Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

To say he needed a drink was an understatement.

The day had comprised committing detailed audits of various partner accounts. This task was left on Yeosang’s desk after he left for the night the day prior. He came in this morning to the files, and the instant headache it brought on was a tall tale sign of how his day was going to turn out. Granted, he was an accountant, he got his degree because he enjoyed dealing with numbers. However, there were moments like this where he debated on why he chose this career path.

One account was giving him a hard time, too many discrepancies that were going to make his eyes bulge out of their sockets if he stared at the screen any longer. He messaged Mingi to come up and help him sort it all out; he needed a fresh pair of eyes to go through the files with him. The pair worked through lunch as they painstakingly went through the files. By the time five o’clock rolled around, Yeosang was ready to call it a day. He and Mingi had successfully completed two of the most difficult files. He was saving the other two for tomorrow; his head hurt way too much to start them now.

“Thanks again for your help,” Yeosang thanked Mingi as they stepped into the elevator.

Mingi huffed out a laugh and pressed the button for the garage; “Yeah, yeah, no problem. It felt like your office was about to explode with how tense you were.”

Yeosang rested his head against the elevator wall, the humming of the machinery a background noise to his anticipation, as he watched the number display count down. “Hongjoong texted me saying he had a surprise waiting on my desk.” He finished by rolling his eyes.

That made Mingi laugh. “Some surprise, huh?”

“Surprise my ass,” Yeosang grumbled, earning him an amused laugh from his friend. “Remind me to tell Hongjoong he owes me a drink.” As a matter of fact, Yeosang pulled his phone out and sent that exact text to him. While many would advise against sending that to your supervisor, Yeosang’s history with Hongjoong stretches back years, predating Hongjoong’s founding of NO1. He liked to think he had some leeway in how he interacted with the man. And Hongjoong confirmed that thought by sending a laughing crying emoji to Yeosang’s text. That made the man roll his eyes again, and stash his cell phone back into his pocket, not bothering with responding to his reaction.

Mingi said, “You owe me dinner for helping you,” and his tone didn’t have any real seriousness or venom. “I’m always here to help you anyways,” he finished with a casual wave.

“I’ll buy you dinner, just name a day and time. You can even bring Yunho along if you’d like. I’ll ask San and Wooyoung if they’d like to join.”

“Hell,” Mingi added, “ask Hongjoong and Seonghwa while you’re at it. The more the merrier, right?”

“Yeah, sure, we’ll see.”

The elevator came to a stop with a satisfying ding! The pair stepped out into the company garage; there were still a decent amount of cars in the garage, most of the workers stayed late to finish reports and projects. Yeosang was a usual culprit with staying after hours. A few times he ended up sleeping in his office when it got too late, and he didn’t like pushing his luck with being exhausted and attempting to drive home. Hongjoong had a couch placed in Yeosang’s office for such occasions.

“You better not have used the company card for that.” Yeosang chided the young CEO.

Hongjoong merely smirked and gave a shrug, “It’s for the company building, it’s considered a work expense.”

Yeosang never told Hongjoong how grateful he was for that couch; he didn’t want to give the man that kind of satisfaction.

“Get home safe, Sangie,” Mingi called out to him, giving a small wave as he got into his care.

Yeosang waved back and quickly got into his vehicle. Once the door shut, he took a minute to gather himself, eyes closing as he rubbed his temples to alleviate the ever persistent headache. He still needed to decide what he was going to do for dinner. Deciding to figure that out on the way home, Yeosang switched on the ignition and started the journey back home.

Home was a nice, cozy two bedroom residence that was nestled in a quiet neighborhood just outside the city. Yeosang was able to snag it for a good price, and the location was a convenient distance from the office. His neighbors were nice enough, everyone pretty much kept to themselves which Yeosang did prefer. It also helped that most of the guys lived within twenty minutes from him. When he initially purchased the property the entire home was painted in a boring white and grayscale. It made the residence feel cold and uninviting. He spent months repainting the walls, buying cozy furniture, hung up art and photos on the walls and plants. Lots of plants, courtesy of Seonghwa. Yeosang was not a plant person at first, granted he sort of still isn’t, but he has grown rather attached to the plants that Seonghwa gifted him. It was a home that Yeosang felt proud of, a home that brought him comfort and peace after long days at the office.

Yeosang toed off his shoes, then placed his bag and coat on the bench near the front door. He immediately went into the kitchen to browse through the refrigerator. There was leftover doenjang jigae from the night before, as well as some rice that he had put away. Guess that will be his dinner. Yeosang pulled out chicken and started pulling together the ingredients for a quick marinate. He was in the middle of cooking dinner when his phone lit up with a call.

Strange.

It was almost seven, phone calls weren’t necessarily rare at this time, but he also wasn’t used to getting any. Especially, if it wasn’t from one of the guys. And when he looked at the caller I.D. it was definitely not one of the guys. Yeosang’s brow pinched together as he stared down at the unknown number. Against his better judgement, he answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Hello, is this Kang Yeosang?”

The formal tone in the voice is what caught Yeosang’s attention. For a moment he thought it was some kind of telemarketer and had the urge to hang up. However, a voice in his head told him this was not that. “Yes, this he.”

“Hello, my name is Kim Namjoon, I am a caseworker with CPS. I am calling because you were listed as a potential support for one of my cases.”

Yeosang froze. CPS? What the hell? “I-I’m sorry, what—can you repeat that?”

“Are you familiar with Park Jiyeon? She had you listed down as a cousin, is that correct?”

“I-," Yeosang stuttered as he quickly turned off the stove and walked into the living room, needing to move his body somehow. “I’m sorry, Jiyeon gave you my number… wait, I mean, yeah we are cousins…distant cousins, I guess. Why are you calling me? And why did she give you my number?”

“I know this is very sudden and confusing. Jiyeon-ssi currently has an open case with CPS regarding her daughter, Daeun. As part of our intake process, we gather information on family members and fictive kins that could be utilized as support and potential permanency options for the child, or children, in care. She listed you down with a phone number, but no address.”

“Okay,” Yeosang paused, waiting to see if Namjoon was going to say anything, but continued. “Why are you calling me?”

“We are needing a new placement for her child, Daeun.”

Wait, that means…

“I can’t give you too many details. Only that her previous placement is no longer able to care for her.”

Yeosang’s mind was drawing blank. He was desperately trying to pull his clouded mind together to piece some kind of statement. “So…so you need someone to take her in?”

“Yes, we need a new placement. I’ve already contacted the other individuals on the list, unfortunately, they aren’t able to take her in.” There was a hint of frustration that ticked Namjoon’s voice at the end of that statement. “You’re the last person on the list for me to contact.”

“O-okay, uhm,” Yeosang was at a loss for words. This was not what he was expecting on a Wednesday night. Also, Jiyeon has an open case with CPS? What the hell happened? “I’m sorry, I just don’t—”

“No, please don’t apologize. I understand all of this is very overwhelming. Let me try and make this phone call as focused as possible. I need you to clarify for me, how do you know Park Jiyeon?”

“Yes, she’s a cousin…distant cousin more like.”

A small hum from the other end. “When was the last time you had contact with her? Whether it was in person, or through a phone call?”

Yeosang took a seat on his couch, frantically running through his memories in order to answer Namjoon. It has been a minute since he’s seen her. “I would say the last time I saw her was at least two years ago. Definitely before she had her kid. Last time she texted me was probably almost a year ago. It wasn’t anything big or noteworthy.”

“I know these next questions may be a bit personal, but I need to ask them. Do you have any children, Yeosang-ssi?”

“Uh,” Yeosang blanked for a second. “No, I don’t.”

“How many bedrooms do you have?”

“Two, technically.”

“Do you live alone?”

“Yes.”

“I know all of this is sudden and I do apologize for springing this onto so suddenly, but would you be willing to be Daeun’s new placement? She’s 18 months old, turned one back in April. She does receive early intervention services with developmental therapy and speech therapy. But, she’s a healthy child and has been progressing very well.”

A new placement. A new placement for a young child that he has never met. And wait, she was receiving services? Developmental and speech therapy? What on earth happened to this kid? “I’ve never met the kid before, I don’t know if that makes any difference. To be honest, I didn't even know that Jiyeon had a child.”

“No, that doesn’t effect any of this. Of course, our first choice would be to place the child with someone that she has met before or has some form of bond with, but extended family and fictive kin are our next best choice.”

What the fuck was he supposed to do? He was in no way prepared to take care of a kid. The spare bedroom was currently set up as his home office and extra storage. The home is not baby proofed at all (though that could be fixed within a day). He works long hours at the office, his schedule can sometimes be inconsistent which meant he would have to find adequate daycare and a potential babysitter for when he’s working late hours (he could probably talk with Hongjoong about working from home most days, when needed). Also, the kid has no idea who he is and there were concerns regarding her developmental growth that requires therapy. Would it be too much for him to handle? “I’m sorry, I don’t know if you can tell me but why does she receive therapy? Have there been issues with her health?

“I can’t give you the full details now. Daeun had some health issues at birth and there has been some delays in her developmental progress, as well as her speech skills. She’s been receiving her services for about a year now. It’ll be revisited once she turns three to see if there are any other recommendations in terms of additional services. But, as I said before, she has made great progress. If this is something that you can do, I can get you a copy of her entire medical file for you to keep.”

Holy shit. This was actually real. Was he actually going to agree to this? “If I were to say no,” Yeosang paused, he could feel how tense the air felt between them even through the phone. “What would happen to her? Where would she go?”

There was a sharp inhale, a sign of Namjoon trying to keep himself focused. “We contact our licensed foster homes to see if any of them can take her. And keep trying until we find someone.”

There was finality in Namjoon’s voice that made Yeosang’s stomach twist. He had just heard from the man that some of Daeun’s only family members —his family members— refused to take her in. For reasons he doesn’t know. But they essentially turned their back on this poor kid. And he can’t imagine trying to convince other total strangers to take in an almost two year old who requires therapeutic services was an easy task. But, it really can’t be that bad right? It wasn’t like she was an infant, she just turned one back in April. She is already in the toddler stage, which was its own chaotic mess.

But the kid needed someone to step up. So, how could he say no?

This was probably a bad idea, but what other choice did he have? He could say no, he had every right to not accept this. But then he would be living with that guilt for the rest of his life. Yesoang’s eyes pinched closed, his head hanging low as he finally gave Namjoon his answer. “Okay, I’ll take her in.”

There was a brief pause on the other end, then a quick huff, “Thank you, Yeosang-ssi.” The relief in Namjoon’s tone was too apparent, Yeosang couldn’t help the way his eyebrows raised when he heard it. “I know this is very much not how you thought your night was going to turn out.”

He huffed out a quiet laugh, “You have no idea.”

“Do you have time tomorrow for me to visit your home? It is standard for me to conduct a home safety check before Daeun can be placed with you.”

Holy shit. This was actually happening. “Y-yes, yes, that’s fine. I’m usually home by 6.”

“That works for me. I’ll bring you her medical files tomorrow. I’m sure you have a lot of questions and I can answer them all tomorrow. I don’t want to keep you on the phone too long. Do you also consent for me to run a background check?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“I’ll also need you to get fingerprinted at our office tomorrow, will you be able to do that?”

Yeosang felt like he just got a bad case of whiplash. “Y-yes, I can go during my lunch if that works.”

“That’s perfect. It shouldn’t take too long, I’ll leave your information with our office and they’ll get it done for you tomorrow.”

Namjoon then asked for Yeosang’s address which he gave in a rather robotic voice, his body still too shocked that he actually agreed to this. The two men confirmed their meeting for 6 and, after exchanging goodbyes, the line finally went quiet. And Yeosang was left to simmer in that familiar peaceful silence of his home. That silence would probably be gone within a few days. He glanced around the space, imagining a little one year old running around. It was going to be very different now. He was about to be a foster parent. He was going to have a kid in his care for who knows how long.

Oh god, he’s gonna be a dad essentially.

Yeosang pulled his phone out and opened up the group chat with the others, then typed out, ‘Guys, I think I have a kid now.’

—

To say that randomly texting a group chat of seven other guys that he had a kid now was probably not the best thing to do in hindsight. The entire chat blew up with understandable confusion. Wooyoung managed to call Yeosang five times in less than a minute before he was able to answer the call.

“I’m sorry! You have a WHAT now?!”

Needless to say, Yeosang found himself on a facetime with all seven of them, and he reiterated what he could remember from that conversation with Namjoon. After hearing the explanation, alot of the panic and confusion immediately disipated. No, it wasn’t the case of Yeosang being confronted with the fact that he had fathered a child that he didn’t know about. No, it was just a foster case. That was very different.

“You don’t just text us that you have a kid like that, Sangie! What the hell, I almost had a heart attack!”, Yunho’s dramatics only made Yeosang roll his eyes.

“But it’s also pretty cool that you’re doing this,” Jongho had been quiet for much of the conversation, allowing Yeosang the time to explain everything without interrupting. “It seems like it would’ve been hell for the caseworker to find her a home to go to.”

“Yeah.” Yeosang had completely abandoned his cooking his dinner. He ended up putting away the cooked chicken in the refrigerator. He was now settled in his bed with his back resting against the headboard, phone still in his hand as he stared at the screen. “You guys think I made a stupid decision.”

There was a unanimous 'No' from every single individual on that call. That made his lips twitch at the sides.

“Obviously, its a sudden and big change,” Seonghwa comforted. He and Hongjoong were sitting next to each other with Hongjoong’s head resting against Seonghwa’s shoulder as they shared a screen. “It’s okay to feel nervous and like you made a mistake. But you have us and others who are willing to help you.”

“You guys will?”

Wooyoung exhaled a sharp scoff, “What kind of question is that?” He brought the phone closer to his face as he stared at Yeosang through the screen, appearing thoroughly offended that Yeosang would even consider such a question. Out of all of them, Yeosang knew that Wooyoung and San would be the first ones to jump up to help him. “Of course we are going to help you, are you kidding? I can’t wait to meet her, she sounds adorable!”

“You just love kids.” Jongho countered back lightly.

“Because they’re adorable.”

That made Yeosang realize that he doesn’t even know what the kid —Daeun— looked like. He didn’t know anything about the case, granted he was pretty sure Namjoon would give him the rundown during their visit tomorrow. Still, in just a matter of days he was going to have a kid living with him and he didn’t know what she looked like. Was she friendly or shy? Did she have a favorite animal, favorite snack? He was at a loss with everything. Should he text Namjoon all of these questions?

No.

It was almost ten o’clock at night, surely the caseworker was already stressed as it was, he probably was already asleep by now. He could just ask him tomorrow.

“--Sang?”

“Yeosang.”

He shook himself out of his thoughts, realizing that they had been trying to talk to him this entire time. “Sorry, must have spaced out.”

“You know we should let you go. Get some sleep.” Hongjoong commented.

“Don’t think I’ll be getting much sleep, but we’ll see.”

The group said their goodbyes and then the call was ended.

Sleep did not come for Yeosang. He laid there on his bed in the dark, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Despite the exhaustion that ate at his body, he picked up his phone and, against his better judgment, began stalking Jiyeon’s social media. Okay, was stalking the best word to use? He was simply curious. Yeosang had his own social media, though he rarely used it. On Jiyeon’s profile, he was able to skim through her posts going back almost a decade. He came across old photos of them in high school, late night runs to the convenience stores. Dumb photos of them fucking around in the streets. There were silly posts she made with Yeosang’s commenting just egging it all on. It all made him smile for a moment. He remembered how fun she was.

Yeosang saw some photos of her and Jeong-suk, whom he could only assume is the Daeun’s father. There wasn’t anything concerning in her posts, photos of the two of them on dates—smiling and laughing, having fun. There was a subtle shift in the tone of her posts, not that many photos just text posts that appear more like ramblings than anything else. That’s when it hit him. Yeosang remembered a few years back, he had heard something from one of their other cousins. Jiyeon had started using drugs, allegedly. It was a shock to him when he had first heard it, chalking it up to family gossip that wasn’t true. However, remembering that and Namjoon stating that Daeun had some health concerns early on. It would explain why Daeun was taken from her. Was Jiyeon using drugs around her kid? Did the kid somehow ingest anything?

Yeosnag could feel a icey chill run down his spine as he continued to scroll through Jiyeon’s post. He found Jiyeon’s pregnancy announcement that had a photo of the ultrasound attached to it. Something about that made his stomach turn. That feeling didn’t go away as he continued on, seeing the many updates that Jiyeon shared throughout her pregnancy. Then the update of her sharing the news that she had given birth. Then, a post talking about how her daughter was ‘taken away from her’, but surely there was more to the story, right? The comments on that post were not any better. Barely any form of empathy for the situation. Then, he saw one comment that made all the color drain from his face.

‘Maybe you shouldn’t have done drugs while pregnant’.

Reading that comment, over and over and over again. It made him sick. He felt as if he could vomit at the idea that Jiyeon could have possibly done drugs while pregnant. Maybe he shouldn’t be looking through all of this. Wouldn’t that make him from some kind of bias? Honestly, he doesn’t even know what being Daeun’s foster parent is going to entail. Would he have to interact with Jiyeon at all? Would he be summoned to court for anything? Is there a possibility that Daeun could go back to Jiyeon? That thought alone made Yeosang’s entire body go numb. Was that a possibility?

He could feel himself starting to spiral. That all too familiar ache in his chest sent his senses on high alert. Sucking in a breath and feeling his chest constrict almost sent him into a blinding panic. Without thinking, Yeosang opened up his contacts and clicked on Wooyoung’s name, then hit the call button.

“Yeosang?”

“I think I know why her kid’s in care.”

There was some rustling on the other end, a sleepy voice in the background—he knew it was San. “Wait, what? I thought the caseworker didn’t tell you anything.”

“He didn’t.” Yeosang gripped onto the comforter until his knuckles turned white. “I don’t know-I don’t know if it’s true but…I think she might have done drugs during her pregnancy.”

Wooyoung was silent for a good minute. Yeosang had to check to make sure that the call was still connected. “Wait, are you serious? How do you know this?”

“I stalked her social media." He winced at how crazy that must have sounded. Wooyoung didn't say anything about it. "Found a post where she said that her daughter got taken from her and someone in the comments said that she shouldn’t have done drugs during her pregnancy.”

A short pause. “Holy shit.”

“Wooyoungie,” Yeosang’s voice trembled. He mentally cursed at himself for it. “What if that’s true? I mean that could explain why Daeun had some health issues at birth. That can really fuck up a kid.”

“Hey,” Wooyoung’s voice remained calm and comforting. “You don’t know for sure that’s what happened. This is all just based from social media, it could be bullshit for all you know. I would just wait until you see the caseworker tomorrow. I’m sure he’ll give you the rundown on what happened.”

Yeosang silently nodded, even though he knew Wooyoung couldn’t see him. The two remained on the phone, there was no talking for a good few minutes. Wooyoung was giving him a moment to gather his thoughts. “How am I supposed to care for her, Youngie? Namjoon-ssi said that she was really healthy, but who knows what kind of health issues she might have down the road. How am I going to care for-“

“Sangie, hey,” Wooyoung interrupted. Careful. Firm. “I know. I know it’s a lot to take in and digest. But you don’t know if that is what happened. Wait until tomorrow and talk with Namjoon-ssi. Don’t stress yourself out tonight. I can hear it in your voice that you’re starting to spiral.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you need us tonight? We can come over.”

Yeosang wanted to say yes. The idea of lying in bed with Wooyoung and San made his entire body go warm. To have their weight next to him with Wooyoung curled against his back, and Yeosang with his face buried into San’s chest. God, it sounded like heaven. “I…I don’t-," He didn’t want them to bother making the drive out here, it was already late as it is. He wanted to say no, that he was fine and he would be able to sleep fine tonight. But his body and mind screamed no, begging and yearning for their presence.

But, Wooyoung could read him even through the phone. “We’re on our way, Sangie.”

Yeosang could only nod. When the call ended, he remained in bed, back sunken into the mattress and his eyes staring up at the ceiling. It would only take Wooyoung and San about thirty minutes to get to his home. He wnated to wait up for them. Not even ten minutes after the call, Yeosang could feel the heaviness of sleep start to weigh down his eyes. His eye lids slowly dropping closed and he tried to fight it. But that exhaustion settled into the rest of his body. Maybe if he just closed his eyes for a moment.

When Woyooung and San finally arrived, Yeosang was deep in sleep, curled up on his side with the blanket tucked up under his chin. Wooyoung and San didn’t say a word, they merely slipped under the blanket with Wooyoung pressed against Yeosang’s back and an arm draped over his waist, and San snuggling up at Yeosang’s chest. Yeosang didn’t wake up. He stirred for a moment to nuzzle his face closer to San’s chest, his entire body finally relaxing as he fell deeper into his sleep.

Chapter Text

There was no such thing as focusing on work the next morning. It was nice to wake up to Wooyoung and San. Wooyoung prepared a nice breakfast for him, making sure he ate a good amount before getting ready. Yeosang got to the office at his usual time, sat down at his desk and began the audit on the last two accounts. He spent twenty minutes staring at his monitor, unable to get a single task done. He eventually asked Mingi to come up and help him with the last two accounts. “I’ll buy you dinner twice,” he promised. Mingi, the most reliable friend and coworker, agreed to help him and reassured Yeosang he didn’t need to do anything for him in return. Mingi knew perfectly well that Yeosang’s head was not in the right space at the moment.

“You should’ve taken the day off,” Mingi quietly commented while going through a stack from the file. He was currently kneeling on the floor with sheets of paper lined up around him. He claimed it was easier for him to go through the information with it laid out in front of him.

“I would be too restless,” Yeosang answered honestly. “I might take tomorrow off; I’ll see what the caseworker says after the visit tonight, though.”

Mingi hummed softly. “So, this is legit?” He asked after a brief pause, “You’re actually going to be a foster parent?”

“God,” Yeosang pressed his hands to his face, his head gently shaking at the idea. “Yeah, yeah, I am.”

“So, there’s no way you would tell the caseworker that you changed your mind during the visit?”

“I think that would make me a grade-A asshole, Mingi. I can’t—I can’t back out of it now. That kid needs someone right now and…that person is me.” And that scared the hell out of him.

Yeosang pushed those feelings to the back of his mind and forced himself to focus on work. There were moments in which he caught himself slipping, but was able to bring himself back to reality. The others tried to give him productive distractions, either asking about work or anything other than the foster case. Wooyoung offered to drive Yeosang to the CPS office for his fingerprint appointment at noon. Yeosang graciously accepted. He was too jittery to trust himself behind the wheel of his car. The appointment went faster than Yeosang thought it would. One of the office administrators greeted him, and after signing in, he was led to one of the office rooms towards the back of the building. A little ominous, but nothing too bad. The technician wasn’t very talkative, exchanged pleasantries with Yeosang and gave him directions on how and where to place his fingers. Within five minutes he was done. The technician filled out a form, had Yeosang sign it, created a copy for him and told him he was done.

“I’ll give the original to the caseworker for the background check, but you’re all done.”

Painless. Easy. Yeosang exhaled a deep breath as he exited the hallway and into the main waiting room.

Wooyoung, who had been sitting and browsing through one of the foster care brochures, promptly placed the brochure down and stood up. “All good?”

“Yeah, all finished.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Wooyoung didn’t take them right back to the office. He made a detour and stopped at a restaurant to pick up some lunch. “You deserve something good to help calm your nerves.” Wooyoung said, holding the door open for Yeosang to enter.

“What do you mean? I’m fine.”

Wooyoung scoffed, “Yeosang I can practically smell the anxiety from you.”

That made him pinch his brows together; he eyed Wooyoung for a moment before leaning his face down near his armpits. Do I really smell? The motion earned him a laugh from Wooyoung as he strode towards the counter.

Their lunch was nice and fulfilling. By the time they arrived back at work, Yeosang received a text from Namjoon to confirm their meeting at 6. Wooyoung offered Yeosang to come over so that he would have someone else with him. Yeosang was grateful, but ultimately declined. He was sure there were things Namjoon couldn’t share with someone else present. He promised to send everyone an update once the visit was over.

5 o’clock came a lot faster than he would’ve liked. The walk out of the building and into the company garage felt like he was walking through a haze. His legs felt numb as he approached his car, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears. Was it bad to feel like he was dreading this visit? Did that make him an asshole? No, he was just nervous, that’s all. He was about to be responsible for a kid, which would make anyone feel on edge, right? It was all just nerves. That’s what he told himself during the entire drive, and what he thought when he walked into his home.

Yeosang took a moment to take a quick walk through, making sure that nothing was out of sorts. He kept his home pretty clean; the spare bedroom was the only thing that needed work on. Yeosang poked his head into the room, taking stock of everything that was in it. He noted what he was going to get rid of, and what he would need to find new homes for. That would be a tomorrow issue, and he would definitely be taking off work..or at least working from home. It’s a good thing he remembered to bring his laptop home with him.

Yeosang went to set his work back down on his desk when he took note that he was still in his work clothes. He should change, or wait…should he keep his work clothes on? Does he need to look professional for the caseworker? What would Namjoon be wearing? He would have to be wearing something that was at least semi-professional, right? At that moment, Yeosang shook his head and huffed at his own thoughts; why would it matter? He settled for keeping his work clothes on, except he pulled off his blazer and placed it on the hanger in his closet. To keep himself busy, he ventured into the kitchen, started a pot of coffee, and busied himself with wiping down the counters. Anything that would keep him from spiraling into his own thoughts.

Everything came to a halt when there was a knock at his door. He looked over at the clock on his oven, 6:00, right on the mark. Yeosang blew out a breath as he made his way over to the front door. He reached for the handle, taking a moment to gather himself, then pulled the door open. Before him stood a young man, early thirties, medium length black hair, and thin framed glasses. Yeosang took note of his outfit: a dark brown blazer with a black sweatshirt underneath, and a pair of medium washed jeans. Definitely not corporate professional, Yeosang was definitely overdressed. That was fine. Yet, he didn’t expect the caseworker to be this…dashing?

“Kang Yeosang-ssi?”

Oh, his voice was lower than he expected. Yeosang raised his brows and nodded his head, “Yes, yes, sorry. You’re Kim Namjoon-ssi, please come in.” Yeosang moved out of the way to allow Namjoon room to enter the home. Yeosang anxiously watched as Namjoon slipped off shoes and took a few tentative steps into the home. He took notice that Namjoon was already sweeping his eyes over the home; that alone made his palms sweaty.

“The first order that I’d like to see to is complete the home study,” Namjoon said, not at all beating around the bush. That simultaneously made Yeosang relieved and nervous. “It won’t be anything super in depth; just to make sure your home is safe for Daeun to stay in.”

Yeosang nodded. Of course, that made sense.

The duo began the check; Namjoon walked calmly around the home. Turning on the lights, he ensured working electricity and checked the taps for running water. He checked both bedrooms, stopping at the threshold of the spare bedroom. Namjoon ventured into the room to check it out, his face set in a neutral expression. It frustrated Yeosang that he couldn’t read what he was thinking. “Where would Daeun be sleeping?” He asked, turning to Yeosang who was still standing at the threshold.

“In here, I’ll be working from home tomorrow so I can clean out the room.” He wrung his hands together, watching as Namjoon nodded while taking one last glance around the room.

“Daeun’s furniture from her last placement is currently at my office. Me and a case aide will bring it to your residence, so you won’t have to worry about buying anything for a while.”

That was one less thing he had to worry about.

Namjoon carried on with the home check. Asking where the fire alarms were located: one in the kitchen/living area, one in the hallway, and each bedroom had one. The carbon monoxide detector was located in the parlor near the front door. Namjoon noted this down in a small notebook, “Perfect.” He took one more gander at the home, then smiled at Yeosang. “Home study is complet; I think we should sit down and go through some things.”

“Of course,” Yeosang nodded and led him over to the island in the kitchen. He motioned at one of the bar stools and pulled out two mugs; “Would you like some coffee?”

“Oh, yes, thank you.” Was it almost 7 o’clock? Yes. Did Namjoon care? No, he thrived on caffeine for his job. It was a basic necessity at this point.

Yeosang poured out two cups of coffee, putting only two scoops of sugar in Namjoon’s, and pushed the mug towards him. He breathed out a quick ’thank you’ before taking a drink. Yeosang remained quiet as he watched Namjoon pull out a file from his bag, a fairly thick one, nothing too crazy.

“You’re background check came back clear,” Namjoon said as he flipped through the file; he glanced up when he heard a small, surprised sound from the other man. He smirked, “I work efficiently, so does everyone else…when I tell them to.” That made the other man pause in surprise, but Yeosang hummed out a nervous chuckle. “I just need to ask you a few questions about yourself. To start off, where do you work?”

“NO1, it’s a music production company. I’m a finance manager.”

“What’s your work schedule like?”

“Uh, pretty regular. I usually leave at about 6:30 and get off at 5; sometimes I may need to stay at the office late, but that doesn’t happen too often. That usually only happens when we have big audits to complete.” Yeosang paused, his finger tapping against the side of his mug, “I would need to potentially find someone who could babysit during those times.”

“That would probably be best. Daeun’s daycare that she’s been attending has another location close by; I need to do the paperwork for her transfer. There’s a chance she may not start for another week; will that be okay?”

Yeosang simply nodded.

“You won’t have to pay for daycare. She’s under 3, so the agency covers the cost. I’ll just need you to send me 3 months’ worth of paystubs for the agency to approve the payments.”

Yeosang pulled out his phone and began searching through his files for the paystubs. “Okay, I’m usually able to work from home whenever, so if there is a need to work late, I can just bring my laptop home. So, I may not need a babysitter.”

Namjoon nodded. “Perfect, and I’ve seen some areas that will need child proofing, places to put baby gates. I’ll write all this down and leave it for you.” Namjoon pushed up his glasses and began to write out a list. It wasn’t super long, which honestly made Yeosang’s shoulders sag in relief. “Is the neighborhood nice?”

It is. It’s very quiet, nothing much happens here. There are a few families that live on this street; the kids are—well, they’re kids so they can be loud sometimes, but nothing too bad."

Namjoon nodded and jotted something down. “Are there other people who tend to be at the house quite a bit?”

Yeosang blinked, confused by the question. “Uhm. Well, my younger brother comes over sometimes; he rarely stays over. Uhm,” he paused again when he thought about Wooyoung and San. How was he supposed to explain this? “I do have—uhm, I do have…partners.” His voice pitched down on the last word, not knowing how that information will make Namjoon feel.

The caseworker merely blinked casually and nodded, “Are they in the home often?”

Not much of a reaction. Yeosang felt himself freeze at that. “I-I mean, sometimes. We’re partners, but we don’t live together…obviously. They’ll stay here occasionally, maybe a few times a week, depending on what’s going on.”

Namjoon thought for a moment, his finger tapping against his notebook as his eyes squinted slightly. “Do you think they would consent to a background check and fingerprinting?”

“I-“

“It’s nothing bad. It’s making sure that any of our kids won’t be around anyone who can,” Namjoon’s mouth cinched to the side as he thought how to phrase it. “Anyone who could be a potential risk and possibly have the kid’s placement blown.”

“Y-yeah, I can text them and ask, but I’m sure they won’t mind.”

“Perfect, could I get their names?”

“Jung Wooyoung, and Choi San.”

Again, Yeosang braced himself for some kind of reaction or a snide comment. Instead, Namjoon jotted down the names in his notebook. Once he was done, Namjoon straightened his back and looked up at Yeosang. “I’m sure you have lots of questions for me; go ahead, I’m all ears.”

“Why did Daeun come into care?" It was the question he dreaded hearing the answer to. But, he deserved to know why the kid was in care, right?

“When Jiyeon gave birth to Daeun at the hospital, the hospital staff suspected that she may have been under the influence of something. They ran a drug test on her and it came back positive for methamphetamine.”

An icy chill ran down Yeosang’s spine. So, the comment on her post was true.

“The hospital then ran a urine and meconium test on Daeun, and both came back positive as well. Jiyeon swore that she didn’t do drugs while she was pregnant; she claimed that someone must have laced a joint that she smoked.” Namjoon’s expression remained thoughtful as he recounted the details. “The hospital called CPS, Jiyeon was told that the court had granted CPS protective custody of her daughter.”

“I bet she wasn’t too happy.”

Namjoon huffed out a quiet breath at the memory, “No, she wasn’t. But Daeun was the priority. They admitted her to the NICU for a week because of withdrawal symptoms. She had some respiratory distress as well.”

Yeosang winced. Just thinking about a newborn baby having to spend her first week of life struggling. He could feel his eyes start to brim with tears. "But, she's okay now, right? You said that she was healthy.

“Yes.” Namjoon answered with the upmost sincerity. His lips curled into a proud smile as he said, “The progress she has made has been amazing.”

A nod. Yeosang was happy to hear that. “How long do you expect me to be her foster parent?”

It was a big of a shift from his previous question, but Namjoon didn’t bat an eye. “There really isn’t a number that I can give you. Our hope is that you will be her foster parent for the foreseeable future, the length of time varies depending on the case and what the goal is.”

“Goal? What do you mean by goal?”

“Every case has an end goal, if you will, for each kid. Usually, we aim for reunification between the children and the birth parents. Of course, each case is different; sometimes we need to change the case goal. If the kid’s goal is to return home, the time that they can spend in the system varies greatly.”

“What is Daeun’s goal?”

“Her goal is to return home.”

Those words made Yeosang gape at Namjoon. “Return home?” He asked, and Namjoon could only give a single nod. “You mean return home to the mother that took drugs while she was pregnant. That’s insane.”

“The court gives birth parents the chance to complete services in order to get their kids back. Jiyeon has her court ordered services that need to be completed within a timeframe.”

“How many chances has she had?”

“She’s currently on her second chance.”

“You’re kidding.”

Namjoon could only nod in his understanding of Yeosang’s feelings. “Courts can be…quite fickle with these things. They want to give birth parents the chance to prove themselves.”

That left a bad taste in Yeosang’s mouth. His nose scrunched up at the mere thought of Jiyeon possibly getting her kid back. Was he being unfair? Maybe. “And Daeun’s case goal…there’s no chance that it may change?”

Namjoon paused; he knocked his knuckles gently against the countertop, mentally debating if this was the appropriate time to divulge this part of the case so soon. “Do you want me to be honest with you, Yeosang-ssi?”

Yeosasng could only blink at his question, “Of course I do.”

“I’m not saying this to put pressure on you. You want me to be honest, and I do as well, so that’s what I’m doing,” he paused, waiting for Yeosang to nod for him to continue. “My supervisor and I are currently working on getting Daeun’s goal changed. We are optimistic that the courts will change it to subcare pending termination. All that means is that the court is deciding whether we should proceed with terminating parental rights. They want to see how Jiyeon handles this round of services. If she doesn’t complete them, we can start the legal screening process.”

“And what is the desired end result of that?”

“That Daeun would be free to be adopted.”

“And what is…expected if that happens while she’s under my care?”

Namjoon pursed his lips together, not wanting to scare Yeosang into thinking he wants him to do anything in particular. “The hope would be that…you could adopt her.”

Adoption? Oh god, Yeosang could feel himself start to go queezy.

“Please,” Namjoon noticed it immediately, his hand up in a calm gesture. “Yeosang-ssi, please don’t panic or worry. This whole process can take quite some time. There is still a possibility that she can return home to her mother. However, if it ends up that Jiyeon is not fit to take care of her, then you and I can sit down and discuss what that means going forward.”

“What if I don’t want to adopt her?” Yeosang’s question landed heavily between them both. Just saying it out loud made his stomach twist. “What if she does become free for adoption…and I don’t want to follow through with that?”

The silence between them was heavy. Tense. He was afraid that Namjoon would think he was an asshole for even thinking it. However, Namjoon remained undisturbed. If anything, he looked as if he sympathized with Yeosang. “Then, we would have to move her to another placement that is committed to being an adoptive home.”

And those words felt like lead had dropped into his stomach. So they will just take her away from him? If she stays here for that long, this will become her home. Yeosang would be the only parental figure in her life at that point. If he didn’t want to adopt her, they would just take her away and place her with a family of strangers? How did any of that make sense?

“I know,” Namjoon’s voice cut through Yeosang’s thoughts. “It’s not…it’s not the best course of action. But if a child’s goal is adoption, we need to get them out of the system. There would be no point in keeping them in a placement that won’t commit to adoption.”

So at some point, Yeosang will most likely need to decide if he was willing to adopt this kid. Holy shit, okay, that was something he can freak out over another time. “What about Jeong-suk? He’s Daeun’s father; does he have any involvement in the case? Is there a chance she can go back to him?”

“He hasn’t been cooperative with me. Never answers my calls, texts, nothing. He hasn’t had contact with Daeun… at all. If he wants to complete services and maintain contact with me, then there could be a chance that she can go back to him. However, if this continues, it would be an involuntary termination of his parental rights.”

The courts can just take away someone’s parental rights? Without them present. Guess it made sense if he doesn’t make an effort.

“Where is Daeun now?”

“She’s currently in a respite placement. They can only watch her until Saturday, so I’ll be bringing her here then. It’ll give you some time to get things ready.”

“What happened to her placement before?”

“She was placed with her paternal grandmother. She got sick and wasn’t able to care for her anymore.” Namjoon exhaled a rather despondent sigh. “She’s a very nice lady. Loved Daeun. But, she will be moving into an assisted living facility.”

“Oh.” In all of the chaos of today, Yeosang hadn’t thought about who had been taking care of Daeun before. The thought of a sweet grandmother having taken care of Daeun since she was a baby, only to have her taken away because she could no longer care for her, it made Yeosang’s heart ache. “Maybe I could bring Daeun to visit her. If you think that would be okay.”

“Of course, yes, that would be wonderful. I can give you all the info when she’s moved in.”

A comfortable silence fell between the two men. Each taking time to finish their coffee, neither wanting to break the peace.

Yeosang was the first to talk. “How long have you been her caseworker? I don’t know if you can answer that.”

“Since case opening,” Namjoon’s lips twitched. “I went to see Daeun while she was still in the hospital, after CPS got the call the call about her. Been with her from the very beginning.”

“Well, thank you. For everything that you’ve done, not just for Daeun, I’m sure you have other cases. It can’t be easy.”

“Mm,” Namjoon hummed thoughtfully. “It’s not easy; it’s tough work, but I’d do anything for these kids.”

It was another thirty minutes of quiet conversation. It was past 7:30 when Namjoon decided it was time for him to leave. He left the list for Yeosang to complete before Saturday. Yeosang made sure to save the caseworker’s number in his phone. Namjoon promised that he would keep in touch with him and let him know when he was on his way with Daeun’s furniture. Before leaving, Namjoon pulled out another file from his bag. “These are Daeun’s medical records. I made sure to include her recent well child, she’ll need one annually, so you won’t have to worry about getting her in until next summer. Feel free to look these over; let me know if you have any questions or concerns.”

Yeosang nodded quietly, taking the folder and clutching it to his chest as he walked Namjoon to the front door. The two exchanged goodbyes, and Yeosang was left to his own devices. He didn’t bother with dinner, deciding to take a shower and settle himself into bed. Without a second thought, he pulled the files into his lap and started going through the records.

'Park Daeun. Born June 29th, 2023. Mother delivered vaginally; no report of health complications during pregnancy. Mother did not have consistent prenatal care. Mother appeared to be under the influence upon arrival at the hospital. Mother tested positive for methamphetamine and denied using during pregnancy. Newborn meconium and urine both tested positive for methamphetamine. Newborn experienced withdrawal symptoms: shaking, high pitched crying, and respiratory distress. Do not discharge newborn to mother. CPS has been granted protective custody and will choose suitable placement.'

Yeosang closed the files and placed them down on the nightstand. None of this was right. Why the hell would Jiyeon do something like that? The Jiyeon that he remembers would’ve never thought to do something as damaging as substance abuse. Let alone while she was pregnant. He wondered if Daeun’s father had anything to do with it. Did he bring drugs into Jiyeon’s life? Possibly. He’s heard of that happening.

His head was hurting, and his eyes were aching from the sting in his waterline.

Yeosang settled for trying to get some sleep. He could only settle himself into bed and close his eyes, wondering what the hell he got himself into.

—

Yeosang’s day was busier than he could have anticipated.

He tried to work from home, ‘tried’ was the key word.

Between checking emails and going through the last of the account files for the audit, Yeosang was spending his time in the spare bedroom going through everything. He created a pile of everything he was getting rid of, then a pile of everything he was keeping. Once that was done, Yeosang moved his desk out into the living room, an open spot near the window. It would do for now. He carried the box of items that he was keeping into the garage. The other box was set aside for when it was time to take out the trash. By the time he was done with cleaing out the room, it was nearing lunchtime and there was a knock at the door. When he opened it, he was met with the disgruntled look on his brother Taehyun’s face and his arms full of bags.

“I have your delivery,” Taehyun mumbled as he shuffled into the home, choosing to stand awkwardly in the hallway as Yeosang started sifting through the bags that were still in his hands.

“You got exactly what I texted, right?” Yeosang was so preoccupied with going through the bags he didn’t notice Taehyun’s displeased scowl. “It’s important.”

“Yeah, I got all your precious things,” he shoved the bags into Yeosang’s hands, who stared at up the young man with a confused look. “You make me go shopping on my day off for… baby proofing? What do you need all this for?”

Oh, shit. Yeosang didn’t tell Taehyun anything regarding Daeun. “Oh,” he hummed to himself as he turned and set the bags down near the couch, Taehyun trailing quietly behind him. “I completely forgot to tell you.” He turned to his brother; the younger Kang’s eyes were wide with curiosity. Oh, those boba eyes. “I’m taking in a foster kid.”

“What?” Taehyun’s voice went up a pitch as the word fell from his mouth. “Foster kid? When the hell did you become a foster parent?”

“Since,” Yeosang checked his wrist to look at his imaginery watch. “About two days ago.”

“Huh,” Taehyun nodded, his lips slowly spreading into a smirk. “Oh, hyung, look at you! You’re a dad now!”

“I’m hardly a dad.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m just a foster.”

“So?” Taehyun slowly shook his head, not following Yeosang’s train of thought. “You’re still a parent, regardless. Who’s the kid, anyway?”

“You remember Jiyeon?”

A beat. “Mhm.”

“It’s her kid.”

“Oh, shit.” The way Taehyun’s eyebrows shot up was enough to make Yeosang laugh. “She got a case with CPS? How the hell did that happen?”

“She was doing drugs while she was pregnant. The kid was born substance exposed. She was in the NICU for about a week dealing with withdrawal symptoms.”

Taehyun could only let out a despondent sigh, “Jiyeon doing drugs? What happened with her?”

“I don’t know. Either way, it doesn’t matter.”

“So, where has the kid been this entire time?”

“With her paternal grandmother. She got sick and wasn’t able to take care of the kid anymore. I got the call two days ago after I got home from work.”

Taehyun let out a low, drawn out whistle, “That’s insane, can’t imagine being put on the spot like that.”

“I mean, yeah, but the caseworker was really nice over the phone and when I met him in person. He seemed pretty grateful that I agreed to take her.”

“I can imagine,” Taehyun stared down at the bags and let out a sigh. “Well, do you want me to help you baby proof this place? I got nowhere else to be, so why not?”

The brothers fell into a rhythm as they began to baby proof the house. Making sure to follow the instructions that Namjoon had left for Yeosang. Yeosang ended up ordering takeout as a way to appease the leftover annoyance his little brother still harbored. It melted away once the brothers settled in the living room, munching away at takeout as they both began sharing all updates that have taken place in their last meeting. Taehyun was going on about working with Yeonjun at his studio. Sharing stories about all the people who attended their dance classes. At around 3 in the afternoon, there was a knock at the door. Yeosang was finishing cleaning up in the kitchen, so Taehyun happily went to answer the door. He was met with the sight of a young guy, probably mid 20’s, carrying a decent sized box, and just the hint of a tattoo peaking out from the sleeve of his sweatshirt.

“Hello! Kang Yeosang-ssi?”

Taehyun could feel himself stutter, “Uh, noo, that’s my brother, but you can come on in.” Taehyun stepped back to give the young man room to enter.

“Oh, thank you,” he stepped into the house and promptly set the box down in the entryway to the living room. As he straightened his back, the young man’s eyes landed on Yeosang, who was just walking over to them from the kitchen. “Hello,” he gave a polite bow. “I’m assuming you’re Kang Yeosang-ssi; my name is Jeon Jungkook.” He stuck his hand out to Yeosang, “I’m Daeun’s case aide.”

“Oh, of course, it’s nice to meet you!” Yeosang peered over Jungkook’s shoulder towards the front door. “I’m assuming Namjoon-ssi is outside?”

“Yes,” Jungkook nodded enthusiastically. “We have a bunch of Daeun’s belongings; Namjoon-hyung should be bringing some of it in.”

As if on cue, Yeosang could see the familiar figure of Namjoon lumbering into the house with pieces of Daeun’s bed in each hand. “Yeosang-ssi, how are you today?”

“Busy…and a bit tired.” He stepped forward to take the bed pieces from Namjoon. “I’ll go ahead and get these set up in the room.”

While Yeosang began working on getting things into Daeun’s bedroom, Namjoon, Jungkook, and Taehyun all worked together to bring the rest of her belongings into the home. The three then migrated into the bedroom where Yeosang was. Despite his insistence that Namjoon and Jungkook didn’t need to stay, the two were adamant about helping him get everything set up. In truth, Yeosang was quite relieved that they stayed to help. No offense to his little brother, but he was sure the two of them would have found themselves in a tussle trying to figure it all out on their own.

Two hours later, they finished setting up Daeun’s room. Daeun’s crib was built, with a cute pink polka dot blanket spread over the mattress. Namjoon had told Yeosang that she would be transitioning to a toddler bed soon, and her crib was able to be turned into one. Her dresser was set up near the window, and the toy chest that her grandmother insisted on them taking so Daeun would always have it. Yeosang had gone through the multiple boxes and hung up her clothes in the closet, and folded the rest into her dresser. He made sure the changing table was stocked with diapers and wipes.

All of the toys were in their proper place. Everything appeared to be in order.

Yeosang stood near the door, taking a moment to scan the room, and something heavy settled in his stomach. It was strange seeing a bedroom in his home set up for a kid. He thought he probably had another five to six years, at least, before he would have considered having kids. Of course, he, Wooyoung and San have spoken about what their future would look like. They wondered if Yeosang would be ready at some point to move in with them. They talked about getting a bigger home,Wooyoung, and Yeosang would get his own room. Kids were part of the conversation at certain points. Adoption was brought up a few times, but it was never anything serious. The three of them were still young and didn’t need to worry about it. Now, here he was taking on the responsibility of taking care of a child.

What has his life come to, really?

When Yeosang stepped out into the main room, he spotted Taehyun chatting with Jungkook, the latter was showing off his tattoos to a very curious Taehyun. “Hyung,” Taeyhun called out. “What do you think if I were to get a sleeve?” He asked while gesturing to Jungkook’s left arm.

Yeosang’s eye caught the elaborate display that was inked up the entirety of Jungkook’s arm. He couldn’t even see the entire thing properly as Jungkook had only bunched up the sleeve of his sweatshirt a little past his elbow. “I think… you do whatever you like and I am not responsible for the choice you make.”

Taeyhun clicked his tongue but gave his brother a smirk, regardless.

“Is there anything else you need from me, Yeosang-ssi?” Namjoon had come back into the home after double checking there was nothing left in the van.

“No, thank you so much, both of you, for your help today; it really made it less stressful.”

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Namjoon gently waved off Yeosang’s words. “I made sure to carve out time in my schedule to help you out today. Everything is still set for Daeun to be dropped off this Saturday. If there are any changes, I’ll let you know.”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” Yeosang followed both Namjoon and Jungkook to the front door. The young case aide stood behind Namjoon as the caseworker stopped at the door.

“If you have any questions or concerns, you let me know.”

“Will do, thank you, Namjoon-ssi.” Yeosang gave both young men a small bow of the head. Namjoon and Jungkook bid the brothers goodbye before Yeosang finally closed the front door.

Yeosang felt his body sag in relief that the day was now done. He stumbled over to the couch and flopped down onto the cushions on his stomach. He buried his face against the pillow, exhaling a long breath.

“Aw, hyung,” Taehyun meandered his way over to the couch, gently laying himself onto Yeosang.

Yeosang grunted at the sudden weight on his back, “What are you doing?”

“Getting cozy.” Taehyun responded, rubbing his cheek against his brother’s shoulder. He raised a hand and gently ruffled it through Yeosang’s hair, “What are you thinking, Hyung?”

“That I’m going to fuck this up.”

Taehyun tsked as he gave a Yeosang’s head a small pat, “Don’t say that, Hyung. You’ll do great. You’re a great big brother, even though you really annoy me sometimes.”

Yeosang reached behind and pinched Taehyun’s side, satisfied when he heard him let out a high squawk. “There’s a difference between being a brother and a parental figure, Hyunie.”

Taehyun hummed in disagreement. “I don’t think so. There have been so many times where you were more of a parent to me than Mom and Dad. You haven’t screwed me up in any way, I turned out just perfect.”

“Perfect… okay.”

“That’s right, perfect.”

In a quick movement, Yeosang had turned over onto his back, his arms immediately wrapping around Taehyun in a light chokehold. The younger Kang squealed in surprise as he feebly attempted to get out of his brother’s hold. “Aigoo,” Yeosang cooed as he brushed a hand through Taehyun’s hair. “When did my dongsaeng grow up so well, huh?” He smirked as Taehyun scrunched his eyes in fake annoyance at Yeosang’s doting.

“Ah, Hyung!”

Yeosang lifted his legs and wrapped them around Taehyun’s waist, effectively trapping him further in his hold, ignoring the way Taehyun tried to wiggle out of his hold. “I remember when you were so small… you were so adorable. And you had a knack for behaving like a little shit. You were always getting into my stuff,” he enunciated the last statement with little pokes into Taehyun’s hip, earning him a surprised yelp.

“It’s my job to be a little shit.” Taehyun’s voice was strained as he struggled to pull himself out of Yeosang’s hold. He even tried pinching at his waist but to no avail. Yeosang merely laughed at Taehyun’s efforts. After a few more minutes of struggling and no hint that Yeosang was letting up, Taehyun surrendered and went limp in his brother’s arms.

That pleased the oldest Kang. He gently pulled Taehyun’s head back to rest against his shoulder, humming when he felt Taehyun relax. After a few minutes of silence, Yeosang finally spoke, “Thank you for helping me today, Hyunie. I really do appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome, Hyung.” Taehyun closed his eyes, feeling himself relaxing further into his brother’s hold. “You’re going to be fine, Hyung. You’ll do great, that kid is really lucky to be placed with you.” That statement alone almost made Yeosang burst into tears. The sincerity in his brother’s voice sparked something in him. It made him feel like he could do this.

“And if you ever need help, you can always ask me.”

Yeosang hummed, sniffled, then affectionately rubbed his cheek against Taehyun’s head. “Thank you.” He could feel Taehyun tense a bit in his hold.

“Hyung…” he asked, rather hesitantly. “Are you crying?”

“Hush.” Yeosang clutched his brother closer to his chest, even planting a quick kiss to his temple. The slight tremor in his voice swayed Taehyun from saying anything else. And Yeosang remained content lying in that silence with his brother in his arms.

He could do this, right? Yeah, he could do this.