Babymonster One Shot

With You, It's Home | RUYEON

AHYEON's POV

The moment I walked through the door, the smell of something savory hit me. It wasn't just any meal-it was the rich, nostalgic scent of Chuseok food. I smiled to myself, already knowing what was up.

"Hey, you're home just in time!" Ruka's voice called from the kitchen.

I kicked off my shoes and wandered over, finding her surrounded by bowls of ingredients and trays of food in various stages of preparation. She had her sleeves rolled up and was working on a batch of songpyeon, her focus so intense it was almost cute.

"You're really going all out, huh?" I said, leaning on the counter with a grin.

Ruka looked up, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. "It's Chuseok! We're supposed to go all out."

"Yeah, but you didn't have to cook all of this by yourself," I said, looking at the impressive spread she was putting together.

Ruka shrugged like it was no big deal. "You've been working hard lately, so I wanted to do something nice. Plus, it's a tradition."

I couldn't help but smile. She always did stuff like this-thoughtful gestures that made me feel like the luckiest person alive. "You know you're amazing, right?"

Ruka snorted. "I'm just making food, Ahyeon love."

I walked over and hugged her from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder. "Yeah, but you're doing it for me. That's what makes it amazing."

She leaned back into my embrace for a second, her hands still deftly shaping the rice cakes. "You're such a softie sometimes," she teased, though her smile said she didn't mind.

"I can't help it," I murmured, closing my eyes and breathing in the scent of everything she'd been cooking. There was something comforting about it all-her presence, the warmth of the kitchen, the smell of traditional food. It felt like home.

"Go sit down," Ruka said, nudging me gently. "I'm almost done here. I'll bring everything to the table in a bit."

I gave her a mock salute. "Yes, chef."

Sitting at the table, I watched her move around the kitchen with ease, setting out dishes of jeon, japchae, galbi, and of course, the songpyeon she'd been working on. She was in her element, completely focused but still throwing little smiles my way every now and then. It was moments like these that made me so thankful for her-not just because she was an amazing cook, but because she always knew how to make everything feel special.

A few minutes later, she sat down across from me, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Ready to eat?"

I nodded enthusiastically, already reaching for a piece of jeon. "This all looks incredible."

As we started eating, I couldn't stop smiling. The food was delicious, but more than that, it was the effort Ruka put into making the holiday feel meaningful, even with our busy, adult lives.

"This is seriously the best Chuseok meal I've ever had," I said after a few bites.

Ruka laughed, shaking her head. "You're exaggerating."

"I'm not!" I insisted. "I don't know how you do it. You're juggling your own work, taking care of everything around the house, and now this. I don't say it enough, but I'm really lucky to have you."

She glanced up at me, her expression softening. "You're not lucky. We're just good together."

I grinned, feeling my heart swell at her words. "I guess we are."

The meal continued with easy conversation and laughter, the kind of peaceful moment that made all the stress of work and everyday adult life fade into the background. Ruka had a way of grounding me, of reminding me that no matter how hectic things got, there would always be moments like this-just the two of us, sharing food, sharing life.

As we finished eating and began cleaning up, I couldn't help but feel a wave of gratitude wash over me. "Thank you, my love. For everything. Not just the food, but for... being you."

She smiled at me, that familiar twinkle in her eyes. "I love you, Ahyeon. I'd do it all again in a heartbeat."

"I love you too," I said, my voice soft but filled with more emotion than I could ever put into words. In that moment, watching her smile back at me, I realized something deeper. No matter where life took us, no matter how overwhelming our jobs or hectic our routines became, I would always come back to this-to her. She wasn't just the person I loved. She was my constant, my peace in the chaos, the one place I could always feel at ease. Ruka wasn't just my partner-she was my home.