one room for two
u-kiss ; jaeseop/kiseop
1900 words ; pg-13
prompt: moving in together
It's move-in day.
Jaeseop sighed in relief as he pushed the heavy box labeled ‘jae’s books!! ♥’ in thick black Sharpie through the doorway. He used his left leg to close the door behind him and sank to his knees, using the box as a temporary pillow for his head and aching arms.
Why they decided on an apartment on the third floor of a building with no elevator was beyond him. Oh, right, it was within their budget. “I think that’s the last of it,” he said.
Another sigh, this time from the man resting on the wooden floor, and much more exaggerated, was his only response. He could barely see Kiseop from where he was, the towers of packed boxes blocked his view of everything but his boyfriend’s long legs and striped socks.
“Thank goodness, I don’t think I’m going to be able to move for the rest of the day,” Kiseop said, a pale arm throw across his eyes.
Jaeseop managed to drag himself from the doorway over to the empty living room where the older man was sprawled across the wooden floor. He sat down and rested his back against a sturdy tower of boxes, full of traditional Korean kitchen supplies their mothers had given them. There was no way they were cooking tonight, not when they still had to buy groceries. He nudged Kiseop’s leg with his foot. “Are you too tired to get something to eat?”
He couldn’t stop the laughter that erupted from his throat as he watched his boyfriend scramble up into a sitting position, the very mention of food bringing the shine back into his eyes.
“I left some restaurant fliers that I grabbed from downstairs on the kitchen counter when we came in, I’ll go see what our options are!” Kiseop leapt to his feet with renewed vigor at the thought of food and disappeared behind the stacks of boxes before he could even blink.
He smiled affectionately after the man’s back and his gaze drifted around the now occupied space.
It wasn’t much, really: the one bedroom apartment had a large enough closet space for both of their clothing (but mostly Kiseop’s, if he were being honest); a bathroom with an actual bathtub, rusted faucets and all, still installed; a kitchenette that could barely fit three people separated itself with a rectangular counter space from the decent sized living room; and a tiny balcony that faced another near identical apartment structure across the street. The place was small, and a part of Jaeseop feared how they would be able to get around the place once it was filled with furniture (besides the refrigerator, tub, and mattress that came with it) but he couldn’t stop himself from grinning.
His new home. Their new home.
Despite being in a relationship for almost three years, Jaeseop was surprised when his boyfriend agreed to move in with him, even more so when Kiseop knew it meant going to live in New York away from his family and friends for a couple of years while he finished his master’s degree.
“What do you mean I’ll be away from my family? I’m going to be with you, aren’t I?” he asked with a loving smile.
It had taken Jaeseop a moment to process the meaning of his words and felt his face turn scarlet. The memory still never failed to make the heat creep up his neck.
“I don’t really know what some of these fliers are advertising, but this one looks like pizza! Do you think they put sweet potato puree in the crust here too? I kinda doubt it, Americans are weird. This looks like Chinese, do you want that? Oh, there’s a place with fried chicken! It’s Korean and I think they deliver. How does that sound, Jaeseop? Jaeseop? Hello?” A hand waving in front of his face snapped him from his thoughts.
“Huh? Oh, chicken sounds great. Order whatever you want babe, I have cash on me.” He smiled at Kiseop, the older of the two giving him a questioning look before looking at the flier again. “Do you wanna place the order or should I?”
He beamed at Jaeseop with excitement. “I want to! I promise you can order out next time.”
He laughed again. “Alright, I’ll hold you to that. Do you remember the address?”
Kiseop dug into his right jean pocket and pulled out a wrinkled white piece of paper and waved it in response. He called the number off the flier, his voice animated and at ease as he spoke in fluent Korean to place their order. He and Jaeseop had been going over some basic English for months prior to the move, but it comforted him knowing he could revert back to his native language under certain situations. It put Kiseop at ease knowing that they didn’t live too far away from New York’s Koreatown, an area Jaeseop knew he’d be spending his time often.
They’re in the middle of moving and unpacking boxes containing immediate items they need less than a half hour later when there’s a knock at the door.
Jaeseop hopped up and grabbed his wallet off the counter, already pulling out a few bills. He opened the door to greet the delivery girl, exchanging the money for a hot bag of food before sending her off with a nice tip.
Jaeseop scanned the contents of the bag while walking back to where Kiseop had set up a temporary table from an empty box, and looked at his boyfriend with a raised brow. “You ordered some soju too?”
Kiseop glanced up at him as he set up the futon he bought during their week-long trip to Tokyo last year for them to sit on. “Yeah, so?”
“You hate drinking.”
“This is a special occasion.”
“Are you sure? Want me to go buy you a bottled water? There’s a store we passed on our way here right down the street.”
“I’m sure, now shut up and get your skinny ass over here before the chicken gets cold and mushy.”
Jaeseop smiled and shook his head, deciding to comply with his demands. He could always sneak out after Kiseop fell asleep and pick up some aspirin while he was at it. He always woke up with a bad headache no matter how much he drank.
The chicken was crisp and reminded them of home. Jaeseop was about halfway through his soju when Kiseop spoke up, “You know, this reminds me of one of our first dates.”
His voice sounded slightly slurred and tired. Kiseop’s bottle had less than an inch left from the bottom.
Jaeseop smirked, recalling that day from years ago. “I remember that, you called me cheap.”
Round eyes glared at him. “S'not my fault for thinking that! It was our fifth time out together and I had no idea how you felt about me still!” Kiseop poked his arm with an accusing finger. “Y-you hadn’t even tried to kiss me yet, I thought you were treating me like one of your bro friends.”
Jaeseop smirked and rolled his eyes at that. “Believe me, whenever I hung out with Eli, I was never trying to get into his pants. And you say that, but you liked the chicken!”
Kiseop hummed as he swallowed the last of his soju. His eyes were turning glassy and his cheeks glowed a soft pink. He leaned into Jaeseop’s side, hot cheek pressed against his shoulder. If he felt uncomfortable in that position, he was already too buzzed to notice.
“You don’t take someone you like out for fried chicken that early on,” Kiseop muttered. The alcohol was definitely getting to him. “Fried chicken is established relationship food.”
The statement alone earned a deep burst of laughter from Jaeseop. “Where in the world did you hear that from?” he asked, staring at the half conscious person resting on him.
“I heard a lady on TV say it. I thought she made a good point.” He nuzzled closer in his less than sober state.
Long fingers brushed strands of hair away from his flushed face. “Well, maybe I already knew by then that you were the one I wanted an established relationship with.“
The tips of Kiseop’s ears were on fire as he hid his face from view. "You say the grossest things.”
Jaeseop smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Oh come on, you know you secretly love it.”
When that didn’t earn a response, he knew by the even intake of breath that his boyfriend had fallen asleep. He carefully shifted and placed the sleeping man’s head on his thigh, deciding to wait a few minutes before making a quick dash to the drugstore. Jaeseop enjoyed the quiet moment, and started running his fingers through Kiseop’s soft hair. The poor thing was such a lightweight.
“I never thought I could be this lucky,” he told the sleeping figure. “At first I was scared that this wouldn’t work out, that I would only see you when I came home during the summers or just through video calls and maybe you’d eventually fall for someone else while I was gone, or just wouldn’t think I was worth all the trouble. But I’m glad you had faith in me, in us. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve all that I’ve done now without you by my side. I hope I get spend the rest of my life showing how grateful I am to you.”
His hand stopped and he moved over to rest Kiseop’s head on the futon. He stood and stretched his arms over his head silently groaning after sitting in place for so long. It wouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes to get to and from the store, and it was still early enough in the evening that there would still be people walking the streets.
Before he could even take a step, he felt a tug on the right leg of his pants. Kiseop stared up at him, bleary-eyed, but a soft smile set on his lips.
“You’ve never had anything to worry about,” he said, still clutching onto his jeans. “No matter what, I would pick you every single time. I love you, Jaeseop.”
It was like someone had lit a fire under his skin, the heat starting in his chest and spreading up to the tips of his ears. Jaeseop leaned down on his knees, muttered a sweet, “I love you,” and kissed him, soft lips moving against his like flowing water. He would drown happily in those lips if he could.
They pulled apart, lips swollen and tasting of sweet soy garlic and alcohol. “You taste gross,” Kiseop murmured in a dazed voice. A chuckle rumbled in the younger man’s chest. “I know,” he said, smiling.
“Be careful on your way to the store,” Kiseop said, kissing him again despite his own words and shifted to lay down again. The groggy tone had returned to his voice. “Don’t forget to get me a strawberry flavored water too, please.”
Jaeseop slid on his jacket and shoved his wallet and key into his pocket. He pulled out a throw blanket from the opened box labeled 'ZZZ' and placed it over his boyfriend’s now sleeping form. He pressed another kiss to his temple.
“Anything for you.”
a/n: so I watched this Korean cooking show called the "Kimchi Chronicles" and in one episode they did about chicken, the host called fried chicken "established relationship food." for some reason that always stuck with me and I've always wanted to incorporate that into a fic lmao. so there you go. hope you enjoyed the fic bb, ilu <3
1900 words ; pg-13
prompt: moving in together
It's move-in day.
Jaeseop sighed in relief as he pushed the heavy box labeled ‘jae’s books!! ♥’ in thick black Sharpie through the doorway. He used his left leg to close the door behind him and sank to his knees, using the box as a temporary pillow for his head and aching arms.
Why they decided on an apartment on the third floor of a building with no elevator was beyond him. Oh, right, it was within their budget. “I think that’s the last of it,” he said.
Another sigh, this time from the man resting on the wooden floor, and much more exaggerated, was his only response. He could barely see Kiseop from where he was, the towers of packed boxes blocked his view of everything but his boyfriend’s long legs and striped socks.
“Thank goodness, I don’t think I’m going to be able to move for the rest of the day,” Kiseop said, a pale arm throw across his eyes.
Jaeseop managed to drag himself from the doorway over to the empty living room where the older man was sprawled across the wooden floor. He sat down and rested his back against a sturdy tower of boxes, full of traditional Korean kitchen supplies their mothers had given them. There was no way they were cooking tonight, not when they still had to buy groceries. He nudged Kiseop’s leg with his foot. “Are you too tired to get something to eat?”
He couldn’t stop the laughter that erupted from his throat as he watched his boyfriend scramble up into a sitting position, the very mention of food bringing the shine back into his eyes.
“I left some restaurant fliers that I grabbed from downstairs on the kitchen counter when we came in, I’ll go see what our options are!” Kiseop leapt to his feet with renewed vigor at the thought of food and disappeared behind the stacks of boxes before he could even blink.
He smiled affectionately after the man’s back and his gaze drifted around the now occupied space.
It wasn’t much, really: the one bedroom apartment had a large enough closet space for both of their clothing (but mostly Kiseop’s, if he were being honest); a bathroom with an actual bathtub, rusted faucets and all, still installed; a kitchenette that could barely fit three people separated itself with a rectangular counter space from the decent sized living room; and a tiny balcony that faced another near identical apartment structure across the street. The place was small, and a part of Jaeseop feared how they would be able to get around the place once it was filled with furniture (besides the refrigerator, tub, and mattress that came with it) but he couldn’t stop himself from grinning.
His new home. Their new home.
Despite being in a relationship for almost three years, Jaeseop was surprised when his boyfriend agreed to move in with him, even more so when Kiseop knew it meant going to live in New York away from his family and friends for a couple of years while he finished his master’s degree.
“What do you mean I’ll be away from my family? I’m going to be with you, aren’t I?” he asked with a loving smile.
It had taken Jaeseop a moment to process the meaning of his words and felt his face turn scarlet. The memory still never failed to make the heat creep up his neck.
“I don’t really know what some of these fliers are advertising, but this one looks like pizza! Do you think they put sweet potato puree in the crust here too? I kinda doubt it, Americans are weird. This looks like Chinese, do you want that? Oh, there’s a place with fried chicken! It’s Korean and I think they deliver. How does that sound, Jaeseop? Jaeseop? Hello?” A hand waving in front of his face snapped him from his thoughts.
“Huh? Oh, chicken sounds great. Order whatever you want babe, I have cash on me.” He smiled at Kiseop, the older of the two giving him a questioning look before looking at the flier again. “Do you wanna place the order or should I?”
He beamed at Jaeseop with excitement. “I want to! I promise you can order out next time.”
He laughed again. “Alright, I’ll hold you to that. Do you remember the address?”
Kiseop dug into his right jean pocket and pulled out a wrinkled white piece of paper and waved it in response. He called the number off the flier, his voice animated and at ease as he spoke in fluent Korean to place their order. He and Jaeseop had been going over some basic English for months prior to the move, but it comforted him knowing he could revert back to his native language under certain situations. It put Kiseop at ease knowing that they didn’t live too far away from New York’s Koreatown, an area Jaeseop knew he’d be spending his time often.
They’re in the middle of moving and unpacking boxes containing immediate items they need less than a half hour later when there’s a knock at the door.
Jaeseop hopped up and grabbed his wallet off the counter, already pulling out a few bills. He opened the door to greet the delivery girl, exchanging the money for a hot bag of food before sending her off with a nice tip.
Jaeseop scanned the contents of the bag while walking back to where Kiseop had set up a temporary table from an empty box, and looked at his boyfriend with a raised brow. “You ordered some soju too?”
Kiseop glanced up at him as he set up the futon he bought during their week-long trip to Tokyo last year for them to sit on. “Yeah, so?”
“You hate drinking.”
“This is a special occasion.”
“Are you sure? Want me to go buy you a bottled water? There’s a store we passed on our way here right down the street.”
“I’m sure, now shut up and get your skinny ass over here before the chicken gets cold and mushy.”
Jaeseop smiled and shook his head, deciding to comply with his demands. He could always sneak out after Kiseop fell asleep and pick up some aspirin while he was at it. He always woke up with a bad headache no matter how much he drank.
The chicken was crisp and reminded them of home. Jaeseop was about halfway through his soju when Kiseop spoke up, “You know, this reminds me of one of our first dates.”
His voice sounded slightly slurred and tired. Kiseop’s bottle had less than an inch left from the bottom.
Jaeseop smirked, recalling that day from years ago. “I remember that, you called me cheap.”
Round eyes glared at him. “S'not my fault for thinking that! It was our fifth time out together and I had no idea how you felt about me still!” Kiseop poked his arm with an accusing finger. “Y-you hadn’t even tried to kiss me yet, I thought you were treating me like one of your bro friends.”
Jaeseop smirked and rolled his eyes at that. “Believe me, whenever I hung out with Eli, I was never trying to get into his pants. And you say that, but you liked the chicken!”
Kiseop hummed as he swallowed the last of his soju. His eyes were turning glassy and his cheeks glowed a soft pink. He leaned into Jaeseop’s side, hot cheek pressed against his shoulder. If he felt uncomfortable in that position, he was already too buzzed to notice.
“You don’t take someone you like out for fried chicken that early on,” Kiseop muttered. The alcohol was definitely getting to him. “Fried chicken is established relationship food.”
The statement alone earned a deep burst of laughter from Jaeseop. “Where in the world did you hear that from?” he asked, staring at the half conscious person resting on him.
“I heard a lady on TV say it. I thought she made a good point.” He nuzzled closer in his less than sober state.
Long fingers brushed strands of hair away from his flushed face. “Well, maybe I already knew by then that you were the one I wanted an established relationship with.“
The tips of Kiseop’s ears were on fire as he hid his face from view. "You say the grossest things.”
Jaeseop smiled and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Oh come on, you know you secretly love it.”
When that didn’t earn a response, he knew by the even intake of breath that his boyfriend had fallen asleep. He carefully shifted and placed the sleeping man’s head on his thigh, deciding to wait a few minutes before making a quick dash to the drugstore. Jaeseop enjoyed the quiet moment, and started running his fingers through Kiseop’s soft hair. The poor thing was such a lightweight.
“I never thought I could be this lucky,” he told the sleeping figure. “At first I was scared that this wouldn’t work out, that I would only see you when I came home during the summers or just through video calls and maybe you’d eventually fall for someone else while I was gone, or just wouldn’t think I was worth all the trouble. But I’m glad you had faith in me, in us. I wouldn’t have been able to achieve all that I’ve done now without you by my side. I hope I get spend the rest of my life showing how grateful I am to you.”
His hand stopped and he moved over to rest Kiseop’s head on the futon. He stood and stretched his arms over his head silently groaning after sitting in place for so long. It wouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes to get to and from the store, and it was still early enough in the evening that there would still be people walking the streets.
Before he could even take a step, he felt a tug on the right leg of his pants. Kiseop stared up at him, bleary-eyed, but a soft smile set on his lips.
“You’ve never had anything to worry about,” he said, still clutching onto his jeans. “No matter what, I would pick you every single time. I love you, Jaeseop.”
It was like someone had lit a fire under his skin, the heat starting in his chest and spreading up to the tips of his ears. Jaeseop leaned down on his knees, muttered a sweet, “I love you,” and kissed him, soft lips moving against his like flowing water. He would drown happily in those lips if he could.
They pulled apart, lips swollen and tasting of sweet soy garlic and alcohol. “You taste gross,” Kiseop murmured in a dazed voice. A chuckle rumbled in the younger man’s chest. “I know,” he said, smiling.
“Be careful on your way to the store,” Kiseop said, kissing him again despite his own words and shifted to lay down again. The groggy tone had returned to his voice. “Don’t forget to get me a strawberry flavored water too, please.”
Jaeseop slid on his jacket and shoved his wallet and key into his pocket. He pulled out a throw blanket from the opened box labeled 'ZZZ' and placed it over his boyfriend’s now sleeping form. He pressed another kiss to his temple.
“Anything for you.”
a/n: so I watched this Korean cooking show called the "Kimchi Chronicles" and in one episode they did about chicken, the host called fried chicken "established relationship food." for some reason that always stuck with me and I've always wanted to incorporate that into a fic lmao. so there you go. hope you enjoyed the fic bb, ilu <3