VEINS. － p.hs + h.jy

SIX

It was chaos, both inside his head and within the kitchen. The stove was on, pans were sizzling, the puppies were tangling themselves among his sock-clad feet, and he was fairly certain that the meal he was preparing wouldn't be ready in time for Hyungseok's arrival.

With a pink apron tied securely around him he had sent away his butler and scrambled about the penthouse, dusting and vacuuming, wiping the windows and adjusting every detail to what he believed was its best position, prior to rushing to the cooking area where he instantly began cooking his chosen dish.

He hadn't been running late, really. He had set a reminder four hours before － not that the impending date ever left his mind long enough for him to forget it － but he'd let his thoughts wander into worries and soon, rather than thinking about how lovely a person Hyungseok was, he feared his cooking wasn't as good as he had been told.

Unfortunately, he then had to reap what he had sewn and do all he had planned in much less time.

The fork he used to flip the frying veg was almost flung from his hand when a bark sounded outside his door and a knock followed soon after. Hyungseok had arrived and Jaeyeol's heart couldn't have lurched any higher into his throat.

Fumbling with knobs and setting the utensil down, he hurried to open the door, cheeks red from both heat and abashment, but a smile present on his lips nonetheless.

"Hiya Jae!" Greeted Hyungseok, as chipper as always, "Can I come in?"

Jaeyeol had momentarily lost himself, admiring quite openly how good the brunet looked in his black coat and maroon sweatshirt, slim fit jeans clinging to his legs that were lean and long, and that smile that was so dashing Jaeyeol could have swooned.

The brunet's ears dipped pink, a hand going up to rub at the nape of his neck.

"Jae?"

Shaking his head to snap himself out of his stupor, Jaeyeol paused for an infinitesimal moment and then dipped his chin, stepping aside to allow the other in. It wasn't until he had shut the door that he noticed Enu's presence at all, the bitch surrounded by her hyper puppies, hopping about and wagging their short tails with joy.

He smiled.

"Wow, the food smells great," Hyungseok complimented as he shrugged off his coat, the garment being taken off his arms by Jaeyeol who hung it on the back of a chair in the kitchen once they got there, "What are you making?"

Jaeyeol waved off the question and returned to his place before the pan after having ushered Hyungseok into a free seat. He gave him his back as he worked and did his best to ignore the way his spine tickled with warmth, but his pulse wouldn't ease in speed and his skin only grew redder.

He prayed to any listening higher entity that his food was good, and he hoped that Hyungseok didn't mind his awkward behaviour. Jaeyeol was simply too nervous, mentally checking if he had left anything out of place and planning what they would do after eating.

Lost in his thoughts, it took him a shout and a merry laugh to realise that Hyungseok was no longer sitting behind him, but instead running about the penthouse with the young dogs in a game of catch, whilst their mother lay her head on her paws and watched from beside the island.

The food was ready and the flame was thankfully off, because for the second time since his arrival, Jaeyeol found himself fondly gazing at the brunet scampering about, teasing the puppies and occassionally letting them have their victory.

It had become increasingly hard to not admire Hyungseok ever since they had reciprocated one another's feelings; Jaeyeol just couldn't fathom how he could have been lucky enough to have such a guy like him in return. He rested his lower back against the counter-top, setting his palms on the black marble's edge at either side of his hips and watching with his lips curled and mind muddled by burning, fuzzy feelings he felt whirl inside him.