Ateez Brothers

Still a child

Hongjoong had never meant for Seongwha to feel neglected. That had not been his intentions at all when he moved back in. He just thought that Seongwha was capable of taking care of himself and saw no reason to mother hen the fifteen-year-old. 

He had been wrong. 

"What are you doing?" Hongjoong whispered, considering the other kids' rooms were right around Seongwha's room.

"Nothing hyung" Seongwha rolled his eyes, muting his friend and turning the phone over so Hongjoong couldn't see who he was talking to.

"Seongwha, it is the middle of the night! You have school tomorrow!" Hongjoong scolded.

"Well then you shouldn't be up either, should you hyung?" Seongwha scoffed. Hongjoong closed the door, turning the light on. Seongwha squinted as his eyes adjusted.

"Hang up" Hongjoong pointed to the phone. Seongwha rolled his eyes, sitting up and ending the call with his friend. He'd make it up to his friend later.

"You are supposed to be asleep, Seongwha. Not talking to your friends, do I need to start taking your phone at night?" Hongjoong crossed his arms.

"I'm not a little kid, hyung. You don't have to worry about me" Seongwha argued, leaning back on his hands to support him. Hongjoong tried not to lose it at the relaxed, clearly unbothered stance.

"Yeah, I thought that too. Guess I was wrong" Hongjoong responded firmly. Seongwha tried to not look too surprised. Hongjoong had actually thought that?

"Well you still don't have to worry about me. Just go back to worrying about the little kids, their the ones who actually need you" Seongwha looked away from Hongjoong. The older brother reached forward, turning Seongwha back to face him.

"Keep it up, Seongwha. Your already close to being grounded for a week" Hongjoong warned. Seongwha didn't know why he didn't see that coming.

"Just leave me alone! Your not dad! You're not even my brother anymore!" Seongwha snapped, swatting Hongjoong's hand away and turning over to face away from his only hyung. Hongjoong retracted his hand, a little hurt. Two things were clear now:

First, Seongwha had been feeling a bit abandoned when Hongjoong left for college, which explained the cold attitude Seongwha had inhabited since Hongjoong returned. There had to be something that Hongjoong could do to make it up to Seongwha.

And second, Hongjoong had been very wrong. He could not just leave Seongwha alone to his own devices. Even though he was fifteen, Seongwha was still a kid. And Hongjoong had to start looking at him the same way he looked at the other boys.

Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

"Ow! What the hell, hyung!?" Seongwha shot up, his hair tousled and a slight pout on his lips as he turned his eyes up to glare at Hongjoong.

"Watch it, kid. I am not above dragging you out of bed for a mouth washing if you keep this language up" Hongjoong lightly popped Seongwha on the mouth, shocking him.

"I thought it was too late to be awake" Seongwha argued, a scornful smile on his face. Hongjoong had enough and grabbed Seongwha's phone, pocketing it.

"Hongjoong-" Seongwha tried to grab the device back, shocked when Hongjoong just slapped his hand.

"Don't even try. Your grounded, two weeks. That means no electronics, no going out with friends, and early to bed. I want you in bed by nine for the next two weeks" Hongjoong listed.

"Nine?! That's Yunho's bedtime!" Seongwha didn't even try holding that back. Hongjoong knew he hadn't meant to say that and it just slipped out so he let it go.