Dinner and a Movie.

Soon, the enticing smells of cooking food (the menu was miso soup with udon, rice, and grilled beef) filled the expanse of the Red Velvet dorm.  The only thing that Irene hadn’t cooked yet was the beef, as she wanted it to be fresh--hot off of the grill pan, just for Suho.  As she waited for his arrival time to be a little closer, she spread a clean tablecloth over the coffee table in the living room.  She had decided that it would be more comfortable to sit on the carpeted floor in the living room than at the table in the dining room (Irene didn’t care for the chairs; they were an awkward shape with hard seats and no cushions--Joy had picked them because they were taller and supported her back better, and none of the other members had bothered to object at the time).

            She set the table with placemats, plates, bowls (two per person; one for rice and a larger one for soup), chopsticks, dipping bowls, napkins and glasses.  Subconsciously, she wondered if Suho might want something else to drink, and if she should’ve gone to the convenience store to grab that something.  She and the girls didn’t drink alcohol very often, and when they did, they had beer or something simple and cheap like that.

            Irene stood to examine her spread.  It was nice, but something was missing.  She returned to the kitchen and found a small, thin vase under the sink, which she placed on the table with a large peony that she had borrowed from the congratulatory bouquet that Kyuhyun-oppa had had sent to the group a few days before.

            “Are candles too much?” she asked, out loud, pleased with the way the flower accented the table but still thinking that something was missing.  “...Aigoo, candles are very romantic, aren’t they?  But if I light candles... I should dim the lights--aigoo, it’s too much.”  She felt her cheeks warm a bit so she patted them with her fingertips as she stared at the table that had been placed and decorated.

            “It’ll do.”  she whispered.  “There’s enough light coming from the Christmas tree... It looks nice... Yes, it looks nice.”  The doorbell rang, making her jerk in surprise.

            “Chinja, he’s here!”  she squealed.  She quickly and soundlessly picked up the gardening shears and leaves that she had removed from the peony and dropped them off in the sink before hurrying to the door.  She stopped in the vestibule and took a deep breath, checking her hair and makeup in the mirror to her left before she reached for the doorknob.

            Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and no matter what she did, she couldn’t make it stop; it wasn’t like she had never seen Suho before (many times before), but something about him always did this to her and it was both exciting and terrifying.

Suho smiled the instant the door opened and their eyes met.  “Good evening, Joohyun.”  he said, his voice always sounded so clear and smooth; his very appearance was as wholesome as Irene could ever imagine a person to be.

            “Good evening, oppa.  Come in, come in.”  she said, moving aside so he could enter.  She closed and locked the door behind him.  When she turned, she looked over at Suho, who had walked to the kitchen to set a brown paper bag that he had been carrying on the counter.  After taking in the sight of him standing in the kitchen, which was beyond boyfriend material, Irene joined him.

            “What did you bring--“ she asked, but the question was cut off when he reached over and greeted her with a warm hug.  She sighed against the soft material of his t-shirt, inhaling his masculine scent and feeling his body breathe against hers.

            “Thank you for inviting me tonight.”  he said, his lips moving against her hair.  “It smells delicious in here.”  He released her and took a step back, holding her hands in his as he looked her down from the top of silky-haired head to the tips of her perfectly pedicured toes; already flushing her body with heat under his loving gaze.

            “You look absolutely beautiful.”  he said, “You always do.”

            Irene was speechless.  She really disliked being complemented, but something about the way Suho did it made her heart flutter enough to distract her from the embarrassment.  “Thank you, oppa.”  she said.   He smiled, his gaze lingering on her before he decided to show her what he had brought; an expensive-looking bottle of wine.

            “A little thank-you gift.”  he said, setting the bottle on the counter and crumpling up the bag.

            “We can have some with our dinner.”  Irene said, clapping; still a bit mesmerized by his flattery.  “...I still have to make the beef.”  She strode over to the stove and held her hand flat over the grill pan to check if it was hot.  It was.

            “Let me help.”  said Suho, starting to unwrap the platter of marinated meat that Irene had prepared as she spent an inordinate amount of time searching for a pair of tongs (they were in the dishwasher, where they shouldn’t be--it must have been Yeri’s turn to do dishes the previous night--that kid never knew where kitchen things were stored).

            “Sweetheart, should I cut them into slices, instead?” he asked.  Irene’s heart skipped a beat at his nickname of choice, sweetheart.  He had taken a fancy to using it lately, and she certainly approved.  “...It will cook much faster if we do.”

            “Awe, are you hungry?”  she asked, with a cute laugh.  He looked over his shoulder at her, briefly.

            “Yes, I’ll admit it.  I had an early lunch and no snacks since, so I’m quite hungry now.”  he smiled at her when she handed him a knife.  He expertly cut the two flank steaks into long, even strips.  Yes--he was definitely husband material.

            “Smells good.”  he remarked, meanwhile.  “What did you season it with?”   

            “Salt and pepper, and a little burnt garlic oil and soy sauce.  My eomma always reminds me to never over-season beef.  It’s a tragedy in her eyes.”  She watched as Suho nea