On Thin Ice

Chapter 23- watch me burn

(Y/N) POV:

"You know... I dunno how I feel about you two hoarding my apartment." Jin remarks, voice light, slightly toying once I step out of the bathroom, padding towards the kitchen. Following the sound of movement.

"Actually it's Hobi's apartment first." I retort, easing onto a seat. Watching as he flits about, hands still towelling my hair dry.

"Actually it's my apartment first. Hobi moved in with me."

"But we knew it as Hobi's apartment first. You've always been the elusive flatmate who's too good to show his face."

There's something so odd and startling to watch him move so confidently, so surely in a space he knows is his, has always been his and yet it takes me a while to place him in regardless. Because it's a place I've known for so long and yet never quite placed him in it, never had the chance to until seeing it now.

"You mean too good of a face to show, so it was better to not overwhelm you with it." Jin says, adopting an air of wiseness into his voice, moving to pull ingredients from his fridge.

A flash of a memory flits quickly through my mind.

"You knew exactly where Hobi kept the good alcohol that night—and here I was thinking you had this bad-boy streak." I muse, leaning forward over the table, watching a grin play at his lips, eyes darting to the side as he shrugs his shoulders. A faint pink tinge to his ears.

Clearing his throat slightly.

"I didn't mean to mislead you."

"No?"

Watching as he rinses off vegetables at the sink, the broad expanse of his back on display.

"I didn't! I just—you said you wanted to take me back to your dorm."

"You could've mentioned you had a perfectly sized bed here—"

"I would've but you were eager to get me out—" grin and pink flush at odds, both amused and slightly flustered as he turns to peer at me over his shoulder.

"I didn't know we could've taken it to bed so much quicker."

"Impatient aren't you?"

"I'm a very patient person."

"Sure sure..." circling round towards the counter, no little amusement in his expression as he looks at me. Tilting his head in invited inclination.

"What?"

"You didn't think you could continue to be a freeloader did you? Now that you know this is my apartment too you gotta work for your stay."

"How absolutely ungracious of you... did your eomma never teach you hospitality? Guests aren't meant to do work." Drawing back from the pointed stare, expectant and waiting.

"Did your eomma never teach you there's an expiry on how long you count as a guest? You two stay and eat up all the food I prepare—the least you do is get off your ass to help me cook dinner."

"...you're..."

"Handsome? Smart? A man full of reason?"

"You're being mean! Hobi never forces me to cook."

"Hobi's too soft. I'm not. That's what makes us great flatmates—good balance. Now...towel down, chop these up for me." knife and chopping board clunking against the counter, the bowl of vegetables nudged forward.

"...how do you want them chef?"

"Sliced into thin strips then sous-chef."

And as I round the counter to move to where Jin was standing his grin widens, sparks with tease.