Himchan and Yongguk started calling each other once a week. Sometimes they just talked about everything under the sun and sometimes they… Well, sometimes they got off. Himchan taught Yongguk some dirty words in Chinese, so he wouldn’t have to worry about someone hearing him. It also had a benefit for Himchan, as he thought Yongguk speaking Chinese was the iest thing he’d ever heard, but that was a different story.

Heechul raged over the suddenly a lot more expensive phone bills, but he calmed down a little when Yongguk told him it was just Himchan he was talking to. Hankyung offered to work a little extra and managed to get Heechul to finally fix a regular job, so in the end it was okay.

“Are you and Himchan-hyung together again?” Zelo asked one evening when Yongguk, Zelo and Jiho were doing homework. Jiho had borrowed the desk in their room while Zelo and Yongguk laid on their beds.

“What? No,” Yongguk answered, looking up from his English homework to look at Zelo. “It’s just nice talking to him.”

“Wait, have I gotten this right,” Jiho interjected, “this Himchan is your ex-boyfriend, but I’ve never met him?”

“Yup.”

“… And you guys are still friends?” Jiho sounded very confused. Yongguk smirked to himself.

“Correct.”

“I don’t… I don’t get it,” Jiho gave up, coaxing a little laugh from Yongguk.

“Well. Himchan says he’s still in love with me, but he’s over me. And I still like him, just not like that,” Yongguk explained. “It’s simple, really.”

“If you say so,” Jiho muttered and went back to his homework.

A few days later, Yongguk called Zhou Mi and asked if he could teach him Chinese. Zhou Mi seemed very confused with the whole thing.

“Yongguk, you’re Korean. You live in Korea. You’re not moving to China. Why do you want to learn Chinese?” he asked and it was all Yongguk could do not to laugh.

“Himchan,” he answered, “he lives in Taiwan now. I wanna be able to speak Chinese with him.”

“… Oh. Sure. If you come over after school tomorrow we’ll start then. I might take help of Henry and Kyuhyun’s probably going to be here as well. That okay with you?”

“Sure. See you tomorrow. Thanks, Mimi.”

“No problem.”

Without realizing it, Yongguk spent less and less time thinking about Zelo, which was good. But he also spent less and less time with Zelo, which was not as good. Yongguk himself didn’t notice, but everyone around noticed how Zelo became a lot quieter and shyer when Yongguk wasn’t around. Yongguk was like a steady cliff in Zelo’s life and without him, Zelo wobbled on the edge of something dark.

At least Yongguk didn’t notice until Jiho told him. Yongguk had just put Zelo to bed – a habit he’d promised the boy not to stop – when Jiho roughly pulled him into his room and pinned him against the wall, glaring at him. Yongguk stared back, wide-eyed.

“It’s nice that you’re friends with Himchan and getting Chinese lessons from Zhou Mi and stuff, but don’t forget about Zelo,” Jiho said. Yongguk raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not forgetting about him,” he pointed out. “I’m well aware he’s there and I’m taking care of him.”

Jiho sighed and rolled his eyes, moving away from Yongguk to flop down on the bed. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments and then moved to look at Yongguk. Yongguk got a little shock as he realized that Jiho no longer was the twelve year old talented kid who’d handed Zelo to him. Jiho was fifteen, a qualified rapper and a lot smarter than Yongguk had originally known.

“That’s not what I meant, hyung. You don’t spend half as much time with him as he used to and it’s breaking him, are you blind?” Jiho asked, voice lower now. Yongguk blinked, eyebrows knitting as he thought. He paled a little as he realized Jiho was right.

“No. You’re right,” he murmured, sliding along the wall to sit down on the floor. “I’ve been neglecting him, haven’t I?”

Jiho snorted and turned to look at the ceiling again. It was all answer Yongguk needed. He stayed a little longer in Jiho’s room before he stood up and left, returning to his and Zelo’s room instead. He stood in the doorway for a moment, watching the younger boy as he slept.

Zelo was sleeping on his side with his knees pulled up towards his stomach and his arms in front of him. It was a protective position, Yongguk realized and guilt washed over him. He hadn’t seen Zelo sleep like that in over a year. With a soft sigh, he walked over and kneeled on the floor so his head was right next to Zelo’s. He jerked a little in surprise when Zelo’s eyes suddenly opened, staring straight into his own.

“Hyung?” Zelo whispered, his tone confused. Yongguk smiled at him and brought a hand up to his hair.

“Let’s sleep together tonight,” he murmured. He didn’t miss the way Zelo’s eyes lit up at the words. “Let me just get ready, okay?”

Zelo let out a hum of acknowledgement and Yongguk left him in bed to take a quick shower. On his way there, he stuck his head into Jiho’s room to tell him thanks, but the younger was busy texting someone – probably Kyung – and didn’t even notice him.

Zelo was lying on his back when Yongguk came back, humming a little melody to himself.

“You made that up?” Yongguk asked, accidentally startling the boy as he sat down on the bed. Zelo smiled and nodded at him as he moved to the side so Yongguk would fit as well. “It sounds nice.”

Zelo grinned wider, proudly, at Yongguk’s words and put his head on the older boy’s chest when Yongguk lay down next to him.

“Let’s sleep,” Yongguk murmured and his side so he could pull Zelo to his chest. It didn’t take long before they were both fast asleep and neither noticed when Jiho sneaked into the room and snapped a photo of them.

From: Z
To: Himchan-hyung

Mission complete!  ;)

~~

Yongguk and Zelo woke up in a completely different position than what they’d fallen asleep in. Yongguk was lying on his back with one arm above his head and the other protectively, possessively, across Zelo, who was lying across his chest and stomach, head hanging over the edge of the bed while his hands clutched the sheets in an unconscious effort not to dive onto the floor.

Yongguk gave a groan and grabbed Zelo’s pajama shirt, turning on his side and pulling the boy with him so he was no longer in danger of falling off the bed. Zelo let out a little whimper as Yongguk rather harshly tugged him fully onto the bed and moved him around so he was lying straight, but he didn’t wake up.

Yongguk was more than happy to bury his nose in the boy’s hair and fall back asleep.

When he woke up for a second time, it was because Jiho was yelling at them. It took more than a few moments for Yongguk to realize what he was saying.

“Hyung, hyung!” Jiho yelled. “Hyung, you got a visitor! Come on, hurry and get up!”

Yongguk let out a sound of annoyance and attempted to pull the pillow over his head. However, someone else had already done so and that someone let out a very displeased whine when Yongguk attempted to do the same. Jiho kept yelling, either not paying attention to Yongguk’s reaction or just ignoring it.

“Shut up, I’m coming!” Yongguk finally yelled back, sitting up and rubbing at his eyes. Jiho finally silenced for about five seconds before he started laughing instead. Yongguk opened his eyes just enough to glare at him.

“If this is a joke, I’ll strangle you,” he warned. Jiho kept laughing, but shook his head.

“Don’t worry, it’s not a joke. They’re waiting downstairs,” he informed his friend before he exited the room. Yongguk heaved a sigh and stretched before turning to look at Zelo who had emerged from underneath the pillow, but kept his eyes closed and his features relaxed. Yongguk smiled softly at the sight. He looked a little like an angel.

“You keep sleeping, okay?” he murmured and leaned down to kiss Zelo’s forehead. “I’ll be back soon.”

Zelo let out a small, tired hum and Yongguk rummaged around the wardrobe for a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt to exchange his pajama pants for before he went downstairs. Jiho hadn’t told him who this guest was and it’d be a little awkward to show up in front of a total stranger with a rather childish pajama.

The guest turned out to be Sungmin. He was sitting at the kitchen table across from Jiho, clutching a cup of hot chocolate in his hands. He lit up at the sight of Yongguk.

“Yongguk-sshi!” he called. Yongguk nearly laughed – it had been forever since anyone last called him Yongguk-sshi.

“Just Yongguk is fine,” he said and offered a smile for Sungmin before he turned to see what edible things they had in the fridge.

“Okay, Yongguk. I… Wanted to talk to you. About Kyuhyun,” Sungmin continued. Yongguk turned around with a raised eyebrow, unceremoniously shoving a piece of chocolate he’d found in his mouth.

“Didn’t fight again, did you?” he asked when he’d swallowed enough to be able to speak properly. Sungmin shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips.

“No, don’t worry. He was really sweet when he apologized and he’s behaved ever since,” he assured with a laugh. “But he’s entering a math competition at school and I want to have a surprise ready for him in case he wins, which I’m pretty sure he will.”

“Cho Kyuhyun the genius,” Jiho interjected while nodding seriously, eliciting laughs from both Sungmin and Yongguk. “I have to say I never expected him to end up with someone like you.”

“Well,” Sungmin said, shrugging. He seemed a little embarrassed. “Kyu and I are childhood friends. I was the first he confided in about his uality when he was thirteen. I got scared and ran away.”

“I’m glad you got over it,” Yongguk said, before a thought hit him and he frowned. “But he said… when he came to sit with me and Seobie-ah, he said he’d recently come to terms with it. His uality, I mean.”

“He told me about that. He said he tried to be straight because he wanted me back, but it didn’t work out and he finally accepted it three years later,” Sungmin informed him. “I’m sorry I caused him so much harm…”

“He’s fine now, right? That’s all that matters,” Yongguk assured.

It felt a little weird to give a twenty-year-old advice on how to surprise his eighteen-year-old boyfriend, even more so when a talented fifteen-year-old rapper sometimes interjected with ideas, but mostly fiddled with his phone. In the end, after about an hour long discussion, they decided they’d throw a party at Yongguk’s place and Sungmin left. Yongguk was about to go back upstairs to Zelo and his bed when Jiho grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled him back into the kitchen.

“I’m planning on confessing to Kyung today,” he said seriously. “I mean… I can’t take this anymore. If he doesn’t feel the same, at least I’ll know, right? But I keep noticing these little signs and I’m so scared I’m misinterpreting them…”

Yongguk was a little taken aback by Jiho’s suddenly nervous demeanor, but quickly got over it and pulled the younger teen into a hug.

“Don’t worry. If he’s really your friend, your best friend since childhood, he’ll stay your friend even if he doesn’t feel the same,” he said in a rather lame attempt at calming Jiho down. To his surprise, it seemed to work. Jiho took a deep breath and relaxed against Yongguk’s chest.

“Thanks. He’s coming over in half an hour,” he said as he broke free from Yongguk’s grasp.

“Okay. Do you want me to stay upstairs, or…?” he trailed off, but Jiho seemed to get what he meant and nodded.

“I’d appreciate it if you left us alone,” he agreed. Yongguk nodded and brought some breakfast upstairs for when Zelo woke up.

Zelo was once again lying in an odd position when Yongguk entered the room, but this time he seemed to be half-awake and a lot more uncomfortable.

“Silly,” Yongguk muttered as he helped him move into a more comfortable position, “why didn’t you move?”

“Tired,” Zelo murmured, leaning into Yongguk’s body heat. Yongguk chuckled and put an arm around him to pull him into his lap and hold him closer.

“Yeah, me too… I brought breakfast for you though. We can eat some when you’re more awake,” Yongguk said. Zelo let out a tired, airy hum and cuddled even close to Yongguk before he suddenly sat up straight, eyes wide.

“Breakfast?” he questioned and just as he’d said it, his stomach growled loudly. Yongguk stared at him for a moment before he burst into laughter, Zelo giggling along in embarrassment.

“That’s some impeccable timing,” Yongguk said once he’d calmed down. Zelo nodded, cheeks tinted red and still grinning.

“Feed me, hyung,” he demanded, bouncing a little on Yongguk’s lap. Yongguk was reminded of the time Zelo had told him he treasured Yongguk the most. How long ago was it? A year? Two? He wondered if Zelo still treasured him above anything and felt guilty when he realized how let down he must’ve felt when he neglected him.

“Okay,” he agreed to Zelo demand and pushed him off his lap so he could get the food he’d placed on his desk.

Zelo was like a baby bird; he opened his mouth wide until Yongguk gave him some food. Then he chewed, swallowed and opened his mouth again. It was incredibly adorable, Yongguk thought.

“Kyung’s coming over soon,” he told the younger. “Jiho’s planning on confessing to him and he’d rather we left them alone.”

Zelo nodded and opened his mouth for another bite of food which Yongguk gladly gave him. Yongguk chuckled.

“You really like food, don’t you?” he murmured. Zelo nodded, eyes shining and with a proud grin on his lips.

“Yes. But I like hyung the most!” he answered. Yongguk was certain his heart melted.

They sat in silence after that and both of them could clearly hear when the doorbell rang. They both listened as Jiho opened the door and greeted Kyung in his normal manner, if maybe with a bit of nervousness. After the rather loud greetings, the two started talking normally and Yongguk and Zelo could no longer hear anything of what was being said.

“I hope he won’t get his heart broken,” Yongguk murmured. Zelo sighed and nodded in agreement.

“Jiho-hyung has gone through enough already,” he said.

Yongguk had long since stopped being surprised at how mature Zelo was. Besides, he was eleven now. He was no longer the shy, mute eight year old Yongguk had taken under his wings. He kind of missed it, the times when Zelo was just a kid who followed Yongguk around everywhere, but he supposed everything had to change sooner and later. And all changes weren’t for the worse, right?

After a while there was the sound of two pair of feet coming up the stairs. There was some obnoxious, not at all Jiho-like – or Kyung-like, for that matter – giggling and the sound of kissing. Yongguk glanced over at Zelo, who was staring back at him with his eyebrows raised. Yongguk snorted.

“Seems that went well,” he muttered. Zelo giggled and nodded his head.

“I’m happy,” he said and Yongguk agreed.

The two went downstairs to watch a movie and left the two best friends – new lovers? – upstairs. They’d probably appreciate to be left alone and so Yongguk would let them be until they came to him first. Jiho came downstairs halfway through the movie, wearing a huge, stupid grin. Yongguk couldn’t help but grin back when he saw him.

“Went well?” he asked and Jiho surprised him by letting out one of those little giggles he’d heard before.

“Hyung,” he drawled, throwing himself on the couch next to the older, “I think I’m in love.”

Yongguk snorted and shoved at him as he’d landed half in his lap. Zelo glanced over at them but quickly averted his attention to the movie once more.

“That’s pretty obvious. What did he say?”

“Hm… He didn’t say anything at first. He just kinda… jumped me,” Jiho giggled again and Yongguk wished he’d just stop. It wasn’t like him at all. “But then he said he’d loved me since forever and he was glad I confessed first because he was really super scared.”

“That’s good. You dating now?” Yongguk was mostly asking because Jiho was like a little brother to him and he’d like to know what was happening in his life, but it was nice seeing him talk about something that made him happy too.

“Mm, I’m going to ask him later. He’s asleep now… He was pretty exhausted,” Jiho murmured. He was still smiling, but it wasn’t as wide and obnoxious anymore and his eyes were on the TV.

The three watched the movie in silence until Kyung came stumbling down the stairs and sat down in Jiho’s lap without opening his eyes more than halfway, it seemed.

“Hey,” Jiho murmured softly, treading his fingers through Kyung’s hair. “You awake now?”

“Barely,” Kyung grumbled in reply, sighing in satisfaction as Jiho continued playing with his hair.

“Kyung-hyung,” Zelo shyly spoke up after a while. He did speak around Kyung, but he was still cautious and shy around him. “Do you love Jiho-hyung?”

“Of course I do,” Kyung answered without a second though, cuddling even closer to Jiho. “Why?”

“I don’t… Please don’t hurt him,” Zelo murmured. Kyung heaved himself up just enough to be able to look over, amazement shown in his eyes. Yongguk was prouder than he probably should’ve been.

“I can’t promise anything,” Kyung said slowly, “but I’ll do all in my power to keep him safe and happy.”

Zelo seemed satisfied with the answer and returned his attention to the TV, chewing on his lower lip. Yongguk was pretty satisfied with the answer as well and he was certain there was no better partner for Jiho than Kyung; Kyung knew him like no one else and had always been there for him.

The comfortable silence was interrupted by Yongguk’s phone and he jumped as he got a text message. Zelo seemed to not notice, but Yongguk suspected he was just using the skills he’d acquired from being mute to pretend he didn’t notice his surroundings.

From: Seunghyun
To: BYG

Coming over with Jiyong. He insists on calling himself my ‘wife’, beware.

Yongguk snorted at the warning and sent a quick reply to tell them it was okay. Not that it mattered, they’d probably come over either way. And it wasn’t like Yongguk would care even if it wasn’t okay; Jiyong and Seunghyun were like family.

As Yongguk thought of the people he counted to his family, whether by blood or not, he remembered the time Kyuhyun had called him a people collector. Maybe he had been right, but Yongguk did not collect any kind of person.

All the people he’d collected so far were loyal, honest until brutality (Heechul), talented (Henry, Jiho) and a little crazy, but in the good way.

He hoped they would be friends for life.