"Seungkwan, dinner's ready!"

Seungkwan left his room for the kitchen. He'd smelled dinner cooking for the last hour, the scent drifting from the kitchen to his room.

He thanked his mother for the meal as he sat down at the table.

"How was your trip?" he asked.

His mum looked from her plate, an eyebrow raised. "Seungkwan, dear, you don't want to know about my trip. It was boring." She ruffled Seungkwan's hair. "Did you enjoy your weekend?"

"It was nice, didn't do much."

"That's good. I thought you said Hansol was staying over? I didn't see him when I got home. You two didn't fight, did you?"

Seungkwan was glad for his mum's concern, even if it was unnecessary.

"He left pretty early this morning." The look on his mum's face told him she was going to ask why. "I'm not sure why, he just said he had something. I asked but..." Seungkwan sighed and his shoulders slumped.

His mum smiled. Not a smile of happiness, but a glum smile, close lipped and her eyes full of uncertainty.

"I'm sure it's nothing to be worried about, he's a good kid."

Seungkwan fiddled with his choptsicks. There wasn't a rule that said Hansol had to tell him everything, he was merely very used to open ended honesty between the two of them. It slighted that Hansol was keeping something from him.

"I'm worried, I'm just used to him telling me everything. We're best friends. Sometimes it feels like he's pulling away, is all."

"Have you talked to him about it?"

Seungkwan shook his head, suddenly fascinated by his nearly empty plate. "It's only sometimes. Most of the time everything's fine. It's probably just me being over dramatic about him having more friends."

Seungkwan's mum smiled, genuinely this time. She stood up, her plate empty. She leaned down to press a kiss to the top of Seungkwan's head. "My baby's growing into such a great young man."

Seungkwan blushed. His mum often said things like that, and every time a warm bubble of pride grew in his chest.

His mother was happy with the person he was becoming.

"I'll do dishes, mum. Go rest, you've been on your feet since you got home."

His mother smiled appreciatively. She squeezed his shoulder then placed her dishes on his. "Such a good boy."

Light crept under Seungkwan's bedroom door from the lounge room. It was two am and his mother had work in the morning. Seungkwan smacked a small bug buzzing around his phone, attracted to the dim light.

It wasn't unusual for her to be awake in the wee hours the night she got back from a business trip. Traveling tired her out so she usually napped after dinner, leaving her unable to sleep until only a few hours before work.

Work. Seungkwan groaned and closed the tab he had open on his phone. No job listings he could take, all of them were for skilled workers -- nurse, sparkie, accountant.

He didn't even know why he bothered. He'd applied to the few positions he could that had come up in the last few months with no luck. He hadn't printed out resumes to pass out to local businesses, but when he'd gone with Mingyu every business said they weren't busy enough to consider another worker. Except the local supermarket. Mingyu worked there now.

Joys of living in a small west Aussie town.

Seungkwan rolled over. He needed something to distract his mind, and Youtube wouldn't cut it. With a sigh he kicked his sheet off of him, then plodded out to the lounge room.

His mum was on the couch, laptop and about a hundred loose leaf papers next to her.

"What are you doing, mum?" He sat on the floor next to her feet and leant his head back on the couch to look up at her.

She shuffled a couple papers. "I can't sleep. Your dad said he wanted to see about upgrading the car so I might as well go through the finances."

"How're things looking?"

She pursed her lips. "We can't buy a brand new car like your dad wants, obviously, who does he think we are? You should be off to uni soon, we need to make sure we can afford that. But a nice second hand one is well within budget. Six, seven grand."

Seungkwan cleared his throat. "I told you mum, I don't think I want to go to uni."

His mum shrugged. "I'd rather keep the possibility of a loan there just in case, we can help you get home loan or something. The car your dad wants is ugly, just go along with it."

Seungkwan chuckled and moved his head to rest on her knee. "I love you, mum."

"Love you too, Kwannie."

The shuffling of papers and keyboard typing lulled Seungkwan's mind. Soon enough his eyes were heavy and difficult to open. He pressed a kiss to his mum's leg.

"I'm off to bed, getting sleepy. G'night. Love you."

She ruffled the top of his head. "Good night. Sleep well."

Mr. Boo was a man not much taller than Seungkwan. He worked fly in fly out at the mines up north, something about supervising train drivers. He always complained about workers that made his shifts difficult and were out to get him.

This meant, of course, that Seungkwan only got to see him half the time, and that approximately every two weeks his mother spent half the day slaving away in the kitchen for a welcome home or going back to work dinner.

Seungkwan placed a shopping bag on the kitchen counter. "Does dad get home today or next Thursday?" He took the sauce out and took it over to his mother at the stove.

"There's a reason I was home at midday today." Mrs Boo looked over her shoulder at the shopping bag. "Did you get cream like I asked?"

Seungkwan nodded and pulled his shopping list out of his back pocket as proof, a wobbly line through the word cream.

"Do you need help with anything?" Seungkwan shoved the list back into his pocket. He reached over his mother's shoulder and picked a piece of fish out of the frypan.

Mrs Boo answered she didn't and sent Seungkwan out the kitchen so he wouldn't steal anynore food before it was ready. With a kiss to her cheek, Seungkwan left for his bedroom.

He found himself checking job listing websites. Nothing. The same as a couple nights ago. He puffed out his cheeks and rolled over. It was too early for Hansol to be off work and Mingyu would be getting ready for his nightfill job. And Seungkwan wasn't anything to do with any job besides browsing listings he was under-qualified for.

Seungkwan pulled his pillow under him and closed his eyes. Maybe a nap would make him feel better. His dad would hopefully be back by them. He'd smell dinner wafting through the house, hear the clatter of his parents setting the table. Yes, a nap would definitely help.

Dinner was was delicious as always. The table full of food, too much for just the three of them but enough for his sisters to drop in Saturday morning.

"How was your shift, dad?"

His dad shrugged. "Same old, same old. That one guy managed to weasel himself out of his first week this shift with a doctor's certificate, clearly wasn't sick when I talked to him on the phone. What about you, Kwan?"

"Not too much. Had Hansol over for a sleepover, managed to graze my forearm on the bridge playing Pokemon Go, patched Mingyu up after he fell off one of his friend's skateboards at the pub around the corner. The usual."

Seungkwan moved a piece of meat about in his bowl. As fascinating a conversation as ever with his father. At least he hadn't brought up jobs or university yet.

His mother noticed his despondency. She cleared and asked, "Your father and I are going to the city this weekend, we're planning on watching a movie then going to Sizzlers. Do you want to come?"

Seungkwan glanced to his father, who nodded. "It'd be nice, we haven't had a family day in a while."

Looking down to his bowl, Seungkwan considered his options. He'd have to wake up early, they'd probably leave at ten in the morning at the latest, and he'd be stuck watching whatever movie his parents decided on. He didn't even know what was showing in the cinemas at the moment.

"Sure. As long as we get Maccas."

His dad reached across and ruffled his hair. "I'll look what's in the movies and we can all pick something."

***

The car stereo shut off. The doors opened and the stench of petrol crept in. Seungkwan wrinkled his nose. He hated the smell of servos.

"You don't want anything, do you?" Mrs Boo asked. Seungkwan shook his head. He'd had breakfast before they left home and filled a water bottle with raspberry cordial. "I'll get you a pie just in case, it's a long way to the city."

Seungkwan slumped into the seat behind him. That was more money he owed his parents. If he had a job he'd be able to pass her cash for that pie he didn't even want.

His dad must've noticed because he turned around. "How's the job hunting going?"

"If I'm a nurse or tradie? Fantastic. Unfortunately, I don't posses any skills."

Mr Boo grimaced. "Have you tried asking around?"

Seungkwan hadn't. Just the thought of it stressed him out. Imagine asking and getting a "no" straight to your face.

"I didn't manage my first job until I asked at the local supermarket for near on a month."

Seungkwan drank from his water bottle so he had a reason not to talk. That wouldn't work, the local supermarket did applications online these days, and if you asked in store they'd direct you to the website. If it didn't have listings then tough cookies.

Seungkwan had explained that last time his dad was home.

"It's ok, as long you're trying. Something will come up." Mr Boo reached back and ruffled Seungkwan's hair. Seungkwan could only nod.

"That's what I tell myself."

Mr Boo chuckled. "Always with your optimism."

***

The shop was loud. Noise hit Seungkwan like a truck when he stepped into the store. He tried to tune out the various clangs and roars of electric tools and looked around to see if he could spot Hansol.

He was way in the back of the shed, beyond the partition where the cash register was, sat on a can of paint eating a sandwich. Seungkwan's eyebrows furrowed as he try to think up a way to gather his attention. He could always risk simply going over, but one of Hansol's bosses had a very strict "no visitors in the garage" rule.

There was a tap on Seungkwan's shoulder. He turned around to see the boss who did let people in. The man pointed to Hansol.

"He's on lunch then he's got the rest of the day off, not busy enough for him to stay."

Seungkwan thanked him and headed over, careful not to get in the way of any of the other workers or their tools.

Hansol didn't notice him when he reached him. He had his earphones in, then. Seungkwan tapped him on the leg. Hansol glanced towards him, his eyes widened, and he pulled his earphones out.

"Hey, what are you here for?"

Seungkwan crossed his arms. "So rude. I can't be here to see you?"

"You never are any other time, you hate the wreckers."

"It's loud and dirty and smells like grease."

Hansol snorted. "Of course it does, it's where cars come to die and people come for spare parts and cheap repairs."

Seungkwan cleared a small place, sweeping the dirt away with his shoe, then sat down. "What do you even do here?"

Hansol held up a hand blackened by grease. "I do pirouettes and entertain the workers. Good pay, probably makes more than shaking it at a place up in the city." He delivered it in such a deadpan Seungkwan couldn't help but smile. He pushed Hansol's arm down.

"No but actually."

Hansol shrugged and took another bite of his sandwich. Seungkwan wrinkled his nose when he realised Hansol's right hand was grease-stained, too. He was willingly ingesting grease.

 "Whatever they tell me to. Nothing cool, mostly passing tools and finding parts. Sometimes I get to pry one of those triangle windows from the back bit of a car."

"And you enjoy it?" Seungkwan looked around. Hansol had been working in this dirty, smelly car yard since he was fifteen, first part-time then full-time since they'd graduated. Four years.

Hansol nodded at one of the guys as they walked past.

"Well enough. The guys are nice and I get paid. I don't have to do any of the heavy lifting or dangerous jobs, what's there to complain about?"

Seungkwan wrinkled up his nose. Hansol chuckled. "You get used to the smell, eventually."

Seungkwan found that hard to believe. 

Hansol finished his last bite and brushed his hands off on his jeans. He grabbed the hot pink lunchbox next to his boot and stood. He held a hand out to Seungkwan, who took it, then hoisted him up.

They left the shed. Hansol nodded and waved to his co-workers and his boss on the way out. Seungkwan felt everyone's eyes linger on them a moment too long and heard suggestive whispers.

He glanced to Hansol, who didn't seem to have moticed them.

"So, what do you want to do?" Hansol asked when the cacophony of industrial machinery had disappeared into the distance. 

"Don't you have plans?" Seungkwan had meant to drop by during Hansol's lunch break then leave. Hansol leaving early wasn't part of the equation. He was supposed to still be at work.

Hansol kicked a rock on the side of the road. "Not really, I planned on working all day. Probably have to drop by the shops to pick up milk? But I don't have money on me so I'll have to swing by home first."

Seungkwan groaned. It was hot, he'd walked all the way to the wreckers to visit his best friend for his lunch break, and now Hansol wanted Seungkwan to accompany him on errands?

"I'll buy you an ice cream," Hansol offered.

Seungkwan laced his arm into Hansol's. "Sure, of course. Then you can make me a Milo and pwn my arse at COD."

Hansol stopped in his tracks. "Mate, I've got Halo. COD."

A/N:

I have nothing against COD, I can't tell one fps from the next and have a decent time playing them. I just like Halo 2 specifically because of the alien sword

If there's an aussie thing you don't understand, just ask and I'll be glad to help you out!!