Eighteen Months Later

Monday. A special day, the best day of the week according to some people.

“You know we got a huge deal on the rental because it is Monday- not to mention the group discount.” Suho commented, fixing his bowtie carefully as he stared at his reflection in the large dressing room mirror.

“Trust the accountant to care about rental fees on his wedding day.” Kyungsoo rolled his eyes “I – for one – am just happy that half of the people Mr. Byun invited couldn’t make it because they had work.”

“Nice thing to say about your future father in-law” Minseok said sarcastically, trying to join in the conversation despite the persistent feeling of anxiety he had all morning.

“Yah! You are messing up your tie!” Sehun made a dash for Suho’s neck. He had been watching his brothers like a hawk all day, mostly to make sure they didn’t screw up their outfits. Tao had designed them after all – he didn’t want to face his groom knowing that his elder siblings had made a mess of his creations.

“Then how am I supposed to do it?” Suho stared at his younger brother, clearly annoyed.

“Like this.” Sehun proceeded to fix Suho’s tie, not bothering to hide his frustration.

“Hey- do you guys remember what usually comes after to love and cherish?” Chanyeol asked, looking up from the notebook perched on his lap.

“Are you seriously still writing your vows?” Kyungsoo looked at Chanyeol with disgust, “You do realize you are getting married in twenty minutes, right?”

“I am perfecting them, perfecting!” Chanyeol responded, shaking his head at Kyungsoo’s scolding.

The door to the dressing room opened, tearing the five grooms from their banter. It was Gary, his face beaming as he walked into the room.

“Look at you guys…”Gary looked sentimental, far too sentimental for his sons and Chanyeol’s comfort. “You are all grown up now.”

“Dad, don’t cry.” Sehun was blunt.

“I am not crying!” Gary wiped a tear from his eye, clearly counteracting his statement.

“Where is Mom?” Minseok asked. He was curious. He hadn’t seen her since they had arrived at the hotel. The Kang family had rented out the ballroom of one of the swankiest hotels in Seoul –this was a momentous occasion after all. There were only about a thousand people expected to attend the wedding and reception of the Kang brothers (featuring Chanyeol), and their respective spouses.

“She is busy checking on the fools that said yes.” Gary chuckled, another tear escaping “But seriously…you guys are so grown up now.”

A collective groan was heard from the five grooms as they protested their sudden “grown up” status. Once they stopped groaning they gave their Father (and employer, in Chanyeol’s case) hugs in quick succession.

***

Tao, Jongdae, Baekhyun, Joong Ki, and Luhan were seated in a row. They were all dressed impeccably, thanks to Tao. It was clear that some of them were more nervous than others – and it was clear that they all shut the hell up and were ready to listen when their future Mother in-law (or sister, in Joong Ki’s case) requested to have a short chat with them.

Ji Hyo stood in front of the row of five men. She sighed heavily before speaking “I just want to say thank you for being exactly what my sons needed. And in your case –“Ji Hyo pointed at her brother, playfully “For finally snagging a good man.”

Joong Ki smiled at his older sister. “Shouldn’t you be saying that to Chanyeol?”

“No.” Ji Hyo replied curtly “I just want you all to know that I love you and want you to be happy. Which means that I fully realize that my son’s and Chanyeol will likely give you hell at one time or another. Which means that any time you need a break, or just to vent, give me a call. I am not a scary Mother in-law.”

“Thanks Mrs. Kang.” Jongdae smiled.

“I will probably call you a lot.” Baekhyun muttered.

Tao just bowed his head, grinning.

Luhan – well, he was just happy. Happy that things had turned out the way they had. It had been a little over a year and half since his Mother’s passing. It had been a little over a year and half since he made the decision to return to Seoul. In that time he had taken a position as director of a non-profit that helped disadvantaged students. He loved his job. He had left Lu Industries to his Father and a handpicked successor – a certain cold and steely person named Kris.

In the last eighteen months Luhan and Minseok had dated, eventually they moved in together. And one night, five months ago, Minseok had taken Luhan on a weekend trip to a certain island where they had met. Among the sea breeze and the sound of the waves on the beach Minseok had gotten down on one knee. Luhan had said yes immediately.

“And again, thank you guys – for making my kids so happy.” Ji Hyo continued “But if you break their hearts I will hunt you down. And there is nowhere you can hide that I won’t find you.”

The men gulped at her statement. The small woman suddenly appeared intimidating. Upon seeing her audience’s frightened faces Ji Hyo returned to her cheerful self “Just had to get that out. But I am sure that won’t happen.”

“No ma’am” They replied in unison. Even Joong Ki responded in such a manner, despite being Ji Hyo’s younger brother.

“Good. Then let’s have the wedding of the century, shall we?” Ji Hyo winked at them before checking the time “Only a few more minutes. Knock their socks off kids.”

***

The wedding was beautiful. Or so it was touted by those who attended, the paparazzi, and the nightly news. The only stumbling block- or awkward moment – was when one Park Chanyeol pledged to love his husband through “Constipation or not” – but that was easily overlooked given the romantic aura surrounding the event.

The reception was perfect as well. If not a bit unexpected…

----

Tao scooped up Candy, ruffling the fur on her head.

“She was a good little ring bearer, wasn’t she?” Sehun commented, moving close to pet the small pup. It had taken some convincing to get his brothers and Chanyeol to agree to have a dog carry the rings to the altar but Candy had performed the task without a hitch.

“My little punishment is perfect.” Tao smirked. In the last year Sehun and Tao had taken to calling the Maltese dog “the punishment” – which was fitting given the fact that she was gifted to Tao as such.

“I at punishments, don’t I...”Sehun mused “But no more! Now we are married. If you screw up I will defi-“

“Time for a quickie?” Tao leaned forward, whispering in Sehun’s ear.

Sehun checked his watch. The pictures were already done, they had ten minutes before the reception began. “Put the punishment in her carrier.” He said quickly, suddenly gung ho about the suggestion.

Tao complied quickly, pulling Sehun towards the hotel room they had reserved with his punishment left to sulk in her pale pink pet carrier.

---

“I wish you hadn’t looked like an idiot up there.” Baekhyun shook his head at Kyungsoo.

“I wish you hadn’t made your parents want to disown you.” Kyungsoo shot back.

“I ing hate you.” Baekhyun growled.

“Me too.” Kyungsoo smiled. And then, hidden in the small ante chamber near the coat room, they crashed together. Only a few more minutes before the reception started- plenty of time to kiss the anger out of each other.

---

Suho presented the wrapped package to Jongdae. He waited apprehensively as his husband opened it, trying not to be too obvious with his anxiety.

Jongdae pulled the packet of papers out of the wrapped envelope. He began reading carefully before squealing in a high pitched voice. Suho jerked back at the squeal, then smiled when he realized it was a happy noise.

“You seriously gave me stock options as a wedding gift?! Thank you!” Jongdae crushed his husband into a tight hug, making sure the paperwork was held outside of their embrace so it wasn’t wrinkled.

“God I love you.” Suho pulled away, only to plant a kiss on his husband’s lips. The reception was about to begin, they had to hurry.

---

“You should stop working and stay at home.” Joong Ki looked at Chanyeol “If you want to that is.”

“Um..are you seriously asking if I want to be your house husband?” Chanyeol laughed.

“Well, you seem to like your work…“ Joong Ki would never mind if Chanyeol worked forever – if that is what he wanted. But if he wanted to take care of their adopted kids, that was cool too. More than cool, Joong Ki thought, as he imagined coming home to Chanyeol and their children – their faces absent mindedly marked with finger paints, their latest creations pinned to the fridge. He just knew Chanyeol would be an awesome father.

“Let’s adopt a bunch of kids, I will stay home, and you go do your thing.” Chanyeol grinned “I am cool with that. Now – let’s eat.”

Joong Ki watched his husband, so full of enthusiasm (one of the reasons he fell for him in the first place) rush towards the reception and a promised dinner. Joong Ki smiled, feeling happier than he had ever before in his life.

---

Luhan felt like his hand was no longer attached to his body. It was probably because his arm had long ago fallen asleep. He didn’t mind though, he didn’t feel like moving his limb from where it rested around Minseok’s shoulder. The reception had begun a little over an hour ago, and the last thing he wanted to do was loose physical contact with his husband.

“You can let me go, you know.” Minseok whispered to him, leaning in close. They were seated at a long banquet table at the end of the room, alongside the other grooms.

“I don’t want to.” Luhan smiled back “Plus, this is just a hint of what is to come.”

“I hope you are planning to put more than an arm around me. Weren’t you a ert when I met you?” Minseok whispered back, ignoring the din around them.

“Well…” Luhan finally removed his arm, moving his hand to rest on his husband’s lap, sinfully near his groin he began to move ever so slightly “I was a ert...until I realized you give me more than my erted mind could ever conjure up.”

“Shut up you dork.” Minseok playfully swatted at his husband, trying to ignore the fact his pants were getting tighter with Luhan’s hidden caresses. Before Minseok could completely jerk away from Luhan’s under-the-table administrations the lights went out.

A collage of voices rang out in the darkened room, panicked that all of a sudden the beautiful and expensive place had lost power.

Minseok felt the hand leave his lap and move to grasp his shoulders, pulling him close.

“What is going on?” Luhan whispered, concerned.

“I don’t know…”Minseok responded, trying to stay calm. A power outage couldn’t be that worrisome of an event, could it?

---

“Oppa- can you imagine their faces?” Ji Hyo giggled.

“Mongji, why are you so cute when you laugh?” Gary leaned forward to kiss his wife. Her beauty had never faded in all of the years they had been together. He could swear she had only grown prettier.

“Why are you so handsome when you compliment me?” Ji Hyo cooed back.

“Get a room.” Yoo Jae Suk said from behind them, shaking his head “Seriously I thought it would be better if you two got married but now you just give me cavities”

The Monday Couple smiled back at Jae Suk, reinforcing his point.

“Okay, we better do this quick- I have to pee.” Lee Kwang Soo waved his arms forward as if he was directing the lot of them towards the front of the room.

“Yah! Who are you to order your seniors around?” Kim Jong Kook slapped Kwang Soo on the top of the head.

“Can we just eat?!” Dong Hoon whined, holding his stomach.

“Seriously, I just want to go to bed.” Ji Suk Jin muttered.

Ji Hyo and Gary decided that all of the grumbling meant now was good of a time as ever. They walked through the door to the ballroom. It had been lucky that no one had seen them or the other “uncles” leave the room before the blackout.

“Turn it on.” Ji Hyo whispered into her walkie talkie, reaching out a hand to grab the eighth person – the only silent person- in their group forward.

As the lights flickered back on the room gasped. The chatter continued, no one seeming to notice the group gathered by the door. Gary had figured as much, so he took the microphone and began to chant “LOLSLOLSLOLSLOLS”

It worked, the room turned to see who was making so much noise.

“Testing, testing.” Gary smirked before handing the microphone over to Ji Suk Jin.

“Hello and welcome friends.”

“Like you are friends with half of them.” Yoo Jae Suk teased

“Yah! I kno-“

“Just get on with it!” Ji Hyo argued, trying to keep them on course.

“As I was saying.” Suk Jin continued, shooting Jae Suk an annoyed look “Welcome to this beautiful wedding, which will end as a retirement party.” Suk Jin handed the microphone to Jae Suk.

Ji Hyo and Gary looked towards the long table where their sons sat, noting the alarm on their faces.

“Two people really need to start fishing, hitting each other with crochet hooks, and being old and grumpy together” Jae Suk nodded towards the Monday Couple, handing the microphone to Kim Jong Kook.

“Their sons have grown up well, their business has flourished, and now they seriously need to spend some time on themselves – especially by joining a gym. Somewhere, anywhere.”

Dong Hoon grabbed the mic from Jong Kook “Or just get it on-“

Kwang Soo had enough foresight to grab the mic before Dong Hoon started indulging in a rant about he Monday Couple’s lack of life “To my favorite Hyung and Noona – have a good retirement.”

Gary took the mic next “I want to present to you the next CEO of Monday Enterprises. A man that we can all respect, a man who is diligent, quiet, but dedicated. My brother in law Song Yixing.”

Yixing stepped forward, his dimples flashing as he grinned at the room nervously. It would be an understatement to say that the room was shaken by the news – in fact there were shocked faces all around. What broke the tension was the widespread action at the end of the room, at the banquet table, where the entire line of grooms stood and clapped.

Song Yixing, once a secretary, was now a CEO.

Minseok was happy, because in the last year the appeal of being the CEO had taken a back seat to the appeal of living with Luhan. Enjoying life with Luhan – not being a workaholic. Suho clapped furiously – he was a financial guy, not cut out for companywide strategy, and he realized that. Kyungsoo nodded and smiled. He was happy to see the company go to someone as honest and upright as his uncle. Sehun – well, he was too busy holding Tao’s hand and pumping his free hand gleefully. He never wanted the company any way. The Kang brothers were accepting of the idea. They knew they had their places in the company, their wealth, and their stocks. But they were given freedom by their parents, a wonderful wedding present. Not to be tied down to the company forever, but to still play important roles in the operations.

“I hope my sons will help our new CEO get acclimated to his role.” Ji Hyo felt like crying tears of happiness at her children’s reaction. They were happy, they were okay with this. She had been a little nervous at the announcement despite the fact her intuition told her this was the right choice.

Yixing took the mic, making a strange guttural noise as a mic test “I…um…just want to say that I hope you will look after me. I will do my best. Some people say Monday Enterprises had a rough year last year. I want to assure you the best is yet to come!”

And the room erupted into applause.

Monday. A special day, the best day of the week according to some people.

-----

a/n-And so it ends!

Special thanks to ShingRose for her constant support. Thank you to everyone who read (voted, subbed, commented, or silently viewed) this story. I hope I gave the story justice.

I would promise follow up chapters, but I have at fulfilling this promise in the past *cough Love Unexpected cough*.

I will have another fic up and running soon, and I am throwing around Taohun as the main ship. We will see how it ends up, but please stay tuned.

And thank you again. Seriously, I appreciate your readership more than you will ever know. <3 -LC