It was 8 in the morning, and Won Ryu Hwan was in the kitchen. 

Frying an egg. 

If Hae Rang could see me now, he'd think he was having a nightmare. Ryu Hwan chuckled to himself at the impossibility of this situation he was currently in. Many things had happened in the 2 weeks here in Daegu, and one of them involved an exasperated junior in an apron, barking commands at the flustered captain. 

"No Hyung you can't fry an egg with the heat up so high you'll burn your eggs!"

"Hyung! Did you just use extra olive oil to pan fry the fillets!?" 

"Hyung you overheated your pan, the oil has disintegrated..."

"...You didn't wash the vegetables, did you?"  

"Hyung please tell me you the rice cooker." 

He'd make a great captain one day, Ryu Hwan was sure of it. 

After hours of sulking, feet-dragging and bad cooking, Ryu Hwan could now fry an acceptable sunny side up, cook rice and slice like a pro. In fact, his knifing skills were really quite decent, if he could say so himself. Hae Jin was a natural in the kitchen, Ryu Hwan really couldn't think of a better person to save him from himself. It was a rare sight, seeing Hae Jin in a domineering position, patiently guiding him in his cooking misadventures while sporting the silliest looking apron, fringe tied up in front, with the most serious of faces. 

Ryu Hwan loved it. He would never admit it, but he really did repeat some mistakes just to see the exasperation that brought out the cutest flush and frown on Hae Jin's face.

Watching Hae Jin cook was like watching him duel, just that now he actually had time to appreciate the calm confidence he unknowingly exuded. It was impressive and...arousing. It certainly didn't help that when Hae Jin was in "domestic god" mode, he was fatally unaware of the amount of skinship he initiated - of course, Ryu Hwan didn't mind at all. When Hae Jin hovered behind Ryu Hwan while he tried to cook, he never realized how his front was always pressed flushed against Ryu Hwan's back. The worser Ryu Hwan cooked, the closer he stood. When Hae Jin held the captain's hands while teaching him how to flip meats, he never did realize that his thumb subconsciously traced little patterns  atop the captain's. When he fed the captain using his fingers and then off the rest with his own tongue, he never did realize the darkening irises of the older captain that followed his that grazed his bottom lips. 

Really, the only thing stopping the captain from pushing the younger man against the kitchen counter and kissing him senseless was that kitchen knife Hae Jin always held... and Ryu Hwan was not ready to take any chances with that. Yet.

But maybe now he was. 

They've been dancing around each other for days now, and the tension between them was so thick, he could almost taste it. Simple assuring touches in the day that lingered longer than usual, quiet hugs that were now the norm during their sleep. Their kneecaps touched when they sat next to each other, if Ryu Hwan didn't have his hand on Hae Jin's knees, he would have his arms over the younger boy. 

They were always touching. 

And then, a few days ago, Hae Jin had walked into the kitchen where Ryu Hwan was drinking a glass of water and threw himself into the captain's arms suddenly. Ryu Hwan almost dropped his glass.

"Omma...she's awake." 

"Hae Jin-ah... That's great, great news. I'm so happy for you." Ryu Hwan had gushed gratefully as he returned the tight embrace. 

Their embrace lasted for quite a while, with Hae Jin crying a few happy tears. As they parted, Hae Jin tearfully thanked him. 

"Hyung you don't know how much your presence has helped... I can't even... Thank you Hyung, you being here... Means more than the world to me." 

The shorter boy wiped his tears, returned the smiling captain a watery grin, and then proceeded to plant the softest, lightest, sweetest kiss on the captain's jaw before running off to pack for their hospital visit.

It took all his control to not pull the younger man back and tell him he'd gotten the wrong spot, but he did not. The captain had calmly picked up his forgotten glass and drank. 

Not going to happen again.

========

"Hyung, you really should remember to wear an apron." 

Ryu Hwan heard a mug being set down on the kitchen counter behind him. Two muscled arms then encircled his waist from behind, pulling Ryu Hwan out of his recollections. 

A frilly pink apron now draped over his waist. Hae Jin reached over one last time, smoothing out the apron for the captain. Right before removing his hands from the captain's waist, two slightly tanner arms quickly held them in place. The captain grinned in reply.

"Maybe I don't want to remember." 

"But why? It's really better off for you... Oh." 

Hae Jin's indignant reply became quickly forgotten as Ryu Hwan pulled the younger boy closer to him into a back hug. The knee-jerk reaction to pull away kicked in at first, but Ryu Hwan's tight hold stopped it. Memories of the past weeks' repeated cooking mistakes flashed through his mind. It did trouble him, of course, that the captain could remember the hardest of all fight routines, but couldn't remember to wear an apron. Understanding slowly began to dawn on his face, and he felt a blush start to form. 

As the captain pulled his arms closer to the front, Hae Jin's face rested comfortably on Ryu Hwan's back. Just as he did every morning in bed, he took a deep whiff of the captain's scent. Underneath the cooking fumes and saltiness from his sweat, was the comforting musky scent that filled their bed, that spread onto his skin, that wrapped around him when he woke up in the captain's arms. 

It was primal, it was silly, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling like he was... 

Marked? 

Property of the captain's? 

Ideas like these hardly fit into what they'd grown up with in this day and age, but Hae Jin had long given up trying to reason with his body. No amount of logic was going to douse the fire that burned in his belly.

They were playing a dangerous game, the two of them. Touching, wanting, but skirting around the issue. 

It was clear as day now, how they felt for each other. At the very least, Hae Jin knew that he would not be stopping the captain if he did a repeat performance of their dojang incident. Problem was, it seemed like the chilvarous captain had taken it upon himself to draw some lines since then - he touched, yes. But it never escalated to anything that would tip the precarious balance they toyed with. 

Well at least until now. 

========

Ryu Hwan had to stifle a groan as Hae Jin's breath caressed his back. It seemed like the younger boy had a tiny - he loved smelling. The older boy did notice his little smelling habits in bed, especially on mornings when Hae Jin thought he was still asleep. The juncture between his neck and shoulder was the boy's favorite spot, and he would sniff up a storm before the captain would eventually turn away to hide his raging hard on incited by the innocent puffs of breath that to no end.

Their little sensual dance was perfect. It was sweet, it was making Hae Jin open up, it was safe. But Ryu Hwan hated safe. It was time to up the game, and he was going in with his biggest stakes. 

========

Hae Jin held his breath as the captain quietly set down his spatula, turn off the fire, before turning over to face him. Surprised by Ryu Hwan's sudden closeness, Hae Jin took a step back, and then another, and another. The captain mirrored his steps. It wasn't long before his back hit the kitchen island and he couldn't move anymore. A shiver passed through his spine as he took in the captain's predatory gaze. His eyes flickered down to Ryu Hwan's full lips, and then into the burning irises that sent his heart racing. 

The captain was now so close to him, he could take in his breath. The familiarity of this situation did nothing to help. Hae Jin was intoxicated by the captain's clean shave, minty breath and his scent. Oh, dear lord, his scent. 

And then, Ryu Hwan's thumb began a slow trace along his lips and Hae Jin swore he almost wanted to whimper. Ryu Hwan's thumb travelled from the corner of his upper lip, to the other corner, down to his lower lip, in a smooth circle. Ryu Hwan's eyes followed the journey of his thumb, his lips only a hair's breath away from Hae Jin's. When his thumb finally stopped at the right corner of his lips, their eyes met. Neither of them breathed. Both their hearts were pounding so hard Hae Jin could hear it.

Without moving away, Ryu Hwan removed his thumb from Hae Jin's lips, lifted it to his own mouth, and it slowly as he never once took his eyes off Hae Jin's.

"Ah, coffee. Make me one cup too?" 

Without waiting for a response from the younger boy, the captain pushed himself further from the counter that he had trapped Hae Jin between, and started dishing out the fried eggs into lunch boxes that they would bring to the hospital later on. 

Hae Jin shook his head, in attempt to clear the hazy layer of desire that shadowed his mind. 

"Neh, Hyung." He struggled to reply to the most ordinary, yet most arousing request for coffee ever beseeched upon him.

He looked at the captain's back, as he busied himself with their lunch boxes, as if what that just almost happened between them didn't happen at all. 

What the frak just happened?

========

"Omma, are you talking behind my back again?" Hae Jin teased, as he entered the hospital ward where his mother was, with three cups of hot coffee. 

Two chuckles filled the ward, one feminine and light, the other deep and masculine. Though only one was currently making his heart flip, and toes curl. 

"Hae Jin-ah, you were an angel! You're... like the anti-theses to Hae Rang or something. You just drew all the time? Really?" 

Before he could clear his head to answer the handsome captain, his mother replied eagerly.

"Well I wouldn't say he drew all day,... Let's just say, what our neighborhood kids played with never appealed to this old soul here." 

"Ah... That I can relate. Though I consider myself lucky that I found a childhood friend that too felt the same. He would practice on his ukeleke and I would run through my movements or read when we met up during our free time." 

Ryu Hwan stood up from the bedside, and guided him by the shoulders to take his seat. 

"I've always worried that my little one would never be able to find someone like him. Well seems like my worries are unfounded. I can see why my little one has latched onto you. Please take care of him, Ryu Hwanie." 

"Omma! What are you-" Hae Jin had clearly forgotten about the 3 mugs he was holding onto, when he almost spilled some liquid as he blushed furiously.

Ryu Hwan quickly steadied the younger boy's hands, and made to take the mugs to rest them on the bedside table. But not before his knuckles and ruffling his hair in reply to Hae Jin's mother.

"That I will, Omma-nim, that I will."

Both boys exchanged a quick look, before Hae Jin broke off their stare. Ryu Hwan's eyes burned into him. His mind was in a quivering mess. The captain's smoldering gaze wasn't helping him, his heart was pounding in his ears.

"Good, good! Now hand over that mug of coffee you brewed before it gets cold, little one." 

What the frak was happening?

========

"Good, good! Now hand over that mug of coffee you brewed before it gets cold, little one." 

Ryu Hwan tore his meaningful gaze away from the blushing boy. As he handed over the mug to Hae Jin's mother, he smiled sincerely to the kind and beautiful woman he had the grace to meet finally in person a few days ago since she woke. Unbeknownst to the shy boy, the two of them shared a secret smile, one  full of trust, the other, promises. 

"You like my son." 

"...Yes I do, Imo."

"Ryu Hwanie, there're many things I regret, but one of the biggest regrets I've had would be that I was helpless when it came to protecting him from his horrible father. The only way I could make up for this was to love him with all I had. What a horrible excuse of a mother I am." 

"Ani-yo, Imo. Hae Jin speaks highly-"

"But it is not enough. Ryu Hwanie, my son loves. He is full of it. He is gentle, compassionate and everything I could've asked for in a son. But I see the mistrustful smile he has built around himself, preventing people from getting close to him,... an unfortunate mechanism he adopted in reaction to the hurt my ex-husband inflicted on us both. My ex-husband destroyed the trust held sacred in all marriages and my son had to live through it."

Hae Jin's mother wiped the tears that flowed freely down her face, but she continued gracefully.

"Love my child, Ryu Hwanie. Teach him to trust, teach him to love."

"Neh, Imo. With all my heart." 

The beautiful face lit up into a smile. Ryu Hwan smiled back in earnest.

"Call me Omma-nim, my son. I see the same fight in your eyes as I do in my son. Hae Jin has chosen well, even if he doesn't know yet."

Two hours passed by comfortably, and before they knew it, visiting hours were over. It really was a shame that they had to leave, Hae Jin's mother was an intelligent conversationalist. Ryu Hwan had quickly grown to enjoy the company of the graceful and quick witted woman, just like he did with her equally  brilliant son. Though today, Hae Jin was glancing over in his direction more often than usual. The younger boy was distracted. It would be impossible that the boy's mother didn't already pick up on their heated tension through Hae Jin's jumpy interactions with him since they entered. If anything, Ryu Hwan was very sure he had caught wind of the lightest chuckle coming from the mother as she sipped her coffee while observing Hae Jin getting flustered over their interactions. Whatever it was, he was grateful that the intuitive woman made no mention of it.   

Afterall, he was playing to win. 

Ryu Hwan pushed himself off the couch next to the room window and began to busy himself with packing up the now empty food containers that they'd brought over for lunch. 

As Hae Jin's mother passed over her coffee mug to the captain, she rested her hand on her son's cheek as she questioned the two boys.

"When are you two going back to Seoul?" 

"Not until you are discharged and well adjusted at home, Omma." Hae Jin leaned into his mother's touch as he smiled tenderly.

"Aish, I'm not invalid, Hae Jin-ah, I can do just fine without you here now that my head injury is almost all healed. Old Mrs Kim has readily agreed to check in on me everyday. You boys should make use of whatever that's left of this winter holiday to do what boys do." 

"No, Omma. I can't possibly-" Hae Jin lifted his head and looked to the captain for help. The idea didn't sit well with the captain either. But before either of them had a chance to reply, Hae Jin's mother tapped on her son's cheek lightly with her index finger.

"Now look at me, my little one. We are safe now. The worst thing that could happen now would be me burning myself in the kitchen, which Is highly impossible. And from what you tell me of our Ryu Hwan's cooking abilities, I really should be worrying about you burning down the kitchen instead."

Hae Jin laughed weakly. Ryu Hwan cleverly sat out of this one.

'Dear visitors, as our visiting hours are now over, please kindly...' 

"I will be safe here," came the firm response.

"Omma..." Ryu Hwan finished the packing and walked over to the mother and son. He rested his right hand on Hae Jin's shoulder as he walked to his side. He too didn't like the idea of leaving soon as she got discharged. It did not go down well with him at all. 

"And it is my wish that you go out, and enjoy like you should be. Go on, Hae Jin-ah." 

"I can't, Omma I can't help worrying, please understand." 

"Yes, Omma-nim, I worry too. I would hate to leave you behind like this." Ryu Hwan stooped down as he took her hand in an earnest attempt to persuade her. 

Not without missing a beat, Hae Jin's mother took hold of Hae Jin's hand and brought both their hands together. Hae Jin ducked his head slightly at their contact with Ryu Hwan's. His mother smiled. 

"Okay, let's do this. When I discharge in 3 days' time, pick me up and see me home. Do what you need to do in that day, and then be on your way. You can call me everyday to check in in me, but you must be on your way. Arasou?" 

"...Arasou, Omma." Even Ryu Hwan knew when the battle was lost. Hae Jin's  mother had obviously thought over this longer than they had, and she had come prepared to win her case. There was no winning on this one, and Hae Jin was resigned to her decision.

Beaming, Hae Jin's mother clapped her hands together and motioned for them to leave the room. 

"Now hurry off and plan your trip! I'm getting excited just thinking of all the things you can do together!" 

=======

"Your mother is an amazing woman." 

"She is." 

"She's beautiful." 

"She is, isn't she?"

The lift doors closed.

Hae Jin swallowed nervously. They were alone. His mother was a welcome distraction to his heated and frustrating exchanges with the captain, but now she wasn't around. In fact, she had somehow gotten them to hold hands before she bade them farewell - intertwined hands that the captain had resolutely not let go of even when he very obviously tried to disengage himself.

Ryu Hwan turned and looked at him.

His voice dropped a few tones lower. "You don't realize how much you're like your mother, do you?"

And there it was again. The burn in the pit of his tummy came back with a vengeance in response to the captain's heated question. Too hot. He tried to remove his left hand from Ryu Hwan's hold again, but it only made the captain pull him flush against his body in retaliation. 

The same left hand that traced his lips in the morning made a hypnotizing trail across his face as the captain continued naming off his features. 

"Your eyes, your nose, your cheekbones, your mouth, your jawline,..." 

Finally the hand rested on his pounding chest, as the captain drew closer to his right ear. Ryu Hwan spoke. 

"...your heart." 

Hae Jin shivered. 

Then, the lift doors opened and Ryu Hwan was on his way out of the lift like nothing happened, leaving a blushing mess behind. 

What the? 

======== 

Hae Jin was in a sensory overdrive and he was losing it. 

It started with the apron incident, the lift incident, the little contained touches, the hand holding, the almost-kisses. It couldn't get any worse, he thought. But of course, he was wrong.

Because then they had dueled. Appropriately. 

Nothing happened.

Ryu Hwan had won, they had bowed, exchanged formalities, and left the dojang as they should have.

After that, the captain had kept silent and stayed away for the rest of the trip home. 

Hae Jin had had enough.

He shut the door harder than usual. Hae Jin carelessly left his training gear next to the shoe cabinet. Taking his sweaty training top off, he made a grabbed for the captain's own abandoned singlet and paced furiously into the laundry room. He collected the dirty laundry, sorted out the cleaned ones and the dirtied ones into the washing machine. 

Deep breaths. 

Without a second glance, he trudged back into the kitchen to see the topless captain slicing kimchi without an apron. 

Enough.

"For the last time, Hyung. Wear. That. ing. Apron." Hae Jin whipped the apron across the older boy's waist once again as he roughly pulled and tugged the apron with every enunciated syllabus. He was so close. The captain smelled like sweat, the captain smelled fantastic. Hae Jin wrenched the slicing knife from the captain's left hand as the captain slowly faced him. He threw the knife carelessly into the sink behind the captain.

"Kiss me." Hae Jin squared his jaw in challenge.

The captain's eyes burned. 

"Thought you'd never ask." Came the soft reply, but not before flashing a predatory grin at the agitated boy.

Lips crashed into Hae Jin's. 

He couldn't figure who had groaned and who stifled it. All he knew, was that their first kiss felt like their duels in the dojang, a fight for dominance. Just that it felt more urgent, and infinitely more toe-curling.  The captain's hands were buried in his hair, as he guided their tongues into a sensual dance that made Hae Jin burn. He placed his hands on the older boy's bare chest as he answered the captain's advances with his own tongue. for , nibble for nibble, bite for bite. Hae Jin drew in a quick breath as the captain swept his tongue over his bottom lip. He pulled the captain by the apron and moved back until he hit the counter behind him. Standing with his legs slightly wider, the captain leaned into his body, all this time not breaking the kiss that had his heart beat pounding in his ears.

Skin touched skin. 

Both boys released a strangled groan as they broke apart from their heated kiss. The scent from the captain consumed him. Their combined scents were making him heady. Their lips were barely inches away from each other, their heavy breaths intermingled. 

With his initial frustration now sated, Hae Jin began to feel the same familiar bashfulness creeping back into him. 

He had gone and done it now. He had went and redrawn those lines between the captain and him. There was no turning back now. Not when he knew now, there was no one but the captain who could stir up such feelings in him. He felt the arousal of the captain pressing into lower abdomen, he was sure the captain would've felt his too. Opening his eyes to meet the captain's, he saw that they were studying him intently behind heavy lidded eyes. Overwhelmed, he made to duck his head. 

A calloused hand caught hold of his chin and gently held it in place. Ryu Hwan went in for another kiss. 

This time, however, it was so slow, so gentle and heartbreakingly tender. It was as if the captain was pouring all his feelings into this kiss.

"Mine." Ryu Hwan whispered fiercely into the kiss. 

Wetness formed in the corner of Hae Jin's eyes, and Ryu Hwan felt them. His mouth left his lips and he kissed the tears away gently. What did he do, what was it of him that he had that could make someone as great as the captain feel this way towards him?

"Mine." Resting his forehead on Hae Jin's, the older boy whispered once again, his hands drawing slow circles on his back. 

No turning back now. 

Hae Jin was a little unsure at what this leap would mean, but everything that the captain had shown him till now had been worth it. He had overcome them nightmares, it was frightening, but the captain was right, and the captain had stayed. 

This time, the whisper came not from the captain, but from himself. He had said it softly, for he was shy about it, he wasn't sure if Ryu Hwan had heard it, but he said it anyway.

"...mine."

Mine.

--------

HO MY GOD MY LOVELY YEOROBOON!!! 

I heard you I heard your calls I did! Sorry that this is up so late! I'm trying to update sooner, but I'm really busy with my eventual move to the States, it's crazy that there's so many things I need to take care off T.T Anyway, let me know how you guys are doing these days! The weather is cray cray where I am at now. Please do take care of yourselves! Now this chapter though... hehehhehehehe. I dedicate this to Naruchannnnnnn of course, as well as poisonousbeauty - I see you've been dying for some fluff, well just nice because I was intending for it! :D But do gear yourselves up my lovely yeoroboon, because 's gon get real soon! hehe *ROAR*

Once again, love you all, miss you all, and see you in the chapter! 

<3

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