"You're mad at appa."

Junhyung’s quick pupils cut to the rearview mirror and away from the road at that utterance. The silver beautifully reflected the image of Yoseob buckled securely in the back seat. The four-year-old’s eyes that more often than not churned brightly with chocolate were stuck like paste on his black school shoes that he tried to tie himself. The little boy was upset. His thoughts were caked onto his face as he concentrated on the thoughts, sounds and images from the night before between his parents… He also noticed that Junhyung didn’t give Doojoon a kiss after breakfast when they parted for the school. Junhyung always gave Doojoon a kiss after breakfast…

Junhyung, however, ignored that small statement and yielded before making a left at the light. He would normally ward off physically wearing his emotions in Yoseob’s presence until he could be alone with himself. As of late, doing that and keeping himself together was becoming harder and harder to do.

Junhyung pulled into the specified drop-off lane at Yoseob’s kindergarten. Yoseob unbuckled himself, opened the car door, kicked his legs and squirmed out of the vehicle. He walked around to where his umma stood for his ritual touch-up. Junhyung corrected Yoseob’s white collar and sleeves. He combed over his honey-brown hair with his fingers so that his locks appropriately hugged around his fresh round face. Usually the two of them would be smiling as Junhyung did this but, again, this was not a typical morning. Junhyung did a final brush-over Yoseob’s pants and neatened his socks…

…Then he saw his shoes. Junhyung was surprised to find his “rabbit ears” sloppily undone. He had tied Yoseob’s shoes before they left the house.

“What happened…? Did you try to tie them yourself?” Junhyung asked.

“I didn’t do a good job…” Yoseob pouted, “I couldn’t get the bunnies’ ears right.”

Junhyung, amused, smiled genuinely at the boy, “You’ll get there. Don’t give up…”

“Why are you mad at appa?”

Junhyung was tying Yoseob’s left shoe and brushing the invisible dirt specks off Yoseob’s buttoned blouse when hit with this inquiry. There were thousands of reasons for his anger, but here were a few: Doojoon’s unwillingness to find another job. Doojoon’s sudden global trips that he “had” to take due to his job. Doojoon’s time-consuming job. Junhyung having to work a second job he inarguably hated because of Doojoon’s job. Less intimacy because of Doojoon’s job… All of those things Yoseob was too young to comprehend. All he knew was his parents were not happy with each other. And it was very blatant.

Junhyung retied both shoes; Yoseob was wearing two rabbits again, “You shouldn’t worry about that, Seobie. Only grown-ups. Only me and appa.”

Just as Junhyung had done, Yoseob ignored his statement and meddled further. “Did appa do something bad again?”

Junhyung looked up to the boy to lightly scold him for not listening. But then he saw his eyes. Yoseob’s irresistible fishbowl eyes made his stomach fold. A little face like that should not be weighed with sadness. Junhyung mindlessly fussed with Yoseob’s collar again…

“Appa and I are just having bad days… But we’re going to make everything right again,” he reached up and pinched Yoseob’s cheeks with his thumbs, soft enough to make them glow, “No more sad faces.”

Yoseob caught the contagion, so his lips also curled to the morning sky, “Okay. You too, umma. No more sad faces… and no crying.”

Junhyung paused for only a moment that he could feel, then pulled the little one into his arms for a big hug.

“Have fun today… Make me another pretty picture, okay?”

“I will, umma,” Yoseob pecked Junhyung’s cheek before hobbling towards the building. He took the assistant teacher’s hand in his.

“Bye bye!” Yoseob called back.

“Bye, baby.”

The assistant teacher waved to Junhyung assuredly after guiding Yoseob inside. Junhyung waved and got back in his car…

♥

“…Doojoon. I’m sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to get so angry and loud… and I didn’t mean the things I said… At all. I’m just so stressed and worried about everything… I don’t know what to do… but I really want you to be happy and love what you’re doing. That’s all I want for you. And for us. Um, I’ll try and be home as soon as I can…” Junhyung sighed, his lips, “…I love you baby. I do…”

Junhyung hung up and was transferred back to the home screen where a happy picture of the couple and their naturally sunny child beautified his phone. It always made him smile. On those hard, impossible days, it reminded him of why he was holding on, why he was working that endless second job… It was for that little boy. It was for that beautiful man who treated him so well and whom Junhyung knew still had his heart…

He slipped on his apron and proceeded walked inside his cupcake shop.

Doojoon was a columnist. Specifically, a food critic for a well-to-do food magazine. He was a very popular one, having exceptional taste and a bottomless stomach, and everywhere he traveled, if a certain dish from a certain restaurant took his liking, business boomed exponentially. If it didn’t, they were considered to be very lucky to be in business after a month or so. It was an everyday struggle to keep their heads above the radar after an unsatisfactory report from Yoon Doojoon.

So how did he come to meet Yong Junhyung?

By cupcakes.

Now those who know Junhyung would not immediately think of cupcakes.

But Junhyung’s heart was in the kitchen. He loved to bake desserts, but as time progressed he harnessed a strong love for the petite cakes. That love moved him to become an entrepreneur and thusly springing up his own cupcake shop. His shop was a tiny cutesy box strategically trapped between two other neighboring stores. Junhyung got great business and feedback for his adorable, flavorful creations, having -- mostly -- women flocking to his cozy little shop day after day, rain or shine.

The word spread and eventually buzzed in Doojoon’s interested ears. It was a small buzz, but apparently this little cupcake joint was worth at least browsing. He canceled his next appearance to this Mediterranean eatery and scheduled in its spot “Sweet Yong”. Junhyung heard nothing of his impending arrival, but noted the random influx of customers.

“Are you Yong Junhyung?” was the question spoken by Doojoon that ultimately linked their fates. Junhyung replied with a long “Yes”.

Doojoon introduced himself and explained his profession, then asked for every flavor cupcake Junhyung had listed on the menu. Junhyung gave him a look of incredulousness. But Doojoon meant what he requested. Junhyung told him it would take a while if he minded waiting, but Doojoon was willing to wait.

And he did wait, until Junhyung personally baked and presented Doojoon all twenty flavors.

“I think there may be one missing,” Doojoon said to him that day with a gleam in his eye. Junhyung saw that gleam quite clearly… So Doojoon -- armed with a pen and pad and a mystified audience about him -- ate every small cake Junhyung had baked, creamed and decorated with such care. The latter would occasionally glance at the man in wonder as he took incoming orders and their eyes would meet each time, Doojoon intelligently sampling the cupcake with a broad smirk. It took him all but an hour to eat them. He thanked Junhyung for his service and time… but he never gave him his expert opinions of his cakes when he finished. Though two weeks later, an employee of Junhyung’s showed him a column of the food magazine Doojoon worked with.

The skinny paragraph praised and applauded Sweet Yong for its light and happy creations. The critic gave the shop a “4.5” for creativity and taste, and a “5” for hospitality. As Junhyung read on, he found out that Doojoon favored the carrot cupcake: “….The carrot cupcake was the sweetest by far with its buttery light-as-fluff icing, but I believe I have yet to taste the sweetest cupcake of all,” Doojoon reported.

It registered to Junhyung that he was the “missing” cupcake from that day. And Doojoon wanted to taste him. His lovely cheeks pinked. How interesting…

Doojoon returned to the eatery two weeks after, just to snack on a carrot cupcake he’d been pining for… and personally to get to know the owner a bit better~ Doojoon’s obvious interest in Junhyung was stressed in every word he exchanged with him, with every twinkle in his eye and every dimple created in his handsome side smiles. Junhyung felt awkward, because in a predicament such as the one he was in, it was usually Junhyung who did the sweet talking. Now the tables were so awkwardly turned. It felt new, but he didn’t dislike Doojoon’s flirting. It was flattering.

Two weeks became one week, then one week became every other day… Doojoon’s persistence paid off grandly when a buttered-up Junhyung finally accepted his invitation to a casual date.

And more casual dates followed, which were followed up by fancier dates where Doojoon and Junhyung began to share the intimate details of their lives. For example, Doojoon had a “son”, and yes, Doojoon literally added the air quotes when telling the very much confused Junhyung this. He either had a son, or he didn’t, right? And if he did, didn’t that mean he wasn’t only attracted to men, but women, too?

But Doojoon definitely had a story behind his air quotes. His beloved sister had complications in childbirth and tragically passed away. He took custody of her child with the father out of the picture. Junhyung met baby Yoseob when Doojoon invited him in his home. Even as his blood uncle, Junhyung saw Doojoon spring into a loving father every instant their sweet brown eyes read one another. He would sing to him and play with him and watch him sleep in his cradle while holding quiet conversations with Junhyung. They shared a beautiful bond…

Junhyung would be part of that bond. He spent more ‘noons and nights with Doojoon and Yoseob. Yoseob was a touchy infant towards others, but Junhyung obviously had a lull about him since the teeny, chubby boy would fall silent and gawk at him constantly with his shiny, baby eyes when being awkwardly cradled in his arms. Doojoon had Junhyung over three times a week… getting to know him more… learning his heart… and drawing closer to it. Junhyung could definitely feel him tugging.

“Seobie really likes you. He’s starting to look for you,” Doojoon told him one day, that being one of his various hints that he dropped on Junhyung, using Yoseob sort of like a glue to gravitate them closer. Doojoon would call him “Umma Jun” and get hit by him a couple times because of this, but Junhyung certainly loved the boy, and, though he would not admit it himself, he was starting to realize his feelings for the smooth-talking man that burrowed inside him over time…

But it would be Doojoon who would make things official, and on a wintry night, fairly close to Christmas.

The three of them were huddled on the couch… warm and together. Junhyung was feeding baby Yoseob a warm bottle of milk while Doojoon watched closely… very closely. He watched how lovingly Junhyung embraced and looked upon his child, how close a bond they had developed. Yoseob seemed to trust Junhyung. That gave Doojoon ever the more justification to reel the man’s heart in.

He called Junhyung by his name. Junhyung turned his head.

Doojoon laid his lips upon Junhyung’s directly, kissing him fully.

Doojoon afterwards draped his arm about Junhyung’s shoulder, staring into his soul with the dreamiest eyes…

And that is how Yong Junhyung became the new addition to his family.

♥

Yoseob always left school hours earlier on Fridays. It was a part of the school’s program.

After Junhyung’s shift at the shop that conveniently ended thirty minutes before Yoseob’s dismissal, he quickly swung by the nearest market for ingredients to one of Doojoon’s favorite dishes out of the thousands. He was eager to get home to his lover and do as he promised his baby he would do and make things right.

Junhyung rolled into the pick-up lot. Yoseob came bolting out of the glass door. He opened the car door “all by himself” and strapped the seatbelt around his body. Junhyung’s eyes switched from the mirror to the road as he drove off, lightly grinning.

“Did you have a fun day?”

“Yes!! Very fun!”

“I made you cupcakes.”

The child’s eyes sparkled with that young enthusiasm.

“You made Seobie cakes?!”

“Two double chocolates.”

“Can I eat one now?!”

“After dinner.”

Yoseob pleaded and bargained with his umma all the way to the house.

Junhyung squinted as the vehicle approached his it…

…Something wasn’t right.

Everything looked normal on the outside. Their house wasn’t burning… Doojoon was home, his car parked in the garage. Then why…? Why did Junhyung feel so uncomfortably anxious?

“Baby stay in the car okay? Don’t get out. Don’t play with anything up front, either.”

Yoseob didn’t understand, but the look in his umma’s deep brown eyes made him nod. Junhyung saw worry in Yoseob’s face, so he summoned an honest and playful smile, “And don’t touch the cupcakes, either.”

“I wooon’t~”

Junhyung got out of his car, kept it comfortably running for Yoseob and closed the door quietly.

As he stepped up to their door, he discovered the reason why his sixth sense was rattling.

The door was cracked.

Junhyung’s heart became a painful drum in his … a painful drum that told him not to enter. But he said that .

Stealthily silent, Junhyung entered with feet as light as fog. There was a light and disturbingly cute laugh from what he thought came from the kitchen, and it definitely was not from Doojoon. Junhyung, being tempted and led by curiosity and his fluttering heart, moved the quietest he’s ever moved in his life towards that part of the house. He snooped around the corner, following that little string of giggles… and a sudden, added string of chuckles from Doojoon. The need to know intensified… Who was in there with his man making him laugh?

“I promise you. It’s good, sweetie…” he heard Doojoon say. Junhyung peeked a little past the corner…

On the right side, Doojoon stood in front -- and super close -- to another person. A man. A blonde man who was positioned in front of Doojoon, sitting on the edge of the kitchen counter with his thighs embracing Doojoon’s hips. Doojoon was holding a spoon to this other male’s coral smirking lips.

“Try it~”

“What is it?” the blonde asked lightly, his eyes flicking up warmly into Doojoon’s.

“It’s pudding.”

“What kind of pudding~?”

“Just eat it. I bought it just for you, baby.”

“That’s my Joonie~ Always so sweet…”

His Joonie? Junhyung didn’t know what force was withholding him from breaking that ’s back, but it was successful in doing so. The blondie’s orbs made love to Doojoon’s and, slowly, his lips separated. Doojoon, watching him with lust, spooned the helping into his mouth and dragged the spoon out. Then he dropped it.

Before it even clinked to the floor, Doojoon jerked the boy onto his body, his lips meshing with the other’s and kissing him with an angry passion.

Junhyung’s heart made its slowest thump, almost as if it were coming to a fatal standstill. He was drinking the y scene before him. A bitter, venomous taste lingered in the back of his throat…

His eyes were lying. They had to be. So Junhyung blinked.

And they weren’t.

Well, maybe he had fallen asleep, in spite of feeling very much awake…

…Which he was.

No… this was not right. Junhyung wanted to scream and skin the blonde alive and lock Doojoon in a choke hold.

But he did something amazing: he fell back.

Junhyung silently exited the home, leaving it as if he were never there. Tears were stinging his dry eyes with their sudden, overwhelming moisture. His breathing was short and irregular, his mind was spiraling, he felt like he was in someone else’s body. Like he was experiencing something from someone else’s life. Because this wasn’t his life. But oh, correction.

It was.

Junhyung was approaching his car with the waiting Yoseob inside. He couldn’t go back inside falling apart in front of his child…

He reentered his car like a swift wind -- almost throwing himself back inside -- and swerved onto the street, calm and misleadingly collected. Yoseob was just as wide-eyed and befuddled as any child would be. Why weren’t they going home? Did something happen?

“I think one cupcake and some ice cream wouldn’t be too bad,” Junhyung spoke. Yoseob crackled with glee. He was getting cupcakes and ice cream! The boy started listing flavors. Junhyung “mm”ed and “yeah”ed at him, half-listening, half-fuming. His cheeks were effortlessly puffed and bled with an upset red. His hands strangled the steering wheel. His eyes were still wet and rung with pink.

That sight: Doojoon and that other boy with the spidery arms and legs propped up on his kitchen counter the lips off of him.

Junhyung couldn’t remember the last time him and Doojoon kissed atop a counter, or any surface that wasn’t a mattress. He was always “tired”, but apparently not too tired for his little .

♥

Creamy vanilla ice cream and a double chocolate cupcake. Yoseob’s happiness was indescribable. He and his umma were sitting outside the ice cream parlor at a table, snacking on creamed sugar… Or Yoseob was. As he ate, he recited all the numbers he could remember from class in a sing-song rhythm, repeating some more than others and going completely out of order, but he didn’t care. The supposedly-listening Junhyung was clasping his ice cream cone, but he hadn’t even started on it. His eyes hadn’t moved from table.

Doojoon was with another man. Doojoon was cheating.

For how long? Since when? Why?

Wasn’t he happy?

Junhyung didn’t want to be there. He wished to be by himself. But of course he couldn’t do that. He had Yoseob to look after. His baby… He was only not on a flight to some random destination because of him.

Why would Doojoon do something like that to him and their family…? Bringing another person into the picture was the last of the absolute last things Junhyung needed added to his plate of worries.

“Did you hear me umma?!”

Junhyung didn’t catch that. Yoseob slowly his ice cream cone… He was observing his distant umma. Yoseob could see that he was thinking, but he could not see what. Yoseob did see that he wasn’t eating his ice cream or cupcake.

“What’s wrong?” Yoseob asked sadly. Junhyung jumped as if the boy yelled this at him.

“Nothing, Seobie. I’m just… thinking. Umma’s thinking.”

“About appa?”

Junhyung blank.

“Yes--” Junhyung finally looked at Yoseob. The boy had chocolate crumbles on his lips, on his shirt, in his lap… Everywhere. Ice cream, too. All over his face.

Junhyung laughed as hard as he grabbed the napkins he had with him and cleaned the boy’s round cheeks and lips.

“You are so messy. It must be really good.”

“Umma’s cupcakes are always good. Why won’t you eat yours?”

Junhyung tried to avoid Yoseob’s pupils. They were glassy black holes that had ways of imminently luring the man into them. Junhyung made the crumbles fall off Yoseob’s stained blouse and onto the concrete.

“I’m gonna wait till after dinner, but I’ve decided that you’ve been a very good boy in dealing with me and appa’s problems, so you get a treat. I’m… I’m sorry that you had to listen to that last night… It won’t happen anymore. We are going to make everything better again.”

“It’s okay, umma.”

Junhyung smiled and pat his little knee. He salvaged his own uneaten cupcake and placed it back in the soft-yellow box right beside Yoseob’s second double chocolate cupcake… and Doojoon’s three carrot cupcakes.

“Five cupcakes left!” proclaimed Yoseob, fairly proud.

Junhyung flinched at the exclamation. Yoseob leaned over him to look straight into the box.

“One, two, three, four, five. Five cupca--!”

--And Yoseob’s whole ice cream dropped into Junhyung’s lap. The boy’s little sphere’s widened and started apologizing immediately, though with giggles. Junhyung giggled, too, genuine giggles that only a warm little child such as Yoseob could elicit from someone suffocating so much pain.

♥

Junhyung walked through the front door of his home. He was just as heavy as he had been when he first entered. Doojoon’s little office was positioned next to the front door. He was editing a review when he heard his lover come through. Junhyung hang his keys on the nifty key holder suspended from the wall. He lugged the groceries from the market into the kitchen and onto the counter. But on the opposite side from where Doojoon and his toy played.

…Then he stopped… and he marinated on that scene again. But not with sorrow and wonder. With anger. More anger than before.

“Junhyung? Was that you?” Doojoon called. Junhyung came to.

“Yeah,” he answered. He started taking the cold vegetables from the paper bags. Doojoon materialized around the corner. He noticed the absence of his little glowing doll and his afternoon hug.

“Where’s Yoseob?”

“At Kikwang’s. I’ll get him right before dinner.”

“Ah… Okay.” Doojoon moved closer to his love. Junhyung focused on the food. So the next thing he knew, Doojoon was swallowing him up from behind, arms wrapped tight around his waist. Junhyung relaxed, sighing. He denied himself to believe that Doojoon was doing this out of love, but in reality, his arms never felt so good. He’d been needing Doojoon to hold him all week like this. Doojoon’s lips skated to his neck. His kiss tickled delightfully.

“Want some help?”

“I can do it,” Junhyung replied frailly.

“I got your message…” Doojoon hummed. Junhyung turned so that he would be face-to-face with him. He was slow about it, but Junhyung connected his line of sight with Doojoon’s. He saw love in his deep brown eyes… But how much of that love was authentic? Or was it even real? Junhyung felt mixed about the whole thing, so he stopped looking and dropped his chin…

Doojoon pulled it back up.

“I’m sorry for putting you through all this… I don’t know why you put up with it, and with me. But I love you, too. And I want to see you happy. I’m gonna work on us… We’re gonna be alright. Just let me worry about everything, baby. Alright?”

“Okay,” Junhyung breathed, caught with his lips open. Doojoon gracefully trapped Junhyung into the softest, assuring kiss. Junhyung’s body reacted before he could think. He jumped desperately into Doojoon’s mouth due to being starved off from any form or display of affection from the man for days. Doojoon responded strongly, braiding his fingers in Junhyung’s hair. It was times and kisses like these that made Junhyung feel so lucky to have a man like him. But Junhyung remembered. He was sharing Doojoon now. Doojoon -- mind, body and soul -- wasn’t entirely his.

The kiss ended prematurely, for that thought messed with him. But he assured that nothing was wrong by smiling sweetly at his lover.

“What’re you making?” Doojoon asked.

Junhyung smirked past his hurt, “One of your favorites.”

Doojoon’s cheeks looked like they hurt from smiling so wide. “Sounds good to me.” He returned to his diligent work to leave Junhyung to his. Dinnertime was at eight-thirty. Doojoon offered to pick up Yoseob from Kikwang’s home, but Junhyung denied and said he would make the short trip across the street. He wanted to get Doojoon situated first for a meal he would never forget.

Junhyung pulled out his lover’s chair and Doojoon sat down. He placed the plate of hot food atop his tablemat…

“It looks really good.”

“Thank you. Would you like some tea?”

“Yes, please.”

Junhyung went back into the kitchen, grabbed the kettle and poured his lover a cup. He walked to the dining table again and placed Doojoon’s mug down, but frowned a little at the insufficient amount he realized he had poured him. Doojoon reached to have a sip…

“Here, let me give you a little more…” Junhyung offered, adding more green tea to the cup. Doojoon smiled at him as he chewed, caressing Junhyung’s lower back. “That’s good. That’s enough for me,” he said.

“Are you sure?”

“Mmhm.”

“Okay.”

And Junhyung poured the entire cup of blistering tea onto Doojoon’s lap.

Doojoon’s resulting scream could be heard three houses down. It pierced Junhyung’s eardrums pleasingly. Doojoon tumbled out of his chair and staggered on the floor, twitching and crying out in unadulterated, unmistakable anguish. Junhyung watched in satisfaction and allowed Doojoon seconds to compose himself before asking a brief and simple question.

“Who’s your , Doojoon?” Junhyung asked, borderline insane.

Doojoon looked terrified and in pain and unsure. “What the ?!”

“Who is your , Yoon Doojoon?” Junhyung repeated, impatient, red easing onto his face.

“What are you talking about?! What ‘’?!”

Junhyung flipped Doojoon’s plate of food off the table in a fit. The heavy saucer clattered to the floor, close to Doojoon’s head, but sparing it. It was hard plastic. Junhyung’s lips were dangerously twisted, eyes bloodshot, wet and glaring needles to the man lying petrified in a curled ball.

“Who the is he?”

“Jun. I haven’t a clue what you’re--”

“--BE A ING MAN AND TELL ME THE TRUTH, DOOJOON!”

“I AM TELLING YOU THE TRUTH!”

Junhyung blinked at those words. He looked in his lover’s serious, trembling slits. Doojoon knew he was telling a lie. He was lying to his lover’s face… his lover of nearly five years.

Junhyung his heel for their bedroom, roughly popping his ankle out its joint. “Can’t believe this …”

Doojoon, even in pain, followed hurriedly. By the time he’d gotten there, Junhyung had already scrounged up a suitcase and had it laid open on their bed. He kept moving back and forth from the closet in a flurry, ripping clothes off the bars and throwing them into and on top of the suitcase, still attached to their clothing hangers.

“B-Baby. What are you doing?” Doojoon asked, frightened.

“What does it look like?”

Junhyung was leaving him…?

“Babe… Baby, no…” Doojoon stood in between the closet and tenderly grasped Junhyung’s arm, “Jun--”

Junhyung forcefully shoved Doojoon out of the way -- “…Don't in’ touch me.” -- and walked inside the closet for more clothes.

“Where are you going?!”

Junhyung snorted. “Where am I going? You mean where are you going.”

Doojoon looked to the suitcase… and he realized that Junhyung was throwing out his clothes. So many thoughts were entering his mind as this played out before him… But one prominent thought regarded their little boy. How would he fair without him there?

“I can’t just… Wh… What about Yoseob?”

Junhyung threw down the blouse strangled in his left hand and stepped up to the other man. “Now you wanna think about your son? You weren’t thinking of him when you were the hell out of your pretty blonde .”

Doojoon gasped. He turned cold. He knew.

“Yes. I saw him, Doojoon. I ing saw you feeding him and kissing him on my counter. ‘Sweetie’, ‘Baby’, ‘Joonie’? Yeah. I heard all that good . So what about Yoseob? I’ll take care of him like I have been doing for the past few months. You know, when you’re away in all those different countries for days and I have to take care of the both of us? Of everything? But when Yoseob asks where his appa is this time, you can call him and explain to him yourself what you’ve done and how you’ve decided to ruin our family.”

Junhyung’s voice cracked at that final word… His narrowing brown eyes quivered behind a thin film of liquid as he carved into Doojoon’s soul whilst looking into his eyes.

“Junhyung…”

Doojoon tried to touch his face… Junhyung smacked his nearing hand.

“No. you, Doojoon,” he spat, “You weren’t going to tell me about him. You were never going to tell me about him until you got caught. You lied to me just minutes ago. To my face. So don’t give me that bull. And you were spending money on that ? Money that we hardly even have? Here I am busting my just so you can buy your some ing pudding? When’s the last time I got pudding? When’s the last time you nearly ed me on the counter? I can’t even -- Just get out. Don’t come back. I hope he was worth losing everything. I really do. I won’t have you and that blonde around this house again, especially not around Yoseob. But it’s not like you have nowhere to go. You obviously don’t want to be here with us--”

“--Baby that’s not at all true. None of that is true. You both are my world--”

--Junhyung threw up his hand, turning around and sitting on the edge of the bed with his backside staring at the other.

“You may leave now.”

Doojoon closed his mouth. He rubbed his lips together and approached the bed. He neatly, but sluggishly, neatened his clothes in the suitcase. He stopped many a times during the process, looking at Junhyung’s slumping back. He had his head in his hands… He’d ruined everything…

Doojoon zipped the final zipper…

“…………Can I at least explain--?”

“--Doojoon. If you do not leave now, I will have to physically remove you.”

And Junhyung followed through with his threats. Doojoon sighed. The damage was done. Making amends now was needless. He drug his feet and his life out of the room… and eventually out of the house.

Junhyung welcomed the sensation of drowning.