Tags Room

@‡ Jackson /goes to pick up my phone, sighing when I see the cracked screen while reaching up to take the cat ears from off my head/

@† Luhan Thank you.
/fixes up my clothing and disappears around the building/

@‡ Jackson /lets out a soft sigh as I watch my phone slide across the floor, merely nodding instead as I untangle my fingers from your shirt/ okay then. Go.

@† Luhan /harshly glares at you as I am dragged back to you. I had half the mind to push you where you stood. Eyes lowered to the ground to see the phone/
No.
/kicks it away instead and pushes your hand off my shirt

@‡ Jackson /continues staring at the phone with a tilted gaze, already hooking my finger into your shirt to drag you back as if i sensed you were going to walk away from the start/ you really gained a mouth on you since the last time we've met- my phone- while you still have the freedom to get it, jackie

@† Luhan Yes. In more ways than one. /glances down to your phone and scoffs, turning myself around to walk away/

@‡ Jackson have i ed you since, jackie? /hums as i take a step back when pushed, tongue in cheek as i look back in the direction of my phone/

@† Luhan /shoves you away from me before I could do any more harm to you. I should but I hold myself back from stooping to your level/ Whatever I did catch, I hope I gave it to you.

@‡ Jackson mmm /chews on the inside of my cheek as i lean in, nodding and leveling with your gaze/ i wasnt the one like a pathetic to three random strangers shoving their up my now, was i? /reaches up, giving your cheek a 'loving' pat/ did you ever go get tested to make sure you didnt catch anything?

@† Luhan /reaches out to grab a hold of your shirt collar to bring you close to me/ You're disgusting.

@‡ Jackson /instantly starts laughing as i turn to watch the phone flying from my hand/ whats the matter, jackie? cant take a joke?

@† Luhan /narrows my eyes at you no longer looking at the video and insticively slaps the phone from your hand out of pure anger/

@‡ Jackson /shifts it closer because you seem to have trouble viewing it/ that's not my getting ed now is it?

@† Luhan /stares at the video, squinting to see the screen/ You are still a baby boy. Meow.

@‡ Jackson /smiles at the reaction, flipping open to my videos and extending the phone out for you to see, pressing play/ think I'm still a baby boy, meow?

@† Luhan /squints at you then the phone, resisting the urge to knock it out of your hands and break it/ ... Yes.

@‡ Jackson At a bar when someone was being a little stubborn in one of the back stalls /lifts my phone up, tilting my head towards it/ wanna see?

@† Luhan When did you get a video of me?
/slips the phone in my back pocket

@‡ Jackson /drops a flat gaze down to the phone to stare at it, wondering when you got a new one/ that's cute- wanna see my video of you?

@† Luhan /recorded it on my phone with a grin
Baby boy

@‡ Jackson /is hella confused by this, just staring up at you and blinking a couple times to register what you're asking of me before deciding to let curiosity take over, unrelated to the animal you wish portrayed/ meow meow.

@† Luhan /puts cat ears on you
now meow

@‡ Jackson What

@† Luhan /tugs your hair

@‡ Hyungsoo To be honest, this was probably a whole step for him even if he wasn't fully aware of it himself. In the beginning, he had gotten overwhelmed with the idea of moving into a home as large as Hyungsoo's. The rooms were so big in comparison to the tiny, cramped spaces he had been used to growing up. No sense privacy. There, though, at Hyungsoo's house -- it's like there was /too much/ privacy. And Christopher had yet to experience what privacy even meant, still tangled in the grasp of his parents, still skittish. That was then, though. Now, despite his current state of mind, Christopher had reached a point where he was confident in himself. At least enough to shred any unwarranted insecurities with the help of extensive therapy. Those large empty spaces don't entirely bother him anymore, especially not when both he and Rose seemed to thrive best in their own spaces. However, they were stuck with what Christopher could afford and that unfortunately wasn't much until now. A part of him was thankful, relieved actually, that some part of the burden was lifted. He allowing himself to receive aid from a friend. Something that took him a while of convincing in the first time around. And while he can't proudly say that all of this will be coming from his wealth, Christopher needed to start learning how to take a lending hand when it was right in front of him. There are just some things no one should go through alone, and all of this (and more) is enough of a reason not to be. Moving back into the apartment now that Rose was situated in her car seat, he first tells Hyungsoo how to disassemble the crib before focusing on the dresser. It was fairly large however this time spent in the gym clearly paid off because he heaved it up in one go like it was nothing, completely effortless. Arms bulging with hard-earned muscle, Christopher manages to carry it down several steps without stumbling or losing grip somehow -- which was a shock to even himself, given his naturally clumsy self has a knack for bumping and tripping and falling on /anything/. And, thankfully, the dresser was small enough to fit into the back of the van... At least they didn't need to do a double trip. Christopher was now seated in the passenger seat, Rose behind him sleeping soundly in hers. He kept quiet, gazing out of the window while occasionally sneaking a glance at her as if to confirm that she hadn't somehow climbed out of her seat and escaped the car. It still hard for him to allow her out of his sight. Anytime they spent time away, he was anxious, worried that she wouldn't be there when he got back. It's how he discovered Hyunjin had left him. The babysitter that was hired looked like she knew but refused to tell him. He fired her for that. Not like he could afford her salary anyways.

@‡ Christopher Hyungsoo had to bite back his first instinct to drive them to the store and buy everything Rose and Chris so much as looked remotely interested in. It was why Chris had moved out the first time; spoiling him right off only had a negative effect. He could argue that it was to make up for the months he'd lived comfortably in his house shut off from the world while Chris went through what he could only assume was absolute hell, but it wouldn't make much of a difference. He was going to have to slowly re-introduce some things into Chris and Rose's lives. He'd focus on getting Rose things she wanted first. Chris probably wouldn't argue much about that, but he had to be careful not to overdo it and look like he was overshadowing Rose's actual parent. He got lost in his thoughts a moment, trying to think of more ways to make it up to his friend for failing at actually being a friend. The touch on his elbow brought him out, and he frowned a little but nodded. Chris was likely stronger than him, and with his age, his back wouldn't like much heavy lifting anyway. He still wanted to take the heavier burden anyway. He didn't. It didn't take long to disassemble Rose's crib, and he did it almost mechanically, mind still occupied with how he could make Chris more comfortable and less overwhelmed. He could probably block off a section of the house so it feels a little smaller, but that might make it worse because it'd be unused space. He pinched his finger getting distracted, so he shook his head and his hand and finished with the crib, carrying it to the car after putting the pieces in a box. He'd never been all that talkative to begin with, but that meant he noticed how quiet Chris was because it was mostly silent while they loaded the car, save for Cheol occasionally babbling about something or other whenever Hyungsoo or Chris approached the car. He never liked the car seat much, so he was starting to complain a little. "Almost done, buddy. Little longer," he said softly, letting the little one grab his finger in his fist to occupy himself a moment.

@‡ Hyungsoo Grateful that Hyungsoo took the initiative to grab some of the bags strained in his palm, he lets out a small exhale of relief and wriggles his hand for a moment. "Thank you, Hyunnie," he spoke quietly as Rose emits a low squeal, seemingly perking up at the sight of the other male. That's how he has been as of late; quiet. Well, quiet/er/. If it was up to him, he'd say nothing at all. "No, this is uh..." A pause. How humiliating. Christopher flashes a small, sheepish smile then diverts his gaze. "Aside from her crib and dresser, this is all... All of our clothes and everything else is packed in the bags already." Ever since that day, he's just been smacked with hardships left and right. His shop nearly went bankrupt on top of it being broken into and robbed, lost the house he worked so hard to buy, lost his bike, had to stop producing music on the side because he had no time anymore, was forced to pick up a second job just to be able to earn enough of a wage to afford the apartment and food. However, Christopher being who he was, spoke nothing of it. He kind of zoned out thinking about it while putting Rose into the car seat. She was beginning to doze off on his shoulder, so thankfully it seemed like her fussing was over for now. As he strained up and shut the door, Hyungsoo had appeared at his side and was leaning against him for a brief moment. Christopher chuckled faintly and reaches up to gently touch his elbow, look up at him with a soft smile and dim eyes. "Her crib can be disassembled easily so it won't be hard to carry. I'll grab her dresser since it's heavier, alright?"

@‡ Christopher Hyungsoo saw Chris struggling and immediately went to grab the bags from the male. "You get Rose in the car, okay? You look like you have your hands full," he said with a small smile before kissing Rose's adorable but fussy little head and taking the bags back to the back of the van. "Is this everything, or are there more things in the apartment?" There weren't a lot of bags that Chris had brought out, and he hoped that wasn't everything the other male had. Chris had obviously struggled when they'd first met. It wouldn't have been far-fetched to go back to that struggle now, and Hyungsoo felt a wave of guilt overtake him. While he'd buried himself in work and Cheol to distract himself from everything, his best friend was clearly having difficulties he hadn't bothered to check up on. He stood by Chris's side and laid his head on Chris's shoulder after putting the bags away. "I should've been here sooner," he whispered. He then backed away to await further instruction.

@‡ Hyungsoo [ message to: hyunnie :koala_emoji: ]

- okay thanks rose is being a bit of a fuss atm
- yeah i will bring it down in a sec

Christopher shoved the device into his pocket and took another look around the small apartment. They hadn't lived here long so it's not like it held much memories but it was still a space they occupied, so a part of him wanted to appreciate it for a few more minutes. Rose didn't handle the first move well. She looked the double story house, the fenced in yard, the giant rooms -- she missed the princess treatment because Hyunjin could afford literally everything. Anything she wanted, he'd buy it for her. And now that it was just Christopher, things were... much different, in the simplest of ways. Rose most certainly did not like it and hadn't made it easy on him the past several months, throwing fits numerous times a day and bringing a list of noise complaints pounding at the door. The relationship he has with his daughter is now strained. She blames him, which is natural. Christopher blames himself too. He turns away swiftly and heads out of the door, holding a barely calm toddler in his arms while also somehow being able to carry a few bags at the same time. The rest of the stuff can wait for a bit. He leaves the apartment, shutting but not locking the door behind them, and starts heading down the path towards the parking area.

@‡ Christopher [Message to: Dumpling]

- Alright, I'm on my way now then
- Good time to break out the van I got

After Hyungsoo sent his message, he pocketed his phone and went to the nursery after getting his keys to grab Hyungcheol from his playpen. The baby babbled and grabbed at his father's cheeks before settling down and resting against his chest, pulling a small smile from Hyungsoo as he carried him out to the van, strapping him into his car seat with a soft kiss to the baby's head. "Let's go get Rose and Uncle Chris, okay?" He tapped Cheol's nose and got in the driver's seat. It didn't take too long to get to Chris's apartment, and he was glad Chris and Rose would have more space. He really hated how small that apartment was, but what could Chris do about it? At least now, Hyungsoo could help in any way he could. His best friend didn't need to be alone by any means, and the company would be nice for him as well. Once he pulled into the parking area, he sent Chris another message.

[Message to: Dumpling]

- I'm out front. I'll help get your boxes into the back.
- You have a car seat, right?
- I have an extra if you don't.