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Callie had made sure to reserve adjoining rooms, two beds in each, if the twins showed up tonight Saeran could stay in Yoosung’s room. She’s fairly certain that if her husband and his brother do managed to join them it will be sometime early in the morning, judging from the disgruntled texts she’s gotten.
Jumin’s knock on her door in the early evening startles her. Nina had shown up early so that Callie could be sure of the costumes fit before she finished detailing it and attaching the wires. She’d thrown her keys at Nina as soon as she’d taken the costume off and asked her to take Yoosung somewhere and get them some take out.
Callie knew Nina was interested in Yoosung, she’d caught her quizzing Max about the cute boy on her phone a few times over Christmas. It was largely why she’d invited him along, she also knew that Nina was seriously considering attempting to go to Sky U if things went well with her biological father. And after only a little while at the rink Callie could see that Yoosung was feeling some kind of way about her niece. Honestly he would be a nice change of pace from the usually people Nina dated. She hoped they got on well on their mission for food.
“ Little early for food,” she calls, extracting herself from the pile of costume and hot glue she’d been sitting in. “Did you both get lost?”
“ I wasn’t aware that there was a need for that,” Jumin frowns when she opens the door.
“ You are not who I was expecting,” she giggles.
“ This room is very small.”
“ This is a normal room for normal people Jumin, not a suite or a villa or a penthouse, just a normal hotel room.”
“ Hmm,” he smiles at her and she realizes he’s teasing her. “Well I suppose I could stay in a commoner’s room for one night.”
“ You suppose,” she snorts, “well your common girlfriend appreciates that.”
Jumin smiles and shuts the door behind him, bending to kiss her softly.
“ I have something for you,” she sing songs and he chuckles.
“ You sound excited, I’d hate to ruin it by—”
“ Then don’t,” she sings at him stepping over her costuming pile and digging into her purse.
“ I’d like to point out if I’d brought you a gift you would swear at me,” he tries to frown but he’s too interested in the little box she’s holding out in front of him.
She’s smiling at him, lopsided and childish, but he can see she’s nervous as he lifts the lid off the little cardboard box. He finds a silver ring, two hands clasping a crowned heart, he frowns trying to place the symbolism but can’t.
“ It’s very—”
“ Common?” she snorts and he can see she’s trying to hide her offence.
“— simple,” he finishes. “But it’s lovely.”
She smiles a little and fiddles with her wedding ring. “I wanted to do something for you, so that you didn’t feel like the wedding, I don’t know, took us from you? I wanted to include you without it being obvious.”
“ The symbol on this ring means something I assume?” Jumin sits on the bed, pulled her to stand in front of him. She runs her fingers through his hair while he looks at the ring.
“ It’s a Claddagh ring, it represents love, family and loyalty. My parents wear them, my brother and Martin have them too. Saeyoung and I had them engraved inside our wedding rings.” She slips her rings off and shows him.
He can see the outline of a crowned heart, and the two hands. “You’ve bought me this so we could match?” he smiles at her.
Callie slips her rings back on and takes the Claddagh from him. She turns it over in her fingers. “It’s more than that,” her voice is almost distant as she stares at the ring turning between her fingers. “There’s a woman where my Oma and Opa lives who makes them, she’s made all the ones my family wears. Even Celia and Gilles had them you know?”
“ Hmm,” he reaches for her hands but she stops him, slipping the ring over her thumb she takes his hands in hers.
“ It means different things depending on how you wear it,” she turns over his right hand. “If you wear it like this,” she slips the ring on with the point of the heart towards his finger tips, “it means you’re looking for love.” She turns the ring around. “Like this means you’re in a relationship.”
“ Oh,” he says and starts to pull his hand away satisfied but Callie holds the ring as he does so, pulling it off of his finger.
“ I’m not done,” she scolds lifting his left hand. “If you wear it like this,” she slips the ring on his finger with the point towards his wrist. “It means you’re married.” She smiles at him. “Saeyoung had a number of elaborate schemes to make sure you didn’t think we were going to leave you after the wedding but—”
“ I love it,” he drags her into his lap and presses a kiss to her lips.
“ Sorry!” A squeak from the door followed by cackling laughter.
Callie abruptly stands.
“ I knocked,” Yoosung says defensively as Nina pushes past him.
Even if she hadn’t laughed exactly like Callie Jumin would have recognized the lopsided grin and the orange tea colour of her eyes. “You must be Nina,” he says extending his hand.
Nina pulls it towards her and inspects the ring he wears, she glances at Callie and then back to him. “What a lovely Claddagh,” she coos.
Jumin looks a Callie his eyes wide for a moment.
“ Would you look at that,” Nina turns Jumin’s hand, “That’s Mrs J’s stamp, that’s pretty coinc—” Callie hits her niece in the face with a pillow.
“ Stop teasing him, you’re worse than Wyatt,” Callie snorts.
“ Uncle Wy, wrote that scrip for me, he was disappointed he didn’t get to use it.” Nina puts the pillow neatly back on the bed and helps Yoosung with the bags he’s still holding.
Jumin clears his throat. “Calliope, how many people did you and Saeyoung tell when you were overseas?”
Nina and Yoosung make a point of talking loudly to each other while they start to pull out the plates and food they’ve brought. Callie drapes her arms over Jumin’s shoulders and smiles. “I didn’t tell anyone, Martin and Wyatt figured it out all on their own when they were here , and Nina overheard the four of us talking and considering how much Max talks about you she put two and two together. It’s not a big deal.”
“ It’s not a big deal,” Jumin scoffs, “how could it not be, what if they tell someone?”
Callie and Nina both laugh. “They won’t.” Callie says matter of factly.
“ How can you be so sure?”
Callie and Nina both press a finger to their lips and say “Mind your business Father Tom,” as the door opens and Gilles pushes through.
“ What does that even mean,” Jumin scowls.
“ It is the family motto,” Gilles offers, not sure where the conversation had begun. “The Miller family does not gossip.”