Chan's mother opened the door for them and if she was surprised that they came later than they had actually announced it, then she didn't let it be noticed.

First, she pulled Jisung into her arms and pressed him so tightly as if she never wanted to let him go again.

"If you weren't a grown man, I would give you house arrest! Han Jisung! God, I'm glad that Minho found you!", with tears in her eyes, she slightly pushed Jisung a bit away from herself to be able to look at him, and pulled him directly back into her arms.

Finally, she let him go and pulled Minho into her arm.

"Thank you for bringing my son back to me!" she said and could no longer prevent the tears from running down her cheeks. "If you ever need anything, just let me know! I fulfill your every wish!"

"Mom, it's good, okay?"

Laughing, Chan freed Minho from his mother's arm and then hugged her himself.

Finally, she took Changbin in her arms.

"Mom, where is Dad?"

"Oh, your father had to go to the company again briefly, there was some problem with the alarm system. Don't ask me. But he should be back soon. And you two can help me cook!" she said and pulled Chan and Minho with her into the kitchen.

Changbin and Jisung looked at each other with a grin. Even with Chan's family, it was known that they should rather not be allowed into the kitchen.

Grinning, they followed the three into the kitchen and watched as Chan and Minho were commandered around by his mother.

Chan really enjoyed cooking with his mother. He had far too little time for it. And Minho also felt like he had finally arrived home.

His eyes fell on Jisung, who was leaning against the worktop next to Changbin and although he had felt so terrible a short time before, his heart was now very warm.

And at that moment he realized that he was exactly where he belonged.

Not only on Jisung's side, but also somehow to Chan, Changbin and also to Chan's family.

He had never cooked with his own mother. Actually, he had never done anything with her.

Now standing here with Chan and his mother in the kitchen and cooking together with them, healed a well-hidden, broken piece of his heart. The one that had been reserved for the family, which he had never seamed.

As if they had been standing together in the kitchen and cooking all their lives, the three acted almost without words. Worked hand in hand and within a very short time it smelled seductive in the kitchen.

Jisung felt Minho's gaze on himself and looked up.

And to his surprise, he saw a happily smiling Minho. He hadn't seen him so happy and exuberant in a long time.

While Minho talked exuberantly with Chan and his mother about cooking ingredients, Jisung felt his tension slowly subside.

Without really being aware of this, he reached for Changbin's hand. Who without hesitation intertwined his fingers with Jisungs.

What they didn't notice was that Chan's mother was watching them.

"Do you both just want to stand around all the time, or do you want to help? You could set the table!"

Grinning, Jisung pulled Changbin behind him. It had been always like this his whole life after Chan's mom gave up teaching him how to cook.

He was responsible for setting the table, while Chan helped with cooking. And afterwards he and Chan had cleaned up together.

Being here again and realizing that, apart from the fact that Minho and Changbin were there, nothing had changed was exactly what Jisung had needed without really knowing it.

~~~~~

It took quite a while for Chan's father to come home. And so Changbin and Jisung had just finished setting the table when he pulled the front door close behind him.

Jisung put down the glasses he held in his hands after hearing that the door got closed and ran to Chan's dad.

If he had ever had a father in his life, it was Chan's.

His own father had always regarded him only as a burden. Worse still, if he had been drunk, then as a problem that had to be fixed.

All the love and fatherly severity he had ever experienced had come from Chan's Dad.

When they had once again doing an all nighter outside with their friends and had only come home in the early hours of the morning, even though they had to go to school.

Everything he had learned about behavior and respect.

Not that his mother hadn't tried to teach him behavior, but she had other worries with a violent husband.

For a moment they stood opposite each other and finally Chan's dad pulled Jisung into his arms.

"I probably don't have to hold the grummet to you anymore, my wife has certainly already done that," he said with a smile and pressed Jisung more firmly against him.

"Hi Dad," Jisung said, wiping the tears from his face.

There were also tears in Chan's dad's eyes and he had to take a deep breath so as not to start crying.

Chan had only told them about the kidnapping after they had found Jisung and they were in the hospital, but they were still madly worried about him.

Behind him, Chan came out of the kitchen and had to smile when he saw Jisung in his father's arms.

"Hi Dad."

Finally, Changbin and Minho also came into the hallway to greet Chan's father, which led to it getting quite stuffed in the hallway.

"Come on, let's eat before everything gets cold!" Chan's mother finally said laughing and a little later they sat together at the table.

Happily smiling, Chan leaned back and watched his family. He had noticed his mother's looks and that she had seen exactly how close Jisung and Changbin were, but it wasn't as if they wanted to hide it.

Grinning, he thought about pulling Minho or Jisung himself and kissing one of them. Just to provoke a reaction out of his parents.

But he decided to postpone it to another time.

Because contrary to all the expectations of the four boys, it was a wonderful evening. All the worries and fears were gone for a moment and the time together as a family was balm for their battered, rubbed souls.

꧁ ⸺ ♥ ⸺ ꧂