Chapter Text
just as the last customer leaves, and yoongi finishes up wiping down the table, jeongguk lets out a lion-sized yawn. “heading up,” jeongguk mumbles, rubbing his eyes with the back of his fist. yoongi hums in acknowledgement, gently patting his husband’s butt as he passes. it’s only fair that yoongi closes up at the end of the day, as jeongguk handles the opening in the morning.
tucking in the chair neatly beneath the table, yoongi straightens. his back clicks, making him hiss through his teeth. yoongi has yet to reach his thirties, but sometimes it feels like his body has aged faster. ever since he and jeongguk started gochyeo gochi, yoongi found himself working his absolute hardest for this tiny place they have jointly dubbed their “baby”. it was apparent from the beginning- how jeongguk took to the long working hours and toil better, having worked at his parents’ bakery since he was young. yoongi, on the other hand, swears he’s using muscles he never thought he had.
some days feel like a lot of work for little reward. but being by jeongguk’s side, yoongi muses, is reward enough.
after washing all the utensils thoroughly, yoongi tugs on the pair of rubber boots by the back door of the kitchen and begins washing the floor. the peace of the night accompanies him as he scrubs every surface of the kitchen. although he perspires profusely as he works, he refuses to take a break; simply drags an arm across his forehead and continues cleaning. jeongguk is waiting up for him.
every nook and cranny of the kitchen is spotless by the time he is done. satisfied, yoongi pulls off his boots, shuts off all the lights, and trudges up the stairs to home. it’s half past midnight.
jeongguk is sitting cross-legged at their small dining table, looking at something on his phone. his hair damp from his shower, and dressed in his white sleep tee, jeongguk is at his most relaxed state. all yoongi wishes to do is press his nose into the nape of jeongguk’s neck and fall right asleep. “ah, you’re done?” jeongguk glances up as yoongi enters. “you’re fast today, are you sure you cleaned well downstairs?” the twinkle in jeongguk’s eye betrays his seriousness, or rather the lack thereof.
yoongi huffs. “i worked hard so that i’d be able to spend time with my loving husband. i’m wounded.” he places a hand on his chest, all the while walking towards jeongguk.
“min yoongi, you get your ass into the shower or so help me, because there is no way you are coming near, i just showered - ” jeongguk raises his finger warningly. yoongi smirks in response.
“you could take another shower with me - ” yoongi lets his words trail off suggestively, loving the pretty pink that spreads across jeongguk’s cheeks.
“grease. you are so greasy right now - ” jeongguk snaps, his face scrunching at yoongi who is fast approaching, his busan dialect shining through. “ah, seriously, go shower!” his tone verging on a whine. “you’ll get sick if you don’t - ”
relenting, yoongi decides to stop teasing his flustered husband and heed his advice. “okay, okay, just a kiss then?” he asks, looming over jeongguk without touching him. the latter rolls his eyes before arching up and pecking yoongi on the lips. “that wasn’t so hard, was it?” yoongi grins, unable to resist one last attempt to rile up jeongguk, and taps jeongguk’s nose before he leaves.
“you’re a sap, old man.” jeongguk calls after him. yoongi can’t find it in him to disagree.
yoongi is in the middle of his shower when the bathroom lights go out, plunging him into darkness.
he groans. thankfully, the moonlight coming in from the tiny window above the shower enables yoongi to see somewhat. after rinsing off, he reaches out of the stall and yanks at his towel hanging nearby. clothes on his left, yoongi takes extra care not to trip as he exits the shower stall. tugging on his sleep shirt over his head, yoongi successfully exits the bathroom with no major injury.
“babe,” yoongi calls as he troops into the living room, where jeongguk is sitting, looking through their mail. “the light in the bathroom went out. do we have any bulbs?” he asks, heading towards the cabinet where they store their home essentials.
there are no extra bulbs in the drawer, but what jeongguk says distracts him from that. “well, maybe we don’t have to replace the bulb since our electricity is getting shut off next week.”
yoongi nearly slams the drawer closed on his thumb. “what?” he turns to catch the grim look on jeongguk’s face. wordlessly, jeongguk hands him a piece of paper, his face suddenly drawn, looking older than he really is.
words such as ‘final notice’, ‘payment’, ‘past due’ jump out at him. yoongi runs a hand through his hair, scanning the document for some kind of concession, to no avail. “shit-” yoongi swears, and once again after that. jeongguk’s grimace deepens. “how did it come to this?” yoongi plops down next to jeongguk, still staring at the letter.
he only tears his gaze away when jeongguk coaxes the paper from him. “you know how.” jeongguk says simply, putting the letter aside before meeting yoongi’s eyes.
although they have regulars, gochyeo gochi is barely making enough to cover their expenses. despite having good working relationships with their vendors, goodwill could only go so far in the current economic situation. then, there were their competitors- utilizing numerous marketing gimmicks to rake up business. rising prices, and an ever-expanding market of restaurants, the odds are stacked against them- even with their quality ingredients and reasonable prices.
and the fact that their food tastes really good. (but that’s yoongi’s own opinion.)
“we’ll get by,” jeongguk says, with a finality in his voice yoongi is impressed by. “we spend most of our time downstairs anyway.” he clears the rest of the mail aside, before settling back next to yoongi. “maybe we can eat less, cut back on our own expenses-”
“we already do that,” yoongi sighs heavily, pulling jeongguk’s hand onto his lap and running his thumb over bony knuckles, the simple ring on jeongguk’s finger. “hell, we’re doing all we have to do to save.” he runs another frustrated hand through his hair. “we have to think of something else.” all in all, the feeling of helplessness is the hardest to deal with.
“okay.” jeongguk’s fingers wind around yoongi’s. he turns to meet his husband’s wide eyes. “okay,” jeongguk repeats, resting his head on yoongi’s shoulder, “we’ll think of something.” the weight and warm proximity of him calms yoongi’s temper. almost immediately, the tension within yoongi’s being dissipates, and all he’s left with is serenity. tightening his grip on jeongguk’s hand, yoongi presses his small smile onto jeongguk’s hair.
yes, being by jeongguk’s side is reward enough.
-
it’s just like any other day when the bell at the door rings, announcing a visitor. “surprise?” jeongguk’s mother peeks into the restaurant, a wide smile lighting up her face. beside yoongi, jeongguk drops the bowl he is holding in shock. good thing the bowl is plastic, and empty.
the few customers they have glance up, but yoongi would bet jeongguk sees no one else at the moment.
“eomma?” jeongguk gawks. then his father enters as well. “appa- what is this-” a surprised laugh escapes his lips before he’s flying into his mother’s arms like a little kid. yoongi smiles fondly. it has been a few months since they have seen jeongguk’s parents, and yoongi can only imagine how much jeongguk has missed them. like now, jeongguk is chattering away to his mother while showing them to a table. jeongguk’s father trails behind, and at the sight of yoongi, his face splits into a grin.
with his dicey family situation, yoongi is grateful to have in-laws that he actually likes who also like him back. placing down the tray he is holding, yoongi walks into his father-in-law’s embrace. “how have you been, yoongi-yah?” jeongguk’s father asks, firmly patting yoongi’s back.
“we’ve been well, abeoji,” yoongi says after they part, steering him towards the table jeongguk has shown his mother. “is someone watching over the bakery for you?” jeongguk’s parents have run that bakery in busan for over thirty years now. when jeongguk introduced yoongi to his parents, yoongi was regaled with numerous stories of jeongguk as a child, entering the kitchen to help, and how he hasn’t left since. yoongi swears he will never let jeongguk live down the time when seven-year-old jeongguk upended a tin of flour over his head and gave his older brother the scare of his life (that story is yoongi’s favourite.)
“yes, yes, remember sunye? you met her over the new year,” jeongguk’s father says. “capable girl, learns fast- she’s overseeing operations while we’re here.” he clasps yoongi’s shoulder firmly, glancing around briefly at the restaurant. “how have things been?”
the lack of customers is glaring. yoongi forces a short laugh, “could be better.” he admits. jeongguk’s father nods, understanding.
“it will pass.” the older man says. breaking off, he turns to his still-chattering son. “ yah, you rascal,” jeongguk’s father bops jeongguk on the head lightly, “can’t you say hello to your father?” yoongi laughs softly as his husband reddens with embarrassment. leaving jeongguk to greet his father, yoongi turns his attention to his mother-in-law.
she beams at him, the wrinkles on her face becoming more pronounced. “aigo, yoongi-yah,” jeongguk’s mother croons as she envelops him in her arms; yoongi feels an overwhelming feeling of home as he breathes in her powdered scent. “have you lost weight?” she tuts, drawing away, holding yoongi at arm’s length. at yoongi’s sheepish nod, she sighs reproachfully, and pats yoongi’s face gently. “the both of you have been working so hard.”
yoongi pulls out a chair for her. “eomonim, we’re fine.” he assures her.
jeongguk’s mother harrumphs. “you two look like you could do with a big meal.” jeongguk and yoongi trade looks. they wouldn’t put it past jeongguk’s mother to demand use of their kitchen to whip up said meal on the spot. thankfully, jeongguk’s father comes to their rescue.
“jagi, i’m sure they know what they’re doing,” he says, settling down on his chair.
“how come you didn’t tell me you two were visiting?” jeongguk’s lower lip juts out in a pout. yoongi inwardly sniggers- jeongguk has a tendency to regress to his childlike habits in front of his parents, perks of being the youngest. he doesn’t think much of it, but it successfully draws the topic of conversation away from them.
“we wanted to surprise you! your brother,” jeongguk’s mother directs this to jeongguk, “insisted we come visit.”
jeongguk’s eyebrows shoot up. “hyung did?” yoongi shrugs at jeongguk’s nonplussed look.
“how long will you be in town?” yoongi asks, inclining his head towards jeongguk’s father.
“about a week.” at that, yoongi and jeongguk exchange troubled looks. their place is tiny, and with the electricity out-
“yes, and no worries, we’ll be staying at his place.” jeongguk’s mother says. she must have caught their tête-à-tête, as she pats jeongguk’s hand resting on the table. feeling his cheeks heat, yoongi lowers his gaze.
“is hyung arriving soon?” jeongguk asks, his other hand sliding into yoongi’s. lifting his head, yoongi catches the kindness on his in-laws’ faces. despite the twist in his heart, yoongi finds it in him to muster up a weak smile in response. at his mother’s confirmation, jeongguk squeezes yoongi’s hand. “yoongi’ll get the food ready, yeah?”
yoongi nods, and excuses himself, squeezing jeongguk’s shoulder as he passes.
the kitchen is a welcome sanctuary. yoongi sighs gustily as he begins preparations to serve the banchan and skewers. the jeons do not ask much of yoongi- and yet, it’s hard for yoongi to shake the feeling that he is disappointing them. it’s a vastly different feeling from disappointing his own father, whose footsteps carved a path yoongi refused to follow. for that defiance, yoongi parted from the only living parent he had left.
the jeons embraced him the moment he entered their lives. yoongi was initially taken aback by his mother-in-law’s fussing, and his father-in-law’s geniality. the overwhelming support they gave when he and jeongguk first opened the restaurant was stunning- which if it were yoongi’s father, the news would have earned them a scathing lecture. as time passed, jeongguk’s family slipped easily into the crevices in yoongi’s life, and anchored themselves there.
they are his family now.
a heavy sigh escapes yoongi’s mouth as he arranges the dishes on a tray. he snaps out of his thoughts when jeongguk wraps around him. “you okay?” jeongguk asks, resting his chin on yoongi’s shoulder. he chuckles, jeongguk would not be this clingy if they had more customers. it was an open kitchen after all.
yoongi hums. “am i taking too long?” just as he reaches for small plates, jeongguk does it for him and plucks the stack down, all the while still attached to yoongi’s back.
“no,” jeongguk says. “just checking up on you.”
yoongi turns his head, and sees that look in jeongguk’s eyes- the searching gaze, as if jeongguk is trying to figure out the world’s biggest puzzle. heat creeps up his collar; yoongi puts it down to the stovetop. “i’m fine.” he says, “get me the skewers in the fridge.”
jeongguk does as he is told, but it’s clear he doesn’t believe him- from his arched eyebrow. “you sure? did my parents-”
“no,” yoongi denies, without hesitation. “i’m fine.”
just as jeongguk opens his mouth to rebut, the bell at the door rings again- announcing their new guest. mouth snapping shut, jeongguk shoots him a pointed look before taking his leave first. that look very well means yoongi isn’t off the hook. sometimes he forgets that only jeongguk reads him the best. placing the plate of marinated skewers onto the tray, yoongi steels himself and carries the tray out of the kitchen.
jeongguk is enthusiastically greeting his brother who has just arrived. namjoon is older than jeongguk by two years, and an up-and-coming music producer. yoongi thought he would have gotten along well with namjoon, as they had the same taste in music. “how have you been, baby bro?” namjoon happily ruffles jeongguk’s hair. just as yoongi steps into view, namjoon’s smile stiffens. “hyungnim,” namjoon jerks his head offhandedly at yoongi before relinquishing his grip on jeongguk to greet his parents.
yoongi and namjoon would have gotten along well, save for the fact that namjoon absolutely despises him.
yoongi has no idea what he had done to offend namjoon so much, to deserve such treatment. even jeongguk was clueless, the younger nonplussed when namjoon first snubbed yoongi. “you leave him be, yoongi-yah.” jeongguk’s mother advised from the beginning. “joon-ie will come round eventually.” and so that is what yoongi did.
jeongguk returns to yoongi’s side, and helps him set out the banchan on the table while yoongi fires up the grill. they work quietly whilst jeongguk’s family takes up most of the conversation. in the middle of grilling, jeongguk’s hip brushes yoongi’s, making yoongi’s head snap up to meet jeongguk’s playful gaze. rolling his eyes, yoongi refocuses his attention on the grill, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. he pretends as if he’s above jeongguk’s games, until jeongguk turns away- and yoongi bumps jeongguk’s butt with his hip. jeongguk slaps yoongi’s arm in retaliation.
“namjoon-ah,” jeongguk’s mother says, “when are you going to settle down with someone? look at your brother, he’s so happy-”
“not again, eomma,” namjoon grumbles, stuffing kimchi into his mouth. “maybe i don’t want to settle down-”
“yeah,” jeongguk snickers, “who’d want to settle down with the god of destruction anyway?” that comment earns him a mutinous look from namjoon.
“boys,” jeongguk’s father sighs, as namjoon and jeongguk begin to bicker. yoongi can’t help the grin that steals over his face at the display. he quickly plates up the grilled meat and sets it in front of his in-laws. “you’ve worked hard, yoongi-yah.” jeongguk’s father says, tilting his chin meaningfully at his still-squabbling sons.
yoongi says nothing, but the praise causes his ears to turn red.
dinner goes on beautifully- namjoon chatters on about his job, conversation peppered with jeongguk’s teasing jabs and his mother’s gentle nagging. the in-laws are impressed with the spread yoongi and jeongguk put together, and their compliments make yoongi feel like he perpetually has a candle held to his cheeks. jeongguk laughs freely, his eyes scrunching into crescents, giggles ringing out like bells- so infectious, yoongi swears he’s drunk on his husband’s happiness.
close to the end of dinner, namjoon delves into his recent trip to US. though it was purely for business, namjoon enjoyed new york, having taken the time to explore the sights during his time-off. yoongi feels a pang in his chest as he listens.
yoongi’s own older brother is a seasoned globetrotter- and it’s been two years since yoongi had last seen him. all he gets is an occasional postcard, and that is the closest connection yoongi has with his family. sometimes when yoongi looks at the photograph of whatever exotic place at the front of the postcard, it becomes a reminder that his brother is over there, and yoongi is, well-
here.
“oh yeah,” namjoon’s voice breaks through yoongi’s thoughts. his brother-in-law holds up a bag, “got some souvenirs for you guys.”
“thanks, hyung!” jeongguk stands, yoongi echoing his words. “I’ll bring it up-”
namjoon waves him off. “i’ll do it. i need the bathroom anyway.” with that, namjoon disappears up the stairs to their apartment.
jeongguk stretches. “ah, since i’m up-” he begins to gather the dishes. “yoongi-ah, could you cut the fruit in the fridge and get eomma and appa some more boricha?” yoongi acquiesces, standing and helping jeongguk fetch a pile of plates to the back of the kitchen where they wash their dishes.
as he pulls out apples, pears, and a box of strawberries the ahjumma at the market probably bestowed upon jeongguk because he was such a frequent customer, yoongi hears the tap start. “ah, jeongguk-ah, i’ll do that later-” yoongi calls over his shoulder.
“‘s fine!” yoongi hears jeongguk chirps. he sighs, shakes his head lightly- he’ll persuade jeongguk to give it up later.
yoongi swiftly slices the fruit and piles them onto a clean plate. he exits the kitchen, and comes face to face with namjoon, the latter’s lips in a thin line. “where’s jeongguk?” namjoon asks, his manner brusque. it’s a complete 180 from just a few minutes ago, and if they had a better relationship, yoongi wouldn’t think twice to snipe back. alas, they do not; and yoongi only raises his eyebrow.
“in the back.” yoongi barely nods over his shoulder before namjoon is brushing past him. thoroughly nonplussed, yoongi manages to cover up his bewilderment as he returns to his in-laws’ table to serve the fruit.
“come sit, yoongi-yah.” jeongguk’s mother pats the chair next to her. “you must be tired.”
yoongi smiles faintly. “let me get your more boricha, eomonim,” he excuses himself and retreats into the kitchen. just as he is about to seize the thermos flask of tea sitting on one of the kitchen counters, he hears namjoon’s raised voice from the back. namjoon does not sound happy one bit. jeongguk’s voice, on the other hand, is a direct contrast to namjoon’s- soft and lilting. hesitating, yoongi inches closer, pressing his shoulder against the wall, tilting his head to hear better.
“this is ridiculous-” namjoon is saying, his words slurring into each other just as they do whenever namjoon is agitated. yoongi strains harder. “how could’ve this even happen-”
“you’re not supposed to look through our mail-” jeongguk says, and a stone drops in yoongi’s stomach.
the warning letter from the electrical company.
“jeongguk, do you understand how serious this is?” namjoon demands, amidst jeongguk’s attempts to mollify him. “i don’t want to quote Game of Thrones here, but winter is coming-”
“winter is in four months, hyung-”
“i’m being serious here-” at this point, namjoon sounds more frustrated than incensed. “here, you take this-” there’s the sound of paper rifling, making yoongi freeze. he knows that sound.
“no, forget it-” jeongguk denies without pause. “i can’t take this-”
“i want you to-” namjoon insists, in between mumbles of his counting. “who knows where money bags over there keeps all his cash-” knowing namjoon, yoongi knew it was only a matter of time for his name to be brought into the conversation. it stung all the same.
“you know his situation, hyung-” jeongguk snaps, whip fast, dishes clanking against the sink. even yoongi flinches. “it’s not a good time right now, but everyone has those-”
“jeongguk, you know i’m only worried about you- hell, eomma and appa are worried too-”
“what the hell, hyung!”
“am i wrong?” namjoon defends. “you’re skinnier than i remembered-”
“hyung, i’m fine,” jeongguk sighs, sounding absolutely worn. “look, take this back-” there’s the rifling of paper again. “give it to eomma and appa- yoongi and i will figure something out, alright?”
yoongi backs away. this is not a conversation he’s meant to hear, and he clearly overstayed. namjoon was right- yoongi promised- he promised to take care of jeongguk, swore it in front of jeongguk’s mother and father and namjoon. he made a vow, and it’s obvious to see namjoon thinks he’s not making good on his promise. the thought of jeongguk’s sharp collarbones, previously thought of as alluring, now brings alarm.
with the thermos, yoongi walks back out to the restaurant to refill his in-laws’ cups with a heavy heart. although jeongguk’s father entertains them with a story about an old man who comes by their bakery with his own pair of chopsticks, the smile on yoongi’s face just doesn’t feel right. he tries and fails, because jeongguk’s mother notices. his beloved mother-in-law thinks he’s tired, and immediately starts chivvying her husband and oldest son out of the door. guilt gushes up in yoongi when he sees the disappointment in jeongguk’s face at their leave.
jeongguk’s mother only clucks as she hugs and kisses jeongguk goodbye. “thank you for the wonderful meal, you two,” she says, as she embraces yoongi. jeongguk’s father rubs yoongi’s shoulder, the same shoulder namjoon elbowed past minutes later. yoongi hides his grimace. no love lost for namjoon, clearly.
“go safely,” jeongguk calls after them. the door closes behind jeongguk’s family. jeongguk turns to yoongi, smiling wanly. “c’mon,” he holds out a hand to yoongi.
he doesn’t take it. “you go, i’ll clean up here.” yoongi gestures to the restaurant floor.
jeongguk rolls his eyes. “i know,” he grasps yoongi’s wrist anyway. “if we do it together, we’ll finish twice as quick-” jeongguk tugs yoongi towards the kitchen. “let’s go, i want to sleep and i need my human-bolster.” yoongi’s heart thuds as his husband sends a dazzling grin over his shoulder.
it would be easy to give in, but yoongi has always been stubborn, and his current mood doesn’t help one bit. he lightly shakes off jeongguk’s grip. “don’t bother, just go, i’ll be right up-”
it’s the wrong thing to say, because jeongguk freezes. “what?” jeongguk’s eyes wide as he stares at him, taken aback by yoongi’s stiff tone. “what’s wrong- what-” he reaches out to touch, but yoongi jerks back.
the wounded look on jeongguk’s face is hard to swallow. alas, time cannot be rewinded and the damage is done. yoongi rakes a hand through his hair. “look, i just- i need some space, okay?” yoongi says. it does nothing to dispel the hurt on jeongguk’s face. sighing, yoongi steps closer and wraps a hand around the back of jeongguk’s neck. “i’m sorry.” yoongi murmurs, fingers gently stroking jeongguk’s skin. “just, go upstairs, please?”
jeongguk’s expression clears. with a soft “okay”, he leaves quietly, shutting the door behind him without a word. yoongi inwardly berates himself; he should make it up to jeongguk for his awful behavior later.
sniffing, yoongi picks up the broom and begins sweeping the floor. he may not be able to control many things, but he can control how clean the restaurant is.
that’s something, at least.