Pudding
From Dusk to DaybreakThis update is inspired by an episode in Honobono Log and the books mentioned are actual books in real life. Enjoy!
It's a Sunday evening on the month of October, the night is young and the air outside is crisp and nippy. Hansol and Yuta are reading in silence, their feet crossed over each other as they lean on the pillows propped up against their bed's headboard. They've been reading for the past thirty minutes or so, with only the ticking of the clock and the occassional passing of cars outside penetrating the otherwise, soundless room. This is something they often do whenever they want to spend time with each other but are too tired to go out on a date, so they end up reading books side by side on their bed until their eyes grow tired and sleepy. It started out as something they did to relax after busy hell weeks in college and through out the years, they still carry out this practice of theirs even after graduating.
The previous week had been tiring and they wanted to utilize the weekend to rest and relax. They also want to spend time together in relative peace and quiet because Yuta will be going back to Osaka tomorrow for a cousin's wedding and will be staying there for 3 days. Sadly, Hansol can't join him as he has important meetings and deadlines to meet this week.
Yuta feels Hansol scoot away from him as the latter stretches his back and arms before standing up. He doesn't look up from his book even when he hears Hansol gently opening and closing their bedroom's door as he is too immersed in what he's reading. It's a story set during the French Revolution about a French lady whose been forced to help the French government in capturing a clever Englishman, known as the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel, who helps French aristocrats evade execution. The book is interesting, in the way all old books are, and the right mixture of action and romance combined with the sheer geniusness of the Scarlet Pimpernel is enough to make Yuta add the book to his favorites.
Some minutes later, his ears register the shuffling of Hansol's feet as the older comes back inside their room. From the corners of his eyes, he sees Hansol stop at the foot of their bed, his shadow looming over Yuta's form. It takes about a minute for Yuta to feel Hansol's pointed gaze directed at him and about thirty more seconds for him to start feeling a bit uncomfortable. The stare makes him uneasy so he looks up from his book and parallels Hansol's stare with a questioning look. Hansol is frowning and he's looking at him like he should feel guilty about something. He an eyebrow, urging Hansol to speak.
"What?" he asks.
Hansol's frown deepens and he throws an accusing look at Yuta before opening his mouth to speak.
"You ate my pudding."
Pudding? What pudding?
He gives Hansol a confused look as he racks his memories to remember what the hell Hansol's accusing him with. Hansol is still frowning with his arms crossed over one another and his eyes squinting at him. He looks like a child who's request has been denied or a child who's been restricted from eating chocolates and candies. How cute, Yuta thinks, but Hansol's gaze is starting to get unnerving and his instinct is telling him that he'll be in trouble soon if he doesn't reply. This makes him retrace his steps and recall all the food he ate today.
Okay, so we ate eggs benedict for breakfast, some macaroni salad, we had salmon for lunch, ate a slice of left over pizza 4 hours ago, that cake thingy in the glass cup– Oh. He blinks stupidly at Hansol as his mouth forms the word oh. His boyfriend's eyes squints even more at him (if that's even possible) and irritation is written all over his face.
"That was a pudding?"
"What else would it be?"
"I thought it was a really soft and tiny cake in a glass cup." He replies sheepishly.
Yuta gulps when he sees his boyfriend looking incredulous. "Where have you been living this past 24 years?" The older asks, not really needing a reply. "I really wanted to eat that…"
Hansol can only sigh like an old man resigned to his life. He was saving that pudding to eat as a snack after reading. Through out the day, he's been fighting the urge to eat it because he wants to eat the pudding at night before going to bed and cuddling with Yuta. When they were reading, his mind kept on flashing him images of the pudding sitting in the back of the fridge and after much deliberation, he finally gave in and went to the kitchen to grab that godforsaken pudding. Imagine the utter shock and disappointment he felt when he opened the fridge and the pudding wasn't there. For a couple of minutes, he was just staring at the empty space on a particular spot in the back of the refrigerator, his mind devoid of any thoughts aside from the word pudding. Then he started thinking of reasons as to why his pudding's gone and all of them lead up to a certain Japanese named Yuta.
It's too late though. The deed is done and the pudding that used to sit comfortably in the back of the fridge is now sitting- probably not so comfortably- inside Yuta's stomach.
Calming himself down, Hansol grabs his unfinished book, Tell Me Your Dreams by Sidney Sheldon, and goes back to his earlier position on the bed. The only difference now is that he's scooting dangerously closer to the edge of the bed instead of snuggling closer to Yuta. The room is back to being silent but the air is thick with tension and Hansol's sulky mood is weighing down on Yuta's conscience.
Yuta keeps glancing at the older and although Hansol's face looks calm, he knows that his boyfriend is still sulking. Cursed that damned pudding.
He glances at Hansol once more before poking his arm and when the older doesn't react, he pokes him again. This goes on until Hansol finally becomes annoyed at Yuta's poking.
"What do you want?" Hansol asks in exasperation.
"I'm just– I'm really sorry." Yuta looks down at his hands. "I'll buy you on– no, I'll buy you a dozen of pudding right now." He exclaims and just as he's about to stand up, a hand grabs his arm and gently pulls him down back on the bed.
"It's fine." Hansol says and gives him a small smile. "Besides, I bought that pudding at the store beside the train station."
"Seriously? That's like 30 minutes from here..." Yuta trails off as he mentally estimates the time he'll be back if he goes.
"Forget it Yuta, by the time you'll arrive, they've already closed down." Hansol says.
Yuta watches Hansol and sees a flicker of disappointment in the other's eyes even when the older is smiling at him. Now he feels even more guilty and there's a strong urge for Yuta to beat himself up. He never likes it when Hansol looks bummed out. Even if the pudding wasn't much of a big deal, it still made Hansol feel down when he wasn't able to eat it and Yuta wouldn't have that. If he has to buy all the puddings in the world just to make Hansol smile, then he will. Different flavors and all.
Not wanting to leave Hansol feeling dispirited, Yuta doesn't give up.
"I can buy one at the store 2 blocks away!" He suggests. Hansol shakes his head.
"You don't have to. They don't have the pudding in a glass cup unlike the one near the station. Those taste better even though they're more expensive." Hansol states. "Just let it go Yuta. I'll just buy one next time I pass by that store."
Seeing as there's nothing else he can do, Yuta just pouts and mutters a quiet I'm sorry. Hansol smiles at him in return as they lie down on the bed and rearrange the sheets over them.
Lightly caressing Yuta's face, Hansol asks him if he's done packing his things for tomorrow. He nods in affirmation and when Hansol apologizes because he won't be able to send him off to the airport, he places a kiss on the crook of Hansol's neck and tells the older to just pick him up when he returns before burying his face as deep as he can at Hansol's neck. The feeling of his breath hitting the older's neck is nice and the two of them silently bask in the other's warmth and presence, breathing in each other's scent as they snuggle closer, their arms wrapped around each other as they gradually fall asleep.
Hansol has just arrived home from work. He flips the lightswitch on and the lights in their apartment flicker once before they completely turn on. Hansol take his shoes off and places them on the shoe rack, sadly taking note of the empty space where Yuta's shoes are usually in, before completely stepping inside. The apartment is totally silent and the feeling of loneliness overwhelms Hansol as he walks to the kitchen to grab a drink. Three days without Yuta is hard but he knows he can live throught that.
He sighs as he drops his bag on a chair. He misses Yuta's smile already and he longs for the younger's hugs. The day is draining and he needs the comfort Yuta brings to help him unwind. He decides on calling Yuta after he drinks so he takes a glass and walks slowly to the fridge for cold water.
He opens the fridge and the first thing Hansol sees is a very bright yellow sticky note on a veryfamiliar glass cup. Hansol lets out a chuckle, the loneliness slipping away, as he sees the words I'm sorry written on the note with a handwriting he'll recognize anywhere. The need to call Yuta is strong so he takes his phone from his pocket and calls the younger. Yuta picks up a few moments later and the first thing Hansol says is a thank you then an i love you, with lots of chuckling in between, as he removes the note from the glass it's sticking on.
"Did you really have to buy me a dozen of the pudding I wanted?" he asks.
All Hansol gets for a reply is a sweet laughter that warms his heart.
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