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Joshua is late. It’s nothing new for him, even more so given that he had to get Chan ready, and for some reason, the kid woke up today ready to wreak havoc, tearing his room apart looking for his best clothes and screaming around as if he’d just had a whole bottle of ice cream.
In hindsight, he should have seen the chaos coming. The second Seungkwan told him he and Hansol had an emergency and couldn’t take Chan to a library event he’d been looking forward to since forever he should have known something was off. None of the times before where he had to take care of Chan at the last minute ended well; like the time he puked on his boss' office or when he turned his ex-boyfriend’s favorite shirt into a scarf. Last minute Chan-time was never a good time.
And now he was late, and though he wasn’t sure if it was a big deal to be late to a library event, it didn’t help the bad feeling he had at the bottom of his stomach.
“Uncle Joshua,” Chan called as they were one street away from the library and a whole hour late, while he carried a whole five year old.
“What? I told you to call me hyung.”
“Daddy scolded me last time.”
“Who cares about him?”
“I’m telling him you said that.”
“You snitch!”
“I’m telling him that too!”
“Oh my god, what do you want?”
“Do you know Jun-hyung?”
Joshua slowed down as he came to a stop in front of the library, and he let out a breath of relief as he put Chan down.
“Yes, I think I’ve heard enough.”
Wen Junhui was Chan’s favourite book author since last month, and ever since Joshua himself bought him a book from him as a birthday gift he hadn’t shut up about it a single day. He didn’t even have the rest of the book of the series (Joshua promised to buy them in the next special occasion), he just likes the one book and won’t stop talking about it. Not satisfied with that, he’s also been quite obsessed with the author of said book and meeting him in this library event ever since it was announced, so Joshua has heard enough of Junhui for a lifetime.
“Ok, but did you know he won an award in China for the book you gave me?”
“Yes.”
“And did you know—?”
“Hey, look!”
He pushed the crystal door and pointed to a group of children gathered in the play area as they watched a puppet show sitting in a semi-circle on the floor. Chan cut his words off as he dashed towards the group and pushed a couple of kids until he was at the front. Joshua smiled apologetically to the parents that looked at him judgingly, and he walked to the nearest chair to watch the show begrudgingly.
The play was more entertaining than he thought. It seemed to follow the same characters as the book: A bear that befriended a fish in the river and learned the secrets of life in the water in exchange for worms. The humor was very obviously catered to kids, but Joshua found himself laughing along and actually enjoying the performance. Whoever was behind that booth was very talented and seemed to pour all his heart into his work.
The show ended with a fish talking to a worm before eating it and going underwater after saying goodbye, and Joshua clapped along with the kids once it was done. He saw movement behind the booth before a man stood up and he held his breath.
All along, behind that booth, was the man of his dreams.
A tall man around his age stood, with soft features and a lopsided smile, brown hair ruffled from the work behind the scenes. He remained stunned for a couple of seconds before the man started speaking.
“Okay, little ones, did you like the show?”
The children agreed enthusiastically and the man started asking them their favourite scenes and what they would do in the characters place.
“Uncle Joshua, close your mouth, there’s flies around!”
He sealed his mouth shut and frowned at Chan, who was looking at him with a mischievous smile.
“You brat.”
“That’s Jun-hyung, by the way,” Chan said, climbing the chair and settling in Joshua’s lap, “Can we go say hi after?”
Joshua thought it over for a second, not sure if he was ready to face an attractive man at that moment. He was about to deny Chan’s request, when he heard Jun’s voice again.
“Okay, friends, it seems like we’ve reached the end of the event. As a final activity, I’m going to give away my last book to one of you.”
“Uncle, I want it!” Chan grabbed his shirt and shook him violently (as much as a five year old was capable of).
“Calm down and listen to the instructions.”
“Each one of you will give me a number from one to thirty and whoever guesses the number I’m about to write down, gets the book.”
Jun took a notebook out of his pocket and wrote something on the first page, his tongue poking out in focus.
Cute.
“Okay! Let’s begin.”
As Jun went through each kid (and some parents in the case of the ones that didn’t know the numbers yet), Chan held onto his neck as he asked Joshua to say a good number. When Jun finally reached him, he hadn’t thought of a number yet, nor had he heard the numbers said.
Damn it.
“You?” Jun pointed at him with a sweet smile, and suddenly he felt as nervous as Chan.
“Uhmmm…” he looked around for a couple of seconds before saying Hansol’s lucky number. “Seventeen?”
“Oh?” Jun seemed genuinely surprised and looked down at his notebook. “That’s right.”
He turned over to show the page, and the “17” was scribbled with bright red in the middle of the page. He let out a breath of relief as Chan jumped out of his hold to go for the book. Jun smiled brightly as he gave it to him, and Joshua stood up to thank Jun.
“Thank you, he won’t shut up about this the rest of the year.”
Jun laughed softly, and Joshua’s heart did a summersault at the gesture. Chan came back to Joshua to show him the book with a grin and he congratulated him as he heard Jun’s closing words in the background.
The rest of the kids went to their parents and they stayed a bit as Chan tore the plastic to see the book inside.
“It’s Jong, the bear! He’s the main character!”
“I know, kid.”
“And Woo, the fish. He’s the best fish in the river, he’s never been caught.”
“Isn’t that a little unfair on the rest of the fish? It wasn’t their fault to get caught.”
“That’s what Jong said!”
Joshua looked at Chan fondly as he passed the pages and the people around them started to leave the store. He was about to leave too, when Chan talked again.
“Can we go talk to Jun-hyung?”
“Oh, we shouldn’t bother him—”
“He’s there!”
Before Joshua could stop him, Chan was running to a near table where Jun seemed to be talking to the library staff. He slapped his face and let out a groan as he prepared himself to apologize profusely.
He stood up and went up to the table with a grimace, but Jun seemed to be more than pleased as Chan chatted happily with him.
“I think Jong is even better than Spiderman.”
“Oh! That’s an honour. Isn’t Spiderman very cool?”
“Yes! But Jong is cooler.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. What’s your name?”
“I’m Chan. And this uncle is Joshua.”
Jun looked up at him and Joshua felt himself blush like a teenager. He needed to get his shit together.
“Hi.”
“Hey!” He responded lamely (probably).
“Uncle Joshua knows how to speak Chinese!”
“Oh, really?” Jun looked at him with an eyebrow raised and Joshua laughed nervously.
“Just a little.”
“He speaks Chinese on the phone all the time!” Chan seems completely oblivious to Joshua’s mortification, contrary to Jun, who seems very amused by the interaction.
“I believe you.”
“Uhm—” Joshua started not sure what to say, but having a sudden impulse to lead the conversation. “Could you sign him the book? It would mean a lot.”
“Of course.”
“Can you write ‘to the best kid in the entire world’?” Chan asked as he leaned forward on the table, his legs dangling on the border.
“But are you?” Jun questioned with a smile.
“Of course! I'm Korea's future.”
Jun let out a full laugh at that as he took out the same red pen from before from his pocket.
“Did your parents tell you that?”
“Yes!”
“Well, they’re right.”
Chan smiled, satisfied, his eyes glued to the book while Jun signed it. A couple seconds later he talked again.
“You look like Uncle Joshua’s type.”
Joshua felt his whole face warm up as Jun stopped and looked up from the book at Chan’s statement. Joshua wished the ground would open up and swallow him.
He wanted to run, to deny Chan’s statement, but the only thing his brain prompted him to do was laugh, a loud sound as he made a dismissive hand gesture. Jun only looked at him with an eyebrow raised.
“It’s true! Daddy says Uncle Joshua likes tall, pretty boys with brown hair and brown eyes.”
Well, that could be anyone.
“And Dad says all of Uncle Joshua’s exes are creative writers so he has a type!”
“Why are your parents telling you all this stuff?” Joshua said with a groan and he looked at Jun apologetically. “I’m so sorry.”
“No worries.” Jun shook his head with a smile that seemed closer to a smirk, and Joshua really needed to get out of there.
“They didn’t tell me, I listen when they think I don’t.”
“That’s not okay, Chan-ah.” Joshua scolded and he grabbed Chan in his arm to prevent him from continuing talking.
He should have known it wouldn’t work.
“Also I saw your face when Jun-hyung came out of the booth. It’s the same face my Daddy makes when he sees Dad.”
“Okay, that’s enough, Chan-ah, no ice cream if you keep talking.”
“That’s not fair!”
Joshua looked back at Jun, who went back to signing the book, and he was full on giggling.
Oh, God, please have mercy.
“I’m so sorry, he has no filter whatsoever.”
“That’s kids for you.” Jun said as he extended the closed book to him.
“You have?” he said, because he apparently also didn’t know how to shut his stupid mouth.
“I have what?”
“Children.”
“Not of my own.” Jun tilted his head and looked at him with a playful smile. “No boyfriend either.”
Joshua blinked several times until the words processed in his brain.
Oh.
“That’s great.” Joshua said with a laugh, and then shook his head quickly. “I mean, unless you want one, then, good luck?”
He really, really needed to shut up.
“Uncle, I’m tired.” Chan moaned and Joshua sighed as he settled him on his arms.
“I have to go.” He looked at Jun with a soft smile, “Thank you for signing the book”
“No problem.”
Joshua started walking towards the door when he heard Jun’s voice behind him.
“See you later, Joshua!”
He looked back and waved as he exited the store. He put Chan back on the floor as he thought Jun’s words over.
See you later? But how?
He decided to open the book and read the note to look for a hint of what that sentence meant.
“To the best boy on the planet, hope you’re never afraid of being you.
From Jun, Jong and Woo”
He noticed a phone number in the corner of the page and just below it, a text in chinese.
“And this is for Joshua. See you soon!”
He smiled, his blood rushing to his cheeks as he closed the book. Maybe the embarrassment was worth it.
“Uncle Joshua, can we go for ice cream?”
Joshua looked down at Chan, with his innocent face, as if he didn’t do anything wrong (and maybe he didn’t, after all), and Joshua smiled at him, genuine and fond.
“Let’s go.”