Yunho had an awful day. Usually, that shouldn’t ruin his mood for the evening since Yunho doesn’t bring his job problems home. It was one of those moments when he felt the sky collapse on top of him and squash him to the ground. He was a piece of good made of flesh and bones, accompanied by bloody sauce and garnished with some dead skin.

It all started when, in his hurry, Yunho lost a file to his way up to the boss’ office. He didn’t see his mistake until his boss asked for that file and no matter how much Yunho looked around his office, inside his car, turned his clothes upside down and retraced his footsteps, he couldn’t find it. After Yunho was about to become a bald monk for his sins, his work partner knocked at the office door and dropped the missing file on his desk. When he had seen that file, Yunho went nuts and stomped his feet, pulled at his hair and whined on why Changmin meddled with his stuff. The younger blatantly answered he had found the file on the floor and thought it would be a great idea to bring it back instead of pushing it down a shredder, but sometimes, even the most kindest of the men can lose their temper.

For Yunho, that was strike one.

The second strike was when his boss came with a bunch of excuses and some other reports Yunho should take care of before he’d head home.  In any other circumstances, it wouldn’t be hard to do since Yunho was used with his greedy boss abusing his talents in the field. It was different because his boss was pissed and the usual load doubled and then tripled before the evening hit. Even if Changmin offered him lunch and coffee breaks, Yunho had to turn them all down in favor of work, work and more work. By the time daylight sank with the sun in the horizon, Yunho’s stomach growled and his nose couldn’t help pick Changmin’s order of chicken as he stuffed his face near the elder. He complained about his son of a bastard cousin that worked at the chicken restaurant the two men loved and how awful it had been to see him run in circles around Yunho’s brother like a lost puppy. Yunho didn’t pay attention to him as his eyes were fixed on the deliciousness inviting its fried chicken leg to Changmin’s mouth.

In a final attempt to ignore his protesting stomach, Yunho talked and talked about the reports until his throat became dry and his whole body finally had enough. He could literally hear his organs screaming in unison for him to stop, go home, cuddle in a blanket and cry. Instead, Yunho stole Changmin’s last piece of fried chicken, mauled the meat off its bone and then his fingers content. Changmin gave the elder the most murderous gaze he could muster and cursed him in his mind before he opened a bottle of water – which was also stolen by Yunho – and then helped the elder gather all the files, all the documents and all the final reports to be packed and ready to be taken away and made love with all night long. Yunho had to finish them for the following day.

Outside the parking lot, when he was about to ask Changmin where to drop him off, Yunho received a call. He jumped a bit, believing it was their boss checking on them since he was the only one who always had the nerve to leave earlier than all of his subalterns and then scold them if they even thought of doing the same. Yunho calmed down when he recognized the number as an old family’s friend new mobile and answered with fake cheerfulness. He was glad to find out that their son, Jongin’s childhood friend, finally returned to town and it was high time they’d come over for a surprise meeting. Yunho’s energy was still pretty good and he could cook something for the little ones, but the mentioned boss did call after the family friend and sent Yunho back inside the building to collect other papers.

Changmin left without saying a word and it made it all more difficult for Yunho to keep his temper in check. He really needed help carrying those papers from the last floor back in the parking lot, yet he couldn’t stop Changmin from acting like he owned the place, since he kind of did in one way or another.

Yes, Yunho’s day was awful. He couldn’t even smile while he drove off and blinked at every single green light, just to make sure he hadn’t broken the law. Jongin also called to say he’d come back later since the restaurant was packed and Chanyeol successfully dropped too many plates to count and was sent to the back of the kitchen, so only Jongin was available to serve their customers. Yunho wanted to ask how their boss was doing, if he was coping, though he didn’t want to hold Jongin much more in their conversation, so he was the one to say goodbye and turn around the car towards the market. Buying some last minute ingredients, Yunho crawled inside the block-of-flats, undressed and let the shower clean his misery away. With a sigh, a few prayers in his head and then a good scrub, Yunho was ready to have a calm and free evening. There was nothing better than to cook and let his mind drift while he chopped those red peppers and washed the rice. He was interrupted when the front door rang.

It could only be one person and that was Taemin. He peeked at the old framed photo on the wall as he made his way to the door and shouted “Coming!”. Twisting the key, he opened the door wide and grinned, curiosity taking the best of him. Had the years drastically changed the child who got slapped on the playground by an angry Jongin? Of course, it was by accident since his brother wanted his toy back and moving his hand right and left like a maniac didn’t help at all. Yunho made Jongin apologize after and since nobody got hurt, the two continued to see each other until they became besties and would remain so for years to come. When Taemin had to depart with his parents to Japan, it also broke Yunho’s heart, knowing his baby brother would be left alone. Chanyeol entered the scene not long after and even if Yunho liked the giant, Jongin wasn’t the same as he had been around Taemin.

Yunho tried hard to picture the once child with his full lips and bright eyes, light skin and ruffled hair – the rebellious fellow he was – which drastically did not match the image before him. A messy ponytail on a tall guy with tired orbs and a thin smile made Yunho stare in awe.

Boy, did Taemin change! He also couldn’t help notice he brought along his girlfriend with honey-colored hair and the most boyish clothes he had seen on a girl before. Yunho wasn’t the type to judge, yet he did kind of like the girl’s red scarf wrapped around her neck.

“Taemin?” Yunho hugged him and patted his back before the boy could answer. He then grabbed his shoulders and nodded “You grew up so well! Look at you! I bet you’re taller than Jongin!”

The one Yunho called Taemin looked back at him confused and with a lump in his neck, not so sure how to break it to the other that his name was Minho and that was their first meeting.

“Erm,”

“Now, where are my manners!” Yunho cut in and drifted his attention to the girl who had the same puzzled expression as the brunet. “Is this your friend? I mean, your parents mentioned something about bringing a friend, but I could have never guessed it was your girlfriend!”

Minho exploded in laughter right then and there, his body jiggling with joy and his palm slapping his knee in sheer amusement. Yunho wanted to ask what was so funny and ended instead in chuckles just as the other calmed down and coughed in his hand.

“Mister, I think...”

“Oh!” Yunho elbowed him “Don’t be all formal with me, we’re family!”

“YA!” the girl suddenly shoved 'Taemin' away and poked Yunho’s chest “Have you gone blind hyung?!”

Now, again, Yunho did not judge, but the girl’s voice was too deep for his liking. There was also something in the way her face distorted in an unpleasant grimace and how her poke morphed in a punch.

“Woah, she’s feisty, isn’t she?”

Minho covered his mouth and snickered. The honey head finally snapped and pointed fingers.

“I’m a he goddamnit!”

“Oh,” Yunho let that digest for a second longer before he winked “Well, I’m okay, if that’s what our Taemin is into, then...”

“I’M TAEMIN, I AM!”

And that was strike three. Yunho slowly retreated in the apartment, signaled the two to wait and then rushed to his bedroom, picked an old photo album, shuffled through it and returned in time to place it near the girl’s face and compare the photos taken almost five years ago with the current, real life, model. Yunho came to the disturbing conclusion that he had, in fact, probably gone blind because he didn’t recognize the girl who was actually a boy at all due to the hairstyle he sported. Only after Minho pulled those honey locks backwards and let Taemin’s gorgeous face be revealed to the world had Yunho cracked a shy smile and bowed with the photo album tight at his chest.

“Well, you did change...” he mumbled with embarrassment in his tone. Needless to say, it had been a fairly long day.

“It’s alright,” the tall one assured the man “we get that all the time. Taemin should be used by now.”

“You know, if you’ll let me get a haircut already, people wouldn’t be as gender confused around me.”

“Erm,” Yunho went to and fro between them before he stopped on the black-haired guy “ah, I don’t believe I know your name, I’m sorry.”

“Ah, I’m Choi Minho, Taemin’s personal photographer and friend.”

Yunho liked him. He liked Minho, only that his interest was better put to use on Taemin. Inviting both inside, Yunho admitted he was in the middle of preparing dinner and was pleasantly surprised when Minho insisted they’d help. Taemin on the other hand wasn’t as thrilled to lend a hand and Yunho understood it perfectly – he never liked that and was happy to see that, personality wise, he didn’t change much. So while cutting on those vegetables and meat alongside the brunet, Taemin wandered around and took in what modifications had the two brothers done in those past five years. The walls were definitely repainted, while the furniture was the same expect for the chair Taemin used to sit on while at the kitchen table. He borrowed the photo album from Yunho and after each page, his frown returned and grew deeper and deeper, while he bit on his lips and couldn’t stand still at all. Minho saw all of that while he peeled some carrots and couldn’t help wonder what dark events clouded Taemin’s mind in a way that cancelled his cheerful nature.

The sizzling meat and Taemin’s too focused glare in the photo album gave Minho the courage he needed. He leaned closer to the elder and gave a sympathetic look before he opened his mouth to ask something he hoped Yunho had an answer for.

“Were the two close?” he started carefully while mixed the salad “I mean, Taemin and...?”

“Jongin,” Yunho took care of the meat while he spoke “Yes, they were best friends. Actually, our parents passed away when we were young.” It was a subject Yunho didn’t want to bring in the present oh so often but since it had been a while, he could make an exception for him. “Jongin hadn’t fully understood what it meant. I did and vowed to protect my brother. It’s funny that Jongin met Taemin not long after the funerals since we moved here with our aunt until I was no longer a minor and could take full custody.” Yunho absentmindedly smiled while his eyes shifted to a blank spot. “Taemin and his family helped us a lot more than they’ll e---ahhh!”

Minho worriedly watched as Yunho brought his finger to his mouth and on the newly formed cut. He excused himself and ran to get some medical supplies and clean that wound before it would get infected or spill in the food. Minho turned around and almost dropped the knife he was holding. Taemin could drill holes in Minho. He wasn’t deaf and heard their discussion. Whenever somebody tried to find out his past, Taemin replaced the topic with weather and nobody knew the life he left back in South Korea had such an impact.

“I hate him,” the honey head spoke softly as he slammed the photo book to the table and got up from his seat “and he hates me. Let’s go.”

Minho wanted to protest about it while Taemin had already taken back his leather jacket from the hanger and was ready to get his shoes on when the front door rang the second time that evening.

;;;

As every other day after he finished his morning classes, Jongin, followed by Chanyeol because the latter would never leave him alone, not that Jongin minded much, went to the chicken restaurant were both Chanyeol and he worked at. 

Jongin wasn't so sure the reason Chanyeol went to work with him, after all, the other's family was filthy rich if the company in which Yunho worked at was anything to go by as it was Chanyeol's father that managed it. 

Jongin guessed it was a way for Chanyeol to be apart from home. Not that Chanyeol hated his family or anything like that but Jongin knew how controlling his father was and how he wanted for his son to always be perfect in everything. Reason why Chanyeol liked to spend so much time with Jongin's little family. 

For the most part, Jongin was actually grateful. Chanyeol had appeared at a time where he had lost his only best friend, the one who had been there for him since that incident where they were kids and for Jongin, Taemin had been the one he cared for the most. 

But with Taemin missing, Jongin had been kind of lost and he was grateful he had found Chanyeol. The other may not be anything like Taemin and they may have a lot of things they don't actually agree on but Chanyeol always knows how to cheer him up and make him laugh even when he isn't in the best of moods. 

Now, as they made their way towards said restaurant, both Chanyeol and Jongin talked about silly things that had happened to them in class.

Everything was peaceful and comfortable until Chanyeol made a question that had been bugging him since the wallet incident. It wasn't like he hadn't asked the other before, because he did ("So who was that girl?" Jongin looked to his right only to see Chanyeol standing there, surprisingly frowning. "What girl?" Jongin was a bit confused as he didn't quite know any girl he had talked to in the last hours. "The one you threw your wallet at." Jongin's eyebrows furrowed, trying to come up with a time he actually did that but nothing came to mind. After a few times trying to understand what Chanyeol was saying, a bulb lighted up in his mind and he chuckled briefly before it turned into full laughter. Chanyeol looked at Jongin as if he had seen him for the first time, not really getting the gist of things. But he shrugged; glad that Jongin's mood had become better and left the topic aside. He would ask some other time.) but that didn't go as planned.

So, now, and taking into account Jongin seemed to be pretty happy, Chanyeol decided to ask the other again. 

"So......"

Jongin looked to his left and saw Chanyeol, once again having that frown on his face. He hummed as a way to tell Chanyeol that he was listening and that he could go on with whatever he was about to tell him. 

"About that girl from before.."

Jongin looked once again confused at Chanyeol, having forgotten about Taemin and that incident. 'What girl?'

"The one with the wallet."

Jongin mouth formed an 'o' before he started to chuckle again. No matter how much Taemin made his blood boil, the fact that Chanyeol seriously thought the other was a girl was just beyond hilarious. Knowing Chanyeol it wasn't such a surprise since the guy was pretty gullible. 

"Girl you say.. but you know, that wasn't a girl, it was actually a guy." Said that Jongin looked fully at Chanyeol, expecting some funny reaction from him and boy, did he get it as Chanyeol chocked and started to cough right afterwards, eyes never failing to become wider.

Once his breathing become normal again, Chanyeol looked incredulously at Jongin, totally not believing the other. "As if it could have been a guy. I mean yeah... she was pretty flat chested-", he coughed then, feeling mildly embarrassed about what he was talking about before he continued, " but she was most definitely a girl, okay? I trust what I see." that said, Chanyeol finished with a pout and he crossed his arms over his chest. 

Jongin's attempt at maintaining his chuckles in cheek was a long lost battle as he laughed at Chanyeol's outburst, totally finding it hilarious (even more so when the other talked about the 'supposed' girl's chest). 

Jongin tried to breathe and calm down from the fit of laughter he was having but failed as Chanyeol's words swirled in his mind and it only made it funnier. He stopped walking only to double over himself and slapped his knees because that was probably the funniest thing Chanyeol had ever said in his life. 

Chanyeol looked at Jongin thorn between kicking the other for finding his reaction hilarious or to smile and just make more a fool out of himself because seeing Jongin's happy expression brought joy to his heart. 

After what felt like years, Jongin straightened up and whipped the tears gathered at the corner of his eyes after having laughed so much. He brought himself closer to Chanyeol before sliding and arm around the taller guy and bringing their faces close enough that Chanyeol could feel his heart thump widely in his ribcage and he was afraid Jongin would hear it too. 

"There really is no reason for me to lie. It really was a guy." Chanyeol pouted once again, leaving aside the feels for a moment to concentrate on the conversation at hand. 

"It's still hard to believe.'

Jongin smiled wider. 'Trust me; it was hard to believe for me as well." Chanyeol finally smiled at that and brought his arms around Jongin, giving the guy a small side hug before Jongin whined that he couldn't walk properly and Chanyeol had to let go. Jongin, unlike Chanyeol expected, didn't take his arm from around Chanyeol's shoulder as they continued to walk however and he couldn't help but smile all the way to the chicken restaurant. 

It wasn't long before they actually arrived as Chanyeol basically talked Jongin's ear off and none of them really noticed how fast they had actually made their way there. Or maybe it was that they were so immersed into talking that they didn't notice how much they actually walked. 

Once in front of the door, Jongin opened it and went inside, followed by Chanyeol. They both greeted Onew, their boss and Yunho's friend as well. 

"How are you today my best employers?"

Jongin and Chanyeol grinned at that before Jongin punched Onew's arm softly. The older man whined anyway before he smiled and ruffled both of their hair. 

"We're fine. Just finished classes a while ago and here we are."

Onew nodded at Chanyeol's explanation and ushered them inside the locker room so they could get changed and start to work. 

Jongin complained all the way about Onew making them work too hard as they had just arrived. Onew bought a hand to his heart in mock hurt and Chanyeol snorted at their childish fight before grabbing Jongin's arm and dragging him in the locker room. 

After they changed, they went out and started to work. Chanyeol taking the customers' orders and Jongin serving everyone. 

Everything was fine and dandy until Chanyeol started to help out with the serving as there were too many people all at once and Jongin alone wasn't able to serve all of them. That had been a very very bad idea as Chanyeol seemed to walk on jelly whenever he carried too many things all at once. 

True be told, Chanyeol was very ungraceful on his feet. He walked just fine when he only had to support himself but when it came to balance other things as well, his long limbs seemed to trip over themselves which ended up with broken plates and food that couldn't be used despite the 'five seconds' rule when it came to food clattered on the floor. 

Onew didn't really care so much about the wasted food or the broken plates but rather for the reaction of the customers. Most of them laughed because Chanyeol was a sight to behold and the fall made it even funnier but there were people that got angry too as it would take longer for their food to arrive. 

Fortunately, despite the mess that had been created multiple times, everything worked out in the end and no one had complained much so Chanyeol's was saved though Onew did tell him to go and help in the kitchen as he would be of more use there than outside. 

Around the time his shift should have to end, Jongin had a small break and phoned Yunho. 

"Hey hyung."

"Jongin, how come you've called?"

Jongin sighed and rubbed his temple. "To tell you I'm going to arrive later than what I was supposed. Chanyeol's been sent to the kitchen since he's broken too many plates and made a huge mess, so I've got to serve everyone by myself."

Yunho nodded despite Jongin not being able to see him. "Alright, be careful."

Jongin managed a small 'yes' and 'bye hyung' before he shut the device down and went out of the locker room and started to serve everyone. He sighed when he saw all the people and cursed Chanyeol's unbalanced form before he put on a smile as he approached the customers. 

By closing time, to say that Jongin was exhausted would be an understatement. Even Chanyeol looked about to pass out even if he hadn't had to walk so much but all the pressure he must have felt earlier on probably had a huge affect on him since he was kind of sulky too. 

As they finished changing, Chanyeol's head rested on his locker's door with his eyes closed. Jongin smiled fondly at him for a moment before he grabbed Chanyeol's arms and shook him a bit. The other blinked a few times and smiled sheepishly. 

"Sorry, I'm really tired.' 

Jongin nodded. "I can see that. Let's go home alright?"

Chanyeol's head managed a few nods before his head fell on top of Jongin's shoulder. "Wait just a minute."

Jongin chuckled a bit at Chanyeol's behavior but found him rather cute and he patted the taller's back and let him stay like that for a few minutes before Chanyeol brought his head up and smiled again. 

"You ready now?"

Chanyeol hummed and started to walk towards the door with Jongin following him close behind. 

They walked in silence, none of them really feeling the need to speak and they were feeling too tired to say much anyway. They managed to bump into one another more than twice as Chanyeol walked as one of those drunken men that couldn't really remember why there were there in the first place. 

Jongin helped him walk properly most of the time and at one point circled Chanyeol's waist to steady him. In that moment, Chanyeol become fully awake and he looked at Jongin, surprised by the other's act. 

Chanyeol wasn't one to complain over something like this as he was the one who enjoyed it the most. 

They walked like that until they arrived in front of Jongin's house. 

They both had agreed that Chanyeol would be staying the night over since Jongin's house was the nearest to the chicken restaurant and he already had whatever he needed for the next day there anyway so it was pointless to go home feeling as tired as he was feeling. 

Jongin looked into his backpack for his keys and when he found them, he jammed them into the door hole and twisted it open. 

He was most definitely surprised to see Taemin right in front of him when he entered inside. 

Chanyeol looked taken aback as well as he exclaimed, "Oh, it's that girl!" before he realized that he was mistaken when he remembered his and Jongin's conversation from before. "I mean, boy... yeah, boy."

Jongin managed a small smile at Chanyeol before he glared at Taemin, not understanding what the other was doing in his home. 

Before he could say anything, though, Yunho came back and looked excited to see his little brother and Chanyeol. 

"Oh, you've finally arrived."

It wasn't long before he noticed the tension in the room when no one answered him. Yunho looked from Chanyeol who was looking completely lost and not sure what to do, to Taemin and Jongin who both seemed to have a staring competition, or more like a glaring one. 

Lastly, his eyes feel on Minho who shrugged and went back to peeling the carrots he hadn't managed to finish before. 

Yunho sighed, feeling like it would be a long night.