Nam Joon hated mornings. The sun was rude, always abruptly waking him up from not enough sleep. He had a daily column on the Denver Post and was always up late in the night sending in last minute drafts for his editor to look over. He loved his job, he had the community column and was invited to every city event, but he hated the long work hours. Sleep was his escape. Warm blankets, the perfect mattress that wasn’t too soft or too hard, a big white pillow. And the sun took that all away from him. However, there was one redeeming factor to mornings.

He felt soft fingers thread through his hair.

“Wake up sleepy head.”

“I don’t want to,” Nam Joon grumbled, he pulled the comforter over his head.

“You have to take Jungkook to campus.”

“Can’t you take him?” his voice was muffled.

“Nope, my boss called, he needs to come in early today,” the comforter was pulled off of Nam Joon’s head, “which means you have to take him to college. He’s your brother.”

“I didn’t ask for him,” he rubbed at sleepy eyes, “they had him right before I move out. He was my replacement.”

“And now he’s here so take care of him,” Seokjin was unsympathetic.

Seokjin. Seokjin who slept on the right half of the bed, who was the owner of the pink toothbrush in the cup in the bathroom, who drank black tea instead of coffee. Seokjin, who loved mornings.

Nam Joon hugged Seokjin around his waist and pulled him down onto the bed, “A few more minutes please?”

Seokjin laughed, “Nope, get up.”

Seokjin slid out of his arms, but before he left he quickly kissed his cheek.

Nam Joon smiled, “Fine, I’m awake.”

Seokjin was no longer in the room but he still got up.

Seokjin. Seokjin who made mornings tolerable, almost pleasant, because Nam Joon had fallen hopelessly in love nine years ago.

In a fit of panic, when Nam Joon was a lost first year transfer student, second year college student, Nam Joon crashed into Seokjin and spilled all of his coffee on him. Seokjin was a commuter, he didn’t have a spare change of clothes. They walked to Nam Joon’s apartment, five minutes from campus, and Seokjin changed there. Nam Joon cooked a breakfast burrito as an apology, he burnt the potatoes. Seokjin cooked, because he actually knew how to use a stove, and Nam Joon poured drinks, because there is no way he could ruin them. They started talking, they bonded over Korean parenting and their mutual love of the English language, and talking, Nam Joon had one sibling while Seokjin was an only child, and talking, they agreed to disagree on whether football had a purpose or not. No one went to classes that day. But Nam Joon did get a phone number and a promise for dinner next Thursday.

He wasn’t in love, not yet.

But three months later, when they were walking out of a movie theater, and Seokjin wouldn’t stop talking, and he turned around at just the right moment for the street lights to glow on his face, Nam Joon could feel the first signs of it. The pounding of his heart working over time. It was so loud he thought Seokjin would hear it, so he kissed him to distract him from the sound.

Looking back he’s sure Seokjin felt it anyway.

Or maybe not, maybe his pulse was beating just as loudly.

Because six months later, when Nam Joon asked if they could move in together, Seokjin didn’t say no.

And three years later, when Nam Joon asked if they could drive up to Canada and get married in the spring, Seokjin cried when saying yes.

So it was the silver band on his ring finger, with Seokjin’s name engraved on the inside, and Seokjin running in the kitchen that got Nam Joon up in the morning.

Jungkook was already there, eating a bowl of cereal. Nam Joon sat down on the open stool at the countertop, Jungkook shoved a plate of food to him.

“Hope you wanted eggs this morning,” he grumbled.

“Eggs are fine,” Nam Joon grunted back. One of the many perks of having a younger brother in your debt was not having to make breakfast.

“Awesome,” Jungkook replied in a monotonous tone.

“What’s your excuse for staying up late?” Seokjin asked.

“Bioshock Infinite.”

Seokjin hummed, unsympathetic, “Could you feed Kookie when she wakes up?”

“If the dog’s not awake, I don’t have to be awake,” Nam Joon complained.

“Your argument is invalid, because I already took Kookie on her walk. She was awake at six this morning,” Seokjin smirked.

Jungkook laughed into his cereal, “Even the dog has worked more than you.”

“Shut up,” Nam Joon snatched the cereal box.

“Don’t forget to take him to school. I don’t want your mother to yell at me because I ruined both of her sons’ lives.”

“If only she knew that I was the one ruining you,” Nam Joon said. Seokjin’s expression turned wide eyed. Nam Joon continued, “I ruin you every night.”

“Not appropriate, I’m leaving. Don’t be late,” Seokjin stormed off with a red face.

Nam Joon laughed.

Jungkook complained, “Hyung you’re gross.”

“If you complain again, I’m sending you to our parents’ house,” Nam Joon smirked.

It’s still gross, Jungkook muttered.

That was their routine on the weekdays, not a lot of variance in between. Sometimes Jungkook would take the fluffy white Sammoyed, Kookie, for her walks in the morning. Sometimes Nam Joon would wake up early, and then stay in bed and watch Seokjin sleep for however long until his alarm went off. Too often, their next door neighbor, Taehyung, would run into their apartment and beg Seokjin for a ride to their workplace. Seokjin always said yes, even on the days he didn’t have to go to the office. But most days began like this. With Kookie asleep on the couch, Jungkook groggily washing the dishes, and Nam Joon smiling to himself.

~~

Nine years together, five years of marriage. Nam Joon and Seokjin had a strong relationship, with the exception of one rocky year: their first year of marriage. Yes, their ceremony was a small one. Seokjin’s parents couldn’t make it but at least his cousins and aunt were there. No one from Nam Joon’s family attended. Not because they rejected the wedding, but because they didn’t know about it in the first place.

Seokjin found out when they got a Christmas card, addressed only to Nam Joon, complaining about how he wouldn’t be coming home for the holidays.

“How could you not tell them?”

“They wouldn’t care that I am in love with you, to them it would still be wrong.”

“My mother was upset when I told her but at least she knows. Can’t you give me that?”

Nam Joon didn’t answer.

Seokjin spent the next three weeks at his aunt’s house.

The apartment was too empty, so Nam Joon flew to his parents’ house. Everyone welcomed him, Jungkook showed him his first place ribbon from the middle school art show, his mom get a nose job, his aunt had a new American husband. It was nice to see family, but his family was missing. It took Seokjin leaving for Nam Joon to realize how he hated being “I” and how he love being “we”.

It was a twelve hour drive, but on New Year’s Eve, he showed up at Seokjin’s aunt’s house just in time for the countdown. Before Seokjin could react, Nam Joon leaned in. The first kiss of the New Year, him and Seokjin, as it should be all year, every year.

He wasn’t out of the dog house yet. But after two month of flowers, apologies, and singing ballads off key outside of the window, he convinced Seokjin to come back to their apartment.

“Do you ever clean?” was the first thing Seokjin said when he saw their living room.

Nam Joon smiled sheepishly, “I pay the boys next door to clean once in a while.”

“Jimin and Jongup can’t even keep their own apartment clean,” Seokjin laughed.

And later that night, Nam Joon slept on the left side of the bed, because when he turned to the right, Seokjin was there.

Seokjin still couldn’t quite forgive him. Not yet.

“We should get a dog.”

“Why?”

“A St Bernard.”

“Jinnie, why do we need a giant dog?”

“So that he can bite you when you make me mad.”

Nam Joon was forgiven when they went to his parents’ house for Christmas. When he introduced everyone to his husband and they looked at him as if he had grown another head. He knew those plastic fake smiles, had grown up with them, so he wasn’t surprised when his mother cornered him in the kitchen and demanded he tell her that last night was a joke. That he real wasn’t married to a man. When Seokjin tried to defend Nam Joon, she started yelling at him for ruining her oldest son. They endured all of her shouting, the full half hour. Seokjin didn’t cry until she left, he refused to be weak in front of her. They left the next day.

Seokjin apologized the whole way. For ignoring Nam Joon for a whole year, only to find that yes, his family is really that bad.

Only Jungkook would pick up Nam Joon’s calls. And when his mom found out that he was talking to Jungkook, she shut off his phone. That was the second time Seokjin had seen Nam Joon cry.

A day later, Nam Joon came home with a small white bundle of fluff, she looked more like a baby polar bear than a dog.

“No St. Bernard?” Seokjin teased.

“Trust me, Jinnie, she is better.”

And she was. Kookie, as Soekjin named her, was a handful. Potty training was especially difficult since they lived on the fourth floor, but Seokjin solved that. He bought a flat tray, filled it with dirt, and, after a lot of persuasion, taught her to do her business there. Seokjin walked her in the mornings, Nam Joon in the afternoon, and both of them on the weekends. They would take turns being pulled around the dog park, she would sprint after anything that moved, ending in a tired heap by a large tree near the park exit.

They were too busy training a puppy to worry about their neglectful family.

Yes, their marriage didn’t have the honeymoon period. The first year was stressful, but the second year was spent learning about each other. About dividing bills, and splitting chores, and raising a dog. It wasn’t perfect, but it was theirs, and they loved it. Especially that third Christmas, where they watched movies, made popcorn balls, and took their fully grown Sammoyed to get lost in the snow.

They were in their fifth year of marriage, nine years of being together, and Nam Joon could not imagine a life without Seokjin. Or mornings without waking up to pouting lips and soft hair. The dog at their feet was replaceable. And Jungkook playing video games on the couch. And Jimin forgetting to make dinner so he would steal the leftovers from their fridge. And Taehyung running in with a basket full of laundry because he forgot what setting to use. But Seokjin. Seokjin was permanent.

That permanence was what had Nam Joon rushing home from work every afternoon.

The clock read five thirty, time to go home. Nam Joon packed up his briefcase.

Yoongi walked into his cubicle. “You, me, Hoseok, at Tony’s bar.  We’re leaving in five.”

“Can’t, I have to stop by the store, we’re out of milk.”

“Wasn’t that your excuse yesterday?”

“Yes, but they didn’t have two percent yesterday. That’s the only kind Jin drinks.”

Yoongi threw back his head as he laughed, “You are so married.”

Nam Joon didn’t respond, but he did smile as he left the building, coat thrown over his shoulder, wallet in his pocket, and phone rapidly texting Soekjin. Yeah. He was in love. He was happy. Aren’t the two synonymous?

~~

Since Nam Joon got his regular column, he began staying later and later at the office. Which meant that Seokjin had to walk Kookie in the afternoons as well as the mornings. Not that he complained. She was more likely to chase after squirrels in the afternoon, that was difficult, but not impossible.

They ran into Jimin in the hallway.

“Are you going to campus?”

“Yeah, the kids had a paper due yesterday and I have to grade them by Monday. Forty terrible papers about cell division,” Jimin grumbled.

“You’re the one who wants to be a physical therapist.”

“This isn’t therapy, this is teaching! It’s terrible.” Jimin leaned down and began petting Kookie.

“Did Taehyung get home yet?”

“Not yet, he’s working with another lawyer on some case or something like that.”

“Oh yeah, there’s a kid with neglectful parents whose aunt is fighting for custody.”

“Is it your boss that he’s working with?”

“Nope,” the elevator doors opened and they walked in, “but the lawyer he is working for has a young new secretary that is always coming to me for help. I’ve made all of the appointments for that case.”

“You deserve a raise.”

Seokjin scoffed, “I’m just a lowly secretary, or coffee fairy according to the interns.”

Jimin laughed, the elevator doors opened. “Have fun on your walk.” He petted Kookie before they parted.

Seokjin held Kookie’s face to look her in the eyes “Do you promise to behave?” As usual, she didn’t respond, which Seokjin chose to interpret as agreement. He later found out that the look was a challenge. Mostly when Kookie went chasing after a squirrel and dragged Seokjin along with her.

~~

“How was the walk?” Nam Joon asked.

He grinned when he saw Seokjin lying on the floor, with his head rested on Kookie’s back, still in his jogging clothes from earlier. “Remember when we first talked about getting a dog and I told you I wanted a St. Bernard?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you for ignoring me and getting her instead,” Seokjin huffed.

Nam Joon bit his lip to suppress his laughter. He slid down on the floor to be eye level with Kookie, she didn’t notice, too busy sleeping. “Were you a bad girl?”

“She almost ripped my arm off,” Seokjin glared at her, “Look at the bruises you gave me.” She yawned. Nam Joon laughed.

“You’re a little monster aren’t you,” he played with her face. When she nipped at him, he turned to Seokjin who was pouting.

“What if I had lost my arm? Would you care? Or would you reward Kookie for being smart?” Seokjin pouted.

Instead of responding, Nam Joon rolled his eyes and kissed the pout off Seokjin’s face.

 ~~

“So can I drink with you guys tonight?” Jungkook asked, bright eyed and hopeful.

“Sure,” Seokjin smiled.

“Just one,” Nam Joon interjected from the sink where he was washing vegetables.

Seokjin rolled his eyes and mouthed “killjoy” to Jungkook. He hid a laughed behind his hands.

“What are you two plotting?” Nam Joon asked.

“Nothing,” they shouted in unison, with identical cheeky grins plastered on their faces.

“Never should have introduced you two,” Nam Joon muttered.

“Too late,” Seokjin kissed him on the cheek, “he’s permanent.” Seokjin returned to the dining room to finish setting the table. Nam Joon glared at his baby brother, who still had that cheeky grin plastered on his face. “Get started on the potato salad,” Nam Joon commanded.

“Yes sir!” Jungkook complied.

Three hours later, the food was cooked, apartment was full, and the wine was flowing. Jimin had broken away from his usual grad student attire and was wearing jeans and t shirt. Taehyung had tried to dress classy, but already spilled wine on his shirt.

“You are such a clutz,” Seokjin teased. He sprayed stain remover on the white button up.

“It wasn’t my fault,” Taehyung whined, he was now wearing Seokjin’s maroon colored sweater, “it was the guy who’s sitting next to me. He speaks with his hands.”

“That’s Hoseok, and according to Nam Joon, he is relatively calm today,” he hung the shirt on a towel rack, “Come on, you’ve been losing too much weight.”

The table easily slipped from one conversation to another. Jimin, as it turns out, was an avid follower of Yoongi’s sports column, and very jealous of the perks he gets.

“How is Tony Romo in person?”

“Dude he is awesome. We played foosball together, I won, but he was a good sport about it. Then he said we should play football next time, I did the smart thing and said no.”

The table laughed.

“Wait, so he’s football? I thought he was baseball,” Seokjin said.

Nam Joon rolled his eyes and Seokjin’s hair, “Jinnie, I hope one day you’ll learn about sports.”

“Yeah Jinnie,” Yoongi said directly at Nam joon. Hoseok laughed. Nam Joon rolled his eyes and jabbed his fork at them. “That’s the last time I invite you two over to eat.”

“So what do you do?” Hoseok asked Taehyung.

“I work as paralegal in the same firm as Seokjin,” Taehyung answered casually.

“Have you worked on any cases yet?” Yoongi asked.

“I’m pretty new to the company so only minor ones like misdemeanors and es, but I’m working on a custody case at the moment.”

“Wait, you guys live together,” Hoseok motioned between Taehyung and Jimin across the table, “So does that mean you’re-”

“Oh god no,” Jimin interrupted. Jungkook laughed into his can of coke. “My roommate left abruptly, so Seokjin introduced us. Taehyung had just started working at their company and was living in a hotel, we became roommates because of a mutual need for an affordable place.”

“Oh, makes sense,” Hoseok took another drink of his wine.

“Besides” Jimin’s face stretched into a cheeky grin, “Taehyung would make a terrible boyfriend.”

“Jimin” Taehyung gritted between his teeth.

“No listen, this guy can’t cook . He’s always asking me- Jimin, how do you make this? It’s just a package of instant ramen and he can’t cook it.”

The whole table laughed. Taehyung’s face turned red, “I know how to make instant ramen.”

“Then why did we have to buy a new microwave?”

“All right children, that’s enough. No more fighting.” Seokjin reprimanded.

“Yes mom,” Taehyung and Jimin answered in unison.

“Man do you control this whole building?” Yoongi asked.

“Jin just likes taking cares of us,” this time Nam Joon was the one with mischievous grin, “he says it’s his responsibility as the oldest one.

Seokjin hit his shoulder. Yoongi and Hoseok were both laughing. “Wait, so what’s the age difference between you two?” Hoseok asked.

“Don’t answer,” Seokjin pleaded.

“That much,” Yoongi eyes widened comically.

Nam Joon turned that smirk on Seokjin. He shook his head, no. Nam Joon shook his head, yes. “No, no, Nam Joon!”

“He’s two years older than me.”

“Cradlerobber!” Yoongi shouted, the table laughed while Seokjin hid his face in his arms. Nam Joon began rubbing circles on his back. “I hate you so much,” Seokjin muttered.

“No you don’t,” Nam Joon kissed the top of his head and intertwined their fingers to show just how much Seokjin hated him.

Hoseok had to drive Yoongi, who was red faced and stumbling, home. He was also loud, really loud. “You two are sooooooooo married,” he enunciated, “So, so married. God, why don’t you just adopt thirty children and go out to buffets and show everyone how married you are? Instead of flaunt- flaunting it to us single losers. Come on Hobi, let’s leave this lovefest!”

He fell face first on the floor. Hoseok’s expression was unsympathetic.

“Hobi?” Taehyung asked.

“His drunk nickname for me. He can’t say Hoseok after three glasses,” Hoseok struggled to lift Yoongi on his feet.

“Hmm,” Taehyung’s cheeks were pretty pink as well, “have a safe trip home, Hobi”

Hoseok dropped Yoongi.

“Yes, thanks for coming, Hoseok. It was great having you over for dinner,” Seokjin wrapped his arms around Taehyung’s shoulders.

“It was a pleasure, the food was fantastic,” Hoseok helped Nam Joon stand Yoongi upright.

“Yeah, make sure not to overwork yourself,” Nam Joon grunted, Yoongi was finally standing, unsteady, but standing.

“The life of a photographer is demanding,” Hoseok joked. Taehyung chuckled.

Seokjin glared, “Good luck with him.”

“Not the first time,” Hoseok laughed as he fitted Yoongi through the entryway. Nam Joon shut the door behind them.

“He was funny,” Taehyung slurred.

“No he wasn’t,” Seokjin replied.

Nam Joon shook his head, then sighed. They had an apartment to clean. Jungkook and Jimin were already asleep on the couches, and Taehyung would be more harm than help. He and Seokjin had dishes to do and a table to clean.

Seokjin began placing feather light kisses against the back of Nam Joon’s neck.

He picked up Seokjin and placed him over a shoulder. Seokjin laughed and beat light fists against his back. He stopped laughing when he was dropped down on their bed.

Or they could clean up tomorrow. 

A/N: More stories need giant dogs. They're so much fun to write about ^_^

        Except Sammoyeds aren't giant, they're more average. And totally look like baby polar bears when they're puppies. (my cat is judging me while I write this)

         Next chapter will be up on Sunday, the ending is already written it just needs to be edited. When I'm done, I'll decide if everything should be uploaded before or after Christmas. ( in the third chapter things get sad, this one and the next one are just about idiots at work.)

        Thank you for reading ^_^