Birthday Parties

When Jinki and Taemin return home (without being sold to some ing ring for money or whatever) Sungjong begins to set the table and the house for Taemin’s birthday party.

At 12pm is when the parents and the children begin to pour in, most fathers coming in with their wives and Sungjong hates when he has to put on fake smiles and introduce himself and Jinki, over and over to boring, ugly people who think that he’s some sort of older brother to Taemin.

“No I’m 26” then he must explain how he had children too early (but he doesn’t regret, cause of no, that’d be horrible to admit too) and how his wife abandoned him and his children because she got hooked on drugs (while covering Jinki’s ears at that part, Jinki probably already knows though) and then they pity him, some stay to chat with the other parents, and some just go.

Around the 17^th parent, comes a hottie (and thank god, because Sungjong can’t stand looking at anymore ugly fat men) and he’s shocked when Taemin abandons all his other friends to run towards a tall 7 year old named Minho, with a handsome father and model looking mother.

Sungjong may or may have not his lips when he caught sight of Minho’s father, before kind of dying inside when Taemin latches his lips onto a shocked Minho’s.

“Dad I told you not to tell him anything strange!” Jinki screeches as Sungjong plucks a blushing Taemin from a shell-shocked Minho.

“Well, I didn’t think he’d just go ahead and smooch him!” Sungjong replies back angrily, and he must look stupid cause his 9 year old son is nagging him. “Taemin I thought – Ugh, I can explain, seriously I’m not telling my children to kiss men, I swear!” Sungjong replies sheepishly to Minho’s parents, who had opened mouths and narrowed eyes on him.

“Well, explain.” Minho’s father says in a dangerously low tone, and his mother sighs loudly.

“Honey, there both just children, his son might’ve misunderstood something.”

“No” Jinki says, crossing his arms and turning his nose up to the air, “Daddy told Taemin that it’s fine to kiss people you like, and he said ‘can I kiss Minho-hyung then?’ and then –“

“Okay that’s enough outta you!” Sungjong squeals in his high-pitched voice, “I swear I’m going to let Hoya and his band mates babysit you again, Jinki!” He should’ve seen this coming, having Jinki at the door to do ‘introducing-duty’ with him would bite him back in the , especially when Minho’s father is hooooooot.

“No, do continue.” Minho’s father says, and Jinki kind of eyes the room warily.

“Is Hoya-hyung coming soon?”

Sungjong grins wickedly, “Hmmm, he did say he wanted to wish Taemin a happy birthday… You know stars, always doing charity work…”

“Daddy!” Jinki whines, “they tied me to a chair on that show!”

“Wait, are you Onew, that child that Infinite babysat for 2 months?” Minho’s mother chirps with wide eyes, “you know Hoya-ssi?”

“I do” Sungjong beams, “we’ve been friends for like, 4 years now.”

“5, dad, you met him at my 4^th birthday party” Jinki says in his all-knowing voice, “and then you let him torture me when I turned 6.”

“Ah, maybe I should ship Taemin off to him too…”

Jinki’s and Minho’s eyes widen at that, even though the reactions are much different.

“Can we?” Jinki says gleefully, while on contrast Minho spits out a vicious ‘No way!’.

“Onew,” Minho’s father says getting onto one knee, Sungjong’s eyes widen realizing he wasn’t done threatening Jinki into keeping his mouth shut, “what did your dad say about Taemin kissing my son?”

“Oh” Jinki says, turning a blind eye on the older male, “sorry, your not as scary as my daddy.”

“Smart child, I knew you were the 2^nd top student of your school for a reason” Sungjong says, ruffling Jinki’s hair as he scowls at his dad.

“Mr. Lee, let’s be mature about this, you shouldn’t tell your children strange things.”

“I didn’t,” Sungjong hisses back, mentally sobbing that he’ll now not be able to get any action with this guy, “we were watching Hoya-hyung’s new TV show and him and his band mate were kissing and I told him it’s fine to kissing people you like, I didn’t want to say ‘they’re just doing it for a game’.”

“Why wouldn’t you!?” Minho’s father erupts out loudly, not realizing Minho, Taemin and even Jinki had abandoned the scene to go do more useful things, and Minho’s mother was looking pretty interested in the group of mother’s chit-chatting in the kitchen as they made small snacks (after asking for Sungjong’s permission early) for the mass amount of children. “Isn’t that the more normal thing to do?!”

“Look,”

“Myungsoo, Kim Myungsoo.”

“Myungsoo-ssi, or hyung, or whatever, I don’t want to tell him it’s wrong for two guys to like each other, and I don’t want to tell him it’s right either, whatever my children choose to do should be up to them – if I tell him it’s ‘just a game’ then he’ll automatically think guys can only kiss while playing games, wouldn’t that be worse? He would kiss people whenever playing games! My Taeminnie is too naïve,”

Myungsoo seemed stumped enough, so Sungjong sighs, and gives up on this whole argument.

“Are you… gay?” Myungsoo asks instead of asking or continuing the argument, and his wife’s eyes widen and she hisses at him for being rude.

“E – excuse me?” Sungjong grumbles, eyes widening to big doe eyes, Jinki – one day he will sell Jinki to his wife, cause he swears –  returns from his room, deciding to gracefully answer the question.

“Well, daddy does like to prey on single men.”

“Thanks, .”

Jinki merely glares.

“No I’m not gay” Sungjong says with a roll of his eyes, “my oldest son is just out to get me.”

“Right, life goal and all.” Jinki mutters sarcastically, and Sungjong shoots him a dirty look.

“Go help the moms clean and cook,” he narrows his eyes, “now.” Jinki dejectedly follows orders and wanders to the kitchen.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re gay or not, Mr. Lee” Minho’s mother says soothingly, “my husband is a bit – well, you know, homophobic, so it must’ve been quite a scare that your son…”

“Like father like son” Myungsoo says with narrowed eyes and pursued lips.

“Yes, because I make out with men in front of my sons.” Sungjong replies sarcastically with, and the wife just sighs.

“I’m going to the kitchen, come get me when you’re done arguing, Myungsoo.”

Sungjong didn’t bother to point out to the woman that it doesn’t seem like he heard her, because Myungsoo seems way to busy glaring at him with all his power.

“Maybe our sons shouldn’t talk”

“My son thinks very highly of your son.” Sungjong replies instantly with, “you can’t choose who your son is friends with.”

“I can if I know that your son will make my son into a ” he hisses viciously, and Sungjong’s had enough.

“Taemin!” He hollers loudly, twirling around to see his son playing with all his friends, Minho watching with smiles, occasionally glaring at Taemin’s other hyung, Kibum, who would get on Minho’s nerves one too many times.

Taemin’s head snaps up instantly and Sungjong beckons him over, Minho hesitantly following his son like a dog.

“Minho, it seems your dad doesn’t want you to be Taemin’s friend anymore.”

“What?!” Minho whimpers out, looking at his dad with frightened eyes – “b – but, why?”

“Is it because me and Minho-hyung got married?” Taemin says mournfully, eyes slightly watering and Sungjong wrinkles his nose.

“When did this happen?” He asks, raising his eyebrow, and slightly sweating when he feels Myungsoo’s eye narrowed on him more.

“Last year” Minho chirps proudly, before throwing a hand over his mouth.

“Last year? Wait, why did you two get married?” Sungjong asks, blinking (trying to show he’s just as confused, even though he can vaguely remember Taemin telling him about this)

“I told you about this, dad!” Taemin whines out, “I brought home a white dress and flowers, remember?”

Yeah, I do remember. Sungjong thinks hollowly, this obviously won’t be his day. No good with straight men for me today.

“Ooohh… I remember…” He says slowly, and Taemin pats his arm and grabs Minho’s hand dragging him away from them to go back to playing (cause Taemin honestly doesn’t really care for much).

“Where’s your wife? I would like to speak to her instead.” Myungsoo says politely, regaining composure after their little squabble.

“Oh… my wife?” Sungjong says – knowing if he says ‘my wife abandoned us’ won’t sound really good, “she’s actually out on business.”

“Oh, really?” Myungsoo says, eyes narrowing, “you know, are you Sungjong-ssi?”

Don’t say yes his brain warns, his mouth silently mouths ‘yeah’.

“Why, don’t you remember the singer Hoya talking about his best friend Jongie who he tries to help oftenly because Jongie’s wife abandoned him to pursue drugs, leaving him with 2 children – even though he’s so young and pretty looking.” I should be happy he admitted I’m pretty, Sungjong thinks as Myungsoo continues, “so Sungjong-ssi, a man that knows Hoya, a famous star, and said famous star conveniently talks –“

“Aish, okay, okay, Hoya-hyung was talking about me, aisssh, really, this is too much.” He grumbles while ruffling his own hair, “I’ll tell Taemin not to kiss Minho anymore, okay?! Seriously, this is too much.”

Myungsoo seemed pretty taken back by his outburst, and could do nothing but nod dumbly.

Sungjong thought after that, he’d never catch the other man ever again.