ateez oneshots

diamond - seongjoong (pt 1)

"I'm sorry, but you're fired. We just don't have the space for you anymore."

Hongjoong sighed and walked out of the office with his belongings. He had just been fired from his low-paying job as a security guard.

It would have been fine had he not already been struggling with money. Or if he hadn't been living on the streets already.

Or if he didn't have a child.

His son, a 7-year-old little boy named Junyoung, was from his previous marriage. A marriage that ended in divorce because his ex-husband was abusive.

Anyways, once they got divorced, Hongjoong and Junyoung had ended up on the streets.

He managed to find a job as a security guard to just make ends meet for his son. But he was fired from that job. So now he was back at square one.

Looking at the one or two notes he had in his wallet, he sighed. It would be enough for one week. After that, he did not know.

Going back to his little 'home' in an abandoned alleyway, he smiled when he saw Junyoung. "Daddy!" he exclaimed, waving.

"Hey!" Hongjoong sat down on the thin mattress they had. He looked around at the little corner. It seemed brighter and there were more things.

When they had just been kicked out, Hongjoong only had a piece of cardboard and a pillow which he gave to Junyoung.

One cold winter day, Junyoung had caught a cold due to the lack of clothes they had. His paycheck hadn't come in but Junyoung was practically freezing, so he had to resort to stealing a lighter from the convenience store.

However, before he could steal it, a stranger offered to buy it for him, seeing as how he had 'forgotten to bring his wallet'. So that day, Hongjoong had managed to go home with a lighter for his son.

He met this kind stranger again another day in the convenience store where he was looking through the cheap blankets.

"I wouldn't buy the blankets from here if I were you."

"Yeah, me too. But I can only afford these. Beggars can't be choosers." Hongjoong explained, smiling.

The nice stranger picked up the most expensive blanket in that section. (which was like still really cheap btw but defo out of joong's budget)

He walked to the counter and quickly paid for it before giving it to Hongjoong. "Here. You can have it."

Hongjoong was shocked but took it anyway. "Thank you." He walked out of the convenience store and to the alleyway, but wasn't aware that the 'kind stranger' was trailing him.

"Daddy! Who's that behind you?" Junyoung asked. Hongjoong whipped around to see the 'kind stranger' behind him. He waved shyly and smiled, looking around.

"Did you follow me?" Hongjoong asked warily.

"Um.. yes, but I don't mean to harm you! I was just curious as to why you were buying a blanket from somewhere no one would."

Hongjoong nodded and they just stood there in awkward silence.

"So..." Hongjoong said, breaking the silence. "I live here with my son. He's 5. I have a low-paying job so I can't afford many things. Okay have you seen enough? Please leave then."

"Hi... I'm Seonghwa. You live here? Isn't it cold?" the 'kind stranger' introduced himself.

"Obviously." Hongjoong rolled his eyes. "That's why he has a cold."

Seonghwa's eyes widened as he looked at the little boy. He was scrawny and looked as if he would break at just a touch. Seonghwa bent down and took out a piece of bread that he had just purchased.