Chapter Text
Moving out of a university-adjacent apartment building was a miserable process, but doing it while completely unemployed was a special kind of exhausting.
Joong sat on the edge of a taped-up cardboard box in his cramped living room, staring at his laptop screen. Another rejection email.
“Thank you for taking the time to interview with us. While your background is impressive, we have decided to move forward with candidates whose experience more closely aligns with...”
Joong sighed, running a hand through his messy hair and letting his head drop back against the bare wall. Three months since graduation, and his job search felt like throwing application letters into a void. His lease was expiring in four days, his savings were shrinking, and the cheap studio apartments he had been touring around the city were either tiny windowless closets or smelled faintly of damp mold.
His phone vibrated on the box beside him.
Chef Dunk 🍳: Are you still packing? I’m coming over after my afternoon prep.
Joong managed a small, tired smile, his thumb sliding across the screen to reply.
Joong: Almost done. Just contemplating whether I can sleep on a park bench until a leasing agent calls me back.
Chef Dunk 🍳: Do not make jokes like that. I am five minutes away.
True to his word, five minutes later, the door clicked open. Dunk walked in, looking crisp and effortlessly put-together in an olive-green button-down shirt and black trousers, a stark contrast to Joong’s oversized grey hoodie and dusty sweatpants.
Dunk stopped in the doorway, his dark eyes taking in the stacked boxes, the bare mattress, and the exhausted slump of Joong’s broad shoulders.
"You look like you haven't slept in thirty six hours," Dunk said softly, setting down a paper bag from a nearby bakery on the nearest box.
"Thirty two, actually," Joong offered a weak, dimpled smirk, standing up to stretch. "Give me some credit."
Dunk didn't laugh. He walked over, stepping past a stack of textbooks, and reached up to rest his palm against the side of Joong’s face. His thumb gently brushed the faint dark shadow under Joong’s eye. The quiet, grounding touch immediately made Joong’s shoulders drop an inch.
"Have you signed a lease for that studio near the station?" Dunk asked softly.
Joong winced slightly, looking away. "The landlord raised the deposit at the last minute. Plus, without a steady proof of income yet... they're hesitant. I'm looking at two more places tonight, but honestly, I might just have to crash on Phuwin's couch for a week or two."
Dunk stayed silent for a long moment. He didn't say anything as he reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a small silver key attached to a dark leather fob, and set it down on top of the taped cardboard box between them.
Joong blinked, looking down at the key, then back up at Dunk. "What's this?"
"A spare key to my apartment," Dunk said smoothly, as if stating the obvious. "Your lease here ends on Thursday. You are not sleeping on Phuwin’s couch, and you are certainly not renting a windowless room across town just because you feel rushed."
Joong froze, his heart executing a strange, heavy thump. "Dunk, wait....no. I can't just move into your place."
"Why not?" Dunk raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "My apartment has three bedrooms, two of which are currently empty. It is a ten-minute subway ride from the business district where you've been interviewing. It makes complete logical sense."
"Logical sense?" Joong let out a breath, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Dunk, we've been dating for three months. Moving in together is... that's a huge step. And right now, I don't even have a job. I can't pay you rent."
Dunk’s expression softened, the sharp chef mask slipping away to reveal the gentle, protective man underneath. He stepped closer, resting both hands flat against Joong’s chest.
"I am not asking you to pay me rent, Joong," Dunk whispered, his dark eyes searching Joong's face. "I am telling you that I have more than enough space, and I hate watching you run yourself into the ground over a temporary setback. Just bring your things over. Consider it a temporary base while you finish your job search."
Temporary.
The word anchored Joong’s pride just enough to keep him from drowning in his own insecurity. It wasn't a permanent arrangement, he reminded himself. It was just a stopgap until he landed his first corporate position and got on his feet.
"Temporary," Joong repeated softly, looking down into Dunk’s earnest eyes. "Just until I get my first offer and find my own place?"
"If that's what makes you comfortable," Dunk murmured, though a subtle, secret little smile tugged at the very corner of his lips as he squeezed Joong's hip. "Now eat the brioche I brought you, and let’s start moving these boxes to my car."
What Joong didn't see and what Dunk certainly didn't mention was that back at his high-rise apartment, Dunk had already spent the previous evening clearing out three full drawers in his master bedroom dresser and freeing up half of his walk-in closet.
In Joong's mind, he was moving in for a few weeks.
In Dunk's mind, Joong was coming home.