Bound by Marriage ✔NamJin

Chapter 11: The Secret Of A Happy Marriage

They woke up again at around noon. Somehow Namjoon had awoken before Jin, and was mumbling unintelligible things in his ear as he reached consciousness.

"What're you saying?" Jin grumbled, turning around in the circle of his arms. His fingers sneaked up to play with Namjoon's hair. He pushed himself back a bit from him and grabbed his hands.

"Tickles," He said in explanation.

"Wanna make us some lunch?"

Jin didn't respond so they laid there for another 10 minutes or so. Re-acclimating themselves to eachother. That one week seemed so much longer than any past. Then Jin sat up, towering over Namjoon, who was laying on his back unconcernedly. "You got my clothes all ruffled. How about you iron them while I cook us some ramen?"

Namjoon rolled over until he was slumped on the floor, Jin giggling at the lump that was his husband. He did this most mornings, always saying he needed something hard to jolt him from sleep. Jin had offered to slap him but he preferred to rough himself up. He walked into their adjoining bathroom.

Namjoon stood up and leaned against the wall by the door. "What're you doing?" He called. Jin stuck his head and an arm out and threw a bundle of clothes right in his face. Namjoon fumbled with it for a minute, confused. "Wha...?"

Jin smiled widely at him, only his face and one naked shoulder visible. His hair was up in a ponytail. Namjoon blinked, his face quickly turning red. "I'm changing out of my clothes so you can iron them, dummy. Grab me my nightshirt, will you? I'm completely naked here." He gabbed.

Namjoon could feel his face get redder and redder with each passing word. Somehow he couldn't take his eyes away from Jin's pale skin so close to him. "Uh...I...um..."

Jin stuck his arm back out and slapped him firmly on the shoulder. "Namjoon, get me the shirt! Didn't you hear me? Or do you WANT me to have to walk around without any clothes on?!" He paused, stared at him for a brief second, and then made a squealing sort of sound and shot back into the bathroom.

Namjoon didn't know what to say, but he had been released from the strange feeling that had taken him over at the sight of his bare body. "Jin...?"

Jin didn't open the door, but spoke very loudly to make up for it. "NAMJOON! Take my clothes and go iron them downstairs!" he was almost yelling.

Namjoon did as he was told, almost reluctantly. As soon as he heard the door shut, Jin exited the bathroom. His face was about as red as Namjoon's had been. He quickly dressed in an overlarge shirt and a pair of shorts. As soon as he was adequately clothed, he sat down heavily on the bed.

His blush had not yet faded. He reviewed what had just happened in his head. He'd mentioned that he was naked and Namjoon had seemed to shut down, almost. Or had it begun when he opened the bathroom door? But either way, it was obvious that he reacted to the fact that he wasn't wearing any clothes.

Somehow Jin's face grew even redder. He knew that he was attractive. It was no secret in the Kim household. In fact, his father had beaten up a tidy sum of men that had romantically pursued him, and then gone around town to brag over the number. Jin couldn't deny that he flaunted it, as well. He enjoyed the near immediate attraction people seemed to have towards him.

But Namjoon? He recalled his face when he first saw him, remembering the intensity of his gaze. He had studied him, yes, but it was different that how other men would look him up and down. In fact, Namjoon gave no signs at all of being attracted to him. Jin had been almost pleased that he would be viewed as an equal instead of a sex object, for once.

On top of that, he seemed to be the only one that grew embarrassed about their relationship and insinuations of the status of their marriage. Every time his mother mentioned their hypothetical child, Namjoon would show little more than slight upset and a great deal of annoyance, while he would turn bright red and feel like fainting. The most emotional he had ever seen him was just the night before, and that went beyond his comprehension. Still, he had never seemed to be physically attracted to him.

Yet just a moment ago, Namjoon had turned completely red at the thought of him naked. It would have been one thing if he had seen him.

Understandable that he would color, if even just in sympathy for Jin's resulting embarrassment. But the thought shouldn't have evoked such a reaction from his husband. He should have gotten a little pink and brought him the shirt she'd asked for, not stared and stuttered!

Jin didn't know how he was supposed to react to this. He couldn't confront Namjoon about it, that would only cause even more embarrassment! Avoiding him was out of the picture. After what had just happened between them, he knew that avoidance would probably result in a divorce or him moving out. He really did have an inferiority complex. He'd likely assume he wanted someone else, no matter if he said otherwise. That was something Namjoon would believe just once.

Jin stood up and left their bedroom to go cook lunch. He'd just ignore these thoughts for now; distract himself from thinking about it until he got another sign. If there ever would be another.