ateez family au

107

After a long discussion, a peaceful silence returned to the table. More or less, Hongjoong kept inching closer to his husband's side in a manner of saying sorry. "I didn't mean to be so loud" he whispered while cutting his food.

"I know" Seonghwa replied just as quiet and quickly fed him the piece of food on his fork, hoping no-one saw it. The gesture was his way of accepting the apology.

An embarrassing little smile flashed over the younger's face as he chewed the food stuffed into his mouth. "It's true, tastes like heaven" he admitted. "I guess we need to visit Mother... So she can show me how to make this" he said and spared his husband a glance.

"Of course, my Dad would love to see you again too" Seonghwa chuckled and reached for the salad. The rest of the evening went by quite peaceful. At around 9pm Yunho collected his siblings to go inside and an hour later the most of their guests took their leave.

"Come, let me help you" Chaewon suggested and started putting the dishes in the washing machine. There were quite a lot, so they probably had to do two rounds.

"Ah, thanks" Seonghwa gave back and rushed outside, getting the rest inside. His husband and Yonghwan were dismantling the benches in the mean time. "Don't put them inside like that, I'll bring a cloth to clean them first" he said and got inside again with the rest of the plates. Cleaning up after these get-togethers was tiring but it was worth it in the end. It was fun and relaxing to have people around that made you feel safe. So a little work after wasn't a point to complain. And with the help of their closest friends, it was done pretty fast too.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay over?" Seonghwa asked as they gathered in the living room after finishing. "the guestroom is always set, you know it"

"Ah, no, no nee-" Chaewon's eyes caught her boyfriend who was already sleeping on the couch, snoring lightly. Right on the other one, Hongjoong was napping, same position. "Is he seriously-"

Seonghwa chucked amused and pat his friend's arm. "It's fine, he sleeps over often" he said and gave her an assuring smile. "I'll go get some clothes for you then" he said and left to go up stairs.

The woman looked at her partner and sighed. Rolling her eyes, she knelled next to him and lightly rocked his shoulder, not wanting to scare him. "Mhmm~ wake up- you can't crash on that couch" she hummed and tried her best to only wake her boyfriend.

Yonghwan turned and shifted a little, and did his best in keeping one eye open. "mhm?" he have back sleepily.

"Come, Hwa is getting us some clothes, move your ass"

The elder groaned. "I can't... Just let me sleep here~"

The woman pressed her lips in a thin line, then pulled his arm rather harsh. "Come on!" she whisper-yelled and finally got her partner off the couch. She guided the sleepy man down the hall to the guest room and fortunately, Seonghwa came back just a moment latdet. "Thank you so much" she said and gave her friend a dear and honest smile.

"It's nothing, it's fine" the elder gave back "Goodnight" he wished the both of them before he went to collect his own man. Hongjoong was laying shattered on the couch. A light giggle rolled over his lips watching him. Without a second thought, he slung his arms under the younger's back and knees, lightly stemming him up. Hongjoong stirred awake and instinctively wrapped his arms around the elder's neck. "sleep, I got you" he whispered as he laboriously carried him up the stairs.

The younger snuggled his nose into the crook of his husband's neck. "I know..." he mumbled "you always got me"

There was a pouty sound to his voice, tickling all of Seonghwa's protective senses. "Mhm~... I always got you" he replied with a light smile and finally set the elder down on their bed. He left him to himself for a moment, got changed in his own pajamas. He watched Hongjoong try miserably to put on his sleeping shirt but he kept messing up the buttons. The younger groaned in annoyance and just threw it off instead, crawled underneath the covers. "You're going to get cold like that" the elder reminded and laid down next to him.