Tuesdays.

Tuesday was always Pancake Day at the coffee shop.  Ryeowook, the kind and sweet chef, would always cook up a storm because it was always a favourite – especially with teenage girls.  Customers loved Pancake Day and flocked like hungry birds to the shop.  Yesung kind of wondered if it was partially the melt-in-your-mouth pancakes and partially the eye candy.  After all, due to the increase in customers Yesung had to hire a few more employees, especially for Tuesdays.  So not only was it just Yesung and Donghae serving the small place but also Heechul and Leeteuk.  It was no joke that all of them were beyond dashing, handsome, pretty, you name it. 

At about two in the afternoon, Yesung would have to quickly dash out of the coffee shop, vehemently apologising to his employees that he had to pick up Kibum.  He’d carry the tiny boy in his arms as he sprinted back to the coffee shop, apologising furiously as he returned to an even more packed shop.  Heechul would usually whack him over the head and roll his eyes at his frantic younger brother before scolding him, saying that “Instead of saying sorry you should just use the energy to serve some customers, idiot.  How are you my brother again?” 

Yesung, whilst breathing a sigh of relief that the coffee shop hadn’t collapsed or exploded or disappeared off the face of the earth in the two minutes he had used to get Kibum, set the said boy on the counter kissed him on the forehead.  “If you need anything ask Uncle Heechul, okay?  Umma has to work now, I love you Kibum-ah.” He’d usually say before going to the closest table and asking whether they’d like maple syrup with their serving of pancakes.

Kibum would often swing his legs gleefully, smiling and giggling as Yesung buzzed around the shop, trying to satisfy all the dreamy eyed customers.  Kibum, strangely enough, actually loved Tuesdays. On regular days he would be brought to the back room to play or do whatever it was that five year olds did.  Yesung would have the time and space to breathe and check on him at regular intervals but that was not the case with Tuesdays.  He’d have to rush in and out of the kitchen, and zip to almost every table in the span of about five minutes.  He didn’t have the time to check so chose to keep Kibum in eyesight and let him sit on the side of the counter. 

If he couldn’t keep a constant eye on the boy, Heechul could.  The older man was an utter slacker, he was basically only there to man the counter, because Donghae was busy serving customers, and look pretty.  He also had a ridiculously soft spot for Kibum so Yesung could more or less concentrate on work and count on Heechul to take care of his kid.  And whilst it might seem ridiculous to leave a child in the care of Heechul – as in Kim Heechul, the diva that hated to get his fingernail chipped – Yesung knew he could trust him.  It was Heechul, after all, that took care of him when he was young and his parents were out.

Actually, Kibum really liked his Uncle Heechul.  He was pretty, almost as pretty as Umma, and always entertained Kibum with funny stories about Yesung when he was just as small as Kibum himself.  Hanging out with Uncle Heechul always made his after school Tuesday experience all the more rich, more exciting and Kibum loved Tuesdays even more. 

But what he didn’t like about Tuesdays were the constant stares Yesung managed to garner.  Be it from males or females, their eyes would follow Yesung like a hawk and sometimes Kibum would spot them sigh happily if Yesung came to serve their table.  It really made him frown.  Those strangers didn’t deserve to look at his Umma like that because Umma belonged to Kibum and his Appa.  Not that he’d ever say that out loud because that would mean admitting that Kibum secretly shared Yesung with Kyuhyun.  And he couldn’t let Kyuhyun know that because then Kyuhyun would just monopolise Yesung and Kibum wouldn’t get to fight with his Appa over who Umma loved more and Kibum liked those fights even though he loved Appa but he loved Umma too and… and it was really complex, okay!  It was really complicated living as a five year old Kibum, really.

Anyway… Heechul would often catch Kibum scowling, laughing heartily as he saw the young boy glare baby holes into a girl that bashfully asked for Yesung’s phone number.  Yesung would always decline, sadly saying that it would be unprofessional of him to hand out such a thing to a customer.  But even then, it still clearly irked the hell out of a five year old Kibum.  It was terribly funny because the kid was clearly jealous or possessive or perhaps even both.  Kibum could never understand why Heechul would chuckle and pinch his cheek and would pout at the older, taller man, whining that “Uncle Heechul you don’t understand!  It’s not funny!” And Kibum would fume and throw a mini tantrum but Heechul would just chuckle more at the sheer hilarity of it all.

What Kibum and Heechul could both agree was not funny, however, was whenever a ‘dirty, disgusting, good-for-nothing ert’ (as Heechul would kindly word it, often more colourfully, this was the clean version for Kibum’s ears) walked in through the doors.  The only value they seemed to have would be their good eye in attractive males because they could not seem to take their wide, observing eyes off of Yesung, for even a second.  Some would even make a quick tap, a fleeting touch and the especially audacious ones would make a .

The coffee shop was often much too much for Yesung to pay these particular customers much attention, often putting it to the back of his mind.  And he just hoped that the hand that had just touched his bottom was just his imagination.  Heechul said that he was being too nice for not letting him deck them but Yesung said he was just being professional and diplomatic – they were after all paying customers.  Heechul would be subdued with Yesung touching his arm and asking sweetly to just let it go, but Kibum would be much too displeased to fall for the honeyed smile.  His Umma was clearly uncomfortable and he simply couldn’t have that.

At the end of the day, when the shop had ushered their last customer out, when Donghae and Ryeowook were mopping the floor, Yesung would pick Kibum off of the counter and kiss his forehead.  The boy would usually be drawing some colourful stick figure, showing it off with a big grin and Yesung could only smile back and shower the boy with kisses. 

And when they get back, they’ll be greeted with a bear hug from Kyuhyun – one that Kibum usually complains about.  It’s only on Tuesdays that Kyuhyun gets home earlier than Yesung because Tuesdays are long days for the coffee shop.  But it’s only really very little, because Kyuhyun earns a load and definitely has to put in the hours to get it, and Kyuhyun usually will have only gotten his tie and jacket off, perhaps maybe the top few buttons of his dress shirt undone.  He’d usually be totally exhausted from a long day of business deals and incompetent staff but would only fill with happiness when he saw his son and lover walk through the door.  After all, Tuesdays weren’t so bad, much better than Mondays anyways.

Yesung would, obviously, greet him with a kiss which Kibum thoroughly doesn’t appreciate, because usually he’s still in Yesung’s arms and being squashed between two bodies.  Yesung would chuckle at Kibum’s cuteness before setting the boy down and Kyuhyun would usually sneak another kiss.  After all, Yesung would usually have the scent of pancakes hanging all over him and Kyuhyun would have to resist the temptation of tasting every inch of skin.

Perhaps Kibum was lucky that Yesung had a strong will against Kyuhyun and his grabby hands, else he would’ve been scarred for life from a very young age.  If Yesung felt wandering hands, or lips, there’d be a slap, possibly a kick and a “Kyuhyun!  Behave!  Kibum is still here!” Kyuhyun would whimper like a puppy, beg for forgiveness and only receive an adorable Yesung pouting at him before he stomped off to make dinner.  If he stayed a second longer he might just give into Kyuhyun’s cuteness and let him do whatever the hell he wanted.

And whilst Yesung stir fried some vegetables and cooked the rice, Kibum would sit in his Appa’s lap at the dining room and tell him all about his day.  From his nice kindergarten teacher to his new best friend Lee Hyukjae.  And from when Yesung picked him up to when they were leaving the coffee shop. He most certainly never left out the part where his Umma was taken advantage of – but in much simpler language because Kibum was still only five.  Kyuhyun, much too used to similar recounts, would calm the fuming Kibum down and say that “Umma is big already; he can take care of himself.  And when he can’t, Appa will protect him.”

Usually, that’d keep Kibum satisfied until the next Tuesday when another harasser would get on his nerves but Kyuhyun would deal with that next week.  But even with his rather calm countenance, it was clear that a monster was burning under Kyuhyun’s skin.  After dinner was all done and Yesung and Kyuhyun had tucked a squeaky clean Kibum into bed… that was when it all started surfacing.  It was when they were crawling into bed, Yesung usually with his reading glasses on and novel in hand, that Kyuhyun’s guilt would explode. 

He’d pull an unsuspecting Yesung into his arms, cradling him softly and sweetly, whispering countless “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you”s.  And every time Yesung would say that it was alright, that it was all fine, that it wasn’t bad.  If Heechul told him what happened, then the diva was just being the overprotective older brother that he was.  If Kibum told him, then Kibum was just being Kibum. Even then, Kyuhyun was regretful, still squeezing the life out of Yesung and Yesung could only chuckle and kiss him on the lips.  Kyuhyun would eventually settle down, Yesung still snuggled tightly in his arms, but Yesung decided he liked the snuggles.  Whether they stayed like that for the rest of the night or not, Yesung didn’t mind.

Tuesdays were the days of cuddles and warmth and pancake scented skin, with a little bit of regret and angst, but still… it was much than spending the whole night alone, right?

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Word Count: 1.8K

(how did this get so long? LOL)