When it gets complicated

First Re-encounters (Xiuchen)

~Jongdae~

To: Chennie
From: Chanyeol

Hyung, where are you? You're still coming right?

I grin down at my phone at the incoming text from one of my boys, feeling a little bubble of excitement push on the inside of my chest. This is the first time the boys have invited me to join them in their weekly coffee meetings. I don't mind though, being their house dad is stressful enough, but I'm glad they're finally taking a liking to me. I was so worried when I first moved here about getting along with the boys, hoping they can look up to me and see me as their hyung, not just their house dad.

I remember back when I was in school, we hated our house dad, he was so strict and we never got to get away with anything. I want to be different for them, I want these boys- who are quickly becoming little brothers to me- to enjoy their college year, to live it up in their twenties.

But with saying that, I also want them to find their paths, to find the right direction for their lives. My college days were a mess, I was a mess. The only things I seemed to concentrate on was how much alcohol I could consume in one night and who would end up in my bed at the end of it. I don't want that for these boys, I want to help guide them to something better, so they can have better. It was a miracle I graduated back then and maybe if I had someone beside me to tell me what not to do with their stories of failure, maybe I wouldn't have had to fall so hard.

I make it to the coffee shop reading the sign above the door 'El Dorado Café'

I smile sadly at the name remembering a time back in college that is bitter sweet for me, but quickly shake it off. I look into the large window covering the front of the shop and find my boys, crowded around a table, sharing a laugh. The image makes me smile, and I start to walk forward to join them.

I stop in my tracks though once I see him, a particular person I was unsure that I would ever see again, let alone find him on this campus. My heart skips a beat. His face is nothing short of an angelic image, just as I had remembered it. Kim Minseok, the cute little guy who I regret not getting closer too back in college. We were in the same fraternity, but he was always running off to different places, and I was always waking up in different places... I never got as close to his as I wanted, which is a shame because I always felt a certain way towards him.

There was that one time where I though something was going to happen, but I lost my shot at the last minute and to this day it remains as one of my biggest regrets. I push that memory out of my head, there's no sense in bringing up the past right now anyways.

I take a deep breath and walk inside the warm coffee house, excited to be reunited with an old friend, and hoping he'll feel the same.

>>>>

~Minseok~

"Hyung, quit messing around over there and come join us." Kyungsoo says, motioning me over with a wave.

I chuckle, shaking my head at the boy. "I'm just trying to get you guys some snacks"

Kyungsoo laughs and gets up from his seat. "i can get those, go sit down. You dote on us way to much."

I roll my eyes and pat the little owl boy on the head. "It's my job as the oldest to take care of my boys."

"And it's our job to take care of our hyung, especially a hyung who has been working all day and deserves a good break." Chanyeol comes over and guides me to the table. "And our house dad is coming over to join us, I think you two will really hit it off."

I raise an eyebrow, shooting the boy an incredulous look. "Park Chanyeol, are you trying to set me up?"

Chanyeol smiles his signature face splitting grin. "I'm just saying you two have a lot in common, and I think you'd make good friends... where it goes from there is up to you guys."