Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Daddy! What about my valentines?” Sora asked.  

Jaeyoon froze. They were already going to be late. Was he supposed to have valentines for her to take to kindergarten? He hadn’t seen any in her overnight bag, and Jiah hadn’t said anything to him about it when she’d dropped her off before leaving on her trip.   

He crouched down and helped her put her arms into the backpack. “I’m sorry sweetie, I didn’t know you needed any.”  

“We’re supposed to give one to everyone,” she informed him, “so that no one feels lonely on Valentine’s Day. Do you feel lonely Daddy?”  

Jaeyoon's heart melted at her concern, “No baby, you’re my valentine.” He pulled her into a big hug, “You know what, I'll go get some valentines and bring them to your school to pass out, okay? But we need to hurry, or you'll miss the bus.  

Sora beamed at him, as he took her hand and led her out the door.  

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jaeyoon muttered to himself as he surveyed the picked over displays. He could just imagine the cause of this destruction – children of all ages swarming from the school to snatch up all the merchandise, leaving only the worst of the worst.   

He picked up the package of bug valentines remaining on the shelf. The idea could have worked if it had been cute cartoon ladybugs and butterflies, but no, some brilliant person had decided to make valentines with photorealistic cockroaches and slugs. There was no way he was showing up to Sora’s class with these monstrosities. He put it back on the shelf next to a cement truck valentine with a grimace.   

Wandering further down the aisle, he paused in front of a sheet of heart stickers. Well, it’s better than nothing , he decided. Jaeyoon grabbed the stickers and few other things and took them to the cashier.  

“Find what you were looking for?” the middle-aged lady asked pleasantly.  

Jaeyoon gave a non-committal shrug, “It’ll do. I guess I know to plan better next year.”  

She smiled sympathetically and passed the bag over the counter. “Whoever it’s for, I’m sure it will be fine. No one can be upset with a face like yours.”  

She says to the divorced dad with no social life, Jaeyoon thought with a smile and a wave of ‘thank you,’ as he headed out the door.  

“I’m sorry, I can’t let you have it,” the school secretary said.  

“But I need to know who to make these valentines out to,” Jaeyoon insisted, “I didn’t know she needed them, and now I have to make them from scratch and don’t even know the names of her classmates.”  

“It’s policy. We can’t let a list of student names out into the public. There could be any number of sensitive family situations that could be impacted.”  

Jaeyoon deflated. After everything he had gone through, now this.  

The secretary’s face softened. “Here, I’ll let you sit in the lunchroom to make your valentines and I’ll see what we can work out.  

She put a sign up indicating that she was gone and gestured for him to follow her.  

The lunchroom was not optimal, Jaeyoon quickly realized, but he was grateful for the accommodation. The child-sized chairs and tables forced him to hunch over as he cut cards out of the colored construction paper he’d bought at the store. He wasn’t exactly sure how many students were in Sora’s class, but better safe than sorry, he decided as he lined up the two dozen finished shapes in rows. It wasn’t his best work, but then he’d never been great with arts and crafts.  

“I hear someone is in need of a knight in shining armor.”  

Jaeyoon looked up, startled, as he noticed the man who’d crept up on him. He appeared well-built under the soft blue sweater and slim-fit black trousers and carrying a box. His mouth formed an amused smirk, and laughing eyes sparkled at him through rounded spectacles.  

“I guess you could say that” he agreed, “this isn’t exactly my wheelhouse.” Jaeyoon waved his hand towards the unfinished scraps of paper.  

“Good thing it’s mine,” the man dropped into the seat across from him and placed his load on the table. “I’m Sanghyuk, resident arts teacher. So, what are we working with?”  

Jaeyoon gave a grateful smile, introduced himself, and showed him the stickers and decorative edge scissors he’d collected at the shop. “I didn’t know what else to do. I just wanted my daughter to have something nice to hand out, and there was nothing.”  

“No worries,” Sanghyuk reached over and squeezed his hand, “we’ve got this.” He reached into the box and pulled out glue sticks, gel pens, and jars of glitter.  

A wave of relief swept over Jaeyoon, as Sanghyuk took control of the situation. A swirl of color here, a dab of glue and swipe of glitter there, and Jaeyoon’s sad uneven rectangles of construction paper started looking like works of art.   

“I don’t get it. I did it exactly the way you did,” Jaeyoon frowned at the one valentine he’d completed next to the six Sanghyuk had done in the same amount of time.   

The art teacher leaned over and inspected his work.  

“It’s not bad,” he declared, “I think you’re just trying too hard. You need to loosen up and let the art flow through you.”  

“And how am I supposed to do that?”   

Sanghyuk straightened up and shifted his gaze directly to Jaeyoon. It could only have been a few moments, but it felt like an eternity that he stared at him, silent and contemplative, until Jaeyoon began to squirm under the scrutiny.   

“What?” he finally demanded.  

“You have something on your nose,” Sanghyuk informed him.  

Jaeyoon looked down, trying to see down his own nose.  

Sanghyuk snorted in amusement.  

“Hey!” Jaeyoon admonished, his face burning with humiliation.  

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it,” Sanghyuk reached over and brushed his thumb across the side of his nose.   

Jaeyoon’s breath caught in his chest. The unexpected touch had left a tingling sensation in its wake that sent a shiver down his spine. He scrubbed at the spot with his fist, trying to erase his shame.   

It had been a long time since he’d felt this way around another guy, hell, with anyone for that matter. Even with Sora’s mom, it had just felt safe. Sanghyuk did not feel safe. The soft kindergarten-art-teacher-look seemed almost like a costume now, meant to disarm and distract from the wearer’s true intentions. But what were Sanghyuk’s intentions? He lifted his eyes to see a self-satisfied smile spread across Sanghyuk’s face.  

“What is it?” he inquired.  

“Nothing,” Sanghyuk shook his head and returned his attention to his craft.  

Jaeyoon followed his lead and reached for another piece of paper. The real answer to his question revealed itself as he noticed the glitter smeared across his hand – glitter that had not been there before rubbing his nose.   

“Then what is this?” He lifted his hand to show Sanghyuk.  

“Art.” Sanghyuk replied smugly.  

“Ah, I see,” Jaeyoon picked up a jar of glitter and took a pinch off the top. He could play this same game. “So, all I need to do to create art is this?”   

He reached across the table, but Sanghyuk was quicker, jumping back out of his chair. Jaeyoon’s leg caught in the tight space between the tiny chair and table, as he tried to follow, tripping him and sending him sprawling on the floor.  

“Are you okay?” Sanghyuk popped into his line of sight from above.  

Jaeyoon smiled at the appearance of real concern on the teacher’s face. “I don’t think I’m cut out to be an artist,” he joked, accepting the offered hand and getting back up on his feet.   

“Mmm, I don’t think you have to be. Remember they’re just Kindergartners. At this age they'll like anything they’re given.”  

“Vegetables?” Jaeyoon pointed out the obvious flaw in his statement.  

“Okay, anything with glitter,” Sanghyuk amended.  

Glitter. “How bad is it?” Jaeyoon gestured at himself with a wave of his hand.  

Sanghyuk gave him a lookover. “You know those hot Twilight vampires?”  

Jaeyoon’s face fell.  

“Oh God, no!” Sanghyuk interjected, “You don’t look like that – that was just an example of how much worse it could be.” He caught hold of Jaeyoon’s arm and pulled him toward the kitchen, “Don’t worry, I’ll fix it.”  

“Where have I heard that before?” Jaeyoon laughed, following the pull on his arm. Whatever this feeling was that was blooming in his chest, he wasn’t ready to stop feeling it. Sanghyuk intrigued him. He exuded an appearance of confidence that Jaeyoon could only imagine feeling. The fact that this man was giving any amount of his time to helping him with this little project, made him feel special.  

Sanghyuk grabbed a paper towel and wet it under the faucet. Hopping up on the counter, he pulled Jaeyoon closer and began wiping the glitter off his face.   

The closeness took Jaeyoon’s breath away, as he suddenly found himself looking up at the shorter man. The way Sanghyuk was biting his lower lip in concentration was distracting. Jaeyoon gripped the countertop tight while his face was being cleaned, trying not to slip up and touch the man’s thighs resting mere centimeters from his hands. He didn’t need this right now. I mean, this was his daughter’s teacher for goodness' sake.   

“I think we should get back to the cards,” he pulled away finally, putting some distance between them.  

“Sure, I probably got everything I could anyway,” Sanghyuk slid off the counter, “but if you shed glitter for the next couple days, don’t blame me.”  

“Don’t blame you? You put the glitter there in the first place.”  

“Only the nose, the rest was all you.” Sanghyuk dropped the soggy paper towel in the waste basket and followed him back to the table.  

Jaeyoon reset the chair and sat down – more carefully this time.  

“We have enough now,” Sanghyuk declared, “There are only ten in each class, so pick the ones that you want. I’ll add the names.”  

Jaeyoon surveyed their work and lined them up in order of best to worst. While Sanghyuk carefully printed the names of each of Sora’s classmates on the cards, he cleaned up the mess on the table, wondering what had happened back there in the kitchen. Had Sanghyuk been trying to get a reaction out of him or was that just the way he normally behaved? Whatever it was, he had to admit that he liked it. He looked back up at Sanghyuk. Damn, the man was hot, and those lips – he really wanted to give them a trial run.   

“Well, are you ready?” Sanghyuk licked his lips.  

“Wha-what?” Jaeyoon’s mouth went dry. Was this really happening?  

Sanghyuk stood up. “Time to deliver some valentines.”  

Twin waves of disappointment and relief washed over Jaeyoon, as he followed him out of the lunchroom, through the corridors to Sora’s classroom. Sanghyuk waved her teacher over and quickly explained the situation.  

“Daddy!”   

Jaeyoon swung Sora up in his arms and hugged her, “I’ve got your valentines, baby.”   

Sora’s eyes grew wide at the sight of the cards, “Did you make all those?”  

“I had a little help,” Jaeyoon laughed.  

Sora turned to Sanghyuk, “Teacher Lee, isn’t my daddy pretty?” she asked, squishing his cheeks between her tiny hands.  

Sanghyuk’s ears turned a delightful shade of pink.   

Cute.  

“Hey baby, why don’t you go back to class and hand out your valentines. I’ll see you after school, okay?” Jaeyoon gave her a quick kiss and placed her back on her feet.   

As she ran back into the room, Jaeyoon straightened up and smiled at Sanghyuk. “Thanks for all the help. I couldn’t have done it without you.”  

“Sure,” Sanghyuk rubbed the back of his own neck, “Listen, I've got to get ready for my class, but, if you ever have another card emergency, you know where to find me.” He turned and walked away quickly, hands in his pockets, before Jaeyoon had a chance to respond.   

The whole drive home, Jaeyoon pondered how to go about manufacturing another encounter. He hardly ever had a reason to go to Sora’s school. Jiah usually had her during the week, and working the night shift was not conducive to attending parent events at the school.  

It’s probably for the best, he finally decided. He had enough baggage as it was, and it didn’t seem fair to try to pursue a new relationship when Sora needed as much stability as possible.  

Back at home, Jaeyoon tidied up from the chaos of the morning and then laid down for a nap, setting an alarm so as not to forget to pick his little girl up from the bus stop.  

Sora was buzzing with excitement when she stepped off the bus. Her backpack was stuffed with cards, treats, and various other nick-nacks from her classmates and teachers.  

“I have one for you too, Daddy,” she informed him, handing over a sealed envelope.  

Jaeyoon smiled at her earnestness. She was taking her role as his little valentine seriously. “Come on, Mommy said she was going to call when you got home.” She squealed with delight as he picked her up and swung her onto his shoulders.  

Jiah had already tried to call, so Jaeyoon hit the call-back on his laptop and set it out in front of Sora when she answered. While Sora was busy talking to her mother, Jaeyoon opened the envelope. It was a homemade valentine, but not from Sora. The signature on the bottom indicated that it was from Sanghyuk.  

Jaeyoon,  

Forgive me for being presumptuous. I don’t usually take five-year-olds seriously when they tell me that their daddies need a boyfriend, but it seemed like there was something there, and I suspect you might have felt it too. Call me if you’re interested.  

Yours,  

Sanghyuk  

p.s You might want to keep an eye on your daughter. She had a whole stack of valentines to hand out in her desk already.  

Jaeyoon looked back over at Sora, speaking animatedly to her mother through the laptop. Apparently, she was okay with it, and Jiah's new relationship didn’t seem to be an issue either. He set the card down on the kitchen table and tapped the numbers into his phone. It barely rang twice before it was answered. A smile spread unbidden across his face at the sound of Sanghyuk’s greeting.  

“Hi,” he said, “I’d like to be your valentine.”