AUTHOR'S PROMPT: (For some reason or the other)

–A year later–

“Khunnie, are you done yet? Come help me with breakfast,” Wooyoung nagged loudly as he prepared two servings of black coffee.

Without warning, a pair of strong arms slipped onto his waist from behind and wrapped themselves around Wooyoung comfortably. A pleasant scent of vanilla and strawberry immediately invaded Wooyoung’s being, overwhelming him in fact. Wooyoung then felt a pair of lips nibbling at the nape of his neck, gradually working its way up to his right ear.

“Khunnie, stop–,” Wooyoung tried to wriggle out of the embrace but he was trapped.

Khun placed a peck on Wooyoung’s right ear before whispering into it sweetly, “Good morning.”

“Mornin’, you creep,” Wooyoung replied, sighing. “Just be glad that I’m not holding a knife right now.”

“I know you couldn’t possibly hurt me,” Khun said confidently, his chin now resting on the other’s shoulder while his arms still firmly around his waist.

“Oh, yeah? Try me.”

“Knife’s right there.”

“Khunnie, get off me now and start cooking or we’ll be late.”

“A’ight, sir.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Hmm, then, ma’am? Or milady?”

“I– I like Youngie better.”

“Oh? Where did that boldness come from?”

“No-nowhere! Just get off me please.”

“Fine,” Khun pouted playfully. He nuzzled his cheek against Wooyoung’s before moving towards the stove to prepare their breakfast.

After breakfast, which involved a great deal of pampering over Wooyoung and embarrassed complaints, Khun drove Wooyoung to school before going to his office. On his way to work, Khun’s mind wandered back to the past one year, to around the time when Wooyoung started living with him.

Their final examination results had just been released, the final results that would decide the students’ futures. As expected, Khun had made it through with flying colors, while Wooyoung’s examination outcome had been rather the opposite. Wooyoung had already foreseen his result though, due to his deliberate lack of effort in his academics in the past, however much Khun had tried to help him in his studies. It was too late to recover.

In the end, Wooyoung had to repeat another school year to retake his examination, while Khun opted for a job instead of pursuing further studies.

So I can stay with Youngie, huh? Khun smiled to himself at the thought.

A lot had happened over the span of one year, much to Khun’s delight, and most probably to Wooyoung’s too, although the latter was always trying to deny the fact. Khun sighed contentedly as he reminisced:

Khun had mustered all his courage to do this, however uncharacteristic and embarrassing it would be. For the past months ever since he and Wooyoung started getting along, Khun had been gradually showing his friendship with the latter in school. Beginning with rather awkward small talks in class, to insignificant bus rides to school and back home together, to casual communications in class, to lunch in the cafeteria together and eventually almost completely attaching himself to the smaller boy. By that time, Wooyoung had opened up more to Khun and started accepting friends, much to Khun’s relief.

Khun was not sure when did it begin, but he did understand his feelings towards Wooyoung. He had accepted this feeling with open arms, thus confessed.

It was late into a particular night, on the very same couch that Wooyoung had lied before when Khun spoke, “Um, Wooyoung?”

Wooyoung had turned to look at him from the side with an expression that said, “Yeah?” as he put down the book he was reading.

Khun then took a deep breath before stating, “It’s already been going on for a while and I, uh, like you, Wooyoung.”

In response, Wooyoung widened his eyes in disbelief, speechless. He had stared into Khun’s eyes unblinkingly, a tint of blush crept to his cheeks, otherwise unresponsive.

“Woo?” Khun waved a hand in front of the stunned Wooyoung.

The younger boy had blinked once and exclaimed, “Wh-what did you say?!”

“I like you, Wooyoung. I… love you,” Khun had voiced out while shyly messing up his hair. Holding his sincere gaze on Wooyoung’s eyes, he added, “I know it might be a bit sudden, but when I’m around you, my heart just randomly beats really fast… From the very first time you came here – or maybe even earlier, I’ve been having this feeling of wanting to protect you for the rest of my life.

“I’m scared you might leave me someday so I’m telling you this. Wooyoung, can you stay with me forever?”

Slowly but surely, a tiny smile tugged at Wooyoung’s lips. Then the smile bloomed on the pale, chubby cheeked face. A genuinely happy and thankful smiling Wooyoung was sitting right before him. The next thing that he saw was a glisten of tear at the corner of the latter’s eye.

His heart clenched with mixed feelings of love, appreciation, nervousness from before, altogether overwhelmed by the extreme cuteness displayed in front of him, Khun had temporarily lost his sanity. He lunged forward, his hand slipping under Wooyoung’s hair at the back of the latter’s head and the other arm wrapped around the latter’s back. In the chaos of Khun’s mind, he reminded himself to be gentle with Wooyoung. Their lips connected. They were kissing each other for the first time ever.

In the beginning, Wooyoung was slightly clumsy with his lips against Khun’s. Khun had started by gently the smaller boy’s lips, then lightly prying them open. When Wooyoung had let him in, Khun’s tongue immediately found the other’s and they got entangled right away, sending buzzes of heat down both of their bodies.

Having had dropped the now forgotten book, Wooyoung scooted closer to the older boy, his hands now moved unconsciously to clutch onto Khun’s t-shirt. He had gotten lost in the kiss, with only Khun there to guide him passionately.

Right when they’d broken the kiss owing to lack of air, Wooyoung dove into Khun’s broad chest and cried silently. A short while later, he looked up at Khun with teary eyes and blushing wet cheeks but beamed brightly, “Thank you for having me all these while. I like it where I belong so yes, Khun, I want to stay with you.”

Khun’s heart had skipped a beat then. He brought his fingers to Wooyoung’s cheeks and dried his tears before pulling him closer for a tight embrace. This time, Wooyoung returned the hug, giving Khun a timid squeeze around the older boy’s torso.

Khun pulled back after that; he cupped Wooyoung’s cheeks with his hands and leaned in for another kiss. A kiss that had meant “thank you” and “I love you.”

Khun touched his lips. He could still taste his first kiss with Wooyoung as though it had only been yesterday. Then again, it was not like he would ever forget. How many times they had shared passionate kisses for the past year Khun had lost count. It had always been him who kisses his boyfriend first, and scarcely the other way round. Nevertheless, Khun specifically remembered that one special time when Wooyoung had kissed him initiatively.

It was about two months after his confession. He was at work whereas Wooyoung was on semester break at home after his first semester examinations had ended. His results were to be released on that particular day.

“I’m home,” Khun had announced that evening as he took his shoes off at the front door. Just when he got back up straight after placing his shoes in the shoe rack, Khun was tackled.

Khun teetered backwards until his back slammed onto the door; he found his tongue having an intense battle with another familiar one. A pair of thin arms wrapped themselves lovingly around his neck and Khun, in turn, encircled his arms around the other’s middle.

Wooyoung then withdrew from the kiss and gazed at Khun shyly, a wide, satisfied grin decorated his face.

“Welcome home, Khunnie,” Wooyoung had greeted him.

“If that’s the way you wanna greet me when I come home, can you do it everyday?” Khun had inquired expectantly, successfully causing the smaller boy to blush scarlet and release his arms from him.

“No,” Wooyoung had denied. He reached into his hoodie’s pocket, fished out his mobile phone, tapped open an app and turned the screen to Khun. “I-I did that because of this.”

Khun read the message informing Wooyoung about his examination results. Wooyoung had done outstandingly, with all his subjects soaring 80 and above.

“My baby is awesome!” Khun congratulated him ecstatically, easily lifting the smaller boy off the ground and swirled around once, letting him scream. After settling Wooyoung down, Khun lifted him up again, this time bridal style, and he brought him to the kitchen. He sat Wooyoung on the end of the long kitchen counter.

“Wait there, Youngie. I’ll make a cake for you,” Khun told him as he tied an apron around his waist and began rummaging the kitchen cabinets in search for ingredients.

“Even if you said so, I’m not gonna sit on the counter,” Wooyoung said, hopping off onto the floor. “And we should eat dinner, Khunnie, not cake.”

“We’ll have cake as dinner then,” Khun had insisted. “I want to help you celebrate.”

Wooyoung took a seat at the dining table and propped his elbows on the table, his hands cupping his cheeks. He giggled as he watched Khun mixing the various cake ingredients into a huge glass bowl from the back, “We don’t have to celebrate, Khunnie. It’s just a small thing.”

“It’s because I’m happy for you,” Khun had answered.

***

At precisely 4:00 p.m., Khun’s mobile phone chimed, letting its owner know that a text message had arrived. Pausing his work, he picked up his phone and tapped open the newly received message:

Hi Khunnie ^^ I’m off to work now. Did you have a good lunch?

Although this was a usual routine, it had never failed to make Khun break into a warm smile reading his boyfriend’s texts. It makes him giddy knowing that Wooyoung cared immensely for him.

Hey Youngie, be careful on your way okay? I had beef bibimbap for lunch. What about you? was Khun’s reply.

His phone chimed again almost instantaneously, and Wooyoung’s answer read:

Okay~ I ate kimbap just now. Don’t forget to pick me up later ><

Khun chuckled silently as he typed his reply:

There’s no way I’d forget to pick up my Woobaby =] Have a good time at work. Love you

Hahah see you later~ came in a short while later.

Khun smiled to himself as he took notice that Wooyoung did not reply a “love you too.” Wooyoung rarely ever tells Khun directly that he loves him, but rather, he preferred to show his affections through actions, and Khun knew that he was just too embarrassed to say those three words out loud.

However, there was also another special time where Wooyoung did what Khun had not expected him to do; one of the very few times when Wooyoung had boldly said those three words aloud.

“Khunnie?” Wooyoung had called from under Khun’s chin.

They were cuddling in Khun’s bed, around three months after his confession.

“Hmm?” Khun hummed softly in reply, nuzzling deeper into his boyfriend’s hair.

“I’m going to get a part-time job somewhere near my school,” Wooyoung had said.

Upon hearing that, Khun pulled back so that he could see the younger one’s face, “Part-time job?”

“Yeah,” Wooyoung responded while fiddling with the hood strings of Khun’s sweater. “It’s a simple job at Coffee Bean, I want to do it.”

“But, Woo, you don’t have to work… I don’t want you to get distracted from your schoolwork, it’s stressful to continue working after school,” Khun protested.

“Khunnie, I can’t use your money all the time, I’ve got to earn my own money at least. I mean, you’re my boyfriend, but you don’t have to support me like that, I can make money too,” Wooyoung reasoned, lightly chuckling at his last statement.

“But what about your schoolwork? I’m still against you working, Youngie. You won’t get enough time to rest if you add more work to yourself,” Khun told him, frowning.

“I can handle them just fine, Khunnie,” Wooyoung had answered, tugging at the strings that he was playing with. He then looked at Khun earnestly, putting on an adorable expression for good measure, “I’m old enough to take care of myself and my workload. And I’ve already told you my reasons. Please, Khunnie? I really want to try it out.”

“But you’d overwork yourself, don’t think that I don’t know,” Khun mentioned, his expression softening at Wooyoung’s pleading that had seemed almost like a child’s.

Unable to deny that fact, Wooyoung then stuck his lower lip out in a pout, his cheeks now even chubbier, “I promise I’ll watch out.”

“You’re not convincing me,” Khun lightly shook his head.

“I thought so,” Wooyoung said, breaking his gaze from Khun’s eyes and resumed his interest in Khun’s hood strings. Relaxing as Khun rhythmically his hair, Wooyoung pondered for a short while before tilting his gaze back at the older boy, “Can I at least work until you’re finished at your office so you can come pick me up? That way you’ll know I’m not overworking, and I can come home at the same time as you.”

With one eyebrow raised, Khun had asked, “How serious are you about working?”

“Very!” was Wooyoung’s answer, b with determination.

“Okay…” Khun sighed, and then added firmly, “Six-thirty, alright? You said it.”

“Uwaaa~ thank you, Khunnie!” Wooyoung marveled as he threw himself onto the said boy. “Why did you have to make it so hard for me?”

“Hey, I know how hard working is so I don’t want you to suffer when you don’t have to. Seriously, Youngie, you tend to overwork yourself and that scares me so much; like that time last year, I was so worried…”

“I’m sorry,” Wooyoung apologized sheepishly before burying his face into Khun’s chest, hiding his blush. A muffled “I love you” floated into Khun’s ears. The older boy wrapped his arms protectively around Wooyoung before responding with a soft “I love you, too, Youngie. Please take care, okay?” and a nod against his chest was his reply.

***

Khun pulled up into a parking lot in front of the quaint little coffee shop lit with soothing yellow lights, just in time as his boyfriend stepped out of the shop through the clear glass front door. Khun was glad to see no more of the old Wooyoung who had suffered in the harsh winter in the previous year. Instead, that was replaced by a now bouncy and radiating boy who no longer stood shivering under the falling snow.  Khun was content that he could protect the younger boy and make him the happy person he was today.

“Khunnie~” Wooyoung greeted him as soon as he got into the car.

“Hey, Woo,” Khun replied with a welcoming smile and reached over to ruffle the chubby cheeked boy’s hair. “You got everything with you?”

“Yep, let’s go.”

During their drive home, Khun mused, “What would you like for dinner tonight?”

Wooyoung tapped his chin in thought for a moment before answering enthusiastically, “Chicken curry!” causing Khun to chuckle.

“Order noted, milady.”

“Stop that,” Wooyoung pouted.

“Ah right, it’s Youngie,” Khun smirked.

“Youngie, go take your shower first and I’ll get dinner ready in a sec,” Khun said as he steered his boyfriend towards their bedroom.  However, still holding Wooyoung’s shoulders, he then stopped curtly in his tracks and turned the smaller boy around, grinning at him mischievously, “Or do you prefer that I bathe you later?”

Wooyoung blushed madly at his question and bit the side of his lower lip, avoiding his eyes from Khun’s.

Understanding, Khun laughed lightly and dismissed his own question, “I kid, Wooyoung. Go, I promise I won’t peek.” He kissed Wooyoung’s lips to make him stop biting them and nipped at it a little before breaking the contact.

Just as Khun turned to head to the kitchen, he felt a tug at his sleeve and his baby’s timid voice spoke, “Khunnie, bathe… me.”

“Oh, right now?” Khun responded, his wide grin reappearing on his lips. ([A/N] I had the image of fanboying Taec right here xD)

“Ye-yes, right now,” Wooyoung had barely gotten those words out when he was scooped off the ground into Khun’s arms, bridal style.

“I swear, Wooyoungie, where did you get that boldness of yours today?” Khun wondered out loud as the said boy wrapped his arms fondly around his neck and buried his scarlet face into his shoulder.

Khun carried Wooyoung into their bathroom and set him down before pinning him against the closed door with his lips. His hands slipped to the hem of his partner’s shirt and he pulled it up to his chest. Breaking the kiss for a split second, Khun tugged the shirt all the way up and off Wooyoung and threw it aside.

“Take mine off, Woo,” Khun whispered against his boyfriend’s lips as he tilted his head before pressing in again. His tongue ran over the top of Wooyoung’s mouth before colliding with the other’s, entwining with it.

Gladly complying with Khun’s request, Wooyoung began ing his dress shirt, his fingers working their way instinctively downwards while his attention remained in the burning kiss. When he’d undone the last button, he moved further down and unbuckled Khun’s belt instead of slipping the latter’s button-down off.

Lack of air became an issue by that time and once again, the kiss was broken and both men panted hot breaths against each other’s lips.

“Impatient already?” Khun teased as he took his pants off and then pulled Wooyoung’s down, his gaze lingering on the latter’s eyes the entire time. He then stuck both his hands under the top of Wooyoung’s boxer and whispered, “I love you so much.”

~FIN~

[A/N] I’LL LEAVE THE REST TO YOUR AMAZING IMAGINATIONS~ (Because I’m just going to be evil like that)

I tried backtracking style of writing this time and I had fun writing this ending. I hope you’ve enjoyed my slightly OOC KhunWoo as well. I kinda did tsundere Wooyoung there lol. Thank you all so much for your support throughout this entire fic (three chapters only wwww) <3