COME ON BABY, LIGHT MY FIRE

Summary: It was a messy pentagon? No, a rhombus? Either way, Jongin feels like Sehun doesn’t see him as more than an employer, his ex-husband is still a confusing prick, and the delivery boy and the restaurant’s biggest food critic don’t know when to give up.

Pairing: EveryonexKai SeKai KrisKai ChanKai KaiSoo

The sounds of the kitchen were loud and raucous. The steam rising from the pans, the sizzle of searing food, the savory smell of spices, it was all home to Jongin.

“Jongdae, I need a plate of scallion stuffed bell peppers for table three! Hurry!” Jongin shouted as he finished plating a medium rare steak, smothered with a simple salt and pepper rub and cooked over a grill to achieve perfect parallel scorch marks. All he needed was to garnish and clean the plate and he could send it out to be devoured by a hungry critic.

“Yes Chef!” Jongdae replied and Jongin did not need to look in his direction to know that his playful smile had fallen away and was replaced with a serious expression. The man was a reliable Sous Chef, but Jongin liked to pile work on him to see how much it would take for him to crack. So far, he had met every challenge with success and Jongin was proud to call him a trusted member of kitchen staff.

“Hyung, we need the special soup of the day for three tables, and a couple of your famous sandwiches. The place is getting packed out front.” Sehun said, nearly relying on half shouting because Jongin was in the midst of ringing a bell, placing the completed steak plate on the counter, and shouting another order to Jongdae and the rest of the line cooks, dishwashers, and preppers.

“I got it Sehun, pass this along to table six, the one with that pinched looking penguin betraying his species in an ugly turtle neck.” Jongin finally answered, gesturing to the artful plate of steak as he took out a knife and began washing and dicing more vegetables for the soup of the day.

Sehun laughed at Jongin and he picked up the plate, holding it easily in one hand. “I don’t think the head Chef of a small restaurant is supposed to talk about a famous food critic that way.”

Jongin didn’t bother looking away from his cutting board as he finished making the perfect rapid cuts and was now sliding the vegetables into some homemade chicken stock he had prepared the night before. “I don’t need to be careful with what I say, Kyungsoo knows that I will make his taste buds with my food.”

Jongdae began hooting as he obnoxiously slammed his palm on top of the silver bell at the front of the counter. “I heard a reference! That’s another dollar in the pot Jongin.”

“That’s Chef to you,” Jongin said while scowling, still, he put the stock and vegetables to a simmer and jammed his hand in his pocket, shoving all the change he had in Jongdae’s cackling face. “And why the hell do you insist on getting paid in ones, is there something I should know about your private life?”

“Oooohhh, a stripper joke. I’d charge you, but you look like you need the money.” Jongdae shot back, the corner of his lips curling up in a smirk as he pocketed Jongin’s change and hustled back into the bowels of the busy kitchen.

“If he weren’t so good at his job I’d fire and replace him in a heartbeat.” Jongin huffed, throwing self-measured spices and herbs into the gently bubbling soup, stirring it with a ladle.

“Whatever hyung, everyone knows you’re softer than a newborn fuzzy puppy.” Sehun cooed, reaching out with a long limb to ruffle Jongin’s hair, smirking at the way he slapped his hands away with a flustered pink on his cheeks. Once done, Sehun his heel and finally delivered the food to an overeager food critic, who gulped and looked ready to drool at the sight of the still steaming steak.

“You know Sehun has a thing for you, right?” Luhan, his usual part-timer asked with a sly look on his face, looking like an all knowing deity as he took in the delicate red blush in full bloom on Jongin’s cheeks.

“Shut up, and get back to work old man.” Jongin replied, narrowing his eyes at the baby faced blonde. “I see a stack of dishes that have your name written all over them.”

Luhan promptly shut his mouth and scowled, he hated doing dishes and he complained and muttered moodily. “Kids these days. No respect at all, acting like they’re your boss-”

“I can hear you.” Jongin replied in sharp mandarin, a small smile twitching at the corner of his lips when Luhan groaned in frustration. “And you’re right, I’m not your boss. I’m your owner.”

The look on the usually smug blonde’s face was worth every memory speaking mandarin brought up of a certain someone with sharp black eyes, a tall lumbering form, and a roughly smooth voice.

“Head Chef of The Wu Firecracker Restaurant is a certifiable genius. His use of complimentary flavors and innovative and fresh plating techniques have more than impressed someone as picky as I, and of all the restaurants I have been to both in the upper and lower Seoul area, this is one place that I stop to visit every time I drop by the very busy night district. And every time, Head Chef Kim Jongin never fails to deliver food better than your mother and grandmother’s own homemade cooking.

For this reason and many more, I am happy to ask:

Jongin, will you marry me?

Food critic and writer extraordinaire,
Do Kyungsoo”

Once Luhan had finished reading aloud, everyone a part of the staff began roaring and hooting. Jongin flushed and tried to make an escape back to the kitchen so he could clean up, but Jongdae stopped cat calling in favor of grabbing him and keeping him from leaving by setting him in his lap.

“So Jonginnie, is there something going on between you and Do-ssi that I should know about?” Luhan asked.

Jongdae faked a nod and a thoughtful hum. “It all makes sense now. The one critic who hates everybody likes Jongin because he’s gettin’ some.”

“No he’s not!” Jongin protested, his face feeling hotter than a flame as he tried to wriggle out of his chair. Jongdae merely laughed and hugged him tighter to his chest.

“Hey, no harassing the boss after hours.” Sehun called out, looking more amused than anything at the sight of Jongdae’s form nearly disappearing from behind Jongin. He had a rag in hand and was systematically cleaning his way from table to table. If he weren’t held down against his will, Jongin would be joining in or cleaning the already spotless kitchen.

“Sehun, have your heard of Jongin’s good fortune?” Luhan asked, ignoring what the waiter said in favor of acting like he was dangling a carrot in front of Sehun’s face.

Jongdae fake sniffled and he buried his head in the nape of Jongin’s neck, “My little baby brother is all grown up—Ow !”

Satisfied that his elbow hit home, Jongin turned his head to face Sehun. “Ignore them, they fantasize about stupid things more often than tween girls.”

Luhan huffed in offense and crossed his arms. “Excuse you, I am not a girl. I am a manly hunk with a giant—”

Everyone in the room scoffed and Luhan pouted, looking like a petulant child. “Woman, you ain’t manly. The last time you watched Hachigo, you cried for an hour after the movie ended.”

“Jongin cried too!” Luhan protested.

Jongin shook his head in denial. “No I didn’t, I had something in my eyes.”

“Right, like anyone believes that.” Jongdae said in an amused tone.

“Shut up.” Jongin growled, moving his elbow back threateningly. Jongdae immediately recoiled and gratified, Jongin turned back to Luhan. “And don’t say anything about the review. Kyungsoo was just joking.”

Luhan threw his hand up in the air. “Oh my god, you’re so thick headed! A man with a rep like Do-ssi wouldn’t joke around with a proposal printed in one of the most read magazines in Seoul!”

“What proposal?” Sehun asked, his eyes almost appearing to narrow at Luhan as he stopped wiping down the tables around the chair circle Luhan and Jongdae had set up in the dining area. Then again, Jongin’s mind must have been playing tricks on him. There was no way Sehun would be disturbed about anything relating to his boss unless it concerned his job.

“Oh you know, the usual. Jonginnie got another bomb review and Do-ssi asked him to marry him by printing it in a magazine that has been distributed to everyone who loves food in Korea. North and South.” Luhan replied nonchalantly, inadequately trying to hide his smirk as he picked at the leftover dish food from under his manicured nails.

“…What?” Sehun looked so lost that Luhan cooed at him in a soothing tone, trying and failing to pull him into a hug. “Do you mean marriage as in-?”

“I’M NEVER GETTING MARRIED!!”Jongin screeched, making Jongdae flinch and finally release him. Jongin quickly moved away and prepared to dart off into the kitchen, however the chiming of a bell had him pausing and plastering a business simile on his lips as he turned around. “Sorry, we’