Work Text:
One of the many surprises that Sanghyeon has never revealed about himself while him and Liyu were dating was how much he actually cooks.
Liyu remembers the words so clearly. "I'll cook for you every day, hyung. Just trust me. Let me cook for you. I'll be the best house husband ever!" He'd say that with the softest eyes and his big hands around Liyu's smaller, slimmer ones. And who is Liyu to say no to Sanghyeon?
Since moving in together, Sanghyeon has proven his skills on many nights. Sometimes it's elaborate; a dish planned days in advance that has him slaving at the stove for hours, like a pot roast with potatoes, or it's simple; a quick toss of whatever odd ends they had left in the fridge thrown together in a manner that Sanghyeon would call haphazard, but Liyu would argue as genius.
The routine was flawless. Sanghyeon would cook dinner, Liyu would make the drinks, and they'd sit side-by-side on the kitchen counter, talking about their days or gushing about the meal before them (mostly Liyu. He loves the little smile Sanghyeon makes when he's complimented.)
Liyu would always offer to wash the dishes, and sometimes he's successful, but more often than not, Sanghyeon would playfully shove him to the couch. "You don't arrange the dishes right after you wash them, hyung. Let me do it." And Liyu would obey, lingering around the island, continuing to chat or sneaking little bits of chocolate to the younger as he cleaned.
It's tonight when Liyu steps into their apartment after a gruelling marathon of non-stop, last-minute meetings that he smells that all familiar scent in the air. It's a fun activity to guess dinner every night, but today's one knocks the wind out of him straight away.
It smells like...
"You're home! How was work?" Sanghyeon calls from the kitchen. There's excitement in his tone, and though he's the human embodiment of sunshine, it's not often that Liyu hears him this enthusiastic about his cooking.
"It was... work," Liyu says, though it's more of an autopilot response. He places his workbag on the kitchen island before striding to Sanghyeon's side, peering at the stove over his shoulder. "What're you making?"
Sanghyeon turns to him, and it's only then that Liyu notices the wide grin on his face. He instinctively rests his hand on the side of Liyu's waist, carefully pulling the elder into his own space. "I'm trying something new today.
"Beef noodle soup. The Taiwanese style."
Liyu's nowhere near as skilled in the kitchen as Sanghyeon. But he can definitely recognise the chunks of beef shank floating through reddish-brown broth, and the pieces of star anise; the only spice he can tell apart.
He splutters. "B-but where did you find all the..."
"It's actually not too hard to get everything. Lots of basic ingredients. The spices and seasonings were just at the little Chinese shop down the street. Ooh, I got this huge chunk of beef at a discount too! Isn't that amazing? Thank god we got this pressure cooker."
Liyu laughs in disbelief. The smell is exactly like the ones he would eat after school with his mom back home. At the end of the counter, he even spots the dried noodles that he's seen in his childhood cupboard, with it's signature yellow and blue packaging. "Why the sudden attempt?"
"You mentioned wanting to eat it again, no?"
Sanghyeon says it so matter-of-factly, returning to a pot of boiling water as he rips open the noodle plastic so easily, it frankly stirs something in Liyu for a moment.
Liyu flushes a light shade of pink. It was a casual comment. They were walking around town after shopping for clothes, and the biting winter air reminded Liyu of his childhood comfort meal. It wasn't a point of conversation, just a fleeting thought, and yet Sanghyeon remembers. "That was..."
"Well, regardless, we can almost eat. Was waiting for you to come home before i boiled these." He plops the two blocks of dry noodles into the pot, and the water dripping down the sides of the metal sizzle as it hits the flame underneath. "Can you grab the big bowls from the cupboard? The middle one, next to the oven."
He does as he's asked, and within minutes, two steaming bowls of rich beef broth sit prettily on their marble counter, garnished with bok choy and a sprinkle of green onions. And, of course...
"You even got these pickled things?" Liyu gestures to the unopened jar.
"They're called mustard greens, hyung." Sanghyeon laughs, popping the lid open and dumping a healthy amount onto Liyu's bowl. He glances at him for approval. "Is that enough?"
Liyu nods with a smile. "In Mandarin we call this uh... jiècài. I think. I don't know the Korean name."
Sanghyeon grins. "I'm sure you're right about that." He too dumps a good amount of the olive-green vegetable in his bowl, stirring it in with gusto. "Let me know if the seasoning is ok?"
Without wasting another second, Liyu tucks in with a quick "thanks for the food." Fragrant steam curls around his chopsticks as he pulls up a hearty mouthful of noodles. God, his mouth is like an ocean from how much he's salivating right now.
First bite.
"Careful hyung, it's hot!"
It indeed, is very hot. Liyu makes a poor attempt to cool it in his mouth, breathing in ho, ho, ho sounds while he fans himself. Sanghyeon cups his hand underneath Liyu's chin, just in case.
After the heat subsides and settles into a gentle warmth, Liyu then tastes, every flavour enveloping his tastebuds; the tomato, the soy sauce, the richness of beef. The noodles are perfectly chewy, the mustard greens adding the occasional crunch and punch of tartness. And the beef... melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Sanghyeon takes a bite, big enough to fill both his cheeks, but not without blowing on the noodles beforehand. It takes a moment, but he soon sinks deeper in his chair, letting out a satisfied exhale as he gazes toward the ceiling. "Damn, I did a good job today, didn't I?"
Liyu wastes no time taking another bite, then another, combining the various elements-- the beef with the noodles, the broth with the vegetables... Soon enough, he's downed the entire thing, having drank every last drop of the soup and a deep sigh escape his lips.
"You fucked that thing up," Sanghyeon teases, not too far behind. "Whole thing gone in ten minutes flat."
"No kidding, it's really, really good, Hyeon-ah. Like seriously." Liyu's gaze alternates between the empty bowl and Sanghyeon.
The latter smirks, eating his last piece of beef as he sits a little taller. "Better than home?"
Liyu playfully hits him, letting out a light chuckle. "Don't get so full of yourself."
"There's more in the pot, if you'd like. I can make more noodles."
Liyu leans into Sanghyeon's space, peering into the younger's empty bowl. He mirrors the smirk. "You want more but you don't know if you can eat another packet entirely by yourself, so you wanna split."
Sanghyeon whines at the smug read, turning away as his neck flushes. "Ahh, hyung! Now I don't want it anymore."
Liyu laughs heartily, placing a light kiss on Sanghyeon's temple. "Okay, okay, no teasing. I'll go make another."
He softens at that, looking at his bowl. "I could do that myself, you know..."
"Yes, yes, you're a big boy. But let me do this for you, hmm? You already worked very hard."
The change in dynamic is comical, a pout still on Sanghyeon's lips as he brings the two bowls to the counter. Liyu follows the packet instructions and splits the noodles perfectly in half, while Sanghyeon ladles more beef and broth into each. He also secretly puts more beef into Liyu's bowl. The second helpings disappear as quickly as the firsts, spoons clacking against the ceramic.
After dinner, they're sprawled on the couch, a bar of chocolate passed between them as they scroll on their phones, laughing at videos and showing them to each other. Liyu's resting his head on Sanghyeon's lap, and every so often, Sanghyeon would lean down and plant light kisses on him, on every surface of exposed skin.
"Thank you for dinner, Hyeon-ah," Liyu whispers, pressing his face into Sanghyeon's abdomen. He breathes in his scent, of soap and lingering spices from dinner clinging to his clothes.
"No biggie," Sanghyeon replies, combing his hand through Liyu's hair, pressing the pads of his fingers onto his scalp just enough that Liyu melts. "Honestly, I also wanted to try it."
"Where'd you even find the time? Even my mom doesn't make it at home because its so damn tedious."
Sanghyeon doesn't answer, settling for another peck on Liyu's forehead. "I can make it again if you want. Just... let me know 2 days in advance."
Liyu giggles, pulling Sanghyeon's face closer to his own. "Well, for your efforts, let me repay you properly, Hyeon-ah."
Sanghyeon's eyes widen, like a puppy getting ready for a walk. "Really? Hyung? You're not joking right?"
Liyu nudges his knee in between the younger's legs with playful force. It illicits a sudden jolt from Sanghyeon, who's breathing is already beginning to quicken. "I don't know, am I?"
He tilts his head to Sanghyeon's ear, feeling him shudder as his mouth ghosts across the shell. "Better hurry while I'm still serious, Hyeon-ah."
Sanghyeon springs to his feet, scooping Liyu up with extraordinary ease and at lightning speed. Liyu breaks into a fit of giggles at the sudden bridal carry, one hand on Sanghyeon's shoulder and the other resting on the subtle rise of his chest.
"Oh, you're gonna have the best time of your life, hyung," Sanghyeon teases, already waltzing to their bedroom as though he doesn't have a full grown man in his arms.
"Stop talking like that, you sound so perverted!"
Sanghyeon kicks their door shut with a soft click. The dirty dishes can wait till after they're done.