Different (Kaisoo Fanfic)

Chapter Fifty-Two

CRASH.

"What the hell was that?"

"I don't know.. but we'd better find out."

Two dark-haired boys, one short and dressed in a burgundy, oversized Christmas sweater and the other a little taller, donning a matching dark green sweater, both elbowed their way through the house to the kitchen, where the dreaded sound of something breaking had undoubtedly come from.

The Kim family home was packed to the brim with family and friends, popular chart music booming throughout as the guests all enjoyed the post-Christmas celebrations. It was still sub zero temperatures outside in the winter air, snow falling heavily outside the windows and painting the gardens a blinding white, yet the comfortably sized family home was terribly warm and cosy with everyone packed inside.

Having finally jostled their way through to the kitchen, Jongin and Kyungsoo stared in horror at the mess of broken ceramics scattered all around the small island in the middle of the room, though that was far from the most concerning thing. In the middle of it all lay a bleary-eyed Baekhyun, curled up in a foetal position amongst the broken shards of cream and blue.

"My mother's china teapot!" Jongin cried, clutching his chest and looking very much as though he was about to have a panic attack.

"Baek—" Kyungsoo started, lurching forward to kneel down beside the boy, whose whimpering and sobbing could barely be heard over the sound of the music. It was a fraction quieter now that they were away from the huge speakers in the living room, but the sober one of the two still ducked his head in order to yell in Baekhyun's ear. "What are you doing?"

"I just wanted some tea," Baekhyun whined and rolled slightly onto his back, Kyungsoo frantically scraping remains of the teapot out of the way so he wouldn't be lying on them. "I just want tea!"

Rolling his eyes with an all too familiar feeling of exasperation, Kyungsoo hoisted the older boy up from the floor and tugged one limp arm around his own shoulders. "Come on, let's get you away from the mess," he sighed before glancing back over his shoulder to find Jongin desperately sweeping the shards up, all the while muttering to himself in a hushed, panicked tone. No doubt he was already having visions of what his mother would do to him when she found out.

Baekhyun still murmuring unintelligibly in his ear, Kyungsoo carried him through to the couch in the living room and lay him down (perhaps a little more roughly than he could have managed), waving away several older women - most likely Jongin's mother's friends - when they hurried over to mutter softly, "is he alright, dear?", and attempted to fuss over the drunken boy.

"Where is Chanyeol? Why is he not looking after you?" Kyungsoo demanded gruffly. He knew he should have expected this mess for Jongin's Christmas bonfire party, yet he still found himself internally cursing his best friend for drinking so much when his tolerance was so poor.

Miraculously, Baekhyun seemed to have both heard the question over the music and comprehended it quite correctly, for he simply stretched out a hand and pointed lazily over to the other side of the room, still whimpering pathetically about just wanting some tea.

Turning to survey the room filled with partying friends and Kim family members, it took Kyungsoo a moment or two to locate his tall, lanky childhood friend, but when he did, his eyes widened to the size of saucers and his head jerked forward slightly, as though trying to will his brain into telling him if what he was seeing was really happening.

The second tallest boy in their group of friends, usually so dignified and immaculately put together, was weaving through the crowds of people on his hands and knees, his lips stretched into one of his ridiculously bright grins and his tongue hanging unusually out of his mouth. A moment later, Kyungsoo spotted Jongin's three precious dogs, who had been roaming the house for the last few days since they were brought home from Jongin's grandmothers, trotting along happily in a line in front of the knelt down Chanyeol.