Sunday, 23rd August 2015.

11. Play.

“Why can’t I buy something for you? Is it illegal for a brother to give a brother something?”

“Not a car!” Junsu snarls back. “And not imported customized one at that too!”

“Why not? Because you are married?”

“You don’t understand.”

“Then make me!” Junho fists his palms. “It’s not like I send you one of the kind pre released Vyrax Germany. That would be scandalous. I just want my brother to treat himself better.”

“I’m fine without a ride!”

“Do you know how ridiculous we are right now, duck?” Junho holds himself from grabbing his brother’s collar and shaking Junsu up and down to get some senses into him. “You don’t want to talk about your g**da** problem, fine. You keep acting like you are some heartbroken pitiful crap being a sore in my eye, fine. You abuse yourself for unknown reason, fine. Fine. I have no right to drill a hole over your rock headed skull but at least let me do a favor for myself. I’ve bought this car. I want you to keep it. Just keep it. You don’t have to drive it since you love buses and taxi so much. You don’t like it? That’s fine too. You can sell it later but accept it now, damnit!”

Junsu takes long hot breath. “I know you care about me, Junho. You do. But a car is too much. You don’t have to buy me car to show you care. I appreciate your generous thought, I really do. But I can’t keep it.”

“Don’t tell me Changmin forbids you taking anything we give to you! I’m so going to rip his throat apart! You are married to him alright, not cutting all ribbons from your family! What’s so bad about me buying you a car? It wounds his pride?”

“Changmin has nothing to do with it.”

“He has every f****ng thing to do with it!! Do you know he hired people to watch over you?”

Junsu slowly gapes. “Excuse me? He what?”

--

“Baseball? Sounds fun.” Changmin sneers. “I might go.”

“Come on! It’s been a while we watch baseball match together.” Jonghyun persuades. “The tickets are cheaper if we buy in bulk. We need four more people, Min.”

“You doof! Date properly as a man. Why dragging us in your date? She would feel uncomfortable having a date along a group of people she is not familiar with.”

“It’s not technically a date.” Jonghyun reasons. “Come on. It will be fun. Junsu would like it too. He’s a fan of Rocket, isn’t he?”

Changmin’s excited look fades. “I’m not sure about it.”

“He’ll definitely go.” Jonghyun says. “I met him and his brother at grouping selection match two weeks ago. I didn’t get to say hi to him, though. I saw him when the match was over. I was going to valet.” Jonghyun is unaware of Changmin’s changed expression. “He’s a bit different.”

See? Even Jonghyun says Junsu is different.

Changmin isn’t surprised Junsu is home later than him. It’s Changmin’s turn to provide dinner and he hasn’t done anything for it. He purposely waits till Junsu is home to decide what they would have for dinner. He’s hungry and he’s a cranky one when his stomach is empty.

Junsu takes his jacket off, goes to kitchen (examining for any edible existence maybe?), goes bathing and reappears around hawk-eyed watching Changmin with a phone in his hand and a slight frown.

“I’m hungry.” Changmin announces. “You come home so late.”

Junsu’s lips slightly move despite their tight lined funny shape. He is typing on his phone screen.

Changmin is so close to biting the unresponsive husband. “Are you eating or not?” He snaps. “If you aren’t, I’ll just eat outside.”

Junsu tucks his phone into his pocket. “I’ve just ordered.”

“Ordered what?”

“Dinner.”

Changmin’s nose emits invisible smoke. “You ordered without asking me?? What am I? A wall?”

“You eat anything.” Junsu walks to their living room.

“Doesn’t mean you can just order anything without asking me! What if I’m allergic to spinach and carrot now? If I want oyster or shrimp? You don’t think I would like to eat certain something? No? I’m just eating anything? You are the only one allowed to be picky?”

Junsu sure doesn’t see it coming. “If you don’t like what I’ve ordered, you could eat something else.”

“Fine!” Changmin harshly walks to get his coat. “So much for trying to have a peaceful dinner!” He heads to the door “Shouldn’t have wasted my time waiting.” The innocent door is slammed hard.

He’s not actually that hungry. He’s testing the water. He takes his time before he returns home and just like what he has expected, their fridge is stuffed by three newly stored food containers. Junsu didn’t eat. He feels bad somehow. His initial motive to start an argument evaporates knowing Junsu is not eating dinner because of him. His husband eats less even without argument provocation. He should pull other card.

“You don’t eat?”

Junsu is, again, holding his phone; hand busy tapping and typing on the flat screen. “Don’t feel like eating.”

Let’s try this. Changmin counts to three. One. Two. Go. “Is it the diet of no breakfast no dinner just lunch one? You’re not that plum, you know. Pear, perhaps. Pear is good. As long as the lower part doesn’t blow one side too big.”

Changmin gulps at the knife-like eye shot directed to him the moment his sentence finishes.

“If I’m pear then you are soursop!” Junsu glares. He brushes his arm harshly against Changmin when he walks past the tall husband going to kitchen. “I’m eating now. Happy?”

This is not working the way Changmin sees it would. Junsu grunts. Junsu snaps back at him. Junsu pushes him but that’s all about it. Maybe he should tone the level up. Arguing over food or price or chores isn’t effective anymore. Junsu barks a little then gives in to Changmin bringing nowhere to any wanted progress of Jaejoong’s suggestion. Why is Junsu so tolerating and considerate now?

Done eating (he chews loudly to show he’s really eating), Junsu reunites with his phone. Changmin laughs over and over silently at the faces Junsu makes when he’s typing and tapping on his phone screen. It’s way more interesting and amusing than the TV show Changmin is watching (just a pretension).

Junsu wrinkles his nose. Junsu mouths curses at his phone. Junsu glares. Junsu squints his eyes. Junsu is about to bite it. Junsu throws his phone hard on their couch but retrieves it again soon in frustrated look. Junsu bangs his phone onto the armrest. Junsu crosses his arms against the phone. Then, finally, Junsu turns it off with a passion. He’s totally oblivious that Changmin is watching him too immersed in his own world. He turns it on again before he calls it a night going to bed to set the alarm on. Like Junsu needs any alarm waking him up.

Changmin sneaks out of bed when he’s sure Junsu is already asleep. He has Junsu’s phone in his hand. He is curious what made his husband so deep in focus of the phone. Was it a game? Was it SNS? Was it new applications?

It was a long window chat with Junho. Changmin blinks reading the displayed bickering convo. It’s about Junsu, mama Kim, Hara, and the car Junho has bought for Junsu.

-Mama can’t keep secret too long, duck. We both know that.
-I want to buy my own car, stupid snobbish fri*** brother. Leave mama out of it.
-It’s not just about the car. You think I don’t know?
-Whatever. And stop bringing Changmin in it.
-You’ll wake up one day and realize that Changmin isn’t different than any man.
-He’s different or not, he’s my husband. I’ll deal with it.

Changmin has no clue what the brothers were talking about but it’s enough for Changmin to know that Junsu takes his side against his brother. It touches him. Why does he doubt Junsu?

But when Junsu doesn’t kiss him back in the morning, doesn’t hug back, doesn’t even bat an eyelash at him as Changmin is taking his leave for work, Changmin’s crumbled doubt revives to life.

Changmin wears black and white long sleeve top Jaejoong bought for him last month.

--

“What does he hate most?”

“Don’t say..!” Changmin cringes. “Look, Jae. This is bad already. You ask me to start a world war?”

Jaejoong snickers. “If he barges in to your office pointing finger at your boss for overworking you too much that you don’t give him decent time in front of everyone, would you be angry at him?”

“He wouldn’t do that. I’m going to strangle him.” Changmin’s face darkens. “He did that once. Don’t even think about it. I had hard time explaining to some senior managers on his jealousy impulse.”

“See?”

“No!” Changmin shakes his head. “If it’s old version of Junsu, I know what to do and how long it would take to cool things down after the fight. This one? Not sure.”

“Won’t know till you try, Min. The main point is you two fight so bad that he says all the no no words so you get your answer. You just have to remember not to lose in the fire when you are fighting.”

Will he be able not to lose in the aggravating fire when they are fighting later on? The real fight? Will he stay sane?

“Ah. I know. Why didn’t I think about it before?” Jaejoong snaps his fingers, beaming. “He’s easily jealous. Go kiss someone and let it be known.”

Changmin doesn’t think twice when his long leg kicks Jaejoong very hard.

“You think he’ll forgive me when he knows I kiss someone else?”

--

“I don’t mean to be offensive here, sir.” Yoochun speaks as polite as he can. “But would you please stop visiting our café? You are putting us in uncomfortable situation.”

“I’m buying the orange milky coffee. Is that an issue?” Yunho calmly replies. “I’m just another customer.”

The hell you are, Yoochun mutters in his head. “We are really thankful for your genuine appreciation to our