fic // TVXQ // Our Little Princess #4
Title: Our Little Princess
Author: catachrestical
Keywords: Bandfic; hints of JaeHo and YooSu; some original characters.
Rating: PG13 for few language mishaps.
Disclaimer: Do not own, did not happen.
Notes: The boys found themselves having to take care of two orphan kids. Attempts on crack/drama/fluff.
First version beta'd by janeberryblue; current version re-beta'd by bel_chan ♥
Thanks for reading :)
*
→ previous: #1 | #2 | #3
Our Little Princess
Chapter 4: A Kiss Is Not Just A Kiss
"And I'm petrified, hypnotized, every time you walked by,
And I can't get you out of my mind."
- Aqualung, Can't Get You Out Of My Mind.
There was a certain time, a couple hours past midnight, when everything in the world seemed to stumble into silence-light and soothing in the air; welcomed in the darkness. Eleventh floor was too high for crickets to sound or mosquitoes to buzz, and the hum of the air conditioner was an endless lullaby that stayed all through the night.
One should learn that "all through the night" was a highly relative term.
The crystallized peace was broken by a proverbial sledgehammer, manifesting itself in a high-pitched scream possessed exclusively by a one-and-a-half year-old Arisugawa Akira. It traveled with an impressive speed, breaking past two thick wooden doors, past the walls and into the other rooms. There was a collective groan in the five-person bedroom, sounds of sheets rustling and bodies shifting.
"Whoseturnissit?"
"Not mine."
"Did earlier."
Grunt.
Another shuffling of blankets and the door clicked open. For a crucial two seconds, white light speared through total darkness like a knife through butter. A silhouette of a giant hamtaro plodded out and then it was darkness again.
"... Did JaeJoong-hyung just get up from your bed?"
Shuffle shuffle.
"He was cold."
Grunt.
The crying stopped. Akira had peace. Of course, one would think that it was a sign to go back to sleep.
One should learn that preconceived notion didn't work with ChangMin.
"...But he could've cuddled up to me. My bed's right next-"
Sigh.
"Your bed is cold. Shut up. Sleep."
Annoyed grunt.
Another oh-so-precious five seconds of peace.
Snortgiggle.
"My God."
"...ChangMinnie." Resigned sigh.
Shuffle shuffle. Swing.
"Ow! YooChun-hyung!"
"..."
"Thank you, Chunnie."
"Anytime, hyung."
*
[ JaeJoong // Five hours and almost a cup of tea later ]
There was a certain time, usually weekday mornings, when everything became too hectic, too fast-paced for ChangMin for a good breakfast or a decent shower. Good-mornings were left hanging in the air because he didn't stay long enough to hear a reply. On good days, he waltzed his way through us with footwork far superior to any dance we've learned. On bad days, he just ran us over-except for YunHo. No one ran over YunHo.
(Except maybe JunSu on sugar high.)
I put pancakes on four plates, coffee in two cups, juice in a glass, and a carton of milk for ChangMin to bring to school.
"YooChunnie's not up yet?"
"He's skipping today," YunHo replied, looking up from the morning paper as I seated myself across him. "Didn't sleep well last night."
"Akira?" I asked, picking up a fork.
"Among other things." A vague answer accompanied by a half-amused scowl. Huh?
JunSu, nursing an orange juice, had a different kind of reading material. History quiz-probably worth less than five percent of his grade, but when you were counting on every point you could collect, reviewing was necessary. ChangMin, JunSu, and YunHo used their free time to review their lessons. YooChun... YooChun just said he was okay as long as he didn't fail.
Sometimes this makes me reconsider my decision about taking the university entrance exam.
YunHo glanced at his watch; it was brown, leather, and five minutes early. JunSu put his books in his bag and hollered towards the bathroom.
"ChangMinah! We're leaving in two minutes!"
"Give me five!" A reply from inside the bathroom-rushed and worried. I glanced at the clock on the wall.
"You guys still have ten minutes."
(When we actually had the time to go to school, we leave before seven, back at ten or eleven. All classes were arranged as early as possible so they didn't mess with our work schedule. Juggling work and school was hard, but we pulled through with sheer determination and support for each other.
So far.)
"Yeah," YunHo replied, "but if we said that, he would've had asked for fifteen minutes. Pass the syrup, please?"
"Which one?"
"Chocolate."
"Eh-but you and Chunnie always use up all the chocolate syrup!" JunSu protested before I had the chance to do it myself. I eyed the almost-empty Hershey's Chocolate Syrup bottle. JunSu was right-YunHo and YooChun were the reason we were always out of chocolate syrup. Not that ChangMin was innocent either; he redefined 'not picky' in terms of food, drinks, and syrups in general.
YunHo just looked at me and grinned in a startlingly childish way and I felt myself contemplating the paradox-again. Impudence, mischief, modesty, and responsibility all rolled up into one; a child on one side, unquestionable maturity on the other.
I gave him the chocolate syrup.
"You sure you and YooChunnie will be okay with the kids?"
"Pretty sure I can keep him and Kaneko from murdering each other for three hours."
ChangMin emerged ten seconds later in the form of disheveled-but-clean clothes and an unruly lump of brown hair. He glanced at the clock on the wall and narrowed his eyes.
"You guys did it again!"
"And you always fell for it~"
"But-"
"You have five minutes to eat your breakfast or we're leaving without you."
ChangMin immediately seated himself in front of fresh pancakes and inhaled them with both strawberry and maple syrup. I stifled a soft chuckle. Apparently the others were still sore because ChangMin made them starve in exchange for his skill with Akira's diapers.
After three days of an involuntary strict diet, we finally decided, in an emergency meeting, that we would all learn how to change Akira's diaper. It wasn't a very difficult task, actually. YunHo, JunSu, and I managed quite well after ten minutes of schooling. YooChun just needed to stop shrieking every time he saw Akira's discharge. Since he never ate much anyway in the first place, he often offered food to ChangMin in exchange for diapering shifts.
Which we would have to rectify-it wouldn't do well for ChangMin to gain and for YooChun to lose extra weight.
"Um."
All four of us turned to the little girl and her stuffed Hello Kitty, standing apprehensively in the hallway. I offered her a smile.
"Ohayou~" JunSu beamed and extended one arm to Kane. Said little girl crossed the room slowly and let JunSu mess with her blonde curls. She'd been here only three days but she was quickly becoming everyone (well, except YooChun)'s favorite little girl. Even YunHo seemed to soften when the little princess was around. Of course, apart from the fact that she was the only little girl in the house, she was really a good girl... barring the cheekiness.
"You're an early riser."
Kane nodded and smiled shyly. "Kane hewld voices." Then, with a curious tint in her voice, "Awl you going out?"
"We're going to school-speaking of which," YunHo glanced at the clock again. "We have to leave now."
There were a lot of bustling. ChangMin desperately tried to finish his last pancake while shoving his books into his backpack and smoothing his hair at the same time. JunSu bent down to hug Kane and I, waved goodbye, and disappeared to the foyer. YunHo pecked Kane's cheek and squeezed my shoulder.
Of course, ChangMin had to butt in with his impossible logic.
"What-you're not gonna kiss JaeJoong-hyung, too? That's discrimination!"
For some reason, ChangMin seemed bent on fixing me up with YunHo ever since That Night We Met Kane and Akira. I made a mental note to put laxatives in his lunch, a blush creeping onto my cheeks. I half-expected YunHo to laugh it off, but the silence that followed made me turn to look at him. To my complete and utter shock, YunHo just looked at me and asked in an even more serious tone.
"Do you want me to?"
I choked on air. I just stared back at YunHo, completely at loss for words. I could see ChangMin whooping silently from the corner of my eyes (poison, rat poison) and jogging to the living room after ruffling Kane's hair.
Then YunHo's face dissolved into an apologetic smile and he touched my cheek lightly with his finger.
"We'll be back around eleven. Cook a delicious lunch, yes?"
"...Ne." Yes. Sure. Okay. Anything you want. I didn't voice that last bit, of course. As YunHo disappeared into the hallway, I slowly let out a long breath I didn't realize I was holding. One second. Two seconds. I turned and saw Kane staring at me with a look that could be described as disbelief.
...
Oh crap. She was a child after all; she probably lived in a world where princes hooked up with princesses, not knights (or a prince from neighboring kingdom). She couldn't possibly understand affection between two males and ChangMin just...
"Nii-san?"
"Kane, there's..."
"Why di'n you say anythin'?"
...
Huh?
"He wuz gon' kiss you! Why di'n you say anythin'?" She asked in a bewildered tone. I blinked, not quite sure that I heard what I thought I did. I mean, what? Surely I could understand a kid's Japanese, no matter how smart she was.
"I... er."
"He wan'ta kiss you!"
"Kane-" I held up both hands. "Wait. What... why... How did you know? I mean," I shook my head. "How did you..."
"Oh please" She actually had the decency to look haughty, and for a second I caught a glimpse of a Kane I knew a year ago. "All the hee-woine in dowamas and telenovelas awl always like this! They should just kiss the hee-wo."
I didn't know whether I was astonished more because she knew big words like "heroine" or because she was, apparently, well-acquainted with Spanish telenovelas.
"But I'm not a heroine?" I didn't know why I said that. Kane gave me a 'duh' look.
"Kane's daddy said you shoul'n love someone 'cause they awl a boy olla gel. You love someone 'cause you love 'em."
*
[ YooChun // three seconds and a stunned JaeJoong later ]
I had to admit that I was pretty stunned myself. Honestly, who would expect that coming from a six-year-old? Were all Japanese children like her? Now if only that wisdom wasn't accompanied by pride-on second thought, I didn't mind; it made teasing her so much more fun.
More importantly, though, what was JaeJoong doing having a conversation on sexual preference with a kid? Never mind the fact that said little kid might have an IQ of a rocket scientist-or rock scientists would probably be a more appropriate analogy, but that was beside the point.
I cleared my throat and two sets of eyes turned to me, one visibly relieved and the other wary.
"Ah. Er. YooChun-ah. You're early. Sit down. I'll..." JaeJoong looked flushed and just a bit panicked. Interesting. Perhaps it wasn't a birds-and-... well, birds, conversation after all.
"Make breakfast?" I suggested cooperatively. JaeJoong nodded with vigor and mumbled a hold-on before practically running to the small kitchen, ignoring Kane's protest about how they weren't finished. I made a face at Kane when she glared at me.
"What happened?"
"Not tellin'." the little rascal said as she leaned forward to take the plate with the last pancake in the middle of the dining table. I was quicker. I swooped down and took the plate before her little hand could reach it. She let out a small cry of protest.
"I saw it fiwst!"
"What happened~?" I asked in a sing-songy voice. Yes, I take perverse pleasure in driving people crazy, including kids.
"Tha's cheatin', you... you cheatewl!"
"No... this is blackmail, and I am, of course, not a 'cheatewl'." I grinned at her, purposely putting an emphasis on the lisped word. Most kids would've been reduced to tears by now, but not Kane.
"Nii-san!" Oh yes, and then there was the famous YooChun-was-mean-to-me wail. I scrunched up my nose; of course I knew how to get away from this, too.
"Sure, be a scaredy-cat and go to nii-san." With four nii-sans to go to, it happened quite often. Kane clamped her mouth shut. I recognized pride when I saw it. Seriously-how could you not love teasing her?
"YunHo nii-san and Jae nii-san made out."
...What. "What?" Seriously? And where the hell did she learn to say 'made out'?
Kane grinned. Goddarn little devil. I gave her a look and picked up my fork.
"No! Don't eat! Yunnie nii-san kissed my cheek." She grounded out her words as if they were being wrenched from her with a pair of pliers. I arched an eyebrow. Now that was more like it.
"And..."
"...Minnie nii-san told him to kiss Jae nii-san, too. He talked about dis... discwiminalation."
Discrimination? What the eff, ChangMin. Smart boy.
"Did YunHo do it?"
"No!" To my surprise, Kane looked more annoyed to the fact that YunHo didn't do it than me holding her pancake hostage. "He di'n! He asked Jae nii-san if he wants him to kiss him but Jae nii-san went all quiet and then Yunnie nii-san kinna smiled and left!"
(And here I thought leader-hyung was the one who needed urging.)
"Now gimme my pancake."
I stared at her, the pancake, and then back at her again. JaeJoong was clearly making more pancakes, but Kane didn't know.
Yet.
"Nope."
I was pretty sure that she was slack-jawed as I reached for chocolate syrup-and found it almost empty, damnit-and started digging in on the pancake in big gulps. She let out a banshee-like shriek.
"But you pwomised!"
"Nope, I didn't," I replied nonchalantly, and then, just for good measure, "'pwomise'."
"Nii-san!!!" Wail.
I could almost hear JaeJoong sighing.
*
[ YunHo // Three-and-a-half hours and a trip to ChangMin's University later ]
"Hyung, hyung, hyung!"
Skip, skip, skipping ChangMin zeroing in on JunSu and I waiting in a silver SUV with black-tinted windows. He climbed into the backseat, beside JunSu, and I could see him preparing his I've-got-an-idea speech from the rearview mirror.
"No."
"But-"
"Not especially if it's about what almost happened this morning."
"Being late?" He tilted his head in fake innocence. Before I could say anything, he grinned and nodded, "Okay, sure! Now about JaeJoong-hyung..."
JunSu let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a muffled laughter. I stared at ChangMin, reminded once and again why, despite loving him very much, we felt this unbearable need to strangle him sometimes.
"There's nothing to talk about. A kiss on the cheek is nothing serious." I cut him off, belatedly realizing my mistake.
"Then why didn't you do it?" Predictably, he swooped in on that with a tone so triumphant I was surprised I didn't see gold stars on the air. JunSu coughed again and I, half-relieved of the interruption, turned around from the front seat and glared at him.
"Do you have sore throat, JunSu?"
"Oh, no," JunSu massaged his throat and smiled at me, a devilish twinkle in his eyes, "Just a little itchy. Nothing to worry about."
Little devils.
"So what do you think, hyung?" ChangMin asked again, refusing to let the subject go. I turned around again, my back to him, and counted to five-in pig Latin-before replying tonelessly.
"I think you will have a bruise the size of a baseball on your head if you don't stop pestering me about this."
That seemed to do the trick. ChangMin pouted and settled in his seat. Good.
"But you do realize that he was right, don't you?" JunSu said from behind me. "I mean, you wouldn't have made such a big fuss about it if it weren't serious."
"I'm not making a big fuss about it!"
"Mhm, of course you aren't."
I felt like bashing my head on the dashboard. Repeatedly.
"Look. How do I convince you that..."
"Maybe kiss him, then?" He leaned over towards ChangMin and gave him a very friendly peck on the cheek. "See? Like that. No fuss."
(The thing about JunSu was, he might look innocent and predictable most of the time, but once you've lived long enough with him, you'd realize that he could be as manipulative as Machiavelli when he wanted to-using his adorableness, too.
...Kind of like Kaneko, actually.)
...
"Fine."
I didn't see him low-fiving ChangMin, of course.
*
[ A Kiss Is... ]
"...The hell are you guys doing?"
"SHUSH!" ChangMin whispered and grabbed YooChun unceremoniously two steps away from entering the living room. Fortune was on their side; none of the main actors in the living room realized that four devils were spying on them.
"What-"
JunSu put a finger in front of his lips and gestured to the main stage. YunHo and JaeJoong were sitting in their usual spots-not talking, not looking at each other.
...
"Two diapering shifts they aren't gonna do it," YooChun drawled lazily.
"Usual rules apply?" As in they can exchange food for shifts. That came from ChangMin, of course.
"You're on."
"Hush!" Kane whispered from below them. "They awl talking!"
...
"...wasn't that I didn't want to kiss you."
JaeJoong blushed, not quite sure he could come up with a proper response, but he tried anyway.
"Wasn't that I didn't want you to kiss me."
Kane squeezed ChangMin's hand. ChangMin squeezed JunSu's hand. JunSu ran his tongue on the front of his teeth and tightened his grip on YooChun's fingers. YooChun just prayed oh, for the love of everything smelly and diapery, please don't screw it up, YunHo-hyung.
"I mean, it's not a big deal, right? I kiss everyone all the time!" YunHo let out a forced chuckle.
...
Kane groaned and ChangMin quickly put a hand in front of her mouth.
"...Of course not. Not a big deal, yes. Sure. I mean. You can kiss me now. Not a big deal," JaeJoong blabbered, chuckling nervously. As expected, YunHo was too anxious to notice the tinge of disappointment in JaeJoong's voice.
YooChun got away scot-free from two diaper shifts that day.
*
[ ...Not just a kiss ]
"Hyung, did you just climb into YunHo-hyung's bed?"
"I'm closer."
Exasperated groan.
"...He's closer?"
Swing!
"Ouch! hyung!"
Pause. "What's it this time?"
"Stuffed animal, I think."
"Huh?"
"Next time I'm throwing the slippers."
"But-"
Sigh. "ChangMinah."
"I'm serious!"
"What is happening?"
"Nothing. Night, Boo."
*
(YunHo kissed JaeJoong's cheek every morning ever since).
*
Author: catachrestical
Keywords: Bandfic; hints of JaeHo and YooSu; some original characters.
Rating: PG13 for few language mishaps.
Disclaimer: Do not own, did not happen.
Notes: The boys found themselves having to take care of two orphan kids. Attempts on crack/drama/fluff.
First version beta'd by janeberryblue; current version re-beta'd by bel_chan ♥
Thanks for reading :)
*
→ previous: #1 | #2 | #3
Our Little Princess
Chapter 4: A Kiss Is Not Just A Kiss
"And I'm petrified, hypnotized, every time you walked by,
And I can't get you out of my mind."
- Aqualung, Can't Get You Out Of My Mind.
There was a certain time, a couple hours past midnight, when everything in the world seemed to stumble into silence-light and soothing in the air; welcomed in the darkness. Eleventh floor was too high for crickets to sound or mosquitoes to buzz, and the hum of the air conditioner was an endless lullaby that stayed all through the night.
One should learn that "all through the night" was a highly relative term.
The crystallized peace was broken by a proverbial sledgehammer, manifesting itself in a high-pitched scream possessed exclusively by a one-and-a-half year-old Arisugawa Akira. It traveled with an impressive speed, breaking past two thick wooden doors, past the walls and into the other rooms. There was a collective groan in the five-person bedroom, sounds of sheets rustling and bodies shifting.
"Whoseturnissit?"
"Not mine."
"Did earlier."
Grunt.
Another shuffling of blankets and the door clicked open. For a crucial two seconds, white light speared through total darkness like a knife through butter. A silhouette of a giant hamtaro plodded out and then it was darkness again.
"... Did JaeJoong-hyung just get up from your bed?"
Shuffle shuffle.
"He was cold."
Grunt.
The crying stopped. Akira had peace. Of course, one would think that it was a sign to go back to sleep.
One should learn that preconceived notion didn't work with ChangMin.
"...But he could've cuddled up to me. My bed's right next-"
Sigh.
"Your bed is cold. Shut up. Sleep."
Annoyed grunt.
Another oh-so-precious five seconds of peace.
Snortgiggle.
"My God."
"...ChangMinnie." Resigned sigh.
Shuffle shuffle. Swing.
"Ow! YooChun-hyung!"
"..."
"Thank you, Chunnie."
"Anytime, hyung."
*
[ JaeJoong // Five hours and almost a cup of tea later ]
There was a certain time, usually weekday mornings, when everything became too hectic, too fast-paced for ChangMin for a good breakfast or a decent shower. Good-mornings were left hanging in the air because he didn't stay long enough to hear a reply. On good days, he waltzed his way through us with footwork far superior to any dance we've learned. On bad days, he just ran us over-except for YunHo. No one ran over YunHo.
(Except maybe JunSu on sugar high.)
I put pancakes on four plates, coffee in two cups, juice in a glass, and a carton of milk for ChangMin to bring to school.
"YooChunnie's not up yet?"
"He's skipping today," YunHo replied, looking up from the morning paper as I seated myself across him. "Didn't sleep well last night."
"Akira?" I asked, picking up a fork.
"Among other things." A vague answer accompanied by a half-amused scowl. Huh?
JunSu, nursing an orange juice, had a different kind of reading material. History quiz-probably worth less than five percent of his grade, but when you were counting on every point you could collect, reviewing was necessary. ChangMin, JunSu, and YunHo used their free time to review their lessons. YooChun... YooChun just said he was okay as long as he didn't fail.
Sometimes this makes me reconsider my decision about taking the university entrance exam.
YunHo glanced at his watch; it was brown, leather, and five minutes early. JunSu put his books in his bag and hollered towards the bathroom.
"ChangMinah! We're leaving in two minutes!"
"Give me five!" A reply from inside the bathroom-rushed and worried. I glanced at the clock on the wall.
"You guys still have ten minutes."
(When we actually had the time to go to school, we leave before seven, back at ten or eleven. All classes were arranged as early as possible so they didn't mess with our work schedule. Juggling work and school was hard, but we pulled through with sheer determination and support for each other.
So far.)
"Yeah," YunHo replied, "but if we said that, he would've had asked for fifteen minutes. Pass the syrup, please?"
"Which one?"
"Chocolate."
"Eh-but you and Chunnie always use up all the chocolate syrup!" JunSu protested before I had the chance to do it myself. I eyed the almost-empty Hershey's Chocolate Syrup bottle. JunSu was right-YunHo and YooChun were the reason we were always out of chocolate syrup. Not that ChangMin was innocent either; he redefined 'not picky' in terms of food, drinks, and syrups in general.
YunHo just looked at me and grinned in a startlingly childish way and I felt myself contemplating the paradox-again. Impudence, mischief, modesty, and responsibility all rolled up into one; a child on one side, unquestionable maturity on the other.
I gave him the chocolate syrup.
"You sure you and YooChunnie will be okay with the kids?"
"Pretty sure I can keep him and Kaneko from murdering each other for three hours."
ChangMin emerged ten seconds later in the form of disheveled-but-clean clothes and an unruly lump of brown hair. He glanced at the clock on the wall and narrowed his eyes.
"You guys did it again!"
"And you always fell for it~"
"But-"
"You have five minutes to eat your breakfast or we're leaving without you."
ChangMin immediately seated himself in front of fresh pancakes and inhaled them with both strawberry and maple syrup. I stifled a soft chuckle. Apparently the others were still sore because ChangMin made them starve in exchange for his skill with Akira's diapers.
After three days of an involuntary strict diet, we finally decided, in an emergency meeting, that we would all learn how to change Akira's diaper. It wasn't a very difficult task, actually. YunHo, JunSu, and I managed quite well after ten minutes of schooling. YooChun just needed to stop shrieking every time he saw Akira's discharge. Since he never ate much anyway in the first place, he often offered food to ChangMin in exchange for diapering shifts.
Which we would have to rectify-it wouldn't do well for ChangMin to gain and for YooChun to lose extra weight.
"Um."
All four of us turned to the little girl and her stuffed Hello Kitty, standing apprehensively in the hallway. I offered her a smile.
"Ohayou~" JunSu beamed and extended one arm to Kane. Said little girl crossed the room slowly and let JunSu mess with her blonde curls. She'd been here only three days but she was quickly becoming everyone (well, except YooChun)'s favorite little girl. Even YunHo seemed to soften when the little princess was around. Of course, apart from the fact that she was the only little girl in the house, she was really a good girl... barring the cheekiness.
"You're an early riser."
Kane nodded and smiled shyly. "Kane hewld voices." Then, with a curious tint in her voice, "Awl you going out?"
"We're going to school-speaking of which," YunHo glanced at the clock again. "We have to leave now."
There were a lot of bustling. ChangMin desperately tried to finish his last pancake while shoving his books into his backpack and smoothing his hair at the same time. JunSu bent down to hug Kane and I, waved goodbye, and disappeared to the foyer. YunHo pecked Kane's cheek and squeezed my shoulder.
Of course, ChangMin had to butt in with his impossible logic.
"What-you're not gonna kiss JaeJoong-hyung, too? That's discrimination!"
For some reason, ChangMin seemed bent on fixing me up with YunHo ever since That Night We Met Kane and Akira. I made a mental note to put laxatives in his lunch, a blush creeping onto my cheeks. I half-expected YunHo to laugh it off, but the silence that followed made me turn to look at him. To my complete and utter shock, YunHo just looked at me and asked in an even more serious tone.
"Do you want me to?"
I choked on air. I just stared back at YunHo, completely at loss for words. I could see ChangMin whooping silently from the corner of my eyes (poison, rat poison) and jogging to the living room after ruffling Kane's hair.
Then YunHo's face dissolved into an apologetic smile and he touched my cheek lightly with his finger.
"We'll be back around eleven. Cook a delicious lunch, yes?"
"...Ne." Yes. Sure. Okay. Anything you want. I didn't voice that last bit, of course. As YunHo disappeared into the hallway, I slowly let out a long breath I didn't realize I was holding. One second. Two seconds. I turned and saw Kane staring at me with a look that could be described as disbelief.
...
Oh crap. She was a child after all; she probably lived in a world where princes hooked up with princesses, not knights (or a prince from neighboring kingdom). She couldn't possibly understand affection between two males and ChangMin just...
"Nii-san?"
"Kane, there's..."
"Why di'n you say anythin'?"
...
Huh?
"He wuz gon' kiss you! Why di'n you say anythin'?" She asked in a bewildered tone. I blinked, not quite sure that I heard what I thought I did. I mean, what? Surely I could understand a kid's Japanese, no matter how smart she was.
"I... er."
"He wan'ta kiss you!"
"Kane-" I held up both hands. "Wait. What... why... How did you know? I mean," I shook my head. "How did you..."
"Oh please" She actually had the decency to look haughty, and for a second I caught a glimpse of a Kane I knew a year ago. "All the hee-woine in dowamas and telenovelas awl always like this! They should just kiss the hee-wo."
I didn't know whether I was astonished more because she knew big words like "heroine" or because she was, apparently, well-acquainted with Spanish telenovelas.
"But I'm not a heroine?" I didn't know why I said that. Kane gave me a 'duh' look.
"Kane's daddy said you shoul'n love someone 'cause they awl a boy olla gel. You love someone 'cause you love 'em."
*
[ YooChun // three seconds and a stunned JaeJoong later ]
I had to admit that I was pretty stunned myself. Honestly, who would expect that coming from a six-year-old? Were all Japanese children like her? Now if only that wisdom wasn't accompanied by pride-on second thought, I didn't mind; it made teasing her so much more fun.
More importantly, though, what was JaeJoong doing having a conversation on sexual preference with a kid? Never mind the fact that said little kid might have an IQ of a rocket scientist-or rock scientists would probably be a more appropriate analogy, but that was beside the point.
I cleared my throat and two sets of eyes turned to me, one visibly relieved and the other wary.
"Ah. Er. YooChun-ah. You're early. Sit down. I'll..." JaeJoong looked flushed and just a bit panicked. Interesting. Perhaps it wasn't a birds-and-... well, birds, conversation after all.
"Make breakfast?" I suggested cooperatively. JaeJoong nodded with vigor and mumbled a hold-on before practically running to the small kitchen, ignoring Kane's protest about how they weren't finished. I made a face at Kane when she glared at me.
"What happened?"
"Not tellin'." the little rascal said as she leaned forward to take the plate with the last pancake in the middle of the dining table. I was quicker. I swooped down and took the plate before her little hand could reach it. She let out a small cry of protest.
"I saw it fiwst!"
"What happened~?" I asked in a sing-songy voice. Yes, I take perverse pleasure in driving people crazy, including kids.
"Tha's cheatin', you... you cheatewl!"
"No... this is blackmail, and I am, of course, not a 'cheatewl'." I grinned at her, purposely putting an emphasis on the lisped word. Most kids would've been reduced to tears by now, but not Kane.
"Nii-san!" Oh yes, and then there was the famous YooChun-was-mean-to-me wail. I scrunched up my nose; of course I knew how to get away from this, too.
"Sure, be a scaredy-cat and go to nii-san." With four nii-sans to go to, it happened quite often. Kane clamped her mouth shut. I recognized pride when I saw it. Seriously-how could you not love teasing her?
"YunHo nii-san and Jae nii-san made out."
...What. "What?" Seriously? And where the hell did she learn to say 'made out'?
Kane grinned. Goddarn little devil. I gave her a look and picked up my fork.
"No! Don't eat! Yunnie nii-san kissed my cheek." She grounded out her words as if they were being wrenched from her with a pair of pliers. I arched an eyebrow. Now that was more like it.
"And..."
"...Minnie nii-san told him to kiss Jae nii-san, too. He talked about dis... discwiminalation."
Discrimination? What the eff, ChangMin. Smart boy.
"Did YunHo do it?"
"No!" To my surprise, Kane looked more annoyed to the fact that YunHo didn't do it than me holding her pancake hostage. "He di'n! He asked Jae nii-san if he wants him to kiss him but Jae nii-san went all quiet and then Yunnie nii-san kinna smiled and left!"
(And here I thought leader-hyung was the one who needed urging.)
"Now gimme my pancake."
I stared at her, the pancake, and then back at her again. JaeJoong was clearly making more pancakes, but Kane didn't know.
Yet.
"Nope."
I was pretty sure that she was slack-jawed as I reached for chocolate syrup-and found it almost empty, damnit-and started digging in on the pancake in big gulps. She let out a banshee-like shriek.
"But you pwomised!"
"Nope, I didn't," I replied nonchalantly, and then, just for good measure, "'pwomise'."
"Nii-san!!!" Wail.
I could almost hear JaeJoong sighing.
*
[ YunHo // Three-and-a-half hours and a trip to ChangMin's University later ]
"Hyung, hyung, hyung!"
Skip, skip, skipping ChangMin zeroing in on JunSu and I waiting in a silver SUV with black-tinted windows. He climbed into the backseat, beside JunSu, and I could see him preparing his I've-got-an-idea speech from the rearview mirror.
"No."
"But-"
"Not especially if it's about what almost happened this morning."
"Being late?" He tilted his head in fake innocence. Before I could say anything, he grinned and nodded, "Okay, sure! Now about JaeJoong-hyung..."
JunSu let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a muffled laughter. I stared at ChangMin, reminded once and again why, despite loving him very much, we felt this unbearable need to strangle him sometimes.
"There's nothing to talk about. A kiss on the cheek is nothing serious." I cut him off, belatedly realizing my mistake.
"Then why didn't you do it?" Predictably, he swooped in on that with a tone so triumphant I was surprised I didn't see gold stars on the air. JunSu coughed again and I, half-relieved of the interruption, turned around from the front seat and glared at him.
"Do you have sore throat, JunSu?"
"Oh, no," JunSu massaged his throat and smiled at me, a devilish twinkle in his eyes, "Just a little itchy. Nothing to worry about."
Little devils.
"So what do you think, hyung?" ChangMin asked again, refusing to let the subject go. I turned around again, my back to him, and counted to five-in pig Latin-before replying tonelessly.
"I think you will have a bruise the size of a baseball on your head if you don't stop pestering me about this."
That seemed to do the trick. ChangMin pouted and settled in his seat. Good.
"But you do realize that he was right, don't you?" JunSu said from behind me. "I mean, you wouldn't have made such a big fuss about it if it weren't serious."
"I'm not making a big fuss about it!"
"Mhm, of course you aren't."
I felt like bashing my head on the dashboard. Repeatedly.
"Look. How do I convince you that..."
"Maybe kiss him, then?" He leaned over towards ChangMin and gave him a very friendly peck on the cheek. "See? Like that. No fuss."
(The thing about JunSu was, he might look innocent and predictable most of the time, but once you've lived long enough with him, you'd realize that he could be as manipulative as Machiavelli when he wanted to-using his adorableness, too.
...Kind of like Kaneko, actually.)
...
"Fine."
I didn't see him low-fiving ChangMin, of course.
*
[ A Kiss Is... ]
"...The hell are you guys doing?"
"SHUSH!" ChangMin whispered and grabbed YooChun unceremoniously two steps away from entering the living room. Fortune was on their side; none of the main actors in the living room realized that four devils were spying on them.
"What-"
JunSu put a finger in front of his lips and gestured to the main stage. YunHo and JaeJoong were sitting in their usual spots-not talking, not looking at each other.
...
"Two diapering shifts they aren't gonna do it," YooChun drawled lazily.
"Usual rules apply?" As in they can exchange food for shifts. That came from ChangMin, of course.
"You're on."
"Hush!" Kane whispered from below them. "They awl talking!"
...
"...wasn't that I didn't want to kiss you."
JaeJoong blushed, not quite sure he could come up with a proper response, but he tried anyway.
"Wasn't that I didn't want you to kiss me."
Kane squeezed ChangMin's hand. ChangMin squeezed JunSu's hand. JunSu ran his tongue on the front of his teeth and tightened his grip on YooChun's fingers. YooChun just prayed oh, for the love of everything smelly and diapery, please don't screw it up, YunHo-hyung.
"I mean, it's not a big deal, right? I kiss everyone all the time!" YunHo let out a forced chuckle.
...
Kane groaned and ChangMin quickly put a hand in front of her mouth.
"...Of course not. Not a big deal, yes. Sure. I mean. You can kiss me now. Not a big deal," JaeJoong blabbered, chuckling nervously. As expected, YunHo was too anxious to notice the tinge of disappointment in JaeJoong's voice.
YooChun got away scot-free from two diaper shifts that day.
*
[ ...Not just a kiss ]
"Hyung, did you just climb into YunHo-hyung's bed?"
"I'm closer."
Exasperated groan.
"...He's closer?"
Swing!
"Ouch! hyung!"
Pause. "What's it this time?"
"Stuffed animal, I think."
"Huh?"
"Next time I'm throwing the slippers."
"But-"
Sigh. "ChangMinah."
"I'm serious!"
"What is happening?"
"Nothing. Night, Boo."
*
(YunHo kissed JaeJoong's cheek every morning ever since).
*