Work Text:
He was cooking. Why was he cooking?! He was a terrible cook! And all because he had invited Changbin over… Why had he agreed to cook for Changbin? He was notoriously known for always screwing up whilst cooking, something in him determined not to follow the recipe when it was set in front of him. And now he was trying to cook for the most important person in his life. Sure, he wasn’t as hopeless at cooking as the different content they had made it seem, but he wanted it to be perfect. Why hadn’t he just ordered delivery? If he had just ordered food he knew the older wouldn’t have been upset, it’s what they usually did. But he had asked him to cook for him when he came from the gym. So now he was determined to try, he wanted to do good for his hyung. He felt his thoughts spiral in doubt.
It was just some meat and noodles, nothing fancy, extremely basic even. He could do this. He kinda wished Felix was home for moral support, it was years since he felt this nervous over Changbin coming over. Alas, maybe it was for the best that his roommate was away on a solo schedule again, the guy had too many jobs, since them teaming up usually meant that Seungmin’s success in the kitchen goes down. A lot. They were a recipe for disaster, you might say. Like in their latest RACHA LOG, where Seungmin’s cookies were basically inedible. STAY loved to make fun of that. It was funny Seungmin could admit, Felix's reaction to his cookies were great.
He barely dared to leave the stove when his boyfriend rang the doorbell, shocking him out of his thoughts. He ran to the door to open it, quickly greeting the older and giving him a quick peck before running back to the stove, missing his partner’s very confused face whilst he put down his gym bag.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” the older asked after him whilst taking off his shoes. The younger not giving a response and antsy aura, making him slightly worried. He followed the younger into the kitchen area, seeing his boyfriend standing by the stove in full focus on the meat cooking in front of him.
“You’re cooking?” Changbin said, not even trying to mask his surprise. He wasn’t expecting this at all. Seungmin had rarely cooked, like most of them relied on takeout. Had he missed that they had some anniversary today? He didn’t think so. Seungmin carefully looked up at him, but quickly returned his attention to the meat and onions in the pan.
“You told me to cook for you. And so I wanted to do it.” the younger responded in a quiet and reserved tone. He didn’t look up again. Carefully moving the pieces of meat and onions around in the pan like they might jump out and run away, whilst making themselves into charcoal at the same time. The storm inside him was still raging, doubt still clouding. He was getting frustrated with himself for feeling like this. It was just some stupid comments, he knew better than to take them to heart, especially something like this. He was to stuped in his thoughts didn’t even notice when Changbin moved closer, slightly flinching when the older’s hands snaked around his waist.
“I didn’t think you’d actually cook. Thank you puppy.” he murmured into Seungmin’s neck, a smile on his face, his hair still wet from the gym shower slightly tickling the other. The younger shivered from the breath and wet hair on his spine, relaxing a bit into the strong arms holding him, but continuing his careful watch. A few of the voices in his head quieted down. He was doing good so far, he thinks, at least he hadn’t done any crazy experiments.
“You’re distracting me. Go and sit down.” the younger grumbled, focus still emanated from his face, even if his stance was a bit more relaxed now. Changbin reached up with one hand, holding his boyfriend’s cheek and kissed the other. A blush creeped up the taller's face, and a smile slipped past his lips. Without looking at the older he swatted him away, the smile getting brighter by the second.
“Okay, okay, I’ll sit down.” the older man chuckled, leaving to sit down by the table. Still watching the taller finishing up at the stove with a fond expression.
“I hope it tastes okay, or that it’s at least edible… it’s not really anything special I know. The cup noodles should at least be edible.” Seungmin said timidly whilst placing down the meat and cup noodles and sitting down on the opposite side of the table. Still not looking at his boyfriend. He was rambling, he knew that. He didn’t know why he was so nervous about this. He wasn’t even that bad at cooking. He could even be good sometimes! He realised it had gone quiet, slowly looking into the other man’s eyes.
“It looks amazing. Thank you, Seungmin.” he said, his eyes locking onto Seungmin’s, his expression fond and honest. The younger breaking the eye contact and looking down at his food, a shy smile forming on his face. He noticed the other bringing up his phone and taking a photo of the food. Humming to himself lightly as he starts to type on the phone.
“…What are you doing?” he said looking at Changbin confused, head slightly tilted to the side. He wasn’t normally the type to photograph food and posting it.
“I need to brag to STAY, that puppy cooked for me.” he responded in a sing song voice. Seungmin felt his phone buzz, yes he had notifications on his boyfriend’s bubble, sue him. And Changbin put his phone down to start eating. Humming happily after the first bite.
“They’re just gonna make fun of me again, hyung.” the younger said in a quiet voice, face had dropped the smile that had form. Looking away into his food again, using the chopsticks to move the noodles around in the cup.
“So that is what this is about?” Changbin said somewhere in between a statement and a question, voice now careful. Eyes trying to scan the younger’s expression.
“What are you talking about?” he asked back, but he was pretty sure there was no avoiding this. Changbin could always read him like a book. It was hard to hide any of his feelings anymore, especially the negative ones. It was like Changbin was honed in on them, sniffing them out, maybe he was the one they should compare to a dog.
“You’ve been antsy ever since I arrived. I was trying to figure out why, is it because of the comments after your latest video with Yongbok?” Seungmin still froze at his hyung’s question. Stopped the swirling of the noodles. Body posture slumping. Eyes slightly frantic, but still locked downwards into the food. Mouth open, mind spinning trying to find something to say in response, something to deflect it. Of course Changbin figured it out.
“Well in that case the picture will just prove STAY wrong, won’t it? The food looks amazing, and tastes absolutely divine, you cooked really well. But I haven’t told them it was you who cooked for me yet so if you truly don’t want me to say it, I won’t.” Changbin continued, he had seen his boyfriend's reactions to his words. He knew he had hit it right on the mark. He was still carefully searching the other man’s face, trying to lock eyes with him and to read more of his reactions. See if he said the right thing.
“No, it’s fine you can tell them. I don’t know why I’m reacting like this to it. I just wanted it to be perfect for you, and I started questioning why I was even trying.” the younger said whilst avoiding eye contact, not letting himself get the comfort he could get from his hyung. He really didn’t know why he was feeling like this. The comments usually didn’t affect him this much, when it wasn’t about his singing. He was supposed to be unserious and silly on camera, he knew the comments were gonna come. He felt stupid, it was stupid. His hands were now in his lap fidgeting, his eyes followed the hands down, unfocused.
“Seungmin-ah, please look at me.” he slowly looked up, misty eyes locking onto the older’s fierce ones.
“Seungmin-ah, you’re not a bad cook. Sure you might be one when you’re with Yongbok and in front of a camera. But you know as well that who you are on camera is not always who you truly are. And you also know as well as I do to not let the comments get to you.” the younger didn’t know what to say, he felt out of it. The eye contact started to feel too much, it was making him antsy again. But he did know those eyes, he did know that look. Changbin was offering comfort, not just offering but begging Seungmin to accept it. So the younger finally let himself take it, carefully standing up and making his way to the other side of the table. Straddling the big thighs he so loves, chest against chest, hearts on opposite sides beating in sync. Arms hanging down by his sides, head burrowing into the other's neck. Strong arms wrapping around his waist, holding him tightly like they would never let go.
“ Thank you hyung. I know I shouldn’t care. I’m sorry.” Head nuzzling further into the older’s neck.
“No need for those words between us, hmm. You have nothing to be sorry for and nothing to thank me for. I should be thanking you for cooking for me.” One hand moved up to stroke the taller's hair, in the end settling on the back of his neck, right where the younger liked it. A kiss was pressed against his temple.
“You can tell them it was me. It’s okay.” The other didn’t push back, just listened to him. No question if he was sure. And with that, the hand on the back of his neck letting go, whilst the other arm was still holding on strongly, Changbin picked up his phone and started typing.
Seungmin’s phone buzzed a couple of times again, still on the other side of the table. The younger tilted his head out of its safe space to see what the man was typing. He saw the initial photo of the food, it didn’t look that bad actually. It was then quickly followed by two messages; ‘Guess who did it for me?’, ‘Try to guess~~~’. The next messages made a small smile start to form on his face, ‘Puppy’, ‘The world’s first cooking puppy~’. It was a stupid nickname that he held so dearly, especially when his lover used it. He saw Changbin continuing typing, but he turned his head back into his neck and wrapped his arms around his hyung’s waist. He felt the other putting the phone down and the other arm coming back to hold him. This is home, this is safety, Seungmin thought. He could stay there forever.
“As comfortable as I am right now, can we move to the sofa? I don’t want the food you made to get cold, but I would like to continue the cuddles.” the older murmured into his head, lips moving his hair like he was leaving small kisses with every word.
“Mhm.” muffled into his neck was all the response he got, before the younger reluctantly started to move off his lap to grab his food and moved to the sofa following his boyfriend. He settled down next to Changbin, thigh against thigh, not wanting to be further from him then absolutely necessary for them to eat their food.
Their food was soon gone, plates placed on the living room table. Usually Seungmin was the type of person to immediately clean up, but not today. He didn’t wanna move, and he didn’t have the energy to care. The older moved to lay down on the sofa with the younger quickly scrambling after him to lay on top of him, head moving back to its safe space in the crook of his boyfriends neck. Changbin had put some movie on the tv, something they’d seen before, something that didn’t take too much attention off each other and their now comfortable calmness. The older held him close, one arm staying around his boyfriends waist, the other moving thoughtlessly around the smaller frame, every now and again pausing by the back of his neck. The man on top was clinging to the man under him, one hand grabbing his shirt by his side and the other by his heart.
“I’m going to cook for you again. I want a more happy memory.” it was quiet, barely a whisper that came out of Seungmin. The older was unsure if he would have heard it wasn’t for the fact that the younger's mouth was close to his ear and his attention was already fully on the man on top of him.
“I would love that. And maybe we could cook together sometime too.” Changbin whispered in return, he felt a careful nod against his neck. Long minutes stretched, shuddered in comfort and quiet, the older felt the younger yawn. Changbin started to move himself and his boyfriend to a more upright position, sliding his legs off the sofa. Seungmin makes confused noises above him.
“We’re going to bed before we fall asleep on the sofa. I don’t want to have a sore neck tomorrow.” the older said whilst grabbing a hold under the younger's thighs, his arms instinctively wrapping around the strong man's neck whilst he stood up. A small noise of complaint leaving Seungmin.
He placed the younger one down on his bathroom floor, careful feet touching down on the ground. Slugishly they moth moved to get their tooth brushes, Changbin having an extra kept in the cupboard since moments like this aren't far too rare. Changbin stayed by Seungmin's side, always touching, a forever comfort. It wasn’t until their teeth were brushed and the younger started his facial routine that the older moved away getting into a t-shirt and some shorts, always kept in Seungmin's closet. The mix of his own smell blending with Seungmins, he knew Seungmin would use them sometimes. Those rough days, those days he didn’t want to disturb Changbin and the rest of 3Racha because he knew his boyfriend would drop everything if he knew in the moment how he felt. But also those happy days, where the smell would calm and ground him, lulling him to sleep.
Seungmin then joined him in the bedroom, putting on some comfortable shorts and a big t-shirt that might have belonged to his boyfriend at some point. Then taking the hoodie Changbin had been wearing earlier and putting it on as well.
“I hope you’ll give that back tomorrow.” Changbin said with warmth and no hint of seriousness in sight, whilst moving into bed. Seungmin could keep all the hoodies he liked and Changbin would never complain, maybe just steal a few of them back every once in a while to make sure they still smelled like him for Seungmin.
“We’ll see.” was the reply he got before a body was half draped over him. The younger ones head on the other's chest, legs tangled, arms wrapping around each other's bodies. The older left a kiss on the crown of his head. Seungmin looked up at his boyfriend, eyes locking before their lips met. A slow and lazy, but meaningful, kiss. A ‘I love you’ without words. He felt his own lips curl into a bright smile, slowly ending the kiss. But the silent ‘I love you’ was still there, he saw it in Changbin's eyes. The look that sometimes felt like it was too heavy, like it was a burden he didn’t know if he was allowed to keep, if he was worth that much. In that moment he didn’t question it, Changbin would never lie to him about something like this, he knew that much. So he put his head back down and allowed himself to get lulled into a safe calmness. One that he only felt in Changbin's arms, his warm body pressed against him, and his smell all around him. He fell asleep, voices of worries and doubt gone, replaced with love and gratitude.