Melting the Devil

The Date Continues...

A/N: Here's the last update today/tonight!

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They settle into a comfortable rhythm of sorts, passing the tongs back and forth and taking turns with cooking as they stuff themselves with some really good beef. Cantaloupe chirps Tin about letting a few pieces of meat get burned, and Tin ribs Cantaloupe about his alleged "grill tyranny", which somehow turns into a not-so-friendly competition about who can come up with the best tasting food. (Cantaloupe wins, of course, after Tin begrudgingly admits that the steamed egg and kimchi combination is actually really good.) Cantaloupe lets Tin order the next round and is not surprised at all that Tin decides to go with chicken. Cantaloupe also orders some pork belly for more variety, and since both of those take slightly longer to cook than the beef, Cantaloupe puts his chopsticks down for a bit and turns to Tin.

"So, how was your day?" he asks, because he'd really been meaning to ask all night. 

Tin sets the tongs down on his plate, shifting slightly to look at Cantaloupe properly with a relaxed smile on his face. "It was good. I went on a long run, which was probably for the best because I had no idea we were going to be eating so much tonight. Though I should have known, really," he says, grabbing Cantaloupe's hand to play with his fingers. "And then I Skyped with my parents. My dad's been asking about you."

Cantaloupe squeaks. "Your dad?"

Tin nods, rolling his eyes fondly. "Yeah, he keeps asking when he's allowed to come down and meet my boyfriend. Like he hasn't already met you several times," he snorts.

Cantaloupe's too busy gaping at Tin to laugh with him. His brain immediately fixated on a single word and apparently won't let go. "Boyfriend?" he asks, blinking at him.

"I... Yes?" Tin says, sounding unsure, before his expression shifts into a horrified one. "Is that—Oh, God, I should have asked you first—"

"No!" Cantaloupe shakes his head, gripping Tin's hand tightly. "No, I... You really want us to be boyfriends?"

Tin's expression softens immediately. "Of course, Can. I mean, I thought—" 

"Oh my goodness," Cantaloupe says, realizing something. "I haven't even told my mother!"

Tin laughs nervously, shaking his head. "You don't have to tell your mom, if you're not comfortable—"

"No, I—Tin!" Cantaloupe says, facing him bodily. "I didn't even—You want to be boyfriends? With me? You want me to be your boyfriend?" he repeats, sounding a little desperate. He knows he's incredibly behind on this conversation, but he just can't seem to wrap his head around the fact that Tin has been talking to his dad about him. As his boyfriend. 

Tin laughs again, apparently taking pity on him and reaching up to cup his face. "Can. Look at me." Cantaloupe meets his eyes hesitantly, and finds that Tin's looking at him so steadily, a gentle smile playing at his lips. "I want this. I want to be with you. God, I'm not sure if I've wanted anything more in my life." He huffs a laugh, and Cantaloupe's heart thunders in his chest as Tin runs a thumb gently over Cantaloupe's cheek. "I'd really appreciate it if you believe me when I say that."

Cantaloupe's at a loss for words for this beautiful, kind, thoughtful man in front of him, so he does the only thing his brain is able to tell him to do, which is to press forward to kiss Tin, a sweet lingering thing that he hopes conveys every emotion that's threatening to spill out of him. "Okay," he whispers when they pull away. "I believe you."

Tin's answering smile is radiant. "Good," he says, leaning in to press a quick peck to Cantaloupe's lips before turning back to the grill and noticing the smoke. "The chicken!" Tin immediately moves to flip it, revealing that the chicken is only slightly burned but definitely salvageable.