Guess What? We’re brothers!

4. A sibling may be the keeper of one's identity, the only person with the keys to one's unfettered, more fundamental self - Marian Sandmaier

No one really tried to save Baekhyun from Luhan’s attempts to choke him. 

Kyungsoo still insisted that if one died it meant more inheritance for the remaining brothers and it was only thanks to Chanyeol that they somehow managed to get the beautiful red dressed Luhan away from his brother’s body. Junmyeon cared about finally getting Tao to sleep and Chanyeol once again proved himself the man of the situation, Sehun watching at the scene with boredom.

They did it anyway and it seemed over once Luhan had calmed himself down and went back to his own, manly clothes. 

Expect it wasn’t over.

Somehow, photos of Luhan in the infamous y dress had already reached no other than Kris, in Korea. The secretary had immediately sent Luhan a text made up of only “…….” and then another made up of “——“ and Luhan was confused, at first, but then everything became clear and Baekhyun risked his life just once again. 

“I swear to God I’m going to destroy your life, Byun Baekhyun!”

Baekhyun begged for mercy in the good name of their lost father, and that didn’t help, of course. This time around, however, Chanyeol called himself out of the fratricide and took a seat at the bar waiting for things to solve in the most natural way - Baekhyun dying, probably -.  Junmyeon, meanwhile, had taken advantage of his father status to slop off and Kyungsoo would have never forgotten about this. 

The hero ended up being Sehun that time around.

“Luhan-hyung, not that I care about him but rather you hurry up killing him or we move on because the Italian dude may leave anytime and we still haven’t gotten dad back.”

“Hey!” Baekhyun yelled affronted, purple from all the attempted murders Luhan had forced him into in the last hour. Sehun shrugged.

“I don’t think that dude will leave anytime soon,” Kyungsoo observed “But we still have to do something.”

Luhan sent them all a glare, his dignity and honor treaded on and the thought Kris knew making him go crazy, but had to give up. He sent Baekhyun a last warning glance that made the younger shiver in horror and then took a seat, arms crossing offendedly.

“I’m out. I don’t want to see that disgusting being a second more.” he stated firmly, and no one dared to protest. 

Kyungsoo hummed in pitiful understanding. “We’d never ask you anything else, hyung.”

“The original plan was good, however.” Sehun had to admit with a little look to Baekhyun’s direction “Except.. yes.”

“I dressed up as a ing girl for nothing.” Luhan cared to point out in his most murderous voice and everyone wondered how such an angelic, doe-eyed young man could sound so ing scary. 

Sehun smiled nervously. “We should send Baekhyun-hyung to do the dirty job, at this point.”

Baekhyun jumped out from his protective self hug and looked at him in disbelief. “What?!”

Chanyeol sent Sehun a soft smile and nodded. “Agree. If the dude likes boys, we just have to send him a.. man ?” 

“Which you are.” Kyungsoo said low-voiced and Baekhyun decided to ignore him just because Luhan obviously had a little bias on Kyungsoo and he didn’t want to upset his older brother more. 

“I’m not gay.” Baekhyun stated “So no, I’m definitely not.” He shoot Sehun a little judging glare and then shrugged “You are, and no offense but you definitely have the look.”

“Weren’t you ing that Mexican waiter just a few hours ago?” Chanyeol returned, altered at those words for his boyfriend. Sehun snorted nonchalantly and let Chanyeol speak up. 

“I’m bi.” Baekhyun had to admit “But Sehun still has the face.”

“I don’t care about who’s going.” Luhan piped in acidly while sending Kris a minatory text to remind him who the boss was, for God’s sake “Just take that ing urn back.”

“Lu-hyung, dirty language doesn’t suit you, you know.” Baekhyun observed truthfully, but the glare he received made him become as small as a fly “Never mind, talk as you please.” he squirmed. 

Kyungsoo hid a big grin behind a hand. “Baekhyun, you should go renting a dress.”

“No, wait, seriously.” Baekhyun paled “Stop being biased and accept the fact that Sehun has the face. He should go, not me!”

“Baekhyun, Sehun-“ Chanyeol tried, but Sehun talked before him.

“I may have the face but I’m not a , you are.”

“Oh please.” Baekhyun snorted funnily “You are way prettier than me, and you’ve got the charm to make that dude lose his mind instantly! I’m more of a.. talker, you know.”

“You are.” Kyungsoo helped “But it’s true, Sehun is way charmer.”

“Hey, who’s side are you at?” Sehun almost yelled at that and Kyungsoo shrugged, helped by Luhan. 

“Who’s gonna take our urn back quicker.”

“You.” Baekhyun pointed to Sehun knowingly “Believe me, little brother, no one can resist that face and body. Take it as a compliment and just go.”

Sehun stared at them all, incredulous at the turn of events and was about to protest that it was unfair Baekhyun, just as Junmyeon, was calling himself out when that all was his fault in the first place. Chanyeol, however, beat him and broke the silence fallen on their table with a bursting anger.

“Sehun is my ing boyfriend!”

They all jumped, taken aback and unused to that aggressive side of Chanyeol, but Sehun still ended up becoming the man of the night.

Baekhyun.. Baekhyun just always knew how to win. 

-

“My love, I swear he’s not gonna touch me one bit.” Sehun has to reassure a very fuming with anger Chanyeol before he goes, already dressed up in a fine suit and with just the minimum dose of eyeliner to look simply stunning “He’s so drunk I could knock him down with a finger. Trust me, nothing is gonna happen.”

“But you’re my boyfriend!” Chanyeol still protests, incredulous “You’re not a , you’re my boyfriend!”

“He’s just acting as one, come on.” Baekhyun snorts and is once again Luhan to shut him up with just a look. In times like this Chanyeol wonders why he’s not born an Uchiha with the power of burning things, and people, with his eyes.

However, Sehun steals his attention with a passionate kiss out of the blue, as a promise for something once that all was over, and it’s enough to make his mind blank. Kyungsoo hides behind Luhan to fake vomit. 

Baekhyun rolls his eyes at the scene, motioning for Sehun to hurry up and the younger ignores him with a nonchalant, diva expression on. He cares about whispering hotly on Chanyeol’s lips, uncaring of the ears surrounding them, “Let me take care of this and you’ll tear these clothes off tonight.” 

The other three face-palm, Kyungsoo also dares to make them notice that those clothes are rent but Sehun waves them off and Chanyeol is too stupidly giggling to notice. 

A last look at them then Sehun finally accepts his destiny, turning around and taking a deep breath to begin his brilliant acting.

The others follow him quietly and discretely from behind, careful not to let their target notice them, and Luhan has to take Chanyeol’s hand the whole time not to make him explode at what they are about to see.

Sehun finds the Italian big guy at a Black Jack table this time, and carefully sets himself behind him as he plays to study a plan. As soon as the guy scores a real high point and screams out in joy, incredible how he was still winning everything without his brain working properly anymore, Sehun takes a hand to his mouth and mutters something against his palm. 

The big guy turns around with a dark expression, but brightens up as soon as he notices him. He takes a moment to look at Sehun from head to toe, swallowing a few times in between, and then a silly smile slips out his lips.

“Did you say something?” he asks, and Sehun begins his game by taking his hand away to reveal a flirty grin.

“You are lucky,” he says in his best English, and the guy beams “Just that.”

“Oh.” 

Sehun sees the guy’s eyes glittering and thinks it’s a bit too easy, but then the other swallows again and tells the croupier he is abandoning the game. He takes all his chips and makes to leave, eyes unable to leave Sehun’s glamorous figure. 

“Maybe you helped. Do you want to share?” he offers, shaking a bag full of chips which could have been millions for what Sehun knew, and bingo. 

The young boy pretends the slimy smile the big guy is offering is not making him shiver in disgust and blinks prettily, waiting for the other to sneak an arm around his waist and then following him, probably to his room already. No time wasted, better for him. 

From his position a few meters back, Chanyeol follows the scene while having Luhan patting his back and Baekhyun’s hand held tight in his own, with the only purpose to strangle it. 

“Chanyeol, Chanyeol, you’re not giving birth and I have bones, you know.”

“Shut up.” the taller boy hisses “Each touch of that slimy being on my boyfriend should be one of your bone breaking.”

“You’re so drastic.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes, enduring the pain “You’re going to get your price after this is over.”

“Do you ever know when to shut up, seriously?” Kyungsoo asks, incredulous Baekhyun still had the strength to talk with everyone keeping dark glares on him, but then Luhan invites them to follow Sehun and the guy and their conversation is interrupted. 

They carefully place themselves outside their target’s suit, where Sehun is already, and place their ears on the door to try overhearing something. 

Meanwhile, inside, Sehun begins studying the room with careful eyes, to find his dad’s urn, while the big guy eyes him hungrily and hurries to pour them two glasses of champagne. 

“You’re such a fairy. Where are you from?” 

Sehun tries to focus on him, taking his jacket off if only to make his mind blank a bit more, and doesn’t miss the way the guy’s mouth goes gaping open at the sight of his long, slim torso wrapped in that nice shirt. Such a loser, he thinks, but holds a smile. 

“China.” he lies.

“China?” the guy repeats, almost surprised, then he says something in what Sehun supposes is Italian and he doesn’t catch it. The next thing he knows the guy has sided him in a flash, giving him his glass and running a finger down his cheek as he studies his slim, tall body with lustful eyes.

“You look young, are you older than eighteen?” 

Sehun bites his lips, now worried, because if the boy has been careful enough to ask him such a question, maybe he isn’t that drunk after all. He smiles again, flirty, and it makes the other smirk.

“This is America.” he says “I’m old enough.”

“Oh, you’re perfectly right.” 

The boy tries to kiss him just then and Sehun jerks away in a flash, his amused laugh neutral while he cares to keep himself distant.

“Too impatient.” he observes with a curious voice, and for a moment he tries to pretend there’s Chanyeol there, so at least he can flirt properly and not make the boy weary. As the dude swallows and looks about to hunt him, he turns around to give him a good view of his back and then points to the couch standing there.

“Let’s play a game.” he offers, and the boy answers with something in Italian again and Sehun just waits for him to sit down, impatiently eating him up with his eyes. 

Meanwhile, outside the room, the absence of noise makes Chanyeol go crazy and he turns to Baekhyun with a murderous glare. He takes the boy’s shirt and shakes him.

“I can’t stand knowing him in there while you are all safe here. Go inside, too.”

“What? Are you insane?”

“Go!”

Kyungsoo shrugs in Baekhyun’s helpless direction. “He’s right, Sehun may need help.”

“But, how am I supposed to get inside?” 

“I know how.” Luhan offers helpfully, and Baekhyun glares as the older takes him by the arm and pulls him on his feet.

From inside, some sudden and persistent knocks on the door interrupt Sehun’s desperate attempts to entertain the drunk/ guy. The owner of the suit hisses something in his mother language at the interruption and orders Sehun not to move while he goes checking and Sehun takes a long breath, knowing it has surely been Chanyeol’s idea to send help. 

The italian dude finds a drunk and totally lost young boy at his door, who immediately falls into his arm while letting out a long and whining cry.

“Help me!” Baekhyun begs, desperate, and the guy stares at him fascinated by his pretty features before he somehow realizes he seems in pain. He drags Baekhyun inside and makes him lay down on the couch, Sehun watching the scene with faked worry as Baekhyun whines something unintelligible and the guy panics. 

“What the hell? Are you drunk?” he pats Baekhyun’s cheeks and Baekhyun whines harder, making the boy panic even more.

“What are you doing?” Sehun scolds meanwhile “Take his legs up, don’t you see he’s sick?” Thank God he was a good English student at school. The guy obeys and meanwhile orders Sehun to go taking something wet to refresh Baekhyun’s forehead but instead, Sehun goes looking for something heavy but not dangerous to hit their target’s head.

Baekhyun keeps on pretending as the guy sends him curious looks and asks, “Who made you cry, gorgeous?”. He pretends to cry hard, like he was in deep pain, and tries to say something but it seems pointless after a moment, when a loud thump echoes in the room and the Italian guy’s eyes roll unnaturally and he falls down on the ground. 

Baekhyun snaps his eyes open to notice he has fainted, then sees Sehun with a heavy laptop in hands and pales.

“Are you crazy?”

“I was helping!” Sehun protests “Now shut up and help me finding the urn before he wakes up.”

“If he wakes up!” Baekhyun yells horrified but then a noisy snore breaks in the room and they look down at the dude peacefully sleeping there. They exchange a look. Sehun sends his older brother a knowing glance and Baekhyun snorts. 

When they reach the other three outside, the urn found in the dude’s luggage already, Sehun immediately runs in Chanyeol’s arms and lets the older check on him worriedly for good ten minutes. He can’t help loving chuckles at Chanyeol’s concern and meanwhile, Luhan and Kyungsoo share a hug with Baekhyun at the success of the mission. 

They run to Junmyeon’s room at that point, the older beaming as he sees the urn finally back in their hands, but then a doubt hits him and he sends them all a careful look.

“We’re still penniless, though. How can we reach Arizona like this?” 

The doubt seems to hit them all just then and they all pale, exchanging doubtful looks, expect for Sehun who rolls his eyes knowingly and then starts waving a little brown bag in front of all their eyes. The clear sound of chips clashing echoes in the empty hallway and he smirks.

“Did you really think I’d have left the dude’s room without all his fortune?” 

A moment of silence, then everyone is hugging Sehun like he’s just saved the world. Which in a way, he has.

Chanyeol lifts him up and spins him around joyfully, “You’re a ing genius, my little sunshine!”

They spend the night running away from that place after having changed their $9.000 worth chips, scared the Italian dude could wake up and find them, but they also celebrate, with Tao being completely disconnected the whole time as they drive to leave Las Vegas at the speed of light.

At the back of the car and with a beer in hand, Baekhyun is hugging Kyungsoo and Luhan, cheerful and sure of being out of trouble at that point.

“Wasn’t I right about my plan? Come on, I’m a ing genius.”

His brothers have to agree, eventually, but Luhan still slaps his head out of nowhere in revenge, if anything, because he had dared to let Kris know.

- 

It’s morning when Chanyeol finally spots a Hotel along the highway and by then, everyone is dangerously sleepy, driver included. Except for Tao who has spent the entire night sleeping normally, of course.

The little boy states he has no intentions of spending the day watching them all sleeping whatsoever, and that leads to another problem already, a problem no one has the strength to face. 

Kyungsoo suggests an innocent hit on the young boy’s head to make him fall asleep for at least five hours, but of course no one takes him seriously. Except for Baekhyun, who however decides to say nothing because Luhan is still giving him creepy looks. 

Junmyeon feels exasperated even though he has slept some, compared to the others, and that doesn’t help his cause of course. When Sehun and Chanyeol call themselves out of the discussion, Sehun still wearing the fine suit Chanyeol has patiently waited to rip off from his body, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo immediately follows them to book two separate rooms. 

Luhan watches Junmyeon throwing his face in his palms helplessly, Tao stomping his foot on the ground claiming he was supposed to have fun during that vacation, and for some absurd reasons his feet don’t move despite sleepiness making his head almost hurt. He takes a deep breath and wonders if that’s how it feels to be part of something like a family, to feel stuck in having to help when someone needs, like his mother used to do with him even during her illness. 

A moment later Junmyeon feels a hand posing on his back and he turns around to see Luhan offering a kind, affectionate smile which takes him aback. 

“Why don’t we take him around?” he says, making Tao beam already “We could find a close Mall and spend the day there.”

Junmyeon widens his eyes in shock while his son jumps in his arms, begging for him to say ‘Yes’. His father blinks a few times, “You must be sleepy, don’t worry. I will take care of this.”

“You don’t have to worry about me.” Luhan insists “I’m his uncle, am I not?” 

It feels strange to hear such words coming out from a man he has been knowing for merely a week, but Junmyeon still feels slightly touched by the genuine interest he can see in Luhan’s eyes. Tao gives him no time to thank the younger man that he goes hugging his pretty uncle tight enough for Luhan to lose his breath. 

At the Hotel entrance, meanwhile, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun turn around as they notice the others are not following, questioning looks on their faces. Luhan waves at them as he meets their eyes.

“Guys, we’re gonna take Tao around. See you at dinner.”

“Wait, weren’t you sleepy, hyung?” Kyungsoo asks, Luhan’s bright eyes looking obviously swollen in sleep as he looks at him, but the older shrugs with simplicity. 

“We’re going, rest well.”

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo share a confused look at that point, but the grateful look Junmyeon keeps in Luhan’s direction as the walk back to the car makes them share the feeling, somehow. The announce they’ll be going, too, and Junmyeon is seriously teary at that point. 

Luhan beams in gratefulness, not for him, but for the fact that they are doing that for Junmyeon. It feels like they’re in that together and that’s a feeling he likes. 

“Sehun and Chanyeol are lucky, they’ll sleep.” Baekhyun mumbles from his seat as they start going, and Junmyeon sends him an apologetic look that he waves off with a smile that looks surprisingly kind. Kyungsoo snorts, and Luhan chuckles.

“You know, Baekhyun, I don’t think they are going to sleep anytime soon.” Luhan observes maliciously, just as Tao laments the lack of Cartoon songs in the car radio and Junmyeon desperately tries to shut him up by once again putting his iPhone on his laps. Kyungsoo sends him a severe look, and meanwhile Baekhyun shivers. 

It’s true, after all, Chanyeol and Sehun have merely slept two hours when the desperate quartet of brothers plus a still too hyper Tao get back to the cheap Hotel to ask them if they want to join for dinner. 

Luhan tentatively knocks on the couple’s door, having it opened by a sleepy Chanyeol with tousled bed hair and eyes puffier than how they have left him, looking at him like he’s trying to recall his face. When he manages, Chanyeol blinks and then widens his eyes.

“Luhan-hyung.” 

The name makes Sehun, who has his face buried in his pillow, mumble something unintelligible. Luhan chuckles. 

“We’re going out for dinner, guys. Want to join?” 

Chanyeol turns to Sehun’s direction as to wait for an answer from the younger, and a moment later Sehun takes his arm up and shows them all of his five fingers. Luhan raises a brow and Chanyeol nods, knowing.

“He asked for five minutes.”  

“Oh,” the older laughs softly “You guys are so cute. We’ll wait downstairs then.” 

Chanyeol instinctively smiles back and nods, watching as Luhan walks away and then turning to Sehun to see him stretching and yawning tiredly. 

“Luhan-hyung is adorable.” he observes truthfully, leaving to make his hair somehow decent, and Sehun follows lazily with a little smile on his lips. 

“If he wasn’t my brother, I’d be jealous, you know.” 

Chanyeol grins as their eyes meet from the mirror. “If he wasn’t your brother, I’d be jealous.” 

Sehun slaps his arm playfully, but then hurries up not to make the others wait.

Thinking about it, it’s the first time they reunite around a table for a real dinner all together, hungry Tao included despite his ice-cream at the Mall. When Luhan sends the others a quick look, after having taken their orders in the old-styled Pub they have chosen for their meal, he feels a funny feeling at the pit of his stomach. 

He has Kyungsoo sitting at his right and Tao on his left, followed by Junmyeon. Baekhyun is sitting between Kyungsoo and Sehun and it’s both funny to see them all together, mocking each other, and a source of noise. Chanyeol completes the circle besides his boyfriend, eyes wide as he checks on all the food slowly arriving. He thinks it could be like this more often, when they get back to Korea, if they manage to take advantage of that “vacation” and become close like real brothers. Brothers who are not forced to stay together to fulfill the absurd last wish of an absent father. 

Just as he starts innocently fantasizing about how it would be to eat together, just like that, maybe during Christmas like a real family, Kyungsoo pokes his arm and offers him some coke with a smile on his already familiar face that Luhan finds adorable, and disarming.

“Thank you.” he answers, coming back to earth and hearing Baekhyun and Junmyeon discussing about how Junmyeon has lost his restaurant in the previous months. 

“Now you’ll have enough money to get it back, right.” Sehun butts in, interested as Junmyeon captures all of their attention with his sorrowful words.

“Yes, but these things always need a good amount of advertisement to keep on track.” Baekhyun observes, flashing Junmyeon a positive smile and showing a thumb up “Hyung, when I become a PR, I’ll help you.”

“Will you?” Junmyeon asks bashfully, looking happy at the prospective.

“What makes you think he will need your help, with all the money he’ll have when we get back?” Kyungsoo asks then, teasing toward Baekhyun, and the older boy sticks his tongue out.

“But it’s cute.” Chanyeol says with his trademark gummy smile “Running things in family, I mean. My family runs my father’s restaurant together, we all love to help.” 

“Really?” Junmyeon asks delighted, eyes bright with excitement “I’ve always wanted to have someone helping me, but I couldn’t afford it.”

“Yes, you can’t even afford divorce.” Tao helps/doesn’t help, receiving a glare from his father at those childish words. Luhan bites his lips and ruffles the boy’s hair affectionately, a soft scolding look on his face.

“Tao-ya, when adults talk, you shouldn’t intervene, you know? Especially if what you say makes your dad sad.” 

The kid looks at Luhan cryptically, like he’s being taken aback, and then turns to Junmyeon with slightly bigger eyes.

“Did I make you sad, dad?” 

Junmyeon sighs at his worried tone, smiling sweetly and shaking his head. “It’s okay, baby. Dad wishes he had been a better man in the past.”

“No, your dad is amazing.” Luhan insists, bringing Tao to look at him again “Raising children requires superpowers, you know? Your dad is a superhero, and you’ll realize it when you grow up.”

The table share a soft smile for Junmyeon as Tao hums, mesmerized by Luhan’s face and voice as he speaks those innocent words, and the way Junmyeon’s eyes get glassy at that unexpected care makes them all hold their breaths for a moment. Sharing a father who has abandoned them all carelessly, they know how much of a great man Junmyeon has to be to still try hard everyday.

The eldest reaches a hand out for Luhan, posing it on his shoulder as Tao starts mumbling about how happy he is that his father is a superhero, asking Sehun if he thinks he can fly, too. Luhan meets his older brother’s eyes briefly, unable to hold the contact for too long, but is enough for him to read all the thankfulness held in them.

Kyungsoo, Sehun and Baekhyun share a pointed look at that scene, the feeling of being surrounded by a real family hitting them hard for the very first time.

Chanyeol watches, soft, finding that all highly fascinating. He gets the feeling there’s gonna be a lot more of these sweet moments, in the future, and he loves the idea.

____

A/N

Aren’t these boys all so precious ;; Just like you~ thank you all for reading and commenting, I hope you have enjoyed this chapter as well *-* <3