In the Kitchen
The Howling - Part III: Imprinting
Finally, the full moon passed, without another incident, and the boys were able to return to their normal lives -- at least, as normal as it could get. Joonmyun was still wary of Jongin, his trust for the male shaken by what had happened over the weekend, but he was still trying, no matter how awkward it may have been. It was all he could do, try, because if he didn't then there was nothing else for him save for sitting in Jongin's room and staring at the walls.
They didn't leave the bedroom much, anyway, and if they did then they stayed on the third floor or in the gardens, trying their best to avoid Yoochun or the others. Sunny still mothered them, too; she brought them meals, snacks, checked on Joonmyun's arm -- and scolded him for the cut on his foot -- and otherwise made them feel as comfortable as she could.
As well, the other boys -- Taemin, Yunho, Jaejoong, and Changmin -- still watched over them and someone was always close by just incase something should happen. Jongin had made Joonmyun feel safe enough as it was, but the others only enforced that, making him feel as if nothing could ever happen to him no matter where he went or what he did. For that, the boy was grateful.
To show his gratitude in one of the only ways he knew how, especially since there was no where for him to go, Joonmyun had requested that he take over the kitchen one afternoon to bake something for Sunny and the boys, and then to prepare dinner in place of Sunny until she felt like cooking again. He'd pulled Jongin with him, of course, not just for company but in hopes of teaching him a thing or two.
After several hours, they'd managed four dozen cookies, a double tiered cake, and two sheets of white chocolate chip brownies. The elder was pleased, to say the least, and he only stopped long enough to sample a few things before needing to move on to that night's dinner.
"Should I use chicken or beef?" Joonmyun asked, turning to Jongin; the elder knew that the pack would want some sort of meat with their dinner, but he was unaware of their preferences. There were packages of both, and he could do half and half, but then it was harder to make something else later.
The first day after the full moon had passed had been the worst - at least, for Jongin it had, in the awkwardness department - but soon enough, it seemed that while Joonmyun was still unsure about him, they'd gotten back to a semblence of normalcy. Even with the threat of creeper!Chun looming over them, with the others around things were okay... and they were safe, right? Right... Right?
After Joonmyun had decided that they should do something for Sunny, he'd been dragged to the kitchen with the elder male and promptly taught how to make things for Sunny and the boys. At first he hadn't really wanted to spend time in the kitchen, especially since he was prone to clumsiness around Joonmyun and he had no clue how to bake at all, which was totally evident by the fourth time he'd covered himself in flour, turning his usually tanned skin as pale as Joonmyun's.
Huffing a little, he wiped the back of his hand across his forehead, smearing flour across his skin as he watched Joonmyun move around the kitchen evidently proud in the work they'd managed to achieve together, which was quite a miracle considering Jongin had spent most of the time just mixing things for the elder or burning himself on the trays. His eyes shifted to the small tray that held a dozen cookies - completely made by himself, batter and all - from a recipe that Sunny had given him.
They were for Joonmyun, and he hoped they tasted okay, because if not... well, that'd be embarrassing, wouldn't it? Shifting, he leaned against the counter as Joonmyun spoke, eyeing the packages as the elder asked him which one he'd prefer, before he smiled.
"Beef," he replied after a moment, ignoring the way the flour itched at his skin. "Everyone prefers red meat over white."
As Joonmyun glanced up at Jongin again, he couldn't help but chuckle -- though it may have seemed like more of a laugh -- when he saw what a mess the boy had made throughout their time in the kitchen. Despite making a mess of at least half their ingredients, Jongin hadn't done too bad of a job; baking was all about timing and correct measurements, and so long as you stuck to the recipie -- not that Joonmyun ever did -- then messing up was pretty hard to do.
"Beef it is, then," he giggled, stepping towards the boy. "And you missed a spot." Reaching out, Joonmyun brushed his finger across a clump of flower on Jongin's shirt before moving to swipe it across the male's tanned cheek. If they were going to make a mess, then they could have fun, right? Right. Though, the elder knew it would probably be better if they were as clean as possible; flour in the stew probably wouldn't taste too good.
Joonmyun walked back to the freezer to put the chicken away and pull out the other package of beef, a smile on his lips and a giggle still in his voice. "Why don't you go wash up really quick, and then you can come cut the beef into strips." And cut some vegetables, wash fruit, and help wash dishes.
After placing the meat on the counter, Joonmyun shuffled behind Jongin and pressed his hands into the small of the boy's back, pushing him towards the door. "Go. Clean up and I'll start working on the soup."
Jongin huffed a little at the way Joonmyun chuckled at him, before he was smearing more flour across his cheek. "You're... so immature," he mumbled, amusement lifting his voice into an almost happy tone as he reached across and wiped his own fingers across Joonmyun's forehead, leaving three stripes of flour in their place. He grinned impishly before stepping back, fingers closing around one of the biscuits that Joonmyun had made.
"Beef it is then," he echoed in a deep voice, watching the elder with a grin as he chewed carefully on the biscuit. As he did, he couldn't help but notice that Joonmyun was /a lot/ cleaner than he was, the thought making him frown and huff again in mock annoyance.
At the elder's voice, he glanced up, before his view of the elder shifted when he was pushed lightly towards the door. "Are you sure you'll be okay in here without me for a few minutes?" He was still a little nervous about leaving Joonmyun alone, but if the elder said he'd be okay... then he had to trust him, right? Biting into his lip, Jongin sighed softly and stepped away from the hands that were sending heat through his body, ignoring the way his cheeks flushed as he glanced back at him.
"I'll be back in a couple of minutes..." his voice held a tone of assurement as he looked at him carefully, before he stepped out of the room and made his way back down to his bedroom to get cleaned up and change into new clothes. He hoped Joonmyun wouldn't get into trouble while he was gone...
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