Joshua’s hands trembled slightly as he rummaged through the cabinet, his eyes darting over the empty shelves in growing frustration.
The silence of the room pressed down on him, thick and heavy. He had invited Seokmin over in a moment of weakness, craving his presence more than he was willing to admit.
Now, the reality of the situation hit him—did he even have the ingredients to make cookies?
The thought gnawed at him, a slow burn of embarrassment tightening in his chest.
The kitchen felt colder, emptier. Each passing second that Seokmin stood behind him, waiting, made Joshua’s throat tighten.
He swallowed hard, his fingers brushing over the few useless items in the cabinet.
There was nothing. The humiliation of it made his skin prickle, but the thought of Seokmin’s gaze lingering on him from behind kept him frozen.
He could already feel the weight of Seokmin’s presence—warm, steady, watching.
What would he say if Seokmin asked?
Joshua’s fingers brushed against a bag of flour at the back of the cabinet, his breath catching in relief. He had the ingredients.
He wasn't about to embarrass himself in front of Seokmin after all. He straightened, taking a moment to calm the racing of his heart.
But the relief was fleeting, drowned out by the weight of Seokmin’s gaze still pressing down on him, as if the man could see right through his feigned calmness.
Joshua pulled the flour out, placing it on the counter with a soft thud, then retrieved the sugar, eggs, everything he needed—all while trying to ignore the suffocating tension in the air.
“I found them,” Joshua said quietly, not daring to meet Seokmin’s eyes yet. His voice was low, almost too soft, as if speaking any louder would shatter the fragile control he was trying to maintain.
He busied himself, setting out the ingredients carefully, methodically, anything to keep his hands from shaking.
Behind him, Seokmin didn’t say a word, but Joshua could feel the shift in the atmosphere.
That silent intensity was still there—dark, unreadable—but there was something softer now, something that made Joshua’s chest tighten in a way that was both comforting and unnerving.
He finally turned to face Seokmin, his fingers gripping the edge of the counter, as if bracing himself.
“I wasn’t sure if I had everything,” he confessed, his words clipped with the tension still coiling inside him. “But… I guess we’re good.”
Seokmin’s gaze softened slightly, his lips curling into the faintest of smiles. “Good,” he replied, voice low and velvety, laced with an undercurrent of something Joshua couldn’t quite place.
Joshua swallowed hard, the tension between them only growing thicker. It wasn’t just about making cookies anymore—it never had been.
The air hummed with unspoken words, with the closeness they both craved but were too afraid to admit.
"I'll just change my clothes," Joshua muttered, barely glancing at Seokmin as he grabbed his bag and darted toward his bedroom.
His voice wavered, the tremor unmistakable as he rushed away, not giving Seokmin a chance to respond.
Seokmin’s eyes followed Joshua's retreating figure, tracing every hurried step until the bedroom door clicked shut.
A slow, knowing smile curled at the edge of his lips as he squared his shoulders, sinking into the couch with a deliberate calm.
YOU ARE READING
Arrange Devotion | SS
FanfictionBOOK #2 They say love heals scars, but Seokmin's scars were lessons-bitter reminders that twisted him into a creature of darkness. His life was a series of brutal lessons that shaped him into someone who burns with an unquenchable fire. Protecting...
