Chansung

Chansung had a serious case of ants in his pants. He hadn't been able to sit still since he left Junho's house yesterday afternoon. Tearing himself away from his lover had been a little easier knowing that they'd be able to have a repeat performance of yesterday all weekend long.

Before he'd gone back to his parents' house for dinner and to pick up Jay, Chansung had made a stop at the drug store. He'd bought the largest box of condoms they sold, along with a bottle of lube that would last a normal couple several months. If Chansung had his way, it would be empty by Sunday night.

The work day was dragging by at a snail's pace. Every time Chansung glanced at his watch, certain an hour had gone by, he found that it had only been a few minutes since the last time he checked.  He rolled his eyes and groaned when he saw it was only 2:30pm. This day was never going to end.

To make the time go by faster, Chansung had started planning out, in his head, how he wanted tonight to go. Junho loved Italian food, so he figured he'd make a quick red sauce. He'd grab a crusty loaf of Italian bread a bottle of red wine on his way home. If this day ever ended.

After they ate and cleaned up, they'd bring the rest of the bottle of wine into the living room where Chansung planned to kiss Junho until their lips went numb. Once their lips reached an appropriate level of numbness, Chansung was going to scoop Junho into his arms and carry him to bed.

Chansung could see it all, clear as day, in his mind's eye.

"Got some hot plans tonight, Romeo?" Hyoyeon asked, setting a stack of magazines down on the checkout desk.

"Maaaybe!" Chansung broke out into a huge smile. He couldn't help himself. This is what being in love with Lee Junho did to him. 

"Thank Zeus!" Hyoyeon laughed "Seeing you bummed out over the last few weeks and not in a good way."

"I know I was hard to work with. Thanks for sticking by me, Hyoraengi." Chansung had been more than just hard to work with, he'd been downright awful, constantly on the verge of tears. A real sad sack as his mother kept telling him.

"That's what friends do." she set her hands on Chansung's, the look on her face turning serious "Are you sure seeing you-know-who isn't going to cause problems for your custody case? Your lawyer said you two needed to cool your jets until after the judge made a ruling."

Chansung's stomach clenched, he'd been too busy thinking about the wild moves he wanted to try in the bedroom with Junho to think about Kim Jongups' advice about keeping his distance "Jay is off with his mom this weekend, so I'll just be kicking around my apartment by myself and since one really is the loneliest number..." Chansung shrugged.

Hyoyeon nodded "I hear you, just be careful."

Chansung opened his mouth, planning to tell Hyoyeon he and Junho weren't going to leave the apartment all weekend when his phone dinged with an incoming text message.

Hyoyeon raised an eyebrow as Chansung dug his phone out of his back trouser pocket. 

"Unbelievable." Chansung said on a sigh as he read the message 'Can’t pick up Jay.'

"Let me guess, Mother of the Year is ditching her son yet again?" Hyoyeon shook her head.

Chansung nodded "She'd been better with him since her lawyers served me with the custody papers."

"Oh, please!" Hyoyeon practically yelled, not using her library voice "You and I both know that's just her putting lipstick on a pig."

"I know it's all for show, but there's a part of me that keeps hoping she'll realize what a treasure it is to spend time with Jay." Chansung couldn't imagine ditching his son to spend time with anyone else, including Junho.

"You've been hoping and praying for that exact thing for almost six years, Chan." Hyoyeon said sadly.

"I'll keep hoping and praying for Jea to love Jay until my last breath." Chansung meant every word.

After Chansung called his parents to ask them to pick Jay up from school, his mind started spinning with new ideas for the evening. Obviously, homemade pasta and wine were out, as was the hot and heavy make-out session on the couch. Chansung had a feeling it would be pizza and garlic knots from Italiano's and Toy Story, not that he was complaining. 

The biggest question rolling around in his head at the moment was what to do about Junho spending the night. On the one hand, Jay was used to seeing Junho over at their apartment, but on the other hand, Junho had always been gone in the morning when Jay woke up.

He would talk to Junho about it, but had a feeling that he would agree the best thing to do was spend the night in his own bed. After all, they would have the rest of their lives to sleep together.

Junho

Junho knew the moment Hwang Kwanghee and Narsha walked into his classroom to pick up Jay that plans for the evening had changed. He didn't mind one bit, but still felt bad for Jay. He'd known Jea's sudden interest in her son had more to do with winning the custody battle than with spending time with Jay. He just wished he was wrong.

What surprised Junho more than seeing Jay's grandparents was the note Hwang Kwanghee slipped into his hand when they shook hands. It reminded Junho of something that would happen in a corny western rom-com.

He'd slipped the note into the pocket of his jeans vowing to wait until the classroom was empty to read it. Junho's mind spun with what the message contained. The most likely thing that was written was Chansung cancelling their plans because he'd have Jay.

Once he was alone, he slipped the folded paper from his pocket. The message was in Chansung's handwriting on a piece of paper stamped from the public library. He grinned from ear-to-ear as he read the note from his lover.

'In the mood for pizza and Toy Story? My place, 6pm. I love you! C

Junho laughed. He was most definitely in the mood for pizza and a movie with the Hwangs father and son.

"Lee-sunsengnim!" Jay shouted, running to the door when Chansung opened it. The little boy wrapped his arms around Junho's legs and hugged him for dear life.

Laughing, Chansung shut the door behind them.

Junho handed a bakery box from Cupcake Heaven to Chansung so he could hug Jay back.

"I missed you so much!" Jay smiled up at Junho, his black eyes dancing "I'm glad you get to be my friend again and not just my teacher."

Junho was glad too.

"Did you bring me cupcakes, Lee-sunsengnim?" Jay was looking back and forth between Junho and the bright pink box in Chansung's hands.

"Jay, that's not very polite." Chansung rolled his eyes and set the box down on the kitchen table. 

Jay released Junho and scrambled up onto the chair closest to the box "Can I open it, Daddy? Can I? Pleeeease?" Jay flashed him a big smile.

"I don't know. Junho, what do you think?" Chansung winked at him.

Junho's heart fluttered in his chest over the way Chansung was teasing him "Tonight is a special night. I think it's okay if Jay opens the box." Junho winked right back at his lover who was close enough to touch and hug and kiss.

Junho walked around to the opposite side of the table from Chansung, knowing he didn't have enough willpower to keep his hands to himself.

"Dragon cupcakes!" Jay shouted when he opened the box "I love dragon cupcakes."

"Have you ever had a dragon cupcake before, buddy?" Chansung asked.

"Nope!" Jay crowed "But Lee-sunsengnim bought them and he loves dragons, so I do too."

"Well that explains everything." Chansung rolled his eyes and smiled warmly at Junho.

"The cupcakes go along with the theme of the night." Junho smiled mysteriously at Jay. 

"What theme?" Jay looked up at Chansung with a curious look on his face.

"Don't look at me." Chansung shrugged "It's Junho who picked the theme."

"I asked your Daddy a while back if you'd ever seen this movie and he said no. I thought tonight would be a good night to watch it together."

"What movie?" Jay swiveled his head back and forth between his teacher and his father.

Junho slid the movie box out of the back waistband of his jeans and handed it facedown to Jay.

"How to train my dragon!" Jay shouted, jumping up and down on the chair.

Chansung lifted him up and set him on the floor.

Jay ran around the table to Junho, who scooped him up and hugged him tight.

Chansung walked around the table and wrapped his arms around Junho and Jay "How about if we get this party started with some pizza?"

"Don't forget the garlic knots. I love garlic knots. Do you love garlic knots, Lee-sunsengnim?" 

Chansung burst out laughing.

Junho loved Jay's enthusiasm. The little boy was excited about everything, in and out of the classroom "I've never tried a garlic knot before."

"You'll love 'em! 'Taliano's makes the bestest food ever, right, Daddy?"

"Yup!" Chansung pressed a kiss to Jay's forehead before doing the same to Junho "I'll call the order in now."

Junho set Jay down on the floor and watched as Chansung called the pizza parlor and placed their order, telling the person on the phone to make the garlic knots extra garlicky.

It had stunned him that Chansung had kissed him in front of Jay, but what surprised him more was that Jay had no real reaction to it. The little boy had run off toward the television with the movie in his hands and didn't seem to give the matter another thought.

"There's my handsome man, who looks light years away. What's up Han Solo?" Chansung wrapped his arms around Junho's hips and pulled them closer.

Junho shook his head "I was just thinking about you kissing me in front of Jay."

Chansung nodded "I shouldn't have done that." 

Junho felt his eyes bug out.

"No, not that I shouldn't kiss you, just not in front of him until this whole mess is cleaned up. Jay talks a lot and he might let it slip to his mother or at school that I was kissing Lee-sunsengnim." Chansung looked over Junho's head, toward where Jay was before pressing a kiss to Junho's lips "All I want to do is kiss you."

"Is that all you want to do?" Junho asked in a quiet voice.

Chansung shook his head no.

"Daddy! Stop kissing Lee-sunsengnim! The movie is starting." Jay turned back to the television "Oh and kissing is gross!"

Both men burst out laughing.

Chansung ran toward Jay, scooping the giggling boy up in his arms. He settled them both on the couch and Junho sat on the other side of Jay. The theme music had just started to play when the door buzzer screeched.

"Wow! That was fast." Junho was impressed. It always took forty-five minutes when he called Pizza King and ordered a small pepperoni, even on a Tuesday night.

"Hit pause, buddy. I don't want to miss a single dragon." Chansung scrubbed a hand through Junho's hair before he hopped off the couch and ran to the front door, hitting the button to let the pizza delivery guy into the building. He dug his wallet out of his back pocket and grabbed some bills.

When the knock sounded on the door, Chansung ripped it open "Italiano's!"

"Not Italiano's." Jea said with a sneer as she swept into the apartment.

"What the he-, heck are you doing here, Jea? You told me Jay was mine for the weekend." Chansung looked gobsmacked.

"I did no such thing. I asked you to pick him up." she turned from Chansung, finally seeming to notice Junho sitting on the couch.

Junho knew in that moment he and Chansung were completely ed "Hello, Hwang-ssi."

Jea's mouth dropped open as she started digging around in her purse. She pulled out her phone and started snapping pictures.

"Jea! What are you doing?" Chansung made a grab for her phone and missed.

"I'm catching you red-handed, you dirty pillow biting-"

"Don't you dare say that in front of my son!" Chansung bellowed, taking a menacing step forward. 

Jea kept snapping pictures on her phone. Turning back to Junho and Jay, she took more pictures.

Jay had climbed into Junho's lap and burrowed his face into Junho's neck. Junho could feel the little boy trembling.

"Isn't this cozy!" Jea stepped around to the front of the couch and started snapping pictures of her son in his teacher's arms "When I was in kindergarten I don't remember my teacher coming to our house." she turned her dagger-like eyes on Chansung "You sick son of a ."

"Junho is a friend. I'm allowed to have friends." Chansung was so pale, he was almost invisible.

"Bull! You're ing Jay's teacher!" Jea's voice was high and shrill, echoing off the high ceiling.

"Stop, Hwang-ssi. You're upsetting your son." Junho stood up with Jay in his arms. The little boy was clinging to him like a starfish on a rock.

"I'm upsetting Jay?" Jea half-laughed "How dare you? You're the one doing disgusting things with my ex-husband and touching my son for all I know and I'm the one upsetting Jay?"

"Stop it, Mommy!" Jay yelled with tears streaking down his red face "I love Lee-sunsengnim! He's my best friend!" 

Junho held Jay tighter, reaching up to wipe away the little boy's tears "Don't yell at your Mom, okay?"

Jay nodded before resting his head on Jay's shoulder.

"Get your things, Jay. We're going."

"Nooo!" Jay's voice was muffled against Junho.

"Leave him with me for the night. I'll drop him off in the morning." there was a pleading tone in Chansung's voice. He walked behind Junho, reaching around to rub Jay's back.

"Are you ing kidding me? I'm not leaving Jay with you two homos! God knows what you'll do to him or what you've already done! Jaebeom! Now!" Jea's black eyes glittered like ice.

"Jea, please stop this."

"I wasn't the one who started this! You did! You and your sick needs." Jea grabbed Jay, yanking him forcefully out of Junho's arms "Get a good last look at your son because this is the last time you'll ever see him!"

Jay started screaming for his father. Tears were pouring down his face, his arms reached straight out for Chansung as Jea carried him out the door, slamming it behind her. 

Junho was in shock. He stood staring at the shut door, the echo of it slamming was still reverberating through the apartment. He could still feel the warmth of Jay's body against his chest and could smell his baby shampoo. A sniffle behind him brought him back to the present. Turning around, he saw Chansung, who had an equal look of shock on his face.

"Junho..." Chansung's voice was a squeak.

Junho wrapped his arms around Chansung, holding him tight. When Chansung curled his frame around Junho, he was swamped by guilt. If he'd stayed home tonight or had refused Chansung's offer to come over, none of this would have happened. Now Jea had proof he and Chansung were together and it was going to cost Chansung his son.

That realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Jea had been right about one thing, it was his need for Chansung that had caused all of this "Jesus, Chansung. I'm so sorry." Junho felt Chansung stiffen in his arms and start to pull away. Junho let him go.

"I said I was sick of letting my ex-wife control my life and I meant it. I deserve to have a life. I deserve to be happy. You deserve both of those things too. What we've found together is so rare, Junho. Don't you see that?" Chansung took a shaky breath, resting his hands on his hips.

"Of course I see that. I love you, Chansung and I know you love me, but that special, once in a lifetime kind of love is going to be what costs you your son." feeling completely worn out, Junho sat down hard on the couch.

Chansung sat down next to his lover and picked up his hands "No it's not, Junho. Our love is going to be what makes us a family. Are you ready to fight for that?"

Junho nodded. God help him, he was.