#and again today and he just tried to drink from a bottle of syrup 🤣 little kids are so funny yeah so another tmi lmao

[adachicuto]

haven

a/n: had to scrap what i originally planned on posting, at least for now, and wrote this instead. dad bang chan. it took forever for me to get to the point, if there is one, so sorry for that lol

warning(s): sickness (allergies - sinus) and food mentions

pairing: bang chan x gender-neutral reader

rating: fluff

word count: 2,168

   After what felt like forever, Chris finally finished up some work that needed to be done. Gently, he massaged his temples as he shut down his computer before exiting his home studio. Before heading to the bathroom for a shower, he looked around the house for anything that needed to be done. The last thing he wanted was for you to stress about the condition of your home.

Freshly showered, he made his way to his son’s bedroom for one last bedtime kiss. When he entered the room, the only things that could be heard were Mateo’s snores and the soft clicking of his rotating shadow lamp. The walls of the room were covered with an assortment of animals in various colors and a wave of nostalgia washed over Chris.

  As he tiptoed further into the room, Mateo moved in his sleep and that made Chris hold his breath. Even after a full day of school, Mateo had too much energy which made putting him to bed a bit frustrating for both of you.

  So, he ushered you towards your bedroom and suggested that you take a relaxing bath or shower and that he would take care of everything. You reluctantly agreed but there was no way that you would let him do everything. He only laughed at your stubbornness before he leaned over to kiss your forehead.

  Then Chris walked over to Mateo, who was busy working on a small dinosaur puzzle, and sat down across from him. Once the puzzle was complete, Chris asked Mateo if he was ready for bath time to which Mateo replied with a ‘no’. With years of parenting stray kids under his belt, he kept a calm expression on his face as he thought of what to do next. Luckily, all he had to do was mention sweets and the sound of tiny feet against the hardwood floors was all that could be heard.

  “Then we’re going to clean up all of our toys, yeah?” 

  “I will! Promise.” Mateo shouted over his shoulder.

  Chris couldn’t help but laugh at how Mateo said ‘promise’ since his two front teeth had fallen out recently. With a shake of his head and a grin on his face, Chris quickly picked a pair of pajamas before he made his way down the hall.

  It took about ten minutes for Mateo to decide on what body wash he wanted to use, even though they all smelled similar. When he finally decided on a bright blue one, Chris turned on the water.

  After a few soap mohawks and funny stories, Mateo was all cleaned up and ready for bed. Chris had just tossed his dirty clothes into a hamper when the child tugged on his shirt.

  “Can I have a cookie now?”

  Chris placed his thumb and forefinger under his chin, pretending to think. “Did you pick up all of your toys?”

  Mateo shook his head.

  “It’s okay.” Chris leaned down to kiss the top of his head, “Come on, I’ll help you.”

  The two boys made their way to Mateo’s bedroom to clean up and you soon joined them. Once the room was clean, Chris gave Mateo a cookie as promised, and he later brushed his teeth with both of you. Then all three of you went back into his room and you sat on his green race car bed while Chris sat on the floor, a small book in hand.

  After two bedtime stories, Mateo crawled into your lap. You smiled down at him and moved a curl out of his face before kissing his forehead. Chris moved closer to the two of you and you all sat in silence. When it seemed like Mateo was finally dozing off, you moved slightly to lay him down which only woke him up. You looked at Chris and both of you laughed quietly.

    Chris kneeled on the side of Mateo’s bed and carefully leaned over to kiss the top of the child’s head. He moved some of his hair from his face and frowned when he felt warmth. Chris gently placed the back of his hand against Mateo’s forehead and his eyebrows knitted together.

  Carefully, he peeled the blankets and checked if the child was sweating but there was nothing. He decided that it would be best to check his temperature and take some of the blankets off.

  Chris reluctantly stood and went to exit the room but not before he turned around to check on him once more.

  When he climbed into bed with you minutes later, you turned to face him. “Everything okay?”

  “I think so. It just seems like Mateo’s running a temp.” He dipped his head to kiss your cheek, his way of trying to reassure you. “But I think he’s okay. He wasn’t sweating and his temperature was normal.”

  You nodded and promised to check his temperature in the morning, far too tired to try and get out of bed. Within minutes, you were out again. Chris moved closer to you so that your head could rest against his chest and hoped that Mateo would be fine in the morning.   

••••

  The next few days were rough for all three of you, Mateo especially. When you checked his temperature, he had a low-grade fever and within a day, sneezing and congestion. You and Chris cleared your schedules to take him to the doctor where he was diagnosed with a sinus infection.

  It hurt both of you to see him in the slightest bit of pain. Everything was more challenging, especially when he was cranky at times. Even though the two of you were slightly frustrated, you both remained calm and tried your best to soothe him.

  There were many moments when Chris was just as exhausted as you, but he still managed to go above and beyond in helping with Mateo. Of course, this wasn’t anything new, but it made you realize just how lucky you were to have him as your husband.

  And even though caring for a sick kid was a task, it was a nice change of pace. There were times when you both questioned if the time you spent with Mateo was enough. With your twelve-hour shifts and the long hours Chris spent producing music and traveling with the group, it made sense to question it.

  Your text tone brought you back to the present.

  You glanced down at the bowl of hot soup on the counter you then dug your phone out of your sweatpants pocket. Once you unlocked it, you were met with a few messages in the group chat. All of the members sent well wishes to Mateo as well as reminders for you and Chris to take care of yourselves and each one matched their personalities which made you chuckle. Quickly, you typed a thank you response before you put your phone back in your pocket and grabbed the bowl.

  As you padded to the living room, the floor cold against your bare feet, you could hear Mateo’s favorite animated movie playing. Even though he was sick, Mateo didn’t pass up the opportunity to point out and explain what was going on to Chris.

  “Oh, so that’s her big sister.” Chris looked at the screen and then turned to Mateo, who seemed pleased that his dad was paying attention.

  You could only smile as you moved closer to them. They were both so into the movie that they barely noticed when you sat down next to them which made Chris smile sheepishly at you. He looked at the bowl in your hands and got Mateo’s attention. It took a minute but when he looked at what was in the bowl, he turned so that his head rested on Chris’s shoulder.

  “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  Mateo pointed at the bowl and faced the opposite direction.

  “Don’t wanna eat vegetables.”

  Both of you had to hold in your laughter.

  “Aw, it’s okay,” you started, “they’ll help you feel better.”

 “And help you get big and strong.” Chris quickly added.

  The little boy groaned and tightened his grasp on his dad’s shirt. You reached over to gently rub Mateo’s back and he slowly faced you, a pout on his lips. Chris kissed the side of his head and went on to animatedly explain how he got so strong from eating all his vegetables.

  Just as you were about to bring the bowl back to the kitchen, Mateo let go of Chris and climbed into your lap, and gestured for the soup. Both of you took turns feeding him and each time he’d eat a spoonful, you each made funny faces. When the bowl was mostly empty, you both made sure to clap and cheer for him.

  “When can I get muscles like Uncle Changbin?”

  Neither of you could hold in your giggles. Chris rubbed the top of Mateo’s head, his curls messier than before, and explained that it may take some time. Mateo nodded, somewhat pleased by Chris’s answer, and turned his focus back to the movie. Now and then, Mateo excitedly pointed at something on the screen and asked you about it before he and Chris dozed off.

  As the movie continued, a deep orange and yellow glow seeped into the curtains and filtered into your living room. Just as you were about to stand up, Mateo shifted in your lap and froze for a second. You sighed, shook your head, and thought about similar moments when he was a baby. Carefully, you moved Mateo onto the couch and placed a light blanket over him.

  Movement to your right made you look up and you noticed that Chris was sleepily staring at you.

  “Okay?”

  You nodded, “Was just gonna get us something to eat.”

  “I’ll help.”

  There was barely a chance to protest because he leaned over, careful not to disturb Mateo, and kissed you. Then his hand clasped yours and he helped you up. The two of you walked into the kitchen and Chris gestured to the bar stools.

  You playfully rolled your eyes and looked out the window above the sink. The sun was quickly sinking below the horizon, and you could faintly make out a few stars speckled across the sky. While Chris reheated your leftovers, you filled two glasses of water because there was no way either of you had the time or energy to cook.

••••

  The two of you were able to eat in comfortable silence. Just as the last of the dishes were cleaned, Mateo entered the kitchen with tears in his eyes and cried right after. When he was cranky like that, it was best to act quickly.

  It was a team effort to bathe him but luckily, he calmed down to eat. His symptoms were much better than before, and he was able to sleep during the night without a coughing fit. You had just given Mateo one last goodnight kiss when you met Chris in the dim hallway.

  “I ordered this,” he held up a bag that had your favorite bakery’s logo on it and took you by the hand.

  You were too excited to say anything as you hurried to the kitchen. Chris grabbed the spoons while you took out a pint of ice cream and got two bowls.

  “Thank you.” You turned to face him.

  There was a slight darkness under his eyes, and you felt a pang in your chest. He always tried his best, which you appreciated, but he’d doubt himself.

  “It’s no problem,” he leaned forward and kissed your forehead, “I gave Mateo the last cookie a few days ago and knew you’d want something sweet.”

  With a smile on your face, you dropped your spoon into the bowl and cupped his cheeks.

  “Not just for the sweets but everything,” you kissed his nose, “it’s just that I don’t think you know how much you are appreciated.”

  Chris surged forward and kissed you. Even after all this time, he was still able to make it feel like you were kissing him for the first time. When he pulled away, your face felt warm and his cheeks were tinged pink.

  The rest of the night went on as normal. After going through your nighttime routine, you exited your en suite and were surprised to see Chris waiting for you. When you asked him about getting any work done, he told you that it could wait.

  Once most of the lights were off, save for your bedside lamp, you climbed into bed.

  “Do you think he’s going to be okay tomorrow?”

  Chris pulled his lips inwards as he thought for a moment. “Well, he did pick all of the M&M’s out of the trail mix. So, I think he’s starting to feel better.”

  At that, you chuckled.

  He pressed a kiss to your cheek and told you to get some rest. With a nod, you pulled Chris closer to rest your head on his chest. Once your minds were at ease, the two of you drifted off to sleep.