Gain moved around to get drinks for everyone as Heechul got bowls down. He assembled the simple dinner like a master chef and turned the food bowls onto the table in front of his hungry, makeshift family.

“Thank you,” said the various voices around the table as Heechul and Gain sat down. Each Sharehouse member added chili sauce to their liking and mixed up their bowls before digging in without many words.

Victoria watched them eating for a second to see how she was expected to eat before taking a spoon to try her food. It was a simple mix of rice and vegetables, but it tasted so good. Leeteuk passed the chili sauce her way in case she wanted any and continued eating.

“How old are you Victoria?” Gain asked, finally finding a pause in her eating.

Clearing , Victoria smiled. “I’m 23.”

Gain nodded, laughing a little before taking another bite. “Heechul picked us another baby.”

Victoria gave the table members a confused look.

“Jia moved in just before you,” Leeteuk said. “She’s 22.”

“Oh, how old are all of you?” Victoria asked.

“Chullie and Teukie are 30,” Gain said around her mouthful of food. “Simon is 27 and I’m 25.”

“Where are you from?” Simon asked her as he got up for seconds.

“I’m from Eastern China, Qingdao, it’s pretty close to Korea.” She answered with a smile.

Simon nodded. “Heechul and me grew up in America, right here in SoCal.” He said as he came back to sit and eat.

“Same neighborhood and everything,” Heechul added with a chuckle. “Brothers from another mother despite the .”

“I wouldn’t go bragging about that age, bro.” Simon laughed softly.

“Yeah, but Heechul doesn’t look any older than 20, unlike you Simon,” Gain teased.

“He really doesn’t,” Victoria said, taking up the chance to admire Heechul. “Leeteuk either.”

Leeteuk laughed. “We’re aging backwards.”

Victoria smiled and nodded to him. “Where are you from?”

“I was born in Korea. I came here about four years ago now, for work, but it didn’t actually work out.” He laughed softly. “So I don’t do what I’d planned to, but I like it here.”

“She didn’t ask for your life story,” Gain teased Leeteuk, finishing her food. “Best for last, I’m an army brat. American citizen, but I was born in Korea, spent time in Japan, moved through Europe. Everywhere.”

“Now who’s giving the life story?” Leeteuk laughed, getting up for seconds too.

Heechul was sitting back, drinking his water and watching. “What are your plans for yourself, Victoria?” He asked.

“I… Don’t really know right now. I’m studying at college. My major is political science, but I’ll probably change it.” She shrugged, smiling at Heechul.

He nodded. “Well, you’ve got a whole summer.”

“Hobbies?” Simon asked.

“Uhm. I like music and dancing. Movies and being outside a lot.”

“So you’ll be spending a lot of your time on the beach?” Simon asked.

“Yeah, it was part of why I wanted to move in here.”

Gain laughed. “Come for the pretty view, stay for the pretty boys, right?”

Victoria blushed, looking at her food. “It’s not like that,” she assured, hurriedly.

The whole table burst out laughing and Gain nudged Victoria. “It’s okay, they’re used to me telling them all how pretty they are, you can join in.”

“I don’t think so,” Victoria nearly whispered, mortified.

Leeteuk changed the subject for her, seeing how uncomfortable she was. “Taeyeon wants to come over sometime.”

Simon groaned and Heechul looked at Leeteuk.

“I guess that’s okay, as long as it doesn’t end up like it did last time.” Heechul said.

“She’s just going to make Victoria uncomfortable, don’t let her over here again, Heechul.” Simon continued whining.

“No, it’s okay. She just wants to make sure the new girl knows Leeteuk isn’t available.” Heechul chuckled, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

Gain was rolling her eyes. “Why do you let her run your life Teukie? I mean, who cares if you live with girls? We’re not spending every day trying to get in your pants.”

Leeteuk laughed. “You know how she is.”

“I’m serious though,” Heechul said. “She’s welcome, as long as she acts like a person instead of a hellbeast.” He chuckled. “I don’t think Jia will ever be the same.”

“That’s what’s the most retarded about Taeyeon bro,” Simon said, looking at Leeteuk. “She picks on a girl that hardly comes out of her room, for being attracted to you. It’s stupid as hell.”

“Alright, alright,” Heechul said. “Stop arguing. Victoria will just have to get used to Taeyeon, like the rest of us had to.”

Simon looked at Victoria who was staring, a little lost at their conversation. “If she makes you feel bad, tell me. Unlike Leeteuk, I’m not afraid to tell her off for you.”

“Taeyeon is your girlfriend?” Victoria asked Leeteuk.

“Technically fiancé, but we haven’t set any date.” Leeteuk said softly.

“I can handle jealousy,” Victoria said, smiling at Leeteuk and looking to Simon. “Don’t worry about me.”

Leeteuk nodded and smiled. “Well, I’m beat. It was nice meeting you Victoria.” Leeteuk got up and set his bowl in the sink, leaving the room for his own.

Heechul and Gain’s eyes followed Leeteuk’s back as he left, the same look of concern plastered on their faces. Though Heechul’s gaze had something else behind it that Victoria couldn’t place.

“I’m out of here too,” Simon said, leaving his bowl in the sink too. He ruffled a hand through Heechul’s hair, earning him a punch on the shoulder to which he laughed. “Thanks for food, I’ll catch you later. Good to meet you Vic.”

Victoria smiled, liking her new nickname as she waved at Simon.

“I’m really not here because I want to find a boyfriend,” Victoria felt like assuring Heechul.

He laughed softly. “Yeah. It’s okay with me if you were, but you’d be in for a lot of complications.” Heechul smiled. “We’re a bunch of conflicted bad guys.”

Gain laughed at Heechul and shoved his shoulder as she took his bowl and started to wash the dishes.

Victoria got up to put the leftovers away. “I really want to thank you for letting me stay in the house. I hope I’m fitting in.”

Gain smiled. “You’re just fine, we’ll all get used to each other. But you’ll probably only see Heechul and me. The others are usually busy with work and fiancé stuff.”

“Do you work?” Victoria asked Gain.

“Oh yeah, but I take odd hours. I’m a speech therapist. I have clients and pick up some hours at the hospital sometimes.”

“Wow, really? That sounds like a fun job.” Victoria said as she came to help dry the dishes.

“I really like it. It’s kind of like being a teacher, only I don’t have to grade papers.” She laughed, putting the dry dishes away.

Heechul had his arms crossed over the table and his head rested on them.

“Heechul’s a young entrepreneur.” Gain said with a smile as she stepped in behind his chair and started rubbing his shoulders.

He closed his eyes and melted in the chair.

“Yeah? What kind of business?”

“I own a restaurant,” Heechul said, practically purring as Gain rubbed his muscles. “It’s a family business I inherited, nothing special.”

Gain clicked her tongue and slapped the back of Heechul’s head gently, resuming her massage. “He talks it down sometimes, but it’s a really fancy restaurant with lots of business. He could probably retire right now.” She chuckled.

“Oh, are you two, dating?” Victoria asked.

Heechul and Gain laughed together. “No,” Heechul said. “Gain’s just like my little sister. Like she said, we’re usually the only ones home, so we do pretty much everything together.”

Gain finished rubbing him and smiled. “He’s just my big annoying oppa.”

Victoria smiled at them. Heechul stood up and wrapped his arm around Gain’s neck, rubbing a knuckle into her head gently. “And she’s my bratty dongsaeng.”

“Yah,” Gain yelped with a laugh, struggling to get away from him.

He finally let her go and she jumped on his back for a piggy back ride. “Do you want to watch a movie with us Victoria?” Gain asked as she perched her head on Heechul’s shoulder. “Or we can play a game or something.”

“Yeah, sure.” Victoria smiled.

Heechul carried Gain out to the front room, dropping her on the couch and pulling Victoria close before sitting down too. “What’s the poison tonight?” Heechul asked. “Love story, scary story or action story?”

“Action?” Gain asked, looking between Heechul and Victoria.

Victoria nodded. “Sounds good to me,” she said, not complaining at all that Heechul still had his arm around her shoulders, holding her close.

“The Avengers it is,” Heechul said with a laugh and pried himself from between the two girls, getting up to start the movie.

“Yah, you. I didn’t say that was okay.” Gain laughed.

“I just asked you to pick genre, not title,” Heechul said with a grin, sticking his tongue out.

“Oh, Vic, want popcorn?” Gain asked.

“Yes please,” she answered with a smile and thumbs up.

Heechul came back to sit down and Gain poked his side. “Why did you sit down? Go get popcorn.”

Heechul laughed. “Nice try. You’re the one who offered it.”

Gain rolled her eyes and hopped over the back of the couch to go pop the corn.

Heechul opened up for Victoria to cuddle again and smiled when she accepted, wrapping his arm loosely around her shoulder. “Have you seen this movie before?”

Victoria shook her head. “I haven’t had a chance to. I’m usually watching old movies on my laptop,” she said with a soft laugh.

“Oh good, I like seeing movies with people who haven’t seen them before.” Heechul smiled, making room for Gain to cuddle on his other side as she came back, plopping a big bowl of popcorn on his lap.

“Hold that,” she said with a laugh and pressed play before she cuddled up and fed a couple pieces of popcorn from her handful to Heechul.

Victoria couldn’t help sneaking a glance at them as she took a handful of popcorn. She felt it was going to be really easy to fit in here.