Work Text:
Gentle morning sunlight filtered through the window blinds, reaching all the way to his face to wake him up finally. While it wasn't harsh, it was enough to coax him out of bed—he wasn't one to sleep with any light on anyway, the only exception being when the previous day had been too exhausting for his own good. And considering he slept relatively well last night, he sure didn't need to do so.
Stretching his arms above himself still lying in bed, it wasn't hard to miss the empty but warm space beside him on the sheets. He rolled in bed halfway and laid where his boyfriend had been, hugging to himself the pillows flattened by years of use then inhaling the faint scent left on them.
At any other day, he would've complained about how the smell was too reminiscent of car fresheners: to be specific, the ones that always made him want to throw up from nausea. Then again, it was Sunghoon and the fact only highlighted how the younger worked his ass off until late at night, so much so that he even had to hitch a ride just so he wouldn't crash his car while driving due to exhaustion. Heck, Sunghoon couldn't even shower by the time he got home and usually just saved it for tomorrow—that’s just how it is.
As if it heard his thoughts, right on cue, from their shared bathroom, Jake heard water escape from the showerhead and cascade down to the floor. Since it turns out he'd have to wait for a while, he stood up instead, grabbed his phone, then headed for the kitchen.
As he was too lazy to go and eat out right now, nor even having the will to order in again like they did last night, he patiently scoured their cupboards for anything he could cook. And when he had found them, the existence of a half-empty (half-full, if he was feeling a bit more optimistic) carton of eggs, he almost clutched it to his chest because thank God for eggs.
He tuned in to his favorite radio station and grabbed the baseball cap sitting beside it, wearing it backward to keep his hair in place before proceeding to work on their breakfast. After setting the kettle up on the stove to boil, his hands made their way to the frying pan to crack an egg into it, and at the unborn chicken's journey to fry itself sunny side up, Jake thought back to when he'd asked Sunghoon how he liked his eggs in the morning. Asked on a whim without expecting much at all, just plain playing around, who would've thought that would actually prove useful today?
Now, the word ‘work’ might be a nuisance to his ears at the moment, but in the course of his current efforts at cooking being just for himself and Sunghoon, it didn't even feel as such. He'd rather call it 'leisure' for reasons just like this one:
Sunghoon came up behind him to envelop him in a loving embrace. But not warm, his skin was still cold from just having showered—the guy didn't bother wearing a shirt—and his hair still had those leftover drips of water that just don't seem to leave no matter the effort at drying them off. Not like Jake minded; to be fair, he'd give anything just to hug him like this, most especially when he's back at work and far from him.
"You're so amazing," Sunghoon mumbled into his clothed shoulder and Jake could only laugh. That was the most morning-Sunghoon thing to say. Or do, that which is to marvel at him already this early in the day. Jake, actually everyone as well, liked to call Sunghoon 'whipped', but the taller only denied the allegations, which was almost as believable as his excuse when he arrived at work once with a 'mosquito' bite on his collarbone.
"Well good morning to you too," was his half-attentive reply as he was now preoccupied with frying the bacon strips properly. Lucky for him, Sunghoon took the hint and pulled apart from him in favor of putting bread on the toaster.
At the corner of his sight, Jake lovingly watched the younger move around in the kitchen doing absolutely anything at all. Even as he leaned over to grab the kettle from the stove after its whistle echoed across the house, Jake took the effort to hide his staring by fixing his cap that needn't be fixed.
So this is why he doesn't bother with reminding Sunghoon anymore about how embarrassingly whipped he was for him, Jake thought. He's definitely one to talk.
Right when Sunghoon had just asked him if he had plans for the day, just when he'd only set the plate of food down on the table, Jake's phone rang on the countertop and immediately answered the younger's question. He sighed in annoyance, but what needs to be done needs to be done, and he certainly did that so.
"Yes, hello," Jake answered the call, toast in his other hand. From there, he learned how there were about at least two meetings in the afternoon, another dance rehearsal later tonight, and an office luncheon to 'celebrate' his first comeback win.
But no. It's his win—for once, doesn't he get to decide how he wants to celebrate? For the question of how, he already had the answer to that upon waking up this morning: with Sunghoon.
After a quick run-down of details he couldn’t care any less to remember, Jake ended the call. With a wide grin, he sat back down opposite Sunghoon and spoke, “No, no plans.”
And though Jake knew Sunghoon seldom found a reason to smile if it didn’t involve him, the younger actually smiled at the news.
They spent the rest of breakfast with Sunghoon, surprisingly, talking for most of the time. To be fair, it wasn’t the first time that he was like this, but between the two of them, it was Jake who usually talked more so of course, it was quite a surprise every time it happened.
Not that Jake minded. In fact, he liked this better. Being in this relationship for a few years, any onlooker would think both of them already knew the other completely. But just like Sunghoon himself said in his narrative about his upcoming movie that they—movies—had to be watched more than once to be fully understood, Jake liked to believe it goes the same for people too. It took him three years to discover that indeed, Sunghoon was a true professional in his craft, and so Jake thinks it might take years more to discover just how much more love he was still capable of giving him.
“Give me that,” Jake said, his palm held open and asking for the soiled plate in front of Sunghoon, who was now chewing on the last bits of his toast. With his mouth preoccupied with the piece of bread, Sunghoon only grunted a response and waved his free hand, as if to say no.
“Come on, you're almost finished anyway—”
“No.” Sunghoon finally spoke, albeit with his mouth still full. He paused for a moment to chew his food and Jake waited until he had swallowed it. “I can wash them.”
“Hoonie, I insist.” Jake smiled with his full teeth, knowing full well that the younger couldn't resist him whenever he did that. He heard Sunghoon sigh before he handed the plate over to him.
“You sure you can handle it? I mean, you already cooked so...”
“Of course, love.” Jake reached forward to ruffle his boyfriend’s hair. “Go do something else, I'll be with you in a minute.”
“Alright,” Sunghoon replied before leaving Jake alone in the kitchen, but not without snatching the cap on his head and putting it on himself.
Jake listened to the footsteps gradually decreasing in volume, indicating that the other had gone a considerable distance from the room. As he became occupied with washing the dishes, he didn’t think much anymore on which room Sunghoon could’ve gone to and focused instead on the task at hand.
Scrubbing the greasy pan proved no easy task, but with the thought of having Sunghoon eat food from that same pan that he himself had used to cook, Jake decided he didn’t mind. He finished by rinsing every dish off with a smile lingering on his lips.
After washing the dishes, Jake finally remembered how he just made a promise to join Sunghoon’s company as soon as possible. It didn’t take long for him to discover where he was because the moment he turned off the radio, he already heard the telltale click of the washing machine being opened from behind the door of the laundry room.
He opened the door and was met by Sunghoon stuffing the clothes on the washing machine diligently. But that wasn’t what his mind focused on, rather, the way the taller bent over to reach for the clothes every time. Feeling a bit naughty, Jake ran the short distance and slapped him right on the butt.
“‘Ey bro, what’cha doin’?” he said in full English, in the Australian accent he’d outgrown but which never quite disappeared. As he expected, Sunghoon paused to turn back and send him a playful glare, to which he gladly responded with a boisterous cackle.
But as to the reason why Sunghoon looked back at him, Jake never realized he’d actually misunderstood until the younger spoke with a brow raised, feigning offense, “What did you just call me?”
Stifling a laugh, Jake replied. “Bro.”
One raised brow became two, but Sunghoon didn’t reply immediately—merely grumbling—in favor of finishing up with operating their washing machine. It felt like forever waiting for his next response, but not until the machine door finally clicked close. Before Jake knew it, he was already on the floor being smothered with kisses on his neck.
“Sim Jaeyun—” he paused to speak. “Don’t—just don’t let me find out that your bros in music shows are doing this too.”
He continued peppering kisses on Jake’s face and neck, doing so quickly too as he knew Jake gets very ticklish when he’s laughing like this. Helplessly, the older could only thrash around on the floor, unable to escape Sunghoon’s firm hold.
When they had eventually quieted down, they lay on the floor in silence for a while, Sunghoon with his head moving along to the rising and falling of Jake’s chest. Laundry now long forgotten, Jake watched as Sunghoon rose again to prop himself up on both of his elbows.
“I’m not ‘bro’,” he insisted, pouting. “I’m Hoonie.”
“Okay then.” Jake removed the cap from the other's head so he could lovingly run his fingers through his hair. Then, he held Sunghoon’s face between his hands and gently brought it lower so he could place a kiss on his cheek— “Of course” —his nose— “you are'' —and his forehead— “my Hoonie.”
In a few more moments, they finally sat up but still leaned against each other. They sat on the floor, Jake's body flush against Sunghoon’s in a sideward hug. While the younger was on his phone and checking emails, Jake busied himself with watching their clothes swirl around in the washing machine.
“Hoonie,” he called, “Look at them. Aren't they so pathetic?”
“Who is?” Sunghoon replied, still not looking away from the screen.
“Our clothes.” That seemed to do the job of catching his attention because Sunghoon finally glanced back at him, silently asking for an explanation.
“I pity them. They keep going around in circles.”
Jake couldn't help but laugh when Sunghoon let out a snort. He shook his head, grinning to himself, and put his phone down so he could pull Jake closer in his arms.
“I don't mind, to be honest. At least, if that means I get to stay here for a lifetime.”
“Oh stop it you—”
Just then, Jake was stuck with realization.
“We've been awake for hours now and we never bothered to open the front door.”
As if he knew this all along, Sunghoon brushed it off with a shrug and only pulled him closer.
“Guess that just means you’re stuck with me forever.”