Chapter Text
Key Family dinamics and characters introduction :
- The Dad : Joss Wayar (Protective, Loud sometimes, really devoted to Gawin)
- The Papa : Gawin Caskey (The "calm" center, musical, soft but firm, dotes on the kids)
- The Eldest : Poon (18, The intellectual, quiet protector, currently in medical school)
- The Middle : Barcode (16, The star athlete, charming, high energy, currently in high school)
- The Youngest : Guinzly (9, The pampered prince, witty, knows he's the favorite)
Valentines day plan? The plan was simple: Joss and Gawin would spend Valentine’s Day 2026 trekking through the lush trails of Khao Yai, soaking in the silence that only nature (and a house without three sons) could provide.
Meanwhile, back in Bangkok, the "Wayar-Caskey Brotherhood" was left with three rules:
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Poon is in charge.
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Barcode is not allowed to practice headers in the living room.
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Guinzly must be in bed by 9:00 PM.
Naturally, by 2:00 PM, all three rules were under “heavy siege”.
*****
High up on a ridge overlooking the valley, Joss was currently living his best life. He was shirtless—naturally—with his hiking boots laced tight and a GoPro strapped to his chest.
“G, look at the light hitting the trees! It’s almost as beautiful as you.." Joss shouted, casually throwing compliment to his beautiful husband like he always do, grinning with that signature white-toothed sparkle that hadn't dimmed after all these years.
Gawin, trailing slightly behind and looking effortlessly cool in a vintage trekking jacket, rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his smile of shyness from joss’s compliment..
"Joss, we’ve been walking for four hours. My 'nature appreciation' is currently being overshadowed by my 'hamstring appreciation.' Can we find the spot yet?"
Joss stopped, reaching out to pull Gawin up the final steep ledge. When Gawin reached the top, Joss didn't let go of his hand. He pulled him flush against his chest, the scent of cedar and expensive sunblock mingling between them.
"Happy Valentine’s G.." Joss whispered, his voice dropping into that low, intimate register. "Thank you for giving me a life better than any script I ever read."
Gawin leaned up, pressing his forehead against Joss’s. "Even with the chaos back home?"
"Especially because of the chaos. With you everything is perfect, but the Chaos is what’s make it all special, i love you always G." Joss murmured before leaning in for a kiss that lasted long enough to make the cicadas stop chirping.
*****
While their parents were sharing a poetic moment on the mountain, the house was experiencing a different kind of "poetry."
"I’m telling you, it’s a foolproof plan." Barcode said, standing in the middle of the kitchen. He was wearing his football jersey and, for some reason, a pair of Joss’s oversized sunglasses. "If we clean the whole house, cook a five-course meal, and have Guinzly asleep before they get back, Dad will definitely let me get those limited-edition cleats." Full of confidence.
Poon, who was sitting at the island with a massive textbook on neuroanatomy, looked up with a deadpan expression. "Barcode, you can’t even make instant noodles without setting off the smoke alarm. And Guinzly is currently 'protecting' the stairs with a Nerf gun. He isn't going to sleep."
"I am the Golden Guard!" Guinzly shouted from the landing, wearing a colander on his head. "No one passes without the secret password!"
"See?" Poon sighed, he looks so done. "He’s lost to the lore."
“P'Poon, please!" Barcode pleaded, putting on his best puppy-dog eyes—the ones he knew worked on Gawin every time. "You’re the smart one. You can lead us. It’ll be a Valentine’s surprise!"
Poon looked at his brothers. He looked at the chaos of the living room (mostly Barcode's gym bags and Guinzly's Lego sets). He felt a surge of eldest-brother responsibility. Or maybe he just wanted the house quiet so he could study.
"Fine," Poon stood up, clicking his pen. "Barcode, you’re on 'Heavy Lifting and Floor Scrubbing.' Guinzly, you are the 'Tactical Organizer'—which means you put your toys in the bins or you’re grounded from Roblox for a week."
"Yes, General Poon!" Guinzly saluted, the colander slipping over his eyes.
For three hours, the boys actually worked.
Poon took over the kitchen, applying the same precision he used for chemistry labs to a recipe for Pasta Carbonara. Barcode was a whirlwind of activity, vacuuming with such intensity he nearly sucked up the curtains. Guinzly was actually helping, sorting the mail and "polishing" the coffee table with a suspicious amount of glass cleaner.
Then, the "Surprise" took a turn.
"Guys, I found the candles!" Barcode yelled, running into the kitchen with a box of decorative pillars Gawin kept for special occasions. "I'll light them on the dining table!"
"Barcode, wait.." Poon started, but he was busy flipping the pancetta.
CRASH.
In his excitement, Barcode’s foot caught the edge of the rug. He tumbled, the box of candles flying. One of them hit the large, ornamental vase Joss had won at a charity auction years ago. It shattered into a thousand pieces.
The house went completely silent.
“Oh, no.." Guinzly whispered, poking his head around the corner. "Dad loved that vase. He said it represented 'strength and heritage.'"
Barcode looked like he was about to cry. "I ruined it. I ruined the surprise. They’re gonna be so disappointed."
Poon walked over, looking at the mess. Most older brothers would have yelled. But Poon saw the genuine distress on Barcode’s face and the way Guinzly was clutching his stuffed dinosaur, worried about the tension.
Poon knelt down and started picking up the pieces. "Hey. It’s just a vase. Dad loves us more than 'strength and heritage.' Barcode, go get the broom. Guinzly, go get the 'Emergency Chocolate' from Papa’s secret stash in the pantry. We’re going to pivot."
*****
Joss and Gawin walked through the front door at arround 8:30 PM, exhausted, sun-kissed, and bracing themselves for the inevitable disaster that might happen the minute they open the door, you know the “normal” everyday chaos.
Instead, they walked into a dimly lit house.
The broken vase was gone (hidden in the outdoor bin). The floor was spotless. The dining table was set—not with five courses of course, but with five plates of slightly overcooked pasta and a handwritten card in the center.
The card, written in Guinzly’s messy handwriting but clearly dictated by Poon and Barcode, read:
“Happy Valentine’s Day to the best Dads. We didn't break anything (that you need to know about). We love you more than football, Roblox, and Medical School.”
“Wait.." Joss whispered, looking around. "Is it... quiet?" so unusual of them.
"Don't move." Gawin breathed, leaning his head on Joss’s shoulder. "It’s a trap." Gawin sensing something that’s just not right, not so “his kids”.
Suddenly, three bodies emerged from the shadows of the hallway, tackling them into a massive group hug..
“HAPPY VALENTINE'S!" they yelled in unison.
Joss scooped up Guinzly with one arm and pulled Barcode in with the other, while Gawin reached out to pull Poon into the center of the huddle.
"Did you guys really do all this?" Gawin asked, his voice thick with emotion as he looked at the cleaned house and the effort his boys had made. Unbelievable.
"Yes Papa, of course, for your information, P'Poon did the cooking! Barcode did the sweating! I did the moral support! The most important things they need." Guinzly announced proudly with his cute voice, smiling to his beloved papa.
Joss looked at Gawin over the heads of their children, his eyes glowing with a deep, soul-shaking pride. "You know," Joss said, kissing the top of Barcode's head, "I think this is better than a quiet mountain top."
"Me too," Gawin agreed, reaching out to squeeze Poon’s hand. "Even if I can smell something slightly burnt coming from the kitchen."
"That's just 'charred flavor,' Papa!" Barcode defended with awkward smile.
The night ended with the five of them piled onto the sofa after dinner, watching a movie they’d all seen a dozen times. Joss and Gawin sat in the middle, their hands intertwined, flanked by their three sons. It was chaotic, it was a little bit messy, and it was perfectly theirs.
*****
But The "Valentine’s Peace" lasted exactly only 2 hours.
It was 10:30 PM. The movie credits were rolling, and the living room was bathed in the soft, blue glow of the TV. Guinzly was fast asleep, his head pillowed on Joss’s massive bicep. Barcode was nodding off against Gawin’s shoulder, and Poon was staring blankly at the screen, finally allowing his medical-student brain to shift into neutral.
"I’ll go get some water," Joss whispered, carefully sliding his arm out from under Guinzly’s head. He gave Gawin a quick, lingering wink—the kind that said 'I’m so proud of our life' and padded barefoot toward the kitchen.
Gawin watched him go, a peaceful smile on his face feeling content of what they have right now. Then, he saw Poon’s eyes widen. He saw Barcode suddenly bolt upright, fully awake.
"Dad! wait!" Barcode hissed, but it was too late.
In the kitchen, Joss reached for a glass, but his foot brushed against the heavy-duty plastic bin near the back door. It clattered.
"Hey, did you guys move the recycling?" Joss called out. He looked down. Through the semi-translucent bag, something caught the light. Something gold and ceramic. Something that looked suspiciously like the "Strength and Heritage" vase he had bragged about for five years years.
Joss reached in and pulled out a jagged, curved shard. It was the base of the vase.
A heavy silence descended upon the house.
Joss walked back into the living room, holding the golden shard like a piece of evidence in a high-stakes murder mystery. He didn't look angry, he looked like a detective who had just cracked the case of the century.
"Boys.." Joss said, his voice dropping into that deep, "Actor-Voice" rumble he used when he was playing a villain. "Care to explain why 'Strength' is currently sitting in a trash bag and 'Heritage' is in twelve different pieces?"
Barcode immediately pointed at Poon. "Poon said we should pivot!"
Poon, betraying his brother instantly, pointed back. "Barcode’s foot is the one that committed the crime. I was merely the accessory after the fact who managed the cleanup."
Guinzly, woken up by the tension, rubbed his eyes and looked at Joss and said "It died for a good cause, Dad. We wanted to make the table look pretty with candles." With his natural cute voice.
Gawin bit his lip, trying—and failing—to suppress a laugh. He looked at Joss, who was standing there with his chest out, trying to look stern while wearing "World's Best Dad" pajama pants.
"Joss, honey," Gawin said, reaching out to tug on the hem of Joss’s shirt. "It was just a vase."
"It was an award, Gawin! It represented my contribution to the arts!" Joss dramatized, waving the shard in the air. "I was going to pass this down to Poon!"
"I didn't want it, Dad," Poon said calmly. "It didn't fit the aesthetic of my future dorm."
Joss gasped, feeling betrayed, clutching his heart as if he’d been shot. "Betrayed by my own flesh and blood. On Valentine’s Day! The day of love! What have i done to deserve this?!” Trying to be dramatic as he is.
Joss looked at his three sons. Barcode looked guilty, Poon looked bored but slightly amused, and Guinzly looked like he was about to use his "youngest child" powers to cry on command anytime soon.
Joss sighed, the "tough dad" act crumbling. He tossed the shard onto the coffee table and crossed his arms.
"Okay, here’s the deal," Joss announced. "Since you broke my favorite piece of decor, the punishment is severe."
The boys leaned in. Even Gawin looked curious.
"Tomorrow morning," Joss declared, "Barcode and Poon are washing all the cars. Hand-washed. No streaks. And Guinzly..."
"Yes?" Guinzly squeaked.
"You have to let me win at least one round of Mario Kart. No blue shells."
"That's unfair!" Guinzly protested. "That's a human rights violation!"
"Those are the terms," Joss grinned, finally breaking into a laugh. He lunged forward, tackling all three boys back onto the sofa. "And also... you all have to give me another hug because I actually hated that vase and I’m glad it’s gone. Gawin picked it out and I was too scared to tell him it was ugly."
"Hey!" Gawin shouted, throwing a decorative pillow at Joss’s head. "I heard that!"
The living room dissolved into a chaotic pile of limbs, pillows, and laughter. Joss pulled Gawin into the center of the pile, kissing him soundly while the boys groaned in unison.
"Best Valentine’s ever," Joss whispered against Gawin’s lips.
"The best." Gawin agreed with smile, even as he was being sat on by a teenager and a third-grader.