eau de famille

---♥---

The monsoon season has begun, and with the heavy rains and lightning and thunder came the suspension of classes, which is usually a good thing.

The Cha-Jung children are perfectly content staying indoors, finishing their homework, napping, snacking, and exhausting the tabletop games their parents had gotten them just for these stormy days.

They always manage to find something to occupy themselves with, and Hakyeon would have peace and quiet for a few hours before dinner, but today he’s just barely clicked the render button of his video-editing software for his latest choreography demo before Jaehwan’s voice, shrill in his anger, carried all the way from downstairs, “You kicked the table, Binnie, you cheater!”

“Oh boy…” Hakyeon mutters as he leaves his study--A small room with smooth hardwood flooring, one mirrored wall, and a computer and sound system tucked in the corner-- following Hongbin’s voice as he protests “No, I didn’t!” Hakyeon can actually hear the smile in his tone, masking the laugh boiling just beneath his denial.

Hakyeon finds them in the living room, Jenga blocks scattered all around the coffee table, lilted just slightly to the side, and the rug. Hongbin is sitting on the floor, arms crossed, determinedly returning Jaehwan’s glare as he stands across him, small fists clenched as he is wont to do whenever he’s upset. Wonshik is sitting cross-legged beside Hongbin, frowning at the bickering pair, while Sanghyuk watches quietly, eyebrows scrunched, unsure of what to do or say to his elder brothers, as he nibbles on a giant pretzel, bigger than his face even with a few bites taken out of it.

“Yes, you did!” Jaehwan continued yelling.

“Did not.”

“Did too!”

“Did not.”

“Did too!”

“Did too!”

“Did no--Hey! You’re not funny!”

Jaehwan has gotten so angry, Hongbin switching the tables on him not helping, that his voice has turned into a shriek that Wonshik groans, covering his ears. “Jaehwan-hyung, the tower was shaking, your hand was shaking, and Bin moved his leg under the table!”

There’s an exaggerated gasp--Jaehwan really took from Hakyeon well--before their eldest is roaring again. “See, you did! Cheater!”

What mild amusement was in Hongbin’s face disappears as he turns and smacks Wonshik on the arm.

Hakyeon clears his throat. “Kids!” Four little heads snapped to his direction, quietened by the stern  look on his face, hands on his hips. They know that look meant business.

Jaehwan has tears in his eyes, any and all extreme emotions hardwired to his tear ducts, while Wonshik rubs at his arm, stung. Hongbin shrinks into himself, Hakyeon all too familiar with how he looks when he feels guilty, and Sanghyuk wants Hakyeon to make Hongbin and Jaehwan make up, if his pointing at his two brothers back and forth were any clue.

Their father sighs, going to kneel at one end of the table, between Hongbin and Jaehwan, taking their hands into each of his. “We’ll fix this, all right? Listen to me?” he says, waiting for them to nod--Sanghyuk does, immediately and vigorously--before he continues. “Binnie, is it true? Did you shake the table?”

“No, eomma,” the boy says, eyes fixed on the Jenga blocks on the table.

He’s lying, Hakyeon knows him too well, so he gives Hongbin’s hand a gentle squeeze, coaxing him to look at him. “Cha-Jung Hongbin,” he says, firmly, and Hongbin finally turns to him, lips pressed into a tight line, wide eyes glassy. “Is that the truth? We can’t fix this if you’re not telling the truth.”

Hongbin pouts, hanging his head in shame. “Yes, I did,” he says after a beat, and Jaehwan opens his mouth to yell at him again, but Hakyeon gives him a look, hand on Jaehwan’s tightening slightly, and he stops. “But only because Jaehwannie-hyung gave me a plus four.”

Ah, Uno. Hakyeon should have known. “Thank you, baby.” He turns to Jaehwan then, eyes probing, and the boy pouts back at him.

“I didn’t have other cards, eomma!” he says, a desperation in his voice as if this were a matter of life or death. “I only had yellow cards, and Shikkie made the pile blue!”

Wonshik splutters, indignant that he’s suddenly dragged into this. “Hyogie dropped a red five, I had a blue five, how was I supposed to know you only had yellow cards?”

Sanghyuk opens his mouth to add something, then seems to think Wonshik’s argument is enough. As there was nothing more he could add to the conversation, Sanghyuk latches his mouth back on to his pretzel. He’s three-quarters of the way through it now. Hakyeon makes a mental note not to give him another one before dinner time.

“Wonshik and Hyogie didn’t do anything wrong, they were just playing the game,” Hakyeon begins, and the relief on Wonshik’s face couldn’t have been clearer. Sanghyuk gives him a kitty smile, raising his free hand to high five Wonshik, who does not leave him hanging. “And so was Jaehwannie, Hongbin. You were all just playing a game. Is it right to get angry at your brothers when you don’t win a game?”

Hongbin considers that for a moment, looking from Jaehwan to Sanghyuk to Wonshik, and he seems to understand that they’re upset, and that it is in a way his fault. He sags just a little more. “No.”

Jaehwan lets out a noise of triumph, cut short when Hakyeon turns to him. “And Jaehwannie, games are played for fun, right? Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes people cheat, and sometimes that’s fun too”--Jaehwan opens his mouth to argue, but Hakyeon plows on--“Not always. You have to know when it’s not okay anymore. But was fighting with your brothers for a game fun? Are games more important to you than your brother’s feelings?”

Jaehwan, too, wilted, and Hakyeon’s heart aches. He doesn’t like seeing them feel bad, he wants to hold them now and tell them it’s okay, it’ll be okay, but he’s a parent, and he has a lesson to teach.

“No, eomma. I’m sorry.”

“To me?” Hakyeon gives his hand another squeeze, cocking his head in Hongbin’s direction.

Jaehwan picks up immediately. “No.” He pulls his hand from Hakyeon’s, and Hakyeon lets him, watching as Jaehwan tentatively takes Hongbin’s free hand, patting the back of his palm soothingly. “Hongbinnie, hyung is sorry. Forgive me, I’m sorry.”

Hongbin doesn’t answer, wiggling his toes in the rug, chewing on the inside of his cheek. Hakyeon doesn’t push him, only keeps on holding his hand and signaling at Jaehwan to wait.

In a moment, Hongbin takes a deep shaky breath, and Hakyeon knows he’s trying not to cry, so he holds his hand tighter, grounding him, and Hongbin finally speaks. “I’m sorry too, hyungie.”

Jaehwan exhales with relief, weaving his fingers through Hongbin’s. “I forgive you too, Binnie. Hyung loves you.”

“Me too. I love you too, hyung.” Hongbin pulls away from Hakyeon so he can walk to Jaehwan’s side of the table and hug him, Jaehwan hugging him back immediately and hiding his sniffles in Hongbin’s shoulder.

Hakyeon can’t help the grin on his face, chest swelling with pride for their sons. Oh, if only Taekwoon had been there to see it, he would have been proud of them too.

He takes his phone out, eager to tell Taekwoon what happened, and finds a text from his husband. “On my way home. I bought chicken,” it reads. Maybe he’ll tell him later after all, while they eat.

Sanghyuk finishes his pretzel then, sucking his fingers clean of grease and wiping them on his pajamas before tugging on Wonshik’s sleeve. “Hyung, clean?” he says, pointing at the mess of the table, and Wonshik makes a face. He still detests cleaning.

Hakyeon gets an idea then. “Tell you guys what,” he says, now allowing himself to gather them close. “Clean this all up, wash up, and we’ll watch a movie later with appa.”

Their faces light up instantaneously. Movie night was the only time they were allowed to stay up past their bedtime, and they love it, even when they usually fall asleep before the movie finishes anyway.

“We can pick the movie?” Hongbin asks, eyes shiny and pleading.

“Anything you want.” A small voice in the back of Hakyeon’s head tells him he will regret that later.

Jaehwan nudges forward. “Can we order pizza? And-- and make popcorn?”

Hakyeon hesitates. “Yes, but you have to eat dinner first.”

“Score!” Wonshik whoops, high fiving with Jaehwan.

Sanghyuk pulls at the hem of Hakyeon’s shirt. “Cola?”

Hakyeon considers that. It’s not healthy, but a five-year-old should be able to handle it, right? “Okay, but just a little. Half a glass!”

Hakyeon isn’t sure if the kids heard him. They’re yelling now joy as they’re picking up the scattered biscuit packets, juice glasses, and Jenga blocks. Then the Cha-Jung children began sorting through the trash, and the dishes, and placing everything back where they should be.

Ah well. He and Taekwoon would deal with the cola-infused sugar high later.

A/N: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa I am so late posting here, I’m so sorry, fam QvQ I posted this on AO3 back in July and never got around to cross-posting here because...I just rarely go on tumblr now, really. Aaaaaaaaaaaaa

I will try harder to be more on time here as well! (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ

For everyone who is still here, thank you for staying, and thank you for reading this! ♥