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Kim Minseok pushes his luggage through his front door and nearly trips over five pairs of shoes that are decidedly not his. He takes off his boots before lining up the other shoes neatly against the wall, taking his suitcase and plastic bag with him as he tries to locate the home invaders.
Chanyeol and — worryingly enough — Junmyeon are the only ones bustling around his kitchen. From the open wall, Minseok can see the other members having long made themselves at home in his living room. Jongin is fast asleep in a sprawl over Baekhyun and Sehun, who are deeply engrossed in a YouTube video.
“Junmyeon, I gave you the keycode for emergencies, not for parties,” Minseok says as he leans against the kitchen doorway. He tries to sound stern but can’t keep his smile off his face.
“Minseok-ah!” Junmyeon wipes his wet hands on a towel and begins to walk toward him, arms open for a warm embrace. His hair is so short and prickly. Minseok has seen the pictures, but it doesn’t seem real until he runs his fingers over it. “Welcome home!”
“Hey Junmyeonie,” Minseok says into his neck, breathing him in. “What are you all doing here?”
“What are we all doing here, this hyung, seriously,” Sehun snorts from his place on the couch. He abruptly pushes Jongin off of him and strolls over to the open window between the kitchen and the living room. Minseok shakes his head when Sehun opens his arms expectantly. Still, he pulls away from Junmyeon to give him a hug through the window. Sehun hasn’t bothered to bend down, so that pointy chin of his rests on Minseok’s crown and he’s getting slightly overwhelmed by the cologne on Sehun’s neck. Still, Sehun is clinging a bit too tight, so he lets him be.
When Sehun finally does let Minseok go, he finds Baekhyun walking towards the open wall, a manic look in his eye and a groggy Jongin in his wake. “It’s like you didn’t even miss us. After all the effort we put into making you hot pot.”
“We?” Chanyeol asks fondly of Baekhyun even as he wraps an arm around Minseok’s front and presses a violently wet kiss to his head. He lets it go for now, patting Chanyeol’s wrist in reassurance. They’re a needy bunch, his dongsaengs. It’s understandable though, especially since Junmyeon hasn’t been around to care for them as much.
“We are one, remember?” Baekhyun asks, climbing over the opening in that exact way that Minseok has told him not to. But before Minseok can chide him, Baekhyun raises his arms and collapses forward onto Minseok. Minseok catches him. Baekhyun’s gained some weight, and it’s gone directly to his mochi cheeks. It looks good on him. “Now you two get back to work while I improve the energy in this apartment. Minseok-hyung should come hang out with us.”
“Let me take a shower and change out of my uniform first,” Minseok replies. When Baekhyun doesn’t listen, he adds, “Chanyeol, get your boyfriend off of me, or he’s going to end up on the floor in three, two…”
Free at last, Minseok walks over to the fridge to drop off the bag of grilled eel leftovers his father had packed him after lunch, and makes his way out of the kitchen to find Jongin in the hallway.
He’s patiently waiting, hands tucked into the pocket of an old hoodie of Yixing’s that has been travelling between the members for a few years now. Jongin holds out his arms when he sees Minseok, and Minseok enters them willingly, almost greedily, patting the younger man on the back.
“All done?” Jongin asks into his shoulder, as if he needs the reassurance.
“All done. I’m not going anywhere,” Minseok confirms, pulling away just enough to be able to look at Jongin’s face. “But don’t you have promotions to be doing?”
“Not today, hyung.”
“Good, you should take breaks.” Minseok smiles at him. “I’m really proud of you, you know.”
Jongin nods, cheeks rosy. “I’ll go set the table. Junmyeon-hyung has to leave soon because of his night shift. Come back quickly, hyung.”
-
He’s lathering up his arms in the shower when he hears the click of an unlocking door. “I paid extra to have those locks be chopstick-proof,” Minseok tells a triumphant and very naked Baekhyun as he skips into the shower.
“Yeah, but you didn’t make it Chanyeol-proof!” Baekhyun sings.
“Your boyfriend is a giant pushover,” Minseok replies deadpan.
“Chanyeolie understands the importance of shower time buddies,” Baekhyun informs him seriously. There are times when he wants to smack Baekhyun and push some common sense into his brain, but this thing — this weird, awkward, annoying thing — is special, like Baekhyun.
“Hyung, hyung let me scrub your back,” Baekhyun whines, and Minseok does smack him. But Baekhyun just evades Minseok until they’re fighting in water and soap, smacking and slapping each other like angry little kids. But then Baekhyun slips. He falls forwards, hands reaching for Minseok’s side and landing on a scar Minseok isn’t keen on sharing with anyone just yet. It’s round and cratered. More importantly, it’s new.
Minseok tries to push him away, but Baekhyun is resilient and tries to reach for it again. “That’s new,” he muses. “A fancy new battle wound?”
If he were Baekhyun he’d make a joke and ease the entire situation, but he’s Minseok. All he can do is steal the loofah back and turn away to stand under the showerhead, scrubbing viciously at his reddening skin.
Baekhyun lets him, quietly waiting for him to turn off the tap before covering his shoulders with a towel. They dry off quickly. Baekhyun begins to pull on his clothes again. Minseok wraps the towel around his waist, high enough to cover the scar.
“Don’t tell the others, okay?” Minseok says before Baekhyun can open the bathroom door.
“You haven’t told me anything to tell others. Is it a bullet wound? When did it happen? And are you okay?”
“Yes, May and yes,” Minseok answers truthfully. He doesn’t want to talk about it, but he can’t lie, either.
“That was when you ghosted us for a month on KaKaoTalk.” Baekhyun’s voice cracks. “You said your phone broke, but you were getting shot at in the DMZ, you big fat liar.”
“You don’t have to be scared, Baekhyun,” Minseok tells him, patting him on the shoulder reassuringly. “You’re a terrible shot; they won’t put you anywhere like that.”
“I’m not scared for me.” Baekhyun shakes his head. He wraps his hand around Minseok’s side, thumb brushing up against the scar. “I’m just glad you’re home.”
“Don’t tell the others,” Minseok repeats. “I mean it, I don’t want to scare them, especially the babies.” Or Junmyeon, especially in December, when grief clings so desperately to him in its annual path.
For a split second, it looks like Baekhyun will disagree, but then he pouts with all the strength of both Kim Jongs combined. “But I’m a baby too!”
-
Dinner is loud and chaotic, but Minseok has missed this, so he lets the maknaes eat ice cream on the sofa even if it’s raising his blood pressure. Baekhyun and Chanyeol have been relegated to the floor because the maknaes may be accident-prone, but the beagles are reckless.
Minseok thinks about loading the dishwasher, but Junmyeon is watching him, ready to help. If he gets up, so will Junmyeon, and though he looks happy to be with them, his leader also looks bone-tired. So instead, Minseok leaves the dishes in the sink in favour of sitting next to Junmyeon on the couch. It takes Junmyeon exactly half a second to place an arm around Minseok, his thumb rubbing circles into the junction between his neck and his shoulder.
“Are you eating well?” Minseok asks him quietly. “You sure you don’t want ice cream?”
“I’ll share a portion with you,” Junmyeon says with a smile and Minseok just shakes his head.
“It’s not worth having to get rid of the weight later. I’m going to have to start dieting again anyway.”
“For a Xiulo?” Junmyeon says, and Minseok laughs even as Sehun groans.
“We’ll see.” To be frank, Minseok has had enough of being solo. He knows ChenBaekXi is off the table for now with Chennie enlisted, but he’d rather work with the others than be on his own. Besides, he’s not sure his voice is enough for a solo; he’s always been better as support.
“We could do ChanBaekXi!” Chanyeol calls out.
“And you’ll be able to live with Jongdae not letting you babysit Minhee?” Junmyeon quips back, and Chanyeol deflates extra dramatically.
Whatever Chanyeol is about to mutter is drowned out by the doorbell. “Are we expecting someone else?” Minseok asks. He hopes not. It’s not that he isn’t enjoying the time with his members, but they overwhelm him on their own and he’s not sure he’s up to anyone else.
“This is an EXO-only welcome party,” Jongin says, as he slurps another bit of ice cream from the tube. “Hyung, it’s still your house; we’re not opening the door for you.”
“Ah, I see how it is, you can sneak in and wreck it, but the responsibility is mine,” Minseok retorts as he stands up to go open the door.
He freezes.
“Hey hyung,” Yixing says, hands full of flowers, manager and duffle bag behind him. “Mind if I crash here tonight?”
“Yixing-ah,” Minseok says, overwhelmed but grateful that he’s not the crying type. “You came all this way?”
“I know I couldn’t send you away, but I had to welcome you home,” Yixing says. His Korean is rusty, the way it gets when he hasn’t spoken it in a while. Minseok can see the weariness hanging off of him. He turns to his manager and says, from what Minseok can gather from his Mandarin lessons, that he’ll see him at 5 am.
“That’s so early,” Minseok says, as he pulls him into the home, the door clicking shut behind him.
“I have to head back to Shanghai for Chromosome business,” Yixing tells him, holding out the flowers.
“Thank you,” Minseok takes them. “But when did you arrive in Seoul?”
“A few hours ago. I stopped at the dorm to take a shower first. I had a rapid test, too; negative, by the way, so I’d like a hug from hyung, please. If you don’t mind.”
Minseok sets the flowers on top of Yixing’s duffle bag and wraps his arms around Yixing. “You didn’t have to come.”
“I wanted to.” Yixing’s grip tightens over Minseok’s shoulders. “I missed you.”
“I missed y—”
“LAY-HYUNG!” Baekhyun’s voice is followed by thundering footsteps. “Okay, you came back, good job, Minseok-hyung, now give us our Lay-hyung.”
Yixing giggles into Minseok’s shoulder and pulls away to catch Baekhyun. Minseok leaves them to find a case for the gladiolas bouquet — his favourite. When he makes his way back into the living room, he finds Yixing sitting on the sofa, to his left Jongin and Baekhyun, and to his right Junmyeon, who stands up to make space for Minseok.
“Sit down, Kim Junmyeon,” Minseok orders as he sits down on the floor next to Chanyeol and Sehun.
Sehun takes the opportunity to rest his head in his lap. “Hyung. Give me a scalp massage.”
“Spoiled, spoiled maknae,” Chanyeol notes as Minseok acquiesces to Sehun’s demand.
“Well it’s not like I spoiled myself,” Sehun retorts unrepentantly, to no one’s surprise.
“Sehun-ah, you’re not so young anymore, if you’re not careful, Jongin will become everyone’s favourite maknae,” Chanyeol replies.
“Wait, so you do have favourites?” Jongin whines.
Minseok watches in amusement as the members on the couch shower Jongin with affection to convince him otherwise. There is an easiness here that Minseok has missed. He’d been the first to move out, and he’d worried that he’d become separated from them. He’s not the same as Yixing, who always remembers to write and call and check in with them. They couldn’t cut Yixing out if they tried. Minseok, who finds it difficult to reach out to people first, had initially thought to move out to get used to the disconnect before going to the military. But here they are, invading his house and bringing him flowers and making a mess of his kitchen. He’d tell them to get out, but he finds that he likes it.
-
It’s nearing 9 pm when Junmyeon presses a kiss to Yixing’s forehead and stands up. “I’ve got to get to work, it was nice to see everyone.”
“Be safe, Junmyeon-hyung,” Yixing tells him groggily. “I’ll miss you.”
“I already miss you, Yixing-ah,” Junmyeon tells him in a pained voice. “Go to sleep soon, okay?”
Yixing nods, in that spaced out way of his. “But I don’t like sleeping alone,” he says, probably not even realising that he’s saying it out loud. Junmyeon, soft, gentle Junmyeon, bites his lower lip, leans down to gather Yixing into a hug.
When he finally lets go, it’s to turn around with his hands on hips, attempting to be stern. “And you four, don’t stay for too long, your schedules are hectic tomorrow. And help with clean-up, okay?”
“Urgh, you can go now,” Chanyeol tells him off.
“Yeah, why did we call you anyway? Buzzkill,” Sehun adds.
The comments have the intended effect of making Junmyeon laugh in exasperation, the shininess in his eyes fading. “You wouldn’t even have gotten inside the apartment without me!”
“Yeah, and your services were much appreciated,” Baekhyun adds with a glint in his eye. “Now bye!”
“Ya!”
-
Finally, it’s just the two of them at the entrance door, Junmyeon wrapped up tightly like a well-made kimbap. “Don’t worry,” Minseok tells Junmyeon. It’s been a tough year for the others, and Junmyeon probably blames himself for their lack of a leader. “Don’t be worried about them.”
“I’m not,” Junmyeon says.
“Yes, you are, you’re always worried.” Minseok reaches for the scarf around Junmyeon’s neck. It was an old gift from Tao. He unravels it and wraps it more securely around Junmyeon. “And when you’re done worrying about everything, you find more things to keep you worried.”
“Okay, fine, you got me.” There’s definitely a pout under that mask. “But I’m less worried now that you’re here.”
“Have a good shift,” Minseok replies and sees him off.
-
A loud clang awakens him, and for a moment he’s in the barracks again. Then he hears a “sorry!” from behind him that’s definitely Baekhyun. He must have dozed off. He’s alone on the sofa. The maknaes are playing a card game on the floor with Chanyeol, who’s looking too happy not to be cheating. Sehun seems suspicious, but Jongin is oblivious to his bad luck. The coffee table is a giant mess though, so Minseok piles bowls and mugs and empty ice cream tubes onto the tray and takes it into the kitchen, where he finds Yixing and Baekhyun cleaning up.
Correction, Yixing is washing up, Baekhyun is clinging to his back, his cheek pressed against the back of his shoulders. “What are you doing, Yixing, you’re the last person who should be cleaning.”
“He has help!” Baekhyun complains. “You always forget about me.”
“And what exactly are you doing?” Minseok asks as he sets the tray beside the sink and begins to sort out the recycling.
“I’m providing invaluable moral support!”
Yixing lets out a soft laugh at that.
“Yixing-ah, really. Just rest.”
“I know how much mess stresses you out,” Yixing says placidly as he hangs another dish to dry. “Just let me do this for you.”
Minseok leans in and wraps his arms around Yixing and Baekhyun from behind and squeezes tightly.
“Our big strong hyung really is back,” Yixing says, and Minseok can hear that smile.
“Yeah he is, and he’s crushing us, hyung you know I’m sensitive!”
Minseok snorts and lets go, but not before ruffling Baekhyun’s hair. He’s not the mood maker of EXO for nothing, being always perceptive of the other’s needs. Minseok is thankful for that because he’s not sure he could hold onto Yixing like this, and provide the touch that he’s clearly been craving.
It’s a little past one am when most of the others make their way out. Then it’s just Jongin, napping on the sofa with Yixing as Minseok tidies up his apartment. The couch is comfortable enough, but not for two people of their stature. Yixing is a light sleeper, and probably carrying a more considerable sleep debt. Jongin, on the other hand, has been known to be carried into tour buses without a single break in his sleep cycle, so Minseok picks him up and moves him into the guest room. Once Jongin is tucked in tightly, Minseok takes an extra blanket for Yixing back out into the living room. His heating system is timed to turn off overnight to save energy, but it means Yixing will freeze without a blanket. And he does catch colds so very easily.
When he makes it back to the master bedroom, he really does mean to go to sleep right away. He has a busy schedule tomorrow and his face will already be puffy from the hot pot. But the suitcase is right there, and it won’t take that long to unpack, so he washes, applies a sheet mask to his face and sits down on the floor.
Once everything is packed away, he heads back into his bathroom, to get some moisturiser and remove the mask. That’s when Minseok finds it: a note under the giant bottle of moisturiser, his name in neat hangul that he easily recognises as Jongdae’s.
Umin-hyung!
Welcome back. I’m really sorry I don’t get to see you. The next time I have a day off, you can come and see your sister-in-law and niece with me. You wasted so many of your holidays by coming to the wedding and seeing Minhee at the hospital. You’re not getting away from me during mine! I can’t wait to see you again. We are one, remember? We’re not meant to be apart from each other. I know Kyungsoo and I aren’t there, and Jongin is probably crazy busy. Baekhyun will probably bother you a lot. Let him. He’s having a hard time, but he doesn’t want to show it because Chanyeol’s struggling too. You’re their mathyung. They’re not going to be burdened if you write them first. And write me! I’m so bored.
Yours,
Chennie.
PS – Release a solo album soon so I have nice music to listen to!
PPS – I’m sorry about your towels, baby spit is like acid. They’re clean, I promise.
PPPS – If you form ChanBaekXi, I will never forgive you.
Inside the envelope is a polaroid of Jongdae with a giggling Minhee in his lap, the tired smile of a sleep-deprived father on his face. Minseok smiles, tracing Minhee’s and Jongdae’s smiles with his finger, and then sticks it into the corner of his mirror.
The alarm clock on his nightstand reminds him that it’s half-past one as he finally climbs into bed.
When he wakes up to the doorbell ringing, he finds Jongin curled up to his right, and Yixing rubbing his eyes, head on Minseok’s chest. Guilt hits him, hard. This is exactly why he’d refused the leadership of EXO-M all those years ago. He’s not good at these things. He should have remembered that Yixing didn’t want to sleep alone. Instead of bringing him to bed, he’d left him alone on the sofa, even taken Jongin away.
The doorbell rings again. The alarm clock tells him it’s 4:45, so it must be the manager. “Yixing-ah, go take a shower, I’ll make coffee,” Minseok tells him, and they quietly move out of the bed, covering Jongin in the duvet and blanket for extra warmth. Minseok leaves Yixing to answer the door and convinces the manager to come in and accept a hot cup of coffee while they wait. When Yixing emerges out of the shower, his hair is still wet, and his face puffy. Minseok hands him a hot cup of coffee. “It’s not 5 yet, drink this before you go.”
“Thanks, hyung,” he says before taking a sip of coffee. “Can you tell Jongin I’m sorry I didn’t say bye, I just didn’t want to wake him up.”
“He wouldn’t mind, you know.”
“He needs his sleep.”
“You need yours more.”
Yixing smiles at him. “It’s okay. I’m really happy I got to see you, hyung.” His eyes sheen brightly. “I’ll try my best to be around more.”
“Yixing, just write me, that’s enough,” Minseok tells him bluntly. “I’m glad you came, but take care of yourself first. That’s an order from your mathyung okay?”
They hug tightly, and then Minseok is left with the smell of coffee and an empty living room. He’s getting picked up by his manager at 9 for the Allure photoshoot, which means he can sleep for at least another three hours. But the thought of it makes him feel guilty, going back to sleep when he could go for a run first. He makes it back to his bedroom closet, having decided to change into workout gear. On his shelf, there’s a red piece of clothing, folded neatly with a note on top of it, written in Yixing’s eloquent hanja.
As requested, this hoodie has been fully recharged with lots of Yixing energy! We are one! EXO! Saranghaja! <3<3<3
The sun hasn’t risen yet. He tells himself he can start his new routine after the day really begins. Instead he pulls the hoodie over his pyjama top and climbs back into bed. Jongin, who is still fast asleep, automatically turns, as if searching for warmth, and wraps his arms around Minseok’s waist. When the fingers squeeze unconsciously around Minseok’s soft flesh, he finds himself flinching so severely that it startles Jongin awake.
“Go back to sleep,” Minseok tells him softly, pulling Jongin’s hand away and deciding that it’s definitely time to hit the cross-trainer after all.
“What time is it?”
“Little past 5, your manager is picking you up at 8:30, right? We have time,” Minseok tells him. “Sleep for now. I’m sorry I woke you up.”
“Where are you going?” Jongin is groggy, hair sticking up in every direction as he sits up and looks blearily at Minseok.
“Just to exercise.”
“Hyung, I’ll work out with you later, promise,” Jongin says. “Cuddles. Please.”
He sighs and nods. They fall back into bed, their arms around each other. Jongin splays his hands over the back of Minseok’s shoulders and throws a leg over Minseok’s waist. They go to sleep like this, Minseok’s palm stroking the back of Jongin’s neck, puffs of Jongin’s breath against Minseok’s face.
In a few hours, Minseok will wake up to Jongin’s shrieks of, “You drooled on me!”, but until then, he sleeps like a baby.