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Weekends during the winter were for sleeping in, slow and warm and comfortable in the confines of a toasty bed.
So when Yoongi hears the ring of his alarm and slaps his hand onto the phone in record time, he deeply contemplates whether he wants to get up. Yoongi tries to rub the sleep out of his eyes, taking a bleary look at Seokjin to make sure he didn’t wake him.
But Seokjin is currently deeply burrowed into their blankets, tufts of his hair sticking out haphazardly. His snoring means he’s peacefully dead to the world. Seokjin came home late last night, having been forced to go to a hwaesik that turned with birthday drinks, so he isn’t getting up anytime soon.
Yoongi cracks a small grin and has the strongest urge to reach over and ruffle Seokjin’s soft bed head hair, but resists. Instead, drowsiness tries to pull Yoongi right back into the comforting warmth of the bed. And honestly, he’d love nothing more than to curl up again but he’s determined. So with what little self-discipline he has, he musters up all his energy to get up and slips into his slippers to head toward the kitchen. He quietly closes the door to their room.
He squints at the too bright phone screen and it’s 7:31 am. Still very early for a weekend, but just enough time to start breakfast.
Yoongi tucks his phone away into the front pocket of his pajamas and starts to shuffle around the kitchen, pulling out ingredients from cabinets and taking out containers from the fridge. The rustling of ingredients and his incessant teary yawns make up for a quiet morning.
He puts on a pot of coffee and gets to work.
Yoongi takes out the cutting board and starts chopping up the firm cucumber. He tries a bite mid-chop and it’s perfectly crisp, with the barest hint of sweetness. He pops in another and nods in satisfaction. Once it’s diced, the pieces are set aside into a mixing bowl. He eyeballs the amount of salt going into the same bowl, just enough to lightly and evenly coat the diced pieces as they’re steadily mixed in with a spoon.
Afterwards, the bowl is set aside to marinate and he takes note of the time again. They’ll be ready in about 30 minutes.
Yoongi moves over to the stove and turns the heat on low for the seaweed soup he made yesterday. He got off early to tend to the fickle seaweed soup.
The aroma of coffee starts to fill the air as Yoongi rinses the rice and places it into the rice cooker. He presses the start button as he reaches for the cabinet to get his mug out. Yoongi nearly fills his mug to the brim in his eagerness to get a much needed sip. Wisps of steam curl from the mug and Yoongi lets the familiar taste warm him down to his toes.
A couple more blessed sips and Yoongi’s back to the cutting board.
———
Yoongi moves efficiently, no movements are wasted with him. If something's simmering or marinating, he's already cleaning up the cutting board or moving onto the next step or a different dish to prepare.
The same goes for the way he shows his love. They aren't honeyed words that drip with tooth-achingly grand gestures.
His words and touches are measured, unlike his cooking. They’re quiet, simple, and get his message across. When he conveys his affection, it’s meaningful—every touch holds weight, each word is held with a gravity that displays the inner workings of his soul.
And anyone can see that same love is quietly poured into his cooking.
Having come from a family of great cooks, it was only natural for Yoongi to be good at it as well.
Ever since he could remember, he would watch the figures of his parents as they moved around in their small kitchen. Easily shifting between each other in a space that would ordinarily be difficult to maneuver. Weaving in and out with the sounds of chopping, stirring, and chatting. Working in tandem as the aroma of a home cooked meal was frying and bubbling, taking up the whole kitchen.
Yoongi thinks that those were some of the earliest memories he has.
Too young to articulate, but old enough to understand that love didn’t have to be through words. But in the quiet way that a parent feeds their sick child jook, or in the way a parent would buy ice cream for their children during the sticky summer days. In the way he learned from his parents' cozy kitchen.
And Yoongi would proudly say that he learned from the best, from his father's boisterous laughter and loving instructions, and his mother's gentle guiding hands and her sweet words of praise.
So it’s no surprise that he cooked for those he held dear. And food went a long way in their college days. Whether it was making something simple to take care of a sick Jeongguk, making sure Namjoon was eating during finals week, cheering up a sad Taehyung, packing little lunches for Hoseok and Jimin for their practices, or making a midnight snack for Seokjin, Yoongi let the words he didn’t express into his cooking.
The excited yells, the grateful smiles, the looks of delight were worth it. More than any praise, it was important that they were happy and full.
———
Yoongi starts humming a random tune, shifting his feet and bobbing his head along. Finally getting into the groove of things as his mind aimlessly wanders and his body begins to wake up.
He starts on the donggeullangddeng by pouring out some flour for one bowl, and cracking an egg in another to whisk until the yolk is broken up.
The small leftover onion is next. One third in thin, long slices; the other into tiny, minced pieces. They’re moved into separate piles in a corner of the board and Yoongi starts mincing up a piece of zucchini. The stalk of green onion comes last and is diced into large bite-sized pieces.
Yoongi goes to rip open the package of ground meat and the firm tofu. He dumps the meat into a big metal bowl and scoops up the tiny pieces of onions and the zucchini to toss them in together.
The firm tofu is next and sliced into several manageable blocks. He gently squeezes out the excess water over the sink and then places them onto a paper towel to pat down any excess moisture.
———
Their friendship was fast but their love was a slow thing.
They became friends when Yoongi was a freshman in college, through Namjoon. It was almost startling how easily they became friends and fit into each other's lives. As if Seokjin had always been there, blending in seamlessly into Yoongi’s routines. It just didn't make sense for Seokjin to not be there with him.
It started after Seokjin had given Yoongi a once-over and mildly stated, “You look like you know how to enjoy food.”
That wasn’t how most people opened conversations after introducing themselves, but Yoongi was relieved with this change of pace instead of the repetitive small talk. So he had easily answered back, “I like good food and trying out new things.”
Seokjin blinked and smiled brightly, “We’ll get along just fine then.”
Seokjin's love for food was limitless, he was willing to try anything and everything. Nothing was an obstacle to him. It was the foundation that set off their friendship and a part of the reason why Yoongi got along with him so well.
When Yoongi first moved to Seoul for college, he was overwhelmed by how much the city had to offer—the sheer amount and variety of foods right at his fingertips. It lit a strange fire within him to be able to try everything.
So Yoongi went through phases of food obsessions—from raw octopus at every seafood restaurant to mandu of all forms; Yoongi’s stomach was always on the hunt for more.
And both Seokjin and Yoongi indulged in each other, happily bringing the other along to fulfill their latest craving. Whether it was eating jjambbong in just their shorts during the sweltering humid summer in Seokjin’s tiny studio or eating refreshing bingsoo in the dead of winter with half-frozen hands.
———
This time it was Seokjin that texted Yoongi to eat.
They found themselves in one of their old haunts—a cramped place that sold casual and cheap street food. The portions were generous and everything was homemade. A rarity to find for street food. This place was usually packed but tonight it was quiet, only the murmurs of the few patrons and the sounds of some pop song filling up the background.
They ordered a lot as usual—tteokbboki, fried mandu, odeng, seafood jeon, and jogaetang.
After Seokjin ordered for them, he cracked open a bottle of soju. They sat in comfortable silence as Seokjin poured out a glass for Yoongi and Yoongi did the same for him.
Yoongi got comfortable, happy to be back in this spot again. He hadn't been in awhile. He hummed absentmindedly to the song that he recognized.
Huge steaming plates of food came out in no time and they quickly dug in. Savoring in the refreshing jogaetang, the fried crispiness of the jeon, the fresh odeng, the juicy mandu with the spicy tteokbboki sauce.
Seokjin broke the silence first, "How's it being back in school?"
Yoongi shrugged, reaching for another piece of jeon, "Yeah like everyone said, it feels weird jumping back into school after serving. I just need to get into the groove of things again."
"Mm." Seokjin replied, taking another sip of soju.
"What about you hyung, how's everything?" Yoongi asked.
"Things are going." A finality to his tone. Seokjin shoved more tteokboki into his mouth.
Yoongi nodded and left it at that. Filling the space between them with the sounds of eager chopsticks, food, and chewing.
Yoongi didn’t ask, didn’t push. He never did, always letting Seokjin come to him if he chose to, if he wanted to open up.
He let the food do the talking and tried not to worry too much.
Seokjin poured out more soju and Yoongi focused on the background music again, this time trying to place it. Where had he heard it before? He concentrated so hard he almost missed what he heard.
“I’m so tired.” Seokjin said it so softly, the words drifting, quickly blending in with the background noises.
But Yoongi caught it, like he always did. He didn’t answer, just gazed steadily at him and then blinked, focusing on his plate again. Seokjin didn’t elaborate and he didn't need to.
Seokjin reached for the ladle of the jogaetang that was closer to Yoongi but Yoongi was quicker, smoothly taking the bowl from his hands and grabbing the ladle.
“It’s okay hyung, I’ll take care of it.”
Seokjin let him scoop out more of the tang into his bowl and handed it back.
They stayed for longer than Yoongi anticipated and he was exhausted by the end of it. Honestly, he was ready to go home as soon as they finished eating but he let his hyung have this. His voice felt a little raw and scratchy, not from the soju, but from how much he was talking.
He kept the mostly one-sided conversation going. But it was all worth it to see Seokjin crack a small but genuine smile here and there from Yoongi’s passionate ramblings on his disagreement with his professor and the silly antics their friends got into.
By the time Seokjin mostly finished the third bottle of soju, he was already drunk and heavily leaning into Yoongi as he steadied him and took him back to Seokjin’s apartment.
Once Yoongi successfully managed to get Seokjin into bed, he took a face wipe to Seokjin and gently started cleaning his face, carefully brushing his hair out of the way.
After Yoongi finished, Seokjin grumbled something in his sleep and he moved, tucking into his side, his hand reaching out to lightly curl around Yoongi's wrist. His hand was warm, grounding.
“Stay.” Seokjin sighed out.
“Okay,” Yoongi whispered back.
He quietly made his way around and borrowed some clothes and washed up, and curled up onto his side, facing Seokjin. By then, he was deeply asleep, snoring lightly.
Seokjin looked at ease.
His worry lines were smoothed out. Wiped of the traces of his deep exhaustion, his stress, the facade he often put up in front of others.
Seokjin had always been the pillar of the group, their solid foundation. Someone to rely on whether they were struggling or needing to be cheered up. Seokjin was always ready to take on their burdens, with a reassuring smile and soothing words or jokes and freshly made tteok.
But in his moments of need, Seokjin was silent or brushed it aside, compartmentalizing his worries and storing them away. Dealing with them on his own, giving a bright smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. And at first, Yoongi didn’t understand. Thinking that maybe Seokjin didn’t trust them enough for him to freely share his worries, but that wasn’t it. The more Yoongi observed, it was just that Seokjin didn’t like showing that side of himself. The ugly parts, having others worry over him.
Somewhere in their constant hangouts together, Seokjin slowly slipped things here and there that any other person wouldn’t have noticed. Yoongi became privy to seeing the small cracks that Seokjin rarely let through. Became the shoulder that Seokjin quietly leaned on if he didn’t feel like talking but needed the comfort.
Yoongi’s heart ached and he wanted to reach out and hold him, whisper to him that it was okay. But he didn’t. Instead, he shifted closer and had the weariness settle over him like an extra blanket.
Before Yoongi drifted off to sleep, a tiny little epiphany in the honesty of his thoughts, a little raw and a deeper meaning than he could dwell on at the moment, he thought ‘I want to be the one that he always relies on.’
———
Yoongi works on crumbling the blocks of tofu into very small pieces over the meat, onion, and zucchini mixture. He smoothly cracks an egg with one hand to help bind everything. Yoongi switches over to the stove to bring out a large pan and turns the heat on low, pouring in enough olive oil to lightly cover the pan.
He returns to the mixture and scoops a hefty spoonful of garlic from a jar of pre-minced garlic that he made a couple of weeks ago. A good amount of salt and ground pepper is sprinkled in and then he starts mixing by hand, ensuring that it’s all thoroughly combined.
Once the ingredients come together, Yoongi deftly shapes them into little round patties that are the size of 500 won coins. They’re then dredged with the bowl of flour from earlier. Any excess is lightly tapped off before the patties are dipped into the bowl of whisked egg. He transfers them over onto the pan that lightly sizzles once they hit the oil. Yoongi repeats the process until there’s enough for two in the pan, and sets the heat to medium.
Yoongi is heavy-handed with his cooking and often makes enough for leftovers, so he scoops up the remaining amount of meat mixture into a container for the fridge.
———
During one of Yoongi’s phases (that time it was all about finding spicy marinade sauces), he found out that the squirming in his gut was more than the alarming amount of spices he was consuming.
Yoongi had stumbled on a mahtjib that sold incredibly spicy yet delicious marinated fried chicken that was known for making the bravest adventurers cry for water. Yoongi wasn’t much of a fan of any type of pain, but he heard the sauce was worth it. With a determined glint in his eyes, Yoongi wanted to see if he could handle it, despite the numerous and loud protests from Seokjin. But Seokjin still came along for the ride, spurred by a good wager he made with Yoongi.
Seokjin soundly won the bet while Yoongi sniffed through a runny nose and lots of tears and a mouth that felt no reprieve from the copious amounts of water he drank. Seokjin decided that it was the perfect time to drag Yoongi to have some dessert to cool his inflamed mouth and upset stomach.
They ended up in Hapjeong in a relatively quiet street, slipping into a café that was on the third story. Yoongi was still feeling a little unsettled with his stomach and his mouth lingered with the taste of the sauce and fried chicken. A whole tin of mints didn't help either. But Seokjin’s wheedling made Yoongi quickly cave in, like a stray leaf easily bending to the whims of the wind.
Seokjin ordered for the both of them as usual, so Yoongi was complacent to let the summer air filter through and observed the old school radio placed on the opposite side of the café with the weirdly mesmerizing artwork scattered throughout.
When their orders came, Yoongi quirked an eyebrow and Seokjin didn't need more than that to get started.
"I got us two frozen hot chocolates and a tiramisu cake."
"What's a 'frozen hot chocolate'?"
"Hot chocolate but it's super cold instead. It’ll be good, don’t worry."
"Right," Yoongi said blandly as he stared at the chocolate monstrosity held in front of him—a cup where he couldn’t even see the actual liquid because there was a towering amount of whip cream covered with so many chocolate shavings, Yoongi thought half the battle would be just eating the shavings. A straw was neatly placed onto the side.
Seokjin looked absolutely thrilled and immediately stuck his straw in to take his first sips. Yoongi followed suit and Seokjin had been right, as always.
It was exactly what a hot chocolate was, just in frozen form and in an almost bingsoo-like texture. But most importantly, the first sip cooled his mouth and Yoongi drank more, pleasantly surprised by the rich taste and how it soothed him.
"So what do you think?" Seokjin asked, eyes twinkling with a self-satisfied grin as he watched Yoongi.
"It's delicious," Yoongi conceded primly, picking up a fork to dip into the tiramisu.
"Aren't you glad that we got dessert instead of going home, and then having you whine about your burning mouth and holing up in the bathroom all night?"
"Yeah, thanks hyung, you're the best," Yoongi answered in monotone, jokingly.
"Mhmmm." Seokjin took a big bite of their shared tiramisu and he closed his eyes, savoring the taste. He smiled, the one that made his cheeks puff up, happy.
Yoongi's stomach squirmed uncomfortably again.
He clutched at his stomach and blinked hard at Seokjin while he was still lost in tiramisu bliss.
"Hm? Do I have something on my face?" Seokjin noticed his staring.
Yoongi's heart was now hurting, he had never had heartburn before. So, his stomach was feeling weird and now his heart was hurting. He swore to himself this was the last time he'd go for spicy foods like this again.
"You've got some," Yoongi lied and gestured at his own lip to show him.
"Oh, thanks," Seokjin wiped his lip with the napkin and continued slurping his frozen hot chocolate.
And Yoongi kept staring, while Seokjin was seemingly oblivious, happy in his chocolate filled world.
Oh. Oh.
A thought came unbidden to his mind.
He was falling for his best friend.
He definitely, most likely, probably guessed that this wasn’t heartburn.
———
Yoongi flips the now sizzling donggeulangddengs onto the other side and they’re already looking good, slightly golden brown. The smell makes his mouth water and his stomach faintly grumbles. While he tends to them, he takes another sip of his coffee and absentmindedly hums along to the next tune. Their bedroom door clicks open and Yoongi freezes, watching the door.
Seokjin shuffles out with his eyes firmly shut and beelines toward the bathroom. The door shuts.
Yoongi tries not to make too much noise as he goes to grab a plate and starts plating the finished donggeulangddengs.
He keeps a careful watch on the bathroom door.
Yoongi blows on one of the fresh donggeulangddengs and takes a small bite. It’s well seasoned, the vegetables are perfectly sized, keeping the overall texture, and complementing the meat and tofu. The slightly crisp outside is a nice contrast to the soft juicy bite of the middle. Yoongi eagerly finishes it and Seokjin opens the bathroom door. He scuttles across to their room and closes the door shut.
Yoongi can’t help but let out an incredulous snort. Seokjin must be completely exhausted if he didn’t even notice all the simmering, frying, and the food smells currently filling up the entire kitchen.
He places the plate of donggeulangddengs onto the middle of the kitchen table. Yoongi opens up a container that has some leftover sliced spam from the week and places them on the still hot pan.
Yoongi checks the time again and enough time has passed so the cucumber pieces should be done. Switching gears, he tries a bite of the cucumber. It’s salty enough where it can be a little too much if eaten by itself, but it's perfect for the sauce he's set out to make. A nod of approval and then he starts on the sauce.
Yoongi isn’t familiar with making this recipe, but his body goes through the motions. He called his dad ahead of time on how to make it (it’s Seokjin’s favorite) and got a simple list of the ingredients and a laugh, “You should know how it tastes.”
The sauce is simple—quarter of a spoon of the minced garlic, splashes of soy sauce, a small spoonful of gochujang, a little bit of sugar to balance out the salt, a bit of sesame oil, a healthy dash of red chili flakes, and the thinly sliced onions and chopped green onions from earlier.
———
If you ask any Korean mom for measurements, they’ll usually give you a look and say something along the lines of, “Maybe 250 ml of this….125 ml for that? You just eyeball it. It's the power of umma’s sohn maht that makes it good. The love that a mother pours into her food for her family."
Yoongi is no different in that aspect.
All of his culinary skills can be summed up with: the ingredient names, some (very) vague measurement ideas, a little shrug, and the instructions of "Until it tastes right."
Yoongi thinks it’s more fun like this, to be free to experiment. To get a slightly different result each time that's fun and tasty all on its own. Tweaking and adjusting until you get what you want. He enjoys the creative freedom and the endless possibilities.
This is why Yoongi isn't much of a baker and not really interested in it. He’s tried it a few times but the results were never satisfactory. Having to measure out everything and being so precise is stifling. He'd get too impatient with the careful measuring and sifting and then end up trying to put a little less sugar than he should, maybe add in a sprinkle of large flaky salt to see if it would affect the taste.
Yoongi knows that any end product that looks photo worthy but not praise worthy is his fault. He didn’t even own measuring cups until Seokjin not-so-subtly bought him some as a gift once.
On the other hand, Seokjin is a good cook but he truly shines when he’s making desserts (which unsurprisingly helps with his sweet tooth), although he didn't do it too often. Seokjin’s more into strict precision and structure, following the recipes' instructions thoroughly.
Seokjin's preference for having numbers and Yoongi's penchant for eyeballing everything made it difficult to cook together at the beginning, in their first shared apartment.
After a lot of self-doubts, wading through a sea’s worth of emotional reluctance, and lots of pep talks from their exasperated friends, they had finally gotten together. But it hadn’t been a seamless transition.
Like both baking and cooking, it had been a process. They had had to peel back their own and each others’ onion layers to see the marred parts, the parts that were often too vulnerable to touch.
They often had to overcome challenges on how to navigate each other in their budding relationship, while learning and adjusting to the other’s cooking style.
———
Yoongi uses a spoon to toss all the ingredients together and starts softly singing a ballad. Much more awake and feeling content. He checks in on the spam and flips them onto the other side as they continue to cook.
The seasoned cucumber is ready, so he sprinkles in some sesame seeds and pops a piece into his mouth.
It's not as sweet as his dad’s, but he likes this better. The hint of sweetness is enough, and the sesame seeds are a nice additional texture. It's a little too mild, Yoongi thinks, as he reaches for the red chili flakes and sprinkles in some more. Another taste and this time it's just right.
Yoongi turns off the pan heat, plates up the spam, and places them onto the table. The rice cooker's little song comes on, and he’s greeted with fresh, steaming rice. He mixes the rice around with the scooper and closes it again.
His stomach rumbles and he rubs his tummy as he goes back to the seasoned cucumber.
He puts the cucumber pieces onto a rounded dish and then cuts up some kimchi they had in the fridge. Everything is almost set. Yoongi takes a look at the seaweed soup that's happily bubbling away and turns it off.
It's time to wake the birthday boy.
Another sip of his coffee and then he heads toward the bedroom. Seokjin is still buried under the blankets.
He wastes no time and crawls on top of Seokjin and heavily lays there, hugging onto him like a koala. Seokjin doesn't even shift in his sleep.
Yoongi whispers against Seokjin's ear, "Hyung, wake up."
Nothing.
He tries again, this time moving his hands into the warm blankets, softly tickling Seokjin's ribs.
"Hyung, wake up."
"Mmmphh."
"Wake up." He digs his fingers in a little more and continues tickling, and lays a gentle kiss right under his ear.
"Mmmmh go away," Seokjin groggily mumbles and tries to move, but he's trapped under Yoongi's weight.
"I made breakfast."
"No." A garbled noise of protest as he attempts to pull the blanket over his head.
"It's a birthday breakfast."
That seems to interest Seokjin even through his sleepy state and he cracks open one eye to look at Yoongi.
"Coffee?”
Yoongi grins, placing a purposefully wet kiss on his cheek as Seokjin squirms.
"Of course there's coffee. Get up." Yoongi gets up and pats Seokjin's butt before he heads out to the kitchen.
Yoongi serves up the seaweed soup and places the bowls of rice onto the table when he sees Seokjin tiredly rubbing at his eyes.
“Do you want coffee now?”
Seokjin just shakes his head no as he plops down onto his seat. He's still blinking blearily at the feast spread out before him.
Before Yoongi takes his seat, he quietly says, "Happy birthday hyung," and gives him a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth.
"Thank you Yoongi," Seokjin doesn’t look like he’s all here yet but he grabs his chopsticks, attempting a sleepy smile that makes Yoongi’s heart swell too early in the morning.
“You’re feeling okay from last night?” Yoongi asks, looking for the telltale signs of a hangover.
“Yeah. I drank so much water when I got back, I only have a slight throbbing but I should be okay after I eat.”
Seokjin’s chopsticks hover over the seasoned cucumbers.
"Are those your dad's seasoned cucumbers?" Seokjin's eyes widen as he picks one up and bites into it with a crunch. "How did he mail them to you?"
"No, I made it." Yoongi answers, waiting for Seokjin's reaction to the taste.
"You made it?" Seokjin exclaims as he continues to chew.
He chews carefully, eyebrows furrowing, his concentration face on. "It's delicious, it doesn't taste like your dad's. But it's still really good, I like it better like this, less sweet." He hums in satisfaction.
Yoongi chides himself for not making it sooner but resolves that this will be a staple in their home from here on out. Yoongi beams at him. "I'll make it for you whenever."
"You made so much food for me already Yoongi-ah," Seokjin remarks as he mixes his bowl of rice into the seaweed soup.
Yoongi brushes it off like it’s no big deal, "It's your birthday, it's the least I can do hyung."
Seokjin pauses in his eating, "I can't believe I'm thirty, Yoongi. Thirty."
"You know hyung, I'm only three months behind you." Yoongi casually remarks with a quirked eyebrow as he bites into the seasoned cucumber.
"So? What. You want to be my friend now? Fine go ahead, don’t call me ‘hyung’," Seokjin huffs as he puts a donggeulangddeng into his mouth.
Yoongi laughs, wholly endeared by the picture of Seokjin's annoyance—his sleep mussed hair and his swollen face expanded by the amount of food currently stuffed into his cheeks.
Yoongi’s so damn fond, wishing he could capture this moment and frame it.
But there’s a flicker of something pensive across Seokjin’s features as he says “I don’t know, ageing is scary.”
Yoongi understands. In a society that’s so hyper-focused on the idea of youth and preserving youthfulness, it’s not surprising.
Yoongi reassuringly says, “I’ll be right there with you, holding your hand. I heard 30’s are really fun.”
Seokjin deadpans, “Does my 30’s include my joints hurting and me being called ajusshi by children now?”
Yoongi says nonchalantly as he picks up some spam, “You can’t help that part, we’ll all be ajusshis at some point. Besides, you’ll still be a beautiful ahjusshi.”
Seokjin rolls his eyes but reaches over to take Yoongi’s left hand and gently squeezes it.
“Thank you. Everything’s so delicious. I really love it. This is the best way to start my birthday.”
"Anything for you."
"Really?" Seokjin asks, chipmunk mouth full again.
"Within reason," Yoongi answers mildly.
"Then can we go to Hangang today?"
"It's December, and that's not within reason."
"But it's my birthday."
"Fine."
"Hah, I was kidding. I'm not venturing out into the freezing cold. Are you kidding me."
"I knew you were kidding, your bones hurt in the cold just as much as me now." Yoongi calmly says.
Seokjin rolls his eyes and gets up to get another bowl of rice. "You're only three months younger than me."
"So you admit it?" Yoongi teases.
Seokjin sniffs, "I admit nothing, I have no idea what you're talking about."
"It sure would be nice to have you as the same age..."
Yoongi's finished his food and is cradling another cup of coffee as he watches Seokjin finish the seaweed soup.
"Mhmm, keep dreaming."
"I'll dream of you then." Yoongi grins at him over his coffee.
Seokjin just chuckles, "That was a good one." He piles on a seasoned cucumber and donggeulangddeng onto his spoon.
"So does the birthday boy have any requests for today?"
"Hmmm," Seokjin chews thoughtfully as he thinks. "I haven't changed my mind. I want to stay home and watch tv with you and go out for that dessert place later. We'll be celebrating with the group next weekend anyway." He shrugs.
Yoongi nods, "Sounds good to me. A cozy day in. But if you change your mind, let me know."
"Okay."
Seokjin finishes the rest of the food and sighs contentedly, stretching his arms out. "I'm very full."
"You up for some coffee?"
"No, I want to go back to bed."
Seokjin motions Yoongi to follow him as he heads back to the room.
Yoongi laughs, "Okay, I'll wash the dishes later, I guess." He clears the table and then goes back to their room to slip into their very toasty bed. He sighs happily. Electric blankets are the next best thing to Seokjin’s comforting warmth.
Yoongi curls up against Seokjin,draping an arm over his chest, and hooking his leg over Seokjin’s.
"I think I overate." Seokjin states sleepily.
"There's still birthday cake."
Seokjin perks up, "I always have room for dessert. And I get two cakes today? Nice."
"Mm later please. I'm comfy like this." Yoongi murmurs, feels like a very content cat, basking in the warmth of Seokjin's body heat.
Seokjin hums and rolls his body so he's facing Yoongi. He scoots in closer, curling an arm around Yoongi, foreheads touching.
"I love you."
“I love you too.”
He presses a sweet and slow kiss against Yoongi's lips. It's soft and a little salty from the food they just had but Yoongi doesn't mind.
They pepper lazy kisses on each other until they get a little too drowsy from their current food coma.
"Yoongi-ah."
"Do you want me to get you the indigestion medicine?" Yoongi’s sleepy voice guesses.
“Can you rub my tummy instead? I really did eat too much.” Seokjin admits shyly.
“Mm,” Yoongi shifts around to untangle from their intertwined limbs and soothingly rubs the little tummy bulge. In rhythmic motions, Yoongi quietly rubs with his eyes closed, savoring this moment and the overflow of love he has for this hyung of his.
In their busy lives, Yoongi cherishes these little snapshots. Seokjin and him in bed on a Saturday morning with nothing to do but relax, happily full and warm.
Yoongi stops rubbing his tummy when he realizes Seokjin fell asleep again.
And Yoongi ever so gently cradles Seokjin’s face in his hands, like something so sweet and precious. He drinks in his beautiful features, even the parts that Seokjin doesn’t like much. The extra plumpness in his cheeks, the little smile lines that show with age, softly grooved into the outer corners of his eyes and the sides of his mouth.
Yoongi presses a gossamer kiss onto Seokjin's cheek and holds his hand as he blissfully falls asleep.