Remembrance
Title: Remembrance
Fandom: 2PM, Nichkhun-centric
Rating/Genre: G, gen
Summary: When Nichkhun turns off the vacuum cleaner, Jaebum's voice fades.
Notes: based on the prompt 'Nichkhun, Chansung, domesticity.'
It starts with a list: no kitchen wares in the bedrooms, no clothes or towels stay on the bathroom floor, no dishes in the sink overnight. Milk belongs in the fridge, cups in the sink, dirty clothes in the hamper. It's a slow process, but everyone starts picking up after themselves.
There is a lapse in progress when Chansung leaves cookie crumbs on the sofa after an intense pre-dinner snack. Nichkhun can see them from as far as the kitchen. He imagines Jaebum screaming at the mess, and Chansung ignoring the scolding while Nichkhun quietly cleans everything up in an attempt to restore order.
"Thank you, Khun, for thinking of others," Jaebum would say loud enough for everyone in the apartment to hear.
"You mean, thanks for thinking of your OCD?" Taekyeon would respond with a snort.
"Maybe, yes. Fine," Jaebum would roll his eyes and cross his arms. "Thank you, Khun, for thinking of me."
When Nichkhun turns off the vacuum cleaner, Jaebum's voice fades.
"Chansung, your dishes have been in the sink all day. Clean it up."
Chansung shrugs, leaving Wooyoung to sputter at his indifference. Nichkhun moves quickly; he's already at the sink before Wooyoung can start a second round of nagging.
"Don't you feel bad for making Khun-hyung pick up after you? He'll get tired, and his eyes will be too puffy to wink, and then the fans will riot!"
Nichkhun only half listens to the conversation, and he looks up when he hears his name. The water runs into the drain. Jaebum's scoff rises from the soapsuds.
"If you want us to stop treating you like a baby, then stop acting like one. Help us out once in a while."
"But he wants to do it. Right, Khun-hyung?" Chansung's eyebrows are raised and his mouth hangs open a little. It's the same face he makes when he asks the guys if they want anything while he's at the vending machine, or if they'd like the last scoop of rice from the cooker.
“He just doesn’t want to live in your filth.” Wooyoung rolls his eyes and walks out of the kitchen.
Chansung wrinkles his nose at Wooyoung’s back before turning back to Nichkhun. “Hyung, let me do the dishes.”
“It’s okay. I’m fine," Nichkhun says to Chansung. "Thanks."
The floors and sofa become habitable space again, liberated from the piles of socks and coats laying about. Strange smells stop lingering in the bathroom. They wash their own snack dishes before Wooyoung nags, before Nichkhun has a chance to take care of it.
When Nichkhun cooks, everything he needs is within his reach. He doesn't have to look for the pepper on the coffee table or dig under piles of dishes for the sharpest knife. There is nothing in the garbage can when he peels his potatoes, nothing in the sink when he rinses his pasta, nothing in the dish rack when he wakes up in the morning.
He misses the unwashed chopsticks and occasional coffee ring, the little messes that whisper thank you for thinking of me.
Fandom: 2PM, Nichkhun-centric
Rating/Genre: G, gen
Summary: When Nichkhun turns off the vacuum cleaner, Jaebum's voice fades.
Notes: based on the prompt 'Nichkhun, Chansung, domesticity.'
It starts with a list: no kitchen wares in the bedrooms, no clothes or towels stay on the bathroom floor, no dishes in the sink overnight. Milk belongs in the fridge, cups in the sink, dirty clothes in the hamper. It's a slow process, but everyone starts picking up after themselves.
There is a lapse in progress when Chansung leaves cookie crumbs on the sofa after an intense pre-dinner snack. Nichkhun can see them from as far as the kitchen. He imagines Jaebum screaming at the mess, and Chansung ignoring the scolding while Nichkhun quietly cleans everything up in an attempt to restore order.
"Thank you, Khun, for thinking of others," Jaebum would say loud enough for everyone in the apartment to hear.
"You mean, thanks for thinking of your OCD?" Taekyeon would respond with a snort.
"Maybe, yes. Fine," Jaebum would roll his eyes and cross his arms. "Thank you, Khun, for thinking of me."
When Nichkhun turns off the vacuum cleaner, Jaebum's voice fades.
"Chansung, your dishes have been in the sink all day. Clean it up."
Chansung shrugs, leaving Wooyoung to sputter at his indifference. Nichkhun moves quickly; he's already at the sink before Wooyoung can start a second round of nagging.
"Don't you feel bad for making Khun-hyung pick up after you? He'll get tired, and his eyes will be too puffy to wink, and then the fans will riot!"
Nichkhun only half listens to the conversation, and he looks up when he hears his name. The water runs into the drain. Jaebum's scoff rises from the soapsuds.
"If you want us to stop treating you like a baby, then stop acting like one. Help us out once in a while."
"But he wants to do it. Right, Khun-hyung?" Chansung's eyebrows are raised and his mouth hangs open a little. It's the same face he makes when he asks the guys if they want anything while he's at the vending machine, or if they'd like the last scoop of rice from the cooker.
“He just doesn’t want to live in your filth.” Wooyoung rolls his eyes and walks out of the kitchen.
Chansung wrinkles his nose at Wooyoung’s back before turning back to Nichkhun. “Hyung, let me do the dishes.”
“It’s okay. I’m fine," Nichkhun says to Chansung. "Thanks."
The floors and sofa become habitable space again, liberated from the piles of socks and coats laying about. Strange smells stop lingering in the bathroom. They wash their own snack dishes before Wooyoung nags, before Nichkhun has a chance to take care of it.
When Nichkhun cooks, everything he needs is within his reach. He doesn't have to look for the pepper on the coffee table or dig under piles of dishes for the sharpest knife. There is nothing in the garbage can when he peels his potatoes, nothing in the sink when he rinses his pasta, nothing in the dish rack when he wakes up in the morning.
He misses the unwashed chopsticks and occasional coffee ring, the little messes that whisper thank you for thinking of me.