The scent of strawberries

Flour? Sugar? Check, check.

Strawberries? Double check.

Jaejoong mentally went through the ingredients one more time. Good, he thought with a satisfied smile. Everything was in order.

“Alright!” he said to no one in particular, rolling up his sleeves. His long black hair was pulled back in a small ponytail and the shadowy bangs hung behind his ears like curtains to keep them from falling into his deep chocolate eyes.

As his experienced hands started to mix the various elements together, he remembered the first time he did this.

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It was two days before DBSK’s first anniversary. Jaejoong, in high spirits, strode to the kitchen with a little jump in his step. He dreamily envisioned himself carrying the perfect double-layered cake into the dining room of their apartment. He felt excitement build as he tried to imagine his band-mate’s reactions would be.

Handsome Yunho would flash his charismatic grin, nodding appreciatively. Junsu would just gape like the first time he experienced Jaejoong’s cooking. Changmin would beam in his cute child-like way. Calm Yoochun would probably just smile quietly. Jaejoong pushed the door open, expecting it to be clean and neat as he had left it.

But someone was already there. “Yoochun?” Jaejoong gasped in surprise when he recognized the messy deep charcoal-colored hair.

Yoochun ducked his head to hide a small blush and he hastily tried to conceal the mess he made on the ivory counter. “Oh, hyung…it’s you…” he muttered, oak-colored eyes avoiding his.

Words were already starting to form in Jaejoong’s mouth, but they were cut off when a dough-covered spoon clattered to the floor, knocked over in Yoochun’s rush. He reached over and picked it up, scrutinizing it. The mix didn’t look right to his practiced eyes so he stuck a finger in and tried it out.

Stopping, Yoochun watched Jaejoong curiously as he testily rubbed the strawberry cake mixture in between two long fingers.

“First time baking?” Jaejoong asked.

Yoochun nodded, embarrassed. Jaejoong grinned and patted on him on the shoulder. Back then, he was barely shorter though he was about half a year older. “Pretty good first time. Here, you don’t have enough milk so it’s not as moist as it should be and there isn’t enough flour…”

The winter afternoon easily swept by as the two band-members worked together on the cake. Jaejoong stayed faithfully beside his dongsaeng, gently directing here and there as Yoochun, determined, tried hard to get it right.

At last, the slightly lopsided pastry was complete. Jaejoong remembered how the pleasure unconsciously emitted from his dongsaeng was deeply contagious and he decided against mentioning that they forgot to add the strawberries.

As Jaejoong started washing the dishes, a warm shoulder pressed against his. He looked up into Yoochun’s magnetizing eyes. Their oak-colored depths rippled more gratitude than he could find words for. Jaejoong’s heart jumped a little, but he couldn’t break away from the silent spell Yoochun cast upon him. He could feel the rippling muscles though his sleeves and Yoochun’s scent, beneath the flour, was unknown and surprisingly sweet. The sound of running water seemed to intensify Jaejoong’s awareness and made him gravitate closer to his younger band-mate.

Then Yunho came home and he poked his sienna head into the kitchen door. “Jaejoong-ah. C’mere and help us out.”

It took a lot of effort for Jaejoong to meet the leader’s anxious eyes. “Y-Yeah, I’ll be there. In a minute…” Yunho nodded and disappeared.

When Jaejoong turned back, Yoochun’s attentive gaze was focused on the dishes. Knowing Yoochun’s quiet ways, Jaejoong just stepped away without a word, eyes still watching the gentle features on Yoochun’s face.

Just when he was about to walk out of the door, he heard the faucet squeak to a close. “Jaejoong-ah…” His heart leapt unexpectedly. He was surprised how nicely his name rolled off of Yoochun’s tongue and formed from his deep rough-velvet voice.

His chocolate eyes met Yoochun’s. Even from that far away, they still were captivating. Yoochun gave him his first full-lipped smile. “Thank you.”

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The cake mixture was a light pink from the strawberries and sat finished meekly on the ivory surface of counter. Jaejoong eyed it, running the recipe through his mind for only the hundredth time. He pushed a strand of loose black hair behind his ear absently.

Footsteps brought his chocolate eyes up. Yoochun wandered in, his long sleeved shirt falling to his wrists and his khaki pants hanging loosely from his waist. Though his expression was of lost passivity, Jaejoong wasn’t fooled. The slightest hint of a smile touched Yoochun’s lips. Jaejoong knew he remembered too.

“Perfect,” Jaejoong said happily. He set down the full bowl and, sticking a long finger in, teasingly offered a taste of strawberry cake mix to his donsaeng. He meant it as a light joke, not really thinking that Yoochun would take up his wordless suggestion.

Much to his astonishment, Yoochun, without hesitation, closed the distance between them and grasped Jaejoong’s wrist. Jaejoong felt a shock flint through him even though Yoochun’s strong hand was gentle and warm. His chocolate eyes widened as oak-colored ones closed. Yoochun brought the hand up to his lips and Jaejoong was suddenly reminded of their now apparent height difference. Jaejoong wanted to say something, he didn’t know what, but he was spared when his voice failed him. A brief but scalding breath was replaced with a warm wetness as Yoochun’s sure tongue flicked lightly against Jaejoong’s skin, taking rosy mixture with a single .

Jaejoong, frozen and shivering, watched how nicely his wayward black hair tumbled into his chiseled face. Yoochun’s eyes opened again and turned down to meet his. “Not bad,” he murmured, letting go.

With his words, Jaejoong regained his voice and blushed. “Uh…ah!” In his carelessness, he accidentally plunged his other hand into the full bowl. It rocked back and forth dangerously and, thankfully, it steadied itself, but Jaejoong’s hand was now covered in sticky-sweet mixture.

Lightly cursing, he turned his back to Yoochun as he tried to wipe it off. Then a warm chest pressed against his back. Immediately, Jaejoong stopped. Yoochun’s left hand s under Jaejoong’s arm and pressed against the edge of the counter to support them while his other fell on top of Jaejoong’s right.

“Calm down, Jaejoong-ah,” Yoochun’s words blew against Jaejoong’s right ear like a spring wind and slithered down his neck, leaving a tingling path upon his skin. Ironically, these words had the opposite effect on Jaejoong. A warm heat crossed his face and his heart beat hard against his chest. He desperately hoped Yoochun can’t see or feel them.

Yoochun’s vaguely amused eyes glanced briefly at the redness on his hyung’s face. Then he lifted his and Jaejoong’s hand with confused brown eyes following. He slid his hand under Jaejoong’s and flipped it over, palm up.

Jaejoong could feel the slippery mixture skim down towards his wrist. Again, Yoochun closed his gentle oak-colored eyes and the rest of the sweet substance off. Jaejoong could only watch over his shoulder as the taller one bent down to clean his hand with a warm tongue. Delicate silence hung like a chandelier over the pair.

When he was finished, Yoochun took a little step away, allowing Jaejoong to let out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding. Not only was his face still warm and his heart still beat hard, now his hand tingled a little too.

Yoochun’s eyes expressed amusement and a deep affection for his hyung. “Don’t waste good food,” he said simply, answering the question Jaejoong’s expression asked.

His lips formed a smile as a tentative one touched Jaejoong’s. Wrapping long arms around him, Yoochun hugged Jaejoong lightly, nose in Jaejoong’s long black hair. They lingered like that for a moment then Yoochun, reluctantly, let go. Jaejoong’s chocolate eyes met oak-colored ones. Yoochun waved, and then strode away.

Jaejoong was left alone in the kitchen, heart still drumming in his chest and ear. He shook his head and went to complete the cake. As he watched the mix start to bake in the oven, he suddenly noticed Yoochun’s scent still lingered in the air. This time, he knew what the unknown and unique scent was. It was the sweet scent of strawberries.

Love? Jaejoong shook his head. I’ll leave that unchecked for now.