cake [jackson wang//jaebum]

t w o

it's tuesday, 4pm, time for jackson to pick youngjae up from daycare.

"daddy!" youngjae shrieked excitedly at the sight of his father, running into his open arms.

jackson pulled him into a bear hug and ruffled his hair before picking him up in his arm.

"did you enjoy yourself today?" jackson ask, not so much out of curiosity than just to make conversation.

"it was ok. math was hard." youngjae complained.

"it only gets harder." jackson muttered.

"can we go play at the playground?" youngjae asked.

jackson looked at his watch. they had 20 minutes before he had to run off to his next job, but he couldn't bear to say no to his son.

"just 10 minutes, mkay?" jackson said before putting his boy down and watching him waddle to the playground as fast as his tiny legs could carry him.

jackson sat on one of the benches and looked on at his son blissfully.

"hey."

jackson froze.

he'd recognise that voice anywhere. that rich, baritone voice. jaebum.

jackson turned his head, startled by their proximity.

"do you mind if I sit here?" jaebum asked.

"well, I mean, you're already sitting here." jackson said breathlessly, his heart beat ringing loudly in his ears.

jaebum laughed.

oh dear god. jackson could listen to his laugh forever.

"why are you here? it's not every day I see a cute guy sitting all alone at a playground." jaebum chuckled.

all jackson could hear was "cute".

he called me cute. he called me cute. he called me cute. he called me cute.

jackson mentally smacked himself. jaebum probably didn't mean it like a boyfriend type of cute.

but that doesn't stop jackson from feeling all fuzzy and warm inside.

just then, youngjae ran over screaming,"daddy! daddy!"

jackson's head snapped over to youngjae's voice.

"yeah buddy?" jackson said, sitting youngjae on his lap.

jackson turned red under jaebum's scrutiny, but it's not like he can deny his own son.

"that's your... son?" jaebum asked.

this is it, jackson thought.

"yeah..." jackson sighed.

"why are you picking him up from daycare? is his mum working?" jaebum cocked an eyebrow.

"no. actually, he doesn't have a mum. I mean he does. but just that she left. left not as in dead but like, abandoned us." jackson rambled on.

he was prepared for jaebum's judgmental gaze. he was used to it, after all.

every time someone finds out about this, they'll shoot jackson an obvious look of disdain. and then they'll magically fall off the face of earth, never contacting jackson again.

"he's cute." jaebum said, reaching over to ruffle youngjae's hair, much to jackson's surprise.

"who's this ahjussi?" youngjae looked up, frowning, slightly intimidated by jaebum.

"ah, he's my... friend." jackson replied.

youngjae nodded, fidgeting on jackson's lap.

jackson looked at his watch. oh crap. they've overshot their stay at the playground.

"hey I got to go. see you around?" jackson stood up, swiftly lifting youngjae into his arms.

"yeah... hey. do you want to exchange numbers?" jaebum asked.

by now, jackson wasn't sure if this was a dream. all he could do was nod dumbly.

jaebum fished his phone out of his pocket and passed it to jackson, who thumbed in his number.

"bye jackson, bye youngjae."jaebum said, waving.

jackson waved, not looking back.

peeking over his father's shoulders timidly, youngjae gave a small wave too.