May 29, 33 AE

Thankfully, Jordan wasn't exaggerating when he said his couch was huge.

In fact, Jordan's entire apartment was massive, and Mack bet his own apartment could fit comfortably in Jordan's living room. As such, the large cream couch looked moderate in size relative to everything else.

"Sorry," Jordan mumbled from beside him, his voice slightly rough. "It's a little much, yeah?"

Maybe a little, Mack thought. The place was beautiful, of course, but almost too much so, as if the unit was meant for a real estate advertisement instead of an actual home. For one, almost everything was white or nearly white, from the pristine walls to the snowy rug spread across immaculate wood floors. Even the kitchen, which was open to the living room, looked like a museum with its excessive use of marble, accented every so often with a hint of sparkling copper.

"Well," Mack began, grinning. "You do need a fancy museum like this to house such a fine work of art like yourself."

Jordan stared at him for a moment, wide-eyed, before burying his face in his hands. "Oh my god, I can't believe you just said that."

"What can I say?" Mack said with a practiced wink. "I've got a talented tongue."

Mack laughed; Jordan kept his face hidden with his hands.

Once Mack got his pick-up lines out of his system and Jordan's blush faded, they continued on with their date. After their emotional day, the only thing either of them wanted to do was lie down and watch a comedy that required absolutely no thought and pulled as little on the heartstrings as possible. And that's exactly what they did.

While Jordan excused himself to touch bases with his manager, Mack chose a movie. It took a while for Mack to realize that the vast collection of disc cases were actually all video games, and it took even longer for him to figure out how to work Jordan's TV. Thankfully, Mack had unintentionally activated a voice control option at some point, and his desperate request to "play a movie, please and thank you" conjured up a list of Jordan's digital library. From there, Mack figured things out decently quickly, and he sat on the bed-like couch in quiet triumph.

When Jordan emerged from his bedroom a few minutes later, Mack initially looked at him to see how he was holding up, then to brag about figuring out technology all by himself. What he hadn't expected was to do a double take over the sight of Jordan wearing glasses.

They were silver wire frame glasses with large oval lenses, and they gave Jordan a sophisticated retro look. He looked so good, in fact, that Mack hardly noticed that Jordan changed into loungewear. But while his fuzzy gray sweatpants and hoodie set looked especially cozy, Mack's attention quickly returned back to Jordan's face.

Mack really liked glasses.

Jordan hesitated at the edge of the living room for a few seconds, then frowned. "How long are you going to keep staring?"

"Huh?" Mack asked, having heard but not understanding a word Jordan just said.

Jordan's frown deepened, but only on one side. "If we're watching a movie, I need to be able to see it."

"Right. Of course." Mack had to blink a few times to finally see Jordan's self-consciousness. "Sorry, I just really like glasses."

Jordan raised an eyebrow skeptically, but at least his frown disappeared. "You don't have to say that to make me feel better."

"I'm serious, I really do," Mack assured, and he didn't bother hiding the once-over he did of Jordan. "That's a really good look on you."

Jordan didn't blush, but he did avert his eyes to the TV. "So what'd you end up picking?"

As Mack dove into his tale on how he defeated the villainous "smart" technology, Jordan joined him on the couch, facing him from about a foot away. And even after Mack showed his skills by victoriously getting the movie the play, Jordan kept his distance, stiffly perched at the edge of his seat.

"Hey," Mack said softly.

Once Jordan turned, his nerves showed clearly on his face with his wide eyes and furrowed brow. So Mack closed the distance between them, pulled his legs onto the couch, and leaned his head on Jordan's shoulder. With Jordan so tense, it wasn't actually that comfortable, but Mack could live with that.

Evidently, Jordan couldn't, and only a few seconds passed before he let out a long, resigned sigh.

"Fine," he muttered. "Hang on."

Mack obediently lifted his head for Jordan to stand up, and he watched the other man disappear in the direction of the bedroom. A minute later, Jordan reemerged with a large, poofy comforter bundled in his arms. Together, they unraveled the blanket and draped it over their legs once Jordan returned to his seat, seemingly much more relaxed than earlier. And before Mack could even move, Jordan leaned his head on Mack's shoulder, not leaving any room for debate.

"Your head is heavy," Jordan explained after a beat of silence.

"It's all my brains," Mack grinned even though Jordan couldn't see it, and he leaned his own head on Jordan's, wrapping an arm around him at the same time.

The movie was one Mack wanted to see for a while, and the parts he paid attention to were actually quite funny. But he would still find his gaze being drawn to Jordan, noting how warm the other man felt against his side, how the movement on the TV created flashes of light on the rims of Jordan's glasses, and how his fluffy hair smelled faintly of coconut.

Mack was so focused on Jordan that when Jordan shifted slightly at one point, Mack nearly jumped, and he quickly shifted his gaze back to the TV. Of course, he wasn't watching at all by that point, so his eyes wandered around the living room looking for another safe place to settle. Eventually, one of the glass cabinets below the TV caught his attention, not only because he could clearly see their reflections in it, but because he could see Jordan looking at it as well.

Mack grinned and waggled his eyebrows; Jordan froze and turned his head completely away from Mack.

"I'm sorry!" Mack laughed as Jordan covered his face with the comforter, looking like a cat shielding their eyes during a nap. "Come on, Jordan, I'm sorry!"

"You weren't paying attention to the movie," Jordan grumbled into the fabric.

"You weren't either!" Mack exclaimed with a wide smile.

But Jordan still didn't budge.

"I'll pay attention this time, I promise," Mack assured.

His hand hadn't left Jordan's arm, so Mack ran it up and down Jordan's sleeve, hoping to offer some comfort to the man's embarrassment. When that didn't work, Mack placed his hand gently on Jordan's back.

That worked, and Jordan's head snapped up, then spun to stare at Mack. Unfortunately, his expression was so adorable that Mack couldn't help but laugh.

"Stop..." Jordan began, pushing his closer hand against one of Mack's shoulders, "laughing!"

Of course, Mack didn't move an inch, and Jordan's repeated attempts only made him laugh harder.

"These... damn... muscles!" Jordan muttered bitterly as he continued his attempts to exact his revenge.

But Jordan had more strength behind them than he let on, and Mack knew that. So it wasn't a surprise when one of his shoves finally managed to topple Mack over, and Mack was ready. As he fell backwards, he caught Jordan's arm on the way down. And when they landed with Mack on his back and Jordan braced over him, Mack gave him a sly grin; Jordan returned it with shock.

Mack fully expected Jordan to waste the opportunity handed to him on a golden platter--or, rather, on a massive off-white couch. While Mack wouldn't be surprised, he would be disappointed, but that was a feeling he could live with. He had no intention of making Jordan do something he wasn't comfortable with.

So Mack was stunned when Jordan didn't scramble away in embarrassment, or go back to hiding under the covers. In fact, it was the exact opposite, and Jordan's shock transformed into certainty right before Mack's eyes.

They stayed like that for several long seconds, watching and waiting. Mack didn't even realize when his pulse began to pick up, or when his mouth became dry from the anticipation. And when Mack had enough sense to dampen his lips, Jordan's breath hitched almost inaudibly.

"Kiss me," Mack whispered, unable to wait any longer. But a part of him warned him against such actions, fearing candidness would scare Jordan away.

But Jordan stayed. Not only that, but he even brought a hand to Mack's face, and his warm fingers gently brushed against Mack's cheek.

The gesture was enough to make Mack make his own move. He slowly lifted himself up on one elbow, careful not to push Jordan away, and brought his other hand up to mimic him. Jordan's skin was exceptionally soft under Mack's fingertips, so much so that his own hand felt like sandpaper running against velvet.

So Mack slid his hand to the back of Jordan's head, relishing the feeling of the man's fluffy hair running between his fingers. And while Mack was in the perfect position to make his imagination come to life, he held himself back, wanting Jordan to take the final steps.

It felt like an eternity, but eventually, Jordan moved closer.

Jordan's breath tickled his cheek.

And closer.

Mack's fingers gently gripped Jordan's hair.

And closer.

Their noses grazed like a paintbrush on canvas.

And close--

The doorbell rang.

Both of them froze, their breath mixing at their lips, and their eyes locked on the other's. Mack was sure he was hearing things, but what were the chances they had the same hallucination? As such, they waited, hoping the illusion would debunk itself.

The doorbell rang again.

"Just ignore it," Mack thought, but it was Jordan that said the words aloud.

"Yeah," was all Mack could actually manage, and he tried to return his focus back to Jordan...

The doorbell rang again. And this time, it wasn't alone.

"Yah!" Minyoung's voice came in fuzzy over the intercom. His next words were a flurry grumpy of Korean.

When Jordan groaned and hung his head, Mack fully expected him to follow up with standing up and answering the door. So he was pleasantly surprised when Jordan buried his face in Mack's chest and wrapped his arms loosely around his neck.

"I'm sorry," Jordan grumbled, his warm breath easily passing through Mack's linen shirt.

"He's not your fault," Mack assured, just barely holding back the shiver that crawled up his spine, and rubbed Jordan's back with his free hand. "But you should probably collect him before someone calls security."

Jordan's next groan harmonized with the taunting chime of the doorbell.

They begrudgingly separated soon after, then folded up the large comforter that had fallen to the floor at some point. When Minyoung began to forgo the doorbell in favor of simply hitting the door, Jordan left to answer it, leaving Mack to finish up the last few folds and stashing the blanket on the seat beside him.

Mack was just straightening his hair and clothes when Minyoung's grumpy tirade announced his own entrance. And while most of his rambling was in Korean, Mack picked up the words "Khan", "psycho", and "carrier pigeon".

After they entered the living room, it took a few more seconds for Minyoung to notice Mack sitting on the couch, waving innocently. Only then was his monologue cut short in favor of freezing in place, then staring back and forth between Jordan and Mack.

Five cycles of glances later, Minyoung's focus finally turned to Jordan, and he asked something in quiet Korean.

"Hyung, English," Jordan scolded, crossing his arms over his chest. "And we're just watching a movie. Not that you need to know."

It was a little humorous to see the normally shy Jordan sternly scolding someone, especially since that someone was his older, and shorter, brother. But Mack wisely kept his observation to himself and simply focused on trying not to laugh.

After a brief staring contest, Minyoung finally relented with a sigh, and narrowed his eyes at the paused TV.

"What's playing?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows as if staring at the TV harder would force an answer out of it.

"Super Secret," Mack finally spoke up, figuring it was a safe question to answer.

Belatedly, he glanced at Jordan just to make sure he didn't screw up in the span of a second. Jordan merely grimaced in reply.

"Hm," was all Minyoung said at first. He paused, his eyes still narrowed at the movie, then shrugged. "Sounds fun."

And then he rounded the couch and sat right in the middle.

As Minyoung graciously started the movie again without being asked, Mack and Jordan exchanged looks; Mack's was one of mild surprise, while Jordan's was pure irritation.

"I didn't invite you," Jordan snapped.

"But I want to watch Super Spy," Minyoung replied without moving his eyes from the screen.

"That's not even what it's called!" Jordan grumbled. When Minyoung simply shrugged, Jordan rounded the couch as well, positioning himself between Minyoung and the TV. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

"And I'm watching that!" Minyoung exclaimed.

"And I'll make some popcorn," Mack said to himself before carefully standing up and fleeing to the kitchen.

It didn't take long for the brothers' argument to dive into Korean, and Mack already had his phone in hand by then. Thankfully, Elsie's name was near the top of his contacts, and he called her immediately.

When Elsie picked up, she was also yelling.

"I'm serious, it's really Mack!" Elsie called out to someone else as soon as she answered.

There was another voice muffled in the background, and Elsie sighed like an irate teenager.

"I'm not trying to get out of anything!" Elsie insisted as if that was exactly what she was trying to do. "I love getting thrown on the floor." Then, she muttered, "I swear, this girl must have some grudge against me. Hey Mack, sorry, what's up?"

"Everything okay?" Mack asked. As he spoke, he began pacing around Jordan's kitchen, mindlessly opening drawers and cabinets.

"Oh, it's spectacular," Elsie replied, clearly exaggerating her enthusiasm. "Everything is going fine and dandy with me being locked away in my tower, and my Princess Charming is actually here to throw me around like she's a pro wrestler. So no, everything is definitely not okay."

Mack furrowed his eyebrows, confused. "Camilla?"

Elsie sighed heavily. "The one and only."

A guardian had used that same phrase to describe Camilla over a month ago. While both he and Elsie said it with sarcasm, his tone had been scathing, and Elsie's was surprisingly fond.

For some reason, Mack couldn't picture Camilla as... well, anything. When they first met briefly in Honolulu a few years ago, the woman seemed detached and unaffected. And when they met at brunch recently, she was a chaotic ball of energy. Now, Elsie was claiming they were sparring together, and Elsie didn't seem to really mind it? Mack couldn't wrap his head around this.

"Sorry to hear that," he said instead, and the sound of pillows hitting other pillows in the living room reminded him that he had more immediate issues to deal with. "I would offer to help, but then I'd be right there on the ground with you."

"I'll live. Probably. Hopefully. Well, I just hope that your day is going better than mine."

"About that," Mack began, opening Jordan's fridge and letting the clinking of glass bottles in the door drown out the sound of unrefined grunting from the other room. "I need a favor, but you can't ask me any questions about it."

Elsie only paused a second before answering. "I can offer you a strong 'maybe'."

"Good enough," Mack said. At the same time, he pulled a small brown container from the fridge with only Korean written on it. "Could you call or text your lovely manager and get him to go over there or something? But I'm not sure if your two problems would cancel each other out, or just build on each other."

"What happened?" Elsie explained, then let out a sigh. "Is he interrogating you about when the Org will let us start filming again? I'm sorry, I specifically told him not to. I'll reign him in. Maybe I'll send him to Jordan's place. That jerk isn't answering any of my SOS texts anyway, so it'll serve him right."

While Elsie was speaking, Mack had opened the mystery container and retrieved a spoon. Inside was a light brown paste, and Mack scooped a bit out to taste it. An overpowering saltiness engulfed all of his senses immediately, leaving Mack scrambling wordlessly around for something to drink.

"Mack?" Elsie asked just as Mack set the phone down to fill a glass with water.

He chugged half of it before taking a deep, calming breath, then resumed his phone call.

"Sorry, got sidetracked. What?"

"I said I'll be right there!" Elsie exclaimed to someone else, most likely Camilla. Then, to Mack, "Sorry. I said I'll text him and send him to Jordan's, since Jordan isn't answering me and deserves to be punished."

Mack grimaced, and it wasn't just because of the salt. "Actually... can you send him somewhere else?"

There was a long pause. So long, in fact, that Mack had to check his phone to make sure the call was still connected.

"Got it," Elsie eventually answered. "Hang on, I'm putting you on speaker."

Mack figured Elsie was checking her phone, so he kept himself busy by cleaning up the evidence of his curiosity. He washed and dried the cup and spoon, then returned the mystery container to the fridge (although nothing could be done about the relatively large hole he made in the center of the paste).

"Okay!" Elsie finally announced. "Best I can do is send him to Torrance; one of his favorite bakeries just released a new item that he's bound to love. That should give you about two hours, but if you're lucky, traffic will be terrible. And maybe he'll be crashing from a sugar high by the time he gets back."

"I can work with that," Mack grinned. "Thanks."

"No problem," Elsie replied. "Tell Jordan I said hi, and I'll let him off the hook this time."

Mack wasn't sure that was a good idea, but he agreed anyway and hung up shortly after. Then, he began to actually make popcorn, hoping that Minyoung would be gone by the time it was done.

Unfortunately, Minyoung was still there; fortunately, he looked to be leaving. He was slowly making his way out of the living room, simultaneously tapping at his phone screen with intense focus using one hand, and using his other to fix his severely ruffled hair. Behind him, Jordan looked exhausted and irritated as he stared at his brother's back, sporting equally messy hair.

"Popcorn?" Mack asked innocently, holding the bowl out to Minyoung as their paths crossed.

Minyoung looked away from his phone to examine the snack with narrowed eyes. "Kettle corn?"

"Butter," Mack replied.

"No, thanks," Minyoung quickly replied, turning back to his phone. "I have to go."

And just like that, he was gone, leaving anger and frustration in his wake.

"He comes over here, makes a mess, and leaves for some damn pastries," Jordan mumbled bitterly as he began rearranging the couch cushions.

Mack quickly joined him, setting down the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table and picking up the comforter that had fallen on the floor again.

"Does he do that a lot?" Mack asked, brushing off the blanket a bit before realizing that Jordan's floors were spotless and crumb-free, before returning it to the couch.

"No, thank god," Jordan huffed, aggressively shoving the last pillow into place. "I don't know why he was here in the first place. He probably needed to nag at someone and I was the lucky winner."

As he watched Jordan glare at the couch, stewing in irritation, Mack felt a little useless. He was somewhat familiar with sibling conflicts from his time at the orphanage, but that had been years ago. The wisest words he had were how to deal with the notorious "Kolohe Kainoa" throwing overripe guava at him while he played on the swing set.

(His answer: he collected a stash of kukui nuts in his shirt and threw them back as he swung.)

But this was unfamiliar territory, so Mack simply placed a hand on Jordan's tense shoulders. As expected, Jordan stiffened at Mack's initial touch, but eased when Mack began to massage his muscles in comfort.

"Well, he's gone now," Mack said, focusing his thumb on a particular knot in Jordan's shoulder. "Did you want to keep watching the movie? Or something else?"

Jordan froze under Mack's hand at the question, and his gaze averted to the opposite end of the couch ever so slightly.

"Sorry, I'm..." When Jordan hesitated, he chewed briefly on his bottom lip before continuing. "Can we just watch the movie? I'm not really in the mood anymore."

It took a moment for Mack to realize what Jordan was referring to, and he couldn't hold back the smile at the memory of Jordan's nose brushing lightly against his own.

"Of course," Mack said, probably a little too enthusiastically given the situation. "And look, now we have popcorn."

Jordan chuckled weakly at Mack's lightheartedness, but it was better than nothing. With that, they returned to their seats on the couch, Jordan retrieving the popcorn and Mack unfolding the blanket to drape over their legs. Surprisingly, Jordan didn't need to be invited to rest his head on Mack's shoulder, and Mack wrapped his arm around him in a manner that was hopefully encouraging.

While their date didn't go according to plan yet again, Mack wasn't entirely disappointed about how it turned out. So when their gazes met once more in their reflections below the TV, Mack smiled. And, after a moment, Jordan smiled back.

---

NOTES

Thanks for reading and voting! I've got a few more chapters left, so stay tuned!