Title: All Those Little Necessities
Character/Pairing: All & a brother
Rating:Changmin at age 3 and 5/6ths
Summary: The JunTwins stay for nap
Author's Notes: Written for the
nuna_fanworks Fic Exchange as a present for
samikitty and her request for chibi fic. Many thanks to Rana and Cass for the cheerleading and the beta.
Mommy kisses them both good-bye today. "Your father will pick you up after your nap, and we will all have dinner together." Until today, Mommy had always picked them up after lunch and they had their nap at home.
Junho smiles and waves as Mommy leaves, but Junsu just stares after her. Mommy told them that near Christmas time they would have to stay longer with Yunho and the rest of the boys. Junho doesn't mind; he likes everybody in the play group. Junsu likes everybody, too, but Junsu also likes to sleep in their own bed.
Junho's tempted to give Junsu a hug, but with Yoochun watching them both, he's pretty sure he'd get pushed away. So when he walks past Yoochun, he whispers, "Don't kiss him today."
Yoochun looks at Junsu, and then nods at Junho.
He probably didn't need to tell Yoochun that, Yoochun seems to know when it's okay to tease Junsu and when to be gentle. Although he also seems to tease Junsu at times when Junho wouldn't and things still end up okay.
“Junsujunsujunsu,” Jaejoong yells, running toward Junsu with arms outstretched. Junsu turns to face him, scowling hard. He stops right in front of Junsu, arms still outstretched, then smiles really big and gives Junsu a quick hug. Then he runs away, with Junsu hard on his heels and yelling that Jaejoong is going to die.
They're on their fourth circle around the room when Yunho says, “Mom's coming,” in a normal voice. Jaejoong and Junsu are still and silent by the time Mrs. Jung appears in the doorway.
“I'm sorry,” Jaejoong says with a bow and a nudge to Junsu, who copies him.
“I should hope so,” Mrs. Jung says. “At least you didn't try to pretend this time. I know it's hard being stuck inside because of the rain, but try to find something to do that won't rattle dishes in the kitchen. Jaejoong sounds like a herd of elephants when he runs. Why can't you boys be more like Changmin?”
Junho sees Changmin wince and curl a bit smaller over his colouring.
“We're too tall,” Yoochun says cheerfully, then ducks his head and bites his lip while peeking at Mrs. Jung through his bangs.
Mrs. Jung stares at him, then sighs and pats his head. “Oh, Yoochun,” she says and leaves the playroom.
“How do you do that?” Yunho asks.
“I'm adorable,” Yoochun says, grinning. “Everybody says so.”
Changmin snorts, and then tries to hide, colouring furiously. But Junho sees Changmin's smile as Yoochun dances over, beckoning to Junsu as he does. Changmin completely hides under his crossed arms, not leaving any of his chubby cheeks in reach, but his t-shirt leaves the back of his neck completely bare. Junho motions to Yoochun and Junsu to get ready and then gives Changmin a big raspberry just above his collar.
Changmin sits upright with a squawk, and Junsu and Yoochun dive right in with two big, wet kisses on his cheeks. “One day I'll be taller and you won't be able to do that,” he says, pushing them away.
“I'll always be able to do that,” Yoochun says, blowing him a kiss this time.
“I don't think so,” Changmin mutters, wiping at his face, then he glares at Junho. “Traitor.”
“Changmin,” Yunho says sharply before Junsu can start being noisy.
“I thought he was on our side, hyung. The side that doesn't slobber on me.”
Yunho comes over and gives Changmin a noisy kiss. “There isn't a side that doesn't slobber on you.” Changmin puts his head back onto his arms and sighs loud.
Jaejoong comes over and starts to pat Changmin's hair. “It's tough being loved by so many. I know what it's like, Changminnie.” Changmin slaps him away and the look on his face says he doesn't believe Jaejoong for a second.
“I have eight--,” Jaejoong holds up four fingers on each hand, “EIGHT! - older sisters. All of them have friends. Be glad it's not girl slobber, dongsaeng.”
“You have to stop being so pretty, Jaejoong,” Yunho says, grinning.
“You think I'm pretty, Yunho-yah?” Jaejoong puts his head on Yunho's shoulder and blinks at him.
“See. Sisters.” He pushes Jaejoong away with a hand in his face, making Jaejoong laugh. “I'm glad I only have a little one.”
“Why doesn't she come play with us, Yunho?” Junsu asks.
“She does sometimes after lunch, before nap time. But she can't talk and she can only walk hanging onto things, so Mom is always with her.”
“My brother still falls over when Mom makes him sit up,” Yoochun says, nodding.
“Babies are boring. Let's make a pirate ship,” Jaejoong says.
"Yeah!" Junsu says and Junho smiles wide, looking around the room for things to use.
"We need a mast," Yunho says.
"We need a cannon!" Jaejoong says and Junsu high touches him. They start looking through the toy boxes.
"This could be the back part," Junho says, knocking on the table. Changmin is clearing up his colouring, and nods in agreement. "Where the steering wheel is."
"What we need," Changmin says, without really raising his voice, but everybody pays attention,"is a ship. The outside part of the ship. Yunho, can we get some more chairs?"
Yunho smiles and says, "I'll ask."
"I'll help," Yoochun says and they both go to find Yunho's mom.
"I think we should move this," Junho says, tapping the table and Changmin nods again. They try to lift it, but it's too big for the two of them. Junho calls over Junsu from cannon building and Jaejoong comes with him. They get the table into the open part of the room with enough space for the chairs in front.
Yunho and Yoochun run back into the room, giving them thumbs-up. Yunho's mom comes in with two big chairs.
"You're sailing the high seas today, are you? How about I'll put this one at the back." She puts one chair behind the table. "And this one at the front." She goes all the way to the toy shelves and puts the chair with the seat inside the ship.
Changmin uses the other chair as a step to get up onto the table. He holds out his arm with his thumb up and closes one eye. He waves his other hand and Mrs. Jung moves the chair a little. He does it again, and she moves it a little more. "Perfect," Changmin says. Junho can see Mrs. Jung laughing as she leaves the room.
Junho helps Yunho collect all the chairs in the playroom, and the art easel, and the big pillows. Yunho's mom puts two more chairs on each side of the one in the front, making it look like the tall sides of a ship. They put everything else in a line from the chairs in front to the table but it only makes one side.
"That's no good," Jaejoong says. "But this is awesome!" He climbs up onto the chair that is at the very front of the ship and jumps down, yelling,"Avast!"
When everybody just looks at him he says, "What? He says it in the movie."
"And everybody looks at him funny," Yoochun says. "Where's your cannon?"
"I'm workin' on it." Jaejoong sticks his tongue out but Yoochun just laughs at him.
Junsu is looking at the row of chairs. "Blankets," he says. "The pillows are too short. There should be blankets to make a wall." He looks at Junho and Junho nods. They make forts with chairs and blankets all the time.
"Come on," Yunho says and grabs Junsu's hand. He drags Junsu out of the room while Yoochun starts to take the ship apart.
"Yunho likes to have backup when asking his mom for things. He thinks it makes it harder for her to say no," Yoochun says to Junho as they move the easel into the middle of the ship.
Yoochun looks at the easel a minute then closes the sides to make a triangle. Then he grabs one of the big pillows and plops it on top. He has trouble with the second one, but Junho helps and they get it balanced on the first. The pile is too tall to put on the third, but Yoochun drags over one of the playroom chairs and motions for Junho to do the same. They get the third pillow onto their tower and Junho finally sees what Yoochun is doing.
"Changmin-ah," Yoochun calls.
"Coming," Changmin says from the reading corner and tosses Yoochun another, smaller pillow. Junho catches the next one and they get four small pillows into the tower before it starts to look wobbly.
Yunho and Junsu run back in, so Junho and Yoochun quickly get off the chairs before Yunho's mom gets there. She looks at the new mast and smiles, then moves one of the dining room chairs to the other end of the boat beside the table. She wraps a string around the back and ties the other end to the other chair. She puts a sheet over the string like a curtain. "Don't pull on this," she warns.
She does the same thing to the other side but there isn't enough material to cover the whole side. "You have to use chairs for the rest. And you have a cannon to fit in, too, I think."
"Yes!" shouts Jaejoong.
He rolls in a wagon with a rolled nap mat tied down at one end and propped up with big blocks at the other. He places it in the open section and puts playroom chairs on either side. Junsu helps him and then gets down on one knee at the back, grinning at Jaejoong. Jaejoong pretends to light a match and touches it to the back of the cannon. "BOOM!" he says, and Junsu throws one of the sponge balls and knocks over some toys on the toy box.
"Yeah," Junsu says, high touching Jaejoong, both of them grinning like mad.
"Good job, boys." Mrs. Jung says. "I've got one more piece for you. I'll be right back."
"We should get the crew in order," Changmin says back up on the table. "Yunho is captain and since Yoochun built the mast, he can be first mate." Everybody just looks at each other while Changmin continues to assign roles. "Junsu gets to fire the cannon since he figured out the main part of the boat. And Junho helps him."
"Why does Junho get to help him?" Jaejoong speaks up first and sounds mad. "I'm the one who made the cannon."
"Because they're brothers."
"That's not a good reason.
"It's a very good reason and you're swabbing."
"I'm what?" Jaejoong almost shouts, almost right in Changmin's face.
Changmin pushes a toy mop against Jaejoong's chest and Jaejoong takes it, with a stunned look on his face. "Swabbing," Changmin says.
Mrs. Jung comes back in with a little stool with a pot lid tied to one of the legs. “Here's a wheel for you, Captain,” she says as she sets the stool seat down on the table in front of Changmin. “But don't spin it too hard.”
“Thank you. But I'm not the captain, I'm the pilot. I steer the ship. Yunho's the oldest, he's the captain.”
“Yunho's not the oldest,” Jaejoong says, still staring at the mop, and Yunho is shaking his head. “I'm the oldest." Jaejoong's head comes up and he starts to smile. "That means...I'm the captain!”
“No,” Changmin says, confused but determined. “No, you.... You're not the oldest.”
“Am too.”
“Are not.”
“Am too. I know when my birthday is, Shim Changmin.”
“He's the oldest,” Yunho says. Changmin looks like he really doesn't understand what they are telling him.
“He is the oldest, Changmin-ah,” Mrs. Jung says, smiling, and smoothes Changmin's hair before she leaves.
"No." Changmin looks like he's about to cry. Yoochun has pulled Jaejoong to the other end of the ship and is talking to him quietly while Jaejoong tries to interrupt loudly.
"It's okay, Changmin. You just didn't know," Yunho says while patting Changmin's back.
"But it's...wrong!" Changmin says, tears in his eyes. Junsu is looking back and forth between Jaejoong and Changmin with his bottom lip caught between his teeth. Junho knows that look and knows he has to fix it, so he goes over to Changmin.
“Jaejoong doesn't act like the oldest because he has eight older sisters,” Junho explains. “He's only the oldest here, at home he's the baby. He doesn't know how to be the oldest.”
"I do--" Jaejoong grunts as Yoochun elbows him in the stomach. Changmin blinks fast and gets a line between his eyes like he's thinking hard.
“You're being very smart today, Kim Junho. And you're taller than everybody,” Yoochun says, coming over and giving Junho's back a friendly slap. “I think Junho should be pirate captain.”
“Then I get to be first mate!” Junsu insists, the shine in his eyes not so wet.
“I get to work the cannon!” Jaejoong says, happy again.
Yoochun and Yunho look at each other, then hold up their fists and nod. One, two, three, and Yoochun's hand is flat and Yunho is holding out two fingers. “What job do you want, Yunho?” Yoochun says sadly.
Yunho thinks about it. And thinks about it. And thinks about it until Yoochun starts to smile again. “I guess I'll take Jaejoong and the cannon,” he says just as sadly, making Yoochun laugh.
Yoochun turns to Changmin, “Can I be the cook instead of the swabber?”
“I thought I was the captain,” Junho says, looking at Changmin. Changmin doesn't say anything, he just examines his new wheel.
“Can you get us lunch in the ship?” Junsu asks, taking charge like a good first mate.
“Of course I can,” Yoochun says.
“Then you're the cook,” Junho says. Yoochun salutes and turns in a full circle.
"How do I get out?" he asks.
Junsu snickers, but looks around, too. They both look at the break in the wall where Yunho and Jaejoong are doing target practice with the cannon--Yunho throwing the sponge ball in time with Jaejoong's enthusiastic BOOM!.
"Under the table," Changmin says with a sigh. Junho sees Yoochun's smile before Yoochun gets down on his knees and sticks his head under the table.
"There's a chair in the way."
"Yoochun-hyung!" Now Changmin sounds disgusted and far more like himself.
"Oh, I see it now." Yoochun grins over his shoulder. "I'll be right back." He gets out and runs toward the kitchen and then swerves toward the hallway leading to the rest of the house.
"Captain, do you have our destination?" Changmin asks.
"Shouldn't we wait for our cook?"
"He can swim."
Junsu laughs, making Yunho and Jaejoong pause in their practice. "Hawaii," Junsu says.
"There are volcanoes in Hawaii," Jaejoong says.
"Do pirates want to go places with volcanoes?" Yunho asks. Junho just shrugs.
"They have coconuts," Junsu adds. "Pirates want coconuts."
"They do?" Junho says, and shifts just enough to avoid Junsu's elbow in his ribs. "We do! Pilot, set course for Hawaii."
"Aye, aye, Captain." Changmin pretends to spin his wheel with a flourish.
"Leaving without me?" Yoochun says, popping his head up from under the table.
"Changmin said you were an excellent swimmer and would have no trouble catching up," Junho says.
"I did not," Changmin says with a frown.
"It was what you meant," Junho says, then snorts a laugh, as Junsu makes a face and whispers, "Mom."
"Was not," Changmin mutters.
"I know you'd never leave me behind, Changmin-ah," Yoochun says reaching for Changmin's cheeks and getting his hands slapped. "I have the food."
"Food?" Yunho says, distracted from throwing the ball so Jaejoong's boom isn't followed by anything falling down. Jaejoong grabs the ball and throws it himself and still nothing falls down. Yoochun laughs and Jaejoong sticks out his tongue.
"Need to adjust the range," Jaejoong says. Yunho wanders away and Yoochun takes his place at the cannon. Junsu is on his knees on the front chair, hanging onto the back while swinging back and forth. And he's singing.
"Sing louder, Junsu. We need to hear you over the cannon," Yoochun says.
Junho winces, because Junsu singing always embarrasses him. Junsu singing loud--
"Where are we going to eat, Captain?" Yunho says. Junho just stares for a second, not quite sure what Yunho said because of Junsu's noise. Then it sinks in and he looks around.
"Do you think we can make a tent? Just the top?" Junho asks. He and Junsu like their forts because there is always a roof. The ship doesn't have a roof.
"One of those shade...things?"
"Yeah." Junho is looking at the big sheet, but Mrs. Jung said not to touch it. Yunho must have the same idea because he goes over and lifts up part of it.
"Junho, lift up the inside bit. Carefully. Mom said not to pull on it."
The two of them lift up the sheet above their heads and it gets caught against the easel. They put it down and Yunho gives Junho a thumbs up. Then he says, "Changmin, hold onto that chair so it doesn't tip. Junsu. Junsu!"
"Junsu!," Junho says a little louder.
"Yo ho. Yo ho. A pirate's life for me. What?"
"Go hang onto that chair so it doesn't tip. Me and Yunho are making a roof."
"Cool," Junsu says and jumps down from the front chair. Yoochun claps and Jaejoong throws a sponge ball at him. When Yoochun looks, Jaejoong makes a kissy face at him. Yoochun smiles. Junho is starting to think those two are a little weird.
"Junho, come here," Yunho says. He lifts the middle of the sheet and hangs part of it over the top of the easel. "Hold it here," he says.
Junho holds the sheet while Yunho goes looking around in all the easel trays and comes back grinning. He hands Junho one of the big clips used to hold paper and Junho sees what Yunho wants to do. "We'll put one on each side," Yunho says and Junho nods.
They get it clipped and step back. It holds and it isn't pulling on the cord. Junsu gives Junho a thumbs up and he hears Changmin going back to his spot on the table. Junho ducks underneath. It's pretty high, he only has to get down on his knees. And the sides fall down a bit to make half-walls. It should fit the six of them.
"I think it's fine, Yunho," he hears Mrs. Jung say. "But take down some of the mast, because if one of the pillows fell, it could pull it down." Junho crawls out from under the tent. "How is it, Junho?" Mrs. Jung asks, and when he looks up he sees she's smiling.
"It's good," he says. "Can we eat lunch in it?"
"I think so, Captain." She smiles wider as she says that. "But it will be up to your cook to make the arrangements."
"Hyung!" Changmin yells, then he startles when he finds everybody looking at him. He ducks his head and says, "Sorry."
"Come on, Yoochun," Mrs. Jung says as Yoochun wanders over. "Changmin is hungry." Yoochun's eyes widen and he swerves away from Changmin. Mrs. Jung laughs and holds up a section of the sheet for him to go through.
Yunho gets one of the playroom chairs and pulls down the small pillows, tossing them at Junho. "I think the big ones can stay," he says.
Junho nods. They weren't going to fall down. He puts the small pillows under the roof. "Changmin, are there any more little ones?" he asks.
Changmin doesn't answer, but gets off the table and goes into the reading corner. He comes back with another couple of pillows and brings them all the way to the new tent. He ducks down to go inside and then Junho sees a head-sized bump appear in the curve of the sheet. Then he hears a giggle.
"Jaejoong!" Yunho says. Junho looks up to see Yunho hugging Jaejoong's arms against his sides.
"But it's just like that game at the carnival," Jaejoong says, pouting, but it's his play pout.
Junsu comes around the other side of the mast with a big toy hammer. He grins and whacks Junho on the butt with it. "Yah Changminnie," Junsu says. "That's a good idea, you can be the tent pole."
Junho hears another giggle, then the bump disappears and Changmin comes out, scowling. "Don't be ridiculous."
Mrs. Jung and Yoochun come back in, both of them smiling. Mrs. Jung takes the big chair from the back of the ship and says, "Everybody go wash your hands."
There is a mad scramble to the bathroom, but once there they follow the same order as always. Changmin gets the step stool, and washes his hands with Yunho. Junsu uses the stool next so he doesn't make a mess, and washes with Junho. He puts the stool back while Jaejoong and Yoochun wash and play and take forever. That's why they go last. But today, Yoochun wants to get back to his job as cook so he washes and goes, leaving Jaejoong looking sad and lonely.
"Hurry up!" Yunho says, banging on the door frame. Jaejoong splashes water at Yunho, turns off the tap, and dries his hands.
"JUNHO!" Junsu yells from the other room.
Yunho's eyes open wide and Jaejoong giggles. "Mom says that's why Junsu is smaller," Junho explains. "All the growing went into his lungs."
When they come back into the living room, Junsu is bouncing on his knees, one of the sides of the tent hanging over his face. Junho can see his nose making a bump in the sheet. "What?" Junho says.
Junsu stops and kind of falls over to look out from behind the sheet. "You were taking too long. There's cucumber!"
Yoochun appears beside Junsu. "You two go around to the other side. Junho, you're sitting here." He points at the pillow he's kneeling on.
Inside the tent, Changmin is sitting against the mast. Junsu is beside him where the flaps are longest. Jaejoong goes to sit beside Changmin, but Yunho pulls on his shirt and makes him sit across from Junho. Yoochun is near the ship's wall where the sheet has been propped up with another big chair. He's taking another couple of lunch trays from under it and passes them to Yunho and Junho. Mrs. Jung slides the last two under the chair just as Yoochun finishes and now everybody has a tray.
"Don't forget," Mrs. Jung says, "pirates protect their treasure. No stealing. Especially you, pirate Junsu."
Junsu pulls his hand back from trying to steal Junho's cucumbers. He ducks his head, but doesn't say anything. The sound of Yunho finishing his juice box would have drowned him out anyway. Mrs. Jung bends down to look at him.
"Sorry," Yunho says. "Mom, can I--?"
"When you've eaten all your lunch." She stands up and Junho hears her say, "Just like every other day," as she walks away.
Yunho looks at Jaejoong, who hugs his juice to his chest and turns away. Changmin glares at Yunho with his straw in his mouth. "I spit in it," he says when he sets his box back on his tray.
Yunho rolls his eyes then smiles at Junsu. Junsu smiles back. "Trade you," Junsu says.
"No, no, no," Junho jumps in. "If you trade your juice, you'll want mine and no. You were told to eat your own food." Junsu gives him the innocent confused puppy eyes, so Junho hugs his juice and turns away just like Jaejoong did. Junsu is never as innocent or confused as he looks.
Yoochun laughs with his cheeks full of rice and everybody scolds him for spraying rice all over the carpet. After they pick it all up, they eat their lunch. Junho pretends not to notice when Yoochun passes a slice of cucumber behind his back to Junsu. And Junsu pretends not to notice when Junho sneaks one of his own slices onto Junsu's tray, but he nudges Junho's knee when he picks it up and chews loudly. Toward the end, Jaejoong shakes his juice box and passes it to Yunho. Yunho gives him a big smile.
Yoochun collects the trays and stacks three of them. Then he pushes them under the chair again. He waits until Mrs. Jung comes to pick them up before putting the other three there. "I heard Yoochun laugh," she says. "Did you pick up all the rice?"
"Yes," they all say.
"Good. Wash hands again."
They scramble out of the tent and run toward the bathroom again. This time Yoochun stays to play with Jaejoong, so everybody else hurries away so they don't get wet. Changmin has a book about ships that he's reading while up on the table. Junho looks over his shoulder and sees a big picture of a boat with all the parts labelled. He thinks they did pretty good.
Changmin sighs. "No sails," he says.
"Our mast is made out of pillows," Junho says.
Changmin nods. "It's a problem."
Junho goes over to the cannon because Yunho is setting up the targets again. Junsu is collecting all the balls. Then Jaejoong and Yoochun come out of the bathroom, both of them giggling; Jaejoong's bangs are pushed up onto his head and Yoochun's are dripping water down his face.
Mrs. Jung calls from the hallway, "You two back to the bathroom. This is going to require the hair dryer." She comes out with a baby in her arms, looks around, and then moves one of the big chairs to come into the ship. She takes the three remaining pillows off of the mast, makes a triangle out of them, and then sits the baby in the middle. "Pirate Captain Junho, you have a prisoner. Make sure she doesn't escape," she says then heads back to the bathroom.
Junho just stares; he doesn't know what to do. Junsu doesn't help, instead he laughs and the baby's face squishes up and tears roll down her cheeks. Yunho puts his arm around Junho's shoulders and pulls him toward the pillow jail. He flops down on a pillow just as the baby starts to really cry and then makes a face at her. The cry turns into a laugh and she reaches for Yunho, but he backs away.
"She'll pull your hair," he says. "She's actually pretty strong." Junsu is on the other pillow reaching out to touch her arm. "Put a couple of fingers out and she'll grab on," Yunho says.
He does that and she does that, and Junsu's eyes get really wide. "Whoa," he says. "She is strong."
Yunho gets her to grab onto his hand, too. Then he nudges Junsu's hand away. "Watch this," he says.
He gets onto his knees and holds her hands as much as she's hanging onto his and then he says, "UP!" She smiles and laughs and bounces and then suddenly she's on her feet. Standing.
Junho reaches out to help her, but Yunho shakes his head. "She stands good, but she can't walk over the pillows and won't try. She will crawl over the pillows." She bounces and Yunho pretends she's making him bounce, too.
Jaejoong and Yoochun come back, mostly dry, with Mrs. Jung right behind. "Captain, I suggest a prisoner exchange," she says.
"I don't think that's a fair trade," Changmin says, still reading his book on the table. Both Jaejoong and Yoochun's jaws drop but Yoochun starts to laugh almost right away.
"I think sometimes Changmin doesn't know he's talking out loud," Yoochun says. Changmin looks up with a confused expression, making the rest of them laugh too. Mrs. Jung just shakes her head while picking up Yunho's sister.
"Boys, we need to get this room cleaned up before your nap. I'll help, but make sure to clean up the toys and, Jaejoong, we will need the mat from the cannon."
Jaejoong sighs, but nods. Yunho unclips the sheet and Changmin starts to collect the pillows with Yoochun's help. Junho helps Yunho finish picking up the toys, but they put them in the toy boxes rather than setting them up on top. Then Junho notices that Junsu is sitting on the big chair at the front of the boat. He has his arms wrapped around his knees, like he does when he's worried. Junho goes over and puts his hands on Junsu's feet. He doesn't need to ask what's wrong.
Yoochun comes over, smiling. He takes one of Junsu's hands. "Will you sleep on my end? I have to sleep on the end because Changmin has to sleep beside Jaejoong and he can't sleep on the end because he's the baby so Yunho sleeps on his other side."
"Why don't you sleep on Changmin's other side?" Junsu asks.
"He says I'm too cuddly. Whatever that means." He tugs on Junsu's hand and Junsu smiles a little bit, so Junho takes his other hand and tugs, too.
Junsu rolls his eyes, but lets them pull him off the chair. There are two futons on the floor with six pillows. Junho recognizes the two that their mom packed for them this morning at the end of the row. Yoochun flops down on the one next to theirs and grins.
"This is Junho's pillow," Junsu says, pushing at the one beside Yoochun with his toe. Yoochun just switches the two pillows and Junsu shakes his head. "He's always on this side," he says, holding up the hand still holding Junho's.
Now Yoochun frowns. "That means I have to be over here." He moves his pillow to the end of the row beside where Junsu would be. "And Jaejoong has to be over here too." He moves Jaejoong's beside him again, making Jaejoong the end of the row.
"What about Changmin?" Junsu says.
Yoochun picks up Changmin's pillow to put beside Jaejoong's and then Yunho's on the end. Everyone after Junsu is off the futon, so Yoochun then shifts them all down. "Junho, Junsu, me, Jaejoongie, Changminnie, Yunho" He nods and then flops down onto his pillow again.
Junho lies down this time, hoping that Junsu won't mind too much. Junsu lies down, too, and holds up his hand for Junho to take. Junsu smiles as Junho squeezes his hand and then turns his head to look at Yoochun. "Changmin-ah?" he says and everybody looks over past Yoochun.
Changmin is looking at the three remaining pillows and scowling. "This is wrong," he says.
Jaejoong comes in and lies down next to Yoochun and Changmin scowls harder. "I'm not sleeping on the end," Jaejoong says. "And Yunho would make Yoochun cry."
"No, he wouldn't," Yoochun says as he throws a leg over Jaejoong.
Changmin sighs and lies down beside Jaejoong. "I don't think this is going to work."
"You'll be fine," Jaejoong says.
Yunho doesn't say anything when he comes in, he goes straight to his spot. "Why are you poking me, Changmin?" he asks after a few minutes.
"Aren't you going to say anything?"
"Oh, yeah. I'm glad Junho and Junsu are staying for nap time. Everybody sleep well."
The lights go out and Junho realizes that the blinds have been closed, too. The room isn't completely dark though, so it isn't scary when Mrs. Jung slides the hallway doors closed. He squeezes Junsu's hand and Junsu squeezes back and then rolls onto his side. This is just what they do at home so Junho turns over, too, so they are back to back.
Junho's almost asleep when suddenly Jaejoong whispers loudly, "Will you stay still and quit touching Junsu!"
Junho sits up as Junsu sleepily says, "Why?" Junho just looks at everybody.
Jaejoong's eyes widen as they meet Junho's. "Yoochun is hugging me then rolling over to touch Junsu then hugging me then rolling over again. It's annoying!
"Do you want to sleep at this end, Junho?" Yunho asks.
Junho doesn't, but he doesn't say it right away. Suddenly Junsu grabs Yoochun's hand, keeping him close. "There," he says, "Nobody needs to go anywhere." Junho lies down and Junsu snuggles back against him.
A few minutes later Jaejoong sighs and Junho can hear him shifting. "Yunho," Jaejoong whispers loudly. "There's room."
"Changmin--"
"Is sleeping. I'm cold."
Junho sits up and is about to offer the blanket they brought today, but he sees Yunho moving into the space between Jaejoong and Changmin. Jaejoong is pressed up against Yoochun and doesn't look cold.
He's just settled again when Changmin says, "You don't leave the baby on the end!" Junsu and Yoochun snicker, then there are grunts and whines and Changmin says, "You're too close. It's too hot!" Junho peeks up again and sees that Changmin is back between Jaejoong and Yunho, and everybody has squished onto one futon.
Junho has completely fallen asleep when he's woken up again, by Changmin this time. It sounds like he's crying and the way he says, "Hyung," sounds weird.
"I'm here," Jaejoong says quietly. Then he starts to sing. Junho can feel that Junsu's awake, so it isn't a surprise when he joins in. What is a surprise is that he sings just as quietly as Jaejoong. It sounds nice.
He reaches for Junsu's hand and Junsu squeezes his. It's sad that the others don't have a brother beside them all the time. But it's good that they take care of each other. He doesn't even mind that Junsu seems to want to take care of the rest, too.