Chapter Text
epilogue: one year later
“Can you hand me the tape?” Kyungsoo asks.
Music is blaring from the kitchen, some happy and bass-heavy top 40s thing. Beyonce, maybe.
“No, I’m busy,” Jongin yells.
Kyungsoo huffs, lifts himself off the floor, and grabs the tape from off the kitchen table. He makes eye contact with Jongin, who wears wide eyes as he looks up from pouring a large glass of red wine, in the middle of twisting his hips to the beat.
“Busted,” Jongin says.
“ This is busy?” Kyungsoo asks.
“I consider it busy,” Jongin says. “On a scale from one to ten, a solid six.”
“Did you at least have the decency to get me a glass?” Kyungsoo asks.
Jongin lifts a second glass, smiling.
“Such a generous lover,” Kyungsoo says.
Jongin’s face twists up in disgust as he moves to take the packing tape from Kyungsoo’s hand, replacing it with the glass.
“Don’t say lover,” Jongin says as he wraps his arm around Kyungsoo.
“Roommate, then,” Kyungsoo says. “And fiance.”
“God,” Jongin smiles. “Say it again.”
“Fiance,” Kyungsoo says, dipping his head to kiss Jongin’s neck.
“Fuck, I like how that sounds, but I think I’ll like husband even better,” Jongin says.
“On that, we can agree,” Kyungsoo says as he mouths along Jongin’s throat.
“This is so wild,” Jongin says.
“It is wild,” Kyungsoo says, kissing Jongin on the mouth. “It’s a long time coming.”
“You can say that again,” Jongin says.
“It’s a long time coming,” Kyungsoo says.
“Okay, I’m calling off the engagement,” Jongin says. “Call your mom. Let her know. I’ve had it. Too many dad jokes.”
“You knew what you were signing up for,” Kyungsoo says.
“True,” Jongin says. “A secret goofball, the best Trivial Pursuit player in the world, a good cook, and a very good ass-eater.”
“Just very good? Not masterful?”
“It’s been too long,” Jongin says. “How can I possibly judge adequately with such hazy recollections. God, it must have been, what, four days ago now? I simply can’t go on.”
Kyungsoo looks back at the two lone boxes still to be packed. They were very close to finishing, but the spreadsheet could wait for an hour, he reasons.
“Come on,” Kyungsoo says. “I’ll refresh your memory.”
Jongin all but skipped back to the almost entirely empty bedroom, wine left forgotten in the kitchen.
❌⭕️
“You’ve been upgraded,” Jongin says, face still smushed into the pillows.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” Jongin smiles. “Best ass-eater on the planet.”
Kyungsoo preens.
“Oh my god, I can feel your pride from here,” Jongin says. “Go brush your teeth, fucker.”
Kyungsoo goes to the bathroom. He’s busy brushing his teeth while watching Jongin relax in bed when his phone vibrates loudly on the floor.
“Get that for me?” Kyungsoo asks.
Jongin reaches for it, and Kyungsoo is treated to the sight of his back stretching and flexing. He distracts himself by spitting and rinsing.
“Remind Chanyeol that he’s supposed to be getting coffee and danishes for us,” Jongin reads out, “Can’t wait until tomorrow. You’re going to love the suburbs. Love you both.”
“Tell him he’s only saying that because of the commission,” Kyungsoo says.
“You’re mean,” Jongin says, typing.
“He’s used to it,” Kyungsoo says.
He crosses the room, flops back into bed. Kyungsoo indulges in Jongin’s skin, blood-warm and taut against him. Kyungsoo thinks about how much has happened: thinks about them moving in together, Jongin proposing to him. Them buying a house. Thinks about all the way his life has changed and all the ways it will change. Thinks about the way Jongin had teased him about the spreadsheet for packing, about the way Jongin had thoughtfully adhered to it anyway.
“Hey,” Jongin says.
His face is still pressed into the pillow, and his hair is a riotous, glorious mess.
“Hey,” Kyungsoo says.
“I love you,” Jongin says.
And that’s it, really. The only thing that has ever mattered.
Kyungsoo kisses him soundly.
“I love you more,” Kyungsoo smiles.
He’s treated to Jongin thumping him upside the head with a pillow before stalking out of the room naked, laughter carrying him back to the kitchen.
Yeah, Kyungsoo’s won.
❌⭕️❌⭕️