped in total surprise, quickly spinning around in a crouch to catch his son in a warm, solid embrace. "My baby boy! Oh, I missed you so much!"

Book immediately began showering Fox's entire face with frantic, loving kisses, on his forehead, his nose, both cheeks, and his chin, making the little one giggle uncontrollably and squirm in his arms.

"Did Papa get all your favorite snacks? Did you have a good day at school?" Book asked softly, his voice thick with emotion as he smoothed down Fox's clothes.

"Yes! And I have a secret to show you later! But let's go watch movies first!" Fox chirped happily.

Book chuckled, effortlessly lifting Fox up into his arms as he stood up. He carried his son out to the living room, where Force had already laid out a massive spread of delicious food, fresh juices, and had the movie selection menu pulled up on the big screen.

"Papa!" Book called out affectionately the moment he saw Force.

Still holding their son on his hip, Book walked right up to Force and leaned in to press a sweet, lingering kiss against Force's cheek.

Force immediately turned his head, planting a barrage of rapid, cute-aggression kisses all over Book’s cheek in return, until Book squealed with laughter and tried to dodge him.

"Papa! Phor! Stop it!" Fox complained from between them, wriggling his little body. "My ice cream is gonna melt if we don't sit down right now!"

Both parents burst out laughing at their son's priorities. Force grabbed Book’s free hand, gently guiding him over to the big plush couch. The three of them snuggled in close under a giant fuzzy blanket, pulling the food closer as the movie started playing.

By the time the end credits rolled on the first film, Fox was still practically vibrating with leftover energy.

"Can we watch another one? Please, Phor? Just one more!" Fox asked, turning to Book and hitting him with his ultimate weapon, his  wide, shiny, pleading eyes.

Book melted instantly, his heart turning to mush. "Alright, just one more... but only if you drink a full glass of water first. Deal?"

"Deal!" Fox immediately turned his head, looking up at Force expectantly.

Force let out a dramatic, exaggerated sigh, though the warm corner of his mouth twitched into a fond smile. "Right, right. I'll go get your water."

While Force headed into the kitchen, Book and Fox started scrolling through the movie directory on the screen. Suddenly, Force’s voice called out from the kitchen hallway. "Fox! Come here for a second!"

Fox huffed, about to complain that he was in the very important middle of picking a movie, when Book glanced down at him with a gentle, eyebrow-raised look. "Fox."

Fox instantly straightened his back. "I'm coming, Papa!"

"Good boy," Book murmured fondly, chuckling as Fox scampered off toward the kitchen.

When Fox reached his father, Force held out a crisp sheet of paper, it was Fox's drawing from earlier. "Don't forget to give this to your Phor. You worked hard on it."

Fox's eyes lit up again. "Oh! Right!"

He took the drawing, but instead of rushing right back into the living room, he paused next to Force's side. He looked down at the bright drawing, then glanced toward the coffee table loaded with all his favorite treats. A clever, sweet idea suddenly sparked in his little mind. He wanted to make tonight extra, extra special for his Phor Book.

"Papa, can I borrow your phone?" Fox whispered loudly, looking up at Force.

Force raised an eyebrow, curious. "My phone? What for?"

"It's a surprise for Phor!" Fox insisted in a hushed tone. "Please?"

Force searched his son's earnest face and decided to just trust him. "Alright. Do you remember the passcode?"

Fox nodded with absolute confidence. Force handed the device over, and Fox trotted carefully back into the living room. He knew his Papa’s passcode by heart. It was always either his birthday or his parents' anniversary.

Fox stepped right in front of where Book was sitting on the couch and proudly handed him the drawing.

Book took it, his eyes widening. A huge, radiant smile spread across his face as he looked at the picture of the three of them kissing Fox's cheeks. "Oh, sweetheart... did you draw this for me?"

Book pulled Fox into a warm, tight hug, pressing his cheek against Fox's. "This is so beautiful, baby. Look at how sweet we look! You drew the hearts so nicely. I love it so much. You're such a talented, good boy."

Fox grinned happily, his heart soaring. "I want to do one more thing!"

Holding Force's phone hidden behind his back, Fox typed in his own birthday. Click. The screen unlocked instantly. Fox glanced over his shoulder at Force, who was leaning against the kitchen doorway, watching them with a proud, gentle smile.

Fox opened the camera app. Instead of keeping it on selfie mode as expected, he secretly tapped the button to switch it to the back camera, so it was pointing directly at his Phor Book, and handed the phone over to him.

Confused, Book accepted the phone, holding it up. "Do you want me to record a video of you, Fox? Are you gonna do a dance?"

"No! Just hold it out like this! Far away!" Fox instructed, guiding Book's arm so the phone was held out at arm's length, facing Book's face.

Book assumed he was holding it in selfie mode to frame his son, wondering why Fox was being so oddly specific, but he smiled warmly and followed along anyway. Sometimes Fox had his own little quirky ways of doing things.

Fox reached up and hit the red record button.

"I would like to talk about my favorite person in the whole world," Fox spoke clearly into the lens.

Book’s eyes softened instantly, a sweet, unbelievably tender smile gracing his face as he looked toward his son.

"My favorite person is my Phor Book," Fox continued, standing tall and looking right into the camera lens. "Because my Phor Book is super, super beautiful. He's the prettiest in the world! And he's super cool, and super talented at acting. He works so, so hard every single day, even when he's tired, and he loves me so much. He always gives the best hugs and kisses."

Book’s breath hitched. A sudden wave of intense emotion washed over him, catching him completely off guard. He quickly pressed his free hand over his mouth to keep a quiet gasp from escaping, his eyes shining with sudden, overwhelming tears. He tried his absolute best to keep his arm steady, holding the phone completely still while his heart swelled to near-bursting.

"Even when Phor is super, super busy and I miss him until my heart hurts," Fox said softly, his voice echoing with pure, innocent love, "I know it's because he's working hard for our family. Even right now, Phor looks so tired... his eyes are sleepy, but he still played with me and hugged me right away. I appreciate everything my Phor does for me. He is the best Phor in the whole universe. Me and my Papa Force love you so, so much, Phor Phor. Don't be tired anymore, okay?"

By the end of Fox's speech, Book was a complete, sobbing mess. Soft, helpless sniffles bubbled out from behind his hand, tears streaming freely down his flushed cheeks, though he stubbornly refused to let his arm drop or ruin the recording.

Fox finally stepped forward, gently taking the phone from Book’s shaking hand, and turned the screen around to show him. "Look, Phor! I tricked you! I recorded you the whole time!"

Book let out a tearful laugh, pulling his beloved son into a tight, crushing hug. "You little sneaky boy..." Book cried softly, burying his face into Fox's neck, holding his son like he was the most precious thing in the world. "You little trickster..."

Fox giggled happily, keeping the phone angled with one hand so the camera captured his Phor hugging him tight, recording the beautiful moment.

Suddenly, a pair of long, strong arms wrapped around both of them from behind. Force dropped down onto his knees beside the couch, pulling his crying Bibi and laughing son tight against his chest. Book, still wiping away tear after tear, reached up with one hand to cling onto Force’s arm, burying himself deeper into the family embrace.

"I love you guys so much," Book whispered, his voice thick with heavy tears, leaning his head against Force's shoulder. "I love you both so, so much. I missed you guys so much."

Mafox finally hit the stop button on the recording, setting his papa's phone down safely on the couch cushions so he could wrap both tiny arms tightly around his Phor’s neck.

Force chuckled softly. He leaned down, pressing a long, lingering, deeply tender kiss right onto the side of Book's head, then brought his lips close to Book's ear.

"Breathe, babe," Force whispered playfully, his voice low and warm against Book's skin. "Stop crying already... I can't have you passing out from exhaustion just yet. Sure, you're all done making up with Fox for being away, but you still need to make it up to me later tonight in our bedroom."

Book let out a tearful laugh, his cheeks flushing pink as he weakly shoved Force's shoulder. "Force, shh! Fox is right here!"

"I'm just saying," Force smirked fondly, pulling both of them closer into his arms.

The following morning, soft sunlight filtered through the sheer bedroom curtains.

Force woke up early, the house still wrapped in a quiet morning stillness. He rolled over onto his side, propping his head up on his hand to watch Book sleeping contentedly beside him. Book’s breath was steady and deep, his face relaxed and peaceful without the weight of his frantic schedule on his shoulders.

Smiling to himself, Force reached over to his nightstand and picked up his phone. He opened the gallery and tapped on the video their had recorded the night before. Watching it again, listening to his son's sweet, innocent praise and seeing the raw, tearful devotion on Book's face, made Force's heart swell all over again.

He tapped the upload button.

Book had explicitly warned him not to post it, whined that he looked ugly, blotchy, and completely ridiculous while crying. But to Force, Book could never look like anything less than absolute perfection. Force felt an undeniable pride. A fierce, protective pride in showing the world just how warm and lovely their little family was. How incredibly sweet their son was growing up to be, and what an amazing, selfless partner and father Book truly was.

No matter how cruel or harsh the outside world could sometimes be toward them, Book deserved to be shown off, loved, and celebrated forever.

Once the video successfully posted, Force leaned down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss onto Book's forehead, listening to him letting out a soft, contented sigh in his sleep. Force quietly slipped out of bed, ready to start the morning.

Bookie had worked hard enough. Now, it was Force’s turn to step up and spoil both his mochi and their little boy all day long.