divagate (v.)
/ˈdʌɪvəɡeɪt/ stray or digress.
- - -
happiness only lasts so long, honestly.
"i'm home!" jun calls out, opening the door to his run-down apartment. there is obviously, no answer.
he lives with his mother and brother; it's been like that his entire life. his father passed away when he was a child.
"feng? are you here?" the student acknowledges that his mother is out working, but his brother remains home. he must stay in the comfort of his room at all times, according to the doctors.
"gēgē?"
a small voice questions. jun pushes open the door to his brother's bedroom, finding him sitting upright on the bed and rubbing tiredly at his eyes. there's an iv injected in his arm, and a tube around his neck and nose. the student smiles lightly at his sleepy brother, and rests on the bed next to him.
"hey, bub." junhui ruffles feng's hair affectionately. the boy giggles, moving closer to jun, but just far enough that his iv stays in place.
"where's mama?" his brother rasps out.
"ah..." jun frowns. "she's at work, bub. but she told me that she has a surprise for you when she comes back!"
feng beams. "yay! i wanna know what it is!" he squeaks excitedly, to which jun grins.
"it's a secret. we just have to wait and then find out."
"a secret?" his little brother pouts. "secrets are boring." jun laughs warmly, kissing his brother on the head, carefully avoiding the several tubes.
"gēgē? did you talk to the cute boy today?"
jun chuckles and allows a faint blush to spread over his face. "i did. he's very cute, isn't he?"
feng nods furiously. "yes! i know you guys had fun on the date! why don't you marry him?"
"ah, well--"
"please? marry him!"
"feng--"
"he loves you a lot! just kiss him and then you can get married!"
the student flicks his little brother's forehead, scoffing. "that's not exactly how it works, bub. i can't marry him just yet."
"why?" feng replies, pouting.
"i have to get to know him first, right? and then i can kiss him and all that stuff."
"will you introduce me to him? please?" his little brother pleads, playing the puppy eyes on him. jun hums. minghao would like feng, he was sure of it. "i wanna know if he's a good fit."
"sure. i'll have to ask hao about it."
feng lets out a noise of joy, hugging jun tightly. the elder boy chuckles, wrapping his arms around his brother and running his long fingers through his soft hair.
all he needed was a little more money. then his little brother could be up and walking, going to school, and doing all that a six year old should be able to.
and he would do all those things. jun would work his ass off if that ensured feng's happiness. he would go to the ends of the earth for the boy in front of him, do whatever it took to put a smile on his face and relieve the pain from his weak body.
"i promise you, kid," jun mumbles, noting that feng's frame was experiencing a change in temperature. he lays the already sleepy boy back down in bed, adjusting the tube on his nose and planting a kiss on his forehead. "you'll meet minghao, you'll be able to walk, and you'll get to come play soccer with me like you've always wanted. you'll do all of it."
"i promise."
