Chapter Text
Dunk walks to the kitchen and finds Joong talking on the phone and cooking some food which smells divine by the way. After exerting all that energy earlier, he’s flat out starving now. Dunk stands in the doorway for a second with his arms crossed, just watching Joong and taking in how good he looks in a t-shirt and sweat pants- comfortable, huggable, and inviting. Now that Dunk isn’t actively trying to disqualify Joong as a romantic partner, Joong looks a whole lot more delicious than usual.
Dunk also notes that apparently Joong looks great in anything and everything he wears, from comfortable clothes at home to a runway piece and everything in between
Joong is still unaware of his audience as he continues talking softly into the phone and smiling. The sight ignites an unexpected spark of possessiveness within Dunk, leaving him feeling left out and craving for Joong’s undivided attention.
Driven by that emotion, Dunk clears his throat a little loudly to draw Joong’s attention to himself.
Joong turns around and sees Dunk standing there. His face softens and he opens his arm, beckoning Dunk in. Dunk surprises himself by stepping into Joong’s embrace immediately, letting himself get enveloped in the warmth.
Dunk slings both arms around Joong’s middle and he gazes closely at Joong while he continues talking on the phone. Joong stares back. Dunk expects to blush and look away, but Joong’s eyes hold his in a gentle unyielding grasp.
Not long after, "I have to go. Dunk is awake now." Joong announces to the person on the phone and them proceeds to hang up not long after.
"Did I interrupt something?" Dunk asks
Joong shakes his head and puts his phone down on the kitchen island before giving Dunk his full attention. “I was talking to Pavel.”
Dunk cocks an eyebrow, “You two seem close.”
What’s going on there? That’s the question Dunk is asking but fails to actually voice out. He has no right to ask yet desperately wants to know.
“He’s one of my best friends so…” Joong shrugs a shoulder.
“Is that it? He’s not your ex or…something else?” Dunk ends up finding the courage to ask
A hint of amusement dances on Joong’s lips, his eyes sparkling with knowing- like he can see right through Dunk’s attempted subtlety. He cups Dunk's face in the palms of his hands, letting his fingers tenderly stroke the stands of hair there. "All my romantic interest is in you. Just you, Dunk."
Dunk hopes he’s doing a good job of hiding the fact that he really likes hearing Joong say that. He smoothly and swiftly changes the subject, “Chen, you told the broadcast team that we had sex last night?”
“I like it when you call me that.” Joong sweetly slurs with adoration.
A chuckle escapes Dunk’s lips at the love-drunk look in Joong’s eyes, “Focus! How could you share our business with the broadcasters?”
Joong’s eyebrows furrow in puzzlement, “Broadcasters?” He echoes
“Phuwin, Gemini and especially Pond.”
Joong laughs out loud, “What!”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know that they are huge gossips.”
“They are our best friends.”
“And that’s why you and I are gossips as well.” Dunk points out. “But you should have known better. I bet the whole of GMMTV knows by now.” to be honest Dunk expected to have more bite in his tone when confronting Joong about this, to feel more anger on the inside. None of that is happening. Turns out he’s just not as bothered as he thought he’d be by the idea of their friends gossiping about them or work people finding out that they slept together.
“To be fair I think everyone at work already thought something was going on between us.”
Dunk’s facial expression shifts from scepticism to concurrence, a gentle inclination of his head, “You make a fair point, Joong Archen. You live another day.”
“Call me Chen again.”
Dunk giggles. Joong drags him close and kisses his mouth, slow and deep, caressing it with his lips and tongue. Dunk clings to Joong and moans quietly.
"Do you still feel sick?" Joong softly murmurs against Dunk's lips.
"For the most part I'm just really hungry. And thirsty."
“Then lets replenish our strength and go out to get some fresh air. How do you feel about going to the music store with me?”
“And skateboarding?” Dunk asks excitedly.
“And skateboarding.”
*****
As they wonder through the cosy music store’s aisles, fingers trailing over instruments and vinyl, their eyes keep finding each other. Dunk catches Joong’s gaze in the vinyl section, and he looks away quickly, blushing, only to meet eyes again in the guitar area. What in the romance is happening, Dunk smilingly asks himself as he puts his hand over his racing heart.
The store is filled with the hum of soft music, but their silent connection resonates louder to a point where Dunk can’t deny it. He almost chokes on nothing when he turns a corner and bumps into Joong. Dunk’s heart skips a beat.
“How is it going?” Joong mutters with his silky smooth voice.
“Good.”
“See anything you like?” Joong turns his head to the right to look at the collection of guitars there.
“Yeah.” Dunk whispers without realising that he’s even speaking. He’s forgotten what the question was as he stands transfixed, his gaze tracing every feature on Joong’s face, lost in the mischievous glint in his eyes that seems to permanently reside there.
Dunk laughs unexpectedly at himself, at the absurdity of his own silly, swoony feelings for Joong. It seems the feelings snuck up on him and swept him up in a tide of emotions without realising it. Whether the feelings have ever been there or they are new, the fact remains that they are real.
Dunk’s laugh brings Joong’s attention to him, “What is it?”
Where could Dunk even start from explaining that his laugh is a release, an acknowledgement of the thrill and terror of realising he’s totally into Joong.
Dunk just shakes his head. “Let’s go and listen to some music.”
“I want to know why you were staring at me like that just now.” Joong’s smile is a gentle, knowing curve of the lips. It’s a smile that holds a hint of mischief and a dash of playful understanding. His eyes sparkle with amusement, like he can see Dunk’s thoughts. It’s a look very akin to the one he had on face earlier when Dunk asked about Pavel.
Dunk is left feeling vulnerable, but oddly not uncomfortable about it.
“You’re insufferably flirtatious and charming.” Dunk laments out loud. “How could anyone resist you? How don’t you have a lover in every area code?”
“You’re the one I want.” Joong easily replies as if the answer to Dunk’ question is that plain and simple. “I’m not using my insufferable charm on anyone else. Not as seriously as I am with you anyway.”
“Do you expect me to believe that I’m your only romantic pursuit?”
“Yes.”
“Guys like you tend to…spread their love, if you know what I mean.”
Joong lifts his eyebrows at Dunk, “Is that what’s holding you back from dating me?”
“In a way yes.” Dunk admits. “I find it unnerving how hard it is for me to tell when you’re being serious and when you aren’t.”
“You’ve known me a while now and you know what I’m like when I’m being serious. Does it look like I’m kidding about my feelings for you?” Joong’s asks, his face set in a determined line, his face taking on a grave tone to convey his conviction.
Dunk’s eyes widen, his cheeks flushing as the solemn words sink in and leave him breathless, his doubts dissipating. Joong’s unwavering commitment wraps around Dunk’s heart like a promise.
Come to think of it, Dunk has actually never heard a single story of promiscuity involving Joong. With the amount of gossip that goes around at their company, all the serial flirts and players are well known by now and Joong isn’t one of them. Flirting with and for the camera is about as far as it goes.
This shouldn’t be surprising for Dunk. By now he’s spent enough time with Joong to notice that there is so much more to Joong than the flirtatious lip-biting, cheeky smiles, greasy winks and easy charm. Joong gets very emotional too, nervous, sulky, worried, gob-smacked, moody, and serious too sometimes.
The things that Dunk doesn’t like about Joong were the first to jump out at him when they first met. From that point on, Dunk unknowingly focused on those negatives because they irked him so much, forgetting to also notice Joong’s many good points.
“It doesn’t matter what people say about me or what your opinion of me is right now.” Joong speaks up again, dragging Dunk out of his thoughts, “I’ll show you who I am and how serious I am about you, Dunk.”
“You don’t have to try so hard anymore. I can see it for myself now.” Dunk reaches for Joong’s hand and interlaces their hands. Joong briefly glances down at their linked hands and looks back up to meet Dunk’s gaze.
Surprise lifts Joong’s eyebrows above eyes that are shining with hope as a small radiant smile touches his lips. “You’re a real catch, Chen.” Dunk continues. “I’m sorry for shrugging off your feelings for me for as long as I did. I won’t ignore your feelings or my own anymore. If you’ll have me, could we spend this time together with open minds and hope for a good outcome? Shall we call this our first date?”
The astonishment on Joong’s face melts into a warm, buoyant smile, his features radiant with excitement. “I’d love to continue this first date with you, Dunk.”
Dunk grins victoriously and then he looks around to see if anyone is watching. Once he’s sure they are alone, he leans in to give Joong’s lips a sweet, lingering, chaste kiss.
When he pulls back, they stare at each other and then both dissolve into laughter.
“That was our first kiss.” Dunk mutters, getting shy for some weird reason.
“That was pretty tame for two people who’ve already had sex.”
“We skipped some steps and jumped into bed together already but we can start over.”
“I can’t wait.”
*****
They can’t come to the music store and not listen to some records. As they delve into the music store’s vintage treasure section, they relish in their shared love for old records. Side by side they explore the stacks, unearthing gems from bygone eras. With shared earphones, they dive into a sonic journey as one record blends it the next, a seamless tapestry of ballads and love songs.
As the world melts away and the music swirls around them, Joong’s fingers brush Dunk’s. Dunk doesn’t pull away. Instead, he lets Joong take his hand, palms touching and fingers intertwining. With gazes locked on each other, they mouth the words to the songs that they know. Dunk can’t deny how good he feels in this moment, how happy he is that it’s Joong he’s sharing this intimate moment with.
Dunk doesn’t forget to snap plenty of photos to document their first date.
*****
After the music store, they drive back to Joong’s condo to grab his skateboard then they take the elevator back down to the parking lot. The parking lot is usually empty this late in the evening. Joong figures it’s better to teach Dunk how to actually operate a skateboard in some place private like this before they go to a skate park some other day.
Dunk is a shy person, so he easily accepts Joong’s suggestion.
With the board beneath his feet, Dunk wobbles, his arms outstretched for balance. With a kind smile, Joong stands beside him, guiding his movements.
“Relax, I’ve got you.” Joong whispers as Dunk trembles in fear of falling and embarrassing himself, or worse getting hurt. This entire experience is an equal mix of exhilarating and scary for him.
Each time Dunk stumbles, his feet slipping off the board, Joong catches him; his arms wrapping around Dunk’s waist and holding him close as they both erupt into laughter. Together they try again and again, their giggles filling the air. Little by little, Dunk gets more confident, his movements more fluid. Joong cheers him on, his eyes sparkling with pride.
Joong also brought his camera, and so he takes some pictures of Dunk in action. Sometimes Dunk stops just to do silly or cool poses for the camera, much to Joong’s amusement and enjoyment.
They are still buzzing with excitement and infectious joy even after the experience is over. Dunk plops down on the tarmac and Joong joins beside him.
Joong watches Dunk for a moment, and then he asks, “How do you feel?”
“At first I was nauseous, but I’m all good now. That was fun.” he laughs, unable to stop himself.
Joong touches Dunk’s flushes cheek. “I had a great time too.”
Dunk finds that he doesn’t get the urge to move away from Joong’s touch. “I think I could get into skateboarding.” He admits. “I get why you like it so much.”
“Let’s go to an indoor skateboarding place next time; the ones that have ramps, ledges and all the good stuff.” Joong’s warm eyes shine with anticipation and expectation. Dunk gets lost in the depths of the quiet longing in Joong’s eyes.
The gentle plea in there tugs at his heartstrings. He nods, willing to grant Joong’s request. “Let’s do that.”
Joong smiles and kisses Dunk. This time Dunk kisses back instantly and with a gentle fierceness, he grasps Joong by the nape and tilts his head to the side to deepen the kiss. Dunk parts his lips, tasting Joong’s lips on his tongue. He hums in delight as delicious tingles assail him. He could get used to this.
*****
Dunk takes Joong to a smoked chicken place he knows in town which has rooftop dinning, and it so happens that there is a fireworks festival taking place near there. From up here they’ll have a great view of the fireworks, much to Dunk’s happiness.
While waiting for the fireworks display to start, they have their supper while engaging in idle chatter and taking a lot of pictures or anything and everything they want. They have ice cream and cookies for dessert and Joong’s romantic ass doesn’t shy away at all from feeding Dunk every now and then, not that Dunk is complaining.
The fireworks start and they draw their chairs together, closing all the space between them. Joong’s arm wraps around Dunk’s shoulders, pulling him close as they gaze out at the night sky. The first firework explodes above, a burst of vibrant colour, and they nestle deeper into each other as Dunk rests his head in Joong’s shoulder. Joong absently kisses Dunk’s hair.
The rooftop dinners seem to fade into the background, leaving only the two of them in a bubble of their own magical world.
Sometimes they turn their gazes away from the view to look at each other and check if they both saw this or that awesome moment. Other times, they stop to share a quick kiss or two.
*****
Back at Joong’s condo, he and Dunk take a late night shower together. As they stand side by side before the misty mirror, bathrobes wrapped snugly around their freshly-scrubbed bodies, the intimacy is palpable.
With gentle fingers they take turns applying night cream on each other’s faces, their eyes locked in tender connection. The scent of shampoo and lotion mingled, bringing about a sweet and sensual aroma in the room.
The air is thick with anticipation. Dunk’s fingers graze the front of Joong’s robe, sending a shiver down his spine. With a sly smile, Dunk slips his hand inside, his fingertips tracing the contours of Joong’s chest. Joong’s breath hitches, eyes locked onto Dunk’s, burning with desire.
Joong cups Dunk’s face between the palms of his hands and angles it to face the position he desires before kissing him. Joong’s firm mouth insistently licks sweetly and slowly into Dunk’s mouth as if savouring the taste.
Joong’s lips take Dunk to what he thinks heaven probably looks like. His hands urgently but sensually and intentionally run down Dunk’s waist, his waist, finding themselves on Dunk’s ass. They stay there, slowly caressing both cheeks with each hand. Dunk’s hand move around Joong’s body as well, one arm wrapping around Joong’s neck to steady himself and pull Joong closer, while the other hand starts moving down towards Joong’s dick.
Joong lifts Dunk onto the vanity’s countertop with ease, like his weight is non-existent in his arms.
A moan leaves Dunk’s lips as they kiss, giving away how much he wants Joong’s dick inside him right now.
But then Joong suddenly stops, throwing Dunk into a state of confusion. “We should…slow down.” Joong says breathily. “You know…take things slow…and whatnot.”
Dunk blinks, trying his level best to catch up, to understand, to think. “Um…” He stalls. Finally Joong’s suggestion sinks in and he can’t help being frustrated. “Yeah. Of course.” Dunk coughs awkwardly, rearranging his robe and trying to pull himself together after Joong steps back.
“To give this a better chance of survival, right?”
“Right.”
Joong nods slowly. Dunk could be misreading things but he thinks he sees a fleeting glance in Joong’s eyes which is pleading for dissent, beseeching Dunk to contradict.
So Dunk attempts to contradict, tentatively so to first the waters first, “Then again we’ve spent so much time together already in the past. Those could be considered as dates, right? Meaning this technically wasn’t our first date.”
Joong’s eyes light up with satisfaction and satisfaction, making it obvious that this is exactly what he longed to hear and the literally bated Dunk into saying it. “I mean….if you insist then how can I argue the facts?” his lips twitch with barely contained amusement.
Dunk smiles, fondly rolling his eyes. “I see us becoming one of those disgustingly happy couples that are in tune with each other’s needs and all of that cheesy stuff.”
“I think we’re two, maybe three kisses away from becoming just that.” Joong illuminates with a mock exaggerated level of seriousness.
“Then you should probably kiss me three times, right now.” Dunk smilingly tugs Joong close by the front of his robe and kisses him.