Ryeowook’s stomach has been growling for thirty minutes already, it’s a good thing it only started getting louder the moment he got his order of fried chicken or else that would have been embarrassing. That doesn’t mean that the whole car ride home went any smoother, although the freshly cooked box of fried chicken was safely tucked under the car seat, the smell of its fried goodness still permeated his car, all the more reason for his tummy to shake his internal organs. Heol. 

He breathes a huge sigh of relief the moment he parks the car, already looking forward to a lazy night, might indulge himself in a bubble bath after dinner since he doesn’t need to wake up early the next morning. Ryeowook had already had a perfect picture of what his night was going to be, but this comes to a halt when he sees his boyfriend waiting for him on the couch. There his boyfriend was, his head in his hands, back and shoulders hunched over. Must be one of those days, he thinks. Slowly he makes his way to the couch, as quietly as he can he sits next to the man and waits for him to raise his head to look at him.

Jongwoon lets out a few deep sighs before he lifts his head from his hands, his hair disheveled and face a bit red from being pressed into hands. He still isn’t looking at Ryeowook but that’s alright, when his boyfriend is feeling low he knows the best way to console him is to let Jongwoon go at it at his own pace. So Ryeowook waits, but he gives into the urge of rubbing slow circles on his boyfriend’s back.

“Sorry for coming unannounced. I can’t think of anywhere else to go.” Jongwoon finally faces him, he still has makeup on. He must have rushed here right after the shoot. “You’re always welcome here, you know that. Is there anything you need?” Ryeowook shows him a reassuring smile, cupping his boyfriend’s cheek and caressing it softly. 

“Just, ca-can you hold me?” and Ryeowook does just that, Jongwoon immediately tucking his head in the latter’s neck. Almost immediately, Ryeowook feels his boyfriend release a deep sigh, his warm breath fanning on his neck causing tiny goosebumps to erupt. Comfortable silence envelops the couple, it’s one of the rare moments where the physical presence of the other is enough to calm the trouble from within. And so he tries to encase as much of Jongwoon as his arms would allow him, feeling relieved when he notices the older melting into his form, the tension on his body lessening the more he stays in Ryeowook’s arms.

Although his boyfriend hasn’t said anything, Ryeowook already has a few ideas on why Jongwoon is feeling down. With his boyfriend exposed to social media, he was still met with unnecessary criticism from people who happen to have all the time in the world to comment just for the sake of it. And as much as Jongwoon keeps away from the comment section, he was still human, he was still curious.

Even before the massive following because of his modeling gig, Jongwoon had already garnered the respect and support of notable fellow photographers and videographers when he was building up his career in the field. The older had a talent in finding the most flattering angles and partnered it with his play on lighting. When you scroll through Jongwoon’s professional Instagram account, it was anybody’s aesthetic dream come true. 

Before he had all the fancy equipment housed in a wide studio with it’s own makeup and hairstyling team, the older made do with using his dad’s old film camera and the polaroid camera Donghae, one of his closest friends, gifted him when he came from America. And despite this, he was able to tell beautiful stories with his photos as well as his love for the craft. His following for the first few months of posting on social media were steady albeit slow, which was alright, Jongwoon trusted the process. 

His big break, though, is all thanks to his younger brother. The kind soul that he is and his original no. 1 fan (a title Ryeowook willingly acknowledged as Jongjin is a sweetheart and would literally do anything for his older brother), thought that his older brother’s good looks should not be overlooked and started posting pictures he took of Jongwoon doing mundane things such as sitting in his favorite corner of his parent’s cafe, sipping his cup of coffee while staring out the window where he allowed his mind to go places. Or one of the rare times his pets kkoming and melo were affectionate towards Jongwoon and they were all over him all over his face, which quickly became a fan(and Ryeowook’s, definitely-does-this-even-need-to-be-asked, favorite) favorite. 

Over the course of weeks, both Jongjin and Jongwoon’s personal Instagram accounts gained a massive following. And after much thinking and reassurance from his family and close friends, Ryeowook himself and his fellow photographers, Jongwoon bravely goes to his first modeling gig for an indie clothing brand (Ryeowook would forever treasure the way his boyfriend asked him if he would like to accompany him for the day

“So.... the photoshoot is tomorrow…” his boyfriend’s voice is uncharacteristically small, when he looks over he sees Jongwoon biting on his thumbnail, a habit he kicked but sometimes comes out when he’s anxious.

“Are you excited? I know their style is exactly your type.” he asks, trying to take attention away from the older’s predicament. When Jongwoon just nods his head instead of verbally answering, Ryeowook gently pries his boyfriend’s thumb from his mouth and firmly holds his hand, “You’ll be amazing, I’ll go where you need me.” he says, smiling at the man in front of him before standing on the tips of his toes to reach his forehead and plant a lasting kiss there. His boyfriend lets out a deep breath and takes him into his arms,  he holds him tight and buries his head into Ryeowook’s neck despite the height difference.

They stay in each other’s arms for a while, basking in the intimacy and warmth radiating out of the other. “I want you there with me.” He hears Jongwoon whisper into his ear, still soft as to not break the peace surrounding them. The smile on Ryeowook’s face widens as he nods in answer, holding his boyfriend even closer and planting a soft kiss on his neck.).

The events that transpired after that shoot was history, and Jongwoon would forever be thankful for the support he garnered from the people he loves for his decisions in life. But this doesn’t mean that he was not met with criticism. Albeit the growing number of followers and requests for both his photography and modeling services, there are still those that think there are others who could do better. And at times Jongwoon almost believed them, had it not been for his parents, Ryeowook, Jongjin, and his closest friends’ constant reassurance and support that he was able to overcome the white noise. 

So instead of indulging the negative, Jongwoon chooses to pour his all to modeling and photography. He strives for the outcome to be near perfect as he tries to respectively voice out how he wants to approach the concepts as a model and as a photographer, and nine times out of ten he gets the results he wants. But there is always that ten percent where things just don't go as planned, those are the times Jongwoon would feel like he has not only failed those who believed and trusted him, but he has also failed himself. 

He used to carry all the weight himself, thinking that the burden was only for him to bear. It took a while for Jongjin and Ryeowook to break that belief and make Jongwoon freely lean on them whenever he was feeling unsure of himself. Nevertheless, it was worth it. 

Right now was one of those days.

“I got offered a magazine shoot today.” Jongwoon’s voice breaks Ryeowook out of his mind drifting, his head still in the crook of the smaller male’s neck but his body is now visibly relaxed. “Hyung said the magazine’s editor in chief personally wanted me for the issue, says my image perfectly fits the dreamy and sensual aesthetic they were planning for the spread. It’s for an international magazine too, so there’s that.”

“But?”

“If I accept this offer, my schedule for the rest of the month and the next would be packed. We’ve barely spent time together this week and I don’t think I could last another day without your cooking.” even if he can’t see Jongwoon’s face, he just knows there’s a big pout on his handsome face. Cute, he thinks, okay, so it wasn’t one of those days.

“Okay, look at me.” he carefully takes Jongwoon’s face away from his neck and cups his left cheek so he could have his boyfriend look at him. “You know I would always give my full support when it comes to your career, and if that means that I have to wait a few more months to have downtime with you then I say you should just go for it.”

“But you’ve already done so much for me,” it comes out as more of a whine, which his boyfriend rarely does, coupled with his lower lip jutting out into a pout (also a rare sight to see), “it doesn’t seem fair to be taking so much from you and not giving you the same.” 

“Jongwoon, baby look at me. Tell me one time I have asked you to do something in return for what I did for you.” and when the pouting man in front of him remains silent, Ryeowook smiles softly instead and takes hold of both Jongwoon’s hands, “I love you, and if that means that I see you more through social media platforms and glossy paper than in the comfort of my own home then so be it.” Ryeowook says this with all the sincerity of his heart, and he hopes and prays to anyone listening that Jongwoon would feel it and cast those unnecessary worries away. 

“And you think you haven’t given the amount of support I have? How could you even let that cross your mind? When I was in a really low place that time I wasn’t able to get to the audition for Temptation of Wolves, who was the one who went behind my back and printed multiple copies of my portfolio just to send to other musicals looking for actors?”

“I did.” 

“Okay, when I did get my first theater role, who was the one who stayed up all night with me to help me practice my lines and solos and always had warm tea ready whenever I would need it?”

“Also me.” there’s now a smile threatening to bloom on Jongwoon’s face, possibly reminiscing those times. It warms his heart up to this day when he remembers how patient Jongwoon had been whenever he said a line wrong or missed a few ques, or when he got frustrated with how his voice was starting to sound hoarse when he still had a lot of lines and songs to rehearse. 

“This isn’t the last thing, you’ve done so much more but I keep this moment so close to my heart.” Ryeowook scoots closer to Jongwoon, his eyes catching the other’s dark brown orbs that are slowly regaining its sparkle, “After the final curtain call of my first role, when we had endless photo ops from multiple news outlets as well as talks from interested musical directors, who was the one who patiently stayed back with a bouquet of the most beautiful flowers? Who was the one who let me have my moment in the spotlight and wore the most stunning smile with tears running down his handsome face, telling me that they were so proud of me?”

The applause for the last show was deafening. As Ryeowook gives his nth ninety-degree bow, even now his whole being is buzzing from how it feels surreal standing on the stage. From the moment he stepped on stage for his first show up until now, it was a blur of emotions, stress, anticipation, and gratitude to everyone who has given him their unfailing support and reassurance. 

As he was conveying his lines and emotions through the dialogues and songs, his mind can’t help but wonder to the people that have helped him achieve where he is now. He thinks back to all those times he’s put on a show for his parents with just his piano to accompany his heavenly vocals as he sings whatever comes to mind, he could vividly see their wide smiles, the sound of their voices blending as his parents can’t help but sing along. 

Then the image shifts to that time everything was just not going his way. After the piano lessons he has for one of his students, he rushes to a small bar and resto he performs at every other night only to find out that they’ve given his spot for a band that was willing to play for the same amount he’s paid for. The information came as a shock, so much so that he doesn’t make the move to fight for it. He remembers feeling numb as if his soul had left his body and he was left as an empty vessel. 

Ryeowook doesn’t remember getting home from the bar, all he knows is when he comes to his senses he’s already curled into himself on his couch. His phone on the coffee table is continuously vibrating but he doesn’t find it in himself to see who it was much less answer it. Thankfully after the third attempt, it stops ringing, allowing Ryeowook to envelop himself in silence.

He was on the verge of falling asleep when he heard knocks on his door. Ryeowook spends minutes staring into nothing before he stands up to see who’s knocking. However he doesn’t make it to the door when it opens and reveals his best friend bearing a large plastic bag in his left hand and his phone on the right. “Are you hungry? God, I’m starving right now why weren’t you answering your phone I’ve been calling nonstop.”

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to lie down when I got home.” his best friend maneuvers through his apartment like it’s his, Kyuhyun is already grabbing two small saucers from his kitchen cabinet and two tall glasses from the dish rack, and before he knows it there’s already a spread of fried chicken, cheesy baked spaghetti and a pack of cold beer. Although he wasn’t originally hungry, the smell alone was enough to make his tummy growl. Plus Kyuhyun doesn’t give him much of a choice as he serves the smaller a plateful of the spaghetti topped with delicious cheese and a chicken drumstick, Ryeowook’s favorite part. 

They eat in comfortable silence, the television is on but neither of them seem to be paying attention to the screen. As they fill their stomachs, Ryeowook slowly feels more at ease, his posture and overall aura more relaxed than his tensed state when he opened the door. Kyuhyun seems to pick up on this change and takes this time to ask him how his day has been. 

Ryeowook blames it on the beer, but when he glances over at his best friend, who’s looking at him with a soft expression on his face, genuinely asking how he has been, the smaller of the two breaks down and just cries in his best friend’s embrace. Kyuhyun held him tight throughout until Ryeowook no longer had tears to cry. And when Ryeowook is reduced to hiccups and blowing his nose on the nth tissue, he tells it all out. He tells Kyuhyun he had been let off of his slot from the bar, he tells him every emotion, every thought that went through his mind as his whole world seemed to be crumbling as he was standing. He tells him that he’s close to giving up and he doesn’t think he has any strength left in him to pick himself up.

“You are the strongest person I know, you know that. But that doesn’t mean that you’re not allowed to be scared. Sometimes having the strength to face your worst fears is greater than having to conquer the world alone. Please, please never forget that. You have so many people around you that are ready to take up the weight of your burden with you, you don’t have to carry it alone.”

“And when you’re tired from it all, it’s okay to take a rest. Take as long as you want. Your dream, it’s not going anywhere. May it change or not, it won’t ever leave you because it will always be in your heart. The mind forgets but the heart always remembers what it longs for. You are born to be on stage, and I’m not saying it because I’m your best friend. You’ve got a real talent Kim Ryeowook, no one can teach anyone what you’ve got. This is just another speed bump, you still got a lot of open road ahead. We’ll do what it takes to get there, you just have to trust it.” 

By the end of the night, they were both crying but their hearts were light. His best friend was right, he’s got a long journey ahead still and the end was not in sight, he’s got to buckle up.

Ryeowook wakes up from his short daydream, who was now being ushered to the backstage by his fellow actors, their voices were a mix of excitement and anticipation. He doesn’t understand much of the flurry of words but from what he could pick up was there were musical directors and reporters that were waiting to meet the cast. Ryeowook didn’t think that day could get any better, he was floating still from the applause and he doesn’t think he’ll be getting down any sooner. However, as he and his cast mates were being interviewed and given congratulatory praises, his eyes caught a familiar mop of brown hair and kind brown eyes that were looking at him and only him. When Ryeowook meets his eyes, Jongwoon’s eyes become sparkling crescents. His boyfriend promptly lifts up the most beautiful bouquet of red and white roses, eliciting a fond chuckle from Ryeowook, the smile on his face automatically grows as he watches the man he loves look at him proudly, Jongwoon’s smile was enough to convey his praise.

I’m so proud of you. 

You were amazing up there, you got me hooked on the first line.

Thank you, I love you so much. Ryeowook mouths back at his boyfriend, who replies with a sloppy flying kiss sent his way. Throughout the duration of the interview from the reporters, Ryeowook’s eyes never left Jongwoon’s. He can’t wait to thank the man that was his rock, his source of strength, comfort and rest. Ryeowook mentally thanks his parents and close friends for their support all throughout his journey to where he is now, he’ll give them all a big hug later at the party when they get home. Right now, he just can’t wait to run over to the man patiently waiting for him at the corner of the room, give him the honor of receiving the first hug of gratitude of the night and maybe include a kiss or two along the way. 

“I told you were phenomenal, you belonged on that stage and anyone who says otherwise was missing out on the brightest star they would have known. I’ve seen you perform on multiple plays already and you still take my breath away.” Jongwoon has taken it upon himself to cradle Ryeowook’s face, his caress on his boyfriend’s cheeks were soft and gentle Ryeowook couldn’t help but blush at the act.

“I love you, so please don’t ever doubt if you’ve done enough because you’ve already given me more than my heart could take.” he takes hold of one of the hands cupping his cheek and rubs gentle circles on the skin there, “You’ve helped me chase and achieve my dreams, would you give me the pleasure of helping you achieve yours too?”

“I already have you though, so half my dreams have already come true.” tears are rolling down their faces but it didn’t feel sad, their worries seeping out of their bodies and is replaced with content and reassurance. The moment felt soft and precious, Ryeowook almost forgets his boyfriend’s cheesy reply. Almost.  “I’m going to let that slide for now since you were in a bad mood the whole day, but you’ve got to stop hanging out with Donghae and Hyukjae together. When they do it, it’s disgustingly sweet but when you do it, and I’m saying this with all the love I could possibly muster, it’s just plain cringy.”

“I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.” Jongwoon chuckles, light and airy, and gives his small boyfriend a kiss on the forehead, one on each cheek and the last on his soft lips. “Can we eat? Don’t think I didn’t hear your stomach growling while we were talking.”

Ryeowook may or may not have landed a firm elbow on his boyfriend’s stomach which results in him doubling over in laughter. 

As the night deepens, the couple spends the rest of the night on the couch. After having their dinner, which was a calm and nostalgic affair as they recall the nights they ate chicken from the very same restaurant, whether it be because they were too lazy to cook for themselves or for when either of them was feeling down, it became a tradition of some sort. They always did find happiness in the simplest forms. 

With their stomachs full and hearts even fuller, they spend the remainder of their time looking through the television for a show or movie to watch. Ryeowook gave Jongwoon full control, he knows his boyfriend has more knowledge on movie genres and such, so he trusts him to pick a really good one. All he needs to do is lay his head on his boyfriend’s thigh and place Jongwoon’s left hand on his hair, the latter already knowing what to do and that is to run his fingers through the younger’s soft hair, alternating that with soft massages on his scalp. 

His boyfriend always gave the best massages, whether it be for his shoulders or his sore legs, Jongwoon has a way with his hands that just melts your tense muscles away. However, Ryeowook’s favorite type of massage and past time is when he gets to lay his head on his boyfriend’s lap and have him comb through his hair, it doesn’t matter if they’re watching a movie or just lazing around, as long as Jongwoon is combing and massaging his head as he does with his pets Kkoming and Melon at home Ryeowook’s day is complete. And Ryeowook definitely could not end his day any better than this, he thought having chicken for dinner after so long was going to be the highlight, boy was he wrong. Thank god, he was wrong.

In the middle of the movie, Jongwoon’s phone vibrates beside him. He looks over at Ryeowook to excuse himself but the smaller just shakes his head and tells him it’s okay to answer it where he was. “I’m already comfortable where I lay.” he adds. Jongwoon chuckles and bends over slightly to peck at the side of his boyfriend’s face as a thank you.

“Jongwoon-ah, sorry for calling so late but the people from the magazine really want to know your answer as soon as possible.”

“It’s alright hyung, tell them I’m in. I’m so honored and I’m very excited to be working with them.”

“That’s great! Wow—okay, I didn’t expect you to make up your mind quickly.”

“Well, someone gave me a really good reason to take it.” Jongwoon sees the smile blooming on his boyfriend’s face, he runs his fingers through his soft locks one more time before settling on playing with his ear, “He said he’s willing to wait, that he’ll try not to miss me that much.” he teases, already expecting the hard pinch on his thigh.

His manager laughs at what he says, “Thank him for me then, only god knows how he keeps up with your dramatic .” 

“I love his dramatic, non-existent ,” Ryeowook takes the phone from his hand and is now sitting upright next to him, “take care of him for me hyung! You know he goes on those unnecessary diets when he’s stressed, please please force him to eat a bagel or something.”

“Don’t worry Wook-ah, I’ll make sure to tell him you’d get mad if he doesn’t eat on time.”

The couple laughs at that, both thanking Jongwoon’s manager for his promise and reminding him that he needs to keep healthy as well. Jongwoon places his phone back to where it was before while Ryeowook assumes his previous position, but instead of facing the television, his back is flat on the couch so he could stare at his boyfriend’s face. He takes his boyfriend’s hand and interlocks their fingers causing the older to smile fondly at him.

“I can’t wait to see the spread, I already know you’ll be breathtaking.” Ryeowook places two kisses on the back of Jongwoon’s hand, receiving a loving pinch on his right cheek as a reply. “You’ll send me pics of your outfits right?” he says as he holds his boyfriend’s hand close to his chest.

“Don’t I always? I’ll even send you pics of me eating just so you won’t worry too much.” Jongwoon bops the younger’s cute nose, his eyes and forehead scrunching cutely as he does so. “I love you, Wookie.” he bends over to plant a firm kiss on his forehead then a sweet peck on his lips. They’re both smiling brightly when Jongwoon pulls away, his other hand automatically combing through the younger’s soft locks, knowing by heart that his smaller boyfriend likes to be lulled to sleep through head massages. 

He watches Ryeowook try to fight his eyelids closing, an adorable sight he’s come to cherish, so he combs through his hair slower and adds a bit more pressure on his scalp to help him reach dreamland. He thinks he hears an I love you too before Ryeowook dozes off. Doesn’t really matter if it doesn’t sound clear, he knows in his heart how much Ryeowook loves him. And he may not be able to convey it through words, Jongwoon would try to convey it through his actions to how grateful he is to have Ryeowook in his life. He’ll make it a point to show the sleeping male beside him how much he’s falling more and more in love with him each passing day because his Ryeowook deserves nothing short of the world.

-----

Sooo here are the two prompts:

Ryeowook making yesung their favorite meal when they are having hard day.

Ryeowook falls asleep in yesung’s lap and yesung has a conversation with someone else while ryeowook’s hair as if they were a sleeping cat.

Now I must admit, I deviated so far from the prompts they were not really the star of the story kkkk ><;; BUT I'm really happy with how this worked out in the end! Yewook is one of my top otps for suju so it was really fun writing them as the couple, as well as to see a difference in my writing style if I were to put eunhae and yewook side by side. To me yewook has more of the dynamics of an old married couple, while eunhae has more of the newly-weds feel(?) sksksks

Feel free to leave comments, it really helps a lot <3 I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you enjoy reading it as well! Until next time!