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it was a cold and windy evening. the wind was howling like a vengeful wolf, battering against the rickety windows of minho’s dorm room. the dark haired boy sighed as he gazed outside the window, glancing at the time on his phone screen for what seemed like the umpteen time.
minho knew that he was being over-protective, and that the younger would be back in no time, only to roll his eyes and nudge his hyung with a chuckle. but the temperatures outside were freezing, and jisung should have been back by then.
the pair had decided to spend christmas together, as their hometowns were both miles away from seoul, and the train ticket, would be undoubtedly hefty.
they also, decided, that it was about time to break the daily dinner take-out ritual. it was christmas, after all. and to do so, minho’s questionable cooking skills would be put to the test. tteokbokki. it did seem like a fairly simple recipe, and minho had called his mom up the night before to confirm the ingredients. how hard could it really be?
with his eyes flitting between the recipe typed out on his phone and the bubbling pot on the stove, minho started chopping the vegetables. jisung hovered behind him, oohing dramatically at minho’s knife skills (hey hyung, you’re actually not as bad as i thought you were!) and acted as a fairly useful sous chef, handing minho the the gochujang tub and the bottle of soya sauce at the elder’s request.
apart from the slight fiasco when jisung mistakenly handed minho the sugar instead of the salt, (jisung, you dumb shit! i’ve already poured in a whole 3 tablespoons-) their mini cooking adventure was otherwise going surprisingly smoothly. maybe they were going to have a decent meal after all..
and that was until they suddenly realised: they had somehow forgotten the most crucial ingredient of the whole dish itself- the darned rice cakes.
jisung had cheerily volunteered to trek to the grocery store despite the freezing temperatures and his hyung’s insistence that they could do without it. (it’s literally a ten minute walk, hyung! i’m totally going to get blown away by a blizzard-) and the younger boy was dashing out the door before minho could stop him.
finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the ring of the doorbell filled the room. ‘coming!’ setting down the ladle, minho hurried to the door, twisting the lock to swing it open.
minho was met with a pair bright eyes and a head of wind-ruffled blonde hair.
‘the tteok!’ jisung announced triumphantly, holding out the bulging white plastic bag to minho. he let out a sigh, smiling weakly as he met his hyung’s concerned gaze. ‘the grocery store was closed for christmas, so i walked a little further out to mrs yang’s shop a few blocks down,’ he explained, bending down to yank off his boots.
‘mrs yang’s shop? that’s literally at the end of the street.. geez jisung, you could have caught a cold there,’ the elder chided, frowning as he took the bag from jisung’s cold hands.
‘but thanks for going down though,’ he added, reaching out a hand to further ruffle jisung’s messy blonde hair. the younger gave him a cheerful wink in response. ‘as repayment for my battle in the cold to deliver the goods, i demand that dinner be served immediately,’ jisung announced, marching towards the kitchen in a mock-haughty voice.
‘right away, sir!’ minho laughed, hurrying after jisung to add in the rice cakes. after five minutes of minho resisting the urge to give in to jisung’s whining to let him try some, he proudly set the simmering pot of stew down on the dinner table. ‘let’s eat!’
the stew, surprisingly, looked pretty edible, and minho would have gone so far as to describe it as appetising. chunks of fishcake, leek and tteok were bubbling away in a steaming red broth, topped with an oozy, melting slice of cheese. the tantalisingly spicy smell wafted thoughout the room, making minho (almost) drool in hunger. before he had even sat down, jisung’s spoon had already dove in, lifting the piping hot contents into his mouth. minho affectionately rolled his eyes, taking a seat across from the younger.
‘mmm...’ jisung groaned, closing his eyes in satisfaction.
‘as much as i hate to admit it, you’re a pretty damn good cook, hyung,’ the blonde haired boy mumbled through a mouthful of fishcake. minho chuckled seeing jisung’s cheeks chubby and round with food. jisung had a peculiar (but adorably cute) habit of stuffing his cheeks with food before slowing munching, which minho likened to that of a squirrel.
the pot was quickly emptied, with both of them soon scraping away at the bottom with their spoons. minho leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed in satisfaction. ‘we really should cook out own food more often.’
jisung nodded emphatically. ‘that was easily the best meal i’ve had in a few months. take-out food just doesn’t do it.’
minho stood up from his chair, letting out a yawn as he started collecting the dishes to bring them to the sink. the home-cooked food well worth it, but minho couldn’t deny the fact that the fatigue from standing over the stove was starting to kick in.
‘i’ll do it, hyung.’ jisung reached out to take the dishes from minho.
then i’ll just..’
‘i’ll wipe the table too hyung, don’t worry about it,’ the blonde haired boy added quickly, chasing minho towards the living room with a light push. ‘you did the cooking, so i’ll clean up. go to the sofa to rest.’
‘thanks, jisung.’ minho smiled gratefully, obligingly plopping himself onto the comfortable cushions. he sighed in relief, slouching into its warm embrace. the furry throw-over the pair had bought from the flea market the other week was, minho decided, one of the best things they had ever invested in.
clicking on the television, minho browsed through netflix, before settling with ‘the apple of my eye’,- an old rom-com film that minho vividly remembered watching with jisung a few nights after they first moved in.
the movie wasn’t anything particularly special- it was a simple, predictable romantic sequence in which a love-struck boy watched a girl from afar, trying to summon the courage to confess. it was a textbook plot, but minho couldn’t help but recall the memories of him and jisung watching the film together.
they had only known each other for a few days, but there was something- maybe it was the the way his eyes crinkled and face lit up as he laughed. or perhaps the way he gently tugged at minho’s sleeve whenever he noticed something funny. or even the way that jisung’s cheeks puffed and lips pursed tightly as he focused during important scenes. it sent tingles wandering about minho’s heart, and minho soon found himself helplessly gazing at the younger’s face in the dark room, lit up only the glow of the television. minho remembered wondering later that night, if he was simply feeling protective of the younger.
or was there something more to it?
‘hyung! i’m done,’ jisung’s chirpy voice snapped minho out of his reverie. the blonde boy plonked down beside minho, squinting at the characters moving across the television screen. ‘oooh, it’s been a while.. the apple of my eye?’
minho nodded, shifting over on the sofa to make more room for jisung. the sofa was pretty small. ‘don’t move away, hyung.. it’s pretty cold today,’ jisung pouted, meeting minho’s gaze with pleading puppy eyes.
‘you clingy brat,’ minho muttered, shaking his head in mock disapproval, trying his best to hide his growing smile.
darn it. he was cute.
the two sat upright, shoulders touching for a while, watching the film intently, before jisung suddenly caved in and shamelessly leaned into minho’s lap. minho froze, his breath hitching in his chest. jisung must have felt minho’s hesitation, because he quickly jolted upright, a bright pink flush spreading across his cheeks.
‘sorry.. did that make you feel uncomfortable?’ he murmured, brushing back his hair in embarrassment.
‘no no no..’ minho replied quickly.
‘i’m totally cool with it, i was feeling kind of cold anyway,’ he smiled, gently pulling the younger boy’s sleeve in reassurance. (minho, in fact, wasn’t feeling cold in the slightest.) relieved, jisung beamed back and sunk into minho’s lap.
as the film played on, minho found his mind starting to wander, the dialogue beginning to hazily float by in the background. over the last twenty minutes, jisung had shifted into various positions, and was now clinging onto minho’s arm like a baby koala, his eyes wide, sparkling and focused on the scene playing before them.
‘yah hyung, that was so dumb of him!’ jisung would exclaim, giggling helplessly. each time minho caught a glimpse of his bright smile, he felt his insides melt a little more.
it wasn’t long before the film ended. minho clicked off the television, yawning, and was about to stand up to make his way to the bedroom. ‘jisung, let’s go-‘ he paused, hearing a gentle snore. minho looked down and snorted. of course jisung had fallen asleep. the younger’s body curled up in a small ball, his arms folded and tucked below his head, snuggled against the furry throw-over.
he looked so- peaceful. jisung had always been small in stature, but in that moment, minho thought that he looked tinier than ever. not wanting to wake him up, he carefully sat down on the carpet in front of jisung, gazing at him gently.
jisung, minho thought, was beautiful. his lips were a cherry red, slightly parted as he slept. his light blonde hair was fluffy and tussled. his chubby cheeks were squished against the sofa, looking softer than ever.
reaching out a hand, he gently ran his fingers through jisung’s hair, brushing it back gently. just then, the younger’s eyelashes fluttered, and he blinked his eyes open sleepily.
‘oh. hey hyung,’ he murmured, meeting minho’s fond gaze. his eyes followed minho’s hand that had slowly moved back to the ground beside him.
‘hyung.’ he mumbled, his lips drooping as the smallest pout formed on his lips. ‘please keep doing that.’
minho couldn’t hold back a chuckle. he lightly reached out again, his fingers playing with jisung’s blonde strands. ‘mhm, okay. you keep sleeping, i won’t disturb you.’
jisung hummed in contentment, closing his eyes again. the corners of his lips lifted in a peaceful smile.
and that was when minho felt it. a wave of feelings surged though him. he felt the sudden urge. the yearning. no- the need. the need to protect this boy. the need to keep him away, the need to keep him shielded, from anything that would hurt him. he would do anything and everything to keep him safe.
he felt it, throbbing, whispering, calling in his bones. he loved him.
han jisung.
he firmly sounded out each syllable out in his head.
i love you.
he didn’t realise he had accidentally sounded out the last of those words aloud as well. jisung’s eyes blinked open once again, two pools of endless hazel gazing straight into minho’s.
‘hyung, i love you too.’
there was a fleeting moment of silence as the two held their gaze. minho could feel it. it was a gaze of love. one of affection. one of care.
jisung sat up, leaning closer towards minho. his words were no longer a gentle whisper. they were firm. definite. decided.
‘i love you.’ he repeated.
and minho felt the same way.
it happened instantaneously. minho leaned in towards jisung, and jisung leaned in towards minho, the two slowly rose to their feet, not once breaking the gaze.
finally, minho closed the gap.
their lips linked together, their hands intertwining below them. minho’s heart raced, his body leaning on jisung’s, and minho felt the younger’s pulse speed up along side his own. the comforting smell of vanilla and cinnamon wafted into his nose, warmth spreading through every inch of his body.
adrenaline was pumping, racing like an uncontrollable wildfire through his veins, but he felt oddly calm. at peace. as if time had slowed. and he loved the feeling.
minho parted his lips slightly, inviting the younger as they deepened this kiss. jisung gently prised his hand away from minho’s, sliding it under minho’s shirt, lightly tracing the arch of his smooth back. the gentle touch of his fingers sent tingles running down minho’s spine.
minho did the same, untangling his hands before settling them with a comforting grasp on jisung’s tiny waist. they stayed like that for a while, warmth and energy pulsing, washing over them in waves, engulfing them like a blanket, pulling them in. a few moments later, jisung gently pulled away.
his bright hazel eyes carefully met minho’s, and he blinked, a warm smile spreading over his face. minho gazed back fondly, lightly brushing back the blonde strands in his face.
‘i love you, jisung.’
‘i love you too, minho hyung.’
the smaller boy leaned in, nuzzling his face into minho’s neck. the same warmth minho had felt a few moments earlier filled him once again. as he breathed in the familiar scent of vanilla and cinnamon, minho closed his eyes, resting his head on top of his. he felt safe. loved. peaceful. and most of all, happy.
the two stayed there, intertwined, in each other’s arms, their eyes closed, their hearts beating the same rhythm.
it was unbeknownst to them, until minho finally opened his eyes a while later. it was the tiniest patter, but minho watched as it happened. a laugh escaped him as he held jisung’s hand, tugging him towards the window.
the younger soon caught sight of it too, his face lighting up, glowing and radiant. it was a smile minho would die a thousand times to see again.
tiny white speckles dotted the endless midnight sky.
the first winter snowflakes were starting to fall.