Frost

Eternally

Epilogue (a few years later)

Yeonjun wakes up to the smell of coffee and the sound of happy humming coming from the kitchen. The bed is still warm from where Kai slept, curled up against him, and Yeonjun grunts, burying his face in the soft fur of a cat laying next to him.

Sunlight streams in from the window, its light rays dancing across his tanned skin, and making shadows on the wall opposite. Yeonjun lazes around for a few moments more, before sitting up clumsily, wiping his face with an uncoordinated hand.

The cat escapes his grasp, hissing quietly and running to, no doubt, complain to her favorite parent.

The clock on the small bedside table beside him reads 7 am.

Groaning, Yeonjun swings his legs out of bed, standing up to walk across the cold wooden floor, following the delicious smells to where his husband is making breakfast in the kitchen.

"Morning, sunshine." He mutters into the younger's shoulder, arms immediately coming to wrap around Kai's thin waist, chin resting on Kai's shoulder.

Used to his clinginess, the boy doesn't react much, patting Yeonjun's hand absentmindedly and moving to switch off the kettle and pour them some coffee, the cold air from the fridge causing Yeonjun to flinch back a little and bury his head in Kai's neck, hiding like a child.

This early, he couldn't tell you what day it was, what year, what season, what month. All he knew was what was in front of him – the breakfast waiting for him on the table, the slow rise and fall of Kai's chest, the glint of the gold ring around his husband's finger.

Absent-mindedly, Yeonjun reaches for that ring, intertwining their hands together and watching the way they fit together. It made the possessive side of him settle, until he could properly wake up.

Soobin once said Yeonjun was like a caveman when he was sleepy, and it was true. He was simple, and loose-worded. Just like now, when his lips curled into a lazy smile, and he felt Kai chuckle, squeezing his hand back, their matching rings shining under the golden sun.

"Mine." Yeonjun said quietly, sated, and Kai reached back to swat at his head, stepping out of his hold and handing him a cup of coffee.

Who's yours? He signed, rolling his eyes.

"You are." Yeonjun said, stepping closer.

And Kai sighed, letting himself be tugged to the living room, where they settled on their couch, dozens of plushies around them, the TV playing the morning news.

Yeonjun sipped his coffee, his head slowly clearing as everything swam back into focus. Looking down to where Kai lay on his chest, eyes closed as he listened to the weather forecast, fingers playing with their small cat that had wandered out of the bedroom to demand attention, Yeonjun suddenly frowned.

"Shoot." He said, and Kai looked up, alarmed for a moment.

What's wrong?

"We really are a cringy married couple."

Kai snorted, hitting his chest before turning back to the cat, stroking its soft fur until she purred, closing her round eyes in pleasure. He slipped off the couch, sitting down on the floor to let the feline walk all over him, his eyes never straying far from his beloved pet. His fingers played with her ears, and she purred louder, rubbing her lithe body against his chest, showing favoritism the way she always did.

Yeonjun felt the familiar fondness settle in his chest, where it belonged, where it had stayed for the last god knows how many years.

"You still pay more attention to that damn cat more than me."

Kai looks up for no more than a second, rolling his eyes, silent because his hands were loath to leave the damn cat.

Grumbling about regretting adopting their pet, Yeonjun got up to head back to the kitchen, stopped by the quick hand that darted to tug him down for a second, Kai's soft lips leaving a gentle kiss against his, before the boy turned back to the cat, as if that creature was more deserving of his attention than his own husband.

"Aish." Yeonjun shook his head, unable to tear his gaze away from his favorite person on earth. "I'm really fucking jealous of a cat, damn you."

Kai snorted, the wedding ring on his finger shining bright against his pale skin, hands buried deep in the fluffy fur of the cat.

And call Yeonjun whipped, but he can't ever remember waking up any other way. This is his paradise for now, forever.

Eternally.