Work Text:
“Lazy?! I’ll show Sooyoung who’s lazy!”
Kim Dokja slammed the door behind him as he stormed into his home. He briskly removed his shoes and shrugged off his coat as he sat down on the dining room table. He whipped out his phone and began to search up easy recipes to cook.
Earlier, Kim Dokja met up with Han Sooyoung and proceeded to be berated for an entire hour after he accidentally revealed that Yoo Joonghyuk did 80% of the housework.
Han Sooyoung’s scathing remarks echoed in Kim Dokja’s head, following him all the way home.
After ten minutes of fast forwarding through several recipe tutorials, Kim Dokja found a simple dish to cook: miso mushroom spaghetti. He knew there were plenty of mushrooms from yesterday’s dinner and Yoo Joonghyuk always had noodles tucked away in the pantry.
Kim Dokja tied the knot of his flowery apron and set off to work.
…
How was he supposed to start again?
Kim Dokja checked the tutorial. The noodles have to be boiled in hot water for a while. That was where he’ll start.
Kim Dokja opened every cupboard in the kitchen until he found a pot and then filled it with water. He set it on the stove and put the burner on the highest setting.
“Hopefully this boils fast.”
After that, Kim Dokja gathered the rest of the ingredients from the pantry and fridge to lay them all out on the counter. He picked up a bundle of shiitake mushrooms and sniffed it, making sure it was still good. The white mushrooms were crushed in Kim Dokja’s fingers as Kim Dokja ripped each mushroom apart. Pieces of mushroom were peeled apart like a banana, making every piece uneven and unique.
“Heh, I don’t need a knife.”
After pulling apart all of the mushrooms, Kim Dokja resumed the tutorial video.
It turned out that he actually did need a knife. The stems of the mushroom were too hard for consumption, so the video advised to slice it off.
The last time Kim Dokja held anything sharp was his sword, Unbroken Faith. As Kim Dokja held the handle of the knife, he could see his hand visibly shaking. He steadied himself and held the knife above the base of the mushroom.
“Here goes nothing.”
Kim Dokja pressed the knife down and sliced the stem of the shiitake mushroom. The base of the stem easily parted under the sharp blade.
“Hah, take that Han Sooyoung.” Kim Dokja was clearly capable of preparing his own food. He cut the mushroom into thin slices and set them to the side.
The next mushroom did not share the same success. Kim Dokja unfortunately got too cocky and quickened his pace, slicing the mushroom akin to the chefs he watched on television. The next thing he knew, the tip of the knife grazed his finger, causing the former constellation to let out multiple curses.
“Damn it!”
Kim Dokja rushed to the bathroom and let his finger run under the water. The nearby cabinet had antiseptic and bandaids, so Kim Dokja quickly patched himself up. His poor finger throbbed in pain as he returned to the kitchen. The knife was abandoned in favor of tearing off the mushroom stems with brute force.
The next step was frying the mushrooms in a pan. Kim Dokja found a pan and placed it on the stove beside the water-filled pot.
Kim Dokja dumped the mushrooms unceremoniously into the pan and noticed he forgot an ingredient. “I need garlic too?”
He dug around the fridge and found a bulb of garlic. Kim Dokja peeled off the white, outer layers of the garlic and blanched.
“How did they make the garlic so…square?” Kim Dokja squinted at his phone. “I thought they were supposed to show all of the steps.”
He took apart the garlic cloves, making sure to peel everything. He immediately tossed the cloves into an oiled pan and turned on the second burner. The mushrooms and garlic sizzled and some oil jumped and landed on Kim Dokja’s exposed skin, leaving dark red dots. He hissed and clutched his hand in pain.
“Why is cooking so hard?” muttered Kim Dokja as he applied a wet napkin to the spot where the oil landed.
The final ingredient for the pan was miso paste, which Kim Dokja knew he couldn’t possibly mess up. He used a spoon to scoop up the miso and let it melt onto the pan. The aroma of the miso mixed well with the garlic and mushrooms, and it began to fill the air.
While the mushrooms were getting fried, Kim Dokja finally added the pasta noodles to the boiling pot of water. The noodles gradually soaked up the water and sank to the bottom. He stirred the noodles as he looked down at his phone.
“Hm. According to the video, I’m almost done.” Kim Dokja checked up on his pot and noticed there were a multitude of bubbles beginning to rise. “Wait, what’s happening?”
Like a volcano, the bubbles erupted and flowed onto the stove where they fizzled out and left dried streaks against the metal pot. Kim Dokja began to panic and hurriedly turned the knob to shut off the stove, but he turned the wrong one and ignited a different burner.
“Fuck.”
As Kim Dokja tried to turn every knob on the stove, a loud alarm began to ring through the house. The fire alarm screeched in his ear, the piercing noise adding to his ever growing headache. He quickly opened the nearby window and began to flap a towel around to dissipate the smoke.
Unbeknownst to Kim Dokja, the faint click of the door signaled the arrival of another. Yoo Joonghyuk stepped in and immediately ran towards the sound of the fire alarm to find Kim Dokja flailing in front of the stove. He pushed Kim Dokja aside and turned off the heat. The fire alarm eventually stopped beeping and the kitchen was clear of any dangers.
Well, not really.
“Kim Dokja.”
Kim Dokja tried to put on an easygoing grin. “J-Joonghyuk?! What a pleasant surprise. I didn’t know you were coming home early.”
Yoo Joonghyuk slowly took in the chaotic atmosphere. The counter was full of used utensils and food scraps, while the stove had an overflowing pot of water and a pan full of smoked…Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t even tell what it was. He glared at Kim Dokja, who seemed to shrink under the stern gaze.
“What the hell is going on here?” Yoo Joonghyuk’s tone revealed he wasn’t in the mood to joke around.
Kim Dokja shrugged. “Uh, nothing special.”
“You ruined my pot,” Yoo Joonghyuk grimaced as he used a chopstick to poke at the almost burnt mushrooms, “and I can’t even describe what this is.”
“Those are mushrooms fried with miso paste.”
The miso paste explained the dark discoloration. “Why the hell are you in my kitchen?”
Kim Dokja huffed as he crossed his arms, “I just wanted to try cooking for once. You should be grateful.”
“I’m not grateful to return to a ruined kitchen.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes narrowed. “Now, what’s the real reason?”
Kim Dokja’s eyes wavered and he looked away, not wanting to see Yoo Joonghyuk’s eventual exasperation. “Han Sooyoung called me a lazy deadbeat for letting you cook all the time and I got annoyed.” Kim Dokja scratched his cheek, embarrassed. “So...I thought I would try cooking by myself.”
The sight of a bandage on Kim Dokja’s finger immediately caught Yoo Joonghyuk’s eye. Before he could say anything, Kim Dokja continued.
“I know I made a huge mess and I wasted some of your ingredients.” Kim Dokja let out a long, drained sigh, “Are you mad at me?”
The hint of vulnerability made Yoo Joonghyuk feel extremely weak, especially since Kim Dokja almost never sounded this defeated. With the addition of Kim Dokja’s dejected expression, Yoo Joonghyuk couldn’t help but forgive him immediately. Yoo Joonghyuk let out a sigh. “No. Everything is replaceable.” Yoo Joonghyuk grabbed Kim Dokja’s wrist and pressed a kiss to the bandage. “Except you.”
Kim Dokja blushed as he snatched his wrist away and covered his face. “What kind of protagonist says things like that? So cheesy.”
It wasn’t the first time Kim Dokja heard such flattering words and he was sure it wasn’t the last.
“Now then,” Yoo Joonghyuk stared at the pan of mushrooms. “Would you like to know where you went wrong?” He used the chopsticks to lift the cloves of garlic and dropped them onto the cutting board.
“The garlic? What was wrong with them?”
Yoo Joonghyuk took a knife and expertly diced the garlic cloves into perfect cubes. Kim Dokja’s eyes widened.
“Oh…that’s exactly how the tutorial showed the garlic.”
Yoo Joonghyuk let out a laugh. “Have you ever diced a vegetable before?”
“N-No.”
Yoo Joonghyuk pulled Kim Dokja close and handed them the knife. “Try. I’ll guide you.”
Kim Dokja gulped as he held the knife, memories of an hour ago flashing before his eyes. He carefully held the knife, but couldn’t help but tremble. Yoo Joonghyuk noticed immediately and held Kim Dokja’s wrist.
“Follow my lead.”
With Yoo Joonghyuk’s guidance, Kim Dokja diced the garlic cloves. Each garlic clove was cut into horizontal sections before being sliced vertically, creating tiny cubes. The garlic squares weren’t uniform like the ones Yoo Joonghyuk did earlier, but they were good enough. Kim Dokja barely registered that he was dicing the garlic because all he felt were Yoo Joonghyuk’s larger hands on his, warm and secure.
“Now, we put it back in the pan.” Yoo Joonghyuk turned the stove back on and placed the diced garlic on top of the mushrooms. Kim Dokja’s mouth began to water. Who knew garlic could have such an effect?
Yoo Joonghyuk checked the pot of noodles and nodded. “The noodles seemed to be well boiled. Good job.”
“Of course. I’m a pro at making instant noodles.”
Yoo Joonghyuk rolled his eyes as he fetched two plates. “You shouldn’t be proud of that.”
With a ladle, Yoo Joonghyuk added some of the pasta water into the pan to make the sauce creamier. He continuously stirred the mushrooms until the sauce thickened. Kim Dokja watched with delight as Yoo Joonghyuk added the noodles and stirred everything together. Once everything was well mixed, Yoo Joonghyuk deemed the pasta done and turned off the stove.
“See, everything turned out well!” Kim Dokja poked Yoo Joonghyuk’s cheek as the former protagonist plated the spaghetti.
“My pot says otherwise.”
“You said you can get a new one.”
Yoo Joonghyuk held back another retort and waited for Kim Dokja to sit at the table with him. Kim Dokja sat down and began to poke his pasta.
“Go ahead and try it first. You made it,” said Yoo Joonghyuk.
“I will.” Kim Dokja used a fork to serve himself a good portion of the spaghetti. He slowly chewed, slurping the noodles with an obscene sound. “It’s…not bad.”
Now wary, Yoo Joonghyuk hesitantly tried the miso spaghetti. He chewed thoughtfully, taking slow bites and letting the savory flavor wash over him.
As Yoo Joonghyuk bit down on the noodles, he realized that some of the noodles were slightly overcooked and flavorless. Yoo Joonghyuk inwardly sighed as he realized Kim Dokja probably forgot to add butter. The mushrooms were also lacking in its earthy flavor, but the excessive amount of miso paste made up for it.
Kim Dokja frowned as he tried to read Yoo Joonghyuk’s expression. “Bad right? I can throw the rest away and we can get takeout or something.”
Yoo Joonghyuk shot him a glare and ate more in defiance. Kim Dokja actually felt his heart quicken at the act and he watched Yoo Joonghyuk’s face as he ate.
“Well?” asked Kim Dokja, nervously. “How was it?”
Yoo Joonghyuk placed his form down and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “…Not bad. It could use some work, but at least it’s edible.” Yoo Joonghyuk served himself another portion and continued to eat.
Kim Dokja couldn’t believe his ears. He actually got master chef Yoo Joonghyuk’s approval. It was almost as if he was in a dream.
“Seriously? You really mean it?”
“Mmhmm.” Yoo Joonghyuk nodded. “It’s alright.”
“Really? You’re not lying?”
“I’m eating it, aren’t I?”
“For real—Mmph!”
Yoo Joonghyuk smirked as he fed Kim Dokja an oversized mushroom. “Yes. Now eat your spaghetti before it gets cold.”
Kim Dokja huffed and swallowed the mushroom. “I will. And Joonghyuk?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks.”
Yoo Joonghyuk caught the serene smile on Kim Dokja’s face and his eyes softened. “You’re welcome Dokja.”
They continued to eat and Kim Dokja tried to sneak extra mushrooms onto Yoo Joonghyuk’s plate. The former regressor wasn’t pleased when he found out, so he would immediately pick them up and force them into Kim Dokja’s mouth. Kim Dokja stopped after that.
Yoo Joonghyuk stared at Kim Dokja’s full cheeks as the spaghetti they worked so hard on slowly disappeared. He finished first and made sure that Kim Dokja left no mushroom uneaten. Kim Dokja let out a content sigh and leaned on the table to grin up at Yoo Joonghyuk.
“I’m so full.” Kim Dokja licked his lips. “I definitely need to cook that again. This time, I’ll properly dice the garlic. And maybe some salt or something. What else do you think was lacking?”
Yoo Joonghyuk barely registered what Kim Dokja said. He was fixated on Kim Dokja’s lips, which glistened from the oil of the spaghetti.
Without any warning, Yoo Joonghyuk brought Kim Dokja into a deep kiss, licking Kim Dokja’s lips until Kim Dokja moaned and opened his mouth. Yoo Joonghyuk’s tongue explored the wet cavern, licking inside and tasting the memorable miso spaghetti they just shared.
When Yoo Joonghyuk pulled back, Kim Dokja’s face was flushed red and he gasped for air.
Kim Dokja glared up at his lover, “W-What was that for?”
Smug, Yoo Joonghyuk lazily smirked as he stared at Kim Dokja’s now swollen lips. “I saw some pasta sauce on your lips.”
“You couldn’t just tell me?” Kim Dokja asked, exasperated.
“I wanted to see what would taste better: you or your cooking.”
“H-Huh?” Kim Dokja’s face erupted into an even deeper blush.
Yoo Joonghyuk couldn't hold back a grin. “The answer is you.”
(Bonus Scene)
They did the dishes side by side, Kim Dokja occasionally swaying his hips to brush against Yoo Joonghyuk. Dinner was all done and they were ready to retire for the evening.
Yoo Joonghyuk soaped the plates and handed them to Kim Dokja, who was assigned to rinse. Kim Dokja pulled his sleeves up and set off to rinse, making sure each plate was free of soap. When he was done, Kim Dokja noticed Yoo Joonghyuk was staring at him.
It was unnerving, to say the least.
“What, did I miss a spot?”
Yoo Joonghyuk pointed to Kim Dokja’s wrist. “What are these?”
Kim Dokja looked down to see that Yoo Joonghyuk was pointing at the tiny red spots that littered his upper wrist. “Oh yeah, I forgot about these. It’s just some oil splatters.”
Yoo Joonghyuk lightly brushed the burns and saw Kim Dokja wince. “Did you—”
“I already applied some cold water on it.”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s frown didn’t disappear. “Does it hurt?”
“Only when you touch it. To be honest, I forgot about it until you brought it up and—what are you doing?”
Kim Dokja’s mouth was agape as Yoo Joonghyuk lifted Kim Dokja’s wrist and pressed his lips against it.
“There.”
Kim Dokja could only blink, confused. “Eh?”
“Shin Yoosung told me that kisses can make pain disappear.” Yoo Joonghyuk explained with a serious look on his face.
After taking three seconds to register Yoo Joonghyuk’s words, Kim Dokja’s face erupted into a blush and he snatched his wrist back. “You!”
“Was I wrong?”
Kim Dokja didn’t want to reply. He could still feel the sensation of Yoo Joonghyuk’s soft lips against his skin.
“You’re such a sunfish bastard,” Kim Dokja said with fond exasperation, “If you wanted an excuse to kiss me, all you have to do is say it.”
Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second before pulling Kim Dokja closer. “Okay.”
“Hey!! Your hands are still wet and cold!” Kim Dokja shrieked as Yoo Joonghyuk’s hands began to wander around, “at least dry them!! Mmmph!”
The rest of Kim Dokja’s complaints were silenced as his lips were once again captured by Yoo Joonghyuk.
An hour later, they found out they never turned off the sink faucet. Yoo Joonghyuk was forced to pay for the water bill that month.