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Soobin sighs. And sighs again. At the rate he’s been sighing the past hour, anyone passing by would think he was a fan, with how much air he’s been releasing. He isn’t going to succeed, is he? He looks down at the burned eggs on the blue pan they usually use for breakfast, a messy pile resembling a little too much coal. His lips tighten in frustration. That’s not what the “10-minute best ramen hack” video had promised. He stares accusingly at the chef holding perfect pretty ramen on his phone. What a liar. But he’s not the type to give up so easily, especially when it comes to Yeonjun. He glances at the red digits on the oven. Seven past ten and it’s Tuesday: there’s still thirty minutes left before Yeonjun comes back to the dorm. Even though he knows Yeonjun's typical schedule by heart - how could he not after living together and dating for years - he checks their calendar just to make sure “gym session” is scribbled in Yeonjun’s messy handwriting. Luckily for him, it’s there.
He takes another instant noodle packet from the dozen he bought this morning and starts tearing the bright red package apart when a laugh interrupts him. His head snaps back and his eyes fall on a cackling Kai, clapping his hands loudly.
“Hyung…don’t tell me you’ve managed to fail making instant noodles.”
“Hey! This isn’t any regular instant noodle!” Soobin protests.
For good measure, he grabs his phone and shoves it to Kai’s face. “This is premium ramen! Not everyone can do that.”
Kai squints, eyes going over the receipt written in the comments. “I don’t know, looks pretty easy to me.”
Soobin groans, shoving Kai in the shoulder. “Yeah? Then try to…”
A smirking Beomgyu suddenly springs between them, a mischievous glint in his eyes that Soobin learned to fear. “You fought with Yeonjun hyung or what?”
God. Now he has to deal with two annoying little bastards. Soobin drops his head in defeat, resigning himself to his fate. He doesn’t have time for that childish stuff. He has to finish everything before Yeonjun comes back home. He snatches their used wooden spatula from the container next to their sink and begins to scrape what remains of the poor eggs he tried to cook. It definitely looks more like stones than edible food.
He’s throwing his failed attempt in the trash, joining all of his previous ones, when he hears Kai asking, “Wait, how do you know it’s for Yeonjun hyung?”
From where he’s bent, Soobin sees Beomgyu gesture at what he guesses is the pile of ramyeon overflowing on their kitchen counter. “It’s Yeonjun’s favourite brand. But the truth is…”
Beomgyu lowers his voice, “Do you wanna hear Soobin’s shameful secret?”
Soobin closes the trash lid and rolls his eyes. “You’re both single losers. Is cooking for your boyfriend a crime now?”
Silence answers him. A shiver runs down his spine. Silence is rarely a good thing in their dorm. Actually, it’s never a good sign in their dorm. Slowly, Soobin turns his head, afraid of what’s to come. Beomgyu stares at him with a wide smile on his face, teeth on full display. Little by little, his face inches closer to Kai’s ear. Soobin’s heart begins to pick up its pace, afraid of the next words coming from Beomgyu. Beomgyu wouldn’t dare, would he?
And oh, was he wrong. Beomgyu opens his mouth and uses his most high-pitched voice to destroy Soobin’s whole dignity.
“Ahh Beomgyuuu, what can I dooo, my Yeonjunnie is sooo cute,” Beomgyu wiggles, pouting in what he’d consider a very bad attempt at mimicking him “He’s so so cute. So cute I wanna hand-feed him.”
His whole face heats up in embarrassment, but Beomgyu pays it no mind and continues, adding kissing noises between his sentences.
“He’ll look like an adorable kitten, right? My baby would be so cute! Beomgyu, I don’t know what to doooo, do you think he’d agree?”
Shame rushes through Soobin’s veins, and his cheeks turn scorching hot. He’s sure they’re so red he could be mistaken for a tomato. A very bright and colourful one. He tries to regain any semblance of dignity, but seeing the delighted look on Beomgyu’s face, he knows it’s a lost cause. Soobin stands there awkwardly, body glued to the kitchen floor, watching Kai laugh so hard, his whole body is shaking. He knew he should never have shared his secret with Beomgyu. That gremlin will take whatever opportunity he has to tease him. He’s about to try to retort when the sound of a door opening startles them all.
Fuck, it’s Yeonjun. How could he have let himself be distracted that easily? Beomgyu and Kai are already running out towards the stairs, giggling. Beomgyu sticks out his tongue one last time, tugging a merry Kai by the hand, and they both disappear. He sighs. What was he supposed to do now?
Before his brain can begin to form an answer, strong arms wrap around him, and his mind short-circuits. A firm chest presses against his back, and the comforting smell of honey envelops him. He exhales, letting himself melt into the embrace, a happy hum leaving his mouth.
Yeonjun puts his head on his shoulder and begins to brush his cheek. Soobin knows he has the most dopey smile on his face right now, but he couldn’t care less. The only thing that matter are his boyfriend's soft fingers on his face, stroking it from the top down. He’s so happy he could almost feel himself purring.
Yeonjun presses a mushy kiss to his cheek and intertwines one of his hands with his.
“My sweet baby, are you perhaps trying to kill me?”
Soobin’s smile disappears at the speed of light, and he groans, wanting nothing more but to hide his face in his boyfriend’s shoulder. Why was everyone after him and his cooking skills today?
He stares at the floor and grumbles, “Yeah, I’m trying to kill you cause you left me for the whole afternoon.”
And it’s true, Soobin did miss his boyfriend today. He knows an afternoon isn’t even that long, that they used their rare free morning to cuddle, Yeonjun kissing him until he was dizzy, but Soobin is a greedy man, always yearning to spend more time with Yeonjun.
Yeonjun chuckles and sweetly kisses his face again: “Aww, did my baby miss me that much? You know we see each other every day, right?”
“You’re neglecting your boyfriend, that’s all I can see,” Soobin huffs, popping his chest forward.
Yeonjun giggles again - Soobin’s favourite sound in the whole world - and presses their bodies closer. He nuzzles against Soobin’s neck and begins to pepper kisses on it. Warmth spreads all over him, as if he were thrown into a volcano, the lava swallowing him whole. His body goes limp, drowning in Yeonjun’s touches, so much so that he almost doesn’t notice Yeonjun gently turning him around, making them face each other. Eyes fond, his lover takes his face between his hands and, without warning, puts his perfect plump lips on his mouth. Soobin gasps, a little surprised by the intensity of the kiss, but he returns it with the same fervour. Yeonjun latches onto his lower lip and bites it, before shoving his tongue inside his mouth. Their tongues wrap around each other, Yeonjun firmly keeping Soobin’s face in place with his hands. His saliva is pooling inside his mouth, a little bit of it falling on his chin, but that doesn’t stop Yeonjun. He nips Soobin’s upper lip, slowing down just a little when he goes back to his lower lip. Soobin can do nothing, wants to do nothing, but let Yeonjun kiss him like a starved man. He can only focus on the way Yeonjun’s lips make his body electric, his consciousness probably lost somewhere in heaven. He whines, not caring of how pathetic he sounds when Yeonjun finally pulls away. Yeonjun presses one last kiss on his lips before staring at him, a huge smile on his face.
“Did that make up for it?”
His head is filled with cotton candy clouds, stuffing him with so much love there’s no place left for words. With the little consciousness he still has, he manages to nod a little before hiding his face in the comfort of his boyfriend’s chest. Yeonjun holds him close, rocking them back and forth. He hums the OST of the latest K-drama they watched together, and Soobin’s body becomes jelly. He doesn’t know how long they stay like this; the only thing he knows is that it’ll never be long enough.
Carefully, Yeonjun detaches his head from his chest and tilts his chin forward. “My sweet Binnie, will you tell me now why there are dozens of ramen packets on the table?”
Soobin moans in annoyance. He’d much rather cuddle again than have that embarrassing discussion. Incapable of meeting Yeonjun’s eyes, he goes back to the safety of his boyfriend’s chest, rubbing his face in it. If he tried hard enough, maybe he could become Yeonjun’s personal tank top. A very tight one, preferably.
Yeonjun begins to pet his hair, as if he were a puppy he was trying to calm down.“Is it that embarrassing?”
“Yeah,” he answers, the sound muffled against his boyfriend’s tank top.
Yeonjun chuckles fondly, “You like to be embarrassed though?”
Soobin groans, face still hidden in the safety of Yeonjun’s chest. “Why would you bring that up now ?” he complains in a pouty voice.
All of a sudden, Yeonjun lightly tugs at his hair, forcing him to meet his eyes. “Don’t you wanna be a good boy for me, and answer me?”
Soobin's whole face heats up as soon as Yeonjun finishes his sentence. “Yeonjun! Not here! What’s your problem?” he answers, scandalised. He turns his head in all directions, Yeonjun having already released his grip on his hair, heart thumping at the thought of any of the other members witnessing the exchange. When he’s sure no one else is around, he glares at Yeonjun, mortified.
Yeonjun only giggles in response, letting his hand fall back onto Soobin’s waist. “Aww, baby, why are you acting so shy? I know you like it.”
Soobin opens his mouth to protest, but Yeonjun doesn’t let him finish. “Now will you finally tell me what you were trying to do?”
Soobin lets out what he considers the longest sigh of his life. There’s no way he’ll be able to leave this cursed kitchen without answering Yeonjun’s question. He’s stubborn, but if there’s someone as stubborn - if not more - as him, it’s definitely Yeonjun. He closes his eyes, resigning himself to his fate. He had embarrassed himself way too much today, so might as well go all the way in.
“It’s just that…” he stammers, not looking Yeonjun in the eyes. God, why was it so difficult?
Yeonjun nods, encouraging him to continue.
“You know when we go out sometimes? At restaurants and stuff like that, well um, there are couples and they…they…”
Soobin fidgets with Yeonjun’s tank top, staring at the wooden floor. He thinks he’s never stared at it that much. Was their kitchen floor always that brown? With great effort, he lifts his head and exhales, getting himself ready for his shameful confession.
“Sometimes, um, well, the couples they feed each other and I…I kinda want to do the same with you,” he says in a rush, not wanting to take more time than necessary admitting his little secret.
Yeonjun coos, a huge smile plastered on his face. He pinches Soobin’s cheeks, pulling them in every direction possible before squishing his face. “My Soobinie, you’re too cute, you know that?”
Soobin feels the familiar warmth on his cheek returning, embarrassed by the compliment, but he can’t help the shy smile that blooms on his face. “So it means you agree? I can hand-feed you?” he asks, voice full of hope.
Yeonjun bops his nose “Of course I agree! How could I say no to something so adorable?”
Soobin's heart soars. If it didn’t mean going away from Yeonjun’s warm embrace, he would jump everywhere like an overexcited puppy, his tail wagging in happiness.
“This is the best day of my life,” he mumbles, more to himself than Yeonjun, already imagining all the cute faces his boyfriend would make.
Yeonjun laughs again, pressing a tender kiss to Soobin’s forehead. His boyfriend begins to place loud smacks all over his face, the wet sounds of it resonating in their empty kitchen, alongside Yeonjun’s baby voice that keeps complimenting him. Soobin closes his eyes, basking in the affection of the love of his life, happy bubbles exploding in his chest. At one point, Yeonjun calls him “the cutest sweetest adorable pretty bunny he’s ever seen in his whole life,” and Soobin's thoughts briefly drift to the others. They’re really that obnoxious couple, aren’t they? But as Yeonjun gives him another way too long pet name, he knows he’ll never be sorry for it.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Today is the day. Soobin can’t mess this up. It’s one of the most important days of his life. He furrows his brow, rereading the ramen chef video instructions, even though he knows them by heart now.
After his confession, he and Yeonjun decided on a date where he could hand-feed him his favourite food: ramen. As soon as it was chosen, Soobin got to work. Every night, when Yeonjun was snoring on his chest, Soobin would watch the “10-minute best ramen hack” video again and again. It got to the point where he’d dream about it, his hand sometimes turning around, as if he was stirring noodles in a boiling pot.
Like a battle cry, he smashes the pot on the stove, its clank echoing through their dorm. Yeonjun would be smiling as much, if not more than that cursed ramen chef. He starts heating the stove and takes out their wooden cutting board in one swift motion. It's entirely covered by uneven scratches and burned little heaps, a testimony of their poor cooking attempt, but as long as it’s usable, they don’t care to replace it. While waiting for the water to boil, Soobin chops the green onions, careful to make the proportion equal. He tears the ramen packet in one go and diligently puts the sauces aside.
Now, for the next part, he just has to hope his egg training will pay off. He pours some oil on his lucky pan, a bunny-shaped one his mom gifted him to encourage him to cook. It should guarantee his success, right? He cracks an egg on it, staring at the warming food to make sure it won’t burn. When the egg looks white enough, he puts it aside, checking the consistency with a chopstick. He beams when it bounces on it. Perfect. He did well to cook fried eggs every morning for breakfast.
He’s starting to prepare the sauce when he hears someone turning on their shower, the sound of water rhythmically hitting the floor. It must be Yeonjun. Which means he has approximately 30 minutes left before he comes back in.
He mixes some mayonnaise into the sauce - makes everything better, according to the ramen chef - before throwing the ramen and some bean sprouts inside the boiling water. Soobin lowers the heating stove and puts the finished ramen sauce inside the pot. He covers it with a lid, almost making it fall in his hurry. Now, he just has to wait a few minutes to let it simmer. Which leaves him with the exact amount of time needed to finish everything.
He rushes to their sofa, kneeling to be at their coffee table level. That’s where he set up everything as soon as Yeonjun left the living room. The heart-shaped pink candles cast a soft glow on the blanket his boyfriend always uses, like waves on the shore. Yeonjun’s favourite Hwang Choon plushie is politely sitting next to a milky plump cushion, looking even more tiny next to it.
Soobin pats the white pillow, making sure to give little bumps on every patch of tissue to test its resistance. There’s way too much of it. It’s clearly not comfortable enough for Yeonjun. He deserves the best cushion in their whole dorm, and this one won’t do.
Soobin bolts on his feet, snatching with no remorse Beomgyu’s luxury pillow he promised he wouldn’t use from his assigned loveseat, and throws it to the ground. He sits on it, proof-testing its softness for Yeonjun like the good boyfriend he is. And damn, that cushion is definitely worth its 450 000 KRW.
He’s scattering some petals on the floor, to make it look like those couples tiktok video Yeonjun watches, when he hears someone coming down the stairs. He freezes. There’s no way Yeonjun could have been this fast to shower, right? But he couldn’t mistake the light steps he’s hearing for anyone else but his boyfriend. Panic begins to rise inside his chest. “Wait, wait, wait, Yeonjunnie!”
The noise on the stairs stops, accompanied by a light snicker. “Baby, what are you even hiding? You’re just cooking ramen, right?”
Soobin gulps, staring at the pastel-themed bouquets next to the candles and the rose petals on their carpet. Maybe he went a little bit overboard?
“Don’t worry, I’ll pretend I didn’t know about the flowers you bought this morning,” Yeonjun giggles, and Soobin's whole body flinches. Wow. Okay. So he absolutely wasn’t as discreet as Kai had promised him he was. But he doesn’t have time to dwell on it. Yeonjun is waiting for him, and he can’t make his baby wait too long.
He dashes towards their cabinet and opens it to get Yeonjun’s cute cat-shaped bowl (he bought it on impulse during one of their tours, because Yeonjun kept staring at it) and the Little Prince’s fox-plastered chopsticks with its matching spoon that Yeonjun usually uses (he also bought it on impulse for Yeonjun). Putting the cat bowl next to the stove, he pours the ramen inside, making sure nothing overflows. As the ramen chef had advised, he sprinkles some green onions and sesame seeds on the hot liquid to make it prettier. Soobin scans his creation, eyes going back and forth between his screen and his own ramen. It’s not too bad: it almost looks like the one in the video. And hopefully, it tastes even better.
With great care, he transports the silverware and the filled bowl to their coffee table, checking that the cat’s smile faces where he and Yeonjun would sit. He reviews the little arrangements he made on the table, one by one. Everything has to be perfect. He moves a bouquet one last time before clearing his throat.
“You can come now.”
Yeonjun’s face peers out of their stair, little droplets of water falling from his hair. He’s wearing Soobin’s used Minion shirt, and the way it floats around him is not helping Soobin's heart beat any slower. Yeonjun’s eyes dart around the living room, head tilting to the side in a cat-like fashion. His eyes go wide when they land on the coffee table. A huge smile appears on his face, his nose adorably scrunching as he usually does when he’s happy. Childlike giggles fill the room, and it’s better than all the scenarios Soobin had imagined. No daydream could ever compare to the incarnation of cuteness that his boyfriend is. He doesn’t believe in any gods, but he might change his mind just to thank whoever put Choi Yeonjun in his life.
Yeonjun rushes in excitement to Soobin and jumps into his arms. He spins them around, his laugh filling Soobin’s heart with euphoria. It’s a drug Soobin can’t get enough of, and sparkling fireworks explode all over his body.
When Yeonjun stops, they’re both panting hard, but Soobin barely notices the way his chest throbs. He can only focus on Yeonjun’s eyes narrowing into adorable little crescents because of how much he smiles.
Yeonjun presses their foreheads together, breathless, “My Soobinie…you’re the cutest boyfriend in the whole world, you know that?”
Soobin lifts Yeonjun’s flattened hair off his forehead and presses a kiss there. “Are you sure? Cause I’m pretty certain you’d be ranking first in a cutest boyfriend competition.”
Yeonjun closes his eyes and nuzzles his face in Soobin’s chest “Okay baby, I’ll let you win this time, but only because I’m hungry.”
He detangles himself from Soobin and begins to bend in front of his cat-shaped bowl.
Soobin frowns. There’s no way Yeonjun would be sitting alone on that cushion and not in his arms. Soobin can’t allow that. He gently catches Yeonjun’s arm, stopping him from going any further. Yeonjun looks confused, and Soobin knows he’s blushing hard, but he can’t let embarrassment get in the way of his dream, now that he has come so far.
He releases Yeonjun’s arm and rushes to sit down on Beomgyu’s cushion. He pats the space between his legs. “Love,” he says, “do…do… you think you could sit in my lap?”
Yeonjun squeaks and plops down in his arms without hesitation. Soobin yelps in surprise, but is quick to adjust his hold on his boyfriend, Yeonjun’s body relaxing against his chest. He drapes Yeonjun’s favourite blanket on their legs and brings Yeonjun closer to him. There’s always too much space between them, and if he could, Soobin would merge with Yeonjun’s entire being. He presses his chest against Yeonjun’s back, absorbing the warmth from his body, like a flower basking in the rays of the sun.
“Soobinie?” calls Yeonjun. He kisses Soobin’s cheek and expectantly opens his mouth. Soobin takes a moment to admire his pouty lips and that perky nose he always wants to smooch, before he has to remove his hands from Yeonjun’s waist.
He grabs the spoon and lowers it into the ramen broth. He uses the chopstick to gather the noodles inside the soup-filled spoon, and delicately, he brings the spoon’s content to Yeonjun’s mouth. His heart hammers against his ribcage, and his arms quiver from the anticipation of seeing his boyfriend’s cute eating face.
Yeonjun closes his mouth around the spoon and diligently chews on the noodles with his cheek puffed. He chomps on his ramen with a contented expression on his face, his nose bobbing up and down, and Soobin’s heart almost bursts out of his chest. He can’t do it anymore. He’s going to die from Yeonjun’s cuteness. Yeonjun swallows the broth left in the spoon in one go, making satisfied sounds, and Soobin is pretty sure his soul left his body. But he can’t die now. If he dies, he won’t be able to see Yeonjun’s adorable habit of wiggling his head whenever he’s eating something he likes. So Soobin gathers every ounce of bravery he possesses and gives Yeonjun his second bite.
They stay like this in silence, only interrupted by Yeonjun’s contented hum after he finishes the bites Soobin gives him. Soobin wonders if a benevolent ghost decided to temporarily possess his body to feed Yeonjun in his place, because right now, Soobin doesn’t know how he’s controlling his own movements. He’s nothing but a puddle of love for his boyfriend, his adoration seeping through his veins onto the floor, drowning everything around until there’s nothing left but his devotion for Yeonjun.
When Yeonjun finishes everything, Soobin tenderly wipes the little bit of broth left on his lips and can’t resist pressing a peck there. Yeonjun smiles, and his cheeks fill up like cute buns. Despite the embarrassment it gave him, confessing his little secret to Yeonjun is one of the best things he has ever done in his life. He was right, Yeonjun was as cute as ever, and happiness isn’t a word strong enough to describe what he’s feeling. He hopes Yeonjun enjoyed it as much as him.
He circles Yeonjun's waist again and puts his chin on his shoulder.
“So…how was it?”
Yeonjun’s answer is immediate. “I loved it, baby”
Excitement runs through Soobin’s body, as if he had been electrocuted, and he shivers a little. He clenches his fists, trying to steady himself. “Does….does that mean we can do it again?”
Yeonjun turns around and presses their chest so close that Soobin isn’t sure air can pass between them. Soft hands settle down on his face, and Yeonjun begins to stroke his cheeks. Yeonjun’s eyes are filled with so much adoration, Soobin doesn’t know how he’s managing not to cry on the spot. He stares back at his lover, waiting for the answer that could change his life.
“Of course we can, my sweet bunny. I really enjoyed it, you know?” Yeonjun replies, a fond expression on his face. Then he adds, almost reverently, “Thank you for always taking such good care of me.”
Soobin dies of joy and comes back to life the second the words leave Yeonjun’s mouth. Ecstasy takes possession of every part of his body, and he becomes weightless, floating in euphoria. His lips stretch into a big grin. He did it. He truly did it. He accomplished his dream, the shameful wish he thought about every day for months. Tears begin to gather in the corner of his eyes.
“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god,” he mumbles, unable to stop himself, almost in a trance.
Visions of Yeonjun’s cute face while eating all kinds of food flood his mind. Yeonjun eating chocolate chip cookies, nose scrunching in contentment. Yeonjun eating an apple pie from Soobin’s hand, dancing happily. Yeonjun eating spicy chicken, pouty lips becoming more plump under its flavour. His head is all Yeonjun, Yeonjun, Yeonjun, and he can’t help it, he has to let it all out.
“What do you think about eating some Korean barbecue like that? Oh, and what about some snacks, like the ones you always eat when we go to the US? Should I use chopsticks to give it to you? Or my hands? And you know what? I would even agree to give you some mint-choco ice cream bec-”
Yeonjun’s voluptuous lips press against his, and he forgets what he was talking about. The kiss is gentle, Yeonjun taking the time to taste him, one of his hands combing through his hair. Soobin whines in bliss into the kiss, and Yeonjun nibbles his lower lip.
When they finally pull away, Yeonjun's brows furrow a little, a small pout forming on his adorable lips.
“My Soobinie…I love you very much, but will you shut up a little? I have a cute boyfriend I’d really like to kiss more now.”
And Soobin happily complies, head far away in a dream-like land where only Yeonjun’s warm mouth and cute-eating face exist.