Chapter Text
“That’s everything you’re bringing…?” Changkyun asks, eyeing the singular suitcase between his older brother, Hyungwon, and his older brother’s boyfriend, Kihyun. He raises a skeptical, pierced brow, his expression otherwise blank. Hyungwon glances down at the suitcase, and Changkyun can’t help but start to formulate all the jokes of how many times Hyungwon himself could fit inside said suitcase. Hyungwon shrugs, looking to Kihyun as if needing validation.
“Ki and I share clothes a lot nowadays,” Hyungwon says with a shrug, as if it isn’t a big deal.
“I mean, yeah,” Changkyun says, glancing over to his own boyfriend, Hoseok, as he helps Hyunwoo load up the RV’s storage area with luggage. “I get wearing your boyfriend’s hoodies, hyung, but isn’t just sharing one suitcase underpacking?”
“Well,” Kihyun pipes up, his friendly tone for some reason setting Changkyun’s teeth on edge, “considering how much Minhyuk’s over packed, I think we’ll be fine.” He reaches up on his tiptoes to give Hyungwon a kiss on the cheek, and the taller meets him halfway with a sweet, smitten smile. Changkyun waits until Hyungwon’s boyfriend is in the RV, dragging their suitcase behind him, before sidling up to his brother.
“You two aren’t gonna be all over each other this entire trip, are y’all?” Changkyun asks, earning a scoff and some rolling eyes from his brother. “I just don’t wanna hear your bunk go bump in the night, if you know what I mean. These are tight quarters.”
“No worries, Kkungie,” Hyungwon tells him only semi-patronizingly, patting the younger on top of the head. “We can control ourselves for one week … Though, it sure will be hard.” There’s a lilt to Hyungwon’s voice at that last bit, and Changkyun is about… 88% sure Hyungwon’s being sarcastic. Hyungwon smirks at Changkyun, nudging his shoulder before going off towards the RV, as well. Though, his steps falter at the irate scream that floods out of the open door.
“I SWEAR TO FUCK , MINHYUK!!!!”
Hyungwon shakes his head fondly, chuckling under his breath before climbing the steps onto the vehicle. Changkyun remains in the parking lot, chewing on the inside of his cheek with his lips pressed together in thought. He doesn’t realize it until Hoseok’s pressing a hand to the small of his back that his boyfriend has finished with the manual labor. He jumps a little in surprise, earning an affectionate chuckle from the older.
“You okay, Kkungie?” he asks sweetly. Something about the tone makes Changkyun feel silly for even worrying, but… that’s his brother , dammit.
“I don’t know,” he muses aloud, keeping his voice low to keep prying ears away from their conversation. “After that stunt they pulled at the wedding a few weeks ago… It looked like they were about to break up, but now they’re sharing a suitcase?? And that’s not even to mention how weird they were during that visit for my birthday…”
“Maybe they were just going through a rough patch,” Hoseok offers, shifting to hug Changkyun from behind. Changkyun leans back against him, allowing the older to support his weight. He rests his head against Hoseok’s shoulder, humming softly when the older presses a sweet kiss to his neck.
“I don’t give a shit if they fight,” Changkyun admits, crossing his arms over his chest, “but if I see Kihyun being a dick to my brother, it’s over. I’m pulling the younger brother card and demanding immediately that they break up.” Hoseok chuckles airily, his warm breath brushing against Changkyun’s skin.
“Then let’s just hope it won’t come to that.”
Changkyun leans his head to the side to give Hoseok a smile of gratitude. He gives the younger a short peck to the lips before pulling away and dragging him along towards the door of the RV. He finds his brother lounging on the couch, watching with an amused smirk as Minhyuk and Kihyun yell at each other’s faces. Kihyun’s holding some sequiney fabric, waving it around like it means something. Minhyuk’s shouting back at him, his hands thrown out to either side. Jooheon sits next to Hyungwon, offering him a beer. The two clink their drinks and take a long sip, watching their respective boyfriends threaten all kinds of nasty retaliations for whatever’s happened.
Changkyun glances back to Hoseok, admittedly a bit nervous. He doesn’t even know why he’s said yes to this, really. Even as a kid, he was away at a special boarding school and very much not a part of Hyungwon’s group of friends. If he’d have stayed home and gone to school locally, things would have been different, but… back then, school was more important to him. He’s been trying to make up for it now, but he honestly doubts he’s doing a very good job. Hoseok gently prods him forward, as if sensing his nerves, and Changkyun automatically goes to sit on the couch, on Hyungwon’s other side.
Hyungwon ruffles his hair, earning a whine of protest from Changkyun. Hoseok and Hyungwon echo each other’s chuckle of affection, and Changkyun just leans against Hoseok as he watches the show unfold.
When Kihyun starts to go for the kitchenette, saying something about cutting off excess weight, Hyungwon bolts up to intervene. He grabs for Kihyun’s wrist, says something only the other can hear. Changkyun watches curiously the way Kihyun’s tense shoulders finally fall slowly but surely, the way Hyungwon’s thumb pets at the inside of Kihyun’s wrist. Kihyun releases a long sigh and turns back to Minhyuk, tossing what Changkyun can now see is a scarf at the other.
“Fine, keep all the extra shit,” he says at him, his voice a bit more subdued. “Too late to fix it anyway, unless we were to leave it on the side of the street.” Minhyuk’s mouth flaps open to say something else, but Hyunwoo climbing into the RV stops him. The oldest man in the group surveys them all with sparkling eyes, clapping his hands together once after closing the door behind himself.
“Ready to hit the road?” he asks, his tone so warm and oddly paternal. Changkyun squeezes a bit closer to Hoseok instinctively, trying not to remember his own dad. Sure, it’s been a while since the man died, but it still hurts to think about a lot of the time. Changkyun would estimate about 79%.
“Ready to hit something,” Minhyuk mutters under his breath, though still loud enough for everyone to catch. Kihyun starts forward, as if to pounce, but Hyungwon yanks him back again. Changkyun frowns at this, watches as Kihyun sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. He let’s Hyungwon lead him over to the couch, sitting in Hyungwon’s lap. Changkyun thinks he hears the older counting under his breath, the numbers rushing out like a waterfall before until they slow to the pace of a stream. He notes how Kihyun fails to get to twenty.
Hyunwoo ignores Minhyuk’s words, giving a delightful “Great!” and going to the front of the RV. He takes the captain’s chair and starts them out of the parking lot. Minhyuk hums, winking at Jooheon once before going to sit in the passenger’s seat in the front.
Changkyun glances to Hoseok, wondering for the umpteenth time just what the hell he’s gotten them into.