written on 121214; edited on 130317; -- words long

Changjo sighed as he sat in homeroom with his phone out, texting his uncle back and forth. Don't get him wrong, he loved his family but he didn't exactly want to talk to them in class let alone about wasting his Friday night babysitting his baby cousin; a 5 month year old baby boy that was clingy and sought constant attention. It's not like it was his first time babysitting him, Changjo has been helping his aunt and uncle raise their first newborn, but it didn't change the fact that it was arduous.

He placed his phone back on the desk he sat at while his classmates mingled. Being how exams had just ended their homeroom teacher was celebrating with a small party that was also to celebrate someone's birthday. Byunghun had returned beside Changjo after talking to one of his friends- probably the birthday guy-- and glanced at the phone, "Who were you texting? Your boyfriend?"

Changjo shrugged off the idea, internally chuckling at the strained assumption, "It's my uncle. He's going out tonight..."

"So he's rubbing it in? Didn't think that you'd be going out at night, but I guess people... change," Byunghun sighed, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. He looked like he was going to apologize, but was cut off by Changjo.

It was a long shot, but Byunghun did say that he wanted to win the younger's heart back and what better way than to put him up against his greatest challenge by far? Babysitting the thing he hated the most in this world-- Kids.

Scenerios flashed in Changjo's head, a smile spreading from ear to ear, "You should help me babysit my baby cousin."

"... What?" Byunghun's face wrinkled in disgust, obviously disliking the idea, "Why would I do that?"

"You wanted to win me back, right?" Changjo pressed on, "And you said you hated kids right? You gotta babysit my cousin. Think of it as... a measure of how serious you are."

"Yeah, okay. How serious are you?" Byunghun protested, letting out a short, sweet whine. Changjo couldn't remember ever hearing his ex whine, so he burnt the sound of it into his memory for future reference. It was, for the lack of a better word, cute. "I mean, you're not going to seriously turn this into one of those cheesy drama type things are you?"

"I'm very serious," Changjo shrugged, picking up his buzzing phone to continue his other conversation with his Uncle, "I guess I am, but you don't have to--"

"Fine, I'll do it." Byunghun sighed, running a hand through his hair. Changjo smiled and nodded, satisfied with the older's answer.

Changjo shoved his phone into his uniform pocket and looked up to Byunghun, "We'll pick him up after school then. I can't wait."

Byunghun rolled his eyes at the younger's smile and turned away to pick at his plate of food, promptly offering some of it to Changjo like he had originally planned to.

---

"Were you planning on telling me that this kid was going to be 5 months?!" Byunghun harshly whispered, not wanting to wake up the sleeping bundle of heavy in the baby carrier. They were walking a few blocks to get to Changjo's house and he was forced to carry the baby carrier as Changjo led the way.

"Nope, you would have ended up backing out I bet," Changjo grinned, pulling out his house keys from his backpack and opening the front door and holding it open for the two new arrivals. "I don't think you expect our house to be clean, and it isn't but just find somewhere to stay I suppose."

Byunghun quickly waddled to the living room couch, placing down the baby carrier before he let himself fall onto the couch. His eyes trailed back to Changjo who was treading up to his room to change. He sighed and looked down at the baby carrier to inspect Changjo's cousin.

The last thing he expected were two big, round eyes staring back at him. He stiffened a bit before calling out for the younger boy, startling the baby into a fit that caused Changjo to rush down the stairs with his shirt halfway on, "Why are you two making so much noise?!"

"He woke up!" Byunghun plainly stated, finger pointed at the baby. Changjo rolled his eyes as he pulled on his shirt and turned the baby carrier towards him as he unbuckled the fussing baby, cooing and gently humming to calm him down. Gently scooping the baby into his arms Changjo settled next to Byunghun and rocked the baby, occasionally glancing at Byunghun.

"He's not that bad you know," Changjo stated with an amused smile as his cousin calmed down a bit and, after Changjo had propped him up against his shoulder, had began reaching for the older's hair. "And he likes you."

Byunghun leaned his head forward, tilting it so his fringe fell forward and watched as the youngest gripped tightly onto his hair and pulled it and him towards his mouth. A small smile spread across his lips, a chuckle shaking his own shoulders a bit.

"Do you want to hold him?" Changjo shook a bit and sat his cousin on Byunghun's lap. His cousin turned to look up in amazement as he brought his small fist to his mouth to bite down on.

"Uh... Do I have to?" Byunghun shifted a bit under the light weight shift. Changjo laughed and instructed the older to hold his cousin's neck as he shifted him into his arms to carry him into the kitchen.

"Would you rather feed him?" Changjo opened what he called the 'special cabinet'-- a cabinet set aside by his own parents for regular visits from the new parents and newborn-- pulling out a jar of baby food. "He likes their carrot stuff the best."

Byunghun smiled as he watched Changjo struggle to open the jar; at least he was still the same Changjo he dated in some aspects. "Do you need help, Jonghyun-ah~?"

Changjo pouted, placing the jar of baby food on the counter and reaching for the baby, "Sh-Shut up and just open it."

Byunghun laughed as he handed the younger his cousin and procceeded to open the jar, looking up and noticing that there were colorful plastic spoons in the cabinet and grabbed one as he met Changjo at the kitchen island. Changjo sat on one stool, his arms wrapped protectively around the baby's waist and Byunghun sat across with the baby food in one hand and spoon in the other. Changjo leaned forward a bit, hair falling perfectly into place as he watched the older feed the baby.

"I thought you hated kids," Changjo questioned, blankly staring at his cousin again. He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy this.

"I'm not doing this for him," Byunghun stated, "I'm doing it for you. I'm willing to do anything for you."

Byunghun carefully watched the younger's reaction, heart almost tearing in two as he watched Changjo try to wipe the tears before the older could see it. Something had definitely changed, and it was his own fault.