Cowboy Daddy part 1/2 *redux*
Pairing: BangDae, child!HimUp
Rated: M
Length: 11.5K (both parts)
Author note: I co-wrote this as an EXO fic ages ago with someone who is no longer in the fandom. I really don't think she'd have a problem with me converting it to BAP though since she liked them, too.
Tuesday’s were Yongguk’s favorite and most despised day of the week. He had meetings all day with every section in his office and by the time he got off work he was tired and exhausted and right between his eyes there was a tiny spot that made his entire head feel like it was splintered like glass.
But he also got Jongup on Tuesdays and he had four hours to make his little boy understand that even though he didn’t get to see him every day that Daddy still loved him.
Too bad the little shit didn’t care.
“Let’s go to the playplace!” Jongup tugged on his hand the second he picked him up from school and pulled him up the street where Yongguk knew the nearest fast food restaurant was. “You promised you would take me last week and you didn’t.”
Yongguk patiently picked his son up and swung him over his back so that he could see better. “That’s because I wanted to cook supper for you, Uppie. We had a very nice evening together.”
“Your cooking tastes like Zelo’s butt.”
He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and frowned. “Who’s Zelo?”
“My puppy. And his butt looks like your cooking tastes.”
The throbbing between his eyes was back and he needed some Aspirin. “Fine.” He growled out, crossing the street and heading towards the golden arches in the distance. “We’ll go out to eat then.”
The smell of the fast food made his stomach queasy and he thought longingly of the chicken thawing in the fridge at home. “My cooking is a lot better than this crap.” He mumbled, holding the door open for his son.
“That’s the right attitude.” A chipper voice spoke up from the inside the door, startling him. He turned to see a shorter man in a manager’s uniform holding a giant bag of ketchup and fiddling with the machine against the wall. “This place only appeals to kids or fat people in my opinion.”
Yongguk helplessly watched his son run towards the giant jungle gym in the back of the store. “I didn’t think anyone would hear that.”
The dark haired boy leaned over the condiment stand to throw the old ketchup bag into the trash and Yongguk tried really hard not to notice the way his slacks pulled as he stretched. “Don’t worry about it.” He stood up straight again, eyes twinkling in amusement. “Did you come to order something or just to play?”
He realized he’d been standing there watching him refill the dispenser for the last few minutes and Yongguk stumbled over himself to make it to the counter, the other following him with a small chuckle.
Daehyun, the tag on the tiny boy’s shirt proclaimed his name along with an assortment of hamburger and fry stickers, poised a finger over the register and raised an eyebrow.
“A k-kid’s meal.” Yongguk fumbled in his back pocket for his wallet and tried really hard to keep eye contact averted while he ordered. Those eyes kept slanting at him in mischievous and it was starting to make him feel more awkward than normal. “And a water.”
The total 65 seconds it took (not that Yongguk was counting or anything) for the small order to be brought together and placed on the plastic tray in front of him was a lot more painful than it should have been. No matter where Yongguk looked or how well he pretended to play with his phone in his hands, he could still clearly see Daehyun in his vision, chuckling to himself. And at him, for good reason too. Yongguk liked to think that he wasn’t normally this socially inept and uncomfortable, or so he hoped at least.
In his last attempt at regaining any dignity from the short encounter, Yongguk reached out and grabbed the light tray with one arm, smoothly placing his other hand in his pocket. That’s it. Just be cool, Yongguk. He nodded at the food, as if he needed to personally check the simple order himself, and finally looked up to meet the eyes of the worker.
Or down at him. Seeing as Daehyun was now leant over the counter, weight on his elbows and hands cradling his face as he smirked up at Yongguk’s actions.
Yongguk’s show of confidence and charisma visibly shook, and he had to bring his second hand out up to help him with the tray at the sight. He quickly spun around, stumbling over his feet in his rush to get away from those glinting eyes and his own awkwardness as an effect.
Only once he finally sat down on one of the red and yellow tables next to the playground did Yongguk manage to catch his breath and slump down in his chair. So much for keeping it cool…
“Food!” The small table threatened to bend and break with the force from Jongup’s body as he launched himself toward his meal. Yongguk hastily grabbed the stack of napkins on the tray and pushed it into one of his already greasy hands, hoping that would at least save some part of his little body from getting messy. Two minutes later, Jongup was up and racing back toward the playground, shirt marked with ketchup and salt stains and still chewing parts in his eager little mouth. While the napkins lay unused on the table under Yongguk’s harsh frown. He sighed heavily and let his head fall on his arms, specifically avoiding the now unclean parts of the table. He was pretty sure his headache was going to become a permanent fixture by now.
But Tuesday’s were also good for another reason, on top of getting the chance to spend time with Jongup, just the two of them. Tuesday’s meant that his favorite author uploaded another chapter of their story online. Yongguk’s head shot up and he reached blindly for his phone in his pocket, tapping in the already familiar web address quickly. Today was suddenly looking up.
He waited impatiently for the website to sign him in and sat back with a happy sigh when the One New Update message showed up.
How to Train Your Cowboy was an in progress story that Yongguk had been salivating for the last three months over. Its plot was about an owner of a ranch who falls in love with his hired hand. Yongguk loved the slow, dramatic buildup of their relationship and this chapter was hopefully going to be the climax to three months of literary blue balls.
He took another glance towards the playground to make sure Jongup was playing nicely. When he saw his son sitting on the back of another boy and rubbing his face into the rubber playmat, he glanced around hoping no one else was paying attention.
Shane smiled softly as he took a step towards River. He reached up to take his cowboy hat off and River gulped at the sight of the dirty blonde hair that he had never seen fully uncovered before.
“You look nervous.”
River shook his head and grabbed Shane by his belt buckle, pulling him forwards so that his tight blue jeans were pressed against his own straining ones.
“I know you’ll take care of me.”
“Daddy!” Jongup’s excited screech had him dropping his phone onto the greasy table and he grimaced as he wiped it along his slacks. His son grabbed a handful of French fries and shoved them into his mouth, spitting crumbs all over Yongguk’s face as he babbled on about all the different hiding places the oversized jungle gym had. “I’m going to play hide and seek with Himchan and I’m It so he’s hiding!”
Yongguk looked behind him to see a bright-eyed little boy only a couple years older than Jongup rushing up the steps and disappearing into the tunnels. “That’s nice, Uppie. Go have fun and I’ll watch.”
Jongup snatched a nugget as he ran off, tripping over his feet and counting to ten before chasing after the other boy.
He waited a few cautionary minutes while he watched Jongup snake his way through the plastic tunnels and mesh walls, waving down at him every so often, before turning his attention back to his phone and the story he’d been waiting a whole week to read.
His lips tasted like whiskey and River knew he would never taste the bitter drink again without thinking of this exact moment, of Shane’s tongue claiming him for the rest of time.
“Gonna treat you right.” Shane whispered into his mouth as he pushed him backwards onto the rough straw bed.
“Make love to me.” River knew the words were clichéd but they said everything he needed to say and the possessive grab at his hips let him know Shane felt exactly-
“Do you need a refill?”
He looked up with a blank stare, his eyes taking a minute of focus to realize the manager, Daehyun, was standing at the side of his booth with another one of his knowing smirks in place.
“We normally have the customers do their own refills but you look… absorbed.”
It took a bit before the words actually cracked through his hazy thoughts about hay stack romps and jean overall burns to fully sink into Yongguk’s head. But when they did, Yongguk jumped in his seat, knocking his overgrown legs up against the hard table and clutching the phone tightly to his chest (In a completely non-feminine way, of course).
“I don’t…I don’t need….what?”
Yongguk stared wide eyed as Daehyun merely tsked, reaching over his curled up body to grab the paper cup from in front of him. “You just stay put. I’ll get you some more water.”
Tongue still frozen, Yongguk could only watch, his lip buried beneath his teeth nervously, as the guy made his way to the door of the play area. Breathe, Yongguk, breathe. He couldn’t possibly have seen what you were reading. Just relax.
Daehyun came back with the kiddie sized cup a minute later to Yongguk in the same stilled position, and Yongguk didn’t have to look to know that the other was grinning once again.
The cup was placed silently next to him, and Yongguk really tried to not flinch when Daehyun brushed his arm that held his phone, he really did. But luckily, if Daehyun noticed, he didn’t mention anything.
And for a brief moment, Yongguk thought he really was in the clear. That this guy who, strangely enough, had started a habit of popping up to embarrass Yongguk the most, hadn’t just caught him reading erotic literary porn from his cell phone.
Yongguk held his breath as the manager pulled away, straightening up tall and wiping his hands nonchalantly on his dark green work pants, before smiling down innocently at him. Much. Too. Innocently.
“Drink up. You don’t want a dry throat when Shane finally gives River his leather enclosed D.”
Yongguk really didn’t think this would be the low point of his day. He figured that spot would go to the one of the several meetings he had earlier, or even the part during his lunch break where he accidently spilt his sandwich in his lap. But not this. Not him hunched over a plastic kid’s table, his face red and wheezing uncontrollably as the McDonald’s manager whacked at his back calmly.
This was definitely a new low.
It was brownie points to his horrible day really, the fact that Yongguk managed to merely knock over two full tables and only one little girl on his way out the door, Jongup tugging angrily at his arm in an effort to escape.
“No, Daddy! I don’t want to leave yet! I want to keep playing with Himchan!”
Yongguk hushed the boy with a kiss, placing him quickly into the back of a taxi before buckling him up. “Daddy’s tired, Jongup. We can come back another day, okay?”
Another day, when Daehyun the manager WASN’T working.
Yongguk sat stiffly as the taxi pulled out of the lot beside the McDonald's, shoulders down and eyes focused straight ahead, in an attempt to not look in to see that knowing smile through the windows.
And Yongguk pretended that it worked.
---
“Come on, Jongup.” He knocked on the door for the fourth time that hour and begged his son to unlock it and come out. “I’m sorry we had to leave early. I had forgotten that… That I left the stove on!”
“Liar!” Jongup kicked the other side of the door, his high-pitched voice even screechier than normal in his anger. “You’re a big jerk and I hate you!”
Yongguk winced at the familiar words thrown at him through closed doors. It had only been a few years since Jongup’s mother had done the same thing. “I only get to see you once a week and I would like to spend it together and not with you being angry at me. Do you think you can come out and watch a movie with me and then when we’re finished you can be angry again?”
The door cracked open and his son’s floppy messy hair (that was way overdue for a cut, Yongguk noticed) appeared. One tiny eye peered at him through the slit. “Can I go to bed angry?”
“Super angry.”
The door opened a little bit wider. “Can I call you a poop head?”
“I… I guess?”
“Okay!” Jongup bounced out of his room and ran towards the couch, flopping onto the other side. “I want to watch How to Train Your Dragon!”
The movie title made Yongguk gasp in shock, his hands desperately patting his pockets as the realization that he didn’t have his phone slowly dawned on him. “Oh fuck.”
Jongup turned around, his mouth dropped all the way open. “You said a bad word! You said a really, really bad word! Mama stuck a bar of soap in my mouth when I said that! She said five year olds can only say poop!”
He raced towards his house phone and fumbled with the phone book trying to find the McDonald’s phone number as quickly as possible.
“Thank you for calling McDonald’s! How may I help you today!” The voice on the other end was annoyingly chipper, but it was the wrong gender.
“I left my phone!” He was worried he was going to tear the phone in half from the tight grip he had on it, but he was too stiff to loosen up. “I was there and I left and my phone and I-“
“Sir?” The voice now sounded worried for his mental stability. “Don’t worry, we found your phone.”
He breathed a sigh of relief and opened his mouth to thank her and tell her that he would be right there to pick it up when she spoke up again.
“Our manager found it right before his shift ended. He took it home for safekeeping and said to tell the owner he would bring it back tomorrow. He works from six to four.”
His life was over.
“Daddy? Why is your skin green?”
---
After dropping Jongup off at school, Yongguk tepidly stepped foot into the McDonald’s. He hoped he could get right in and right out without any teasing or mortifying moments.
“Howdy!”
Dig a hole and bury him in it.
It was starting to become a habit: Yongguk ending up red in the face and stumbling over his words as the manager just stood and smirked. It was irritating, but most of all, fucking embarrassing.
But Yongguk needed his phone. It was bad enough that the guy caught him reading one of his stories in a children’s play place of all places, he for sure didn’t need to see all of the similarly plotted sites saved on his phone’s reading list. No, one embarrassing literature exposure was enough.
Yongguk stuck out his hand, wiggling his fingers impatiently (perhaps if he didn’t speak, he could avoid any more humiliating experiences).
Daehyun looked across the counter at the hand, leaning down to peer into his palm before glancing up with a wink. “Whatcha gonna do with that hand there, partner.”
As if burned, Yongguk yanked his hand back, hissing audibly, even taking a step back from him. Running a hand through his hair, he switched tactics. Claiming his most demanding and powerful company meeting voice, Yongguk spoke up. “Where’s my phone?” Short and smooth, Bang, short and smooth.
But Daehyun just snorted. “What? Are you worried about what I’ll find on it?”
You’re in a public place you’re in a public place you’re in a public place. “Listen, can I just get it back?”
“Ah, that’s right; you left before you could read the best part of Shane and River’s love affair!”
The growl that escaped Yongguk’s chest surprised them both, more so for Yongguk himself, and he stood there patting his throat worriedly even while Daehyun seemed to have recovered enough to give his usual cheeky grin.
“Alright, alright,” patting his pockets, Daehyun brought out Yongguk’s phone, bringing it out in front of him. He sighed dramatically, looking down at the device almost fondly, prompting Yongguk to reach over and grab it from his hands protectively.
“Thanks”, Yongguk mumbled softly, busy hurriedly checking the unanswered messages and calls he found at first glance. Work. Work. Mom. Work. Work.
Without looking up again, Yongguk turned to leave, only to be stopped by a tug on his sleeve. Daehyun poked his side and eyed his phone. “Maybe you should watch where you read that kind of stuff.”
Especially when you’re in the McDonald’s playpen with your kid. Yongguk heard the unspoken words and flushed vividly, pulling away from Daehyun’s grasp, muttering under his breath.
“You’re cheeky, aren’t you…”
Daehyun’s reply kept his head spinning the rest of his day. “Yeah…but you probably like that, huh.”
Yongguk opened the exit door, hoping once again, even as he heard a whistled country tune from behind him mockingly, that this would be the last time he’d have to go through this situation again.
---
“BUT YOU PROMISED YOU’D TAKE ME BACK YOU PROMISED YOU PROMISED YOU PROMISED!” Jongup held onto the bike railing outside of his school and screamed until his cheeks were red and they had a crowd of judging mothers surrounding them. “Himchan promised he’d come back next Tuesday and it’s next Tuesday and I want to play!”
He could feel his blood pressure rising and he promised never to spank his son but if he didn’t calm his ass down right now then-
“If you love me you wouldn’t lie to me.”
His shoulders slumped at the broken words sobbed against his leg and he didn’t even care that Jongup had come out of school covered in glue and face smeared with remnants of his lunch. He had promised they’d go back later and to a five year old that meant the next time they were together.
Disappointing his boy wasn’t worth saving himself from embarrassment.
“Yippee ki yo ki yay!”
Jongup’s hands came up to cover his mouth. “I want to be a cowboy like that man! Can I be a cowboy, Daddy!”
Daehyun formed his hands into gun shapes and aimed them at Jongup. “Gimme all your money and I’ll give you a kid’s meal.”
Yongguk wondered if the manager was a demon sent from hell to test him.
“Go on and play. I’ll get your meal and meet you out there.” He waited until Jongup had disappeared through the doors before turning back to Daehyun and forcing a serene expression on his face. “I want a kid’s meal and a water, please.” He threw a bill on the counter and grabbed the cups out of Daehyun’s hands. “That should cover it. Keep the change.”
Yongguk was quite proud of the amount of dignity he kept as he sauntered towards the drink station. He calmly filled Jongup’s lemonade and his water cup and moved to head into the play area to set their drinks down. Just as he turned to go back for the food he groaned internally at the sight of Daehyun jauntily heading towards him with his tray.
“Customer service at its best!” He grinned, showcasing a bright smile that Yongguk hadn’t noticed before now.
River closes his eyes when he smiles, too, his brain whispered to him.
No, he didn’t want to ever put River and Daehyun in the same sentence. River was gentle and kind and put his life on hold to help Shane with the ranch when Shane’s father died. Even though he was only supposed to work two months just until the ranch got back on its feet he ended up staying six and they slowly fell in love and it was beautiful and romantic.
Daehyun winked and pretended to crack a whip his direction.
That asshole manager was nothing even remotely close to his ideal man like River Callowell.
Once Daehyun had left him alone (after pretending to gallop away), Yongguk drank half his water in one gulp and thought long and hard about whether or not to pull his phone back out of his pocket.
The new chapter of How to Train Your Cowboy was out and the author had already informed them it would be the last and Yongguk was dying to read the epilogue.
Yongguk glanced up, catching the manager’s eye as he pretended to tip his imaginary cowboy hat in his direction. Honestly, it couldn’t get any worse.
Fully decided, Yongguk looked up quickly to check on Jongup’s whereabouts (once again plastered to that other little kid by the ball pin) before grabbing his phone and immersing himself back into the romantic stable universe.
River smiled dreamily, looking up at the bright stars in the sky as he nuzzled close to Shane in the rocking chair. “It’s so beautiful.”
Shane hummed, reaching down to run his hands down River’s jean clad thighs softly. “Not as beautiful as you.”
Gasping happily, River turned slightly and pressed his lips to Shane’s hungrily, both their bodies warming instantly from their shared expression of lo-
Yongguk heard the heavy sigh behind him before he felt the weight on his shoulder. By now, he really shouldn’t have been surprised to find Daehyun, the manager, chin on his shoulder to read over his phone with him.
“Don’t you just love a sappy porn plot?”
Embarrassed, Yongguk shrugged his shoulder harshly, knocking the other off, and quickly hid his phone back in his pocket safely. But when he looked back up, Daehyun had planted himself right next to him on the small little bench. It was hard to breathe with the manager’s face so close to his own, especially one that had an array of tiny hidden freckles sprinkled across his face (Not like Yongguk noticed, though).
Yongguk cleared his throat and craned his neck back, trying to gain some space between them. “Don’t you have anything better to do than make fun of me?” Yongguk honestly couldn’t remember how many times this was, when the manager had caught him doing something completely blush-worthy.
Daehyun only hummed, smiling wide at him for a moment before turning away and toward the playground. Yongguk breathed a sigh of relief after the eye contact was broken. His heart hurt from beating so fast (only from the embarrassment of course).
He watched out of the corner of his eye as the manager raked his eyes over the children playing, finally landing on the side of the ball pin, where Jongup was continuing to wrestle his new playmate.
“Himchan, play nice!” Yongguk’s neck snapped around quickly, staring wide eyed as the manager made disapproving motions toward the two boys. What-
“I’ll see you around, Yongguk.” And for the first time, it was Daehyun who left first, turning and almost strutting back inside, leaving Yongguk dazed and confused and just staring at his swaying ass.
Yongguk turned back in his seat, choosing not to notice the loud yelling and noises coming once again from his kid, and instead pulling back out his phone. Not even the strange manager could keep him from reading the end to this story.
“Will you still love me a hundred years from now?” River pressed his lips against Shane’s neck and hoped he couldn’t hear the rattle in his voice.
Shane smiled, callused fingers tilting the nervous boy’s chin up. “Till the sun stops shining.”
His lips never left River’s till the moon was high overhead, pale moonlight streaming into the open window.
And River knew that he was home for eternity.
Yongguk sat back with a comforted sigh. He knew the story would end happily (he only read stories tagged ‘fluff’ for a reason), but it was still a relief to see it through.
His phone vibrated with a text on the table.
I bet Shane gets tired of him in six months and sleeps with Billy the gardener.
The sender was just a bunch of numbers, no name, but the display picture was Daehyun’s face photoshopped onto a burly bare-chested cowboy.
He stared horrified through the window to see Daehyun’s grin as he leaned over the counter with his phone in his hands.
Yongguk was too mortified to respond and he was pretty sure his mouth was opening and closing like a fish.
Maybe we can read the next story together?
The second text was joined with a picture of Daehyun making a pouty face at the camera.
He looked back up and bit back a chuckle when Daehyun shoved his fists in his cheeks and stuck his bottom lip out.
I’m pretty sure you can be fired for taking a customer’s phone and doing devious things to it.
Daehyun’s cheeks reddened as he hastily typed a response back.
Are you going to tattle on me? A chivalrous man wouldn’t. Shane wouldn’t.
Yongguk was spared an answer by a lapful of curly hair and ketchup stained fingers. “Did you see me and Himchan in the ball pit? He was a shark and pretended to chase me and he even bit me with his sharp teeth!”
Jongup proudly held up an arm that was dotted with tiny blunt teeth imprints.
“You’re not supposed to do biting anymore, Jongup. We’ve talked about this.”
His son’s face crumpled and Yongguk hurriedly grabbed a handful of napkins in case he let loose with a full blown tantrum.
“But my principal told me that I can’t bite anyone anymore and I didn’t do the biting, Daddy! I promise!”
Daehyun was suddenly by their table, his face a dark storm cloud as he looked down at Jongup’s arm.
“You are in big trouble this time, Himchan!” He yanked the angelic faced boy out of the ball pit and threw Yongguk a quick apology as he dragged him behind the counter and towards the back of the store.
“Is that his son?” He asked Jongup, gathering up their food and stuffing the extra into the bag.
Jongup shook his head, still sniffling. “No, he’s Uncle Daehyun. Himchan says Uncle Daehyun babysits him until he gets off work and they go home. Himchan says Uncle Daehyun is the funnest Uncle in the world.” He blinked innocently up at his father as Yongguk wiped his dirty hands with a napkin. “Can he be my Uncle Daehyun, too?”
With a sputter that was becoming all too familiar, Yongguk muttered a curse and tugged his son out the door.
Later that night, long after Yongguk had worn Jongup out enough so that’d he sleep soundly for the rest of the night, Yongguk lay in bed staring wistfully at his phone screen. No more How to Train Your Cowboy. Yongguk closed his eyes, mentally saying goodbye to Shane and River, before lighting up his phone. Time for a new story.
Yongguk pulled up the page, automatically selecting his usual story necessities. Check for “fluff”, check for “in-progress”, and of course, check for “gay”.
Once he hit search, Yongguk leaned back, anticipating the selection, and he was happy to note the large amount of new stories that loaded up.
Yongguk raked his eyes over the titles, searching for something…different. For once, Yongguk didn’t want to read the normal fluffy gay plot line. He wanted something more…exciting than merely a simple office au. Or even a gay cruise line au (Yongguk can’t count the number of times he’s read about a romantic ship captain looking for a passenger to finally keep his heart afloat).
Yongguk’s thumb stilled on his touch screen at the sight of one particular title on the bottom of the first page.
Lovin’ It at McDonald’s
He choked, heart thrumming loudly in his throat and head spinning with images of tight green pants and a cocky smile, even as his finger reached out to click on the link. This WAS new, Yongguk reasoned, biting his lip in anticipation as the story began to fully appear.
Written by Kekemato
His phone buzzed in his hands, startling Yongguk enough for him to drop it in his sheet covered lap. As if knowing he was thinking about him, the photo shopped face leered up at him mockingly. Another text.
Find a new story yet, Cowboy Daddy?
Yongguk groaned: another embarrassing nickname to add to his already long list. He contemplated ignoring the text; after all he didn’t need to respond to the manager who put his contact info into his phone without asking. He didn’t owe him anything.
But then he remembered the new and open story waiting for him in another window, and for once, Yongguk was the one smirking.
Yeah. Yeah I did.
Yongguk quickly shut the chat window; reaching out to shut off his lap and worming his body lower into his sheets to get comfy, then bringing the internet back up.
Add to Reading List
---
Part Two
Rated: M
Length: 11.5K (both parts)
Author note: I co-wrote this as an EXO fic ages ago with someone who is no longer in the fandom. I really don't think she'd have a problem with me converting it to BAP though since she liked them, too.
Tuesday’s were Yongguk’s favorite and most despised day of the week. He had meetings all day with every section in his office and by the time he got off work he was tired and exhausted and right between his eyes there was a tiny spot that made his entire head feel like it was splintered like glass.
But he also got Jongup on Tuesdays and he had four hours to make his little boy understand that even though he didn’t get to see him every day that Daddy still loved him.
Too bad the little shit didn’t care.
“Let’s go to the playplace!” Jongup tugged on his hand the second he picked him up from school and pulled him up the street where Yongguk knew the nearest fast food restaurant was. “You promised you would take me last week and you didn’t.”
Yongguk patiently picked his son up and swung him over his back so that he could see better. “That’s because I wanted to cook supper for you, Uppie. We had a very nice evening together.”
“Your cooking tastes like Zelo’s butt.”
He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and frowned. “Who’s Zelo?”
“My puppy. And his butt looks like your cooking tastes.”
The throbbing between his eyes was back and he needed some Aspirin. “Fine.” He growled out, crossing the street and heading towards the golden arches in the distance. “We’ll go out to eat then.”
The smell of the fast food made his stomach queasy and he thought longingly of the chicken thawing in the fridge at home. “My cooking is a lot better than this crap.” He mumbled, holding the door open for his son.
“That’s the right attitude.” A chipper voice spoke up from the inside the door, startling him. He turned to see a shorter man in a manager’s uniform holding a giant bag of ketchup and fiddling with the machine against the wall. “This place only appeals to kids or fat people in my opinion.”
Yongguk helplessly watched his son run towards the giant jungle gym in the back of the store. “I didn’t think anyone would hear that.”
The dark haired boy leaned over the condiment stand to throw the old ketchup bag into the trash and Yongguk tried really hard not to notice the way his slacks pulled as he stretched. “Don’t worry about it.” He stood up straight again, eyes twinkling in amusement. “Did you come to order something or just to play?”
He realized he’d been standing there watching him refill the dispenser for the last few minutes and Yongguk stumbled over himself to make it to the counter, the other following him with a small chuckle.
Daehyun, the tag on the tiny boy’s shirt proclaimed his name along with an assortment of hamburger and fry stickers, poised a finger over the register and raised an eyebrow.
“A k-kid’s meal.” Yongguk fumbled in his back pocket for his wallet and tried really hard to keep eye contact averted while he ordered. Those eyes kept slanting at him in mischievous and it was starting to make him feel more awkward than normal. “And a water.”
The total 65 seconds it took (not that Yongguk was counting or anything) for the small order to be brought together and placed on the plastic tray in front of him was a lot more painful than it should have been. No matter where Yongguk looked or how well he pretended to play with his phone in his hands, he could still clearly see Daehyun in his vision, chuckling to himself. And at him, for good reason too. Yongguk liked to think that he wasn’t normally this socially inept and uncomfortable, or so he hoped at least.
In his last attempt at regaining any dignity from the short encounter, Yongguk reached out and grabbed the light tray with one arm, smoothly placing his other hand in his pocket. That’s it. Just be cool, Yongguk. He nodded at the food, as if he needed to personally check the simple order himself, and finally looked up to meet the eyes of the worker.
Or down at him. Seeing as Daehyun was now leant over the counter, weight on his elbows and hands cradling his face as he smirked up at Yongguk’s actions.
Yongguk’s show of confidence and charisma visibly shook, and he had to bring his second hand out up to help him with the tray at the sight. He quickly spun around, stumbling over his feet in his rush to get away from those glinting eyes and his own awkwardness as an effect.
Only once he finally sat down on one of the red and yellow tables next to the playground did Yongguk manage to catch his breath and slump down in his chair. So much for keeping it cool…
“Food!” The small table threatened to bend and break with the force from Jongup’s body as he launched himself toward his meal. Yongguk hastily grabbed the stack of napkins on the tray and pushed it into one of his already greasy hands, hoping that would at least save some part of his little body from getting messy. Two minutes later, Jongup was up and racing back toward the playground, shirt marked with ketchup and salt stains and still chewing parts in his eager little mouth. While the napkins lay unused on the table under Yongguk’s harsh frown. He sighed heavily and let his head fall on his arms, specifically avoiding the now unclean parts of the table. He was pretty sure his headache was going to become a permanent fixture by now.
But Tuesday’s were also good for another reason, on top of getting the chance to spend time with Jongup, just the two of them. Tuesday’s meant that his favorite author uploaded another chapter of their story online. Yongguk’s head shot up and he reached blindly for his phone in his pocket, tapping in the already familiar web address quickly. Today was suddenly looking up.
He waited impatiently for the website to sign him in and sat back with a happy sigh when the One New Update message showed up.
How to Train Your Cowboy was an in progress story that Yongguk had been salivating for the last three months over. Its plot was about an owner of a ranch who falls in love with his hired hand. Yongguk loved the slow, dramatic buildup of their relationship and this chapter was hopefully going to be the climax to three months of literary blue balls.
He took another glance towards the playground to make sure Jongup was playing nicely. When he saw his son sitting on the back of another boy and rubbing his face into the rubber playmat, he glanced around hoping no one else was paying attention.
Shane smiled softly as he took a step towards River. He reached up to take his cowboy hat off and River gulped at the sight of the dirty blonde hair that he had never seen fully uncovered before.
“You look nervous.”
River shook his head and grabbed Shane by his belt buckle, pulling him forwards so that his tight blue jeans were pressed against his own straining ones.
“I know you’ll take care of me.”
“Daddy!” Jongup’s excited screech had him dropping his phone onto the greasy table and he grimaced as he wiped it along his slacks. His son grabbed a handful of French fries and shoved them into his mouth, spitting crumbs all over Yongguk’s face as he babbled on about all the different hiding places the oversized jungle gym had. “I’m going to play hide and seek with Himchan and I’m It so he’s hiding!”
Yongguk looked behind him to see a bright-eyed little boy only a couple years older than Jongup rushing up the steps and disappearing into the tunnels. “That’s nice, Uppie. Go have fun and I’ll watch.”
Jongup snatched a nugget as he ran off, tripping over his feet and counting to ten before chasing after the other boy.
He waited a few cautionary minutes while he watched Jongup snake his way through the plastic tunnels and mesh walls, waving down at him every so often, before turning his attention back to his phone and the story he’d been waiting a whole week to read.
His lips tasted like whiskey and River knew he would never taste the bitter drink again without thinking of this exact moment, of Shane’s tongue claiming him for the rest of time.
“Gonna treat you right.” Shane whispered into his mouth as he pushed him backwards onto the rough straw bed.
“Make love to me.” River knew the words were clichéd but they said everything he needed to say and the possessive grab at his hips let him know Shane felt exactly-
“Do you need a refill?”
He looked up with a blank stare, his eyes taking a minute of focus to realize the manager, Daehyun, was standing at the side of his booth with another one of his knowing smirks in place.
“We normally have the customers do their own refills but you look… absorbed.”
It took a bit before the words actually cracked through his hazy thoughts about hay stack romps and jean overall burns to fully sink into Yongguk’s head. But when they did, Yongguk jumped in his seat, knocking his overgrown legs up against the hard table and clutching the phone tightly to his chest (In a completely non-feminine way, of course).
“I don’t…I don’t need….what?”
Yongguk stared wide eyed as Daehyun merely tsked, reaching over his curled up body to grab the paper cup from in front of him. “You just stay put. I’ll get you some more water.”
Tongue still frozen, Yongguk could only watch, his lip buried beneath his teeth nervously, as the guy made his way to the door of the play area. Breathe, Yongguk, breathe. He couldn’t possibly have seen what you were reading. Just relax.
Daehyun came back with the kiddie sized cup a minute later to Yongguk in the same stilled position, and Yongguk didn’t have to look to know that the other was grinning once again.
The cup was placed silently next to him, and Yongguk really tried to not flinch when Daehyun brushed his arm that held his phone, he really did. But luckily, if Daehyun noticed, he didn’t mention anything.
And for a brief moment, Yongguk thought he really was in the clear. That this guy who, strangely enough, had started a habit of popping up to embarrass Yongguk the most, hadn’t just caught him reading erotic literary porn from his cell phone.
Yongguk held his breath as the manager pulled away, straightening up tall and wiping his hands nonchalantly on his dark green work pants, before smiling down innocently at him. Much. Too. Innocently.
“Drink up. You don’t want a dry throat when Shane finally gives River his leather enclosed D.”
Yongguk really didn’t think this would be the low point of his day. He figured that spot would go to the one of the several meetings he had earlier, or even the part during his lunch break where he accidently spilt his sandwich in his lap. But not this. Not him hunched over a plastic kid’s table, his face red and wheezing uncontrollably as the McDonald’s manager whacked at his back calmly.
This was definitely a new low.
It was brownie points to his horrible day really, the fact that Yongguk managed to merely knock over two full tables and only one little girl on his way out the door, Jongup tugging angrily at his arm in an effort to escape.
“No, Daddy! I don’t want to leave yet! I want to keep playing with Himchan!”
Yongguk hushed the boy with a kiss, placing him quickly into the back of a taxi before buckling him up. “Daddy’s tired, Jongup. We can come back another day, okay?”
Another day, when Daehyun the manager WASN’T working.
Yongguk sat stiffly as the taxi pulled out of the lot beside the McDonald's, shoulders down and eyes focused straight ahead, in an attempt to not look in to see that knowing smile through the windows.
And Yongguk pretended that it worked.
---
“Come on, Jongup.” He knocked on the door for the fourth time that hour and begged his son to unlock it and come out. “I’m sorry we had to leave early. I had forgotten that… That I left the stove on!”
“Liar!” Jongup kicked the other side of the door, his high-pitched voice even screechier than normal in his anger. “You’re a big jerk and I hate you!”
Yongguk winced at the familiar words thrown at him through closed doors. It had only been a few years since Jongup’s mother had done the same thing. “I only get to see you once a week and I would like to spend it together and not with you being angry at me. Do you think you can come out and watch a movie with me and then when we’re finished you can be angry again?”
The door cracked open and his son’s floppy messy hair (that was way overdue for a cut, Yongguk noticed) appeared. One tiny eye peered at him through the slit. “Can I go to bed angry?”
“Super angry.”
The door opened a little bit wider. “Can I call you a poop head?”
“I… I guess?”
“Okay!” Jongup bounced out of his room and ran towards the couch, flopping onto the other side. “I want to watch How to Train Your Dragon!”
The movie title made Yongguk gasp in shock, his hands desperately patting his pockets as the realization that he didn’t have his phone slowly dawned on him. “Oh fuck.”
Jongup turned around, his mouth dropped all the way open. “You said a bad word! You said a really, really bad word! Mama stuck a bar of soap in my mouth when I said that! She said five year olds can only say poop!”
He raced towards his house phone and fumbled with the phone book trying to find the McDonald’s phone number as quickly as possible.
“Thank you for calling McDonald’s! How may I help you today!” The voice on the other end was annoyingly chipper, but it was the wrong gender.
“I left my phone!” He was worried he was going to tear the phone in half from the tight grip he had on it, but he was too stiff to loosen up. “I was there and I left and my phone and I-“
“Sir?” The voice now sounded worried for his mental stability. “Don’t worry, we found your phone.”
He breathed a sigh of relief and opened his mouth to thank her and tell her that he would be right there to pick it up when she spoke up again.
“Our manager found it right before his shift ended. He took it home for safekeeping and said to tell the owner he would bring it back tomorrow. He works from six to four.”
His life was over.
“Daddy? Why is your skin green?”
---
After dropping Jongup off at school, Yongguk tepidly stepped foot into the McDonald’s. He hoped he could get right in and right out without any teasing or mortifying moments.
“Howdy!”
Dig a hole and bury him in it.
It was starting to become a habit: Yongguk ending up red in the face and stumbling over his words as the manager just stood and smirked. It was irritating, but most of all, fucking embarrassing.
But Yongguk needed his phone. It was bad enough that the guy caught him reading one of his stories in a children’s play place of all places, he for sure didn’t need to see all of the similarly plotted sites saved on his phone’s reading list. No, one embarrassing literature exposure was enough.
Yongguk stuck out his hand, wiggling his fingers impatiently (perhaps if he didn’t speak, he could avoid any more humiliating experiences).
Daehyun looked across the counter at the hand, leaning down to peer into his palm before glancing up with a wink. “Whatcha gonna do with that hand there, partner.”
As if burned, Yongguk yanked his hand back, hissing audibly, even taking a step back from him. Running a hand through his hair, he switched tactics. Claiming his most demanding and powerful company meeting voice, Yongguk spoke up. “Where’s my phone?” Short and smooth, Bang, short and smooth.
But Daehyun just snorted. “What? Are you worried about what I’ll find on it?”
You’re in a public place you’re in a public place you’re in a public place. “Listen, can I just get it back?”
“Ah, that’s right; you left before you could read the best part of Shane and River’s love affair!”
The growl that escaped Yongguk’s chest surprised them both, more so for Yongguk himself, and he stood there patting his throat worriedly even while Daehyun seemed to have recovered enough to give his usual cheeky grin.
“Alright, alright,” patting his pockets, Daehyun brought out Yongguk’s phone, bringing it out in front of him. He sighed dramatically, looking down at the device almost fondly, prompting Yongguk to reach over and grab it from his hands protectively.
“Thanks”, Yongguk mumbled softly, busy hurriedly checking the unanswered messages and calls he found at first glance. Work. Work. Mom. Work. Work.
Without looking up again, Yongguk turned to leave, only to be stopped by a tug on his sleeve. Daehyun poked his side and eyed his phone. “Maybe you should watch where you read that kind of stuff.”
Especially when you’re in the McDonald’s playpen with your kid. Yongguk heard the unspoken words and flushed vividly, pulling away from Daehyun’s grasp, muttering under his breath.
“You’re cheeky, aren’t you…”
Daehyun’s reply kept his head spinning the rest of his day. “Yeah…but you probably like that, huh.”
Yongguk opened the exit door, hoping once again, even as he heard a whistled country tune from behind him mockingly, that this would be the last time he’d have to go through this situation again.
---
“BUT YOU PROMISED YOU’D TAKE ME BACK YOU PROMISED YOU PROMISED YOU PROMISED!” Jongup held onto the bike railing outside of his school and screamed until his cheeks were red and they had a crowd of judging mothers surrounding them. “Himchan promised he’d come back next Tuesday and it’s next Tuesday and I want to play!”
He could feel his blood pressure rising and he promised never to spank his son but if he didn’t calm his ass down right now then-
“If you love me you wouldn’t lie to me.”
His shoulders slumped at the broken words sobbed against his leg and he didn’t even care that Jongup had come out of school covered in glue and face smeared with remnants of his lunch. He had promised they’d go back later and to a five year old that meant the next time they were together.
Disappointing his boy wasn’t worth saving himself from embarrassment.
“Yippee ki yo ki yay!”
Jongup’s hands came up to cover his mouth. “I want to be a cowboy like that man! Can I be a cowboy, Daddy!”
Daehyun formed his hands into gun shapes and aimed them at Jongup. “Gimme all your money and I’ll give you a kid’s meal.”
Yongguk wondered if the manager was a demon sent from hell to test him.
“Go on and play. I’ll get your meal and meet you out there.” He waited until Jongup had disappeared through the doors before turning back to Daehyun and forcing a serene expression on his face. “I want a kid’s meal and a water, please.” He threw a bill on the counter and grabbed the cups out of Daehyun’s hands. “That should cover it. Keep the change.”
Yongguk was quite proud of the amount of dignity he kept as he sauntered towards the drink station. He calmly filled Jongup’s lemonade and his water cup and moved to head into the play area to set their drinks down. Just as he turned to go back for the food he groaned internally at the sight of Daehyun jauntily heading towards him with his tray.
“Customer service at its best!” He grinned, showcasing a bright smile that Yongguk hadn’t noticed before now.
River closes his eyes when he smiles, too, his brain whispered to him.
No, he didn’t want to ever put River and Daehyun in the same sentence. River was gentle and kind and put his life on hold to help Shane with the ranch when Shane’s father died. Even though he was only supposed to work two months just until the ranch got back on its feet he ended up staying six and they slowly fell in love and it was beautiful and romantic.
Daehyun winked and pretended to crack a whip his direction.
That asshole manager was nothing even remotely close to his ideal man like River Callowell.
Once Daehyun had left him alone (after pretending to gallop away), Yongguk drank half his water in one gulp and thought long and hard about whether or not to pull his phone back out of his pocket.
The new chapter of How to Train Your Cowboy was out and the author had already informed them it would be the last and Yongguk was dying to read the epilogue.
Yongguk glanced up, catching the manager’s eye as he pretended to tip his imaginary cowboy hat in his direction. Honestly, it couldn’t get any worse.
Fully decided, Yongguk looked up quickly to check on Jongup’s whereabouts (once again plastered to that other little kid by the ball pin) before grabbing his phone and immersing himself back into the romantic stable universe.
River smiled dreamily, looking up at the bright stars in the sky as he nuzzled close to Shane in the rocking chair. “It’s so beautiful.”
Shane hummed, reaching down to run his hands down River’s jean clad thighs softly. “Not as beautiful as you.”
Gasping happily, River turned slightly and pressed his lips to Shane’s hungrily, both their bodies warming instantly from their shared expression of lo-
Yongguk heard the heavy sigh behind him before he felt the weight on his shoulder. By now, he really shouldn’t have been surprised to find Daehyun, the manager, chin on his shoulder to read over his phone with him.
“Don’t you just love a sappy porn plot?”
Embarrassed, Yongguk shrugged his shoulder harshly, knocking the other off, and quickly hid his phone back in his pocket safely. But when he looked back up, Daehyun had planted himself right next to him on the small little bench. It was hard to breathe with the manager’s face so close to his own, especially one that had an array of tiny hidden freckles sprinkled across his face (Not like Yongguk noticed, though).
Yongguk cleared his throat and craned his neck back, trying to gain some space between them. “Don’t you have anything better to do than make fun of me?” Yongguk honestly couldn’t remember how many times this was, when the manager had caught him doing something completely blush-worthy.
Daehyun only hummed, smiling wide at him for a moment before turning away and toward the playground. Yongguk breathed a sigh of relief after the eye contact was broken. His heart hurt from beating so fast (only from the embarrassment of course).
He watched out of the corner of his eye as the manager raked his eyes over the children playing, finally landing on the side of the ball pin, where Jongup was continuing to wrestle his new playmate.
“Himchan, play nice!” Yongguk’s neck snapped around quickly, staring wide eyed as the manager made disapproving motions toward the two boys. What-
“I’ll see you around, Yongguk.” And for the first time, it was Daehyun who left first, turning and almost strutting back inside, leaving Yongguk dazed and confused and just staring at his swaying ass.
Yongguk turned back in his seat, choosing not to notice the loud yelling and noises coming once again from his kid, and instead pulling back out his phone. Not even the strange manager could keep him from reading the end to this story.
“Will you still love me a hundred years from now?” River pressed his lips against Shane’s neck and hoped he couldn’t hear the rattle in his voice.
Shane smiled, callused fingers tilting the nervous boy’s chin up. “Till the sun stops shining.”
His lips never left River’s till the moon was high overhead, pale moonlight streaming into the open window.
And River knew that he was home for eternity.
Yongguk sat back with a comforted sigh. He knew the story would end happily (he only read stories tagged ‘fluff’ for a reason), but it was still a relief to see it through.
His phone vibrated with a text on the table.
I bet Shane gets tired of him in six months and sleeps with Billy the gardener.
The sender was just a bunch of numbers, no name, but the display picture was Daehyun’s face photoshopped onto a burly bare-chested cowboy.
He stared horrified through the window to see Daehyun’s grin as he leaned over the counter with his phone in his hands.
Yongguk was too mortified to respond and he was pretty sure his mouth was opening and closing like a fish.
Maybe we can read the next story together?
The second text was joined with a picture of Daehyun making a pouty face at the camera.
He looked back up and bit back a chuckle when Daehyun shoved his fists in his cheeks and stuck his bottom lip out.
I’m pretty sure you can be fired for taking a customer’s phone and doing devious things to it.
Daehyun’s cheeks reddened as he hastily typed a response back.
Are you going to tattle on me? A chivalrous man wouldn’t. Shane wouldn’t.
Yongguk was spared an answer by a lapful of curly hair and ketchup stained fingers. “Did you see me and Himchan in the ball pit? He was a shark and pretended to chase me and he even bit me with his sharp teeth!”
Jongup proudly held up an arm that was dotted with tiny blunt teeth imprints.
“You’re not supposed to do biting anymore, Jongup. We’ve talked about this.”
His son’s face crumpled and Yongguk hurriedly grabbed a handful of napkins in case he let loose with a full blown tantrum.
“But my principal told me that I can’t bite anyone anymore and I didn’t do the biting, Daddy! I promise!”
Daehyun was suddenly by their table, his face a dark storm cloud as he looked down at Jongup’s arm.
“You are in big trouble this time, Himchan!” He yanked the angelic faced boy out of the ball pit and threw Yongguk a quick apology as he dragged him behind the counter and towards the back of the store.
“Is that his son?” He asked Jongup, gathering up their food and stuffing the extra into the bag.
Jongup shook his head, still sniffling. “No, he’s Uncle Daehyun. Himchan says Uncle Daehyun babysits him until he gets off work and they go home. Himchan says Uncle Daehyun is the funnest Uncle in the world.” He blinked innocently up at his father as Yongguk wiped his dirty hands with a napkin. “Can he be my Uncle Daehyun, too?”
With a sputter that was becoming all too familiar, Yongguk muttered a curse and tugged his son out the door.
Later that night, long after Yongguk had worn Jongup out enough so that’d he sleep soundly for the rest of the night, Yongguk lay in bed staring wistfully at his phone screen. No more How to Train Your Cowboy. Yongguk closed his eyes, mentally saying goodbye to Shane and River, before lighting up his phone. Time for a new story.
Yongguk pulled up the page, automatically selecting his usual story necessities. Check for “fluff”, check for “in-progress”, and of course, check for “gay”.
Once he hit search, Yongguk leaned back, anticipating the selection, and he was happy to note the large amount of new stories that loaded up.
Yongguk raked his eyes over the titles, searching for something…different. For once, Yongguk didn’t want to read the normal fluffy gay plot line. He wanted something more…exciting than merely a simple office au. Or even a gay cruise line au (Yongguk can’t count the number of times he’s read about a romantic ship captain looking for a passenger to finally keep his heart afloat).
Yongguk’s thumb stilled on his touch screen at the sight of one particular title on the bottom of the first page.
Lovin’ It at McDonald’s
He choked, heart thrumming loudly in his throat and head spinning with images of tight green pants and a cocky smile, even as his finger reached out to click on the link. This WAS new, Yongguk reasoned, biting his lip in anticipation as the story began to fully appear.
Written by Kekemato
His phone buzzed in his hands, startling Yongguk enough for him to drop it in his sheet covered lap. As if knowing he was thinking about him, the photo shopped face leered up at him mockingly. Another text.
Find a new story yet, Cowboy Daddy?
Yongguk groaned: another embarrassing nickname to add to his already long list. He contemplated ignoring the text; after all he didn’t need to respond to the manager who put his contact info into his phone without asking. He didn’t owe him anything.
But then he remembered the new and open story waiting for him in another window, and for once, Yongguk was the one smirking.
Yeah. Yeah I did.
Yongguk quickly shut the chat window; reaching out to shut off his lap and worming his body lower into his sheets to get comfy, then bringing the internet back up.
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Part Two