"Papa." The little boy called out while eating his ice cream.

Turning to face him, Donghyuck let out a chuckle when he saw the kid being a mess. "What is it?"

"How you get out from scary person?" It was quite a long question he had in mind. Chan was trying his best to word it out. "Find time, how?"

Donghyuck guessed that he might be wondering how he was able to go out with him even when he told him this morning that he was busy. Mentioning the scary person gave it away. He was able to understand what the boy was trying to say through that.

"Well, that scary person isn't so scary after all." Donghyuck told him, wiping the smear on the corner of the kid's lips. "Thanks to him, I'm able to hang out with you."

Nodding his head, the little boy then agreed. "Thank you scary person!"

Donghyuck let out a laugh. "You should thank him if you see him."

"I don't know what scary person look like." Chen told him with a frown.

Both of them were currently at the park. After Stopping by at an ice cream parlor and being able to buy one for the little boy after a long time of dreading to finally have this moment, Donghyuck spotted a nearby park and decided to hangout there for a while. He wanted the boy to go and play with other kids, but it was the little boy himself that insisted on staying.

Chan was vocal about wanting to be with him more than play with the kids.

"He doesn't look scary." With a smile, Donghyuck started to think of a specific someone that never fails to make his heart skip a beat. "He honestly looks like..."

It was only then that Donghyuck got to take a good look at the kid's facial features. He didn't know if it's because he's seeing his CEO inside his head that he's also catching the same features on the kid's face. He noticed some resemblance if he continued to look closely— especially the eyebrows.

"He looks like you." Donghyuck mumbled under his breath.

The little boy was able to hear it nonetheless. "Chan not scary. Chan nice!"

The moment he was having with the child overpowered the thought of his boss that's distracting him. Donghyuck didn't take too long to think about it, and he didn't let it bother him. What's important is getting to spend every single second with the little boy after begging for quite a while for a spare time.

Donghyuck was aware that he has a soft spot for kids and children in general.

But he never knew he was going to cry at the thought of getting separated with this certain boy that already has a spot in his heart.

"Papa? No!" Standing up from the bench, the kid lifted his free hand and tried to wipe the tears on the man's face. "No cry, please."

"I'm not... Crying." But lying about it only made Donghyuck sob even more.

"No! Papa, you cry then I cry too!" The kid then began to sniffle, rubbing his nose to prevent himself from crying.

If the heavens above are still hearing him out, Donghyuck wanted to beg once more to have a chance in giving the boy the best life that he deserves.

"Sir?"

Mark had his back leaning on his seat, his hand covering his eyes, and a heavy sigh coming out from his mouth. In his years of living, he has never felt so relieved in his entire life. Catching a glimpse of the sight outside the car was enough for Mark to feel the whole world getting better. This was the first time he wanted to weep from the reassurance he felt.

However, the driver was not able to catch up with the situation. "Do you want me to escort you out?"

"No..." His voice cracked from eating up his sobs. Mark had to repeat it. "No. I'm okay."

This was such an unexpected situation.

But Mark wouldn't want it anything less.

A part of him felt stupid for thinking that Donghyuck had a relationship to prioritize. He often looked busy with his phone. There were also times he'd get distracted during work hours. Donghyuck would also have a phone call with someone using that overrated endearment. All of those sounded like symptoms of falling in love.

For a moment there, it confused Mark to see him being occupied with a specific person— knowing for a fact that Donghyuck likes him.

It doesn't need an Einstein to see the obvious. Mark already knew that his secretary saw him more than just the head of the company. He knew that there were feelings attached with the way Donghyuck stares at him.

"Sir, do you want me to call your secretary?" The driver asked, genuinely not knowing what to do, but he already guessed that it had something to do with the man's secretary that they caught spending time at a park.

"No!" Mark was quick to answer him with his voice raised. "Let him be. Let them be."

Following his orders obediently, the driver decided to stay still until he'll be asked to drive away. However, a certain pair caught his attention. "They are walking away."

"Huh?" Frantically fumbling from the back seat, Mark first scanned what was across the street. It panicked him even more to see a particular shop. "Stop them."

The man that accompanied the supervisor hesitated to make a move. "Sir—"

"Go and stop them! Do anything! Don't let them inside that café filled with cats!" Mark exclaimed from his seat.

With the aggressive approach, the driver assigned immediately went out of the car and rushed to the pair that just crossed the road. Mark stayed behind and watched them from afar. He never expected to see this day come. As a matter of fact, it never crossed his mind to see the least expected person get involved in his personal matters.

Just like that, after seeing them, all his worries went away in a flash.

Pinching the bridge of his nose from the headache he's getting, Mark had to take a while to process what was happening.

Minutes later, the driver got back inside the car and the first thing he did was report to the supervisor his conversation he had with the secretary. "I managed to stop them... But he said he didn't plan to go inside the café in the first place since the boy sneezes around cats."

"Good." Mark nodded in approval of his effort. He took a deep breath in to gather his sanity back before fixing himself at the backseat. "Disregard the location I gave to you. Let's go back to the company— what?"

Mark was cut off upon noticing his personal driver giving him a look of concern. "How did you know that the kid is allergic to cats?"

🍼

"Wahh!"

Having nothing but underwear on, the little boy came running out of the bathroom with a loud shriek. Donghyuck followed from behind with a deep wicked laugh, soap bubbles on his chin forming a long mustache. He planned to look like Santa Claus, but he changed his mind and acted out an evil villain instead when he saw the kid getting scared because of his beard.

"Papa, get away!"

"I'm coming for you!"

Their laughs and screams filled the room, and possibly is heard outside with how loud they were. However, Donghyuck didn't care if he'd get a noise complaint from the neighbors. What matters the most is making the little boy happy and making him feel what it's like to have fun as a toddler.

Tiptoeing his way around the living room, Donghyuck crouched down to surprise the boy under the coffee table— only to freeze in his spot when he saw no one. "Huh?"

Dropping the act, Donghyuck went to the kitchen in hopes to find the boy.

"Chan? Come out wherever you are!" He shouted across the room.

He went on searching for him in every corner. Just when panic was rising up, he heard a familiar giggle from his room. It made Donghyuck playfully smirk as he finally had an idea where the boy possibly was. With quiet steps, he slowly opened his bedroom door, catching a glimpse of the boy's head behind the other side of his bed.

"Aha!" Before Donghyuck could jump on the mattress to surprise him, the doorbell was heard.

Followed by a knock on the front door.

Donghyuck put his guard down when he remembered that they ordered pizza. He first checked the clock on the wall before getting out of his room with a chuckle. He didn't bother cleaning himself and fixing his creased shirt.

Making his way to the door, Donghyuck cleared his throat before twisting the knob and opening it. "Hey—"

This person looks nothing like a delivery guy.

Slicked back hair with a strand permed outward in front, a familiar suit that was seen today, a tie (that Donghyuck could have sworn almost made him go insane when he loosened it just this morning), and black leather shoes.

The pizza delivery guy looks different today.

Donghyuck tried to cover his nervousness with a joke he uttered in his head, but he still gulped at the sight of his boss in front of him. "Mr. Lee? Is there anything wrong? Did I forget to submit the approval of your partnership with Mr. Kim?"

The CEO's mind strayed away when he saw his secretary's state. He wasn't hearing him out, his questions being mumbled from his ears. All of Mark's attention was on the bubble beard that the man tried to form on his chin, his comfortable casual attire, and those doe eyes looking at him with worry.

His goofy look almost made Mark smile. Almost.

Noticing his boss staring at him, Donghyuck came to realize that he still had the stupid beard on. Immediately wiping his chin, he also dusted his shirt and shorts, fixing himself on the spot to look decent. That caused Mark to stop staring intently, bringing him back to senses.

"I'm Sorry... I was playing with my dog." Donghyuck lied. He just hoped that the kid would stay in his room for a while.

A dog? Mark scanned what his eyes could see in the area.

Now that he thinks of it, he never got to see what Donghyuck's apartment looked like. Years of working with him, Mark only knew where he lived and what the building was like from the outside.

Small, but acceptable.

Good enough for a child to run around and play.

"Ahh! I'm sorry! I haven't cleaned my apartment yet." Donghyuck moved closer without a single thought in the head, just having the purpose to block the man's view from his home. "Mr. Lee, would you want some coffee? Water?"

There seems to be no dog. Mark wondered where he could be hiding. "No, it's okay. I won't stay long."

Thank God! Donghyuck mentally jumped in joy because he forgot to orient the kid on what to do when an uninvited guest would pay a visit. "May I ask why... You're here?"

"Lee Donghyuck, you're excused tomorrow." For a moment, Mark almost forgot his actual purpose of going there. "Take the day off."

Mark was well aware that a simple gesture could mean a lot to his secretary.

By a lot, he knew it's a lot. Donghyuck was already planning their wedding inside his head.

Donghyuck started to wonder why the CEO began to care for him. Has he finally fallen for his charms? That's insane.

Insanely believable if you ask Donghyuck. "Mr. Lee, I do..."

He never fails to entertain Mark. He was already this close to laughing. Not because he was making fun of how stupid his secretary looked, but because of how he is treating the situation.

Maybe it was a slight bit, just a tiny bit (microscopic if exaggerated), adorable in Mark's eyes. "Oh, and here."

Donghyuck glanced down and politely took the box of sweets that's handed to him by his boss.

"I bought too many macaroons." A lie. Mark continued. "I decided to give you an extra box since I'm passing by your place."

This is definitely going to be their main dessert at their wedding.

Donghyuck began thinking ahead. What's missing is the ring and label between them. Heavy on the label part.

"That seems to be all." Mark glanced at his wrist watch before excusing himself. "Get some rest and we'll continue our collaboration with Mr. Kim's upcoming project the next day."

"Take care of me..." Aggressively shaking his head, Donghyuck internally slapped himself back to his sanity. "Take care, Mr. Lee."

Not bothering to mind him slipping his words, Mark waited for his secretary to close the door. When Donghyuck shut his door carefully, the first thing he did was scream. It caught the attention of the little boy that ran out of his room to check up on him.

However, Chan also let out an excited shriek when he saw a familiar treat that the adult had in his hand.

Might not be blood-related, but they both have the same reaction whenever something makes them happy.

"Maroons!"

"Mark Lee! The man you are— what?" Donghyuck giggled when he heard how the boy called the box of sweets. "Baby, it's macaroons."

"Maroons! Chan favorite!"

Outside the door, there was Mark Lee who never moved an inch. It startled him to hear a shout inside the unit, but was composed when he got to know what those two were screaming about.

"Papa, give maroons!"

"You need to take a bath first!"

Mark's lips curved up to a smile. He didn't try to hide it this time.

May it be because of his obsessed secretary, or the little boy that he has been longing to see.

"But Chan want maroons!"

"I want Mark Lee too, baby, but you don't hear me complain!"

— to be continued