ateez family au

156

The sobs died out and Mingi gathered his breath; his almost fragile body falling motionless in Yunho's arms.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?", the elder asked and brought enough distance between them to see Mingi's face. It was puffed and red, his eyes almost disappeared between his swollen lids. He nodded, wiped over his face with the sleeve of his pajama. "You don't have to, it's okay if you don't," Yunho assured and brushed the boy's bangs out of his face. Wetted by tears, they stuck to his skin.

Mingi looked up at his brother, eyes glassy and lips trembling. There was so much going on in his head and so much to say, his tongue didn't compromise at all. He wanted to say it all at once, choked on his words instead. It felt like a burden he wanted to throw off so bad yet stuck to his back. And he wanted to cry again when he realized that he was too incompetent to even talk, to even say what the problem was. It was him, him and all that was on that body of his.

"I don't want to be anymore... I don't want to be like this anymore... And I'm so afraid... So afraid that I'm not someone you will love..."

~

Eun Dal
Did you eat yet?
What did you have for dinner?

I'm sorry that I only get to text you at the evening
I figured that it may seem that I only do it because I'm bored.

But it's true that I like spending my free time texting you:)

Yeosang looked at his phone and knit his brows. He was annoyed, yet couldn't point out what made him feel like that towards the boy. In the end, he was just being nice to him and that was what seemed to annoy him so much.

"I think you're being a little rude to him." San put away the book he was reading. For his Korean class they had been assigned to read a book their teacher had chosen, their exercise was to understand whatever deeper educational meaning it had to a teenager's life. Not that San found out what he should be searching for, he read it because he liked the strong lead-character. The twin turned his head to the other, tipping his lips. "I don't think someone deserves to be ignored for almost two hours."

"I'm not ignoring him,"Yeosang gave back, "I'm busy!" he added and searched for the same book he too was supposed to read. He opened it, didn't mean he was reading it though. Mind filled with the boy from his c-class made it hard to even read a sentence and understand what it meant. And as this went on for another three silent minutes, he groaned out loud and let the book fall on his face. Frustrated, he let his hands fall back on the soft mattress of his bed. "This is so dumb."

San sat um and crossed his legs, pressing his lips in a line as he watched his twin turn and toss in his bad in annoyance. "Why don't you just text him back? He seems nice."

"Ugh you're just as dumb-" Yeosang threw the book off his face and sat up, mirroring the other's position. "That's the problem."

"What? That he's nice?"

"Exactly."

Eun Dal
I'm going to bed early today
Goodnight:)

I hope you sleep well

"I've been ignoring him for 2 two hours, how does he not give up?" Yeosang cursed under his breath and pushed his phone under the pillow; he didn't want to see any more messages of him.

"Hah! I've been right, you are ignoring him!"

"Of course I am! Do I look like I want him to confess to me again?" Yeosang said, sealing his lips immediately after slipping one information too much. His eyes widened and sweat started to form at the base of his neck. He didn't want to tell anyone what kind of relationship he had with Dal, he didn't know how to put it in words anyway. "This is getting worse and worse... I should just block him, I should have done that earlier-"

"Hold on-"

"You did not hear anything!"

"He confessed to you? Oh my Yeo that's so cute-"

"Dumb, it's dumb!" Yeosang grabbed his pillow and shove his face in it, groaning loudly. He brought him so many problems and headaches, he should hate him.

San stood up and walked over to his brother, sat on his bed and put his hand on his back. "Why do you think it's dumb? It's cute that he confessed to you?" he asked, tipping his lips. San hove his legs on the bed and crossed his legs, his body turned to his twin. "If he makes you uncomfortable, just tell him so. You don't have to keep on this conversation then?"

Again, the other groaned. "He's nice." Yeosang admitted and lifted his red face from the pillow he held. "I hate this. Stop it."

"Sangie I think I got news for you."

"Don't say it-"

"Looks like you're developing feelings, huh"

~

"I'm so tired," Seonghwa huffed as he finally got to lay down in his bed. "Work was too much today... I'm happy I don't act any lead roles anymore..."

Hongjoong turned on his side to face the elder. He pressed a quick kiss on his husband's lips, then moved his arms around his body. Seonghwa always felt soft and comfortable, no matter what he wore or didn't. "Do you want a massage?" he asked, snuggling closer to the elder. "I would have prepared a warm bath or... That huge hot pack. Should I warm it up?"

An amused yet tired giggle rolled over Seonghwa's lips as he rose his hand to lay it on Hongjoong's neck. "I'm fine, thank you," he gave back and smiled exhaustedly. "... Did you break something or where does this come from?" he asked, half-joking that was.

Hongjoong made a dramatic face, then pouted his lips. "I am very much hurt now- do I always have to break something to be a considerate husband?" he gave back.

"No... Of course not," the elder said and moved his hand from Hongjoong's neck to his cheek, poking his cheek cutey. "You're always considerate, my love."

The look in his eyes changed, tension left his lips. "Sometimes I worry while taking care of too much I don't take enough care of you," Hongjoong admitted honestly and moved a little closer. "I feel like I don't give you enough, yet I don't know what I could give that would be enough for all you have done and do..."

There was an honest smile that spread over Seonghwa's lips, though his heart hung heavily in his chest. He was known to his husband's insecurities, to his fears and nightmares, to everything he had lived through with him. And he was ready to carry as much of the weight he was allowed to hold for as long as their journey would last. "Oh love..." he sighed and pressed his lips on Hongjoong's forehead, "i don't need more than you already give, I never did... To fall asleep and wake up with you, to care for our children and family, to live our future together and have our past, to have you here with me is more than I could dare ask for," he assured and leaned their faces close.

He felt Hongjoong curl into his frame; felt his knees lightly touch his abdomen, his head right before his lips. "You're all I have," he mumbled, scooting just a little closer to the elder's warm body. "The only one I can lean on and I can't but feel like I load too much on you sometimes..."

"I should be the one you can lean on, Hongjoong," Seonghwa gave back, placing his hand on the younger's upper back, "you do enough, be sure of that."

"I thank you, endlessly, do you know that?"

"I do," Seonghwa replied and pressed a last kiss on his dozing off husband's face. "And I know you love me, and so do I. I love you, endlessly."

~

Heeyaa

How are you?

I've been okay I'd say. School is seriously going to be the end of mine but I'm surviving

I thank you that we can share this place together. This book has helped me through a lot of stress and pressure over the one and a half years I've been working on it, so I hope it has had a similar effect for you.

In addition I wanted to thank you also for the 300 followers we have gathered a couple of days ago, I suppose a lot of you are from this story of mine :)

Thank you for encouraging me to continue just what I like doing at the moment, thank you for supporting what I do.

Please stay healthy and safe!

-gulkurusubb