Archive of Our Own

Among the little family Cale had created — entirely on accident, mind — there were certain quirks everyone had come to learn about each other. Cale's habit of eating fruit while he read, half the time falling asleep in the middle of a book; Rosalyn's bad habit of leaving experimental potions out and about; and of course, Choi Han's complete and utter lack of skills in the kitchen.

It was laughable. Someone so accomplished, who could and would happily do almost everything Cale asked of him, couldn't even boil water to save his life. Everything he attempted to cook came out charred, or at the very least inedible, as when he didn't burn it, it was because it was undercooked to the extreme. Seasoning seemed to be his worst nemesis, always adding too much of it when he tried. Vicross would sooner take a knife to his own throat than let Choi Han cook in his kitchen. Even the children found great humor in this, enjoying watching the occasional floundering as he tried to bake some treats for them.

Treats they never ate, of course.

Thus, everyone knew to steer clear of anything food-related made by Choi Han's hands. A simple enough task, as it was always immediately identifiable. Thankfully, with how much he tended to stick to Cale's side like glue even now that the war was over, it wasn't often he attempted the sacred art known as cooking.

Cale, on the other hand, was a surprisingly adept cook. From his time living alone back as Kim Roksu, he had picked up quite a few tricks. While he didn't know how to make the sort of fancy, western dishes Vicross made for the family, he was quite good at Korean-style meals. When he and Choi Han were alone together, he'd often make some of those meals for the two of them. Not all of it was the same, of course — there were ingredients that simply didn't exist in this world. But the taste was always familiar and nostalgic, and Choi Han was always touched by the gesture. Another little way for Cale to show he cherished their family.

And from there, an idea was born in Choi Han's mind.

It was a cooler evening at the beginning of autumn, the crisp air refreshing for most. Choi Han had greatly enjoyed his training and instructing that day, the breeze feeling fantastic against the sweat that had built up on his skin. Better still was the fact that Cale, wrapped in a blanket with a book, had come out to watch him that afternoon.

Sometimes, his liege did this — where he'd sit for hours on end, simply observing in between pages. Choi Han wondered if the book was for show, as he never seemed to finish one while doing this. It was… nice, in a strange sort of way, to be watched so closely by one he held so dear. It did terrible things to his heart; forcing up feelings he tried his damnedest to keep buried.

Of course Choi Han loved Cale. How could he not love him? How could anyone not love him? Despite his blunt and often cold exterior, everything he did was for the people he loved. He had a bigger heart than anyone Choi Han had ever met, as evidenced by their very first encounter, when Cale offered out a hand and told him I'll feed you. As if it were that simple. As if it meant nothing to him at all to share his resources for a stranger bleeding out on the ground.

It didn't matter that it was for self-preservation, or so Cale claimed his actions were. Choi Han knew he only needed an excuse to do the things he wanted — a way to twist it in his mind that he was actually being selfish, rather than selfless. In some respects it was quite cute, really. In others, a giant headache. How could one person be so oblivious?

He snapped out of his reverie when he noticed Cale giving him an odd look. "Sorry, Cale-nim," he apologized quickly. "What were you saying?"

Cale rolled his eyes, an impossibly fond look hidden in plain sight for those who knew where to look. "I'm cold and hungry. Kitchen?"

Since the end of the war, he'd only gotten lazier, enjoying his newfound freedom to finally live the slacker life of his dreams. It worried Choi Han to be sure — he already felt Cale didn't eat enough, move around enough. However, it also had one hidden perk.

Cale had allowed Choi Han to push the boundaries, little by little. So when he heard his liege's request, Choi Han could only smile brightly as he walked closer. Once directly in front of him, he bent down on one knee, silently holding his hand out for Cale's own to find.

A genuine smile bloomed on Cale's face in return. When Cale reached for him, he gingerly took the hand given and pressed a feather-light kiss to his knuckles. For Cale's sake, he didn't remark on how red his face was — besides, he knew his own was like a mirror. The feather-light touch made Choi Han's lips tingle with desire simmering beneath the surface.

Once the kiss was done, Cale allowed himself to climb on top of his back, mumbling nonsense against his neck about how he was too tired to walk despite having not moved in hours. An excuse, they both knew, but one Choi Han was grateful for. It was both a blessing and a curse, to be allowed to be so close to his liege.

A blessing, as it was more than he'd ever allowed himself to dream of. A curse, as he knew his affections were getting harder and harder to hide. Everyone else seemed to know, at least, though Cale — thankfully — remained oblivious. Miraculously.

Another blessing and curse, to be sure.

Vicross was actually out at the moment, Choi Han remembered, along with the kids. They were out procuring groceries for the coming weekend, as that was when everyone was available for larger family dinners. Family, a word Choi Han once thought he would never get to know again, that now consumed his every day. Cale, the three children averaging ten years of age, and everyone — he was so, so thankful. He would do anything for them all.

Anything included sitting Cale down at the table, wrapped in a blanket that Choi Han could've sworn was grabbed from his own room rather than Cale's, and making some food despite his difficulties in the kitchen. He wanted to learn so badly for him.

Once he was sure Cale was comfortable, he made his way to the fridge, taking a deep breath. He could make a simple pasta, right? Noodles weren't supposed to be difficult, and pasta was just noodles. Tomato sauce couldn't be too hard. It was just some tomatoes smashed up, he thought. Meat might be a little harder, but meatballs should be easy enough. Just some meat smashed into a ball shape. He could do that.

"Hmm? What's this?"

Choi Han looked back at his liege from the fridge. "Can I get you something, Cale-nim?"

"Are you cooking, Choi Han?" He asked, an interested gleam in his eye. "I haven't gotten to try your food yet."

There was a very good reason for that. He looked down awkwardly. "Um, yes," he said, suddenly self-conscious. "Is that all right?"

He needn't worry, though. Even from the corner of his eye, he could see Cale's small smile. The one he had when he was trying hard to hide amusement. "Good, good. I'll be waiting."

Instantly, Choi Han relaxed. Cale wanted to try his food. He wanted to, despite having absolutely heard the rumors of how terrible he was in the kitchen. The realization made him feel lighter, and he was determined to get this right for him. With a deep breath, he began.

At almost the end of his cooking, Vicross and the children returned home, the kids babbling excitedly about their outing. Choi Han didn't stop stirring the… somewhat charred tomatoes in the pot, but he did look up to greet them with a smile while avoiding Vicross's angry stare.

"Leave him be," Cale said, waving him off. "I want to try his food."

Four mouths opened in shock simultaneously. "But, but, human! Strong Choi Han's cooking is—"

"It's so—"

"We can't even eat—"

Cale held up his hand again, the kids instantly snapping their mouths closed. "Yes, yes, I've heard. That doesn't change the fact that I'm curious."

Choi Han's heart swelled. He knew this meal wasn't turning out very well — nothing he ever cooked did, for some reason or another. Even back in the Forest of Darkness, he'd never cared about the taste, only eating to survive. Half the time he'd thought his food was bad enough that he might not even survive it, as it was a dangerous thing to be dehydrated and throwing up while surrounded by monsters. Still, Cale wanted to try it, and he hoped beyond reason that he would somehow enjoy it anyway. He'd at least improved from his Forest of Darkness days, he was sure.

He moved around the space, grabbing a bowl to begin plating Cale's dinner. The pasta was definitely a little crunchy, he realized with a wince as he put it into the bowl slowly and carefully. The meatballs were… for sure, at least the right shape. And the tomato sauce was certainly red. There were some charred spots and it wasn't very sauce-like, more just like some tomatoes with their skin falling off in burnt crisps, but they were still mostly recognizable as tomatoes.

… He couldn't serve this to Cale. No way. He needed so much more practice, he didn't want to give Cale trash. He may joke about being trash himself often, but he was far too precious to be served disgusting food.

As if Cale felt his hesitation, he waved him over. "Hey. Give me that."

Choi Han met his eyes, unsure. The children also looked at Cale like he might've gone insane.

"If the human is trying it, give it to me too!" Raon exclaimed, pawing over at Cale with a determined expression. Ohn and Hong nodded along, both looking vaguely sick at the thought but refusing to let their youngest sibling suffer alone. It would've been endearing if it weren't at Choi Han's expense.

He very obviously avoided Vicross as he got three smaller bowls with samples of everything for the children to try, too. He looked down at his creation again, frowning to himself as he plated it. Were they really going to all eat this? Shame continued to bubble up in him even as he handed over the food.

The children looked at it somewhat dubiously, but Cale didn't hesitate. When they saw him go for it without care, they joined in.

Almost immediately, the children reacted in varying exaggerated manners. Raon had the most unhappy look on his face, staring at the food like it had personally offended him. Ohn, very delicately, walked to the trash and spit it out, while Hong forced himself to swallow despite how unpleasant it was.

Choi Han watched Cale like a hawk, ready to swoop in and grab the food so he didn't have to have any more just to humor him.

But instead of spitting it out or glaring at Choi Han, he chewed thoughtfully and looked quite relaxed. With bated breath, Choi Han continued to watch, nerves making his entire body tense.

"It's good," Cale said after a moment, continuing to eat the far too crunchy food without a thought. "You should cook for me more often, Choi Han."

All at once, hell broke loose with everyone trying to get Cale's attention.

"Human, you can't be serious!"

"How can you eat this stuff…"

"Young Master-nim, spit it out. I don't want you throwing up in my kitchen."

"You— like it?" Choi Han faltered, a dreadful and daring hope rising within him.

Cale blinked, a barely-there smirk on his lips. "Yes. It's not Vicross's work, of course, but it's got a good texture. The meatballs could use more seasoning, though. Cook for me again later, Choi Han."

While Cale was a good liar, Choi Han had gotten used to how he looked while doing so. Though arrogant, he liked to think he knew him better than almost anyone else in the world — in all worlds. And with all of his knowledge of Cale's many expressions, the smile on his face was genuine.

Plus, he reasoned, there was no way Cale would continue to eat his food after everyone else had unceremoniously pushed their small taste bowls into the trash if he hated it, right? He didn't make the unpleasant face he always made when swallowing something sour. Choi Han watched him carefully for that face, but it never came, no matter how many bites Cale took.

Warmth filled Choi Han's cheeks with color. Despite all his errors, Cale liked his food. He was happily eating it, completely ignoring the way the children were clamoring for answers as they poked and prodded at him. Nobody had ever liked his food before. In fact, if Cale hadn't liked it, he was pretty sure Vicross would never have let him step foot in the kitchen again.

A good texture, he'd said, as if crunchy pasta and charred meat and vegetables could create a good texture. It didn't matter to him if it couldn't compare to fully trained chefs. Choi Han never expected himself to get that good at cooking, it just wasn't something he was passionate about, especially after repeated failures. He'd just wanted to be good enough for the most important person in his life.

Suddenly, cooking every day sounded like a great idea.

He beamed widely at Cale, eyes lighting up just as brightly. "Cale-nim, I'll cook for you whenever you want! Please just say the word!"

Amused, Cale shook his head at the display. "Yes, yes. Thank you," he said, indulgent. "For now, though, I need a nap after a good meal."

He looked down at the bowl and realized with a start that Cale had actually eaten the entire thing. Some bits of sauce lined the bowl still, proving the remnants of a meal enjoyed.

Choi Han, of course, was happy to walk him up to his room for his rest. He was too happy to let anything bother him, even as he could hear the chattering from the children and Vicross about what had just transpired. He could've sworn they also said something about not having to hide a relationship from the family, but he had no idea what that could be referring to. Had Vicross somehow decided to pursue someone…?

He pushed the thought aside, content to help Cale settle in for his evening nap.

He stayed guard for a bit as he usually did, though there was no longer a reason for it. Old habits always seemed to die hard. It also helped Choi Han relax, seeing Cale sleeping safe and sound. There had been so many close calls over the years they'd been together — too many, more than he'd ever be okay with — and he still sometimes felt the need to check his pulse, watch the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

Maybe he would've considered it obsessive if he didn't know the children all did the same thing when they slept with him most nights, scared to be away just in case. They'd all seen him push himself way too far, and they'd all seen the consequences of it. So many times, they'd all held vigil at his bedside, everyone rotating in and out for shifts as they were all unwilling to leave him alone. For a being who was so loved, Choi Han wondered how he could be so oblivious to it.

Or perhaps he wasn't, and believed it to be better to act ignorant of everyone's worries. It didn't really matter, he supposed.

Once he was satisfied that Cale was well and truly asleep for his nap, he turned to leave the room to let him rest. His presence wasn't needed, and he should help clean the mess he'd made of the kitchen, if the children and Vicross hadn't already done it.

That was the thought in his head when he heard Cale stir from behind him. He turned around in surprise, only to be met with a frown marring his liege's face.

"Choi Han."

"Yes, Cale-nim?"

"Stay here."

His words were slightly slurred from sleep, his eyes bleary as they tried to blink the sleep away. Choi Han smiled softly at the sight, returning to his position standing next to the bed. There really was no other creature as beautiful as Cale. Even half asleep at hours most people would be happily awake, hair messy and clothes a bit rumpled, nobody could compare.

"As you command, Cale-nim."

Still, when he got there, Cale continued frowning. "No," he said, and now it was Choi Han's turn to frown.

But he'd just said…? Choi Han shook his head. "I can leave—"

"No," Cale cut him off, reaching out to tug on Choi Han's cloak. "Here."

Ah. They didn't do this terribly often, as the children were usually the ones cuddled closely around Cale to sleep, but when they were away or too excited to sleep midday, sometimes he'd ask Choi Han to nap with him.

Choi Han did everything but nap during those times, nerves on high alert from being too close to Cale. It was an intimate thing, to share a bed with someone you were secretly hopelessly in love with, but he'd do anything and everything Cale could ever ask of him. Even if it killed him. So with a fond sigh, he took off his boots and unclipped his cloak, settling into the space next to Cale.

Yes, Choi Han was sure that Cale would be the death of him someday.

The bed was quite large, easily accommodating both of them, and yet Cale still insisted that Choi Han hold him as he slept in some manner. It was frankly adorable, and he of course couldn't say no as Cale settled on him to use his thighs as a pillow.

Smiling down at him, he carded his fingers through Cale's red hair. As always, it was perfectly soft, and it had so much longer than when they'd first met. He claimed he was too lazy to keep it cut now that there wasn't anything to do, but Choi Han knew it was at least partially because the kids enjoyed playing with it in the mornings. Just another of the small ways he showed his family how much they mattered to him.

Could he ever have imagined that he'd end up in a place like this? When he'd been dropped into the Forest of Darkness, he remembered losing most conscious thought, solely focused on his survival. He barely remembered how to speak by the time he'd come across Harris Village. And when they had been brutally destroyed, Choi Han didn't believe he would ever know happiness again. Darkness had made a home of his heart and settled into him like a second skin. He'd lost himself completely when he'd slaughtered those who had hurt his newfound family, and when he'd finally left the forest, he thought he would never recover his humanity.

But no such luck, because Cale Henituse reached out his hand to him.

If he told himself back then how things would turn out, he wasn't sure his younger self would believe him — could believe him. Yet here he was, with that very same man, in one of their homes together with some of Choi Han's favorite beings in the universe.

With his head resting against the comfortable headboard, he closed his eyes, happy to enjoy Cale's company despite the quickening of his heartbeat.

The next morning was entirely unexpected.

"Hey, punk. The young master-nim wishes to see you."

It had started as a normal morning, with Choi Han heading outside as the sun had just started to rise to train. Cale was sleeping well, the children curled up around him as per usual, and thus, he'd thought he'd have some time to himself. Cale didn't usually wake up until lunchtime at the very earliest, anyway.

So he blinked when Ron called over to him. Turning his head to the sky, the sun was still quite high — it was still early morning, then. He couldn't remember the last time Cale had willingly woken up so early.

"Is Cale-nim alright?" He asked, already pushing his sword back into its sheath and hurriedly walking to Ron.

The usual blithe smile he wore was nowhere to be found, as was common when the two of them were speaking without Cale around. "He… requests something," he said, the words sounding strained. Even after all this time, even after Choi Han had regularly proven himself as caring about Cale above all else, he still seemed unwilling to just hand him over to Choi Han.

Well, he supposed he could understand it. He wouldn't want to leave Cale's care to anyone else himself.

But back to the matter at hand. "Alright," he agreed, already beginning the trek to Cale's room without a second thought. He wondered what his liege could possibly be requesting — did he want to go out somewhere? It was a nice day, after all, so maybe the children wanted a little excursion. It was quite early, though, so maybe something had happened after all…

When he arrived at Cale's room, he saw Cale still in bed with the children still comfortably resting on him. He looked exhausted, and still hadn't changed or had his hair brushed. It was almost unfair how pretty he was, even mussed from sleep.

"Good morning, Cale-nim," Choi Han greeted, standing with uncertainty near the door.

Cale's lips twitched upwards. "Choi Han," he said as his own greeting. "Make me breakfast, yeah?"

Though the children were still drifting in and out of dreamland, Raon gently thwacked Cale's leg as if to stop him. They weren't even conscious and still hated his food. It would once more be endearing, if it wasn't at his expense.

But then Cale's words finally registered, and Choi Han's mouth opened and closed somewhat akin to a fish. "You want me to… make you more food?"

Maybe he was dreaming. He raised a hand to pinch the skin near his wrist, but the pain came through as it usually did. Not dreaming, then. Perhaps he'd misheard? Maybe Cale wanted to eat breakfast with him, somewhat a novelty in and of itself — he couldn't remember the last time Cale had been awake of his own accord for breakfast. Choi Han did have a habit of hearing the things he wanted instead of what was actually being said, sometimes. This most frequently happened with Cale's words, but he didn't feel like opening that can of worms right then. Maybe—

"Don't make me waste energy repeating myself."

Well, if there was any doubt that it somehow wasn't Cale in front of him, that evaporated in an instant. In the morning sun, Cale's eyes looked more red than brown. As always, he was beyond beautiful. As always, Choi Han wanted to look at him forever.

"If you're sure, Cale-nim," Choi Han replied, nearly stumbling over the words.

Had his food really been that good? Had Cale really enjoyed it that much? It didn't seem possible, but then again, Cale was often an enigma. He continued to accept tea and drinks he hated from Ron even now, and never said a word about it, so who could be sure?

But whatever Cale asked for, he would get, if it were in Choi Han's power. And if it wasn't, he'd figure out how to make it so. That was what he'd decided so long ago.

He stared at the kitchen, suddenly feeling very unsure. Cale had specifically asked him for breakfast, but… Choi Han hadn't practiced any breakfast meals yet. He'd not practiced most meals for anything, but he remembered cooking noodles, hence why he went for pasta the night before.

What did he usually even eat for breakfast? Choi Han wasn't sure. Thinking on it, he'd seen him only up for the first meal of the day a handful of times since everything had settled. Cale liked fruit, and he wasn't useless at cutting things, which was as good a start as any. He didn't think they had rice for breakfast here very often, so that was out…

Eggs! Choi Han could cook an egg. Probably. Scrambled was probably the easiest, he could just take the spatula and scramble it directly in the pan. So eggs, a bowl of fruit, some toast? That was starting to sound similar to the breakfasts Choi Han had after he'd met Cale. Usually, he'd just take whatever leftovers there were from the morning meal in between training, so it wasn't like he ever paid close attention. Truthfully, he rarely paid close attention to anything he ate while he was preoccupied — it was like part of his mind still believed food to be a scarcity he was unlikely to afford in the future.

A soft smile made its way onto his face as he began preparing fruit of all kinds, once again realizing how blessed he had been to come across Cale that day. Or rather, for Cale to come across him. He brought a hand up to touch the golden turtle brooch that clipped his cloak together, reverent, before going back to cutting fruit. He was proud to wear it, proud to show off to everyone and anyone whom he served.

It didn't matter that he was Alver's personal sword teacher. It didn't matter that he was a war hero in his own right. His own accomplishments meant little in the wake of the legacy Cale had created, that he'd helped create.

In front of him was now a spread of peaches, pears, melons, and grapes he'd removed from their stems. Perfect. A good variety is what Cale deserved. Which meant it was now time to tackle the eggs.

He'd figure it out. While Cale had been nice yesterday — and clearly meant it to some extent, since he sought him out specifically for more food — he didn't want to serve him something gross or inedible. Not only was it a waste of precious materials, but it would be a waste of Cale's time, something Choi Han categorically refused to contribute to.

So… eggs. He grabbed them out of the fridge, took a deep breath, and began to cook.

Even while he was bringing the food up, avoiding the pointed stares from Vicross and Ron both, Choi Han was frowning. The fruit looked good, at the very least, so it wasn't a total waste, but his eggs were predictably burnt. They had this odd, thin film-like cover in some places that flaked off, and one slice of toast was nearly black while the other was barely toasted at all. That slice was more like bread that had sat in the sunshine for a bit before being eaten.

He was really hopeless at this. Choi Han sighed to himself as he knocked on the door to Cale's room, balancing the tray on one hand while he did.

"Come in."

For a moment, Choi Han froze. Could he really give this to Cale? He looked over the food again, frown growing deeper the longer he looked. While he would eat anything, his liege absolutely should not have to. He had a private chef, yet here he was, asking for what could barely count as cooking.

"Choi Han. I'm hungry."

Oh, he'd stalled too long. He closed his eyes, trying to will the flush away from his cheeks, before pushing open the door.

In front of him, Cale sat up in bed, comfortably petting Raon's head, who was practically shoving his small face into Cale's stomach. Ohn and Hong were in their cat forms, both cuddled into Cale's sides. He smiled at the sight, glad he was allowed the privilege of getting to be a part of their lives like this.

"Ah, Cale-nim, sorry," he apologized, realizing he was just standing there stupidly with the food in his hands. He kicked the door shut as gently as he could, walking over to the bedside table and putting the food down.

Cale rolled his eyes. "What did you make me?"

Despite the fact that he'd been up for some time, his voice was still thick with sleep. Though he knew they shouldn't, Choi Han's thoughts started to drift into dangerous territory. He shouldn't be so greedy, he reminded himself. It was a wonder he was allowed so much in the first place. Wanting anything more than the relationship they already had was absurd.

Choi Han blinked to force himself back to the present. "I wasn't really sure what you ate for breakfast usually, so it's just some eggs, fruit, and toast," he said.

At his words, Raon moved to look at him. "Are you trying to help our weak human build up a poison resistance, Strong Choi Han?" He asked, moving to give Cale enough space to set the tray on his lap.

"Choi Han's food isn't going to poison me," Cale said mildly before eating some melon. "Do you guys want fruit? There's enough here to share."

Somehow, the children thought even fruit prepared by Choi Han wouldn't be safe, and decided against it. Cale shrugged, content to have more for himself. The fruit was at least totally normal, and Choi Han breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't managed to screw up that badly on the simplest of tasks, at least.

Without batting an eye, Cale moved some of the burnt scrambled eggs onto the not very toasted toast. And with absolutely no hesitation in sight, he brought it to his mouth, chewing thoughtfully much like he had the previous night. Meanwhile, Choi Han felt like his heart was going to beat straight out of his chest as anxiety filled him to the brim.

"Next time, try warming the bread on the stove instead with some butter," Cale told him, matter-of-factly. "I prefer them that way. Otherwise, I like the eggs, though you could've added more salt, so don't be afraid of doing that next time. Thank you, Choi Han."

The smile he gave Choi Han was nearly blinding to him, and he wished he could keep him looking like that forever and always. It was small, as most of Cale's smiles were, but so genuine. So full of affection that Choi Han thought he must be making it up in his head, because there was no way Cale held that much love for him.

"I… Thank you, Cale-nim," he said, still trying to process the fact that Cale was happily eating whatever horrid mess he'd made in the kitchen.

There was no way Cale would've taken something this far if he were trying to get something from him, right? Choi Han didn't think so. He might be good at scamming people, but he would've just never asked for his cooking again after his compliments the previous night if he was trying to mind Choi Han's feelings or secure something. Besides, there was nothing he wouldn't already do for Cale. He had to know that, after everything. Everyone knew that.

… He hoped Cale knew that.

He stood there silently, listening to the children chatter while Cale continued eating until there was nothing left. Even the blackened toast wasn't spared, and he really wasn't sure what to think or say. His mind kept whirring rapidly through different scenarios. Maybe he just knew Cale's tastes that well, that even with his lack of skill he'd been able to make something decent? No, even the children couldn't stand his food, and they'd eat just about anything themselves.

Maybe Cale just didn't have a sensitive palette? From the memories he'd seen, that version of Earth hadn't exactly been a good place to be. But that definitely didn't make sense, since he'd seen Cale scrunch his face up when it was genuinely something he didn't like, like when he was handed lemonade. While he was never point-blank rude about it, he also didn't make a secret of his dietary preferences.

Which left Choi Han with the impossibility of reality — that Cale genuinely liked his food.

It didn't seem real, after seeing his repeated failures for so long. Even Choi Han could admit to himself that he didn't love his own food, it was nothing in comparison to so many of the meals he'd eaten since he met Cale. He had no talent for it at all.

Still, Cale had polished off breakfast cleanly, with only the feedback about trying to warm the bread on the stove instead next time and to add more salt to things in the future.

"Thanks for the food," Cale said after a moment, putting the tray back on the nightstand. "I hope you weren't too busy or anything. I know this was a rather sudden request."

"I'm never too busy for you," Choi Han replied without missing a beat. He didn't even have to think about it — anything that he could've been doing would never be more important than the man in front of him.

For a moment, Cale just scrutinized him, his face looking a little redder than it did before. Was he feeling sick after eating? Oh, probably, he really should've—

"Whatever you're thinking about, stop," Cale told him, looking away. "But. Thank you. I'll come find you later."

It was a clear dismissal, but Choi Han was reluctant to leave him while he thought he might be unwell. He opened his mouth to double-check, and Cale rolled his eyes.

Instead of answering the question Choi Han was going to ask, he answered a completely different one instead. "You can stay, if you want. I don't have anything to do today, so I was just planning on reading for a while in bed."

… Oh. Well, he had been planning on going back to training after cleaning the kitchen, but he supposed that job would once again be left to someone else. He'd clean something later to make up for it, though the pang of guilt from his failure to be considerate wasn't strong enough to pull him away from Cale.

"Okay," Choi Han said, feeling some tension leave his shoulders. "I… that sounds good, Cale-nim."

Before he could second-guess himself, he sat down on the chair near Cale's bed, putting his sword down on the floor next to him. Could never be too careful, after all, and he refused to go around without it just in case. Even in this place, hidden from most.

Some relaxation wouldn't hurt, he supposed. Cale was always telling him to stop overworking himself — which was truly funny, all things considered. Sometimes, he wondered if his liege knew how big a hypocrite he was. Regardless, while he hadn't outright said he wanted Choi Han to spend time with him, he was used to reading between the lines with Cale.

He wanted his company. The thought made him feel like he could do anything.

A few days later, he found himself following Cale down the hallway, watching as he shook his head in exasperation.

"Haaaa, why can't he give us more of a heads up?" Cale asked as they made their way to the transportation circle, Raon in between them and nodding along.

He was the only person in the world, Choi Han thought, who could speak about Prince Alver so carelessly. Though privately, he agreed. He understood Alver was often busy — of course he was, as he marched unflinchingly towards ruling the kingdom — but that didn't mean it made sudden requests any more pleasant to deal with.

Well, sort of. Choi Han had no issue coming for an impromptu training session, as well as to talk about adjusting the schedule for the rest of the month. Cale, on the other hand, never liked his resting time interrupted, even for the future ruler of Rowoon.

"You don't have to come right now, Cale-nim," Choi Han told him. "He even said you could stop by later this week if that was better for you."

Cale, predictably, rolled his eyes. "Of course I do. I want to see how badly he's overworking my knight."

A flush fanned out over Choi Han's cheeks at the words my knight. Objectively, that was exactly his position. He was Cale's personal guard, and he was proud to hold the title. That didn't ever stop his brain from going a mile a minute and zeroing in on the possessive term, instead. My. He was Cale's — wholly and completely.

Thus, the three of them headed over to the palace, Cale yawning as they stepped into the circle.

In Alver's office, Cale lounged on the couch, munching on the cookies that were always made for their visits. Raon was doing the same, though he was resting on the plush chair to the side of the couch, making happy noises as he chewed away.

Choi Han, from next to Cale, shifted awkwardly without reaching for any of the snacks on the table. He always felt somewhat strange about accepting that kind of hospitality from the Crown Prince. A sentiment clearly not shared by his family.

Alver always told him that he didn't need to be so stiff and formal, that they were at this point friends rather than just acquaintances or allies, but Choi Han wouldn't budge. It might've been a bit petty, but he'd always felt unjustly jealous about how close he was to Cale. There was no reason for him to feel that way, he knew that their feelings weren't anything other than platonic, but the ease with which they could get along and speak freely with each other always made something churn uncomfortably in his stomach.

It was stupid, no doubt about it, but Choi Han couldn't figure out how to get rid of the feeling.

Usually, he was good at focusing on the task at hand — in this case, discussing the schedule for the next month with Alver, but today? Today, Choi Han found himself incredibly distracted, watching the way Cale thoughtfully chewed the cookies with unabashed curiosity. He was trying to decide if that was how Cale looked when he ate the food Choi Han made for him. Did he enjoy his creations as much as he enjoyed these cookies? Probably not, considering how terrible of a cook he was. Still, he wondered.

"... Is there something on my face?" Cale asked in a lull while Alver grabbed notes from his desk to sort through.

Choi Han flushed and looked away. Caught red-handed, though he hadn't exactly been hiding it. "No, Cale-nim."

Cale gave him a look like he wasn't sure what to say to that but didn't feel like wasting the energy to figure it out. Choi Han breathed a silent sigh of relief once his eyes moved back towards his food instead, happy for once that Cale's attention had left him for the moment. How was he supposed to explain he was curious to hear his thoughts on other people's cooking or baking, after he'd expressed such a liking for his own?

While he wasn't staring at Cale this time, Choi Han was apparently still spacing out completely, as he jumped a bit when Alver cleared his throat quite aggressively.

"Are you sure you're feeling all right?" Alver asked him, a small frown on his face. "You seem very… distracted, today."

Without fully realizing, Choi Han's eyes moved back over to Cale, who was watching the interaction with detached boredom. Unfortunately, Alver also caught it, and his frown turned into a scowl.

"Is my dongsaeng making it so you can't focus?"

Cale's eyes narrowed. "I'm not doing anything, though?" He said.

From the chair next to him, Raon nodded, but didn't say anything on account of the cookie in his mouth. He was a good boy, who had been taught not to speak with his mouth full. One he'd swallowed, Raon said, "It's true, our weak human is just eating with me! We are being proper guests!"

Yes, Choi Han thought, which was exactly the problem. He didn't say that, though. Instead, he focused on another way to phrase it so his words wouldn't come out stilted and awkward.

"I apologize, Your Highness," he finally settled on saying, which was most notably not a direct answer. Cale and Alver were both far too clever not to catch it, but maybe they'd spare him the interrogation and let it slide.

Cale's gaze stayed on him, calculating, while Alver sighed into his hand.

"Let's take a short break," Alver said after a moment, standing up from his chair. "I'll bring back some tea, and hopefully we can resume then, Instructor-nim. I'd really like to get a good schedule set with clear goals in mind." His words weren't mean or cruel, but Choi Han flinched regardless as he was chastised.

He wanted to apologize, but Alver held his hand out to stop him before he could get a word out. "I'll be back," he said, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Raon, completely oblivious to the tension in the room, floated around while he continued eating cookies. He loved coming with them to the palace to see Alver for this sole reason. Choi Han chose to focus on him, unwilling to meet Cale's eyes at the moment.

For some reason, Cale didn't seem to like that. "Hey, Choi Han. Look at me."

Instantly, his eyes snapped to Cale's like a magnet. He could feel a flush creeping up on his face all the way to the tips of his ears from being studied so intently. It wasn't unusual — Cale's gaze was frequently very piercing. Yet every time, he had the same reaction.

"Yes, Cale-nim."

That seemed to satisfy him. "Am I really distracting you?" He pressed.

Oh, he should've known Cale wasn't going to let it go. He was always like this, Choi Han thought wryly. He was the kind of person who claimed he didn't want to know things — that knowing too much would become far too troublesome — and yet somehow ended up with the answers anyway, almost entirely out of his own doing.

Unfortunately, there was no good way to lie when asked a direction question. Choi Han shifted on the couch, fingers clenching around the material of his slacks. "Well," he hesitated, before deciding to just get it over with, "what do you think of the cookies?"

"The cookies?" Cale asked, dumbfounded. He blinked, looking between the half-eaten cookie in his hand and Choi Han. "What do I think about the cookies?"

"It's silly. Sorry to bother you, Cale-nim."

"No, no, it's fine," Cale said, waving off his worries without a care. "I mean, they're good. Hyung makes good cookies. They're half the reason I come here."

Somehow, Choi Han didn't think that was an exaggeration. "I see."

The off-color jealousy crept back up, churning his stomach uncomfortably. The familiarity he had when speaking about Alver, or enjoying things he made, always made him want to run away from the palace and never let Cale take another step in. An absolutely ridiculous sentiment, considering he was friends with the Crown Prince. When it came to Cale, feelings overrode all thoughts and logic every time.

Silence fell over the room after a moment, the only sounds being their breathing and Raon's chewing.

Of course, this was Cale Henituse — a mind that was too fast, too smart for its own good. "Did you want to make cookies or something, Choi Han?" He asked, determined to get to the bottom of this.

He blinked in response. Did he want to make cookies? Not particularly, he was already so bad at cooking, baking was most definitely off the table. It would be nothing short of a disaster. There was no doubt Vicross would permanently ban him from the kitchens, Cale's wishes be damned.

"No, that's not it," he said softly, looking down at his lap. "I…"

Cale shifted, moving closer to him on the couch. Before, they hadn't been touching, but now Cale's thighs pushed into Choi Han's own. Choi Han's breath hitched as Cale turned and leaned in further, that inquisitive stare completely focused on him. The rest of the room faded away the longer he stared into those eyes.

At this distance, Choi Han distantly thought, he could kiss him with ease. He'd imagined it so many times — how soft his lips would be against his. Their noses were practically touching. From this close, he could almost count each of Cale's eyelashes individually. How clear and soft his skin looked, and how he longed to touch it.

Almost unconsciously, one of his hands came up from his lap and slowly moved towards Cale's cheek. Once it reached its destination, Cale leaned into the touch, his eyes fluttering close as Choi Han's heart pounded like a war drum in his chest. He moved his thumb, brushing the skin under one of those beautiful eyes with reverence, and—

The door opened, and they broke apart in an instant, startled.

Two pairs of eyes moved to the doorway, Alver carrying a tray with tea balancing on it, a deadpan expression on his face. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" He asked, exasperation woven into every word.

Even Choi Han wasn't stupid enough to miss the meaning of those words. His flush deepened, and suddenly, every single thing in the office was more interesting than either of the two men in the room. He wasn't, not really, but the lingering tingling in his hand from touching Cale so intimately would last the rest of the day. The rest of the week, honestly.

As always however, Cale recovered first. "Nonsense, Hyung. How could the shining sun of the kingdom's presence ever be anything other than a gift? It would be sacrilege to even imply otherwise."

Alver's exasperated expression turned disgruntled quickly. "In my office, really? Can we get things done now?" He asked with a sigh, placing the tray on the table.

Cale instantly made for one of the teacups, no doubt delighted to have tea that wasn't lemon-flavored for the first time in a while. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Hyung."

A few days later, Cale was once again eating food that he'd asked Choi Han to make. It had become somewhat of a frequent occurrence, at least a couple of meals a week were replaced by Choi Han's cooking. Vicross clearly thought Cale had lost his mind, as did the three children averaging ten years old, but Choi Han was delighted by this turn of events.

He still wasn't quite sure why Cale wanted him to cook so often. Or how he was enjoying food even Choi Han himself thought was subpar at best. But then Cale would give him a genuine flash of a smile, give him a small piece of feedback while complimenting it seriously, and Choi Han would think he could do this forever. Would do this forever.

Things between them, however, had felt somewhat different since that day in Alver's office. Cale seemed to be expectant, as if he were waiting for something, but never told Choi Han what that might be. He'd tried to piece it together on his own, but he couldn't.

It was bothering him a lot, lately. He prided himself on knowing Cale better than anyone — yet he couldn't figure out one thing going on? Some personal knight he was, he'd think bitterly, watching Cale with uncertain eyes.

Those were the thoughts on his mind as he watched Cale eat the fruit he'd cut up earlier. If nothing else, at least his knife skills had improved when it came to food. Silver lining, or something.

Ohn, Hong, and Raon had left when Choi Han brought the food in, having tried enough of it that they were no longer morbidly curious. With Cale's consistent requests, he felt less bad about it. Maybe he couldn't please the kids, but he could at least make his liege happy.

He hoped.

Whatever it was that Cale was waiting for was stressing him out, for so many reasons. He hated disappointing Cale, more than nearly anything else, but even more so than that, he was anxious about what it could be.

Had he finally been a little too obvious about his feelings? It was a thought that plagued him more often than not the past week, terrifying him to the core. Maybe he'd gotten too greedy, and now Cale was trying to figure out how to reject him.

Not that Cale usually needed to figure out rejection, but perhaps their history made him think twice to try and let him down gently. That was almost worse, knowing that his feelings could be wearing on him like that.

He just hadn't quite figured out how to broach the topic, in a way that made it clear to Cale that he expected nothing. His biggest fear was being asked to take a step back, to not be so comfortable with him in order to let the feelings pass, but Choi Han knew — they never would. He would love Cale for the rest of his life, no matter what happened.

With that thought in mind, he took a deep breath, deciding he had to do something about the tension between them. He couldn't let his feelings weigh so heavily on Cale regardless of whether they were returned or not. It wasn't what he wanted, and it wasn't fair to Cale, who hadn't asked for those feelings to be put on him in the first place.

Cale looked at him with an unspoken question, so Choi Han decided to rip the bandage off. "Cale-nim," he began, mouth becoming as dry as a desert suddenly, "you don't have to say anything, if you don't want to."

Now, he blinked at him. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Choi Han started this, so there was no backing out of it now. That would make this so much worse — for both of them.

"I'm sorry if you've felt uncomfortable because of my… feelings," he said quietly, unable to look him in the eye. "I didn't mean to put that on you, and I overstepped. But you don't have to worry, because I won't—"

"Choi Han," Cale interrupted, "what exactly are you saying to me right now?"

At those words, he finally did look up to meet Cale's gaze. Whatever he was expecting to find, it wasn't anger. Choi Han winced, fighting the urge to squeeze his eyes shut. He shouldn't have said anything. He shouldn't have made Cale feel more uncomfortable by forcing him to deal with this.

Cale stood up from the chair, marching to where Choi Han had been sitting on the edge of the bed. His own face was flushed red, a mirror of what Choi Han was sure his own looked like between the topic matter and the proximity. Without warning, Cale put his hands on Choi Han's shoulders, his grip feather-light but burning even through his clothes.

He went a step further, placing one knee on the bed next to Choi Han's thighs, and without thinking he reached a hand out to stabilize his liege by holding his waist.

"Are you really trying to tell me you're sorry for having feelings for me?" Cale asked him, eyes alit with emotion.

"I… Cale-nim…"

He had no idea where to start, what he could possibly say. Wasn't he supposed to be sorry, when he was being an inconvenience to the most important person? Wasn't he supposed to feel bad? He could never feel sorry for loving Cale, but he could certainly feel bad about making him deal with it. Subconsciously, the hand steadying Cale who hovered above him squeezed at his waist.

The disgruntled expression on Cale's face was not one he knew how to handle when talking like this. The way Cale leaned into his space more was worse. Choi Han could feel the heat from his blush, from his skin, making his own tingle. Cale was beautiful no matter the situation, but from up close like this, it made him stunning.

Their breaths mingled together for a moment, heartbeats pounding in sync, and Choi Han forced himself to swallow. This was… dangerous. And Cale didn't know it.

"You should move," Choi Han breathed out, his other hand clutching tightly at the blankets he was sitting on top of. "You should move before I do something you don't want."

A scowl marred Cale's beautiful face. "Choi Han, listen to what I'm going to say, because I'm not going to repeat myself." He crawled onto the bed completely, hovering over Choi Han's lap as he held onto his shoulders tightly. "I've been waiting for you to do something, because I don't enjoy having to work, but you clearly aren't getting it. I thought I had been rather obvious, and thought you understood…"

"Understood what?" His breath hitched.

Instead of a response with words, Cale leaned forward, pressing their lips together. Choi Han's hand trembled with restraint not to grip Cale hard enough he'd bruise as his eyes snapped shut on instinct. His lips were just as soft as he'd often imagined, the light pressure against his own searing itself into his memory for the rest of time. He tasted like fruit, like wine, like something forbidden.

And that was when reality set back in, and he abruptly pulled away. They were both breathing heavily despite the chasteness of the kiss, flushed with wide eyes. Oh, how many times he'd imagined Cale looking exactly like this. He shouldn't— he couldn't—

"Cale-nim, what…?"

Cale only sighed aggressively, as dark red as his hair. "Are you really asking me something so obvious?"

Choi Han could only stare at his liege in disbelief, mouth agape. What about this was obvious!?

"Choi Han, I'm telling you I'm in love with you," Cale said, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. As if it wasn't difficult to confess such a thing. As if it were something he'd known deep within himself for a long, long time. "I was honestly under the impression you already knew but you were just too shy, which made sense, and I didn't mind, but the last week has shown me—"

"Repeat that, please," Choi Han interrupted weakly. His other hand finally moved from the bed to hold onto Cale for dear life. Part of him felt bad cutting him off, but he couldn't process what had just been told to him.

"I told you I wouldn't."

"... Please?"

"... I'm in love with you," Cale said quietly, resting his forehead against Choi Han's. His eyes were closed, mouth set in a small pout, and Choi Han wanted time to freeze so this moment never had to end.

He'd dreamed about it.

So many times, he'd dreamed about it — what it would sound like if Cale were to return his feelings. His dreams never could capture the real thing quite well enough. Maybe the voice was off just slightly, or his expression was far too serene. But in real life, in front of him, it was happening now.

He breathed in deeply, moving so his arms wrapped around Cale tightly. He buried his face into his shoulder, shaking as he did, careful not to use too much strength in his hold. Touching Cale casually had been so commonplace as of late, but there was something so much more intimate about it now that they'd kissed. Now that he was privy to Cale's actual feelings for him.

"Can you say something?" Cale finally broke the silence, sounding nervous.

Choi Han almost laughed. It was unusual to see him so flustered, or to hear him nervous at all. He was usually so confident, so in control. "I love you," Choi Han told him instantly. "I love you, Cale-nim. I've loved you for so long. I love you—"

"Alright, alright, enough," Cale said, tugging on his hair to get him to stop. Choi Han barely felt it, but listened anyway, even if he wanted to tell him a thousand more times. Maybe that wouldn't even get all his feelings across.

Realizing he should say something, he moved his head off Cale's shoulder to say — something, anything, he wasn't really even sure — but once more, any words he could've possibly said were wiped the instant Cale's lips were back on his.

This time, Choi Han relaxed into it, scrunching the fabric of Cale's shirt on the small of his back. He'd never kissed anyone before, so he tried his best just to follow the way Cale's mouth moved heavenly against his own.

It was a dangerous thing, kissing the person you loved so much. Choi Han wasn't sure if he wanted to do anything else with his time ever again.

Not when Cale let a small, contented sigh escape him. Not when his arms were wrapped tightly against Choi Han's neck, so feeble in comparison to his own strength. Not when Cale sat so comfortably on his lap, in his arms, like he was made to stay there. When his lips slotted against his perfectly. When he was so soft, so real.

When they finally broke apart this time, neither of them made to pull away, still sharing the same air. Choi Han was smiling, which only grew wider when Cale gave him a shy smile of his own. The silence they sat in together was comfortable, relaxed. Cale moved off Choi Han's lap — much to his chagrin — to lie down next to him instead. That was just as well; he brought a hand to stroke his hair softly.

It set in, then, that this meant he could kiss Cale again. That Cale genuinely returned his feelings. He still felt like he was floating above the ground, head making a home in the clouds, even as the guilt of making Cale have to say something set in.

"... I'm sorry," Choi Han broke the silence to apologize, as softly as he could.

Cale made a noise, and he wasn't sure if it was an affirmative or a negative. "What for?"

"For not realizing your feelings sooner, Cale-nim. I just… didn't want to…"

Sitting up to look him in the eyes, Cale gave him a half smile. "Didn't want to assume," he finished. Choi Han nodded.

"You're too important," he explained. "I would never live with myself if I hurt you, or put you in a situation where you didn't feel like you could say no."

At that, Cale looked down. "You need to think of yourself more. I've told you this."

It was an obvious attempt to shift the conversation, but Choi Han let him have it. He'd already seen Cale open up about his own feelings far more than he usually did, and that was all in the name of getting Choi Han to understand his feelings were very much requited.

So instead, Choi Han just pulled him into another hug. His heart felt like it had just run a marathon inside his chest. "I love you."

"I know," Cale said, impossibly fond in his irritation. "You can stop repeating such obvious things."

For a moment, he realized the implication of his words. That Cale had known his feelings for a long time now. Well, he had never been great at acting — or at being subtle. There was a comfort in that, somehow. In knowing that despite how obvious he'd been, Cale hadn't wanted him to change anything. That Cale really did love him the same.

This was a happiness he wasn't sure he'd ever get used to.

[BONUS]

"Human, does this mean you can stop asking Strong Choi Han to cook?" Raon asked that night over dinner, after Cale's very blasé announcement of their relationship status.

Nobody had been surprised. Worse, most at the table — that night being Lock, Rosalyn, and Erhaven as well as the kids — had been surprised that it was a recent revelation, rather than an ongoing thing they just hadn't wanted to talk about. Cale was a private person, they knew. None of them had found it unusual that he wouldn't want to go announcing the fact that he was in a relationship with Choi Han from the rooftops.

Choi Han was certainly learning the true depths of embarrassment lately.

Cale wrinkled his nose at Raon's question. "What? Why would I do that?"

Everyone at the table turned to stare at him, Choi Han included.

"Because his cooking can barely be considered that? Sorry, Hyung," Lock said, wincing at his insult.

The kids averaging ten years of age all nodded seriously, speaking over each other.

"It seems more like poison!"

"We've been worried with what you've been eating!"

Even Choi Han butted in. "Cale-nim, I know my cooking isn't… very good," he tried for, a self-deprecating smile on his face. "You don't have to force yourself for my sake."

"In what world would I bother with something like that?" At everyone's stare, he rolled his eyes. "No, I actually do like your food, Choi Han. I'll continue to ask you for food from time to time."

"Well," Rosalyn said after a beat of silence, "there's no accounting for taste, I suppose."