_{genre: fluff}

_{rating: g}

_{notes; enjoy!!♡♡♡♡}

The smoke alarm goes off...again, Mingyu sighs. He hears footsteps outside the corridor. Mingyu hears two ladies complaining who the heck burn their stuff. It's the third time this week, and he's honestly tired of going out of the building because of it.

Mingyu's a twenty something, in his last year of uni and he wants a proper day for once. But instead he goes out of his room before the security guard knocks on his door.

"What is this all about now?" A girl, Mingyu knows her as Nayoung, a film major in the same school, groans. "I was trying to get a nice sleep." It's two in the afternoon, Mingyu says to himself but didn't dare to voice it out loud.

As he look around, he noticed how pissed everyone is. Who wouldn't? It's going on for three consecutive days, it sounds suspicious...or scary or whatever. Mingyu wants it to end already.

He sees the security guard talking to someone inside the lobby. It's a guy. He's a bit shorter than the guard. And Mingyu's as tall as the guard. The guy has his head down low, probably from embarrassment.

After a few minutes of discussion with the guy, the guard told everyone that they can get back to their respective apartments now. Mingyu hears everyone's thankful sighs, he couldn't agree more.

"You should learn how to cook properly, Kwon-ssi." Mingyu hears the guard sighs, once he got in the lobby. He stops walking and looks over the front desk where the guy and the security guard stands.

"I'm sorry, it won't happen again." The guy bows, apologizing.

"We hope so." The security guard bows back and goes outside to return to his place.

Mingyu stands there for a while, until he sees the guy walking towards him. "Excuse me?" The guy said in a low voice and taps his shoulder. Mingyu blinks and looks at the other expectantly. "Can you move over?" Mingyu turns around, noticing that he's blocking the stairs. He moves over and apologizes.

The next day, Mingyu finds the guy shopping for groceries. He thinks, he's cooking again. Now, Mingyu isn't judging the guy or anything but if he tries to cook one more time and accidentally turn the smoke alarm once again he'll have to ask the guy to stop cooking. But that's very mean of him. So he does the best thing he could think of.

Mingyu walks from the dairy section to where the guy is, the vegetable aisle, with his cart full of other ingredients. "Hi." Mingyu breathes, doing his best to smile welcomingly.

"Oh, hello." He hears the other say, smiling gently at him. He's cute, Mingyu thinks, probably a bit younger than him.

"I see you're shopping for ingredients? What are you cooking?"

Upon hearing the word 'cooking' he looks at Mingyu and smile sheepishly. "You see, I want to cook something from the recipe book my mom gave me but...I'm not that good."

Mingyu knows that alright, but he's trying to be subtle, "I can help you if you want?" Mingyu suggested, and he swears the beam that the guy's face did as he look at Mingyu is the brightest and cutest thing he has even witness.

"You'd do that?" Said guy keeps beaming and Mingyu tries to look away. It's too much.

"S-sure, it's no big deal." He coughs, looks every at everywhere but the guy. But gives up and looks back at him and smiles.

"Thank you!" The guy smiles once more and holds out his hand, "I'm Soonyoung, by the way."

Mingyu shakes Soonyoung's hand lightly, "My name's Mingyu. Nice to meet you, properly, neighbor." Soonyoung laughs at that, his nose scrunching cutely and his small eyes closing. Mingyu thinks he's really cute.

"H-how do—" Soonyoung asks for the tenth time right now. Mingyu moves beside him and grabs the knife from Soonyoung's hand.

It's been fifteen minutes since they started working and by now, they're progressing. Well, Mingyu's probably doing all the work but at least there's no more smoke alarm going off. "I'll do that. Can you check if the chicken is almost done?" He asks Soonyoung and the other nods , slouching down to take a peak at the chicken inside the oven.

"When will it be cooked?" Soonyoung pouts, and looks up to Mingyu from his position. Mingyu looks back at him and smiles, "Soon."

They finished cooking, rather, Mingyu finished cooking while Soonyoung sets up the table. "I guess I should be going now." He calls Soonyoung's attention.

Soonyoung looks at him, like a kicked puppy. Mingyu thinks he really looks younger than him though, he found out awhile ago that Soonyoung is in fact older that him by one year. He's currently teaching dance classes as he's still looking for a fixed job.

"No, no. Stay, please." Soonyoung grabs his wrist before he even has the time to flee. "You've helped me so much, and this is a lot. I'm sure I won't be able to finish it alone." He laughs, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, if that's the case then...shall we eat?" Mingyu gestures to the table, "You first." he adds, walking beside Soonyoung.

The table isn't really big, it fits three people at max and it's probably because Soonyoung's the only one living here. He doesn't need a bigger table. Mingyu can relate, he only has the coffee table in his apartment because he doesn't want his friends coming over there anyway.

"This is so good!" He hears Soonyoung exclaims, getting him out of his trance. "You cook really well! I feel like I didn't even helped...You cook so well, Mingyu!"

Now, Mingyu doesn't know why but hearing Soonyoung say his name with an overly joyed expression makes his heart skip a bit. It's weird. Mingyu's weird.

"Is that so?" Is the only thing Mingyu was able to reply. Soonyoung smiles before going back to devouring his plate. Mingyu smiles to himself, looking at how happy Soonyoung is.

"You have..." Mingyu trails extending his index finger to Soonyoung's face without a thought. Soonyoung looks at him, confused. "...cream on your face." He continues as he swipes the cream on the side of Soonyoung's mouth.

Mingyu didn't realize their faces were so close until Soonyoung coughs to catch his attention. He pulls away immediately knocking over the plastic cup that is, fortunately, empty. "Sorry." He mutters, munching down the last bits of food in his plate.

"Thank you," Soonyoung starts as he opens the door for Mingyu. It took a while for Mingyu to get out of the premises of Soonyoung's house because he also insist on washing the dishes with the older. Soonyoung, of course denies the request but Mingyu was persistent so Soonyoung gives up.

"No problem, knock on my door or call me whenever you want." Mingyu suggests. Honestly, Soonyoung could just barge in his apartment for no reason, not just asking Mingyu for help, and just so they could hang out. Mingyu doesn't know why, but he just properly met this neighbor and he's been living here for almost six months now. He thinks it's a shame not meeting him sooner.

"Will that be okay? Asking for your help?" God, it's more than okay.

"Of course, hyung!" He grins and Soonyoung smiles brightly back at him.

Mingyu goes back to his apartment, four doors away from Soonyoung's, feeling full in the stomach and his heart. He's never been this thankful for his cooking skills until now.