In the middle of the night, Kyungsoo heard Jongin stirring in his sleep. He saw him getting up, sitting on the edge of the bed, feeling his brother's temperature. Jongin sighed, caressing his brother's hand and face.

Kyungsoo kept his eyes closed, when Jongin lay back on the mattress, he asked, whispering, “Is he okay?”

“He is.”, Jongin whispered back and Kyungsoo was glad that it was dark in the room. Jongin shouldn't see him blushing.

“Okay.”, he said.

“Okay.”, Jongin answered.

Jongin lay back besides him, much closer now. Kyungsoo hid his face under the cover, he smiled to himself.

* * *

Kyungsoo woke up when he heard giggling outside the door. He quickly shut his eyes, pretending to sleep. Small feet were stepping inside the room and little hands lifted the cover to snuggle up to him. He took Maru into his arms, covering her with the blanket. He saw how Haru snuggled up to Jongin who mumbled something, his eyes closed, then he took the little girl into his arms, a smile on his face.

Kyungsoo felt contented. He drifted back to a pleasant and calm sleep.

* * *

When Kyungsoo opened his eyes, Maru was sprawled out on top of him, Haru was in the exact same position, just on the place Jongin was laying before.

His eyes immediately searched for the other boy, his heart did not calm down until he heard the water running in his bathroom.

Carefully, he laid Maru besides him, covering her and Haru with the blanket. Then he stood up and went to his bathroom with quiet steps. The door to his bathroom was slightly open, Kyungsoo sneaked a peek inside and saw Jongin how he washed his face at the basin. Kyungsoo's breath hitched and he felt this awful pain in his chest again, when he saw Jongin's back, wholly covered with bruises.

Kyungsoo's feet moved on their own, with quick strides, he walked over to Jongin who was just drying his face with a towel. Kyungsoo back hugged Jongin, carefully pressing his face to the other's back. Jongin was obviously taken aback, he tried to turn around, but Kyungsoo was holding him.

“Kyungsoo?”

“It must hurt so much.”

“I am... okay.”

Kyungsoo had to fight his tears, he pressed himself further to Jongin.

“Then why does it hurt me so much?”

Jongin sighed and touched Kyungsoo's hand with his own.

“I am sorry.”

Kyungsoo shook his head, “Don't be.”

Both of them stayed like this for a while. Kyungsoo pressed his head against an uninjured part of Jongin's back and let his lips slightly graze a bruise, “I won't let it happen to you again.”

“Oppa, I am hungry!”

Kyungsoo immediately let go, and he instantly missed Jongin's warmth.

He opened the door and saw his little sister standing in front of it, sleepily rubbing her eyes.

“Let's go downstairs then.”, he said to her, ruffling her hair and shutting the door behind him.

“Jongin?”

“Give me two more minutes!”

Kyungsoo took his sister by her hand, going back to his bedroom, “Is Min Soo already awake?”

She shook her head.

Kyungsoo sat down on the bed, carefully shaking the boy up. Min Soo sleepily opened his eyes and smiled as soon as he saw Kyungsoo.

“Are you okay?”, he signed to him.

Min Soo slowly sat up, still smiling at Kyungsoo and nodding.

Jongin came up to them, touching Kyungsoo on the shoulder and leaning down to feel his brother's cheek.

“How are you feeling?”

“I am hungry.”, Min Soo signed back, grinning.

Kyungsoo gave Jongin and Min Soo clothes to change, then he went to help his sisters.

When all of them went downstairs, they heard indignant chatter.

“I told you not to do it like this!”

“And I told you that you have no idea how to do this!”

“You just want to mess around with me!”

“Yes, I married you just because of this.”

When Kyungsoo's parents saw them entering the kitchen, the immediately let go of each other.

“Ohh, my five kids are awake!”, Kyungsoo's mom subtly punched her husband's arm, then she rushed to Min Soo, feeling his cheeks.

“Are you alright?”

Min Soo nodded and signed a “Thank you.”

She smiled back at him and took all of them into her arms.

“Did you sleep well, Jongin?”

Kyungsoo looked down, trying to hide his blush.

“Yes, thank you.”

“Why are you blushing?”, Kyungsoo's father sounded alarmed.

“I am not!”, Kyungsoo tried to defend himself.

“No no no, I clearly see you blushing!”.

Kyungsoo's mother punched him again, this time not that subtly.

“You are surely hungry”, she said, “let's sit down and eat breakfast.”

“But because of your mom, you all have to eat way too sugary pancakes.”, Kyungsoo's father commented with a huff.

* * *

When they all sat down, Kyungsoo moved a bit closer to Jongin with his chair.

“Where is Haru?”, Kyungsoo's mom asked, looking around for her daughter.

Jongin smiled and reached for her under the table, “She is here.”

“Come on, let's eat, sweetie.”

“I want to stay here!”, the little girl said.

Jongin patted her head, “You want me to feed you?”

Immediately, Haru crawled up to his lap, smiling.

“You surely are good with kids, Jongin.”, Kyungsoo's mother said, smiling fondly.

“Am I?”, Jongin's chuckle made Kyungsoo shiver with delight.

“Actually I helped my mother taking care of Min Soo since he was a baby.”

“You are such a wonderful person, Jongin.”

Jongin shyly smiled at fed Haru a piece of the pancake.

“I am sorry for all the inconvenience.”, he said after a while.

“What inconvenience?”, Kyungsoo's mother sounded playfully angered, “I don't exactly know what happened, but I want you to know that you are part of this family, you both are. You can always come back home here.”

“I will make you breakfast tomorrow.”, Kyungsoo's father said, “A tasty one.”

“You want to tell me my pancakes aren't delicious?”

Kyungsoo's father held up his arm in defence, “Just said that, right?”

But she just ignored her husband, applying herself to Min Soo. “Delicious?”, she signed.

Min Soo smiled at her, his mouth full with pancakes.

Kyungsoo leant back, enjoying the lively atmosphere. And Jongin's warmth, who was touching his shoulder with his own.

* * *

Kyungsoo and Jongin were helping cleaning up, while Min Soo and the girls were playing in the living room.

“Are you going to dance practice today?”

Jongin stood right next to Kyungsoo, “I am not sure. Perhaps I shouldn't.”

Kyungsoo knew that the dance practice was a really important routine for Jongin.

“Oh you can go, sweetie.”, Kyungsoo's mother said.

“But Min Soo is...”

“We will take care of him, don't worry. He should rest a bit more.”

Jongin still seemed a bit unsure and worried, he turned around to Kyungsoo, “Do you want to come along?”

“You want me to come with you?”

“Uhu, it's a date then.”, Kyungsoo's mother poked her son.

Kyungsoo smiled to himself, “Sure.”

* * *

Kyungsoo and Jongin put on their shoes, when Haru came running to the entrance, crying.

Jongin was obviously startled, he patted her head, asking, “Oh, what happened?”

Kyungsoo's mother shook her head, laughing, “She doesn't want her husband to go.”

Jongin smiled at her, “I will come back.”

The little girl stopped crying, “Really?”, she asked, rubbing her eyes.

“Pinky promise.”

Obviously pleased, she grinned at him, putting forth her little finger.

Kyungsoo's mother still laughed, “It's hard to be this handsome, right, Jongin?”

Jongin hugged his brother, signing him, “Is it really okay?”. Min Soo just hugged him more tight, nodding his head.

When the two boy left the house, they heard Kyungsoo's father shouting, “Bring back some cake!”. Kyungsoo and Jongin smiled to each other.

* * *

While they walked to the bus station, Kyungsoo wasn't sure what to say or what to do. He was nervous, he would be able to spend some time alone with Jongin. A date...

The buzzing of his phone jolted him out of his thoughts.

“It's a message from Sehun.”, he informed Jongin, “I wrote him yesterday, telling him that you are with me.”

Jongin nodded his head, “Is he alright? And halmoni?”

“Yes, they are. They want us to visit them tomorrow.”

Jongin nodded and Kyungsoo typed an answer.

“Jongin?”, he asked after putting away his phone.

“Hm?”

“Where is your phone? The one I gave you.”

Jongin broke the eye contact, looking to the ground, “He took it away from me.”

Kyungsoo felt this anger flare up again.

“Why?”, he asked while trying to restrain his voice.

“He saw me reading your messages, he got angered and took it away.”

Kyungsoo stood still, “Jongin.”

Jongin turned around to him, a questioning expression on his face.

“He won't come to find you, right?”

“He wouldn't.”

“And... what will you do?”

“About what?”

“Your father, Jongin.”

“I am not sure.”

“Jongin, I think you know what you should...”

“He is my father, Kyungsoo.”, Jongin interrupted him. “He is my father.”, he repeated in a whisper.

Kyungsoo felt his anger subside in an instant.

“I am sorry, Kyungsoo. But... could we not talk about it?”

“Okay.”

“Thank you.”

Kyungsoo was willing to let Jongin some time. He understood the other boy, but he still had to do something. But for now he was just glad that Jongin was save, that he was besides him.

* * *

Jongin and Kyungsoo were greeted by the dance teacher when they entered the practice room. Kyungsoo sat down on the floor, while Jongin spoke to his teacher, talking about some dance moves.

Jongin warmed up and Kyungsoo took the chance to watch him. Jongin stretched his back, bending forward, stretching his legs. Just when Kyungsoo felt his cheeks warming up, Jongin turned around to him, “You okay, there?”

“Yes, yes. I am... I mean... yes?”

“You aren't bored?”

“No, I love to see you dancing.”

Jongin smiled at him, then he turned around again, finishing the warm up.

Kyungsoo leant back, enjoying watching Jongin moving.

“Beautiful”, he whispered.

* * *

“Okay, let's take a break.”

“Thanks, teacher.”

After the teacher was leaving the room, Jongin sat down next to Kyungsoo on the floor, panting and exhausted. Kyungsoo handed him a water bottle.

“Thank you.”

After he drank, Jongin lay down on the floor, shortly closing his eyes, still panting.

Kyungsoo looked down to the boy besides him. The sunlight was streaming from outside through the window, covering Jongin's face in a wonderful and warm light.

“You are beautiful, Jongin.”

Kyungsoo heard how Jongin's breath hitched. He tried to calm his pounding heart, but then Jongin opened his eyes, looking over to him. Kyungsoo wasn't sure why, but he had the urge to tell him.

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