P5: Full House
Title: Full House
For: P5
Pairing: Minseok/Sehun/Lu Han/Junmyun
Rating: PG-13
Length: 6014w
Summary: Besides his many major insecurities and overwhelming doubts, Sehun thinks he’s got this four-way, polyamorous relationship-thing in the bag.
Warnings: Fluff :’), Mentions of sexual activity
Author's note: I absolutely fell in love with this prompt. I think I was really tied over when you, prompter, requested the focus be on their relationship (rather than their sex lives).[(click for more!)] I thought, "I have to write this.I want this." This little drabble-type-story came into my mind right away and grew into something a little more, uh, defined (?) in my opinion...in its own little way. Anyway, I want to thank M for always helping me when I cry about not being able to poop out words (without disliking them or erasing them), and J for, while not pleased with the pairings, indulging me always, and for letting me call her to cry about my uncertainty as a writer. You're a true friend. :") I really hope you all enjoy reading this and fall in love a little bit along the way, too. // See end of fic for more notes!
There’s the distinct sound of metal clacking against countertops, ceramic cups and hollow, plastic containers being knocked onto marble surfaces. All of that is background noise, mixed with the soft pitter-patter of the rain hitting the glass. It's gloomy outside, dark clouds painting a dark canvas against the dimly lit cafe. The quiet chatter of other customers rises every time the bell chimes over the cafe door. A customer rushes in, soaked through from the rain. Park Chanyeol spots him immediately, eyes automatically flicking towards the entrance, the greeting on the tip of his tongue.
"Welcome to The Café Cafe," he says wittily as he just finishes with a customer, greeting the new arrival from behind the counter. Chanyeol’s black hair is curled at his temples and forehead, framing his face. His lips are stretched into a lazy smile as he leans on the counter. "How's the rain?"
“It’s pouring," someone replies, not sounding the least bit pleased. Though Oh Sehun is sitting near enough to the counter to overhear the exchange, he tunes out the conversation, Chanyeol's loud voice blending in the backdrop now. He focuses instead on his action. Sehun leisurely stirs his bubble tea with a straw, wrist moving in slow, lazy circles, disturbing the tapioca pearls. He absently watches as the ice cubes submerge and surface in his drink, clinking together noisily against the glass of the cup.
Kim Jongin reaches from across to slap his hand, hoping to prompt him to quit it.
"Explain to me again how this happened. Go,” Jongin demands, breaking off a piece of his chocolate-drizzled croissant to fit into his mouth in quite an unattractive manner, in Sehun's opinion.
The smirk that had stretched across Sehun's thin lips quickly dissolves into a thoughtful pucker, the satisfaction of having annoyed Jongin leaving with it. He leans against the window and rests his chin in his palm. He continues to stir with the other hand, using less strength.
Jongin notices the subtle change in Sehun's demeanour; six years of best-friendship has honed his ability to pick up on these changes. He’s always been of gentle nature, soft-spoken, cool and generally stoic, but a light pink settles across his cheeks as he averts his gaze and huffs, disturbing his bleached blonde fringe. He suddenly grows shy in the face of his question, and that's enough evidence of uncoolness for Jongin to tease him with for a while. This is the fun of being Sehun’s friend, Jongin thinks.
"I don't know. It kind of just happened..."
“What do you mean ‘it kind of just happened’?" Jongin says haughtily, pointing an accusatory finger at his friend. The corner of Sehun's mouth quirks some. "You don’t just happen to land three boyfriends."
Sehun would have rolled his eyes if he weren’t a little embarrassed by Jongin’s statement. Of course, Jongin knows the story, whatever blurred version of it Sehun could remember at the time of the recounting, though he hasn’t stopped pressing for details since. But the way he sees it, that’s just what happened. One morning, he was discussing his hatred for a book series with a handsome fellow in the book store, then later that afternoon he was sharing a coffee with this same handsome fellow, exchanging numbers with him, and then meeting up so often afterwards he ended up meeting two other good-looking gentlemen who weren’t exactly shy about flirting with him. (Neither was he about flirting back once he got over the flustering fact that more than one person was interested in him at the same time…He wasn’t very pleased with Jongin’s open-mouthed shock, however, like it was “Already impossible for one person to like you, but three - " And then he’d hit him in the face with a throw pillow.) It was exciting and new and Sehun really wishes Jongin would be quieter about his surprise.
“Well, I did,” he huffs lowly, hoping it’ll encourage Jongin to keep his voice down too. Of course it doesn’t. “And you know how.”
“Why couldn’t you have attracted three women instead?” complains Jongin not for the first time. This time Sehun does roll his eyes. Jongin grins and waves his hand flippantly, because he very well knows why Sehun does not, or at least why he does politely decline their advances. He takes another bite of his pastry, and with his mouth full, Jongin says, “Three boyfriends, Sehun.”
“I know," Sehun sighs in disbelief, palming his bangs back, away from his forehead, and then letting them fall back in place. He’s still processing it himself.
“You’ve never been or even heard of people around here in polyamo-whatever relationships. Are you sure about what you got yourself into?”
He shrugs, swirling the tapioca pearls again. There’s a thoughtful beat before he shrugs lightly again. He isn’t so much worried or unsure than he is nervous. The corners of his lips lift slightly, like he’s fighting hard against his muscles to not crack a smile. He remembers his boyfriends’ reassurances, their advice, when they first asked him to be a part of their relationship. “I’m just going to take it one day at a time.”
“Did you just say one dick at a time?”
“I think we should stop being friends.”
“But in all seriousness,” Jongin picks up after a good laugh, having watched Sehun’s expression fall into that of exasperation because of him. He chews on the tip of his straw out of habit, like he’s getting ready to actually be attentive rather than teasing. “What are they like? I haven’t met them yet.”
“Mmh. I’d like to keep it that way.” He’s joking, Jongin unfazed, though Sehun’s demeanour changes again. A quiet excitement courses through him as he thinks of them with a kind of reminiscent look about him, and the more he thinks, the more a smile appears on his face again. It occurs to him that they haven’t spent quite that much time together for him to really be elaborate, because he's still new to the polyamorous part, but he talks about them as best he can describe them. “The three of them are so different from each other,” he starts. “That’s what I remember thinking first when they told me they were, you know, together.” He flips his hand in midair for effect. "Junmyun-hyung is sweet and caring. Lu Han-hyung is loud and needy. And Minseok-hyung - " Minseok had been the first of the trio he'd encountered that day in the book store, captivating and friendly.”He's - " Harder to define, apparently.” I dunno. He's quiet and...energetic at the same time.” Sehun glances at his friend, who furrowed his eyebrows. “It’s weird in a totally endearing way."
Jongin laughs. "Okay. Vague, but sounds like an interesting dynamic."
"It is," agrees Sehun, "and the more I get to know them, the more I can see why they're together, and where they're alike in some ways."
"And where you fit in?"
Sehun's eyes flicker uncertainly. He chuckles nervously. "Something like that," he says, "I haven't figured it out, yet."
~
Sehun learns that the living room couch of his three boyfriends' shared apartment is not the best place to study. Not when he's more interested in the curve of Junmyun's mouth than in the parabola he's studying, or the fit of his hand along the slope of his jaw rather than the slope of the tangent somewhere on a profit chart.
"Sorry," Junmyun breathes before pulling away, not really sounding apologetic. He leans his forehead against Sehun's. "I meant to help you with your homework, not steal you away from it."
"It's okay." The slant of Junmyun's lips over his is a welcomed distraction. "Really."
Junmyun laughs softly. Everything about him is soft, Sehun thinks, just like the press of his plush, pink lips. He nips at his bottom lip teasingly, grinning as he gently pulls.
“Gross.”
It’s Lu Han’s rather pink strawberry blonde hair that whizzes past them when they part again, through the living room to the connected kitchen. He’s put as much bite into the word as he can upon witnessing his boyfriends’ make-out session, but they know he doesn’t really mean it. He flashes them a shit-eating grin from the kitchen. Junmyun laughs again.
They both settle into the couch, shoulder-to-shoulder, Sehun’s schoolwork laid in his lap. Junmyun actually does try to help him with his math, more often ending up digging his finger into Sehun’s side when he gets too smug about getting the right answer. Sehun giggles every time.
Junmyun makes a discovery of his own: Sehun often tries to divert their attentions whenever they get too immersed. “It’s boring,” Sehun whines, but Junmyun is having none of it. But try as Junmyun might to keep him focused, the younger is good at keeping them both distracted.
Instead of integrals and maximization, Sehun holds Junmyun’s hand in his lap, and they talk in hushed voices.
“What if I had, like, green hair? Would you still find me attractive?”
Junmyun laughs, a soft sound leaving his mouth as he throws his head back to release it. Sehun watches as his eyes disappear into a thin line and his shoulders shake lightly. He finds him pretty like this, pearly white teeth biting down like he is trying hard to not laugh with his jaw unhinged. Sehun is thankful, because he’d probably look stupid otherwise. Endearingly stupid.
“I’m trying to imagine it,” he says when he stops laughing, “you’d look like a broccoli.”
Sehun feigns affront. “Hey!”
“Oh my god, think about all the hair jokes I could make.”
“Please don’t.”
“What has green hair and hangs out with three bears?”
“Junmyun - "
“Moldy-locks.” And he breaks out into a fit of chuckles, clutching his stomach like he’d just recited the Funniest Joke Ever (although Sehun is pretty sure he’d read that online somewhere. It’s very likely. In fact, he’s fairly certain that a majority of Junmyun’s jokes come from the Internet). Sehun rolls his eyes and can’t help the grin that pulls at his lips as he watches his boyfriend laugh. He can’t help it, either, when he leans forward to peck Junmyun’s rosy cheeks, which stops him in his action.
“What was that for?” he asks, amused, knowing for sure it wasn’t the joke that earned him a kiss. But in a way it had been, because Junmyun is so stupidly cute when his whole face scrunches up with laughter, eyes turned moons in his expression. Sehun finds him absolutely cute, and full of unfunny humour, it’s funny.
“You’re cute,” is all he tells him, and Junmyun hits him playfully before demanding he return his attention to his homework.
But Sehun prefers pouring all of his focus into catching Junmyun’s lips between his own, because he thinks he enjoys the soft kisses most.
~
Minseok carefully wraps his lithe fingers around Lu Han’s dainty wrist when he’s tired of having to keep up with the taller man’s wide strides - that and he has the dangerous habit of not looking both ways before crossing the streets. “Once or twice there was a car that ran a red light while I was crossing and I ninja-maneuvered out of the way. I’m pedestrian-related-car-accident immune,” he argued once. Minseok looked at him with the most unimpressed expression he could muster.
He pulls Lu Han closer and wraps an arm around his waist instead. Lu Han molds perfectly into his side, like he’s meant to be there, a puzzle piece that completes Minseok. As if he’s so used to the action, Lu Han throws an arm around his boyfriend’s neck, who digs his cheek into his shoulder and vaguely whispers that he “can’t wait until we’re seated. You’ll cause less damage that way.” Lu Han laughs, a sound so heavenly and loud Sehun thinks he’s just been woken.
As he trails behind them, Sehun thinks that the puzzle metaphor defines Lu Han and Minseok’s relationship justly. There’s a connection that runs deep between them, strong and effortless. When Minseok moves, Lu Han does too, completing the action. There are no awkward limb movements like there were with Sehun the first few times his boyfriends’ dug their fingers into his side to bring him closer.
The light pink blush on Lu Han’s cheeks is unusual too, like Minseok is the only one of the three who is capable of making him feel an ounce as flustered as he makes the others. But somehow, it’s funny seeing Lu Han this way. He wishes he could make him do that.
The bubbling feeling in the pit of his stomach isn’t jealousy, he knows. It’s…it’s something else. Something he can’t quite put his finger on…Something…
He isn’t given the time to define it before his attention is stolen by Junmyun, the latter squeezing the hand he’d been holding as they walked.
“Hey, there,” he says, amused. Sehun turns his attention to his boyfriend and flashes him a lazy grin. Junmyun chuckles, shaking his head slightly before he squeezes his hand again. “You know they love you, right?”
Sehun scrunches his face cutely as he holds the door open to the Italian restaurant they’d been walking to, walking in right behind Junmyun without letting go of his hand. It’s funny how Junmyun can sometimes read his mind. It’s scary, too. He sighs. “I know.”
“I love you, too, by the way.”
At that, he smiles down at Junmyun. “I know,” he responds softly. Junmyun faces ahead and watches his other two boyfriends as they’re all guided to their seats.
“I know what you’re thinking.” Sehun gives him an inquisitive look, one that reads ‘Please do enlighten me,’ because even he has a hard time deciphering his own thoughts. “Lu Han and Minseok, they’ve been together a long time before we came along. But if there’s one thing I love about them it’s that they make sure their affection is shared, not divided.”
Sehun offers a small smile because he knows it’s true. He’s felt it first hand when the four of them are together. But he supposes that he feels a little better with Junmyun’s reassurance.
“If it helps,” Junmyun suggests as they take their seats, snarky look on his face as he regards the two others, “we can act lovey-dovey, too. Make them jealous.”
Minseok chuckles while Lu Han scoffs. “Ha.” He grabs the underside of Sehun’s chair, who’s sitting next to him, and pulls him closer to him, scraping loudly against the wooden floor. “Why would we be jealous of what’s ours?” There’s a mischievous gleam in his eyes as he smirks and leans forward to kiss Sehun. When he pulls away, the youngest is stupidly blushing, Lu Han a satisfied smirk on his features as he dramatically drapes a napkin over his lap and exclaims, “Let us look at the menu!”
~
Sehun likes to take advantage of sunny days like today to get some studying done - actually get some studying done, not drown in the folds of his boyfriends’ collars after having lured them in with “I need help with my homework.” (He has other tricks up his sleeve, but this strategy proves to be very effective. With Junmyun. Only.)
He sits at a table on the campus quad, away from the sun, although he judges he’ll have to scoot further under the shade of the tree to avoid the moving sunlight. His work is laid out in front of him, mathematics worksheets serving as resting mats for his elbows as he neglects them, because Sehun is doing what he does best: distracting himself by having a conversation with inner-Sehun.
Sehun isn't going to lie to himself: he does not have a mathematical brain. He's good at math, he doesn't hate it (although he studies human resources management), but he does not look at everything methodically. He wishes he did. How sick would it be, he thinks, if he could tackle every issue as if it were a math problem? This would mean it's bound to have a solution, even if the solution is the limit does not exist. Or something. He nods to himself silently. Things would be simpler that way.
If Sehun could think like Sherlock, maybe he could figure what was wrong with him.
It’s been a few days since their Italian-restaurant lunch date, and the feeling he’d fleetingly felt low in his stomach that day only seems to have intensified since then. He still can’t explain it; there are too many thoughts swimming in his head that seem to be the answer - friends, parents, boyfriends, something someone said to him, maybe - but then he waves it off. It doesn’t make much sense to him. No matter what he does or distracts himself with, Sehun finds it difficult to appease this dull ache.
His phone quacks in his pocket, pulling him out of his reflection. He fishes it out and slides to unlock. One notification on Kakaotalk.
Ur thinking face isn't pretty.
The message from Lu Han makes Sehun laugh, and it's enough to completely derail his thoughts and put a temporary halt to his feelings.
He knows Lu Han is on campus too, having graciously accepted to tutor those other undergraduates in need during the Summer. r u stalking me?
U loser.
ofc i am♡
How would you even know? he responds. You nver help me with hw and ur a math major. MATH.
Somewhere in the University Center, as he backs away from a window looking over the quad perhaps, Sehun can imagine Lu Han laughing at his phone, very pleased with himself.
Bc i care about my mental wellbeing. 2 much math & i die.
u love numbers.
I love my wellbeinv more :')
ur stupid but ily.
-ignores ur unwanted opinion- 💁let's go home, love♡
~
Spending time with Lu Han is different than spending time with Junmyun.
Junmyun is always mindful of other people's space, always polite or hesitant when he so much as wants to reach out to hold his boyfriends' hands. He knows how to read people, too, knowing when they need a soothing hand over their thigh, more confident in offering that reassuring hand than blatantly flirting with his actions. In that regard, he’s a little bit like Sehun with his clumsy affection.
With Lu Han, it's the opposite. He’s touchy, clingy, oftentimes finding his mouth pressed against his skin and acting innocent. “How did my hand end up down your pants?” Lu Han has no respect for boundaries, doesn't believe in them. Most times none of them really object, because they know Lu Han likes to touch.
Keeping close contact means more to Lu Han than the sexy things it leads to. For him, it's a way to feel connected to his partner - partners - through simple actions like intertwining their hands, tangling their legs together, laying his head on his shoulder as they watch a movie, fingers feathering their way up his arm (and popcorn flying across the room because somehow, they always end up making a mess neither Junmyun nor Minseok appreciates.)
Between the two of them, Lu Han is almost always the one to reach out first, needily, and Sehun loves it. It probably gives him the upper hand in his goal of flustering his boyfriends, but Sehun feels like he's the one taking care of the hyung rather than the other way around, and in a way, he likes that someone depends on him sometimes rather than he always depend on everyone around him.
It's one of the reasons why, cuddled against each other on the couch, Lu Han's arms around Sehun's waist, the youngest sports an almost dreamy expression. If his boyfriend notices, he doesn't make a smug remark about it.
Rush Hour 2 is playing on TV. It's perfect, really, for Lu Han, since he lives for the banter between Carter and Inspector Lee. (He also admits that for an older man, Jackie Chan is quite fine, which only mildly disturbs Sehun because he's not so sure he agrees.)
"You should really learn my language," Lu Han mentions absently when that crazy woman Hu Li relays her desire to cut off Isabella's pretty lips and bury her in the desert. "The expressions are so colourful. You're really missing out."
"They have subtitles."
Lu Han rolls his eyes dramatically. "In English, you idiot. Don't you ever wish you understood what they said yourself?"
“Teach me something right now."
Lu Han moves after a beat, sitting on his knees so he's facing him. Sehun cranes his head to see a mischievous expression on his face.
"Say Wo ai ni."
"Wo ai ni," Sehun repeats without asking what it means, although they both know he knows; it's a common expression. He smiles as he watches Lu Han's face fall, awe settling in his features. "Lu Han," he adds to his sentence. Lu Han's mouth opens, a small 'o' form, and Sehun thinks, hopes maybe, that the very faint rosy tint on his cheeks is him blushing.
"You're so fucking cute."
Lu Han straddles Sehun's lap and gathers his face in his hands to kiss him.
Minseok and Junmyun enter the apartment just as things are getting a little frisky in the living room. Junmyun pales and shouts, exasperated.
"Lu Han, not on the couch!"
~
Sehun sighs for what he thinks is the tenth time in the same minute. That’s one sigh every six seconds. That nagging feeling he’d felt days ago has manifested in the constant squeezing of his heart. It’s uncomfortable and distressing, and he has no idea how to tell the invisible hand around his muscle to go away, you’re ruining my mood.
Another sigh. And for every six seconds the blonde releases a dejected breath of air, Kim Jongdae’s annoyance augments.
He must have considered this a beat too long, for Sehun sighs again.
“Will you stop that,” he snaps, turning to look down at the child from his perch up on the ladder. Sehun lolls his head back to reveal his pout, which his co-worker only glares at.
“I’m sorry, hyung.” If Jongdae hears the dejection in his voice, he pointedly ignores it, returning to his task of replacing trinkets on the higher shelves. Sehun, Jongdae notes, continues to do nothing but stand behind the counter, leaning back to look at him, his frown more pronounced. Sure, the paint shop isn’t busy today, but he could at least pretend to occupy himself.
Another purposeful sigh, directed at him this time. Jongdae’s eyebrow twitches irritably. There are better, less annoying ways of getting his attention, even though he would rather invest it elsewhere. It’s not that he doesn’t want to indulge Sehun and listen to his woes...No, that’s exactly it. But he must be a great person deep down or something if he’s willing to listen to his friend’s angst.
When Sehun sighs again, Jongdae looks at him to give him a lifeless stare. “I’m sad,” informs Sehun. His co-worker takes a deep breath before he descends the two steps on the ladder with heavy foot falls, hoping to convey his displeasure.
“Do you need me to pretend to care?” he deadpans.
Sehun shakes his head. “I don’t really know what’s wrong.”
Jongdae blinks and keeps his eyes closed a moment so Sehun doesn’t see him roll his eyes. “You’re just having an off day, then.”
Sehun sighs. He doesn’t think he’s having an off day, or that he’s been having off days. He’s off-key, maybe, as any time he’s had a moment to himself he’s managed to make it depressing. His thoughts at these times mostly gravitate towards his boyfriends. Those should be happy thoughts, but thinking of the three of them together makes him feel slightly more queasy than it does ecstatic.
"I've been really feeling down lately. Not just today," he explains.
"Well then don't," Jongdae supplies unhelpfully, not glancing his way. He’d moved behind the ladder to organize the display. “I’ve been feeling down my whole life and the best cure is to just get over it.” Sehun would have laughed, but he just exhales sharply through his nose, and Jongdae figures if he never wants to hear Sehun sigh again, he ought to be sympathetic. He goes for it again, looking at him through the rungs, trying to sound mildly concerned: “Maybe...you should...take it easy. Stop trying to dissect the problem. You’ll drive yourself crazy.”
“I don’t knooooow,” Sehun whines, taking a seat on the stool for his impromptu therapy session that Jongdae ends by walking to the back for more supplies. He sticks his tongue out at Jongdae’s back and continues to sulk.
~
"Is it weird? I have three boyfriends but I’m lonely.”
“That’s because you’ve been avoiding us.”
“No, I haven’t,” Sehun says in mock offense. Minseok smirks, amused, as he glances his way. It isn’t busy in the restaurant at the moment. It’s downtime, and Sehun thinks he’s made a strategic appearance based on a hunch. This way, Sehun can take most of Minseok’s attention as he multitasks, but doesn’t have to share it with customers. He hasn’t purposefully been avoiding his boyfriends. He just keeps to himself in times of inner turmoil. “I’ve been in a mood and I didn’t want to bother you guys with it.”
Minseok takes out coffee filters from under the counter, separating them one by one and replacing them on top of each other for easy manipulation, and raises an eyebrow. “Want to talk about it?”
Sehun shakes his head, observing Minseok’s lips pinched in concentration. “It’s nothing. I’m over it.” He isn’t really, but he doesn’t see the point in sharing his insecurities about his relationship either. He decided last night to follow Jongdae’s advice and move on. He would eventually, he thinks, if he buries them deep, deep down.
Minseok looks at him warily, pausing in his action, and Sehun smiles to dispel his worry. He reaches across the counter to grab Minseok’s hand. “Go on a date with me?” he asks him, voice sweet as honey. Minseok rolls his eyes and chuckles. Sehun grins, because he knows he won’t refuse.
Sehun remembers asking his boyfriends early on how they all met. Lu Han introduced himself in a very Lu Han-esque way in their first year, running into Minseok and furiously flirting with him, vexing the boy so much he gave him his number so he'd stop letting everyone know within earshot how cute his butt was. (And cute it was, and even better to hold, Lu Han would later proudly boast, much to Minseok's embarrassment.) It was Minseok who had made most moves after that, pleased to see Lu Han's bravado fall in the face of - his ass, the Chinese man assured, and not his personality.
It was at a party a year later that Lu Han met Junmyun and chattered his socks off, only for Junmyun to return the favour when he'd gotten over his initial timidity (and after a few more drinks shared between them).
There was the three of them, and again, a year later, came along Sehun, picked up first by Minseok in the book store.
It's only natural, Sehun thinks, that he's inclined to spending more time with Minseok. Junmyun and Lu Han share that light of discovery that traces back to that party. It's much the same between Minseok and Lu Han: the oldest found him, and there runs deeps something between them that keeps them together. That keeps all of them together.
"I can't believe you asked me to go out with you but had me do all the planning."
Spending time with Minseok is different than spending time with Junmyun, or spending time with Lu Han. Minseok is in a lot of ways like Junmyun - calm, thoughtful, soft-spoken - but he's also like Lu Han in that - he isn't loud, but he's lightly energetic, constantly teasing, mind running a mile a minute when he's comfortable.
Sehun laughs. They're walking hand-in-hand (which is something of a miracle, really), Minseok and him, under the overpass near exit 5 of the subway station, towards the classics' cinema for a movie date. "It's the perks of already being in a relationship." He leans into his shoulder, grinning widely. "Besides, a movie doesn't require much planning."
"Are you kidding?" counters his boyfriend. "Making sure you're ready on time takes so much preparation."
"You mean lying? I know you tell me to be ready an hour before we actually have to move."
Minseok laughs this time. "Lu Han thought you'd never catch on."
"Lu Han is mean!"
They make their way to the theater on the fourth floor of the building, forgoing drinks and snacks. Minseok chooses to sit in the last row as it offers the best viewing experience of the large screen. Not that Sehun really intends on letting him see much of the movie, much less follow the plot of Blade Runner: Final Cut.
Except he does for about half the film, because Minseok is a total movie enthusiast and Sehun easily gets enraptured by the story and one-sided chit chat.
Sehun takes his eyes away from the screen for a moment and ends up unabashedly staring at Minseok's profile. His wide eyes are glued to the screen, and he's chewing the head of his thumb in a nervous habit. His pale skin glows in hues of reds and dark blues, bouncing off the screen. He's so beautiful, Sehun thinks, not for the first time, following the bend of his jaw to the juncture of his ear, where his sideburns end, and he has to resist the urge to run his hands through Minseok's dark brown locks -
"Don't do that."
He's snapped out of his sort-of-reverie, shifting his eyes back to Minseok's, though he hasn't taken his eyes off the screen. "Do what?"
"Make me want to kiss you. I'm trying to watch a movie."
Sehun's smirk takes up half of his face as it grows. He takes away Minseok's hand from his lips to intertwine their fingers. "You didn't think I was going to let you watch the whole movie, did you?"
Minseok laughs softly, lowly, though there are watchers scattered around the theater too far to hear their conversation. Finally he looks at Sehun, amused. "No?"
"No," he confirms, using his other hand to finger along Minseok's collar, up his neck, with a feather-light touch. His eyes seem to sparkle in the dark theater as he stares at him for several silent beats, almost challenging him, and Sehun takes that as his cue to cup his cheek and pull him forward for their lips to meet.
~
Sehun has had quite some time to think, and he's still thinking, studying for his exam under the warm light of his bedroom lamp. His pen hits his textbook in a tick-tock motion.
He thinks he's starting to understand from where stems all of his uncertainty, and he has no one else to blame but an ever-curious Kim Jongin (who refuses to take responsibility) and his own diffident nature.
Sehun releases a breath. It has taken a few disquieting days for him to realize there's no need for him to doubt his relationship with the other three, neither individually or as a unit.
~
“We’re staging an intervention.”
“A lovervention.”
“I am never letting Junmyun name the plans again.”
“Lu Han, focus.”
Spending time with all three of them is nothing short of...unpredictable. But Sehun loves this, the crazy atmosphere that follows them everywhere. It promises fun and trouble and general mischief mostly on Lu Han’s part, other times on Sehun’s. (And sometimes the atmosphere is hot. Also thanks to Lu Han. And surprisingly sometimes Junmyun. Sometimes that mischief is kept in check by Minseok.)
Sehun didn’t expect, however, to be jumped by the trio upon his arrival to their apartment before he could even say ‘Hello,’ then dragged to the living room and not so gently pushed to sit on the floor by Lu Han.
He frowns. “But it’s game night.”
It’s the Friday before his exam, and Sehun fully counts on the distraction of their bi-weekly Game Night at the Casa, as Lu Han calls it, to keep him from burning out while studying. The pink-haired boy rolls his eyes dramatically.
“No, cutie pie,” he berates, to not call him anything vulgar, “intervention first.”
“Lovervention,” corrects Junmyun calmly.
“We’re just a little worried about you, Sehun,” Minseok says, brows furrowed with concern. “You’re sometimes distant and unreachable. It sucks because if there’s a problem, we’re unsure about it and we feel helpless.”
"It's a big deal to us if something bothers you. We might not be able to help, but at least we can be there for you," Lu Han adds.
"Even if what or who is bothering you is Lu Han." Junmyun has no regrets even as said problematic boy hits him. Sehun this time laughs softly, and the boys relax a little bit, having been nervous about the intervention.
They lapse into a silence for a few moments, then the three consult each other in a small caucus. Sehun watches as they whisper not quite lowly enough for him to not hear, and as they count the phases of their plan off of their fingers and discuss the next one.
Minseok is the first to resurface. "That said, is there anything...Are you okay?"
Sehun's eyes flick between the three of them, the worry evident in their features, and he just wants to laugh - at himself - for being so silly when there was no need.
"Yes," he says, eyes crinkling up into crescents. "Never better." But he explains to them his doubts, how unsure he was about his place in their relationship when the others moved so well together, like a team of synchronized swimmers, and here he was a mess of flailing limbs. Then Lu Han berates him his doubts, assuring him that he belongs in this polyamorous affair more than the next guy. Junmyun adds that his position is crucial, as he balances them out with his cute and sometimes bratty personality and mildly mischievous demeanour, enough to have them fawn over him and keep up with Lu Han.
"I wasn't joking," he says, "when I told you that we all love you." Sehun believes him this time.
"So that was the vention part," Lu Han huffs.
"On to the lover."
Minseok smiles warmly at him, ignoring his two co-conspirators. “We have gifts for you.”
“What?”
“Yeah,” Lu Han chimes in, reaching behind him. "It's nothing big. Just a little something to remind you that we love you in case you forget again."
Minseok produces an envelope as if from thin air and hands it to him. Junmyun and Lu Han each give him a box. "Don't open mine now," the latter instructs, then smirks slyly. He winks, voice sultry. "It's for later."
"Thank you," he tells them after reading their cheesy letter and deciding to follow Lu Han's wise advice, and not open his present. The small, square box doesn't leave much to the imagination, but knowing his boyfriend, it's better to be safe than sorry.
They'd told him not to expect much for the other gift. He's extremely satisfied, however, with the mug he'd received, inside which is a new toothbrush (to leave at the apartment, the card indicated, as his old one was, well, getting old), the words Seok, Myun & Lu's baby Hunnie somehow fit around it in Ar Berkley font.
Sehun really feels overwhelmingly thankful, more so as they crowd around him for a group hug, planting soft pecks on his cheeks and pressing I love yous between them.
"We love you," Minseok speaks.
"Even if Junmyun's idea of a gift is getting you a mug with our names on it."
“Yeah, keep talking smack about the guy who has to swipe his card for a new couch because you soiled the one we had.”
Notes:
1. Oops, Sehun has kissed each of them in their individual scenes. LOL
2. Don’t be too disappointed, you NC-17ners. Maybe, one day, I will write a sex scene. (Don’t hold your breath. I warn you with love.)
3. If you squint, there’s a Scott Pilgrim reference in there. Ehehuhehue.
For: P5
Pairing: Minseok/Sehun/Lu Han/Junmyun
Rating: PG-13
Length: 6014w
Summary: Besides his many major insecurities and overwhelming doubts, Sehun thinks he’s got this four-way, polyamorous relationship-thing in the bag.
Warnings: Fluff :’), Mentions of sexual activity
Author's note: I absolutely fell in love with this prompt. I think I was really tied over when you, prompter, requested the focus be on their relationship (rather than their sex lives).[(click for more!)] I thought, "I have to write this.I want this." This little drabble-type-story came into my mind right away and grew into something a little more, uh, defined (?) in my opinion...in its own little way. Anyway, I want to thank M for always helping me when I cry about not being able to poop out words (without disliking them or erasing them), and J for, while not pleased with the pairings, indulging me always, and for letting me call her to cry about my uncertainty as a writer. You're a true friend. :") I really hope you all enjoy reading this and fall in love a little bit along the way, too. // See end of fic for more notes!
There’s the distinct sound of metal clacking against countertops, ceramic cups and hollow, plastic containers being knocked onto marble surfaces. All of that is background noise, mixed with the soft pitter-patter of the rain hitting the glass. It's gloomy outside, dark clouds painting a dark canvas against the dimly lit cafe. The quiet chatter of other customers rises every time the bell chimes over the cafe door. A customer rushes in, soaked through from the rain. Park Chanyeol spots him immediately, eyes automatically flicking towards the entrance, the greeting on the tip of his tongue.
"Welcome to The Café Cafe," he says wittily as he just finishes with a customer, greeting the new arrival from behind the counter. Chanyeol’s black hair is curled at his temples and forehead, framing his face. His lips are stretched into a lazy smile as he leans on the counter. "How's the rain?"
“It’s pouring," someone replies, not sounding the least bit pleased. Though Oh Sehun is sitting near enough to the counter to overhear the exchange, he tunes out the conversation, Chanyeol's loud voice blending in the backdrop now. He focuses instead on his action. Sehun leisurely stirs his bubble tea with a straw, wrist moving in slow, lazy circles, disturbing the tapioca pearls. He absently watches as the ice cubes submerge and surface in his drink, clinking together noisily against the glass of the cup.
Kim Jongin reaches from across to slap his hand, hoping to prompt him to quit it.
"Explain to me again how this happened. Go,” Jongin demands, breaking off a piece of his chocolate-drizzled croissant to fit into his mouth in quite an unattractive manner, in Sehun's opinion.
The smirk that had stretched across Sehun's thin lips quickly dissolves into a thoughtful pucker, the satisfaction of having annoyed Jongin leaving with it. He leans against the window and rests his chin in his palm. He continues to stir with the other hand, using less strength.
Jongin notices the subtle change in Sehun's demeanour; six years of best-friendship has honed his ability to pick up on these changes. He’s always been of gentle nature, soft-spoken, cool and generally stoic, but a light pink settles across his cheeks as he averts his gaze and huffs, disturbing his bleached blonde fringe. He suddenly grows shy in the face of his question, and that's enough evidence of uncoolness for Jongin to tease him with for a while. This is the fun of being Sehun’s friend, Jongin thinks.
"I don't know. It kind of just happened..."
“What do you mean ‘it kind of just happened’?" Jongin says haughtily, pointing an accusatory finger at his friend. The corner of Sehun's mouth quirks some. "You don’t just happen to land three boyfriends."
Sehun would have rolled his eyes if he weren’t a little embarrassed by Jongin’s statement. Of course, Jongin knows the story, whatever blurred version of it Sehun could remember at the time of the recounting, though he hasn’t stopped pressing for details since. But the way he sees it, that’s just what happened. One morning, he was discussing his hatred for a book series with a handsome fellow in the book store, then later that afternoon he was sharing a coffee with this same handsome fellow, exchanging numbers with him, and then meeting up so often afterwards he ended up meeting two other good-looking gentlemen who weren’t exactly shy about flirting with him. (Neither was he about flirting back once he got over the flustering fact that more than one person was interested in him at the same time…He wasn’t very pleased with Jongin’s open-mouthed shock, however, like it was “Already impossible for one person to like you, but three - " And then he’d hit him in the face with a throw pillow.) It was exciting and new and Sehun really wishes Jongin would be quieter about his surprise.
“Well, I did,” he huffs lowly, hoping it’ll encourage Jongin to keep his voice down too. Of course it doesn’t. “And you know how.”
“Why couldn’t you have attracted three women instead?” complains Jongin not for the first time. This time Sehun does roll his eyes. Jongin grins and waves his hand flippantly, because he very well knows why Sehun does not, or at least why he does politely decline their advances. He takes another bite of his pastry, and with his mouth full, Jongin says, “Three boyfriends, Sehun.”
“I know," Sehun sighs in disbelief, palming his bangs back, away from his forehead, and then letting them fall back in place. He’s still processing it himself.
“You’ve never been or even heard of people around here in polyamo-whatever relationships. Are you sure about what you got yourself into?”
He shrugs, swirling the tapioca pearls again. There’s a thoughtful beat before he shrugs lightly again. He isn’t so much worried or unsure than he is nervous. The corners of his lips lift slightly, like he’s fighting hard against his muscles to not crack a smile. He remembers his boyfriends’ reassurances, their advice, when they first asked him to be a part of their relationship. “I’m just going to take it one day at a time.”
“Did you just say one dick at a time?”
“I think we should stop being friends.”
“But in all seriousness,” Jongin picks up after a good laugh, having watched Sehun’s expression fall into that of exasperation because of him. He chews on the tip of his straw out of habit, like he’s getting ready to actually be attentive rather than teasing. “What are they like? I haven’t met them yet.”
“Mmh. I’d like to keep it that way.” He’s joking, Jongin unfazed, though Sehun’s demeanour changes again. A quiet excitement courses through him as he thinks of them with a kind of reminiscent look about him, and the more he thinks, the more a smile appears on his face again. It occurs to him that they haven’t spent quite that much time together for him to really be elaborate, because he's still new to the polyamorous part, but he talks about them as best he can describe them. “The three of them are so different from each other,” he starts. “That’s what I remember thinking first when they told me they were, you know, together.” He flips his hand in midair for effect. "Junmyun-hyung is sweet and caring. Lu Han-hyung is loud and needy. And Minseok-hyung - " Minseok had been the first of the trio he'd encountered that day in the book store, captivating and friendly.”He's - " Harder to define, apparently.” I dunno. He's quiet and...energetic at the same time.” Sehun glances at his friend, who furrowed his eyebrows. “It’s weird in a totally endearing way."
Jongin laughs. "Okay. Vague, but sounds like an interesting dynamic."
"It is," agrees Sehun, "and the more I get to know them, the more I can see why they're together, and where they're alike in some ways."
"And where you fit in?"
Sehun's eyes flicker uncertainly. He chuckles nervously. "Something like that," he says, "I haven't figured it out, yet."
~
Sehun learns that the living room couch of his three boyfriends' shared apartment is not the best place to study. Not when he's more interested in the curve of Junmyun's mouth than in the parabola he's studying, or the fit of his hand along the slope of his jaw rather than the slope of the tangent somewhere on a profit chart.
"Sorry," Junmyun breathes before pulling away, not really sounding apologetic. He leans his forehead against Sehun's. "I meant to help you with your homework, not steal you away from it."
"It's okay." The slant of Junmyun's lips over his is a welcomed distraction. "Really."
Junmyun laughs softly. Everything about him is soft, Sehun thinks, just like the press of his plush, pink lips. He nips at his bottom lip teasingly, grinning as he gently pulls.
“Gross.”
It’s Lu Han’s rather pink strawberry blonde hair that whizzes past them when they part again, through the living room to the connected kitchen. He’s put as much bite into the word as he can upon witnessing his boyfriends’ make-out session, but they know he doesn’t really mean it. He flashes them a shit-eating grin from the kitchen. Junmyun laughs again.
They both settle into the couch, shoulder-to-shoulder, Sehun’s schoolwork laid in his lap. Junmyun actually does try to help him with his math, more often ending up digging his finger into Sehun’s side when he gets too smug about getting the right answer. Sehun giggles every time.
Junmyun makes a discovery of his own: Sehun often tries to divert their attentions whenever they get too immersed. “It’s boring,” Sehun whines, but Junmyun is having none of it. But try as Junmyun might to keep him focused, the younger is good at keeping them both distracted.
Instead of integrals and maximization, Sehun holds Junmyun’s hand in his lap, and they talk in hushed voices.
“What if I had, like, green hair? Would you still find me attractive?”
Junmyun laughs, a soft sound leaving his mouth as he throws his head back to release it. Sehun watches as his eyes disappear into a thin line and his shoulders shake lightly. He finds him pretty like this, pearly white teeth biting down like he is trying hard to not laugh with his jaw unhinged. Sehun is thankful, because he’d probably look stupid otherwise. Endearingly stupid.
“I’m trying to imagine it,” he says when he stops laughing, “you’d look like a broccoli.”
Sehun feigns affront. “Hey!”
“Oh my god, think about all the hair jokes I could make.”
“Please don’t.”
“What has green hair and hangs out with three bears?”
“Junmyun - "
“Moldy-locks.” And he breaks out into a fit of chuckles, clutching his stomach like he’d just recited the Funniest Joke Ever (although Sehun is pretty sure he’d read that online somewhere. It’s very likely. In fact, he’s fairly certain that a majority of Junmyun’s jokes come from the Internet). Sehun rolls his eyes and can’t help the grin that pulls at his lips as he watches his boyfriend laugh. He can’t help it, either, when he leans forward to peck Junmyun’s rosy cheeks, which stops him in his action.
“What was that for?” he asks, amused, knowing for sure it wasn’t the joke that earned him a kiss. But in a way it had been, because Junmyun is so stupidly cute when his whole face scrunches up with laughter, eyes turned moons in his expression. Sehun finds him absolutely cute, and full of unfunny humour, it’s funny.
“You’re cute,” is all he tells him, and Junmyun hits him playfully before demanding he return his attention to his homework.
But Sehun prefers pouring all of his focus into catching Junmyun’s lips between his own, because he thinks he enjoys the soft kisses most.
~
Minseok carefully wraps his lithe fingers around Lu Han’s dainty wrist when he’s tired of having to keep up with the taller man’s wide strides - that and he has the dangerous habit of not looking both ways before crossing the streets. “Once or twice there was a car that ran a red light while I was crossing and I ninja-maneuvered out of the way. I’m pedestrian-related-car-accident immune,” he argued once. Minseok looked at him with the most unimpressed expression he could muster.
He pulls Lu Han closer and wraps an arm around his waist instead. Lu Han molds perfectly into his side, like he’s meant to be there, a puzzle piece that completes Minseok. As if he’s so used to the action, Lu Han throws an arm around his boyfriend’s neck, who digs his cheek into his shoulder and vaguely whispers that he “can’t wait until we’re seated. You’ll cause less damage that way.” Lu Han laughs, a sound so heavenly and loud Sehun thinks he’s just been woken.
As he trails behind them, Sehun thinks that the puzzle metaphor defines Lu Han and Minseok’s relationship justly. There’s a connection that runs deep between them, strong and effortless. When Minseok moves, Lu Han does too, completing the action. There are no awkward limb movements like there were with Sehun the first few times his boyfriends’ dug their fingers into his side to bring him closer.
The light pink blush on Lu Han’s cheeks is unusual too, like Minseok is the only one of the three who is capable of making him feel an ounce as flustered as he makes the others. But somehow, it’s funny seeing Lu Han this way. He wishes he could make him do that.
The bubbling feeling in the pit of his stomach isn’t jealousy, he knows. It’s…it’s something else. Something he can’t quite put his finger on…Something…
He isn’t given the time to define it before his attention is stolen by Junmyun, the latter squeezing the hand he’d been holding as they walked.
“Hey, there,” he says, amused. Sehun turns his attention to his boyfriend and flashes him a lazy grin. Junmyun chuckles, shaking his head slightly before he squeezes his hand again. “You know they love you, right?”
Sehun scrunches his face cutely as he holds the door open to the Italian restaurant they’d been walking to, walking in right behind Junmyun without letting go of his hand. It’s funny how Junmyun can sometimes read his mind. It’s scary, too. He sighs. “I know.”
“I love you, too, by the way.”
At that, he smiles down at Junmyun. “I know,” he responds softly. Junmyun faces ahead and watches his other two boyfriends as they’re all guided to their seats.
“I know what you’re thinking.” Sehun gives him an inquisitive look, one that reads ‘Please do enlighten me,’ because even he has a hard time deciphering his own thoughts. “Lu Han and Minseok, they’ve been together a long time before we came along. But if there’s one thing I love about them it’s that they make sure their affection is shared, not divided.”
Sehun offers a small smile because he knows it’s true. He’s felt it first hand when the four of them are together. But he supposes that he feels a little better with Junmyun’s reassurance.
“If it helps,” Junmyun suggests as they take their seats, snarky look on his face as he regards the two others, “we can act lovey-dovey, too. Make them jealous.”
Minseok chuckles while Lu Han scoffs. “Ha.” He grabs the underside of Sehun’s chair, who’s sitting next to him, and pulls him closer to him, scraping loudly against the wooden floor. “Why would we be jealous of what’s ours?” There’s a mischievous gleam in his eyes as he smirks and leans forward to kiss Sehun. When he pulls away, the youngest is stupidly blushing, Lu Han a satisfied smirk on his features as he dramatically drapes a napkin over his lap and exclaims, “Let us look at the menu!”
~
Sehun likes to take advantage of sunny days like today to get some studying done - actually get some studying done, not drown in the folds of his boyfriends’ collars after having lured them in with “I need help with my homework.” (He has other tricks up his sleeve, but this strategy proves to be very effective. With Junmyun. Only.)
He sits at a table on the campus quad, away from the sun, although he judges he’ll have to scoot further under the shade of the tree to avoid the moving sunlight. His work is laid out in front of him, mathematics worksheets serving as resting mats for his elbows as he neglects them, because Sehun is doing what he does best: distracting himself by having a conversation with inner-Sehun.
Sehun isn't going to lie to himself: he does not have a mathematical brain. He's good at math, he doesn't hate it (although he studies human resources management), but he does not look at everything methodically. He wishes he did. How sick would it be, he thinks, if he could tackle every issue as if it were a math problem? This would mean it's bound to have a solution, even if the solution is the limit does not exist. Or something. He nods to himself silently. Things would be simpler that way.
If Sehun could think like Sherlock, maybe he could figure what was wrong with him.
It’s been a few days since their Italian-restaurant lunch date, and the feeling he’d fleetingly felt low in his stomach that day only seems to have intensified since then. He still can’t explain it; there are too many thoughts swimming in his head that seem to be the answer - friends, parents, boyfriends, something someone said to him, maybe - but then he waves it off. It doesn’t make much sense to him. No matter what he does or distracts himself with, Sehun finds it difficult to appease this dull ache.
His phone quacks in his pocket, pulling him out of his reflection. He fishes it out and slides to unlock. One notification on Kakaotalk.
Ur thinking face isn't pretty.
The message from Lu Han makes Sehun laugh, and it's enough to completely derail his thoughts and put a temporary halt to his feelings.
He knows Lu Han is on campus too, having graciously accepted to tutor those other undergraduates in need during the Summer. r u stalking me?
U loser.
ofc i am♡
How would you even know? he responds. You nver help me with hw and ur a math major. MATH.
Somewhere in the University Center, as he backs away from a window looking over the quad perhaps, Sehun can imagine Lu Han laughing at his phone, very pleased with himself.
Bc i care about my mental wellbeing. 2 much math & i die.
u love numbers.
I love my wellbeinv more :')
ur stupid but ily.
-ignores ur unwanted opinion- 💁let's go home, love♡
~
Spending time with Lu Han is different than spending time with Junmyun.
Junmyun is always mindful of other people's space, always polite or hesitant when he so much as wants to reach out to hold his boyfriends' hands. He knows how to read people, too, knowing when they need a soothing hand over their thigh, more confident in offering that reassuring hand than blatantly flirting with his actions. In that regard, he’s a little bit like Sehun with his clumsy affection.
With Lu Han, it's the opposite. He’s touchy, clingy, oftentimes finding his mouth pressed against his skin and acting innocent. “How did my hand end up down your pants?” Lu Han has no respect for boundaries, doesn't believe in them. Most times none of them really object, because they know Lu Han likes to touch.
Keeping close contact means more to Lu Han than the sexy things it leads to. For him, it's a way to feel connected to his partner - partners - through simple actions like intertwining their hands, tangling their legs together, laying his head on his shoulder as they watch a movie, fingers feathering their way up his arm (and popcorn flying across the room because somehow, they always end up making a mess neither Junmyun nor Minseok appreciates.)
Between the two of them, Lu Han is almost always the one to reach out first, needily, and Sehun loves it. It probably gives him the upper hand in his goal of flustering his boyfriends, but Sehun feels like he's the one taking care of the hyung rather than the other way around, and in a way, he likes that someone depends on him sometimes rather than he always depend on everyone around him.
It's one of the reasons why, cuddled against each other on the couch, Lu Han's arms around Sehun's waist, the youngest sports an almost dreamy expression. If his boyfriend notices, he doesn't make a smug remark about it.
Rush Hour 2 is playing on TV. It's perfect, really, for Lu Han, since he lives for the banter between Carter and Inspector Lee. (He also admits that for an older man, Jackie Chan is quite fine, which only mildly disturbs Sehun because he's not so sure he agrees.)
"You should really learn my language," Lu Han mentions absently when that crazy woman Hu Li relays her desire to cut off Isabella's pretty lips and bury her in the desert. "The expressions are so colourful. You're really missing out."
"They have subtitles."
Lu Han rolls his eyes dramatically. "In English, you idiot. Don't you ever wish you understood what they said yourself?"
“Teach me something right now."
Lu Han moves after a beat, sitting on his knees so he's facing him. Sehun cranes his head to see a mischievous expression on his face.
"Say Wo ai ni."
"Wo ai ni," Sehun repeats without asking what it means, although they both know he knows; it's a common expression. He smiles as he watches Lu Han's face fall, awe settling in his features. "Lu Han," he adds to his sentence. Lu Han's mouth opens, a small 'o' form, and Sehun thinks, hopes maybe, that the very faint rosy tint on his cheeks is him blushing.
"You're so fucking cute."
Lu Han straddles Sehun's lap and gathers his face in his hands to kiss him.
Minseok and Junmyun enter the apartment just as things are getting a little frisky in the living room. Junmyun pales and shouts, exasperated.
"Lu Han, not on the couch!"
~
Sehun sighs for what he thinks is the tenth time in the same minute. That’s one sigh every six seconds. That nagging feeling he’d felt days ago has manifested in the constant squeezing of his heart. It’s uncomfortable and distressing, and he has no idea how to tell the invisible hand around his muscle to go away, you’re ruining my mood.
Another sigh. And for every six seconds the blonde releases a dejected breath of air, Kim Jongdae’s annoyance augments.
He must have considered this a beat too long, for Sehun sighs again.
“Will you stop that,” he snaps, turning to look down at the child from his perch up on the ladder. Sehun lolls his head back to reveal his pout, which his co-worker only glares at.
“I’m sorry, hyung.” If Jongdae hears the dejection in his voice, he pointedly ignores it, returning to his task of replacing trinkets on the higher shelves. Sehun, Jongdae notes, continues to do nothing but stand behind the counter, leaning back to look at him, his frown more pronounced. Sure, the paint shop isn’t busy today, but he could at least pretend to occupy himself.
Another purposeful sigh, directed at him this time. Jongdae’s eyebrow twitches irritably. There are better, less annoying ways of getting his attention, even though he would rather invest it elsewhere. It’s not that he doesn’t want to indulge Sehun and listen to his woes...No, that’s exactly it. But he must be a great person deep down or something if he’s willing to listen to his friend’s angst.
When Sehun sighs again, Jongdae looks at him to give him a lifeless stare. “I’m sad,” informs Sehun. His co-worker takes a deep breath before he descends the two steps on the ladder with heavy foot falls, hoping to convey his displeasure.
“Do you need me to pretend to care?” he deadpans.
Sehun shakes his head. “I don’t really know what’s wrong.”
Jongdae blinks and keeps his eyes closed a moment so Sehun doesn’t see him roll his eyes. “You’re just having an off day, then.”
Sehun sighs. He doesn’t think he’s having an off day, or that he’s been having off days. He’s off-key, maybe, as any time he’s had a moment to himself he’s managed to make it depressing. His thoughts at these times mostly gravitate towards his boyfriends. Those should be happy thoughts, but thinking of the three of them together makes him feel slightly more queasy than it does ecstatic.
"I've been really feeling down lately. Not just today," he explains.
"Well then don't," Jongdae supplies unhelpfully, not glancing his way. He’d moved behind the ladder to organize the display. “I’ve been feeling down my whole life and the best cure is to just get over it.” Sehun would have laughed, but he just exhales sharply through his nose, and Jongdae figures if he never wants to hear Sehun sigh again, he ought to be sympathetic. He goes for it again, looking at him through the rungs, trying to sound mildly concerned: “Maybe...you should...take it easy. Stop trying to dissect the problem. You’ll drive yourself crazy.”
“I don’t knooooow,” Sehun whines, taking a seat on the stool for his impromptu therapy session that Jongdae ends by walking to the back for more supplies. He sticks his tongue out at Jongdae’s back and continues to sulk.
~
"Is it weird? I have three boyfriends but I’m lonely.”
“That’s because you’ve been avoiding us.”
“No, I haven’t,” Sehun says in mock offense. Minseok smirks, amused, as he glances his way. It isn’t busy in the restaurant at the moment. It’s downtime, and Sehun thinks he’s made a strategic appearance based on a hunch. This way, Sehun can take most of Minseok’s attention as he multitasks, but doesn’t have to share it with customers. He hasn’t purposefully been avoiding his boyfriends. He just keeps to himself in times of inner turmoil. “I’ve been in a mood and I didn’t want to bother you guys with it.”
Minseok takes out coffee filters from under the counter, separating them one by one and replacing them on top of each other for easy manipulation, and raises an eyebrow. “Want to talk about it?”
Sehun shakes his head, observing Minseok’s lips pinched in concentration. “It’s nothing. I’m over it.” He isn’t really, but he doesn’t see the point in sharing his insecurities about his relationship either. He decided last night to follow Jongdae’s advice and move on. He would eventually, he thinks, if he buries them deep, deep down.
Minseok looks at him warily, pausing in his action, and Sehun smiles to dispel his worry. He reaches across the counter to grab Minseok’s hand. “Go on a date with me?” he asks him, voice sweet as honey. Minseok rolls his eyes and chuckles. Sehun grins, because he knows he won’t refuse.
Sehun remembers asking his boyfriends early on how they all met. Lu Han introduced himself in a very Lu Han-esque way in their first year, running into Minseok and furiously flirting with him, vexing the boy so much he gave him his number so he'd stop letting everyone know within earshot how cute his butt was. (And cute it was, and even better to hold, Lu Han would later proudly boast, much to Minseok's embarrassment.) It was Minseok who had made most moves after that, pleased to see Lu Han's bravado fall in the face of - his ass, the Chinese man assured, and not his personality.
It was at a party a year later that Lu Han met Junmyun and chattered his socks off, only for Junmyun to return the favour when he'd gotten over his initial timidity (and after a few more drinks shared between them).
There was the three of them, and again, a year later, came along Sehun, picked up first by Minseok in the book store.
It's only natural, Sehun thinks, that he's inclined to spending more time with Minseok. Junmyun and Lu Han share that light of discovery that traces back to that party. It's much the same between Minseok and Lu Han: the oldest found him, and there runs deeps something between them that keeps them together. That keeps all of them together.
"I can't believe you asked me to go out with you but had me do all the planning."
Spending time with Minseok is different than spending time with Junmyun, or spending time with Lu Han. Minseok is in a lot of ways like Junmyun - calm, thoughtful, soft-spoken - but he's also like Lu Han in that - he isn't loud, but he's lightly energetic, constantly teasing, mind running a mile a minute when he's comfortable.
Sehun laughs. They're walking hand-in-hand (which is something of a miracle, really), Minseok and him, under the overpass near exit 5 of the subway station, towards the classics' cinema for a movie date. "It's the perks of already being in a relationship." He leans into his shoulder, grinning widely. "Besides, a movie doesn't require much planning."
"Are you kidding?" counters his boyfriend. "Making sure you're ready on time takes so much preparation."
"You mean lying? I know you tell me to be ready an hour before we actually have to move."
Minseok laughs this time. "Lu Han thought you'd never catch on."
"Lu Han is mean!"
They make their way to the theater on the fourth floor of the building, forgoing drinks and snacks. Minseok chooses to sit in the last row as it offers the best viewing experience of the large screen. Not that Sehun really intends on letting him see much of the movie, much less follow the plot of Blade Runner: Final Cut.
Except he does for about half the film, because Minseok is a total movie enthusiast and Sehun easily gets enraptured by the story and one-sided chit chat.
Sehun takes his eyes away from the screen for a moment and ends up unabashedly staring at Minseok's profile. His wide eyes are glued to the screen, and he's chewing the head of his thumb in a nervous habit. His pale skin glows in hues of reds and dark blues, bouncing off the screen. He's so beautiful, Sehun thinks, not for the first time, following the bend of his jaw to the juncture of his ear, where his sideburns end, and he has to resist the urge to run his hands through Minseok's dark brown locks -
"Don't do that."
He's snapped out of his sort-of-reverie, shifting his eyes back to Minseok's, though he hasn't taken his eyes off the screen. "Do what?"
"Make me want to kiss you. I'm trying to watch a movie."
Sehun's smirk takes up half of his face as it grows. He takes away Minseok's hand from his lips to intertwine their fingers. "You didn't think I was going to let you watch the whole movie, did you?"
Minseok laughs softly, lowly, though there are watchers scattered around the theater too far to hear their conversation. Finally he looks at Sehun, amused. "No?"
"No," he confirms, using his other hand to finger along Minseok's collar, up his neck, with a feather-light touch. His eyes seem to sparkle in the dark theater as he stares at him for several silent beats, almost challenging him, and Sehun takes that as his cue to cup his cheek and pull him forward for their lips to meet.
~
Sehun has had quite some time to think, and he's still thinking, studying for his exam under the warm light of his bedroom lamp. His pen hits his textbook in a tick-tock motion.
He thinks he's starting to understand from where stems all of his uncertainty, and he has no one else to blame but an ever-curious Kim Jongin (who refuses to take responsibility) and his own diffident nature.
Sehun releases a breath. It has taken a few disquieting days for him to realize there's no need for him to doubt his relationship with the other three, neither individually or as a unit.
~
“We’re staging an intervention.”
“A lovervention.”
“I am never letting Junmyun name the plans again.”
“Lu Han, focus.”
Spending time with all three of them is nothing short of...unpredictable. But Sehun loves this, the crazy atmosphere that follows them everywhere. It promises fun and trouble and general mischief mostly on Lu Han’s part, other times on Sehun’s. (And sometimes the atmosphere is hot. Also thanks to Lu Han. And surprisingly sometimes Junmyun. Sometimes that mischief is kept in check by Minseok.)
Sehun didn’t expect, however, to be jumped by the trio upon his arrival to their apartment before he could even say ‘Hello,’ then dragged to the living room and not so gently pushed to sit on the floor by Lu Han.
He frowns. “But it’s game night.”
It’s the Friday before his exam, and Sehun fully counts on the distraction of their bi-weekly Game Night at the Casa, as Lu Han calls it, to keep him from burning out while studying. The pink-haired boy rolls his eyes dramatically.
“No, cutie pie,” he berates, to not call him anything vulgar, “intervention first.”
“Lovervention,” corrects Junmyun calmly.
“We’re just a little worried about you, Sehun,” Minseok says, brows furrowed with concern. “You’re sometimes distant and unreachable. It sucks because if there’s a problem, we’re unsure about it and we feel helpless.”
"It's a big deal to us if something bothers you. We might not be able to help, but at least we can be there for you," Lu Han adds.
"Even if what or who is bothering you is Lu Han." Junmyun has no regrets even as said problematic boy hits him. Sehun this time laughs softly, and the boys relax a little bit, having been nervous about the intervention.
They lapse into a silence for a few moments, then the three consult each other in a small caucus. Sehun watches as they whisper not quite lowly enough for him to not hear, and as they count the phases of their plan off of their fingers and discuss the next one.
Minseok is the first to resurface. "That said, is there anything...Are you okay?"
Sehun's eyes flick between the three of them, the worry evident in their features, and he just wants to laugh - at himself - for being so silly when there was no need.
"Yes," he says, eyes crinkling up into crescents. "Never better." But he explains to them his doubts, how unsure he was about his place in their relationship when the others moved so well together, like a team of synchronized swimmers, and here he was a mess of flailing limbs. Then Lu Han berates him his doubts, assuring him that he belongs in this polyamorous affair more than the next guy. Junmyun adds that his position is crucial, as he balances them out with his cute and sometimes bratty personality and mildly mischievous demeanour, enough to have them fawn over him and keep up with Lu Han.
"I wasn't joking," he says, "when I told you that we all love you." Sehun believes him this time.
"So that was the vention part," Lu Han huffs.
"On to the lover."
Minseok smiles warmly at him, ignoring his two co-conspirators. “We have gifts for you.”
“What?”
“Yeah,” Lu Han chimes in, reaching behind him. "It's nothing big. Just a little something to remind you that we love you in case you forget again."
Minseok produces an envelope as if from thin air and hands it to him. Junmyun and Lu Han each give him a box. "Don't open mine now," the latter instructs, then smirks slyly. He winks, voice sultry. "It's for later."
"Thank you," he tells them after reading their cheesy letter and deciding to follow Lu Han's wise advice, and not open his present. The small, square box doesn't leave much to the imagination, but knowing his boyfriend, it's better to be safe than sorry.
They'd told him not to expect much for the other gift. He's extremely satisfied, however, with the mug he'd received, inside which is a new toothbrush (to leave at the apartment, the card indicated, as his old one was, well, getting old), the words Seok, Myun & Lu's baby Hunnie somehow fit around it in Ar Berkley font.
Sehun really feels overwhelmingly thankful, more so as they crowd around him for a group hug, planting soft pecks on his cheeks and pressing I love yous between them.
"We love you," Minseok speaks.
"Even if Junmyun's idea of a gift is getting you a mug with our names on it."
“Yeah, keep talking smack about the guy who has to swipe his card for a new couch because you soiled the one we had.”
Notes:
1. Oops, Sehun has kissed each of them in their individual scenes. LOL
2. Don’t be too disappointed, you NC-17ners. Maybe, one day, I will write a sex scene. (Don’t hold your breath. I warn you with love.)
3. If you squint, there’s a Scott Pilgrim reference in there. Ehehuhehue.