Work Text:
future idiot-in-law: bro why does your school look so damn complicated?
future idiot-in-law: just random ass buildings everywhere wtf?
future idiot-in-law: no sort of proper layout or anything
future idiot-in-law: oh well ig it’s not really my problem
She blinks, confusion coursing through the veins beneath her skin. The chattering of students around her fades into a muffled quiet. A message from her Mum comes through next, and she let’s out a small sigh.
mum: working late today and your brother has the earlier shift !! guess who’s coming to pick you up instead :)
She doesn’t need to guess, because Thanos’ previous messages already tell her of her mother’s surprise. She doesn’t know why someone needs to pick her up in the first place.
Sure it’s getting dark outside because her after school club finished later than planned, but come on she’s fourteen now! She can walk herself home, it’s not like it’s far.
The messages go read by not replied to, and she slides her phone into her bag before heading out of the classroom. Her patterned skirt blows back in the corridor’s chilly breeze because the caretaker hasn’t gotten around to closing all the windows yet. She’s on the third floor, and she needs to get to the first one.
She passes a trophy shelf, and a few scattered posters that make the hallway not seem as dull as it actually is. The walls are white, and so are the floors, though the floor actually has small specks of a burnt orange colour scattered within it. As a first year, she used to jump from one orange speck to the other.
The stairs are not steep and they’re easy enough to get down. During the normal school hours they’re so busy students and staff alike cannot move very well. She continues past the second floor, and ends up on the first one.
The exit of the school is in front of her, and just as she goes to leave—
“Hey, wait up!”
Her heart stops, and it sort of does this thing where it skips a beat within her chest at the same time, and she turns to be greeted by a certain student she finds herself, annoyingly enough, growing quite fond of. Not that she’d tell anyone that.
”Hey,” the boy smiles, and he’s about a half a foot taller than her. His hair is dark and messier than what it had been when they saw each other in Literature first thing. “Heading home?”
”I’m going to a nightclub, actually.”
The boy blinks. “You are?”
”No,” she sends him a small smile, and she wants to call him an idiot but she doesn’t, “but I’m honest now I’m telling you that I don’t think I’m going home.”
”Oh?”
”Plans changed, someone else is picking me up.”
”Your brother?”
”No,” she shakes her head, “the in-law.”
”Ah,” he nods, “the rapper, yeah? Thanos.”
”Don’t act as if you didn’t have a badge on your backpack with his face on at the beginning of the year.”
”Excuse me,” he holds his hands up in mock-surrender, ”I have never even heard of him before, how dare you make such an accusation—”
She rolls her eyes, “right,” and then she’s turning and heading back in her original path of moving towards the exit. She hears rushing feet, and then he’s walking at her side.
”Do you think he’ll sign—”
”Yes, but do not ask him to.”
”Why not?”
”Because it’s weird—”
”It’s not weird.”
They push both doors open, having one each, and the air is significantly colder. She regrets not bringing a coat. He’s only got his blazer as a barrier between himself and the wind.
”You like him, though, right?”
”What a peculiar question—”
”He’s dating your brother,” the boy says, “it’s a perfectly standard question.”
She hums, and considers, but she doesn’t have to for long because of course she knows her answer. “He’s wonderful,” she says, “loud, and a bit annoying, but he’s great.”
Thanos and Namgyu have been dating for five years now. She was nine when they first got together. She doesn’t really remember a time in which Thanos wasn’t around.
She does remember, however, building Lego with him one evening at the coffee table because Mum was busy and so her brother and his partner were on babysitting duties.
Like Thanos is again today.
“That’s my Dad,” the boy says, and he gestures towards the black car in the car park. It’s one of three cars. The others are blue and red respectively. “See you tomorrow?”
”Most likely.”
”Oh?”
She shrugs, “sometimes adventures come up and school is no longer the most important thing.”
”If there’s an adventure,” he decides to shoot his shot, “can I come along?”
She blinks, and nerves build within her. “You didn’t say please.”
He rolls his eyes, his grin playful, “please can I come on an adventure with you?”
She tucks a moving strand of hair behind her ear. Her hair is dark, the same colour as her brothers, and it falls just below her shoulders in a slight wave. “I suppose so.”
He smiles, “perfect. See you tomorrow, whether in class or for an adventure.”
”See you later.”
”Get home safely, yeah?”
”I will,” she nods, and she holds onto the straps of her backpack as she watches him wander away. They’ve been friends since the school year started, but recently, over the last month or so, it feels like something else is in the air whenever they’re around each other. She wants so badly for him to think the same, for him to like her too.
She doesn’t have long to dwell on it, because familiar purple hair comes into view and she’s being waved at. She grins, and chuckles gently, and waves back before basically rushing down the stairs.
She’s careful not to fall, because that would be mortifying, and she hugs the man that’s come to pick her up, and he hugs her back with his right arm whilst ruffling her hair with his left hand. She doesn’t mind, the school air has already made her hair messy enough throughout the day.
The black car pulls out of the car park, and the driver honks as a way of saying goodbye. Thanos turns to the noise:
”Who was that?”
”Just a friend,” she says, and she pulls back from his embrace. He holds out his hand and she slides her bag off her back and hands it to him. He places the strap over his left shoulder.
”Didn’t seem like he wanted to be ‘just friends’—”
She narrows her gaze, “what’s that supposed to mean?”
”You didn’t see the way he was so clearly flirting with you? Oh ‘can I go on an adventure with you?’ and whatever.”
She rolls her eyes, “he was just being nice. Everyone wants to skip school if the opportunity arises to.”
Thanos shakes his head, “nope, not me.”
”Really now? You never skipped school? Not even one class?”
His silence, and his inability to look her in the eyes, tells her the answer he’s refusing to. She smiles, and then begins wandering towards the car park, Thanos follows shortly after. She figures they’re walking. Thanos’ car is not blue or red.
”How long am I with you for then?”
”Few hours, I think. That alright?”
”Yeah,” she nods, “that’s cool.”
”What was your club for anyway?”
”Piano,” she says, and really Thanos should’ve guessed that since she’s been non-stop talking about learning the instrument for a while now, “started it a few weeks ago.”
”And he just happened to be in that club too, yeah?”
The teasing tone of his voice makes her roll her eyes, and she considers briefly walking a few steps ahead of him and acting as if she doesn’t know who he is.
”We joined it together.”
”Mhm—”
”Thanos—”
”What? I didn’t say anything.”
”No but you thought it.”
”Bold of you to assume I think anything at all.”
”I know you think my brother is pretty.”
Thanos’ face heats up, and Sang-mi knows she’s won this one. They turn to the main street, and she remembers something her friend had said. Do you think he’ll sign—
“Can I ask you something?”
”Go ahead.”
”Is it weird seeing people with your face on their t-shirts?”
It’s clear he hadn’t expected that. “Um, I suppose it was,” he says, “but the more you see, the more you get used to it, you know?”
She nods, and she decides to throw Ha-joon under the bus, “my friend is a fan.”
”He is?”
”Yeah,” she nods, “a pretty big fan, I think.”
”The one you walked out with?”
She nods again, “I think he probably has a poster of you too. You know one of the one’s people put on lampposts or mail boxes to advertise tours and shows?”
”Yeah.”
”Think he took it from a notice board.”
Thanos chuckles, and Sang-mi looks at him with a fond smile. Thanos is the first, and only, partner her brother has ever had, and she thinks Namgyu did a really good job with picking him out.
Thanos had been ‘part of the family’ for about three months before he started appearing in the drawings she’d do at school. Her teacher had asked her who the guy with purple hair was, and she’d told her simply that he’s ‘my brother’s boyfriend called Thanos but I don’t think that’s his real name’.
It didn’t take her teacher long to put two and two together. Namgyu and Thanos went ‘Instagram official’ with their relationship about six months into it, and god did she end up getting a lot of attention at school.
”Can we stop at the arcade on the way back please?”
”How come?”
”I have pocket money from chores around the house,” she says, “and I’d like for us to build something out of Lego like we used to. They have like a whole counter full of Lego in there now. I saw it this morning. If you— if you’d like to build the Lego with me, of course.”
”Sounds good to me,” Thanos nods, and then he notices the fact that she’s very obviously cold. She lacks her complete school uniform. Her jumper is nowhere to be seen and her bag is too light for it to be in there. He stops, she does too, and he takes his hoodie off. “Here.”
She looks at the clothing item for a second, and then she takes it. “Thank you.” Their conversation had distracted her from realising just how cold she was. The wind continues to pick up, and the faintest scent of rain is in the air. She turns the jumper over, and she catches a glimpse of the design on the back.
”Is this your own merch?”
”I have to advertise—”
”Thanos.”
”Yes?”
She says again, holding the hoodie up clearly for him to see the back of it, ”this is your own merch.”
”It is,” he nods, “and don’t say it isn’t cool because your brother designed that and I’ll have to tell him you don’t like it.”
”I do like it,” she says, and she puts the hoodie on. It’s warm, and it smells of well men. “I just didn’t expect you to wear your own merch.”
”Well then I’m afraid that’s on you. You can’t possibly have known me for five years and not think—”
She cuts him off with a glare, and he glares back. A few seconds pass, and then they both laugh.
Namgyu is an artist when he isn’t working at Club Pentagon. He’s designed a lot of Thanos’ merch, and he’s designed his album covers, and covers for the songs he releases as singles. He has his own personal Instagram, and an Instagram filled with his art.
That one has almost two million followers, most of which are art fans in general, their friends like Se-mi etc, and Thanos fan accounts. Thanos of course follows it too, and he very proudly shares each and every post to his Instagram story whenever Namgyu decides to upload his work.
She hums gently, and she puts the hood up whilst she watches her school bag return to Thanos’ shoulder. They get to the arcade after a few minutes of quiet walking, and he hovers outside hidden away the best he can whilst she chooses the Lego.
The arcade is full of teens and young adults, so the two age groups who listen to his music the most. She pays for two Lego sets. One is Disney, one is a bouquet of Tulips that comes alongside a vase to build too. She leaves the arcade, finds him, and they continue walking.
They don’t talk about much the rest of the way back, and when they get to the home they enter it swiftly. Sang-mi takes the hoodie off and hangs it up by the door. She smiles fondly at the framed image of herself, her Mum, and her brother.
Thanos doesn’t talk about his own family much. She never asks. All Sang-mi knows is that Thanos has a sister, and she’s met her plenty of times. They’re friends even, herself and Thanos’ sister, despite their age gap.
Thanos’ sister is a few years older than he is. Sang-mi assumes Thanos’ Mum and Dad are not in the picture in the same way that her own Dad isn’t.
”What would you like to eat?”
”I don’t mind,” she says, and she looks around the lounge as if it’s the first time she’s ever been here. Thanos watches her for a moment, hums, and then goes to get them snacks.
She places the Lego down on the coffee table, and retrieves her phone from her bag. She texts her Mum back, and she also texts back Ha-joon because he’d asked whether or not she got home safely.
She tells him no, and that she’s actually a ghost now, and he sends her a rolling eyes gif. She giggles softly, fondly.
Her phone gets abandoned to the coffee table, and she wanders down the corridor and towards the study that’s not actually a study but rather a music room/library instead. She spots instantly the piano, and any curiosity as to where it’s come from does not overpower her urge to practise what she’s just spent the last hour or so of her life practicing.
She sits down at the bench, and touches softly one of the keys. She grins, and she begins to play. The music fills the room, and also the rest of the house. Thanos abandons his snack task, and instead he follows the sound of the music.
The song, well what she knows of it, comes to a close when he gets to the doorway.
”Impressive,” he says, and he doesn’t tell her she’s just found her birthday present a month early. He makes a mental note to mention it to Namgyu at some point, though, despite knowing he’ll get a lecture about forgetting to lock the study door… again.
”Thanks,” she says, “it’s what we’ve been learning in my club. It’s an English song. I can’t remember the name of it.”
”It sounds familiar,” Thanos shrugs, “but— no, I haven’t a clue either.”
”Standard.”
A dramatic gasp, “excuse me?!”
”Nothing, nothing,” she says innocently, and he watches her with a rather unimpressed look as she wanders past him and back into the lounge. He follows, but he goes back to the kitchen.
The Lego she opens, the Disney one first because it’ll be quicker to complete, and Thanos comes back with drinks and snacks. She thanks him, and then they get to work, gossiping about anything and everything they can think of.
They also talk about music, because it’s one of the main things they have in common. Thanos is obviously an extremely well known rapper, and whilst Sang-mi has no real interest in writing or producing music, she would be completely and utterly lost without it. She often has her headphones on her head, or earphones in her ears.
They end up ordering a proper dinner, and they eat together at the table with the television playing quietly from the other room. Sang-mi can just about see it from where she’s sat.
”You won’t tell him, will you?”
”Won’t tell who about what?”
”Namgyu,” she says, “about Ha-joon.”
”Ah, so that’s his name—”
”Thanos—”
“What?”
”Do. Not. Tell. Him.” She then swiftly adds, “please.”
”What’s there to tell? That you’re planning on going on an adven— oh my god you have a crush on him!”
She shrieks as if the boy in question has some sort of super hearing that allows him to hear their chat from a street over, ”dude—”
”Don’t worry, don’t worry,” he says, lightly waving both hands in a dismissive manner, “your secret is safe with me. Maybe.”
She glares, and he smiles, and then they both go back to their respective meals. They finish up eating, and they go back to their Lego. They finish up the Disney one, and start on the flowers. It’s already almost nine in the evening. The sun has set almost completely.
If she’s being totally honest, she sort of expected to be at home by now. Mum must be busy, her work can be irritatingly unpredictable sometimes. She yawns, and hears a chuckle.
”You alright there?”
”Tired.”
”Busy day?”
”Long day.” She’d started school at eight, and then they’d gotten back here at six. The piano lesson had started later due to a problem with a student fight, and therefore it finished later too.. about half an hour later.
Thanos asks, ”want to take a break?”
”Yes, please,” she nods, and immediately she moves to the sofa and she lays down on it. She’s there for about ten minutes before she drops off into a comfortable sleep. Thanos cleans as she slumbers because yes despite what Namgyu says he is perfectly capable of doing that.
He puts the built Lego safely at the centre of the coffee table, and then the Tulip pieces all go back into their box. He seals the lid with some tape so none of them fall out when the box is eventually moved around.
He drapes a blanket over the girl, and lays down on the other sofa. Within five minutes he’s asleep too.
****
Namgyu gets home at just gone midnight, and in his bag are pyjamas for his sister because it turns out she’s got to spend the night with them instead of the originally planned few hours. He supposes both Thanos and Sang-mi have already figured that one out, though.
He won’t lie, the lack of texts from both his sister and his boyfriend make him a little nervous as to what scene he may walk in on.
But then he gets into the house and his heart warms instantly at the sight he sees. Both Thanos and Sang-mi are fast asleep. His sister is slightly curled in on herself beneath the blanket.
He drops his bag to the floor beside the school bag of his only sibling, and he crouches down beside where Thanos’ head rests, what must be, uncomfortably on the arm of the sofa.
”Hey, hun,” he whispers gently, running his right hand through the purple locks of hair, quietly bringing the taller man from his slumber, “you can’t sleep here the whole night, you’ll hurt your neck.”
Thanos mumbles something neither of them really understand, and he turns over. Namgyu sighs, but leans forward to press a kiss to the back of his boyfriend’s head. Thanos accepts the action with a soft hum.
He turns his attention to his sister next, but she’s already sat up and rubbing her eyes.
”Where’s Mum?”
”Still at work,” he says, and she frowns, “I stopped by the house on my way back, and I picked up your pyjamas. You’re staying with us today, alright?”
“Okay,” she says, “will she be back for me to go home tomorrow after school?”
”She will be,” he nods, and he doesn’t make promises unless he knows he can keep them, so that’s why he says, “promise.”
Sang-mi nods, and she yawns as she stands up from the sofa. Namgyu and Thanos live in a three bedroom home. The two guest bedrooms she has to pick from are both as wonderful as each other. The mattresses feel like sleeping on a cloud.
”We have a new toothbrush in the bathroom cupboard,” Namgyu says, “you can use that one.”
”Thank you,” she says, and she passes by her brother, “we made Lego.”
”I saw,” he smiles, “it looks good.”
”We didn’t get to finish the flowers.”
”Flowers?”
”We decided they were going to be for you.”
”Ah,” Namgyu nods, and he watches as his sister digs through his bag for her pyjamas. He also brought her ‘stay over’ bag, a bag that has other clothing and female essentials that really are not his business to touch. She makes sure it’s packed all the time just in case.
”They’re yellow,” she says, “and pink. The Tulips.”
”I’m sure they’re really pretty.”
She nods, “they are.”
And then she’s gone, and she wanders up the stairs to get changed. Namgyu knows she doesn’t mind staying over, but it’s clear she’s a little annoyed about it. He can’t blame her.
It’s only Monday, so she’ll wear the same uniform tomorrow. She won’t have to worry about her clothes or ‘staying over’ bag, their Mum has already said she’ll pick them up on her way through.
”She’s staying?”
Namgyu sighs gently, and turns to his boyfriend, “she is, yeah. I’m s—”
”Don’t apologise,” Thanos says, “it’s never a problem.”
Namgyu nods, and then it seems he blinks and two hands are cupping either side of his face. He sends his boyfriend a smile, one which Thanos returns, and then their lips are brought together in a kiss that’s delicate, a kiss they both melt into with ease.
They’ve always felt like two joining pieces of the same puzzle.
Thanos asks after they’ve separated, “how was work?”
Namgyu shrugs lightly, “fine. Nothing special happened.”
”Boring.”
”Just a little.”
Thanos uses his thumbs to caress along Namgyu’s cheekbones, and Namgyu tilts his head ever so slightly to the right in order to press a small kiss to the bottom of the palm of his boyfriend’s left hand.
”Did she behave?”
”She always does,” he says, “we had dinner, built Lego, had snacks, she stole my hoodie because she was cold on the way home— okay, no, wait, I wanted to make a joke but I actually gave her my hoodie because I’m so nice, you see? I even cleaned the house too after she fell asleep. Did I— did I do good?”
Namgyu hums, and he nods, echoing his boyfriend’s own words back to him but with a slight twist, “you always do.”
The stairs creak, and they both turn and are greeted by the girl. She waves at them, “goodnight.”
A perfectly synchronised, “goodnight.”
”Oh, and Thanos,” she begins, stopping herself from turning to head back up the stairs the moment she went to, “thank you for today. Love you.”
He smiles at her, “love you too, kid.”
She nods, and smiles a small smile, before actually heading back up the stairs. They wait, and they hear a door close over and click shut.
”See,” Namgyu smiles, turning back to his boyfriend, “you did very good.” The moment exchanged between the two of the is so sweet that he doesn’t mind his lack of ‘I love you’ from, you know, his own sibling.
Thanos had been nervous despite being very quick to offer to look after Sang-mi, and that’s mainly because normally when he’s looking after her, Namgyu is there too. There have only been like two or three occasions before now when it’s just been the both of them.
One was in the summer so he took her to the park and they got ice cream after, the other they built Lego like they did today, and the last they watched lightening dance across the sky from the safety of a window as it stormed.
Thanos hums, and he presses a kiss to Namgyu’s forehead, “have you eaten at all?”
”Yeah,” he nods, “Se-mi stopped by the club on my break and brought me something.”
”Oh did she now?”
”She did, yes.”
”Well that was very nice of her.”
”Fairly certain it was really because she wanted to see this new staff member that we have—”
”Oh yeah?”
”She’s Se-mi’s type like 100%.”
Thanos considers, and he never does plan to tell Namgyu about Sang-mi’s crush without her permission first, but why not hint at it just a little just for the fun of it? “So, actually, speaking of crushes—”
There’s a thump from upstairs, almost as if someone has stood up and is stomping on the floor. Thanos chuckles lightly, she really does have great hearing when she wants to.
He knows that she knows he’d never actually say anything she didn’t want him to.
”Speaking of crushes?”
He looks back down at his boyfriend. Sang-mi’s secret is safe with him and him alone. “I have a crush on you.”
Namgyu tilts his head to the side, “well that’s embarrassing.”
Thanos frowns, “how so?”
”Because I don’t have a crush on you.”
”We’ve been dating for five years.”
”Five long, awful, horri—”
”Shut up,” the words are fond, and Thanos brings Namgyu in for another kiss and of course the shorter man leans into it contently. When they’re separated, Thanos rests their foreheads together.
”I love you.”
”I love you too,” the rapper replies, “even if you don’t have a crush on me.”
”Of course I have a crush on you.”
Thanos hums, “is it my good looks and incredible charm?”
”Something like that. Maybe your ability to fall over absolutely nothing is what I find endearing about you?”
He disconnects their foreheads. ”I write songs about you and this is what I get in return?”
Namgyu chuckles, and he wraps his arms loosely around Thanos’s neck. “When we’re home alone tomorrow,” he says, and then the next words are more of a whisper, “I’ll show you what you can really get in return.”
Thanos considers, and Namgyu places a quick kiss to his lips. “Okay,” he nods, “I like that idea.”
”Good,” and Namgyu kisses him once more.