INTRODUCTION

Jung Ewon (Aeon Rhodes)

So how're holding up? Doing okay so far?

Me? I'm great now, but back then I was living on the corner of Emotional Whirlwind and Mental Breakdown. Thanks for asking.

All right, now that the niceties are out of the way, let's get back to the album.

After a month spending every waking wekkend nonworking moment with Nichkhun and Taecyeon, along the phone calls every day and dinners a couple of times a week, I decided I hadn't been a complete fool in falling for them. Whatever bad stuff had gone down in our past, they were good guys, and  genuinly liked both of them.

Nichkhun was as earnest as ever. He was generous with his laughter, his compliments, and his sweet touches. When we chatted, even if it was about the most mundane things, he seemed fascinated by every word I said. He had endless patience for Jimin and Jisoo, laughing when they crawled all over him even if it left him coated in ice cream or pasta sauce or any number of other unidentifiable stain-causers.

Taecyeon was as intense as the day I'd met him. He was laser-focused on Nichkhun and, it seemed, on me, and though he didn't talk as much as either of us, he was always paying attention, watching what we did and listening to what we said. Oh, and the way he looked at me. Jesus, his heated gaze was enough to make my breath catch, and there were many occasions when I had to excuse myself to splash water on my face or stick my head in the refrigerator so I could cool off. Jimin and Jisoo didn't jump all over him like they did NIchkhun, but they instinctively respected him, going to him with questions about their homework or something they heard at school. On the nights Taecyeon and Nichkhun came over for dinner, it was Taecyeon they ran tovwith their bedtime books in hand.

As time passed, I became less able to explain our relationship to myself. We were friends, that much I knew. But I wasn't used to my friends looking at me like they wanted to eat me alive. My friends didn't call me 'baby' and hold me close at the end of every night. And none of my friends resented the time we spent apart and acted like the evenings we spent together were the highlights of their week.

Those descriptions matched how a boyfriend would act, but Nichkhun and Taecyeon already had each other to fill that role. When we said our good-byes, sometimes so late it was already morning, they went home together and had the pleasure of sharing a bed and sleeping in each other's arms. I would have been jealous to the point of madness if the fantasies of what they did in that bed hadn't to the point of distraction.

The next picture in the album is a funny memorey of a typical evening we spent together. Nichkhun is sitting at the kitchen table with Jimin and Jisoo, eating hot dogs and spaghetti and chatting. Taecyeon is in the background, leaning against the counter, holding a beer and smiling at them. Thinking of that night always makes me laugh, and after the wringer I've put you through, I think you're due a little laughter.

Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul

"What're we having for dinner?" Taecyeon asked Ewon.

"You can offer to help, you know." I reminded Taecyeon, who was reclined on the couch, watching TV. I was sitting next to him, brushing Jisoo's hair, Jimin was taking a shower, and Ewon was in the kitchen "He isn't your wife."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Taecyeon said as he reached for the remote and turned off the TV.

"It means what I said. Ewon isn't your wife, so quit acting like it's his job to make you dinner."

"Jisoo, sweetie, will you go pick out your jammies and books for tonight?" Taecyeon said to Jisoo. As soon as she was gone, he glared at me, crossed his arms over his chest, and said "What's wrong with being the wife?"

I could see Ewon from the corner of my eye. He was moving toward the edge of the kitchen leaning on the wall and crossing his arm on his chest and watching us with interrest.

"He's a man, Taecyeon, that's what's wrong with it."

"So if he was a woman, it'd be okay for him to make us dinner but because he's a man it's not? Am I following your reasoning here?"

Before I could see it coming, he had flipped his insulting comment around and made me look like a misogynist. It was that kind of quick thinking that made Taecyeon so damn good at his job, which was fine when we were on the same side, but I didn't appreciate having it me.

"You know damn well that's not what I'm saying!" I snapped.

He arched his eyebrows "Other than being a guy, why can't Ewon be the wife?" he asked "He likes to take care of everyone, he likes to cook, he likes taking the kids to school. What's wrong with being the wife?"

I had a mental image of both my mother and stepmother kicking my "Not all wives do those things. It's not 1950, households have equal divisions of labor, and-"

"I asked what he was making for dinner. You're the one who said that I was treating like a wife."

Being on the losing end of the argument had me scrambling "I meant a housewife."

Taecyeon rolled his eyes "Fine. Whatever. So what's wrong with being a housewife?"

"Nothing! There's nothing wrong with being a housewife. I never said-"

"Great. So why can't Ewon be the wife, er, housewife?" he paused and then waved his hand dismissively "Other than the guy thing, I mean."

"I don't, uh, Ewon has a job!" finally grasping on to some sort of logic helped clear my mind "He's worked hard to get where he is in his field, and-"

"Please." Taecyeon scoffed "He's got a bit part in a Vegas show, this isn't the apex of his career. And you saw his paycheck-you know he's barely making enough money to cover the bills."

I wanted to crawl under the couch but instead, I jerked my gaze over to Ewon. He hadn't moved from his spot, he was still watching us, but he hadn't said a word about the fact that we'd snuck a peek at his paycheck or about the way Taecyeon was insulting his career.

"He'd make more if he had a bigger role in a bigger show, but then he'd be working every night, and he can't because he has to be here for the kids, Taecyeon, you know that."

"Yes, I know. I've seen him dance, Nichkhun. Don't act like I'm insulting his talent. he's amazing. But on the days he has evening shows, he's misarable about leaving Jisoo and Jimin with a sitter. Plus, he's bone tired every day because he's running like a chicked with his head cut off to get to work and drive the kids everywhere they need to be. It seems to me his job is a hindrance to what he actually wants to be doing."

"Care to enlighten me as to what that is?" Ewon asked, finally joining the conversation.

Taecyeon leaned back in the sofa and relaxed his stance "You already know."

Their gazes locked.

"You think I want to be a housewife." It sounded like a statement, not a question.

"I think you want to quit that silly job. I think you want to sign Jisoo up for ballet class instead of having to say no because you're working at four and she has to be in aftercare and you can't afford to buy the costume for the recital. I think you want to be here every night when they go to sleep. I think you want to make them dinner, but some nights you feel like you're going to pass out if you don't get at least a few minutes off your feet, so you stop at the drive-through. I think being a single working dad and you hate that there's no end in sight."

At the beginning of Taecyeon's rant, I thought he was being an and I was gearing up to drag him out of the room before he ruined our plans and pushed Ewon further away. But somewhere along the way, description of Ewon's life and struggles began sounding familiar. They reminded me of Ewon, but not in the way he meant.

"Ewon." I said quietly. He looked at me, his eyes shining with unshed tears and his cheeks flushed "It doesn't have to be like it was for you mom."

When he gulped and trembled, I knew I'd hit the nail on the head. I remember how hard his mother had worked the whole time I'd known him. I remember how alone Ewon had felt and how exhausted his mother had been.

"How could it not?" he asked hoarsely.

"You know how." Taecyeon said gently.

"No...I can't." he shook his head "It's not..."

Taecyeon moved over and patted the spot between us "C'mere. baby."

After a brief hesitation, Ewon hurried over and sat down between us. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and Taecyeon caressed his knee.

"Let us take care of you, Ewon." I whispered.

"I can't do that. It's not right." his words were a definite no, but I was getting better at listening to those other forms of communication. I heard the yearning in his voice, I saw the way his shoulders were shaking, like he was barely holding it together, and I couldn't miss the hopefull look in his eyes when he gazed at me."

"Of course it's right. Taecyeon and I both do very well. We don't have any debt or anybody to spend our money on." I dipped my face and kissed his neck "Let us take care of you."

He clenched and released his fists nervously "But I'm not even sleeping with you."

"Is that the holdup?" Taecyeon said with a chuckle "Because I'm more than happy to put a stop to that impediment tonight. We can get , get busy, and clear that proble right up. Done and done."

Ewon shook his head and snorted "Not gonna happen."

"Famous last words, baby." Taecyeon said "Remember what happened last time you made that claim?"

"That was a long time ago." Ewon's cheeks reddened "It won't happen again." his breath hitched "I'm not going to bed with you guys."

"We're not asking you for in exchange for letting us take care of you." I assured him.

"Then what do you want?" Ewon asked.

I cupped his cheek "We want you to let us in."

Taecyeon dropped to his knees and grasped Ewon's hands "We want you to rely on us. We want you to trust us to be here for you and for Jimin and Jisoo."

After several long moments, Ewon let out a shaky breath and said "I do trust you." he shook his head "That might make me the biggest fool around after everything that's happened, but I trust both of you."

"Thank you, baby." Taecyeon said.

"You're sure about this?" Ewon asked, flicking his eyes form Taecyeon to me "I can quit my job and you'll support me and the kids?"

I nodded "We're sure."

"Okay." Ewon dragged in a deep breath and wiped his palms on his jeans "Okay. I'll give my notice tomorrow."

He sounded nervous, but also relieved, and his body looked less tense, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. I glanced at Taecyeon and dipped my chin in acknowledgement of his part in mmaking that happen. His words had been horrifyingly offensive, but his heart, as always, had been in the right place. He knew exactly what Ewon wanted, what Ewon needed, and he'd found a way to make it happen.

A timer went off in the kitchen, and Ewon jumped up "Pasta's ready."

He was halfway t the stove when Taecyeon said "Oh, and Ewon?"

"Yeah?"

"If you change your mind about the no- claus of our agreement, just let us know. I think you can probably convince us to amend that term."

"I'll be sure to do that just as soon as pigs star flying." he said sarcastically "Go wash up for dinner."

"You said we were having pasta dogs." Jimin whined as pushed his fork around his bowl seemingly searching for something that wasn't in it.

"That is pasta dogs" Ewon said.

"No it's not." Jisoo argued.

"It's sliced up hot dogs with spaghetti." Ewon insisted.

"Ten bucks says those aren't real hot dogs." Taecyeon muttered under his breath.

I threw Taecyeon an elbow.

Ewon glared at him and said "They're tofu dogs and they taste exactly the same."

"When was the last time you ate a hot dog?" Taecyeon challenged Ewon.

"In 1999. But I'm sure they taste the same."

"Says the man who hasn't put a real beef wiener in his mouth this century." he waggled his eyebrows "I think you should let me and Nichkhun put an end to that dry spell, baby."

I started laughing and coughed to cover it up."

Ewon rolled his eyes.

"Uncle Ewon!" Jimin shouted "The spaghetti is supposed to go through the hot dogs."

"Like beads in a necklace." Jisoo added helpfully.

"Through the hot dogs?" Ewon asked disbelievingly. He walked over to the bowls on the counter and picked up a slice of hot dog witth one hand and a cooked noodle with the other "You guys have any ideas?" he asked my and Taecyeon.

"I'm sure we can figure it out." I said as I joined him at the counter and picked up my own sliced god and cooked noodle "Maybe we neet to poke a hole in it."

"That's a good idea." Taecyeon said "I'll get a fork."

He grabbed a fork and came to stand on the other side of Ewon "Give me you wiener." he demanded.

"You're incorrigible." Ewon said as he handed over a piece of hot dog.

Taecyeon lined up the endmost prong of the fork and pushed it through the sliced hot dog, then set the fork down on the counter and held his palm out "Noodle."

I handed the noodle to Ewon, who handed it to Taecyeon, who tried to thread it through the hot dog.

"The hole closed up." Taecyeon said in frustration.

"Here, let me try it." I said.

Taecyeon handed me the hot dog. I picked up a fresh noodle and gave it a try, but all I succeeded in doing was squishing the pasta against the hot dog before dropping the whole thiing onto the floor "Damn it!"

"That's a bad word!" Jisoo yelled.

"Sorry." I said "Are you sure the noodles go through the hot dogs?"

"Yes!" both kids insisted.

"Maybe if we make the hole bigger." Ewon said as he picked up the fork. He shoved the prong through the hot dog and wiggled it roughly.

"Damn, baby." Taecyeon said "I know you don't have a lot of experiencing being on the prong end of a good forking, but don't be so rough."

Ewon snorted as he picked up a noodle and tried to push it through the hole. He managed to get the tip inside but nothing else "It's too soft." he lamented to me.

Taecyeon leered and said "It's got to be hard to go it, baby."

All three of us froze, looked at each other, and died laughing.

"I think I have an uncooked box of spaghetti and more hot dogs." Ewon said breathlessly as he opend a cabinet.

"I'll boil the water." I offered.

"And I'll carefully poke this hard noodles all the way through the soft beef, er, tofu." Taecyeon said in a sultry tone.

ewon scooped up some of the cooked noodles and tossed them to Taecyeon, who peeled one off his face and slowly it between his lips "Mmm." he groaned.

"Can't you make him stop?" Ewon asked me as he sliced up an uncooked hot dog.

"You've known him longer." I responded "Can you?"

Ewon pushed a raw stick of spaghetti through a sliced hot dog and then flicked his eyes toward Taecyeon, who had started fellating yet another noodle "I'm not sure if I want to." he whispered.

taecyeon caught my gaze and arched his eyebrows meaningfully. I swallowed my smile as I walked up to Ewon, made sure our sides were touching, said "I'll help." and then I reached around his back to get the box of pasta, grazing his with my palm.

He shivered and let a quiet moan, and for the first time in a month, I felt like we were making real progress.

This is Pasta Dogs in case you are wondering "The they cooked here?"