I.

There’s a cute routine that they maintain even after three years of marriage.

Jongwoon has always liked to express his affection whenever he can. Before he leaves for work, he makes sure to leave little notes on the refrigerator, things like “Behave until I get back” and “Today, too, I love you”. Since he often wakes up earlier than Hyukjae, he’d prepare a couple of sandwiches for them both and, if there’s still food left over from last night, he’d also heat them up in the microwave before leaving.

Hyukjae likes to sleep in for a bit more before going to his afternoon classes. Since he’s a dance instructor, he often goes for a jog in the morning as an early warm-up after eating a sandwich.

So today, as part of the routine, he enters the kitchen and grabs one off the plate, not forgetting to walk towards the fridge with a smile.

⌈ Have an amazing day today, love ♡ ⌋

A single note is always there each day, and most of the time the messages are pretty similar, sometimes even repeating, but Jongwoon’s dedication has never failed to impress Hyukjae. Initially, he had thought that the older man would grow tired of it through time and find it a hassle to keep continuing, but Jongwoon soon proved him wrong, never missing a day of letting Hyukjae know how much he means to him.

Hyukjae never tells him this — mostly out of shyness — but he keeps all those notes in a small box he hides in one of his drawers, a memory of how loving Jongwoon has been to him all these years.

Today, though, as he stares at the note on the fridge, a thought crosses his mind.

Maybe he should do the same.

***

Jongwoon arrives home, feeling tired. His work ends just an hour before Hyukjae’s, so he’s usually the only one in the house at this time. After switching on the lights, he goes towards the direction of their bedroom when he suddenly catches something in his peripheral vision.

Turning his head, he sees a note stuck on the refrigerator, something that puzzles him greatly. Hyukjae usually takes his note out the moment he sees them, so Jongwoon is confused as to why it’s still there.

Moving closer, he peers at the handwriting on the paper and is surprised to see that it isn’t his own.

⌈ you bet i’ll have an amazing day today! :3 ⌋

Jongwoon blinks, then breaks into a laugh.

What a brat, he thinks to himself fondly.

In the days that follow, the series of notes continue, and most of the time it’s like an indirect bickering back and forth between them, something that brings joy to Jongwoon whenever he comes home.

 

 

 

⌈ You’re the best husband in the world ♡ ⌋

— Jongwoon

 

⌈ of course i am the best :P ⌋

— hyukjae

 

 

***

 

 

⌈ I love you so much ♡ ⌋

— Jongwoon

 

⌈ i love myself so much, too :D ⌋

— hyukjae

 

 

They usually don’t talk about the notes whenever the two of them are home, but Jongwoon brings it up tonight when both of them are in bed together.

“Hey, you,” he says, reaching out to pinch Hyukjae’s cheek lightly. “You could’ve just humored me and told me you love me too, you punk.”

It takes Hyukjae a moment to process what Jongwoon is talking about, and when he finally realizes it, he bursts into a laugh.

“But that’s boring,” he teases.

“You call loving me boring?” Jongwoon fakes a sad frown, blinking innocently at his husband.

“Not what I meant at all,” Hyukjae says smoothly, pulling Jongwoon close. “I just prefer showing you how much I love you through actions, not words.”

Jongwoon cracks a smile. “You mean you’re just embarrassed to say sweet words like that,” he tells him.

Hyukjae shakes his head vehemently. “What are you talking about? I fear nothing!” he says dramatically.

Jongwoon slaps him lightly on the cheek. “You’re so annoying.”

“But I’m yours, aren’t I?” Hyukjae says cheekily, leaning forward to press a kiss on the tip of Jongwoon’s nose.

“You’re such a sneaky jerk,” Jongwoon says sullenly.

Hyukjae laughs and pecks him on the lips this time. “Stop being cute, will you.”

Jongwoon smiles, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Hm, I’m flattered to know that you find me cute even after being with me this long,” he says teasingly.

“You’ll always be cute to me,” Hyukjae confesses with a soft look in his eyes.

Jongwoon stares at him, surprised.

“…So you aren’t embarrassed to say sweet words like that, after all.”

Hyukjae chuckles. “Told you,” he says smugly.

They hug each other a little tighter than usual that night, the smiles never fading from their faces even after drifting off to sleep.

 

 

 

 

II.

Sometimes, Hyukjae would fall asleep in the middle of watching a movie. Jongwoon would usually cover him up with a blanket and then continue watching TV by himself, gleefully finishing off the popcorn and strawberry milk on the coffee table. Hyukjae would sulk at him in the morning after, but honestly, it’s his own fault for sleeping in the first place.

Tonight is no exception. Jongwoon takes out the folded blanket from a nearby drawer and drapes it over Hyukjae’s body, making sure to cover his hands and feet to keep them from getting cold. After that, he goes back to watching the movie, absently finishing off the lasagna they heated up earlier.

When the ending credits begin to roll, Jongwoon stands up and turns off the TV, yawning softly while stretching out his arms. He puts the dishes in the sink and washes them quickly. After that, he goes into the bathroom to brush his teeth, planning on going to sleep immediately after putting Hyukjae to bed.

Once he’s done, he walks over to Hyukjae and carries the latter in his arms, preparing to walk towards their bedroom and rest for the night.

Only this time, something seems to be different.

Jongwoon pauses in his tracks for a moment to stare at his husband. Up close, Hyukjae still looks as pretty as the day they first met under the cherry blossom tree, with those long, fluttering eyelashes and soft features that are so tempting to touch.

Jongwoon raises an eyebrow, a smile tugging at his lips. “Well?” he says in a teasing tone. “Are you gonna keep pretending to be asleep or…?”

There’s a brief moment of silence before Hyukjae reluctantly opens his eyes, his mouth forming into a pout. “...How did you know?”

“Your eyebrows were knitted together as you tried hard to shut your eyes convincingly,” Jongwoon says with a laugh. “You’re such a bad actor, hon.”

Hyukjae sulks even further at that. “Darn… just when I thought I could finally feel how amazing it is to be carried to bed like this…”

Jongwoon shakes his head. “In your dreams. You’re too heavy, you know. Now kindly get down and—”

“No!” Hyukjae says stubbornly, arms shooting out to grab onto Jongwoon’s neck for support. “Carry me!”

“…Must you act so childish?”

“Hyung is such a mood killer,” Hyukjae complains. “I just wanna savor the feeling of being in your arms…”

“What’s with this kind of clingy behavior now?” Jongwoon rolls his eyes, but decides to continue carrying this kid into the bedroom, gently laying him down on the bed soon after.

Hyukjae spreads out his arms and legs on the mattress, looking unsatisfied. “Hyung is so unromantic…”

Jongwoon stops in the middle of getting into bed beside him. “What?”

Hyukjae waves a hand dismissively as he fights back a yawn. “Nothing. Let’s just go to sleep…”

However, just as he’s about to close his eyes, he feels something sink into the mattress nearby, and before he knows it, Jongwoon’s face comes into view, staring down at him with a dark, serious look in his eyes.

Hyukjae suddenly forgets how to breathe.

“Wh—What is it?” he asks hesitantly.

Jongwoon doesn’t answer immediately, his dark eyes seemingly studying Hyukjae’s face. “…Have I not given you enough attention recently?” he muses aloud, reaching out to Hyukjae’s cheek gently. “Shall I work harder to make you feel loved again?”

“Wait, wha—” Hyukjae’s words get stuck in his throat when Jongwoon suddenly leans forward and kisses the skin of his neck, making him shiver in response.

“Looks like I need to show you how much I really love you tonight,” Jongwoon whispers with a smile as he grabs both of Hyukjae’s wrists and pins them above his head, caging him in place.

Despite himself, Hyukjae can’t find any reason to refuse.

 

 

 

 

III.

Hyukjae had never been good at cooking when he was younger. He preferred to have his mother cook for him all the time, and he once even wished to marry a chef someday so that he’d get to eat yummy food every day.

However, life doesn’t always go one’s way, especially when Hyukjae discovered that he had fallen deeply in love with a man who can’t cook.

That isn’t to say that Jongwoon never tried. He did, but the results were always horren — er, unfortunate, rather — so he didn’t let the older man cook again. Instead, Hyukjae made an effort to learn himself, starting from Youtube videos to his mom’s helpful tips and tutorials. In time, his efforts paid off, and he has learned a few recipes to cook for him and Jongwoon from time to time. Although they sometimes eat out at restaurants after work, Hyukjae finds it rewarding for Jongwoon to eat the food that he himself cooked.

It’s the weekend today and Jongwoon seems to have taken this opportunity to sleep in, so Hyukjae takes it upon himself to cook breakfast — or brunch, perhaps, depending on what time Jongwoon decides to wake.

As he stands in front of the pot, watching the stew simmer before his eyes, he suddenly feels a pair of arms snaking around his waist.

“…You’re awake already?” Hyukjae asks as Jongwoon rests his chin on the younger’s shoulder.

“Mmm…” Jongwoon hums in response, his eyes still closed as if he were half-asleep. “I woke up and you weren’t there…”

“Geez, miss me a little less, will you?” Hyukjae jokes as he turns off the stove. “You’re so clingy.”

Jongwoon’s hold on him grows tighter. “If you think saying that will drive me away, then think again…”

“Not that I want you to, anyway,” Hyukjae says, turning around so that he’s face-to-face with his husband. Jongwoon looks at him with curious eyes, now fully awake as he retracts his arms back to his sides.

A comfortable silence falls between them as Hyukjae takes Jongwoon’s hand in his, the knuckles down to the fingertips.

“I still can’t believe how small your hands are,” he says, squeezing it in his grasp. “And how soft they are.”

“They aren’t small. Yours are just too big,” Jongwoon immediately disagrees.

Hyukjae laughs. “Even the way you argue is so cute.”

Jongwoon can’t help but smile. “You’re in a good mood today,” he remarks.

“Hm? Why do you say that?”

“Well…” Jongwoon hesitates a little. “You seemed a little down lately because of work… and I couldn’t seem to cheer you up no matter how hard I tried.”

Hyukjae’s smile dims. “Oh. I’m sorry about that,” he says sheepishly, his voice apologetic. “I just had a hard time last week. The stage for the performance wasn’t set up properly by the staff, so the intro was kinda ruined, and one of the kids could’ve gotten hurt because of their carelessness, too.”

Jongwoon’s expression is sympathetic. “That must’ve been very frustrating.”

“Yeah, I got angry, but now I’ve been thinking that maybe I’d been too harsh,” Hyukjae says quietly.

“You should’ve told me all your worries, then. You know I’d always listen to you.”

“I’m sorry… I just didn’t want to get mad about it again, so I avoided talking on purpose.” Hyukjae reaches out and cups Jongwoon’s cheek gently. “Forgive me?”

Jongwoon smiles, closing his eyes as he feels Hyukjae’s warmth seeping into his skin. “You’re forgiven.”

Hyukjae stares at him for a moment before moving closer, pressing his lips softly against his.

Jongwoon opens his eyes in response just as Hyukjae moves away. “What was that for?”

“Nothing,” Hyukjae says with a smile. “I’m just thankful to have someone like you here by my side, I guess.”

 

 

 

 

IV.

Jongwoon had texted him earlier that he would be home a little late because of work, so Hyukjae waits for him patiently at home, watching TV while gripping his phone in his hand.

In times like this, they agreed to send a text to each other when they’d get off work and if they were already ten or five minutes away from the house. Not only is it a dangerous world nowadays, it’s also so they can prepare each other some food and a hot bath when they get home, as long as the other person isn’t busy with anything.

Soon enough, Hyukjae’s phone vibrates with a new message, and he unlocks the screen to read the entire content. Jongwoon texts that he’s already on his way home, so Hyukjae gets up, checks the food he cooked earlier for dinner, and then runs a hot bath for his husband as soon as the latter arrives.

A few minutes after the tub has been filled, he hears the sound of the door unlocking. Hyukjae walks over to the entrance just as Jongwoon comes inside, drenched.

“What in the world?” he exclaims, helping his husband out of his wet coat. “Did it rain outside?”

“Yeah,” Jongwoon says, his voice sounding weary. “I got caught in it just when I was on my way to the parking lot.”

“Then let’s have you take a bath quickly,” Hyukjae says, grabbing his hand and leading him towards the bathroom. All the while, Jongwoon takes off his suit vest and loosens his tie.

When they reach the open doorway, Hyukjae helps him out of his clothes without a word. Usually, whenever Jongwoon works overtime or a little later than usual, his energy would often be drained, and he would not be in the mood to talk for a while. Hyukjae knows this, so he guides Jongwoon inside the bathtub for the older man to rest momentarily.

“Stay there. I’ll come back and help you wash the rain out of your hair,” Hyukjae says, gathering Jongwoon’s wet clothes to hang them by the balcony to dry. Jongwoon responds to him with an agreeable hum, eyes already closed as he relaxes his body inside the comfortably warm tub.

When Hyukjae finishes putting away the clothes, he returns and takes the showerhead in his hand, letting the water gently run down Jongwoon’s hair. Squeezing a bit of shampoo on his open palm, he massages Jongwoon’s scalp thoroughly, humming a song under his breath all the while.

He sees Jongwoon’s lips curl up into a slight smile, and Hyukjae feels his heart lighten at the sight. Although he thinks that he doesn’t have a good singing voice, Jongwoon told him once that he loved to listen to it, that it felt like Hyukjae was sharing a secret part of himself with him who he trusts the most.

After a few minutes, Hyukjae finishes washing off Jongwoon’s hair, and he begins wiping the strands with the towel he brought on his lap. Jongwoon responds with a low hum, an indication that he’s relaxing under a welcome touch. Hyukjae smiles, takes away the towel, and then leans closer, pressing a soft kiss against Jongwoon’s forehead.

“You worked hard today,” he says gently.

Jongwoon opens his eyes and smiles back genuinely.

“...Thank you, sweetheart.”

 

 

 

 

V.

If they’re not too tired, they like to blow-dry each other’s hair after bathing. This night, Jongwoon goes first, sitting Hyukjae in front of him on the bed and cradling the younger’s face with his hands. The strands of Hyukjae’s wet hair stick to his fingers, dripping water down his wrist, but Jongwoon is more focused on the sight before his eyes rather than this trivial matter.

“Seems that you’ve been taking good care of your face nowadays,” Jongwoon muses aloud, rubbing Hyukjae’s cheek gently with the sole of his thumb. “Your skin doesn’t feel as dry as it usually does.”

Hyukjae’s eyes stare right back at him, his irises clear and bright under the dim, hazy orange lighting of the room. “That’s because I’ve been using a different brand lately.”

“Good choice. This new brand must be perfectly compatible with your skin if this is the result.” Jongwoon smiles and grasps his husband by the shoulders. “Turn around. I’ll dry your hair off first.”

Hyukjae silently obeys, twisting his body so that his back is facing Jongwoon. Jongwoon takes the towel and starts ruffling Hyukjae’s hair gently, making sure to thoroughly squeeze the excess water from the strands.

“Hey, hon…” Jongwoon begins in a soft voice. “What do you say… we go on a vacation?”

“A vacation?” Hyukjae repeats. “Sounds good. When?”

“This August?” Jongwoon proposes, taking the blow dryer and turning it on, making sure to set it at a low heat and speed.

“That’s a few months away,” Hyukjae responds, his voice somewhat inaudible due to the noise from the hairdryer. He raises his tone slightly with his next words. “But that’s a good idea. Just in time for your birthday, I guess.”

“Yeah, so I’m planning to use my vacation days for that month,” Jongwoon says with a smile. “Will your students mind?”

“I can give them a notice in advance, no worries. Plus, the major performance won’t start until November. There’s still plenty of time, and they’re capable of practicing the moves on their own for a little while.”

“Thanks for agreeing with me… I just…” Jongwoon runs his hand through Hyukjae’s half-dry hair, ruffling it slightly. “It feels like a long time since we went on a long getaway, just the two of us.”

“Yeah, you’re right…”

A few minutes later, Jongwoon turns off the hairdryer and embraces his husband from behind, burying his face in the crook of Hyukjae’s neck. “I’m done,” he murmurs.

Hyukjae chuckles. “Are you tired now? Your hair is still wet… Hey, wait a minute… hey, you’re soaking my skin!”

Jongwoon laughs at that and moves away. “That’s what I was going for,” he says mischievously.

Hyukjae pouts and turns around, gesturing for Jongwoon to do the same while grabbing the towel from the bed.

“Consider yourself lucky that I can’t do that to you right now, too,” Hyukjae says teasingly as he starts wiping Jongwoon’s hair gently.

“I’m so lucky to have a nice husband~” Jongwoon responds in a sing-song voice.

Hyukjae pauses for a moment. “I need to hurry up with this,” he mutters.

“Hm? Why?”

“So I can hug you.”

Jongwoon feels warmth seeping into his chest. “Then hurry up,” he urges.

Hyukjae perks up at that and finishes soon with the wiping, now proceeding to blow-dry Jongwoon’s hair. “Can’t wait for that vacation, to be honest,” he says conversationally. “You seemed to be burnt out from work these past few weeks. I think this break will do you some good…”

“I think so, too,” Jongwoon replies softly.

They fall into a comfortable silence afterwards, with Hyukjae continuing to dry Jongwoon’s hair while Jongwoon closes his eyes, feeling Hyukjae’s fingers gently run through his scalp. The room is quiet except for the sound of the hairdryer’s low humming, and it’s a relaxing atmosphere to be in at this time of night before resting.

Soon enough, Hyukjae finishes, and he stands up to put their things away, leaving the mattress empty. Jongwoon watches him go, fascinated. They’ve been married for years now, yet being with Hyukjae still feels like a dream.

A dream come true.

When Hyukjae gets out of the bathroom, he notices Jongwoon’s eyes on him. “Something wrong?” he asks as he approaches.

“Nothing.” Jongwoon opens his arms as though asking for a hug. “Come here.”

When Hyukjae stands in front of him, Jongwoon buries his face into his husband’s stomach, arms encircling Hyukjae’s waist in a tight grip.

“What’s this now?” Hyukjae asks in amusement, though his eyes are soft as he wraps an arm around Jongwoon’s neck, his other arm lifting to caress the back of the older man’s head.

“I’m tired, and you’re my battery,” Jongwoon murmurs, his voice making slight vibrations against Hyukjae’s skin. “I need to recharge.”

“...See? I told you many times,” Hyukjae says fondly. “You’re really, really cute.”

Jongwoon only hums agreeably in response, but doesn’t make a move to let him go.

“...Can you just hug me when we’re in bed, please?” Hyukjae jokes. “I’m tired too, you know.”

Jongwoon lets him go at that, albeit reluctantly, but he then tugs at Hyukjae’s shirt almost imploringly. Hyukjae, puzzled, crouches down a bit so that he’s eye-level with Jongwoon.

“What is it now?”

Jongwoon says nothing, but he reaches out, cups Hyukjae’s cheeks with both hands, and pecks him on the lips.

“...” Hyukjae blinks, his ears turning pink in response. “You seem to be in a good mood tonight.”

“I am.” Jongwoon smiles and then leads Hyukjae back to the bed, both of them getting under the blankets to prepare for sleep.

“Then should we go on a date this weekend instead of watching movies all day?” Hyukjae proposes.

Jongwoon’s eyes light up. “Should we go to that new café downtown?”

“...A café, really?”

“Why not? We can even take lots of pictures there!”

“Yeah, and you’ll just ask me to be your personal photographer again,” Hyukjae complains.

Jongwoon deflates a little. “Well, true, but…”

Hyukjae panics at the expression on his lover’s face. “Ah, no, I meant…” He reaches out and takes Jongwoon’s hand in his, squeezing it gently. “I was just messing around with you. Sure, let’s go to that café! And,” he adds quickly, “we can go play at that new arcade in the mall afterwards! What do you say?”

“...So you actually had a secret agenda, hmm?” Jongwoon laughs and taps the younger playfully on the nose. “You should’ve just told me in the beginning that you want to go there.”

“Well, that’s because you beat me to it with your café agenda!”

“I merely stated my own opinion!”

“No, it sounded more like you wanted to insist we go there!”

“I didn’t! How could yo—” Jongwoon stops short when he notices the clear mirth in Hyukjae’s eyes. “...You’re just messing with me right now, aren’t you?” Out of revenge, he reaches out and slaps the younger on the head lightly.

“Oww!” Hyukjae cries out dramatically, immediately rubbing the spot where he was hit. “That hurt!”

“You annoying little — I didn’t even hit you that hard—”

“It really hurts!” Hyukjae continues to complain. “Ugh, a pain this intense needs medical attention immediately! I need a kiss as first-aid!”

Jongwoon opens his mouth and closes it repeatedly, looking like a speechless, gaping fish. “That’s your way of asking me for affection now?”

Hyukjae laughs and closes his eyes, puckering his lips as he does so. “Come on, I need a kiss to cure the pain~”

Jongwoon holds back a snicker and covers Hyukjae’s mouth with his hand instead. “Here, you can kiss my palm if you’re that desperate.”

Hyukjae opens his eyes immediately in outrage. “Hyung! How could youuu,” he whines, voice muffled behind Jongwoon’s hand.

“Go to sleep,” Jongwoon tells him as he finally takes his hand away. “We still have work tomorrow.”

Hyukjae pouts, but closes his eyes anyway, feeling the tiredness slowly returning to his body. “Stingy… all right, fine…”

But just before he can empty his thoughts and rest, he feels something soft pressing against his lips, and the familiar warmth of a hand holding the side of his neck. Shocked, his eyes fly open, seeing Jongwoon’s face near his own before the latter eventually pulls away with a mischievous smile.

“Fooled you,” he says triumphantly.

Hyukjae can’t do anything for a moment except blink rapidly.

“...Do that again.”

“No. I’m tired now. Let’s go to sleep for real this time.”

“Ah, hyung!”

In the end, both of them continue to bicker back and forth, making sure to steal some kisses in-between, their gentle laughter hanging in the air.

They finally go to sleep after an hour, arms and legs entwined, and Jongwoon’s chin resting atop Hyukjae’s head as they embrace each other tightly.

 

 

 

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.”

— Audrey Hepburn

 

 

 

fin