Chapter Text
Hongjoong slides his glasses off his face and pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing heavily. It was the second week in a row he’d been working from home so he could keep an eye on his daughter and it was starting to wear on him. His last babysitter up and quit, stating that the job was too hard. That his daughter was too difficult to manage and the hours were unreasonable. He knew it was coming because it was the same reason all of the previous sitters had quit, none of them lasted more than a few weeks. He had high hopes for this last one though, she’d made it almost a month before quitting.
Hongjoong knew Rami was hard to take care of, she had severe attachment issues and never listened to anyone but him. She’d spend hours crying in the morning after he left, refuse to eat food that wasn’t made by him, and throw drastic tantrums over the smallest things. She never napped and never stayed still. Well, except for right now that is, where she lays sleeping with her favorite blanket and plushie right at Hongjoong's feet under his desk. Seems her hours of running around the house this morning finally wore her out. Hongjoong was grateful for the momentary peace. He had loads of work to do and could only spend so much time chasing her around.
He glances down to ensure she’s still sleeping before turning back to his computer screen. He’d been searching the nanny services website for days, hoping to find someone willing to give him a chance. But he’d already exhausted most of his options, all of these people had worked for him before. And if they hadn’t, they had all heard about the “disaster child” at the Kim residence. Gossip apparently spreads quickly in the nannying community. He’s about to close out of the browser when his eyes land on a brand new profile, a fresh face and name he’d never seen before.
Park Seonghwa, 25, Available Now
Hongjoong had never clicked on anything so fast in his life, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for the page to load. When the site pops up he is met with a photo of the most radiant man he’s ever seen. He has long dark hair that frames his delicate jaw, big brown eyes that squint adorably at the corners, and gorgeous full lips. He has to put his glasses back on and blink a few times to make sure what he’s seeing is real. He scrolls the profile and it just keeps getting better. Seonghwa has a degree in child development and is actively working towards a teaching degree. All of his reviews are flawless and he’s available as soon as tomorrow. His fingers scramble to open the message tab and send a request to meet right away. He can’t let this man slip through his fingers. He types out a message, hoping he doesn’t sound too desperate.
Hi Seonghwa,
My name is Kim Hongjoong and I am looking for a babysitter to watch my daughter during the days while I work. Her name is Rami and she is three years old. She loves books, playing hide and seek, and playing with her toys. But I have to admit, she is a bit of a handful. She is very attached to me and doesn’t warm up to people very easily. I don’t say this to scare you off, but I think it’s only fair to warn you in advance.
That being said, I’d love to meet with you and have you get to know Rami. Are you available tomorrow? Whatever time works best for you.
I look forward to hearing from you,
Kim Hongjoong
Hongjoong anxiously monitors his emails for the rest of the day, hoping and praying that he will hear back from Seonghwa. He checks his phone constantly as he makes dinner (ramen… again), bathes Rami, and puts her to sleep. It’s only once he’s finally settled into his own bed, ready to sleep, that his phone pings on his nightstand. He groans and rolls over to grab it, expecting another email from work. He’s pleasantly surprised when he sees, “ Park Seonghwa has replied to your message. Click to view.”
He frantically unlocks his phone and opens the email.
Hello Mr. Kim!
Sorry for the late night message. I would love to come meet both you and little Rami tomorrow. She sounds like an absolute sweetheart.
I can come by around noon, just shoot me your address!
See you tomorrow,
Park Seonghwa
Hongjoong quickly replies with his address and confirms the meeting time. He holds his phone to his chest like a teenage girl who just texted their crush and lets out a sigh of relief. Everything was going to work out just fine.
—----------------------------------------
The following day Hongjoong takes it upon himself to take a full day off of work just to prepare for the occasion. He spends all morning tidying the large house, even making Rami assist him in cleaning her toy room, even though he’s fairly certain Seonghwa won’t go in there. He dresses her in a butter yellow shirt and pale blue corduroy overalls with an embroidered teddy bear on the chest pocket. He makes his best attempt to put some matching bows in her hair to tame her bedhead. He can’t help but laugh and how much she takes after him in that aspect. Once she’s ready he sets her in front of the TV in his room with a sippy cup and her favorite show so he can get himself ready. He takes more time than he’d like to admit, shaving his face clean and meticulously styling his greying hair. He spends ages in his massive closet deciding what to wear. He decides on a grey pullover sweater with a white collared shirt underneath and sleek black slacks, accessorized by an array of silver rings that match his favorite Richard Mille watch. He checks the clock to see that it’s 11:55 AM and gives himself one more look in the mirror and adjusts his glasses before scooping up Rami and heading downstairs.
He sets her up at the kitchen table with a coloring book and some crayons, hoping this will keep her occupied long enough to allow him time to greet Seonghwa. Right as the clock hit noon a light knock hits the door followed by the sound of the doorbell. Before Seonghwa can remove his finger from the button Hongjoong is already opening the door. He’s hit in the face with the warm inviting smell of coffee and vanilla. Seonghwa looks like an angel in his fluffy white sweater and light wash jeans. The sun beaming in from outside practically creates a halo effect around his head. Seonghwa is struck by how handsome the older man is. He’s a bit shorter than him, but the energy he carries makes him seem six feet tall. They both speak at the same time, “Sorry-” “Welco-” accidentally cut each other off. They laugh lightly at the mix-up and Hongjoong nervously twists one of the rings on his finger. “Sorry, you first.” He chuckles.
Seonghwa tugs at the bottom of his sweater and rambles a bit, “Sorry, for knocking and ringing the doorbell. I promise I’m not impatient! I just wasn’t sure if you would hear the knock because your house is really big, so I rang the doorbell. But then you answered right away and… yeah. Sorry.” He smiles sheepishly and tucks a strand of hair behind his ear. “Oh, no you’re completely fine! I was pretty much waiting by the door for you to get here anyways.” Very smooth Hongjoong, he thinks, mentally kicking himself in the butt. He’s surprised when Seonghwa lets out a melodic laugh that fills the air with light, easing his anxiety. “It seems we’re both equally excited to meet each other then. May I come in?”
Hongjoong immediately moves to the side, making room for Seonghwa to enter. “Oh yes! Of course! Please come in! I’m so sorry.” Seonghwa enters the large home, his eyes wandering over the high ceilings, decorated with shimmering chandeliers. The sleek marble floors are shiny like they’ve just been polished. He’s never been in such a grand home before. “You have such a beautiful home, Mr. Kim.” He compliments, slipping his shoes off and placing them next to the others by the door. “Oh. Thank you very much. It’s a bit too big for just me and Rami, but it does the job.” Hongjoong says with a half-smile. Seonghwa nods slowly, taking in the information that Hongjoong is in fact a single dad like he suspected.
“Can I get you anything to drink before we start?” Hongjoong asks, leading Seonghwa towards the living room. “Water would be great, thank you.” He replies. Hongjoong nods, “Make yourself comfortable, I’ll be right back.” Seonghwa picks a spot on the plush white microfiber couch and bounces a couple times on the cushion, surprised at how soft it is. He hears tiny footsteps approaching before a curious tiny human appears right in front him, sippy cup full of juice in hand. “Oh hi sweetie.” Seonghwa says with a sweet smile. “You must be Rami.” Rami looks like a deer caught in the headlights as she chews on the rubber of her cup. Seonghwa relaxes his shoulders and slides off of the couch to his knees to meet her at her level. “I’m Seonghwa. I think we’re gonna be really good friends.” “Hwa-Hwa?” Rami mumbles and gives him an unsure look. Seonghwa smiles and nods. “Mhm.” He notices the crayons shoved in the front pocket of her overalls and fakes a gasp, pulling one out. “Have you been coloring? That’s so fun!” She nods and points at the crayon. “Yellow.” Seonghwa nods “That’s right, that is yellow.” He places it back in her pocket before pulling out another one. “How about this one?”
Before Rami can respond Hongjoong enters the living room with a glass of water and sets it down on the coffee table. “Are you some kind of child whisperer?” Seonghwa looks up at him from his place on the floor and smiles. “What do you mean?” Hongjoong sits on the couch and Rami crawls into his lap right away. “I’ve never in my life seen her approach an adult like that. It’s like pulling teeth to get her to speak to anyone new.” Seonghwa rises from his knees and joins the two of them on the couch. “I didn’t do anything special. We were just talking about colors, huh Rami?” Rami nods and buries her face in Hongjoong’s chest. He chuckles and cradles her head with his hand, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head. “Ah don’t be shy now, sweetie. Seonghwa is our new friend.”
“It’s okay. She’ll warm up with time I’m sure.” Seonghwa says confidently. “That is of course if you’ll have me.” Hongjoong nods, “We’d love to have you. I mean, do you have any questions? Or, I guess I should be the one asking questions. This is an interview. I’m not very good at this, am I?” He chuckles softly. Seonghwa shakes his head, “You’re doing great. I do have a couple questions of course. Hours, pay, and if you plan on putting Rami into preschool anytime soon. She is about that age, and I want to know how that would affect my hours.”
“Of course, those are valid questions.” Hongjoong smiles. “It would be 7AM to 5PM daily. I leave here around 7:30 so I’d like to have you here a bit earlier than that. I try my best to be home by 5 if I can help it, but I do end up working late nights on occasion. I will always try my best to give a heads up if that’s going to happen though. Of course I’d pay you well for the extra hours.” Seonghwa nods and Hongjoong continues. “As far as pay goes, I’m always open to negotiation. I know Rami isn’t the easiest kiddo in the world. So I’m willing to pay just about anything.” Seonghwa tilts his head, “Anything?” He expects $30, maybe $40 an hour. That’s on the high end of the pay scale for a nanny, especially of just one child. Hongjoong nods, “How does… $100 an hour sound?” He holds his breath, hoping that will be enough. Seonghwa sputters and waves his hands in front of his face. “No no no. That’s way too much! I could never ask that of you.”
Hongjoong laughs and shrugs, “That’s what I was paying my last nanny. She swore it was the price it would cost to keep her.” Seonghwa’s eyes practically bulge out of his head. “That’s insane Mr. Kim. Excuse me if I’m out of line but she was definitely scamming you.” Hongjoong admires Seonghwa’s honesty, it’s refreshing. “Well, the pay is $100 an hour, take it or leave it.” He says with an earnest smile. Seonghwa sighs and shrugs, “If you’re crazy enough to pay that much, then okay. Who am I to say no?”
“Perfect.” Hongjoong smiles proudly. “And in regards to preschool, I won’t lie, I haven’t thought much about it. She’s such a shy and stubborn thing. The thought of sending her to a whole new place with all new people scares me. But she’ll be four in the summer, right in time for school to start in the fall. So we can revisit that when it gets closer if that’s okay?” Seonghwa nods and gives a sympathetic smile, “Of course it’s okay. I was mostly just curious. I’m sure she’d do great though.” Hongjoong smiles back “Thank you.” A comfortable silence falls between the two of them for a while. “So… When would you like me to start?” Seonghwa asks, taking a sip of his water. “Tomorrow if possible. I really need to get back to the office. Even CEO’s get behind on their work, and trying to work from home with this little one attached to me hasn’t been the easiest task.” “Tomorrow it is then.” Seonghwa says, rising from his seat. “I’ll see you both tomorrow at 7AM.” He bows slightly. “It was nice to meet you Mr. Kim.” He leans in and takes Rami’s small hand in his and shakes it. “It was very nice to meet you too Miss Rami.”
Hongjoong sees him out and as soon as the door shuts he’s practically jumping for joy. “We did it, Rami! We found you a new babysitter.” Rami wiggles out of his arms and points at the door. “Is Hwa-Hwa coming back?” Hongjoong nods. “Yes. He’ll be back tomorrow.” Hongjoong makes a mental note to make sure to wake up extra early to ensure he’s fully ready by the time Seonghwa gets there the next morning. He can’t stand the thought of embarrassing himself in front of the younger man.
—--------------------------------------
The next morning Seonghwa arrives promptly at 7AM with his big nanny bag slung over his shoulder. He rings the doorbell and is met with no answer. He attempts to peek through the frosted glass of the front door to see if anyone is coming, but there doesn’t seem to be a single soul moving about in the house. He rings the doorbell again after two minutes and can see the fuzzy outline of tiny hands attempting to unlock and open the heavy door. “Papa! Papa!” He can hear Rami shout from the other side of the door. “Open the door!” Seonghwa laughs when he sees her press her nose to the glass, trying to see who’s on the other side.
Seonghwa can hear heavy footsteps barreling down the stairs, “I’m coming!” He hears Hongjoong yell frantically. He opens the door and Seonghwa can’t help but giggle when he sees the two of them, still in their pajamas, with matching unruly nests of hair on top of their head. “Oh God. I’m so sorry, Seonghwa. I swear I set alarms! This won’t be a regular thing that happens.” Hongjoong runs his hands through his hair in an attempt to smooth it down, revealing a sliver of his stomach from under his white t-shirt. His grey sweatpants hang low on his hips and Seonghwa has to forcibly peel his eyes away from the man’s torso to respond. “You’re totally fine. It looks like you guys slept well.” He says, reaching down to ruffle Rami’s hair. Hongjoong seems surprised when she lets him. “Papa was snoring!” She giggles. “Like a bear!”
Hongjoong’s cheeks flush and he laughs nervously. “Ah come on, it’s not that bad.” He can’t believe his own kid just outed him like that. Maybe leaving her alone with the pretty new babysitter wasn’t a good idea, who knows what other secrets of his she might spill? “I’m sure it’s not nearly as loud as a bear. But that’s a good imagination!” Says Seonghwa with a smile. Rami tugs on Seonghwa’s pants leg. “Papa said you make pancakes for me.” Seonghwa raises an eyebrow. “Is that so? Well then we better get right on that, shouldn’t we? Can you show me the kitchen?” Rami races off and Seonghwa follows behind her. “I never said that!” Hongjoong hollers after them, sighing and rubbing his eyes under his glasses. “Nice one…” He mumbles to himself before trudging back up the stairs to get ready for his day.
It’s not long before the smell of hot pancakes and fresh coffee fills the home. Hongjoong's stomach growls the whole time he’s getting ready. He doesn’t typically eat breakfast, opting for a to-go cup of coffee to fuel him until lunch time. But the food smells way too good, he’s hoping Seonghwa made enough for him to have some. He finishes dressing and dabs on his cologne before making his way downstairs to the kitchen. He stops in the doorway to the kitchen and has to just stare for a moment. Seonghwa looks absolutely adorable with his hair tied back in a little ponytail at the base of his neck, his sleeves rolled up and an apron tied tight around his waist. His incredibly… tiny… waist. His oversized sweaters have done a great job of hiding it up until this point. Hongjoong wonders just how far he could wrap his hands around it. What Seonghwa’s golden skin would feel like under his touch.
“Mr. Kim?” Seonghwa tilts his head, “Can you hear me?” Hongjoong blinks a few times and swallows hard, trying not to let it show on his face where his thoughts were going. “I’m sorry, what?” He says, faking a smile. “I asked if you’re hungry.” Seonghwa holds out a plate of warm pancakes with fresh cut fruit and hot cup of coffee. “If you have time, you should really eat.” Hongjoong glances from the plate to Seonghwa’s sweet face. He doesn’t care if it will make him late, he’s staying for breakfast. “Papa sit by me!” Rami says with a mouthful of pancake. Hongjoong chuckles and sits at the table next to her and Seonghwa places the plate and mug in front of him before taking his own spot across the table.
“Rami kinda told on you.” Seonghwa says with a shy smile. “She said you never eat breakfast, just coffee. I asked about dinner and she told me “Papa likes restaurants and ramen.” Is that true?” Hongjoong smiles sheepishly and rubs the back of his neck. “Ah… Bad habit I know. But I always make sure she at least eats well. She’s the one that’s still growing.” “Hmm… Sounds like I will be taking it upon myself to babysit the both of you.” Seonghwa teases. Hongjoong chokes a bit on his coffee, using his napkin to wipe his face. “You don’t need to worry about me, that’s very sweet of you though.” Seonghwa shrugs, “It’s no skin off my nose. I enjoy cooking. So if you’ll let me, I’d love to cook for you both on the evenings that I’m here.”
Hongjoong sees the sincere look on Seonghwa’s face and folds, who is he to say no to that? “Ah why not? Let the housekeeper know what you’d like to make and she’ll make sure to stock the fridge with any ingredients you’ll need.” “Perfect. When you have the time you should write me a list of meals you like and I’ll make them.” Seonghwa says, sipping his coffee. Hongjoong can’t help but stare again. How did he get so lucky? Did Seonghwa literally fall from heaven? He’s never met someone so ethereal before, so kind, so.. “Perfect.” Hongjoong says with a smile.
The three of them finish their breakfast and Hongjoong takes a deep breath before going to say goodbye to Rami, bracing himself for the atomic meltdown she’ll have as soon as he leaves. “Well sweetie, it’s time for Papa to go to work okay? But I’ll be back very soon. I promise.” He gives her a kiss on the head and grabs his briefcase. She’s far too invested in “helping” Seonghwa with the dishes to care. “Okay Papa. Bye bye.” She says, not even giving him a second look. “Bye bye? Just like that?” He looks at Seonghwa, confused. “We’ll be alright here.” Seonghwa says with a smile, handing Rami another plate to set in the drying rack. “Okay… Well… If you need anything, all of my numbers are on the fridge. Please don’t hesitate to call me.” Seonghwa gives him a thumbs up. “Will do. Have a good day at work Mr. Kim.” “Thanks, uh, you too.” Hongjoong says before turning on his heel and heading out the door.
All day Hongjoong waits by his phone, expecting a call from Seonghwa with Rami on the other end demanding to talk to him. But it never comes. He has half a mind to call them during his lunch just to double check, but he ultimately decides that no news is good news. His work day goes smoothly and he’s able to catch up on a lot of what he’s missed over the last two weeks. In reality he could have stayed all night, but he didn’t want to be away from Rami for that long. That, and he had the promise of a home cooked meal made by a literal angel waiting for him at home.
When he arrives home he can already smell the delicious scent of dinner wafting through the house. The place is still pristinely clean, there’s no crying to be heard, or Rami waiting at the door with her blankie to attach herself to him the second he steps inside. “Hello? Everybody alive?” He peeks his head into the kitchen and sees both Seonghwa and Rami plating up food together. They’re too engrossed in their activity to notice that Hongjoong is home. “Be careful not to touch this part, okay? It’s hot and will burn you.” Seonghwa says softly, moving the pan just out of Rami’s reach.
Hongjoong can’t help but think about how domestic it all is. It feels like coming home to a spouse. Something about Seonghwa is so warm and inviting. Even Rami cozied up to him so easily. His mind starts to wander, imagining coming home and Rami jumping into his arms with Seonghwa trailing behind her, welcoming him home with a kiss. The three of them eating dinner together, cuddling up on the couch or in his big bed and watching a movie. He shakes the thought from his mind quickly though. There’s no way Seonghwa would be interested in an old single man like him. Surely he has a girlfriend, there’s no way he doesn’t. He’s here to do a job, not find a life partner. He’s so young and his employee. It’s completely out of the question.
Hongjoong clears his throat and the two in the kitchen turn to face him. “Papa! Papa! Hwa-Hwa made dinner and I helped!” Hongjoong cracks a big smile and scoops Rami up off the counter. “You did? You’re such a big girl! Did you have fun today?” Rami nods and starts to ramble toddler nonsense about everything they did that day. Seonghwa gives the two of them time together and sets the plates up at the table. Once they join him in the dining room Rami happily takes her own seat, when usually she’d prefer to sit right on Hongjoong’s lap after having him gone all day.
Hongjoong looks out over the array of food set in front of them. Kimchi-jjigae, cucumber salad, and a steaming mountain of rice. “It smells incredible, Seonghwa. Thank you so much.” Rami gives him an adorably stern look. “Ah yes. And thank you too, bug. You guys did a great job.” Rami is satisfied with this and beams. “Sorry it’s not much. There weren't very many ingredients in the fridge. But I pulled together what I could.” “It’s perfect, really. I can’t thank you enough.” Hongjoong notices a lack of a plate for Seonghwa and frowns. “You won’t be joining us?” Seonghwa puts his hands in front of his chest and waves them dismissively. “Oh no no. I don’t want to intrude or take up any more of your time.” Hongjoong stands and goes to grab another plate from the kitchen. “Nonsense. You should be able to enjoy the meal you made. Please, sit.”
Seonghwa isn’t really in a position to say no, this is his boss he’s talking to right now. He takes his seat across from Hongjoong and waits until they’ve both gotten their share of food before taking any for himself. His gaze lingers on Hongjoong for a moment while he watches him roll up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt before digging in. This is the first time all day he’s really gotten a good look at his face. He’s very handsome for a man his age, with streaks of grey in his dark hair, glasses that frame his face perfectly, long wispy eyelashes. Even the slight wrinkle in his forehead suits him well. Surely he must have a girlfriend, there’s no way he doesn’t.
They eat dinner in relative silence, that is save for Rami’s insistence on singing the chorus of “APT” over and over while she messily eats her dinner. Hongjoong catches Seonghwa’s attention and lifts his hand to the side of his mouth so Rami can’t see what he’s saying. He mouths “I hate this song.” Which earns a laugh from Seonghwa, an adorable laugh, complete with squinty eyes and his white teeth on full display. Seonghwa nods and mouths, “Me too.” Which earns a chuckle from Hongjoong. The two of them hold lingering eye contact for a few moments before finally looking back to their food and finishing their meals.
After dinner Hongjoong insists on helping Seonghwa with the dishes, citing that “He cooked, so it’s only fair that he does the dishes.” Seonghwa meets him halfway and agrees to dry if Hongjoong washes. They work together in comfortable silence, their elbows brushing every so often with quiet “sorry”s being mumbled between them. Once they’re done Seonghwa removes his apron and hangs it back up on the wall. “Well, I should probably let you two enjoy the rest of your evening.” “You’ll be back again tomorrow though, right?” Hongjoong says, hoping he doesn’t sound as desperate as he feels. Seonghwa cracks a smile and nods. “Mhm. Bright and early.” Hongjoong sighs out a breath of relief and smiles back. “Great. I look forward to seeing you.”
Seonghwa’s mind stalls for a moment at that statement. “I” look forward to seeing you. Not Rami, him. He has to get himself out of there before his heart beats out of his chest. “Have a goodnight Mr. Kim.” Seonghwa says quickly before bowing slightly and gathering his things. When he makes it to his car he has to take a few deep breaths before pulling out of the large driveway. He cannot fall for Mr. Kim.
Hongjoong rubs his hands over his face exhaustively and goes to find Rami. She’s in the living room with her blanket, already asleep curled up on the couch. He scoops her up and heads to put her in her own bed. The movement wakes her up and she says groggily, “Papa?” “Yes, sweetpea?” She yawns and curls up with her plushie. “You like Hwa-Hwa?” Hongjoong chuckles softly and pets her head. “Yeah I do. But you can’t tell him okay? It’s a secret.” Rami nods sleepily and closes her eyes. Hongjoong gives her a kiss on the forehead before turning on her nightlight and heading to his own room, leaving the door cracked just a little bit in case Rami wakes up in the middle of the night.
Once he’s settled in his own bed he can hardly sleep. Visions of Seonghwa replay in his mind. He knows it isn’t appropriate given their circumstances, but he can’t help it. He’s drawn to the younger man like a magnet. He closes his eyes and tries to drift off. Maybe, hopefully, he can see Seonghwa in his dreams too.