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Renjun peered frantically out of the car window, Yukhei’s threatening words seared onto his brain.
“I want you home by eleven, Renjun. You’ve got to stop breaking curfew. Don’t make me call Mom and Dad.”
Okay, well, the delivery itself wasn’t threatening, but Yukhei had almost never threatened to call their parents. He always took full responsibility for his brothers.
Donghyuck lifted one hand from the steering wheel and placed it on Renjun’s bouncing knee. “Babe, chill. Your brother’s like the nicest person I know. Hell, he’s gotten even nicer since dating Mark.”
Renjun sighed. The clock on the dashboard blinked back, 10:47. They were still on the other side of town.
“Yeah, I know, I just, don’t want to like stress him out. He already worries so much,” Renjun breathed out.
Donghyuck moved his hand back to the steering wheel. A determined look settled in his eyes. “I might have to break a few traffic laws..” He mumbled.
“What was that?”
Donghyuck brightened up. “Nothing, lovely. You should be home by eleven.”
The Range Rover picked up speed and soon they were zooming down the streets of suburbia.
*
“You’re late,” was all that Yukhei said when Renjun stumbled in at 11:02. Mark startled from beside him, nerdy suit crumpled from his sleep.
Renjun flung his jacket onto a box of pots and pans that had yet to be emptied. “I’m only two minutes late. Hyuck broke like, thirty traffic laws trying to get me home on time.”
Yukhei ignored him, eyes still focused on a recording of Jeopardy.
Mark decided to speak for him. “He was really worried, Renjun.”
“For two minutes?”
Yukhei stood abruptly, height towering over Renjun. “You’re grounded, bro. I already talked to Mom. We think it’s best if you take a break from recreational stuff. Your grades are tanking.”
Renjun rolled his eyes. “Snitch.”
“Mom thinks you should take a break from choir.”
“Fine.”
“And Donghyuck.”
“Fin- Wait what?” Donghyuck was like, everything to Renjun. He was so sweet and considerate and talented and-
“Dude are you listening?” Yukhei asked. Mark was gathering his things behind him, eyes darting between the two of them behind his glasses.
“You’re forbidding me from seeing my boyfriend?” Renjun asked in disbelief. He’d received punishments from Yukhei before; he’d stopped paying for his Netflix for two months after he bombed all of his exams sophomore year, or last year when he and Chenle shot paintballs at an abandoned house and were forced to paint over it for two consecutive weekends. But never anything like this. He’d never banned him from seeing specific people.
“He makes you act impulsive.”
“Donghyuck’s not even impulsive!”
Yukhei ran a hand over his face. “Just take a break, okay? Like two weeks. They just want to see improvement in your grades. I’ll even let you guys text each other. But no more going out with him.”
Renjun’s cheeks burned in anger. This was so irrational. “Fine. Just know you’re horrible for this.”
Renjun stormed up the stairs, vision blurring with tears. He slammed his bedroom door shut, Chenle complaining about the noise on the other side of the wall.
Renjun pulled his phone from his pocket and opened up his messages.
Renjun:
Dictator put his foot down
Sunshine!:
Explain lol
Renjun:
I’m not allowed to see you for two weeks
Sunshine!:
That’s illegal
Renjun:
He’s just so hdhiaskhsjkh
Hasiuhfsihs
He’s acting like our parents and it’s annoyingggggusdgufsg
Renjun’s phone rang and he didn’t even have to look to know it was Donghyuck.
Renjun sighed. “I don’t think we’re allowed to call each other.”
“I’ll literally wither away if I don’t hear your voice,” Donghyuck defended. Then, “I can pick you up for lunch.”
Renjun laughed. “Our schools are thirty minutes apart, Hyuck.”
“I broke like a million traffic laws tonight. I can break a few more.”
Renjun focused on a crack in his ceiling as he said, “God, don’t. Texting is fine. And are you forgetting I go to the school my brother works at?”
Renjun could hear Donghyuck whine on the other end of the phone. He could be so dramatic sometimes. “Jun, I’m near tears right now,” He said.
Renjun giggled and was about to respond when a knock interrupted him.
“Renjun, can we talk?” Yukhei asked from the hallway.
Renjun glanced at his ongoing call, whispered a rushed goodbye, and then yelled out, “Go to hell!”
“Whatever, make sure you do your homework,” Yukhei mumbled before shuffling down the hall.
Renjun laid on his bed for a few moments, simmering in his anger. And then it hit him. “It” was a nerdy financial advisor at the local bank who wore wrinkled suits. And was conveniently dating his brother.
“Oh my gosh,” Renjun breathed out, “I’m a fucking genius.”
*
Mark drummed his fingers against the steering wheel as Renjun got comfortable in the front seat. “Doesn’t Chenle need a ride?”
Renjun shook his head. “Nope. He has lacrosse so he’ll take the late bus.”
Mark nodded as he pulled out of the school. “Does your brother know I’m driving you home?”
Renjun had not told Yukhei that Mark was picking him up. He figured he’d assume he took the bus in anger. “Uh, he knows I have a ride.”
Mark frowned, cheeks pushing his glasses up. Mark was cute; he could see why Yukhei liked him. “Did you want to talk to me about something, Renjun?”
Renjun yanked the sun visor down as the afternoon sun stung his eyes. “You’ve met Donghyuck, right?”
Mark sighed, shoulders slumping. “I’m not getting involved, Renjun. You need to sort it out with your brother.”
Renjun rolled his eyes. He knew Mark would take Yukhei’s side. “That’s the thing though! Yukhei has hated Hyuckie from the beginning. For no reason!”
The car turned onto the highway, the fastest way home. “He probably has his reasons.”
“The first time they met Yukhei said he was a stuck-up bastard.”
Mark squirmed. “I guess that is kind of mean…”
“So will you help me?”
“Renjun, you know I hate going behind people’s backs. And Yukhei and I just started dating. I don’t want to break his trust.”
Renjun leaned back, annoyed. Mark was irritatingly loyal. “It’s not fair that you get to see your boyfriend, but I can’t.”
“You really like him?”
Renjun thought for a moment. Him and Donghyuck had been dating for almost a year. They liked the same stuff but not so much that Renjun got bored. He always made him feel… light. “Yeah, you could say that.”
Mark turned into their driveway. “Okay. I’ll help. What do you need me to do?”
*
“Does Yukhei know I’m coming?” Donghyuck asked as Renjun fixed the collar on the shirt from the front porch.
“Nope,” Renjun answered. “It’s a dinner for just the two of you.”
Donghyuck grabbed Renjun’s hands. “What if he beats me up? Didn’t he play lacrosse in high school?”
Renjun kissed Donghyuck’s knuckles. “He’s a high school teacher. He’s very patient.”
“No high school teacher is patient. It’s high school, Renjun.”
Renjun pried open the front door and gently pushed Donghyuck inside. “You’ll be fine, I promise. Go in and sit down. Him and Mark should be pulling up any minute.”
Donghyuck breathed out once before going inside.
A few minutes later, Mark’s banged up Prius hummed into the driveway. Renjun rushed to the passenger’s side and yanked the door open.
“Mark and I are going to dinner! Have fun at home! Bye!” Renjun said, as he all but threw his brother onto the pavement.
“Are you seriously still mad at me?”
Renjun shrugged and buckled his seatbelt. “I don’t know. We’ll see after tonight.”
Mark backed out of the driveway, leaving the confused high school teacher staring from the lawn.
“Did you manage to snatch his car keys?”
Mark dangled a Spongebob keychain in front of his face.
“Dude, you’re fucking awesome.”
*
Mark dipped another fry into his banana milkshake, the flickering lights of the Steak and Shake making him look kind of gray. Renjun glanced at the tiny phone stack, both his and Mark’s phones powered off.
“I’m nervous,” Renjun admitted. “What if they like, kill each other?”
Mark laughed. “You know your brother is a softie.”
Renjun scoffed and pressed his head to the table. “Yeah, to people who aren’t dating his little brother,” he murmured.
“Hey,” Mark started. Renjun looked up, hope flying away. “This was your plan, remember? You’re one of the most clever people I know. I know it’ll work out.”
Renjun nodded. Mark was right; everything would work out. It had to.
*
The last thing Renjun expected to come to two hours later was Yukhei and Donghyuck laughing. Together.
Mark and Renjun cautiously approached the scene, wary of the good atmosphere.
“Hey,” Renjun said as he sat next to his boyfriend on the couch. “What’s going on here?”
Donghyuck turned towards him, face glowing. Why did he always have to look so beautiful?
“We were just talking about soccer. Turns out that Yukhei and I have similar opinions.”
Donghyuck and Yukhei shared a look at that and burst out laughing again.
Renjun looked to Mark. “I’m so fucking lost.”
Yukhei paused his fit of laughter long enough to speak. “Well, after you set us up, we ate -the dinner was delicious by the way, Renjun- and then we like, talked? Finally figured out your boyfriend isn’t as big of an asshole as I thought he was.”
Renjun finally relaxed at and Donghyuck snaked an arm across his shoulders. “Oh, thank goodness. I’ve been trying to tell you that for ages.”
“Yeah, yeah I’m dumb, we know.”
Donghyuck stood and gestures towards the door. “I should probably head home. It’s getting late.”
Yukhei waved from his seat on the couch. “See you later, little bro.”
Renjun tried to hide his smile as he ushered Donghyuck onto the porch.
“Thank you,” Renjun said sincerely. “Really, I mean it.”
Donghyuck pinched his cheeks and cooed. “Ah, you’re so cute. I’m glad I made you happy.”
Renjun pulled him into a hug, cheeks red. Endearing silence, then,
“Do you think Taylor Swift would write a song about this?”