Work Text:
As Cheonhee opened the door of his apartment, he saw the familiar slippers near the door and broke into a smile.
His boyfriend was here!
“Halyun!” Jin Cheonhee yelled, and Yeo Halyun popped up from the kitchen.
“Hyung,” Yeo Halyun smiled warmly and quickly enveloped him in a hug. Cheonhee hummed in satisfaction, melting against his boyfriend’s arms.
The two stayed like that for a while, basking in each other’s presence, until Jin Cheonhee broke the hug.
“Halyun, are you cooking something?” He asked, pushing the taller man slightly.
“Yeah,” Yeo Halyun frowned at the sudden loss of warmth in his arms but didn’t say anything.
“I’m making omelettes for dinner,” he said instead. “Are you hungry, Hyung? It’ll be ready soon…”
“I’m not that hungry yet,” Cheonhee shrugged. “I still need to do some things, and maybe take a shower before eating…”
“Alright,” Yeo Halyun nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the eggs stay warm…”
“Thanks, darling,” Jin Cheonhee smiled sweetly and planted a kiss on his boyfriend’s cheek.
Yeo Halyun, unsatisfied, pulled Cheonhee closer for a deeper kiss, not stopping until Cheonhee was out of breath.
When it ended, Jin Cheonhee’s face and ears were flushed, and Yeo Halyun smirked, almost smugly.
“…Hooligan,” Cheonhee muttered, but he continued smiling as he disappeared into the bathroom.
Once Cheonhee was out of sight, Yeo Halyun redirected his attention to the omelettes. He had to make this perfect, for his boyfriend!
Yeo Halyun added various condiments and finished frying the eggs, transferring the golden omelettes to a plate. Once that was done, he prepared some rice for him and Cheonhee to eat, and began to set the table.
Halfway through setting up the table, though, Yeo Halyun was surprised by a sudden bang and rapid footsteps.
“Hyung?” Yeo Halyun asked, concerned.
“Halyun!” Jin Cheonhee had just finished his bath and his hair was still wet, a towel hastily wrapped around himself. Yeo Halyun couldn’t help feeling a little distracted….
“Focus, Halyun!” Cheonhee’s voice made Yeo Halyun clear his throat sheepishly. “My father’s coming,” Cheonhee said, the urgency in his eyes unmistakable.
Yeo Halyun frowned immediately.
“So suddenly?”
“Yeah,” Cheonhee nodded.
“Do you know why he’s coming over?” Halyun asked, already moving swiftly to grab his bags and shoes.
“I don’t know, he said he wants to discuss something with me,” Cheonhee said, running his hands through his hair.
“He doesn’t know about us,” Yeo Halyun said slowly.
“Yeah, not yet anyway,” Cheonhee agreed, “He still thinks we’re just friends… He can’t know that you’re here…. He’ll be upset if he finds out like this.”
“I know, I know,” Halyun nodded gently. “Should I leave?”
Cheonhee is about to say ‘yes’, but the sound of a doorbell makes him groan.
“My father’s here!” Cheonhee whisper-yells, and he hurriedly herds Yeo Halyun to his bedroom.
Not caring about gentleness, Cheonhee opens his wardrobe and shoves Yeo Halyun, his bag, and all his items inside.
The wardrobe is small, and Yeo Halyun is large, so he has to huddle and bend down awkwardly to fit inside.
Yeo Halyun opens his mouth to say something, but seeing the desperation in Cheonhee’s eyes, he decides against it.
“Stay inside, okay?” Cheonhee whispers, and Yeo Halyun nods obediently.
“Whatever you hear, don’t come out, don’t, okay?” Cheonhee repeats, and Yeo Halyun nods again.
“I won’t, Hyung. Don’t worry.”
“My father is perceptive,” Cheonhee sighs, “I’m afraid he’ll notice something right away…”
“Well, it’s not like he’ll kill me if he sees me, right?” Halyun jokes, grasping Cheonhee’s hand comfortingly.
Cheonhee throws him a glare and then smiles wryly.
“Sure, he won’t kill you. He’ll probably just stab you a few times…”
“Surely he’s not that bad…”
“He can be… protective.”
Cheonhee wants to say more, but the persistent ringing of the doorbell reminds him that he doesn’t have much time.
“I’M COMING!” Cheonhee shouts, and hurriedly pecks his boyfriend on the cheek before shutting the wardrobe harshly.
Yeo Halyun, who was left in darkness and didn’t even have time to kiss his boyfriend properly: “…”
Damn it.
After quickly throwing on a set of clothes, Cheonhee hurriedly opens the door.
“Dad!” He grins, and Jaegal Lin smiles back at his son.
“Hee, how are you?” Jaegal Lin asks, stepping inside the house.
“Oh, I’m good, as usual,” Cheonhee shrugs, trying not to sound too nervous.
“What brings you here, Dad?” Cheonhee asks, helping his adoptive father carry a few shopping bags inside.
“Oh, do I have to have a reason to come?” Jaegal asks, raising an eyebrow. Cheonhee chuckles nervously.
“What… of course not… I was just wondering, that’s all…”
Jaegal Lin smiles, unaware of Cheonhee’s internal struggle.
“I came here to have dinner with you… Don’t think that I don’t know how you usually have take out,” Jaegal Lin says chidingly.
“Were you planning to cook, Dad?” Cheonhee asks, and the look on Jaegal’s face tells him everything. “Dad! You know I can cook myself… There’s no need to trouble you…”
Cheonhee trails off once he sees the dining table.
Halyun had already prepared the plates and utensils for two people, and now, Jaegal Lin was looking at the table with a frown.
“You’ve cooked an omelette?” Jaegal asks, and Cheonhee nods stiffly.
Hopefully his father won’t notice the set of two plates…
“Were you expecting a guest, Hee?” Jaegal Lin asks, and Cheonhee groans internally.
Damn it. His father was as perceptive as always.
“N-no…. I don’t even remember setting up the table for two… You know, maybe my body was just moving on autopilot, hahaha,” Cheonhee laughed nervously.
Jaegal Lin is silent for a few seconds before nodding.
“Maybe you’re too tired,” he suggests, and Cheonhee nods eagerly.
“Yes… well, you know, the work in the hospital is quite tiring…”
“I told you that you don’t have to work, Hee,” Jaegal Lin says, eyes full of affection as he pulls up a chair and sits down.
Cheonhee follows suit, and Jaegal continues. “You could just live in my manor, I have more than enough money for you to live lavishly… I could retire early, and we could both live well…. You don’t even need to work. Whatever you want to do, whatever you want to eat, I’ll make sure you can have it.”
Cheonhee shakes his head. They’ve had this argument so many times already.
“Fine fine,” Jaegal concedes. “I know you want to be independent, and I won’t stop you… Let’s eat, okay? It’s been a while since I ate your cooking.”
“Okay, Dad,” Cheonhee agrees cheerfully.
The two of them fall into a comfortable silence, taking the rice and dividing the omelette between them. Cheonhee feels rather sad, though, since he was looking forward to eating with Halyun… But for now, this is the best thing they can do.
Jaegal Lin’s impression of Yeo Halyun wasn’t good to begin with, especially since Halyun was involved with the mafia and the black market. The fact that Cheonhee was even friends with Halyun had made Jaegal upset, so if he found out that Halyun was his boyfriend….
All hell would break loose.
Cheonhee knew both his father and boyfriend were stubborn, and if they really got into a fight….
Cheonhee didn’t dare think about that and instead took a large bite of the omelette. As soon as he ate it, though, his expression changed.
What kind of taste was this?!
Cheonhee racked his brains and realized that this was the first time Halyun was cooking for him… and before, Halyun seemed to mention something about how his taste-buds were different from other people’s.
…Was this what he meant by ‘different’?! The difference was huge, okay?!
Cheonhee’s eyes widened when he saw his father take a large bite of the omelette, and then, as if in slow motion, he saw Jaegal Lin’s face scrunch up in shock.
Hahaha… His boyfriend truly made a unique dish, Cheonhee mused.
Before Jaegal Lin could say anything, though, Cheonhee decided to strike first.
“I’m really tired, Dad… You know, I’ve been working on my shift for hours. My shoulders are so sore…”
Nonchalantly, Cheonhee continued, “I was kind of sleepy when I made this omelette… It tastes good, right?”
Cheonhee suppressed a smile at his father’s reaction — Jaegal Lin immediately schooled his features and even nodded his head.
“Of course, Hee. Your cooking tastes as good as always,” Jaegal Lin grinned, taking another big bite of the omelette and not even flinching.
Cheonhee… felt impressed.
He knew that his father would always put his feelings first; if he said he made the omelette, his father would never tell him that his cooking was terrible. Halyun’s omelette was truly a disaster, but Jaegal Lin’s willpower was amazing, and if Cheonhee hadn’t eaten the omelette himself, he would’ve thought that it did taste delicious.
Cheonhee felt a twinge of guilt as he saw his father’s calm expression — taking advantage of his dad’s doting on him felt wrong, but rather than letting his father find Halyun….
Pick the lesser of two evils.
Cheonhee himself managed to finish the rice and omelette without puking — this really was a testament to his and his father’s acting skills, hahaha….
During the meal, the two of them chatted about work, life, and so on.
Once the meal was done, Jaegal Lin gave Cheonhee a few more advice (”Eat on time”, “Rest well”, “Don’t work too hard”, “Retire early”, etc,), and turned to leave.
“Have a good rest, Hee,” Jaegal Lin’s face was as doting as always, and Cheonhee grinned at his father.
“Thanks, Dad. You too.”
“Mm.”
After bidding their goodbyes, Cheonhee waited until his father (and his father’s car!) was completely out of sight, before scurrying to the bedroom and opening the wardrobe.
There, curled up in an awkward position, was his darling, fast asleep.
Cheonhee took a few moments to appreciate the view.
Sleeping so peacefully like this, Halyun was indeed… very handsome. That jawline… the pale skin… the tufts of hair that clung lazily to his forehead… Those piercing eyes…
Piercing eyes?
“You’re awake,” Cheonhee murmured, gently grasping Halyun’s hands.
“Hm? Yeah,” Yeo Halyun shifted and stepped out of the wardrobe before draping himself on Cheonhee’s shoulder, like a big wolf lying in his embrace.
“You fell asleep?” Cheonhee asked, laughing lightly.
“Mhm…” Yeo Halyun nodded, nuzzling closer to Cheonhee’s neck.
Jin Cheonhee carefully guided Halyun to his bed and placed him on the mattress.
“Don’t go,” Yeo Halyun murmured, grabbing Cheonhee’s hands and holding them close to his chest. Yeo Halyun was struggling to keep his eyes open, and Cheonhee found it endearing.
“I’m not going anywhere, don’t worry,” Cheonhee replied.
“…How did the meeting with your dad go?” Yeo Halyun asked, and Cheonhee instantly had flashbacks of how he and his father struggled to eat Halyun’s omelettes with a straight face.
“Darling,” Cheonhee whispered. “…Please leave the cooking to me in the future, okay?”
Yeo Halyun raised an eyebrow, but he nodded groggily.
“…Okay…”
Jin Cheonhee chuckled and crept into bed, hugging Halyun.
“You haven’t had dinner,” Cheonhee pointed out.
“Mmhm,” Yeo Halyun nodded. “I’ll have it after this…”
“For now, I just want to hug you for a while…”
“Okay,” Cheonhee agreed dotingly.
“Okay.”