In Chains and Shadows || Heehoon

He is Blushing!

The mansion felt larger than ever. Spacious, quiet, and yet somehow, it never felt as empty as it did now, with Sunghoon constantly drifting from room to room, his presence impossible to ignore. It was almost a month since Heeseung had taken Sunghoon in, the tensions between them shifting from animosity to something that felt... different. Sunghoon's walls were cracking, piece by piece, and Heeseung couldn't help but notice.

Heeseung, once cold and calculating, had always been the one in control—of his surroundings, his people, his emotions. But ever since Sunghoon came into his life, nothing seemed to stay in its neat little box anymore. Heeseung was... distracted. And oddly enough, it wasn't Sunghoon's defiance or stubbornness that unsettled him, though it often did. No, it was the way Sunghoon made him feel something he'd never been prepared for: warmth.

-

It was late in the afternoon when Heeseung found himself in the kitchen, trying to put together a meal for himself. His thoughts kept drifting to Sunghoon—his sharp tongue, his indifference, the way he always tried to act like Heeseung wasn't constantly in his thoughts. But Heeseung could see through it. Sunghoon wasn't as distant as he wanted everyone to think.

Just as Heeseung was finishing up, the sound of footsteps approached. Sunghoon stepped into the kitchen, looking as casual as ever, but Heeseung noticed the slight tug at his lips, the small stretch of a smile that had softened his normally stony expression.

"You're cooking?" Sunghoon asked, his voice light, almost teasing. He raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Are you sure you know what you're doing? I mean, no offense, but I'm pretty sure you're more about business than... culinary expertise."

Heeseung chuckled softly, glancing over at Sunghoon with a smirk. "I know my way around the kitchen just fine. You'll see."

"I'm not sure I trust you," Sunghoon said, leaning against the counter, eyeing Heeseung with suspicion. "But I guess I'll try it. I'm bored anyway."

Sunghoon grabbed a nearby chair and plopped down, his arms folded across his chest, still looking like he was ready to be unimpressed. Heeseung wasn't sure why he was suddenly so intent on cooking for him, but there was something about Sunghoon's unbothered attitude that drew him in. Maybe it was the way Sunghoon managed to act like nothing affected him, even when Heeseung could sense the layers behind that cool exterior.

As Heeseung moved around the kitchen, his thoughts occupied with preparing the meal, he couldn't help but glance over at Sunghoon every so often. There was something in the way Sunghoon sat there, watching him intently—like he was trying to figure him out. It was so... innocent, yet guarded, and it tugged at Heeseung's chest in a way he didn't expect.

Sunghoon's gaze finally met his, and for a moment, their eyes locked. It wasn't the playful challenge that usually filled their interactions. This time, it was different. There was something almost vulnerable in Sunghoon's eyes, something that hadn't been there before.

"Something wrong?" Heeseung asked, his voice a little softer than usual.

Sunghoon blinked, clearly taken off guard by the question. His lips parted, as if he were about to say something, but then he just shrugged, looking away quickly.

"Nah, just... nothing," he said, but his voice wasn't as sharp as usual. It was quieter. More uncertain.

Heeseung felt a strange tug of affection, but he didn't know how to respond. Instead, he focused on finishing the meal. He didn't want to acknowledge that feeling, but it was there, blooming quietly in his chest.

-

Later that evening, after they had eaten, the two of them sat across from each other in the living room. The conversation had drifted to their usual back-and-forth banter, each of them poking fun at the other, but it was lighthearted, more playful than it had ever been before.