embracing fate // yeonbinkai

18:00

18:00 - "me or the ps5"
for yeonjun and taehyun's banger feature

it was not something yeonjun was ever so concerned about. he knew that soobin and kai loved him as much as he did—even though they would argue about "who loves each other more" sometimes. so, when taehyun brought up the topic, yeonjun was sure.

"it's gonna be me."

"that's not for you to decide," taehyun bites back with a smirk. he held up his phone towards kai's direction and swiped left to right. "hyuka, let me ask you a question."

"hold up," kai said as his eyes moved through his textbook. he didn't look when he gave taehyun permission to continue.

"this or this?" kai barely gave his best friend a glance when taehyun finally asked.

"the first one."

yeonjun's brows furrowed. the first one? he gaped as taehyun trashed around in laughter—for a moment, yeonjun was reminded of beomgyu and wondered if the arrow soulmates switched bodies.

"he chose the ps5," taehyun chirped and showed yeonjun the selection. he didn't need to lie when proof was literally right in front of yeonjun's eyes: the second picture was yeonjun, while the first was a picture of the play station. we all know what kai bravely said with his whole chest earlier.  "he didn't even hesitate."

it was obvious that the younger one was just doing his best to earn the "most annoying person" from yeonjun, and he was doing a pretty great job. if not for yeonjun's petty self slipping out just a little bit, he would have called kai to clarify everything within a matter of seconds.

instead, he says, "whatever," and stood from his seat. "i won't get you anything on your birthday."

"i'm just kidding!" taehyun took it back immediately. "for laughs, for gags!"

"nobody's laughing at my predicament," yeonjun crossed his arms. "do you actually think that kai would drop me over a ps5?"

"according to him, yes," taehyun dug his own grave.

"you're not welcome here anymore."

"i'm just kidding- wait, hyung!"

yeonjun huffed. when kai asked if he was leaving for work, he merely kissed his lips before walking out.

he should have spent his lunch break in the office.

________________

the gears are turning in yeonjun's head, and the most logical solution to his irritation that he came up with was to actually get kai the gaming console.

a quick shift in the air, however, was soobin being more elated than the younger one who was more perplexed than happy. "i.. what is this for?"

yeonjun grinned. "do you not want it?"

"i do, but-"

soobin jumps in to hold kai from behind, kissing his cheeks in eagerness. "oh my god! i was planning on getting one!"

"you're a child," yeonjun teased. he let soobin attack him with a bear hug and more kisses on his forehead.

that didn't distract yeonjun enough from what he wanted to happen though.

"but- but, hyung.. this is so expensive. you didn't have to get one for me i didn't even.." kai was red.

"aw baby, i want to get you one! it's a gift because you, uh, aced your finals."

"we could have just went out for dinner," kai pouted. he was not the biggest fan of expensive gifts in the relationship—he was not like soobin who could probably get yeonjun a present as valuable in return if he were to receive something like this; he was kai, in university, already feeling bad for his family to pay for his fees. he would always buy the snacks in movie dates if soobin or yeonjun bought the tickets.

this was too much.

"just accept it, please?"

"i'll only accept it if we'll call it ours," kai negotiated.

yeonjun didn't find anything wrong with that; soobin, too. especially soobin. the architect was faster than light when kai got everything ready in the living room. he was always the most enthusiastic about games—beomgyu can vouch for him besides yeonjun and kai.

"you suck at this," soobin's laughter filled the room. yeonjun was watching them play from the kitchen with a dumb smile besides having no idea what's happening.

"you're just so good at this, hyung," kai tried to save his face.

much to yeonjun's surprise, it was actually soobin who spent much much time playing. even after the sunset, soobin was occupied with the game and called beomgyu up to gush about it. yeonjun has never seen soobin so passionate before besides finishing his plates.

"babe."

"hm?"

yeonjun sighed when soobin didn't face him. "what do you want to have for dinner?"

"anything."

"alright."

not alright.

kai sensed the jumbled emotions brewing in yeonjun's system. he had a piece of bread in his hand when he approached his soulmate, and innocently touched the food against his lips.

yeonjun trapped it between his teeth. "you okay?" he merely looked at kai when the younger one asked. a gasp finally erupted in him when the other bit the other side of the piece without caring before swallowing. "are you not used to seeing soobin hyung so care-free before dinner?"

in a stuttering mess, yeonjun babbles his best to make sense, "he usually cooks for us."

"he's been so stressed about a project lately, so i think he's trying to go gnarly on his break," kai chuckled cutely. he had already finished the bread before yeonjun first spoke earlier.

"i know."

against the counter, kai pressed yeonjun with soft pecks. "we can just order dinner if you're too tired to cook."

"oh, i'll pay tonight," yeonjun couldn't look kai in the eye, but his eyelids fluttered when he was pulled back to a more loving touch. why was kai so- ugh, yeonjun was deranged!

"i'll pay. you already spent so much on that ps5, dummy."

"but i wanted you to have it."

"thank you," kai was genuine. "but there's no way you got me that for my finals."

yeonjun was caught.

"well," he paused. "if the apartment caught fire and i was asleep, would you take the ps5 first before waking me up?"

pause.

silence.

blink.

"what?"

"hypothetically speaking!"

kai pouts, "we have sprinklers installed, we have alarms, we have fire extinguishers—i'll make sure the fire dies before it gets bigger than my hand."

"kai!" yeonjun groans. he bumped his head against the younger one's stern chest. he's been working out with taehyun. "let's say a fire did break out and a, b, c... would you take the ps5 first or wake me up first?"

"hyung, you're out of your mind," kai sighed. "i'd rather burn than leave you. but i don't understand why the ps5 concerns you so much—do you want to make sure it's safe in your hypothetical scenario?"

yeonjun shook his head. "i'm just being stupid."

"if it makes you feel better, i think soobin hyung would take the ps5 first before saving himself," kai smiled innocently, so unaware.

and soobin heard it. "excuse me?! what reputation do i have in this household that you believe that i'll risk my life for a gaming console?!"