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i.
They walk side by side while Sejin talks on and on, as Moondae listens to the constant stream of words. Nobody would ever guess it, but listening to Sejin is one of his favorite pastimes. Sejin speaks with the bright, unshadowed excitement of a child that leaves Moondae completely enamored by the sound of his voice.
It is not until Sejin reaches out, his fingers brushing Moondae’s as he tries to link their hands, that Moondae finally breaks his silence. “Touch me, and you die.”
ii.
They are tucked into a corner booth at their usual spot, surrounded by the steam of cheap food and the sharp scent of soju that has painted Moondae’s cheeks a soft, dusty pink. Occasionally, Sejin will offer a morsel of food from his own chopsticks, and Moondae accepts it, and the moment feels easy and nice. Until the door swings open and Moondae’s ex-boyfriend walks in. Moondae tenses instantly, his shoulders turning to stone, and he knows Sejin feels the shift in the air as his boyfriend’s expression hardens with wariness.
“Hi, Moondae. It has been forever,” the man says as he weaves through the tables toward them and tells Moondae he looks great before finally sparing a glance for Sejin. “And you are?”
“I am Sejin, Moondae’s boyfriend. And I do not mean to be rude, but you are interrupting our date night.” Moondae fights the impulse to lash out when Sejin suddenly pulls him flush against his side, an arm heavy and possessive across his shoulders while staring the other man down. The man then mumbles an awkward goodbye and retreats, while Sejin watches him go with a lingering glare.
“Ugh, glad he is gone, right?” Sejin laughs, though his tone is still a bit guarded.
Moondae immediately shoves the arm away with a gaze sharp enough to cut. “Put your arm around me one more time, and you die.”
iii.
Snow is beginning to dust the streets of Seoul, and Moondae has taken over babysitting duties for Keundal, who is the son of a close family friend. He does not mind the task because Keundal is a vibrant kid, and watching him tumble through the drifts with Sejin warms a part of Moondae he rarely admits exists.
“Moondae, look! We made a snowman, and he is cute and squishy just like you!” the boy shouts.
“And who told you that?” Moondae asks, his eyes narrowing as they land on his boyfriend, while Sejin offers a nervous, sheepish grin.
“Sejin did! He says you are the squishiest squishy ever!”
“Did he now?” Moondae does not break eye contact with Sejin as he reaches down with his gloved hands, molding a heavy, perfect sphere of snow.
“Hey, wait! Squishies are supposed to be sweet, and they do not start snowball fights with their boyfriends,” Sejin says as he backs away with his hands raised.
“Snowball fight?! I am playing too!” Keundal shrieks while hurling a messy clump that catches Sejin right in the jaw. Sejin sputters and tries to clear his face just as Moondae’s own snowball strikes the exact same spot. Keundal giggles at the sight, and Sejin growls, “Okay, you two, that is it!”
Later, once they have returned to the apartment, Keundal falls asleep on the loveseat, his soft snores punctuating the quiet. The couple sits nearby with steam rising from their mugs of hot chocolate.
“You are really good with kids,” Sejin says softly.
“You are too,” Moondae murmurs, his heart giving a small, erratic thump when he catches the pure affection in Sejin’s gaze.
Sejin leans in and presses a tender kiss to his lips, but when he pulls back, Moondae’s voice is low and steady. “Kiss me in front of the kid again, and you die.”
iv.
Moondae is busy in the kitchen, moving as someone who knows exactly what they are doing, because he is preparing Sejin’s favorite dish as a quiet gesture to soothe the bad day Sejin mentioned over the phone. He is not one for sappy words, but he knows Sejin will taste the intent in the food. He hears the front door groan open and sees his boyfriend practically sagging against the frame, looking completely exhausted.
“Hey,” Moondae says.
“Babe... I know you are not the hugging type, but can you just hold me? Because I really need it, please.”
“Why do you ask for permission as if you have ever waited for it before?” Moondae grumbles, but he sets his utensils down and opens his arms anyway.
When Sejin collapses into him, Moondae hears a faint, broken sniffle as he feels his shirt growing damp where Sejin’s face is hidden. Moondae begins to rub slow, soothing circles into Sejin’s back, hoping the movement conveys everything he cannot say aloud: I am here, and I like you more than I say, so please do not cry because I love you.
Sejin lets out a ragged sob and squeezes Moondae tight while asking how he got so lucky to have the sweetest boyfriend in the world. He pulls back just enough to press their lips together in a hard, desperate kiss where their teeth clash in the heat of the moment and leave Moondae’s mouth feeling swollen. Slowly, the pressure softens into a series of tender, breathless pecks.
“How do you always say so little, but so much at the same time?” Sejin laughs.
“You say enough for the both of us,” Moondae answers while rolling his eyes.
Sejin begins to lean in again when all of a sudden, a sharp electronic beeping pierces the air.
“Shit! The kimchi jjigae!” Moondae gasps and lunges for the stove, where the pot is boiling over in a dark cloud of steam. He kills the burner and hisses as his hand brushes the hot metal.
“Shit.” He frowns at the sting. “Sejin, open the windows and get the fans going before the alarm wakes the whole floor!”
Later, after the air has cleared and the burn has been treated, they sit waiting for Chinese takeout while Sejin pouts at him, and Moondae returns the look with interest. “Interrupt me—”
“I know, I know,” Sejin finishes. “Interrupt you while you are making dinner again, and I die.”
“Literally. You will literally die. We almost burned down the entire building!”
v.
In the middle of the night, Moondae wakes up shivering because Sejin has claimed nearly all the blankets and is curled into a tight, warm cocoon. Moondae considers his options, but since he is far too tired to pull them back by force or find a spare in the closet, he chooses a third way.
He carefully tugs a corner of the blanket free and slides into the small space behind Sejin, pressing his chest against his boyfriend’s back. Sejin mumbles something thick with sleep.
“Go back to sleep, Sejin,” he whispers into his back. Instead, Sejin rolls over with his eyes half-lidded and hauls Moondae into his arms with a sudden firm grip.
“Hey!” Moondae protests softly.
“Shhh, go back to sleep, Moondae,” Sejin murmurs while pressing a sleepy kiss to his forehead.
Moondae smirks against Sejin’s chest and wraps his own arms tightly around his waist. “Let go of me, and you die.”