all hearts beat just the same
trying to clean out my WIPs folder in gdocs in preparation for The Thing u___u
size matters
In retrospect, getting shrunk down the size of a teacup is not the worst (nor strangest) thing that’s happened to them.
“I don’t know,” says Wonshik, chewing his thumbnail thoughtfully as he swings his legs over the edge of their kitchen counter. He leans back and looks up at where Hakyeon is standing on top of an apple in the fruit basket, peering curiously at their manager’s closed bedroom door. “I can think of at least ten different things that could make this worse.”
“Please don’t,” Hongbin says emphatically when Wonshik opens his mouth to continue. “Let’s just not.”
“Weird,” says Jaehwan, examining his reflection in an overturned spoon. “Hey, have I always had this mole by my nose?”
“Do you think we have superpowers?” Sanghyuk asks excitedly with a flap of his arms. He makes to dive off the counter, but Hongbin catches him by the collar of his shirt, and he falls backwards with a choked cry.
“Don’t be stupid,” Hongbin chides, shooting a questioning look at Taekwoon who shrugs, nonchalant. “Hey, hyung, what do you think caused this?”
“Breakfast,” Jaehwan says before Taekwoon can answer. He raises a hand politely like a child in class. “It’s the only thing all of us had in the last few hours.”
Taekwoon nods in agreement. “And we all shrunk at about the same time,” he adds. “Does anyone remember anything from right before they passed out?”
Everyone shakes their head. “I just remember eating our porridge and then waking up on the table,” says Hongbin.
“Same,” echoes Wonshik, along with nods from Jaehwan and Sanghyuk.
Hakyeon clambers down to join them. “Well, Manager-hyung isn’t going to be up any time soon,” he huffs, flopping down on the counter. “I’d call him, but my phone is in the bedroom. Does anyone have their phone on them?”
Everyone shakes their head. Wonshik pulls out a pen, a cough drop, a few crinkled candy wrappers and a now-miniature-sized one hundred won coin from his pockets before shaking his head as well.
Hakyeon heaves another sigh, not even bothering to scold Wonshik about the candy. “So we’ll wait, I guess, until whenever he wakes up.”
Wonshik groans. “That won’t be for like, another two hours.”
“At least we’re not mice this time,” says Jaehwan cheerfully.
#
“So this happened,” Hakyeon says matter-of-factly, once their manager finally emerges from his bedroom to find his charges to be no bigger than the apple Hakyeon is standing on.
He blinks at them, mouth agape.
“We’re pretty sure it was the porridge,” Hakyeon continues, doing his best not to sound accusatory.
Their manager stares.
“So, like,” continues Hakyeon. “How long do you think we’ll be like this? Where did you get the porridge from anyway? You bought it on sale, didn’t you.”
“Oh my god,” says their manager, his voice loud enough to make them all flinch. “Holy shit, oh my god.”
“Tiny people!” Hakyeon shouts, plugging his ears with his fingers. “Tiny ears! Very sensitive hearing!”
“Sorry,” their manager whispers as Hakyeon glares at him with disapproval. “Oh my god.”
Sanghyuk looks around, frowning. Wonshik and Hongbin have busied themselves with flinging bread crumbs at each other, and Jaehwan seems to be trying to climb his mug of tea as if it were mount everest. Taekwoon just looks bored, keeping one hand on the small of Hakyeon’s back to calm him, even though they all know Hakyeon’s more angry about not being able to get to his phone than the actual situation at hand.
“We’re so fucked,” he says flatly. Nobody bothers to disagree.
#
“Why are we still like this,” Hakyeon whines, two days later. “I'm tired of eating sunflower seeds, I just want some galbi and sundubu jjigae.”
“I want a real shower,” Sanghyuk mopes, toying with the bristles of the toothbrush he’s been using as a scrubber. “I'm starting to chafe.”
“Hyung,” Jaehwan sings gravely. “Mickey Mouse hyung, can you move Wonshik to the other side of the room? He snored so loudly last night, he scared me awake and I fell off the pillow.”
“I did not!” Wonshik argues, affronted.
“You did,” says Hongbin, nodding solemnly. “You woke me up, too.”
“It’s because he doesn’t have his breathing strips,” Hakyeon interjects, matter-of-factly.
“Thank you,” says Wonshik. “it’s not my fault my nose gets blocked.”
“Can’t he sleep with you, hyung?” Hakyeon inquires earnestly. “It’s really annoying, and we can’t get any rest.”
“You have no loyalty!” Wonshik squawks, indignant, looking from Hongbin to Hakyeon.
“You’re cutting into my beauty sleep,” says Hakyeon.
“Our diets are already messed up,” frowns Hongbin. “My skin is more oily than it used to be. I can’t risk ruining it more with lack of sleep.”
“Traitors,” says Wonshik with a huff. He turns to Taekwoon and smiles brightly. “Hyung, hyung, you’re on my side, aren’t you?”
Taekwoon purses his lips. “Don’t even think about it,” he says tightly, and Wonshik stomps his feet on the carpeted floor as loudly as his five-inch self can allow.
“Hyung,” he whines. “Hyung, please! Don't be like this!"
“Just sleep on the other side of the room!” Taekwoon shoots back impatiently.
“I don’t want to,” says Wonshik, petulantly.
“Oh my god,” says Sanghyuk, exasperated. “Will somebody just give him some water.”
#
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Hongbin asks skeptically, eyeing the tiny scrap of paper that Sanghyuk’s fashioned into a funnel.
Wonshik is bent over an empty bowl, eyeing the paper warily as Sanghyuk approaches him.
“Trust me,” says Sanghyuk. “It worked for my dad. It’ll work for you.”
“Our Sanghyuk is so smart,” coos Hakyeon. “I wish I could film this.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Wonshik and Sanghyuk say in unison.
“So it’s like, a neti pot,” Jaehwan says, tilting his head to get a better look. “Like what ajusshis use for allergies?”
“Basically,” says Sanghyuk. He turns to Wonshik. “Okay,” he says, pushing the tip of the makeshift funnel in one of Wonshik’s nostrils. “Don’t forget to breathe out.”
He nods at Manager-hyung to squeeze a few drops of water out of the eyedropper they’d found in the medicine cabinet.
Wonshik promptly chokes.
He splutters inelegantly, snorting like a pig as he flails around, trying to hack the water out of his lungs.
"You idiot!" Sanghyuk shouts as Hakyeon and Taekwoon thump his back helpfully. "I told you not to breathe in!"
"I wish I had my camera," Hongbin says wistfully. "He looks so flustered."
"I hate you," Wonshik says miserably, as Hakyeon kindly wipes his mouth with the corner of a dishrag.
"You don't mean that," Hongbin says, patting Wonshik's shoulder in consolation. "Look at it this way, your sister will probably think you're adorable."
"I am not--" Wonshik snarls, before going pale and shooting Hakyeon a desperate, frantic look. Hakyeon cocks his head questioningly, and Wonshik lets out a helpless groan and drops to his knees. "Jiwonnie," he bemoans. "Fuck, she's supposed to be visiting tomorrow!"
“What the hell,” says Hakyeon, not the least bit sympathetic. “How do you keep getting all these visits when you’re on probation more than Sanghyuk?”
“Hey,” protests Sanghyuk. “One time! I only got my phone taken away that one time!”
“Ah,” says Hongbin wisely, clapping Sanghyuk’s shoulders firmly. “It’s still one more than the rest of us. Hide your porn better next time.”
“I don’t watch porn!” Sanghyuk yells indignantly, throwing himself behind Taekwoon and pouting as best as he can. “Hyung,” he whines. “You know it’s not true.”
Taekwoon makes an aborted noise in the back of his throat and glances furtively at Hakyeon who frowns, hands on his hips.
“It’s okay, you know,” Hakyeon sniffs imperiously. “You’re a growing boy, we understand you have needs. It’s just that I would’ve expected you to come to me if you were having--”
“Oh my god,” Sanghyuk screeches. “Don’t even--I swear to god--I'm not--I'm sorry I had porn on my computer oh my god please stop talking.”
“I am here for you!” Hakyeon shouts over him. “Tell hyung what you want! Let hyung take care of you!”
“No!” Sanghyuk practically shrieks, shrinking into a defensive crouch on the floor as he clings to Taekwoon’s knees for dear life. “Taekwoon-hyung, make him stop! I'll be good I promise, just make him stop!”
#
“What happened to Sanghyuk,” Manager-hyung inquires when he returns from yet another meeting at headquarters to sort out their situation. “Why is he hiding under the kitchen sink?”
“No idea,” says Hakyeon breezily. “Hey, hyung, do you want to play a game with us?”
Manager-hyung sighs. “If it’s hide and seek again--”
“It’s not,” Hakyeon promises. “It’s monopoly.”
Manager-hyung waits for the punchline.
“That’s it,” says Hakyeon. “I want to play monopoly.”
“You want to play or everyone wants to play?” Manager-hyung asks, with a certain air of defeat that makes Hakyeon grin all the wider.
“Same difference!” Hakyeon says happily, giving him two thumbs up. “Now can you get the game for us? It’s on the top shelf of the closet.”
#
Management kindly calls Jiwon to let her know that Wonshik currently can’t take visitors. They tell her (as they’ve been telling everyone else outside of the circle of Need To Know) that the boys have fallen ill and have been quarantined to their dorm as they’re currently Very Contagious.
To exactly nobody’s surprise, Jiwon stops by anyway and leaves a cheerful message on the intercom for them all.
“Oppa,” Jiwon’s bright voice rings out throughout the dorm. “I hope you’re resting a lot! The weather has been colder lately, and I bet you haven’t been dressing warmly enough. I'll call you later, okay? I love you! Get well soon!”
Wonshik stares balefully out the window, face pressed to the glass as he watches his little sister step back from the gates and look up, squinting against the sun. she points at the building, index finger moving steadily upward as she counts the windows up to their floor.
She can’t see them--there’s no way, not in this light--but she waves all the same, and Wonshik holds his palm to the glass and watches her go.
“Yah, hyung,” Sanghyuk calls from below the windowsill. Wonshik closes his eyes and exhales slowly. “Hakyeon-hyung says to come help set up the monopoly board.”
“I'm coming,” says Wonshik, voice cracked and throat terribly dry. He coughs. “I'm coming,” he repeats, turning around and glancing down at Sanghyuk. “Give me a moment.”
“Okay,” says Sanghyuk agreeably and sets off back towards the center of the living room floor without him.
Wonshik takes his time climbing down, lost in the echoes of his little sister’s voice. He misses her fiercely and wishes he could be a better brother, one that doesn’t have to miss out on her violin recitals, one that wouldn’t let her go home to an empty house.
He starts visibly when Hakyeon suddenly steps into his line of vision, face blank and unreadable. His eyes search Wonshik’s, and Wonshik has no idea what they’re looking for, never does when Hakyeon’s mouth is set in a thin line, frown frighteningly perceptive.
Whatever Hakyeon sees, he doesn’t mention. Instead, he holds out his arm, beckoning Wonshik closer. Wonshik obeys and lets Hakyeon lead him to where the rest of them are sequestered on the “GO” square of the board.
Their manager looks torn between apprehension and amusement, and Jaehwan has already started up a chant with Hongbin and Sanghyuk to get the dice rolling. He feels a comforting squeeze on his shoulder, but when he looks, Hakyeon’s face betrays nothing.
Their leader simply smiles at him and says, gamely, “Get ready to lose.”
#
Hongbin maintains that the only reason Taekwoon is winning is because Hakyeon gave up halfway through the game and started sneaking off with the plastic houses on everyone’s properties (barring Taekwoon’s) when they weren’t looking.
He sighs, exasperated, as he watches Hakyeon gleefully make off with a hotel off Jaehwan’s Atlantic Ave while Jaehwan is momentarily distracted with a chance card that sends him straight to jail. He shares a defeated shrug with Sanghyuk who’s ambushed a deeply affected Jaehwan who cuffs him around the neck and wails about how life is so unfair, Sanghyukkie, what do I do?
“Ah, hyung,” Hongbin hears Sanghyuk say in a voice that sounds much too old for a boy so young. “None of us chose the life we were given, but maybe you could kick it in the balls and tell it to stop being such a cheater.”
“Did you say something, Sanghyukkie?” Hakyeon asks sweetly, and Hongbin would commiserate with Sanghyuk if the sight of Hakyeon choking their maknae with his affection wasn’t so entertaining.
“Umma,” Sanghyuk whines, flailing in every direction he physically can. “I'm sorry! I repent!”
“Do you really?” Hakyeon asks, not letting up, not even when Taekwoon kicks the die in his direction, narrowly missing his head.
“No!” screeches Sanghyuk. Hakyeon blows a disgustingly loud raspberry on the top of his head, and Hongbin cracks up at the shrill shriek Sanghyuk lets out. Wonshik jumps at the other end of the board, staring at them, wide-eyed and slightly dazed.
“Repent!” Hakyeon yells over him. “Don’t be mean, Hyukkie-yah!”
“Oh my god!” Sanghyuk shouts, grinning and laughing and clinging to Hakyeon even as he tries to shake him off. “You are the worst.”
“You love your hyungs,” Hakyeon crows. “Tell me how much you love me, Hyukkie.”
“I hate you,” Sanghyuk gasps stubbornly. Hakyeon retorts by blowing air on his neck.
As Sanghyuk is reduced to a shrieking, squealing mess, Hongbin glances back at Taekwoon, catching a glimpse of his face, scrunched up in silent laughter. He ducks his head when he realizes that Hongbin is watching, and Hongbin smiles slightly, fondly, when Taekwoon looks up, lips tight, but eyes curved into crescent moons of quiet delight.
“Fuck yeah!” Wonshik shouts victoriously, and Hongbin turns his attention back to him. Wonshik is standing triumphantly on the most coveted blue Boardwalk, and he grins at Hongbin and gives him an enthusiastic thumbs up. What neither of them are prepared for is the giant mosquito that zooms in out of nowhere and flies straight for Wonshik. Wonshik lets out a high-pitched screech of terror, throwing himself on the floor of the board as the pesky insect flies itself straight into their manager’s palms.
The room is silent, Wonshik cowering with his head tucked under his arms, Sanghyuk and Hakyeon staring, open-mouthed, their mock squabble forgotten. Jaehwan blinks owlishly, and Taekwoon’s eyes are wide, stunned. Hongbin stares at them, and they stare right back, and it all just feels so ridiculously, so impossible, that a small, hysterical laugh bubbles out of him, half out of shock, but mostly out of relief.
It’s not long before everyone else follows, their laughter feeding off each other, until they’re breathless and teary-eyed, and Wonshik buries his face in his hands as he tries to hold on to the last shred of dignity he has left.
#
Hakyeon is quiet throughout the next few days, and Taekwoon tries his best to shepherd the younger ones away to let him rest. It’s rather easy; keeping them occupied is as simple as finding something normal-sized and having them make a game of it. The four of them are currently standing in the middle of the living room, holding a small competition to see who can keep a normal-sized coin spinning the longest.
He finds Hakyeon sequestered in the bedroom closet, shimmying his way up their shared dresser.
“What are you doing?” Taekwoon asks, bewildered.
Hakyeon doesn’t answer right away. he’s perched precariously on the handle of the topmost drawer, and he stretches up, reaching for the edge of dresser.
“Yah!” Taekwoon calls up from below, brows knitted together with concern. “Hakyeon-ah! be careful!”
Hakyeon swings a leg up and over, and Taekwoon only releases the breath he’s holding once Hakyeon’s pulled himself to safety. Hakyeon waves down at him.
“I'm fine!” Hakyeon says, which, surprisingly, does nothing to reassure Taekwoon. “I just need to check on something!”
“I'm coming up, too,” Taekwoon says firmly. Hakyeon looks as if he wants to protest, but he shuts his mouth at the look on Taekwoon’s face and nods hesitantly.
It’s easier than he thought it’d be, pulling himself up onto the handles. Though, to be fair, he does have more upper body strength than Hakyeon and a longer arm span, even if he isn’t as flexible. Hakyeon helps pull him over the top of the dresser and offers a tiny smile of admiration.
“What are you doing?” Taekwoon repeats, once he’s gotten his breath back.
“Um,” says Hakyeon, flushing slightly and looking away. “It’s nothing, I just--” he bites his lower lip, worrying it between his teeth, and gestures vaguely at the jackets hanging in front of them.
Taekwoon waits.
“I just want to make sure my ring is still there,” he says finally, avoiding Taekwoon’s gaze.
“Oh,” says Taekwoon softly.
“I didn’t lose it,” Hakyeon says hurriedly, earnestly. “I just didn’t--”
“You don’t put on your rings until we have to leave,” Taekwoon finishes for him. He smiles at him, fond, because Hakyeon has always been kind of ridiculous, but that’s why Taekwoon loves him. “Because you always leave your most important things for last.”
Hakyeon ducks his head, but he nods in affirmation, and Taekwoon reaches out to take his hand. “Is that what you’ve been worrying about?” Taekwoon asks, and Hakyeon nods again.
“It feels weird,” Hakyeon mumbles. “Not being able to wear it.”
Taekwoon turns to face him fully, and Hakyeon looks away, cheeks bright red and lips turned down in a grimace. Taekwoon bites back a smile and instead, steps forward, cups Hakyeon’s face in his hands, and kisses him sweetly, because it’s just so Hakyeon of him to be worrying about the details.
“You can wear mine, if you’d like,” Taekwoon offers when he pulls back, reaching into his shirt and tugging out the small silver chain on which a matching ring hangs.
“No,” says Hakyeon in a small voice, even as he grips the fabric of Taekwoon’s shirt and leans into him. “No, it’s okay.” but Taekwoon can hear what Hakyeon doesn’t say. That Taekwoon’s ring is not the same as his own ring, because they’re still missing a half of the whole.
He smoothes down Hakyeon’s bangs, and Hakyeon smiles up at him.
Taekwoon helps Hakyeon climb into the pocket of his jacket, and he can see the outline of Hakyeon’s form digging around in the fabric, shifting past keys and coins until the rustling stops. Taekwoon peers inside, concerned by the lack of movement, and he nearly gets brained by a silver ring being tipped out.
“Whoops,” says Hakyeon apologetically. “Sorry!”
“Now what are you doing,” Taekwoon inquires, exasperated.
“Looking at it,” Hakyeon replies cheerily, tumbling forward in a tangle of limbs that makes Taekwoon’s eyes cross. He pats the polished silver band fondly and sits down in front of it.
Taekwoon smiles to himself and leans forward, resting his chin on top of Hakyeon’s head, mouthing the words, “for as long as time.”
#
At dinner, Wonshik accidentally tips over a teaspoonful of pepper. Hongbin sneezes hard enough to send himself stumbling. As he regains his footing, he suddenly realizes that the room no longer seems quite so large.
“Oh,” Hongbin says, surprised, as he touches his normal-sized face with a normal-sized hand. “That’s new. I'm never first for anything.”
The rest of them gape at him.
“How did you do that?” Wonshik shouts. He takes a whiff of pepper, sneezes several times in quick succession, and stays tiny. He crosses his arms, affronted.
“I don’t know,” Hongbin muses. “Maybe it’s some kind of toxin?” he suggests. “And we change back once it’s all flushed out of our system.”
“I like that theory,” Hakyeon agrees. “Now bring us lots of water.”
#
Hongbin’s hypothesis seems to prove itself sound when they wake up the next morning with Jaehwan having almost crushed Sanghyuk when he rolls over, intending to bury himself for an extra five minutes of sleep.
By mid-afternoon, Taekwoon and Hakyeon are back to normal as well (Hakyeon makes an offhand comment about always coming together that nearly gets him kneed in the face.), and Manager-hyung looks so relieved that this nightmare is almost over, he nearly cries.
“You know what would be really great, hyung?” Hakyeon says excitedly. “If we grilled some meat.”
Manager-hyung tries to ignore him, but Hongbin and Jaehwan turn to him hopefully, and he sighs. “When everyone turns back,” he promises, resigned.
“Come on, then,” Jaehwan says encouragingly to Wonshik and Sanghyuk. “It’s rude to keep your dinner host waiting.”
#
Sanghyuk wakes up, and he’s so happy to find himself back to normal, he flings himself on the nearest body he finds and chokes down a sob.
“I knew you liked me best,” Hakyeon crows victoriously, clutching Sanghyuk close. Sanghyuk doesn’t even complain once about how he can barely breathe, and it’s not until Taekwoon comes to rescue him that he gets his first normal lungful of air in days.
“You would be last,” Hongbin mutters to Wonshik. Wonshik merely peers at the scene and, apparently deeming it uninteresting enough to wake up for, turns over and goes back to sleep.
“Maybe if we gave him a laxative,” says Sanghyuk.
“Maybe if we gave him three,” says Hongbin.
“Should you do something?” Jaehwan wonders, raising an eyebrow at Hakyeon.
Hakyeon purses his lips. “Maybe this’ll teach him to stop hogging all the porridge in the morning.”
Taekwoon sighs.
#
Wonshik promptly transforms right before dinner.
“Oh thank god,” Jaehwan says.
“About time,” says Sanghyuk. “Now we can finally get some meat.”
“We could’ve gotten it for lunch, if you’d just taken the laxative,” says Hongbin.
“But the dinner set is better, anyway,” Wonshik retorts with a grin.
“Can we go eat already?” Hakyeon interrupts, staring imploringly at Manager-hyung. “I am starving.”
#
At dinner, over clatters of chopsticks on bowl and the din of conversation, over clasped hands under tables and celebratory drinks above, over the glorious sizzle of marinated short ribs and generous slices of samgyeopsal on the grill, Wonshik catches Hakyeon’s eye. He smiles, grateful, and Hakyeon merely shrugs before turning his attention back to Taekwoon.
“Oppa,” says Jiwon, to his right. “I'm glad you’re feeling a lot better now. Please take care of yourself! Or else I'll worry.”
Wonshik smiles at her fondly and fills her plate with more food. “I promise,” he says, and means it.
Jiwon nods, appeased. “I'm glad you have such good friends to take care of you,” she says happily. “And please thank Hakyeon-oppa for inviting me to come.”
Wonshik kisses the top of her head. “I promise,” he repeats, and means that even more.
size matters
In retrospect, getting shrunk down the size of a teacup is not the worst (nor strangest) thing that’s happened to them.
“I don’t know,” says Wonshik, chewing his thumbnail thoughtfully as he swings his legs over the edge of their kitchen counter. He leans back and looks up at where Hakyeon is standing on top of an apple in the fruit basket, peering curiously at their manager’s closed bedroom door. “I can think of at least ten different things that could make this worse.”
“Please don’t,” Hongbin says emphatically when Wonshik opens his mouth to continue. “Let’s just not.”
“Weird,” says Jaehwan, examining his reflection in an overturned spoon. “Hey, have I always had this mole by my nose?”
“Do you think we have superpowers?” Sanghyuk asks excitedly with a flap of his arms. He makes to dive off the counter, but Hongbin catches him by the collar of his shirt, and he falls backwards with a choked cry.
“Don’t be stupid,” Hongbin chides, shooting a questioning look at Taekwoon who shrugs, nonchalant. “Hey, hyung, what do you think caused this?”
“Breakfast,” Jaehwan says before Taekwoon can answer. He raises a hand politely like a child in class. “It’s the only thing all of us had in the last few hours.”
Taekwoon nods in agreement. “And we all shrunk at about the same time,” he adds. “Does anyone remember anything from right before they passed out?”
Everyone shakes their head. “I just remember eating our porridge and then waking up on the table,” says Hongbin.
“Same,” echoes Wonshik, along with nods from Jaehwan and Sanghyuk.
Hakyeon clambers down to join them. “Well, Manager-hyung isn’t going to be up any time soon,” he huffs, flopping down on the counter. “I’d call him, but my phone is in the bedroom. Does anyone have their phone on them?”
Everyone shakes their head. Wonshik pulls out a pen, a cough drop, a few crinkled candy wrappers and a now-miniature-sized one hundred won coin from his pockets before shaking his head as well.
Hakyeon heaves another sigh, not even bothering to scold Wonshik about the candy. “So we’ll wait, I guess, until whenever he wakes up.”
Wonshik groans. “That won’t be for like, another two hours.”
“At least we’re not mice this time,” says Jaehwan cheerfully.
#
“So this happened,” Hakyeon says matter-of-factly, once their manager finally emerges from his bedroom to find his charges to be no bigger than the apple Hakyeon is standing on.
He blinks at them, mouth agape.
“We’re pretty sure it was the porridge,” Hakyeon continues, doing his best not to sound accusatory.
Their manager stares.
“So, like,” continues Hakyeon. “How long do you think we’ll be like this? Where did you get the porridge from anyway? You bought it on sale, didn’t you.”
“Oh my god,” says their manager, his voice loud enough to make them all flinch. “Holy shit, oh my god.”
“Tiny people!” Hakyeon shouts, plugging his ears with his fingers. “Tiny ears! Very sensitive hearing!”
“Sorry,” their manager whispers as Hakyeon glares at him with disapproval. “Oh my god.”
Sanghyuk looks around, frowning. Wonshik and Hongbin have busied themselves with flinging bread crumbs at each other, and Jaehwan seems to be trying to climb his mug of tea as if it were mount everest. Taekwoon just looks bored, keeping one hand on the small of Hakyeon’s back to calm him, even though they all know Hakyeon’s more angry about not being able to get to his phone than the actual situation at hand.
“We’re so fucked,” he says flatly. Nobody bothers to disagree.
#
“Why are we still like this,” Hakyeon whines, two days later. “I'm tired of eating sunflower seeds, I just want some galbi and sundubu jjigae.”
“I want a real shower,” Sanghyuk mopes, toying with the bristles of the toothbrush he’s been using as a scrubber. “I'm starting to chafe.”
“Hyung,” Jaehwan sings gravely. “Mickey Mouse hyung, can you move Wonshik to the other side of the room? He snored so loudly last night, he scared me awake and I fell off the pillow.”
“I did not!” Wonshik argues, affronted.
“You did,” says Hongbin, nodding solemnly. “You woke me up, too.”
“It’s because he doesn’t have his breathing strips,” Hakyeon interjects, matter-of-factly.
“Thank you,” says Wonshik. “it’s not my fault my nose gets blocked.”
“Can’t he sleep with you, hyung?” Hakyeon inquires earnestly. “It’s really annoying, and we can’t get any rest.”
“You have no loyalty!” Wonshik squawks, indignant, looking from Hongbin to Hakyeon.
“You’re cutting into my beauty sleep,” says Hakyeon.
“Our diets are already messed up,” frowns Hongbin. “My skin is more oily than it used to be. I can’t risk ruining it more with lack of sleep.”
“Traitors,” says Wonshik with a huff. He turns to Taekwoon and smiles brightly. “Hyung, hyung, you’re on my side, aren’t you?”
Taekwoon purses his lips. “Don’t even think about it,” he says tightly, and Wonshik stomps his feet on the carpeted floor as loudly as his five-inch self can allow.
“Hyung,” he whines. “Hyung, please! Don't be like this!"
“Just sleep on the other side of the room!” Taekwoon shoots back impatiently.
“I don’t want to,” says Wonshik, petulantly.
“Oh my god,” says Sanghyuk, exasperated. “Will somebody just give him some water.”
#
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Hongbin asks skeptically, eyeing the tiny scrap of paper that Sanghyuk’s fashioned into a funnel.
Wonshik is bent over an empty bowl, eyeing the paper warily as Sanghyuk approaches him.
“Trust me,” says Sanghyuk. “It worked for my dad. It’ll work for you.”
“Our Sanghyuk is so smart,” coos Hakyeon. “I wish I could film this.”
“Don’t even think about it,” Wonshik and Sanghyuk say in unison.
“So it’s like, a neti pot,” Jaehwan says, tilting his head to get a better look. “Like what ajusshis use for allergies?”
“Basically,” says Sanghyuk. He turns to Wonshik. “Okay,” he says, pushing the tip of the makeshift funnel in one of Wonshik’s nostrils. “Don’t forget to breathe out.”
He nods at Manager-hyung to squeeze a few drops of water out of the eyedropper they’d found in the medicine cabinet.
Wonshik promptly chokes.
He splutters inelegantly, snorting like a pig as he flails around, trying to hack the water out of his lungs.
"You idiot!" Sanghyuk shouts as Hakyeon and Taekwoon thump his back helpfully. "I told you not to breathe in!"
"I wish I had my camera," Hongbin says wistfully. "He looks so flustered."
"I hate you," Wonshik says miserably, as Hakyeon kindly wipes his mouth with the corner of a dishrag.
"You don't mean that," Hongbin says, patting Wonshik's shoulder in consolation. "Look at it this way, your sister will probably think you're adorable."
"I am not--" Wonshik snarls, before going pale and shooting Hakyeon a desperate, frantic look. Hakyeon cocks his head questioningly, and Wonshik lets out a helpless groan and drops to his knees. "Jiwonnie," he bemoans. "Fuck, she's supposed to be visiting tomorrow!"
“What the hell,” says Hakyeon, not the least bit sympathetic. “How do you keep getting all these visits when you’re on probation more than Sanghyuk?”
“Hey,” protests Sanghyuk. “One time! I only got my phone taken away that one time!”
“Ah,” says Hongbin wisely, clapping Sanghyuk’s shoulders firmly. “It’s still one more than the rest of us. Hide your porn better next time.”
“I don’t watch porn!” Sanghyuk yells indignantly, throwing himself behind Taekwoon and pouting as best as he can. “Hyung,” he whines. “You know it’s not true.”
Taekwoon makes an aborted noise in the back of his throat and glances furtively at Hakyeon who frowns, hands on his hips.
“It’s okay, you know,” Hakyeon sniffs imperiously. “You’re a growing boy, we understand you have needs. It’s just that I would’ve expected you to come to me if you were having--”
“Oh my god,” Sanghyuk screeches. “Don’t even--I swear to god--I'm not--I'm sorry I had porn on my computer oh my god please stop talking.”
“I am here for you!” Hakyeon shouts over him. “Tell hyung what you want! Let hyung take care of you!”
“No!” Sanghyuk practically shrieks, shrinking into a defensive crouch on the floor as he clings to Taekwoon’s knees for dear life. “Taekwoon-hyung, make him stop! I'll be good I promise, just make him stop!”
#
“What happened to Sanghyuk,” Manager-hyung inquires when he returns from yet another meeting at headquarters to sort out their situation. “Why is he hiding under the kitchen sink?”
“No idea,” says Hakyeon breezily. “Hey, hyung, do you want to play a game with us?”
Manager-hyung sighs. “If it’s hide and seek again--”
“It’s not,” Hakyeon promises. “It’s monopoly.”
Manager-hyung waits for the punchline.
“That’s it,” says Hakyeon. “I want to play monopoly.”
“You want to play or everyone wants to play?” Manager-hyung asks, with a certain air of defeat that makes Hakyeon grin all the wider.
“Same difference!” Hakyeon says happily, giving him two thumbs up. “Now can you get the game for us? It’s on the top shelf of the closet.”
#
Management kindly calls Jiwon to let her know that Wonshik currently can’t take visitors. They tell her (as they’ve been telling everyone else outside of the circle of Need To Know) that the boys have fallen ill and have been quarantined to their dorm as they’re currently Very Contagious.
To exactly nobody’s surprise, Jiwon stops by anyway and leaves a cheerful message on the intercom for them all.
“Oppa,” Jiwon’s bright voice rings out throughout the dorm. “I hope you’re resting a lot! The weather has been colder lately, and I bet you haven’t been dressing warmly enough. I'll call you later, okay? I love you! Get well soon!”
Wonshik stares balefully out the window, face pressed to the glass as he watches his little sister step back from the gates and look up, squinting against the sun. she points at the building, index finger moving steadily upward as she counts the windows up to their floor.
She can’t see them--there’s no way, not in this light--but she waves all the same, and Wonshik holds his palm to the glass and watches her go.
“Yah, hyung,” Sanghyuk calls from below the windowsill. Wonshik closes his eyes and exhales slowly. “Hakyeon-hyung says to come help set up the monopoly board.”
“I'm coming,” says Wonshik, voice cracked and throat terribly dry. He coughs. “I'm coming,” he repeats, turning around and glancing down at Sanghyuk. “Give me a moment.”
“Okay,” says Sanghyuk agreeably and sets off back towards the center of the living room floor without him.
Wonshik takes his time climbing down, lost in the echoes of his little sister’s voice. He misses her fiercely and wishes he could be a better brother, one that doesn’t have to miss out on her violin recitals, one that wouldn’t let her go home to an empty house.
He starts visibly when Hakyeon suddenly steps into his line of vision, face blank and unreadable. His eyes search Wonshik’s, and Wonshik has no idea what they’re looking for, never does when Hakyeon’s mouth is set in a thin line, frown frighteningly perceptive.
Whatever Hakyeon sees, he doesn’t mention. Instead, he holds out his arm, beckoning Wonshik closer. Wonshik obeys and lets Hakyeon lead him to where the rest of them are sequestered on the “GO” square of the board.
Their manager looks torn between apprehension and amusement, and Jaehwan has already started up a chant with Hongbin and Sanghyuk to get the dice rolling. He feels a comforting squeeze on his shoulder, but when he looks, Hakyeon’s face betrays nothing.
Their leader simply smiles at him and says, gamely, “Get ready to lose.”
#
Hongbin maintains that the only reason Taekwoon is winning is because Hakyeon gave up halfway through the game and started sneaking off with the plastic houses on everyone’s properties (barring Taekwoon’s) when they weren’t looking.
He sighs, exasperated, as he watches Hakyeon gleefully make off with a hotel off Jaehwan’s Atlantic Ave while Jaehwan is momentarily distracted with a chance card that sends him straight to jail. He shares a defeated shrug with Sanghyuk who’s ambushed a deeply affected Jaehwan who cuffs him around the neck and wails about how life is so unfair, Sanghyukkie, what do I do?
“Ah, hyung,” Hongbin hears Sanghyuk say in a voice that sounds much too old for a boy so young. “None of us chose the life we were given, but maybe you could kick it in the balls and tell it to stop being such a cheater.”
“Did you say something, Sanghyukkie?” Hakyeon asks sweetly, and Hongbin would commiserate with Sanghyuk if the sight of Hakyeon choking their maknae with his affection wasn’t so entertaining.
“Umma,” Sanghyuk whines, flailing in every direction he physically can. “I'm sorry! I repent!”
“Do you really?” Hakyeon asks, not letting up, not even when Taekwoon kicks the die in his direction, narrowly missing his head.
“No!” screeches Sanghyuk. Hakyeon blows a disgustingly loud raspberry on the top of his head, and Hongbin cracks up at the shrill shriek Sanghyuk lets out. Wonshik jumps at the other end of the board, staring at them, wide-eyed and slightly dazed.
“Repent!” Hakyeon yells over him. “Don’t be mean, Hyukkie-yah!”
“Oh my god!” Sanghyuk shouts, grinning and laughing and clinging to Hakyeon even as he tries to shake him off. “You are the worst.”
“You love your hyungs,” Hakyeon crows. “Tell me how much you love me, Hyukkie.”
“I hate you,” Sanghyuk gasps stubbornly. Hakyeon retorts by blowing air on his neck.
As Sanghyuk is reduced to a shrieking, squealing mess, Hongbin glances back at Taekwoon, catching a glimpse of his face, scrunched up in silent laughter. He ducks his head when he realizes that Hongbin is watching, and Hongbin smiles slightly, fondly, when Taekwoon looks up, lips tight, but eyes curved into crescent moons of quiet delight.
“Fuck yeah!” Wonshik shouts victoriously, and Hongbin turns his attention back to him. Wonshik is standing triumphantly on the most coveted blue Boardwalk, and he grins at Hongbin and gives him an enthusiastic thumbs up. What neither of them are prepared for is the giant mosquito that zooms in out of nowhere and flies straight for Wonshik. Wonshik lets out a high-pitched screech of terror, throwing himself on the floor of the board as the pesky insect flies itself straight into their manager’s palms.
The room is silent, Wonshik cowering with his head tucked under his arms, Sanghyuk and Hakyeon staring, open-mouthed, their mock squabble forgotten. Jaehwan blinks owlishly, and Taekwoon’s eyes are wide, stunned. Hongbin stares at them, and they stare right back, and it all just feels so ridiculously, so impossible, that a small, hysterical laugh bubbles out of him, half out of shock, but mostly out of relief.
It’s not long before everyone else follows, their laughter feeding off each other, until they’re breathless and teary-eyed, and Wonshik buries his face in his hands as he tries to hold on to the last shred of dignity he has left.
#
Hakyeon is quiet throughout the next few days, and Taekwoon tries his best to shepherd the younger ones away to let him rest. It’s rather easy; keeping them occupied is as simple as finding something normal-sized and having them make a game of it. The four of them are currently standing in the middle of the living room, holding a small competition to see who can keep a normal-sized coin spinning the longest.
He finds Hakyeon sequestered in the bedroom closet, shimmying his way up their shared dresser.
“What are you doing?” Taekwoon asks, bewildered.
Hakyeon doesn’t answer right away. he’s perched precariously on the handle of the topmost drawer, and he stretches up, reaching for the edge of dresser.
“Yah!” Taekwoon calls up from below, brows knitted together with concern. “Hakyeon-ah! be careful!”
Hakyeon swings a leg up and over, and Taekwoon only releases the breath he’s holding once Hakyeon’s pulled himself to safety. Hakyeon waves down at him.
“I'm fine!” Hakyeon says, which, surprisingly, does nothing to reassure Taekwoon. “I just need to check on something!”
“I'm coming up, too,” Taekwoon says firmly. Hakyeon looks as if he wants to protest, but he shuts his mouth at the look on Taekwoon’s face and nods hesitantly.
It’s easier than he thought it’d be, pulling himself up onto the handles. Though, to be fair, he does have more upper body strength than Hakyeon and a longer arm span, even if he isn’t as flexible. Hakyeon helps pull him over the top of the dresser and offers a tiny smile of admiration.
“What are you doing?” Taekwoon repeats, once he’s gotten his breath back.
“Um,” says Hakyeon, flushing slightly and looking away. “It’s nothing, I just--” he bites his lower lip, worrying it between his teeth, and gestures vaguely at the jackets hanging in front of them.
Taekwoon waits.
“I just want to make sure my ring is still there,” he says finally, avoiding Taekwoon’s gaze.
“Oh,” says Taekwoon softly.
“I didn’t lose it,” Hakyeon says hurriedly, earnestly. “I just didn’t--”
“You don’t put on your rings until we have to leave,” Taekwoon finishes for him. He smiles at him, fond, because Hakyeon has always been kind of ridiculous, but that’s why Taekwoon loves him. “Because you always leave your most important things for last.”
Hakyeon ducks his head, but he nods in affirmation, and Taekwoon reaches out to take his hand. “Is that what you’ve been worrying about?” Taekwoon asks, and Hakyeon nods again.
“It feels weird,” Hakyeon mumbles. “Not being able to wear it.”
Taekwoon turns to face him fully, and Hakyeon looks away, cheeks bright red and lips turned down in a grimace. Taekwoon bites back a smile and instead, steps forward, cups Hakyeon’s face in his hands, and kisses him sweetly, because it’s just so Hakyeon of him to be worrying about the details.
“You can wear mine, if you’d like,” Taekwoon offers when he pulls back, reaching into his shirt and tugging out the small silver chain on which a matching ring hangs.
“No,” says Hakyeon in a small voice, even as he grips the fabric of Taekwoon’s shirt and leans into him. “No, it’s okay.” but Taekwoon can hear what Hakyeon doesn’t say. That Taekwoon’s ring is not the same as his own ring, because they’re still missing a half of the whole.
He smoothes down Hakyeon’s bangs, and Hakyeon smiles up at him.
Taekwoon helps Hakyeon climb into the pocket of his jacket, and he can see the outline of Hakyeon’s form digging around in the fabric, shifting past keys and coins until the rustling stops. Taekwoon peers inside, concerned by the lack of movement, and he nearly gets brained by a silver ring being tipped out.
“Whoops,” says Hakyeon apologetically. “Sorry!”
“Now what are you doing,” Taekwoon inquires, exasperated.
“Looking at it,” Hakyeon replies cheerily, tumbling forward in a tangle of limbs that makes Taekwoon’s eyes cross. He pats the polished silver band fondly and sits down in front of it.
Taekwoon smiles to himself and leans forward, resting his chin on top of Hakyeon’s head, mouthing the words, “for as long as time.”
#
At dinner, Wonshik accidentally tips over a teaspoonful of pepper. Hongbin sneezes hard enough to send himself stumbling. As he regains his footing, he suddenly realizes that the room no longer seems quite so large.
“Oh,” Hongbin says, surprised, as he touches his normal-sized face with a normal-sized hand. “That’s new. I'm never first for anything.”
The rest of them gape at him.
“How did you do that?” Wonshik shouts. He takes a whiff of pepper, sneezes several times in quick succession, and stays tiny. He crosses his arms, affronted.
“I don’t know,” Hongbin muses. “Maybe it’s some kind of toxin?” he suggests. “And we change back once it’s all flushed out of our system.”
“I like that theory,” Hakyeon agrees. “Now bring us lots of water.”
#
Hongbin’s hypothesis seems to prove itself sound when they wake up the next morning with Jaehwan having almost crushed Sanghyuk when he rolls over, intending to bury himself for an extra five minutes of sleep.
By mid-afternoon, Taekwoon and Hakyeon are back to normal as well (Hakyeon makes an offhand comment about always coming together that nearly gets him kneed in the face.), and Manager-hyung looks so relieved that this nightmare is almost over, he nearly cries.
“You know what would be really great, hyung?” Hakyeon says excitedly. “If we grilled some meat.”
Manager-hyung tries to ignore him, but Hongbin and Jaehwan turn to him hopefully, and he sighs. “When everyone turns back,” he promises, resigned.
“Come on, then,” Jaehwan says encouragingly to Wonshik and Sanghyuk. “It’s rude to keep your dinner host waiting.”
#
Sanghyuk wakes up, and he’s so happy to find himself back to normal, he flings himself on the nearest body he finds and chokes down a sob.
“I knew you liked me best,” Hakyeon crows victoriously, clutching Sanghyuk close. Sanghyuk doesn’t even complain once about how he can barely breathe, and it’s not until Taekwoon comes to rescue him that he gets his first normal lungful of air in days.
“You would be last,” Hongbin mutters to Wonshik. Wonshik merely peers at the scene and, apparently deeming it uninteresting enough to wake up for, turns over and goes back to sleep.
“Maybe if we gave him a laxative,” says Sanghyuk.
“Maybe if we gave him three,” says Hongbin.
“Should you do something?” Jaehwan wonders, raising an eyebrow at Hakyeon.
Hakyeon purses his lips. “Maybe this’ll teach him to stop hogging all the porridge in the morning.”
Taekwoon sighs.
#
Wonshik promptly transforms right before dinner.
“Oh thank god,” Jaehwan says.
“About time,” says Sanghyuk. “Now we can finally get some meat.”
“We could’ve gotten it for lunch, if you’d just taken the laxative,” says Hongbin.
“But the dinner set is better, anyway,” Wonshik retorts with a grin.
“Can we go eat already?” Hakyeon interrupts, staring imploringly at Manager-hyung. “I am starving.”
#
At dinner, over clatters of chopsticks on bowl and the din of conversation, over clasped hands under tables and celebratory drinks above, over the glorious sizzle of marinated short ribs and generous slices of samgyeopsal on the grill, Wonshik catches Hakyeon’s eye. He smiles, grateful, and Hakyeon merely shrugs before turning his attention back to Taekwoon.
“Oppa,” says Jiwon, to his right. “I'm glad you’re feeling a lot better now. Please take care of yourself! Or else I'll worry.”
Wonshik smiles at her fondly and fills her plate with more food. “I promise,” he says, and means it.
Jiwon nods, appeased. “I'm glad you have such good friends to take care of you,” she says happily. “And please thank Hakyeon-oppa for inviting me to come.”
Wonshik kisses the top of her head. “I promise,” he repeats, and means that even more.