6. Those Baby Browns #3
“Okay!” Theo stepped away and almost slipped in the tub as Dae’s hands fell from his hips and his eyes flew open.
Luckily the shower wall held him up, though he crashed into it so hard that a dull ache radiated from his shoulder blade.
“I admit, I went a bit too short above the ears, but I nailed your side-part and have eradicated that infernal bowl cut forevermore.” They climbed out of the bathtub, and Theo wet his hands in the sink, keeping a healthy distance as he used the moisture to push the hair away from Dae’s forehead.
Dae kept his eyes closed as he did, his hands shoved into his pockets and his breath too even to not be intentional.
Either Theo’s touch wasn’t really fine, or…
He cleared his throat and turned him toward the mirror. “Wear it back tonight.”
Dae’s eyes fluttered open and widened at the change. “Whoa.”
“Let people see you.”
He turned his head to see the different angles, then gifted Theo with a small smile and a hint of dimples. “Thank you. I—”
A woman’s voice echoed from downstairs, making him freeze.
Theo gasped in delight. “Mrs. Moon!”
He launched himself out of the bathroom and down the stairs.
Dae’s mom was one of his favourite women on the planet.
Her huge personality barely fit into her tiny body, causing it to burst out at inappropriate times.
She was a professor, and although he didn’t actually know what she taught, he was dying to experience one of her lectures.
Clanging echoed through the house as she shoved containers into the fridge while giving Caleb and Jason strict instructions.
Dressed in bright exercise clothes, she looked more like a cheerleader than someone’s mom, with her dark ponytail swinging behind her in an attempt to keep up with her head bobbing back and forth between Caleb, Jason, and the fridge.
She gasped when she saw her son and crossed the kitchen to take his cheeks in her hands and rotate his head to inspect the change.
“Theo did it.” Dae said it like an accusation, but Mrs. Moon gave Theo a pat on the bum.
“Well done, Cheot Sarang.”
“Eomma!” Dae’s face exploded pink, making his mom laugh.
Well, that was intriguing. “Why is Dae about to combust?”
Dae and his mom spoke in Korean as his sister, Min, walked in, carrying more bags of food.
She was two years younger, had bluntly cut bangs, long black hair, and cute round glasses that Theo wasn’t sure she actually needed.
She’d visited a few times in their first year, chatting and asking a million questions.
Theo honestly didn’t know how Dae shared DNA with either of them.
“It’s your nickname,” she said, knowing full well she was planting a seed that would never stop growing. “You each have one. It’s so Dae can talk about you in Korean without using your names.”
All three of them turned on Dae, either shocked, amused, or pretending to be offended.
His panicked sputtering was immediate. “No, it’s not.
I mean, it’s normal, like ‘Caleb said this funny thing,’ but if I was speaking in Korean and you heard your name, it would be weird.
I—so you don’t feel, um, feel like, I don’t know, uncomfortable or…
” He winced then turned around and rested his head against the wall while Min lost her shit laughing.
“Eomma, we’re in so much trouble.”
“I would do the same thing if I knew another language,” Caleb said, always the sensitive hero.
“So what do they mean?” Jason asked.
Before either Min or Mrs. Moon could answer, Dae swung back around and started ushering them towards the door. “Goodbye! Thank you for the food. Never come back.”
There was more hushed Korean, then the front door closed and Dae walked back into the kitchen with his head down and his hands clasped in front of him, as if facing a firing squad. “Can we please forget this happened?”
“No problem,” Caleb said at the same time Jason and Theo said, “Not a chance,” and “What’s mine?” respectively.
Dae sighed so long Theo was impressed he had so much air in his body. “They’re not even creative. Jason is Deep Voice, Caleb is Long Hair, and Theo is…” He faltered. “Friendly.”
Jason started unpacking the food, seemingly disappointed by the lack of drama. “My voice isn’t that deep.”
“It was the first week. I didn’t know much about you.”
“What if I cut my hair?” Caleb asked.
“You’d still be Long Hair. They’re locked in.”
“I call bullshit.” Theo crossed his arms and stood his ground. He knew the difference between Dae’s soft-shy voice and his soft-lying voice. “What’s mine really?”
Dae meticulously sorted silverware as his ears caught fire.
“He is lying.” Caleb gasped like he didn’t think Dae was capable of it. “About all of ours or just Theo’s?”
“Just mine,” Theo said. “His jaw clenched before he said it, and he can’t look at me.”
“Damn.” Jason laughed. “You really pay attention. Can you tell when we’re lying, too?”
“Of course I can.” No, he couldn’t, and he hoped no one would test him on it.
“It’s nothing bad,” Dae said, his voice pleading. “It’s not even interesting.”
Theo took pity on him. “Okay, fine, even if my nickname is mean…”—Dae groaned, but Theo talked over him—“it’s fine, because that was then, and whatever you thought of me in that first week doesn’t matter.”
Dae’s mouth opened like he was going to say something, but no sound came out.
“Dae, promise me something?”
He nodded and the guys looked at Theo with curiosity, as if he were about to bequeath some major life wisdom.
“No sweaters tonight.”