The Whispers (Underworld 6) VK

41: Good Night

The kitchen was filled with the sounds of chopping, sizzling, and the faint hum of music coming from Hansol's phone on the counter. Seungkwan, wearing a ridiculous oversized apron that said Kiss the Chef, was focused intently on slicing vegetables, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Hansol leaned against the counter, watching Seungkwan with a lazy smile, arms crossed as he admired how Seungkwan's nose scrunched up every time he thought he wasn't slicing perfectly.

"Need any help there, Tangerine?" Hansol asked, smirking as he sidled up beside him. His voice was low, a playful glint in his eyes that Seungkwan either didn't notice or chose to ignore.

"I'm fine," Seungkwan replied, not looking up, his tone cool and collected. "In fact, you could actually help by setting the table instead of just standing there and making things harder for me."

"Making things harder?" Hansol's smirk widened as he leaned closer, his shoulder brushing against Seungkwan's. "I didn't know my presence was so distracting."

Seungkwan rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress the faint blush creeping up his cheeks. "Hansol, it's not—ugh, just... don't you have something better to do than stand here and bother me?"

"I could help you with those veggies, you know." Hansol gently took the knife from Seungkwan's hand, their fingers brushing in the process. "Besides, if you're too focused, you might miss something important... like this."

And with that, he brought a tiny cherry tomato to Seungkwan's lips, clearly expecting him to eat it. Seungkwan stared at Hansol, eyes wide, before reluctantly taking a bite, trying to ignore the fact that Hansol hadn't broken eye contact the entire time.

"You're insufferable," Seungkwan mumbled around the tomato, cheeks now fully flushed.

Hansol chuckled, looking far too pleased with himself. "Only when it comes to you, Tangerine."

Rolling his eyes, Seungkwan went back to slicing, but Hansol didn't back away. Instead, he kept hovering over him, occasionally reaching over to grab a spice or a spoon, all the while brushing against Seungkwan just a little too frequently for it to be a coincidence.

Seungkwan finally set down his knife and sighed. "Hansol, you are literally in my personal space."

"Is it really that bad, though?" Hansol asked, looking at him with mock innocence as he reached over to grab the salt. "I think it's kind of nice."

"You think it's nice," Seungkwan replied, turning to face him, hands on his hips. "Some of us are actually trying to cook here."

Hansol leaned forward, lips curling into a grin that was equal parts teasing and fond. "Come on, admit it. You like the attention."

Seungkwan opened his mouth to retort, but Hansol's warm gaze made him falter, the words catching in his throat. Instead, he looked away, focusing intently on a random spice jar. "I like the peace and quiet, that's what I like."

Hansol chuckled, reaching out to lightly nudge Seungkwan's chin, forcing him to look up. "Admit it, Tangerine. You'd miss me if I wasn't here."

Seungkwan sighed dramatically, even though the playful smile on his lips betrayed him. "Fine, I'd miss you—just a little. But don't get used to it."

Hansol's smile softened. "I wouldn't dream of it," he murmured, stepping closer. "But I don't think I'd ever let you get away from me anyway."

Seungkwan tried to hold back a grin, but he couldn't. He cleared his throat, grabbing the spoon to stir the pot in front of them. "If you're not careful, the food's going to burn while you're busy flirting."

Hansol smirked, reaching out to turn down the heat on the stove, never taking his eyes off Seungkwan. "You know I'm always careful. Especially when it comes to you."