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Yukhei rummaged through his messenger bag before sending Kun a thankful glance. “Thank you so much. Let me just find my lesson plan and then I’ll leave.”
Kun laughed, expression bright. “No need to rush. Or thank me. I am a substitute teacher after all.”
Yukhei triumphantly yanked out a legal pad with a Cheeto stain on front. Just in time too, because his fifth period class was starting to file in. “Yeah, yeah, I know. But still. You’re always substituting for me.”
Kun gently pushed him towards the door. “It’s fine. Tell Renjun and Chenle I said hello.”
Yukhei waved and finally left his classroom.
“Mr. Qian, are you substituting today?” Yukhei heard as he walked through the hall. Kun replied that yes, he was, and the room erupted in applause.
I literally just curved their last test, Yukhei thought. Ungrateful brats.
*
“This next room is the stunner. It’s on the third floor so follow me,” the agent said and Chenle hurried up the stairs eager to see the last bedroom.
“Hey, Renjun,” Yukhei started, “Do you like the house?”
Renjun grinned up at him. His face was still red from the cold outside, eyes twinkling. “Bro, I love it. Did you see the basement?”
Of course, he’d seen the basement. And the first and second floors. And the outrageous price the owners were asking for the house. But he just ruffled his brother’s hair playfully and followed him up the stairs.
“Really? If Lele likes it, maybe I’ll make an offer,” he said.
Renjun turned around, smile blinding. “Awesome.”
After going back home, Yukhei started his evening routine. Read as: translating Chenle’s Algebra II homework into numbers he could understand, cooking dinner, eating dinner, washing the dishes, calling their parents, and finally interrogating Renjun’s boyfriend before they drove to choir practice.
“If anything happens to him, I’ll sick my lawyers on you,” Yukhei said to him with as much bite as he could muster. Apparently it wasn’t working because Donghyuck just leaned against his Range Rover, wearing that same damn David Bowie shirt he always wore.
“No offense, Yukhei, but both of my parents are partners at the biggest firm in the city. I’d probably end up sicking my lawyers on you.”
Renjun’s neutral expression was quickly slipping away. “Babe, just get in the car. We’re gonna be late.”
Donghyuck nodded before sliding into the driver’s seat. He glared at Yukhei through the windshield.
Renjun sighed. “You’re not Mom or Dad. Donghyuck isn’t gonna kill me.”
“He’s an asshole, Renjun.”
“To you. Because you acted like one first.” Renjun face was all wrinkled up, disappointment clear. Yukhei felt bad all of a sudden. Really bad.
“I guess. Just be sure to make it home by nine, okay?” Renjun nodded and slid into the ridiculously expensive car.
Yukhei trudged back into the house and Chenle pounced immediately.
“Did Hyuckie bring out the parent card again?”
“Yep.” Yukhei fell face first onto the couch.
“Are you gonna buy the house?”
Yukhei looked up to see Chenle’s hopeful expression. “Do you want me to?”
Chenle sat on the adjacent arm chair. “I mean, Mom and Dad are still working in China, and I have another year and a half in high school, and your lease is almost up…” He trailed off.
“Lele, I’ll call the agent and place an offer, okay? I liked the house too.”
Chenle’s laughter was the only thing that made him forget the amount of zeroes in the asking price.
*
The next Saturday morning Yukhei found himself sat across from a financial advisor trying to apply for a loan. So far, it was not working.
Mark Lee played with the name plate on his desk and said, “The loan you’re looking to apply for is only for small businesses just starting up. Do you have a small business?”
Yukhei internally deflated and his mind went back to Renjun and Chenle’s excited faces as the realtor showed them the house. God, he loved his brothers. He scratched his head. “Um. I run an Etsy. Does that count?”
Mark giggled. Cute, Yukhei thought.
“Etsy doesn’t count, sorry. I can probably find some loans you are eligible for, though.” He yanked out his keyboard and pulled a new form up on his monitor. “I’ll just need to ask you some questions about your financial history and employment.”
After awkwardly stating that he had a big ass student loan to pay off that he acquired to get his degree at the local university, Mark visibly brightened up.
“Woah, we went to the same university! What year did you graduate?” The questions were long forgotten as Mark leaned over his desk, excited.
“Uh, 2014. I’m a high school math teacher now,” Yukhei said. He was proud of his job, loved it even. The snarky teenagers always kept him on his toes.
Mark cringed at the words high school. “Ew, you voluntarily went back to high school?”
Yukhei laughed. “Well, I get paid now. Besides, angsty teenagers are funnier when you’re not an angsty teenager yourself. When did you graduate again?”
“2014! Crazy that I never ran into you on campus.”
Truth be told, the last two years of college were spent taking care of his younger siblings as their parents took job opportunities in China. At first, he was resentful that he was responsible for two teenagers even if their parents sent a monthly allowance for expenses. But he got used to it and came to depend on his brothers more than they depended on him at this point.
Mark eyes softened. “Dude, you’re such a cool brother.”
“Hm, you think so?”
Mark nodded vigorously. “Oh, hell yeah. I just got wasted my last two years.” He looked so serious that Yukhei couldn’t help but laugh.
Mark looked like he was playing pretend when he rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. Yukhei thought it was adorable. “Okay! Back to business. How long have you been at your current job?”
*
“I kind of wish you hadn’t invited your boyfriend to our special family dinner, Renjun,” Yukhei whispered as the two set the table. Donghyuck and Chenle were currently in the living room watching a soccer match.
Renjun pouted. “Play nice. You know he likes it here.”
Yukhei glanced over to see Donghyuck laughing at something Chenle was saying. The kid did look happy. “Fine. But he’s leaving after dinner. Last time he stayed after dinner I caught you two making out in his car.”
Renjun stuck his tongue out. “You’re just mad because you’re scared to ask that nerd out at the bank.”
Yukhei groaned. Mark was not a nerd. “Did Lele tell you?”
Renjun pulled a face, “‘He’s so cute, Lele, I think I might die,’” He said in his best Yukhei voice.
“Okay, but he is really cute.” Renjun rolled his eyes, choosing not to comment.
The dinner passed by relatively well; Yukhei and Donghyuck didn’t bicker even once! When everyone had their desert and was sprawled onto the couches, Yukhei finally decided to reveal the big news.
“So, today, the deal was closed on the house. We’re moving in two weeks.”
Chenle stood up immediately, smile exuberant. Renjun smiled quietly to himself before firing himself into Yukhei’s arms. Even Donghyuck looked happy.
Renjun pulled back, a gleam in his eye. “Bro, you owe that fucking nerd your life.”
*
Yukhei wasn’t typically a coward. Dealing with high school students everyday made him well versed in dealing with confrontation. But walking into the bank right after work had his legs wobbly. Mark Lee was in there and he was cute. And Yukhei was going to ask cute Mark Lee on a date.
He finally worked up enough courage to walk in, Tupperware container full of cookies that Renjun had made clutched in his hand.
The teller, who he came to know as Yuta, waved. “You here to see Mark?”
Yukhei held the container up. “Yup. Just here to thank him.”
“Oh, well he’s in his office. I think he’s watching music videos on his phone,” Yuta said.
Sure enough, when he walked into his office, Big Girls Don’t Cry was blaring from Mark’s phone.
“Never thought of you as a Fergie guy.”
Mark immediately slammed his phone down, face bright red. “Um. She has some classics…”
“It’s cool, I like Fergie too. And here,” Yukhei placed the container on his desk. “My little brother made these for you. We’re really thankful.”
Mark giggled hysterically. Yukhei was losing courage. Fast.
“You don’t have to thank me. It’s my job!” He opened the container and smiled even wider. “Woah, tell your little brother thanks. These smell awesome!”
Yukhei’s mind at the moment was a stream of: Mark Lee is so cute, Mark Lee is so cute, Mark Lee is so cute, Mark Lee is so cute, Mark Lee is so cute, Mark Lee is so cute…
“Hey, Mark?”
“Yeah?” His mouth was lined with cookie crumbs.
“You wanna go on a date with me?”
Mark sputtered, crumbs flying. Yukhei didn’t even flinch. “Dude, of course!”
*
If anyone had told Yukhei Wong that the first time his boyfriend would meet his brothers would be two hours before his housewarming party with Donghyuck Lee screaming a song at his house, he would’ve cried laughing.
But, Yukhei and Mark watched in horror from the front lawn as Donghyuck attempted to serenade Renjun from the driveway. Renjun has his head sticking out from the third floor, carton of eggs ready for throwing. Chenle was recording it all on Snapchat.
“Wait, what did his boyfriend do again?” Mark asked warily.
“He said the sweater I knitted for Renjun was ugly,” Yukhei said. Donghyuck belted out another verse of I’ll Be There, tears gathering in his eyes. Yukhei winced.
Renjun hurled an egg out of the window. It barely missed Donghyuck. “Go back to your gated community, you dumbfuck!”
“Should we do something?” Mark asked.
Yukhei shrugged. “You can try.”
Mark walked over to Donghyuck and whispered something in his ear. At first he looked confused, then,
“Renjun, I love you! I’m sorry!”
They all looked up to see Renjun struggling to maintain his anger. “You should be. Yukhei spent three weeks on that sweater.”
Mark nudged his shoulder. “What a family man.”
Yukhei giggled.
The couple made up ten minutes later, with just enough time to set up for the party.
“Sorry about my brothers,” Yukhei said. “They can be a bit much.”
Mark waved it off, unbothered. “It’s cool. I think they’re funny.”
Yukhei smiled softly. “You’re too sweet.”
A blush rose on Mark’s neck. “Are your friends from work coming?” Mark asked as he stirred the punch.
“Yup! I’m so excited for you to meet Kun.”
Mark paused, an unreadable expression on his face. “Is his last name Qian? Kinda shy, really nice?”
“Yeah, why?”
Mark scratched his head nervously. “Let’s just say I pulled the sickest prank on him senior year…”
A memory of Kun recounting the story of some sardines, flour, and paint traveled to the forefront of his mind. “Mark…”
Mark giggled in that hysterical way of his, face scrunching up, cheeks pink. “Dude, that’s crazy! Small world!”
Yukhei collected him into his arms, happiness flooding his chest, the scent of his new home full of the people he cherished fresh in his senses.