A shrill excited shriek echoed around the apartment mere milliseconds after a knock reverberated through the door. Daejoon let out a fond but tired sigh as he watched his little brother throw himself over the back of the sofa in a mad rush towards the door. The excited eight year old bouncing as he waited by the frame, remembering despite his joy that he had to wait for an adult to open the door first. Daejoon rewarded this by ruffling Minjoon's hair as he passed. The eight year old giggled, static sticking his brown hair up. He barely reached Daejoon's chest and the older used the size difference to scoop the little boy up under one arm like a sack of potatoes.

Minjoon shrieked with laughter as the door was pulled open. A boy wearing a oversized sweater and a pair of chunky black glasses stood in the bland hall. His light brown hair was messy and there was a fading bruise on his cheek, glasses held together with tape and a over stuffed satchel hanging over one shoulder. "Peter!" Minjoon exclaimed at the sight of the older boy. His puppy love evident in the way his eyes lit up.

"Hey Peter", Daejoon greeted as he let the thirteen year old into their little apartment. Peter grinned at them as he kicked off his ratty converse by the door. Minjoon was wriggling in his arms so the oldest let him down. Immediately the little kid was bouncing on socked feet up to the teenager.

"Peter! Peter! You'll never guess what?"

"What?" Peter grinned, matching the child's energy as he set out towards the living room where he began to unpack books onto the living room table. Minjoon following him like a little shadow.

"The science project you helped Jay and I make last week for class got us gold stars. The potato rocket went like this high!" He tried to gesture with his arms. Peter made appropriate wow noises that made Minjoon smile and blush happily.

Daejoon smiled to himself, endeared by his little brother's idol worship for their downstairs neighbour. It had been burning strong ever since Peter had agreed to help the youngest Han brother with his homework once a week. Daejoon chuckled as he watched the eight year old scurry past into their shared room to fetch his homework. "How's it going Pete?" he asked, taking advantage of his little brother's distraction to talk to the teen. "Are you still being bullied?" He gestured to the fading bruise, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Peter's hand jerked to it guiltily, the skin a yellowish green under his fingertips. "Oh, that? That's nothing. Nothing to worry about. Everything is good. May wants to know when Mrs Im is next making kimchi. She loves your mother's recipe. Says it's better than the stuff we get from the take out two blocks away". The change in topic was obvious.

"I have a jar in the fridge you can take", Daejoon replied as turned into the kitchen. "Want a drink?" He called as he set about making himself a cup of coffee.

"Can I have a hot chocolate?"

"Minjoon, I was asking Peter".

Peter giggled as Minjoon slapped a few sheets of paper onto the wooden surface of the table. "Juice is fine, thanks".

Their voices died down into murmurs as Peter directed Minjoon's attention to the homework sheets. Daejoon concentrated on the kettle, hands moving containers of coffee and powdered chocolate between glasses. The water in the kettle bubbling on the stove. His gaze drifted to the sink where unwashed dishes lay and he mentally sighed. His parents, who both worked long hours, were barely here anymore. When they were in the apartment at the same time it was to the sound track of tense voices and sharpened words. A divorce was brewing, Daejoon knew. He was only seventeen but he would be eighteen soon and if it came to it, then he would take Minjoon with him. He wasn't leaving his brother to neglectful parents. He knew what that was like.

The kettle began whistling and he poured out the hot water. Liquid turning dark in the mugs. The fridge door squeaked when opened but the milk was fine. Murmurs of Peter explaining maths homework to Minjoon in the living room stopped as Daejoon carried in the three mugs. Minjoon's was red with ironman emblazoned across it. Peter had been given the matching plastic cup full of orange juice. "We match!" Minjoon was very pleased by that fact.

"Careful Minnie, it's still hot", Daejoon reminded as he set the mug on the coaster. The boy nodded seriously.

Peter took his juice with a smile and a thank you and returned to explaining the math equations with the tip of his pencil as Minjoon listened. Daejoon smiled to himself as he took a seat in the worn leather armchair, one hand pulling up his laptop from between the cushions. He opened it and busied himself with sending out job applications. There was a gym a few blocks away that was hiring part time any he was eyeing the position. Their next door neighbour, Ricky, had told him about it. The Filipino-Jamaican man more like an uncle to the boys than just a neighbour.

The three of them continued like this for another hour and a half until it reached six. Peter began packing up his books as Minjoon pouted at his finished homework. "You'll be back next week right?" He asked that every week.

"Of course. Its science next week", Peter reached out to pat the kid on the shoulder as he stood up. "Do I get a goodbye hug?"

Minjoon threw his arms around the thirteen year old's waist. "Thank you for helping with my homework", he grinned.

Daejoon set down his laptop and stretched, back clicking. He walked Peter to the door, waiting as the teen pulled his shoes back on. Minjoon shadowing them, pouting that his favourite person was leaving again. "See you next week Peter", Daejoon grinned as he pulled open the door. "Say hello to your aunt and uncle for us".

"I will", Peter smiled. "See you later Daejoon, Minjoon".

"Hey Pete!" Daejoon called as the boy began to make his way down the hall towards the stairway down to the fifth floor. "Let me know if I need to sort out any bullies for you!"

"Will do!" The boy waved, one hand adjusting his glasses.

Daejoon pushed the door closed and reached down to pat Minjoon on the head. "You fancy Peter", he teased. The little boy puffed up his cheeks.

"Do not!"

"Do to". Daejoon maybe almost eighteen but he wasn't above teasing his brother like a child.

"Yah! Daejoon! I do not!" Minjoon shouted as he latched on to the older boy's waist. He gripped on tightly, trying his best to appear threatening. Daejoon laughed and reached down to grip his brother and haul him up by his ankles, dangling him upside down before dropping him on the sofa. The little boy bounced off and wriggled to his feet.

As a war cry sounded and Minjoon threw himself at his older brother. Daejoon remembered that Peter had forgotten the jar of Kimchi as he swooped his brother up by the waist and flipped him gently over his back and returned him to the couch. Ah well, they could just give it to him next week.

unedited

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