When Simon heard the words backyard barbecue, he was stoked. Didn't matter if Taeyeon was coming, he'd still make it the best party on the block. He had music set up and coolers full of beers and wine coolers, he probably would have set up a whole bar if he'd had enough time. Simon loved parties and Heechul's house was great for them; nice backyard, new people renting, pretty girls for neighbors, it was the life.

Gain came out to put a table cloth over the patio table and Simon took his chance to have Heechul alone in the kitchen.

"Bro," he said in hushed tones. "I have the perfect idea for making Taeyeon really cool with everyone."

Heechul raised a brow at him as he assembled a kabob. Simon's ideas were usually bad, or trouble.

"No, hear me out before you go in with that look." Simon held his hands up like the internet meme 'aliens' and said, "Pot brownies."

Heechul started laughing hard.

"Amiright?" Simon said, laughing with him. "She'd be so fried she wouldn't know up from down, let alone who's hitting on Teuk."

"Yeah, but she'd guess you did something, you know she likes you least of everyone."

"So?" He said, raising his brows at Heechul. "Can I make some?"

Heechul weighed his options and shook his head. "I really don't want to cause anymore grief with her. Make some for just the house later or something, not tonight."

Simon nodded. He could see Heechul's point, even though he hadn't been planning on putting much in the brownies. "Bummer, but if you say so."

"Let's just get her drunk?" Heechul suggested.

"If she'll even drink anything." Simon pouted a little.

...

A barbecue at Heechul's house wasn't just hotdogs and hamburgers. Heechul treated his grill as a chance to show off his skills with food and so kabobs, brats, slices of bulgogi marinated steaks and grilled chicken made it into his list of things to cook. They always had leftovers but no one had said no yet to reheating Heechul's food.

Simon was out sweet-talking the neighbor girls into coming over for food. They were composed of a couple of leggy Japanese girls with s big enough to grant them any AV model contract and a Korean with the inhibitions of a e. Shoulders, legs and s would soon be running around in his backyard. That would really go over well with Taeyeon, but maybe it would take the focus off of Victoria and make her seem less like a threat.

Gain came out with the salads she'd helped Heechul make earlier as he was turning the meat on the grill. Simon had music playing and Gain danced over to Heechul, following the beat of the song after she'd finished with the table.

"Hi buddy," she said to Heechul. "Where's the short one?"

"Simon? Three guesses." Heechul smirked as he covered up the grill.

"He's next door with the stars?" Gain asked, rolling her eyes.

"Bingo."

Gain shook her head and pulled Heechul to face her. "Dance with me?" She said without waiting for an answer as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders with a soft smile.

Heechul nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I don't see why they can't dress like you. Shorts, sensible T-shirt." He looked down at her clothes.

"Are you telling me I'm not hot Heechul?" Gain asked, pretending to be offended.

"You're alright, for a sister," he said, laughing.

Victoria came out then, walking up to Heechul and Gain.

"See?" Heechul said. "Sensible clothes, shorts, tank top."

"What?" Victoria asked, chuckling.

"Oh, you'll see what he means when Simon comes back with the neighbor girls," Gain said, pulling herself away from Heechul to grab a beer from the cooler.

Heechul took Victoria's hands and led her in a quicker two-step dance. "Is your boyfriend coming, Gain?"

Victoria grinned and danced with Heechul, laughing when he lifted her hand and spun her in a little circle.

"He said he'd be a little late. He takes too long getting ready."

"Gay," Heechul coughed, covering his mouth and grinning at Gain.

Gain punched his shoulder hard, laughing. "I know you all say that, but he likes girls. I'd give you details, but I don't think you want them."

Heechul shook his head, letting go of Victoria's hands to cover his ears tightly. "Not listening."

Victoria laughed and went to the cooler, looking through for a soda as Heechul went back to turning the meat.

They all looked up when they heard the backdoor open and Leeteuk said hi as he brought a short girl out with him. She had mousey brown hair, tied up in a messy ponytail and an air about her that said money and power. She didn't come off friendly in the slightest as she gave Heechul a fake smile upon getting closer to their group.

"Hi, Taeyeon," Heechul said, trying to be nice even though his heart wanted him to be snotty as hell to her. "This is our new housemate, Victoria."

Victoria was definitely hiding behind Heechul the whole time she'd watched Taeyeon come closer with Leeteuk. She'd felt like she was being judged to the minutest detail as soon as she'd met eyes with the smaller woman.

Taeyeon held out her hand to Victoria and Vic mustered up the courage to shake her hand. Taeyeon made a face at the feel of her hand, cold and wet from the soda can she was holding. She smiled regardless and wiped her hand on her shorts afterward. "Nice to meet you," she said. "I'm Jungsu's fiancé."

"They told me about you," Victoria said, trying to keep up her happy attitude.

"Good things I hope," Taeyeon said with a disapproving look at Heechul.

"All good things, Taeyeon," Leeteuk said and smiled as he pulled her away to get them drinks from the cooler.

Gain made a y face in Victoria's direction once Taeyeon's back was to her, winking. Victoria grinned and all of their attention was stolen again as Simon came in through the back gate, leading three girls with him.

Heechul coughed and turned his head immediately to the cooking food. Worst fears, imagined. The Japanese girl with the biggest s, Maki, had them on display in an oxford shirt with only two of the middle buttons done up. Sayumi, the other Japanese girl was wearing a strapless bikini top and micro shorts. And HyunA, high-waisted micro shorts with a T-shirt that had the neck cut out so it hung off her shoulder on one side, clearly braless. All three of them were in party rock colors and Heechul was pretty sure he could hear the simultaneous intake of breath from the guys and exasperated sighs from the girls.

This was pretty much Leeteuk's worst nightmare. Heechul and Simon both knew he had a thing for Hyuna and now Taeyeon was here to witness it.

"Hi ladies, thanks for coming," Heechul said to them all.

"Heechullie," Maki said as she came close to give him a hug. "You never invite us to enough of these things."

"I never get to come over to your place when the music's thumping either though," Heechul said with a grin as he hugged her back.

Gain got Victoria's attention and took care of getting the food off the grill while Heechul was busy socializing. Each of the girls gave him a hug and commented on the house, crowding around him while Simon got them drinks.

Taeyeon was talking in clipped Korean whispers to Leeteuk, clearly unhappy that this kind of trash was even allowed in their backyard.

After introductions, they all found a place around the table to tuck into their food. Simon, being the trouble maker as usual, made sure that Hyuna was sitting next to Leeteuk. Victoria was on her other side and quickly finding out that Hyuna was a sweetheart that she actually had a lot in common with. Gain was shaking her head at Simon, giving him knowing smirks as she ate. Heechul and Simon were busy doing most of the talking while Taeyeon kept Leeteuk in place without having to do much at all to him. Poor whipped bastard, Heechul thought to himself.

Halfway through their meal, the backdoor opened and they all looked up to see Gain's boyfriend come out to the table. The guys burst into a chorus of excited welcoming. Gain jumped up and ran over to hug him tightly, introducing him to the new people. "This is JoKwon."

"You can call me Jo or Kwon, or Kwonnie," he said with a smile, sitting next to Gain at the table while she put food on his plate.

More alcohol flowed into their systems as it was finally a full party. When the food was finished, nearly everyone got up to turn the empty lawn into a dance floor. The music that Simon was playing getting Victoria out of her leftover inhibitions from her run in with Taeyeon.

Hyuna and Victoria were dancing and talking, Jokwon and Gain were near them. Heechul was showing off some really terrible dance skills with Sayumi while Simon and Maki had somehow escaped from the party. Taeyeon was half-glaring at Leeteuk, keeping him from going anywhere near the dancing girls.

When Simon and Maki came back, Victoria noticed they had another girl with them. Chinese looking with fiery ginger colored hair, she was really pretty and Vic wondered if that was Jia but her attention was taken away by something Hyuna was telling her.

Jia stayed with Simon and Maki, dancing with them and smiling more than anyone had seen her do in a while.

Taeyeon and Leeteuk were the first to leave as the party continued to deteriorate into Heechul and Jokwon dancing badly together, making fun of popular moves. Leeteuk got hugs and cheek kisses from most of the drunk girls, leaving Taeyeon squeezing his hand in a white-knuckle grip. Heechul broke from his dance circle to hug and kiss Taeyeon's cheek too.

"Thanks for coming," he said.

She just gave him a look and rolled her eyes before saying goodbye to everyone and leading Teuk out.

"I'm telling you man," Simon said to Heechul once they were gone. "Pot brownies."

Heechul laughed and went back to socializing. Happy to have Jia out of her room, he was spending time being close to her, even though she still wasn't talking much to anyone. She'd laugh at jokes, but said little more than a few words, preferring to dance.

Not long after Taeyeon and Leeteuk had left the party, it was coming to a close. The neighbors were getting tired and said their goodbyes, Simon trailing along behind them to walk them home. Gain took Jokwon to her room and Heechul sighed happily at Victoria and Jia.

"That was fun, huh?" He asked, a little tipsy and feeling silly.

Victoria laughed at him. "It looks like you should go to sleep."

Jia nodded and smiled at Victoria.

"You guys wanna come with?" Heechul asked. "We can jump on the bed and make y noises."

Jia laughed and shook her head, turning to clean up the food from the table.

Victoria rolled her eyes at him. "Go sleep, Heechul." She turned to help Jia clean up.

Heechul pouted a little, but made his way inside. He reached the couch in the living room, passing out there as he cuddled one of the big pillows.

Jia and Victoria worked well together, both not saying much as they cleaned and put things away. They nodded to each other with smiles when everything was clean.

"Thanks," Victoria said in Chinese.

Jia smiled. "Y-you're f-f-from China?" She stuttered in Chinese.

Victoria nodded. "Qingdao."

"L-loudi, Hu-Hunan."

"Hunan's so pretty," Victoria said, smiling.

Jia nodded. "Uhm, g-g-goodn-night." She waved and left Victoria.

Victoria smiled, understanding now why Jia didn't talk much. She'd keep her secret for her. She went up to her room, not noticing the sleeping Heechul in the dark front room.