Ateez Brothers

Coming Home

Hongjoong set his bags down by the door, pulling out his keys and unlocking the door so he could go inside. It was quiet for a moment.

"INTRUDER!!" Someone, Hongjoong was sure that it was either Wooyoung or Mingi from the stories he'd been told of his brothers, screamed.

"Where?" Another little voice, older than the first one, followed. Hongjoong went further into the house, trying to find the owner of the tiny voices.

"Attack!" Before he knew what was happening, Hongjoong had a child on his back, biting his shoulder.

"Wooyoung! No, that's Hongjoong-hyung!" San ran over, pulling Wooyoung off and setting him on the couch.

"Hyung?" Wooyoung turned to Hongjoong, head tilted in confusion. Hongjoong nodded, watching his little brother's face light up with joy and then Wooyoung jumped at Hongjoong, hugging him.

"Nice to see you too, Youngie" Hongjoong laughed, hugging his brother tightly. Wooyoung refused to let go even after Hongjoong tried to put him down. Hongjoong walked to the kitchen, finding Yeosang and Yunho trying to cook while Jongho was playing at the table. Something was very wrong about that picture.

"Hey boys" Hongjoong finally managed to put Wooyoung down. Yunho and Yeosang both froze, not turning around.

"What are you two doing? It's Hongjoong-hyung!" Wooyoung pointed out to them. Yunho turned around first, walking over and hugging Hongjoong.

"What are you two making? Where's eomma and appa?" Hongjoong wondered. Usually at least one parent was home around this time. And he knew that if they had heard his voice, both of them would have been running to greet him. Yunho looked away, pinching Yeosang's arm when the younger boy went to answer.

"They're not here" Hongjoong didn't have to turn around. He knew who that was, despite the voice being a lot deeper and more mature than he remembered.

"Hi Seongwha" Hongjoong turned his head. Seongwha didn't return the greeting, walking further into the kitchen and setting a bowl in the sink.

"Did they go shopping?" Hongjoong guessed. That was the only reason he could come up with as to why his parents wouldn't be home in the middle of the day.

"Sure. If shopping takes three weeks" Seongwha nodded. Hongjoong paused. Three weeks? He looked at the other boys but they were all avoiding eye contact with him.

What had happened since Hongjoong went to college?

Four months later
"Wooyoung, your things are in the way" San complained. Wooyoung ignored him. He had been listening to San complain for almost an hour now.

"Wooyoung, I am talking to you. Do not ignore me" San scolded. Wooyoung rolled his eyes, finally turning to his little hyung.

"Can you move your stuff? It's in the way" San repeated. Now, realistically, this could go really only three ways.

The first possible turn of events would be that Wooyoung gave in, no fight, and just moved his things.

The second possible turn of events and the far more likely one would be that Wooyoung, in fact, does not move his things and continues to ignore San.

And the third option, more likely to happen than the first but less than the second, is that Wooyoung goes completely off the walls and starts throwing things. If he was four instead of seven, that would be the way it would go.

Wooyoung huffed, crossing his arms and turning away from San. Yeosang, also in the room and reading to Jongho, tried not to stare but this was far more entertaining than the children's book he was reading to the maknae. And just like that, an argument broke out. It wasn't bad, by any means. A fight between a nine-year-old and a seven-year-old was quite calm.