Aki was excited to bake with Jaehwan. He'd never baked with anyone before. Plus, he'd be baking with the love of his life. What's not to be excited about? But first they had to go grocery shopping. Jaehwan took him and Asuna to a nearby supermarket. Sumi was going out with a friend so he couldn't join them. Asuna was ecstatic to go out with her brother and 'beloved Jaehwan-Oniichan'.
Ever since the day Fumi and Rize accepted Aki's sexuality, she seemed to be brighter and happier. Her cheeks had a nice glow to them. Aki knew that knowing that their grandparents loved him just as well now made her burst with joy. "Niichan!! Let's go! Let's go!"She laughed and tapped her foot impatiently while Aki tied her shoelaces.
She was actually quite an independent and mature child for her age. However, around Aki, she just wanted to be babied and pampered. "Wait a bit, Suna. I have to tie your laces,". Jaehwan smiled from the pavement. When they were ready to head inside, Asuna held both of their hands as they walked into the store. "Jaehwan-Oniichan, what are you baking with my niichan?". Jaehwan gazed at her and chuckled.
"We're baking chocolate chip cookies. We'll make a batch for you too,". She cheered in joy and Aki just smiled at both of them. He got them a shopping cart and began searching for the ingredients. "Asuna, what kind of cookies do you want? Double chocolate chip? Do you want any nuts?". The girl looked at her brother and scrunched up her face.
Giving her an encouraging pat on the shoulder, Jaehwan laughed and continued pushing the cart. "It's okay, think long and hard if you want. Aki and I will pick out the base ingredients first,". As Jaehwan and his partner picked out the flour and sugar, Asuna had finally made up her mind. "I'd like regular chocolate chip cookies please,". Aki laughed and rubbed her head. "You sure think so hard for something so common. Okay then. Pick out the chocolate and the flavouring,".
Nothing else could have made Jaehwan happier than to be with Aki. To be surrounded by the laughs and smiles of his lover's sister and him made him feel warm on the inside. Asuna came running back with two different bags of chocolate. "Which one would match the batter better?". Aki glanced at both bags and grinned. "Why'd you pick dark chocolate when you hate it?". Asuna pouted and held them up even higher. "Because both of you are adults. I figured that you'd like something more to your taste,".
The dark haired male chuckled and picked the bag of milk chocolate. "You don't worry about us, Suna-chin. We'll eat whatever we make. But the important thing is that you get to eat them too,". Asuna nodded and ran off to get something else. Aki was glad to see her so happy around them. He still couldn't help but think about how well Jaehwan treated his little sister, for someone who had nearly zero experience with children. '
He makes her such a giggly little angel. He's capable of making both me and my family happy. This is what love is huh?'.
Innocently, Asuna brought back a jar of sprinkles and another bag of milk chocolate. "Could you put these on my cookies please?" She asked, giving Aki her best puppy eyes. Her brother was about to say no, and probably lecture her about sugar and to control her intake but Jaehwan snatched the jar from her and placed it in the cart. He smiled at Aki and kissed him on the cheek. "Kiki, a little won't hurt her. Plus, she's an active kid right? She'll burn it off,".
Asuna grinned at her brother triumphantly and tagged along behind them as they walked to get more ingredients for that week's daily meals. "Aki, would you like me to pack you a bento lunch next week? The kids at your school have a competition right? You won't have time to buy lunch,". Aki thought about it for a while and shrugged. "I don't want to burden you Jae. Plus, your job at the café seems tiring enough,".
Quickly pecking him on the cheek, Jaehwan ran a hand through Aki's curls. "I don't mind making lunch for my sweet darling boyfriend~~". Seeing how lovey-dovey they were made Asuna groan. She wandered off, to look at more interesting things than her brother and his boyfriend being all kissy kissy. Jaehwan and Aki noticed her walk away but knew that she had her cellphone on and that she was old enough to handle herself so they let her be. "So Kiki, what do you want to eat next week?"Jaehwan asked sweetly as he put a packet of cheese into the shopping cart.
"Anything you make is already good Jae. I'll be glad if I even get a bento box full of food made with your love,". Jaehwan giggled and Aki walked with him, an arm around his waist. When they were ready to pay and leave, they had to search for Asuna. After a while of searching, they found her chatting up a storm with the lady who worked at the bulk aisle for candies and chocolates.
Who could have known that Asuna could be this talkative. "There you go," Came the lady's friendly voice and Asuna skipped in their direction. "Sorry that she's been disturbing you,"Aki apologised and bowed but the lady laughed at him. "No need. She's been keeping me company. People rarely come to the bulk isles,". The lady took a good look at Aki and Jaehwan. Her lips curved into a smile. "Say, are both of you her parents?".
Cheeky, Asuna grinned at both of them. Her brother laughed nervously and shook his head. "No. I'm her brother. And he's my boyfriend,". The lady laughed as well and bowed to apologise. "She's been telling me how you're like a father figure to her. She told me that you raised her,". Aki blushed when he heard that.
'So...Asuna thinks I'm a father figure to her?? That's really sweet and unexpected...'.
He couldn't find his tongue but Jaehwan spoke up for him.
"I think he did a fantastic job. He raised her with minimal help from his family. But now, he has me to help with giving her a great future,". The lady nodded and gazed at Asuna. "I've never met a child so polite and bright like her,". She patted both Aki and Jaehwan on their backs. "In my eyes, I know that both of you will make a good pair of parents yourselves,". Both of them gazed at the lady. She seemed mature, wise for her years.
Both of them bowed quietly as thanks and took Asuna back to her home; Aki was asleep in the car. Rize was waiting for them in the living room. "Jaehwan-kun!"She called out to her grandson's partner and he obediently went to her. She handed him a jar of kimchi. "You like to eat these, don't you?". Jaehwan nodded shyly. "We do love these. But you don't have to give it to me, Rize-san,".
The old grandfather, Fumi, tottered down the staircase, a smile on his face. "No, no. We bought them for you, Jaehwan. Please eat well with our grandson,". He thanked them graciously and hugged Asuna goodbye. "Aki will pass you your batch of cookies, okay?". The girl nodded and slipped off her bag so that she could hug him properly. Fumi and Rize smiled, seeing how warm Asuna was with Jaehwan. They themselves were warming up to their grandson's sincere and responsible partner.
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Deft, Jaehwan cracked some eggs in a bowl while Aki was sifting the flour. "So we have to mix the dry ingredients first. Do you want to do that Aki?". The brown haired boy nodded and opened the bag of sugar. He was happy that he could help Jaehwan out in the kitchen. He mixed the flour with a whisk and noticed Jaehwan's slender supple hands cracking the eggs carefully.
'He's really cute. God...Fuck... He's so cute'.
Unable to help himself, Aki put the whisk down and hugged Jaehwan from behind, his hands on his partner's heart. "Kiki~~"Jaehwan giggled and Aki pulled him into a kiss. Jaehwan really couldn't move, because his hands were covered with egg but the way Aki kissed him just made his knees weak.
"Jae, you're too cute for me. I really don't deserve you,". Aki pulled away from the kiss, his bright puppy-like smile on his face. Jaehwan just laughed and pecked him on the nose. His adorable smile whenever he was happy was just irreplaceable. They resumed baking, dividing the large amounts of batter into three batches. One for themselves, one for Asuna and one for Jaehwan's master.
They slid the first and second tray into the oven and heaved a sigh of relief once they did. "That's the first batch in. We did good work,". Aki sank on the futon, pulling Jaehwan into a cuddle. "We have a bit of time to kill. What do you want to do, my precious?". Jaehwan shrugged and kissed Aki's cheek gently, laying his head on his chest. "Why don't we discuss your meals next week? Or about us?".
This sounded intriguing to Aki. "What about us?". Jaehwan blinked and nuzzled his head into his chest. "You know, what you like best about me and stuff like that. Hopes for the future. Whatever comes to mind really,". Aki blushed but caressed his head gently. "How would you feel if I said I want to be able to parent a child with you in the future?". Jaehwan hid his face in his boyfriend's chest, blushing too.
"God..You can't possibly love me that much,". Aki smiled and kissed him on the head. "I do, I really do. And we're already going steady with each other. There's nothing I could have wanted to achieve more in my life,". Jaehwan smiled back at him and his hand found its way to Aki's enveloping it tightly. "Would I really be a good parent? I barely have experience with kids,"He laughed quietly and felt Aki slap him on the back. "Of course you would! Just look at how you treat my sister and how much she loves you!".
That made Jaehwan's smile even brighter. The thought that Aki trusted him enough to want to bear such a heavy responsibility with him. He was happy. Aki pouted for a bit and his grip around Jaehwan's waist tightened. "You know, I am a little nervous that that Master of yours is going to take you back. I know he's accepted our relationship but I still feel like he'd want you all to himself,".
Listening quietly, all Jaehwan could do was nod to acknowledge whatever he said. "I still feel like I'm burdening you by giving you an extra role to fill. It's a lot to handle, isn't it? Being both a lover and a pet to two different people,". Deep down inside, Aki was worried about Jaehwan. He did love him. He knew how hard it could be to please absolutely everyone and he didn't want Jaehwan to push himself past his own limits.
The dark haired male kissed him on the lips gently. "Nonsense. I was the one who chose this path myself. I'm going down this path with both of you, as my Master and my boyfriend, whether both of you want to or not,". He propped himself up on Aki's lap, arms around his neck. "Stop worrying about my Master. He's actually quite a busy man. It's not like I see him that often,". Jaehwan rested his head on Aki's shoulder.
"Im grateful that he raised me and taught me a lot of things but I'm focusing on you now,". Aki smiled at him and caressed his head, content. He wanted to stay together with Jaehwan forever, for as long as he could. The oven made a loud 'ding!' and Jaehwan got off his partner. "Ah, they're ready. Shall we share one? They're humongous,". Aki watched Jaehwan take the cookies out of the oven and smiled to himself.
'Jae doesn't even know that his smile is even sweeter than those cookies we made'.
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"Wow!! Did you and Jaehwan-Oniichan really bake these?"The girl squealed and her brother petted her head. "Yeah, we did. Enjoy them Suna,"He smiled and turned her around so he could braid her hair. Aki was glad to be able to treat his younger sister to some cookies. While waiting for her hair to be braided, the girl broke one cookie in half and bit into it. "Mm~~ You and Jaehwan-Oniichan are good at baking!".
Aki tied the ribbon neatly and let her run along back to class. He was glad that he was a teacher at her school, even if he was only a part-time coach. He didn't really need to prepare for examinations and stuff but he just had to coach the children. He was glad he was able to keep an eye on Asuna like this and send her home after school. It felt peaceful like this. He knew that his younger sister had good friends and a good life and was more than happy that he was able to provide for her.
Now that he has Jaehwan to support him both mentally and emotionally, he couldn't have felt more grateful. He sighed in relief as he sank down onto the benches on the court as he went back to continue watching his students practice. Aki opened his bento box and saw how the food was beautifully prepared. Jaehwan knew how to make him happy. He pulled out a pair of chopsticks from the sachet that came with his lunchbox and smiled. "Itadakimasu".
Everything tasted absolutely gorgeous. He was all smiles that afternoon and even the students could tell that their coach was in a seemingly good mood. They took a five minute break to have a drink of water and sit down for a bit. Some of the students took their time to make conversation with their coach.
"Coach, did your girlfriend pack you a bento?". Aki nodded and pushed a piece of rolled up tamago into his own mouth. "The food that they make is the best,". One of the taller students sat down on the court's floor, next to the bench Aki sat on. "Say Coach, you've never actually told us how your girlfriend looks or is,". Aki stopped short. "Huh? Why should I tell kids like you?".
Like a cult gathering, the boys that sat around their coach with sparkles in their eyes. "Come on Coach Nakanishi! You brag about her all the time! We need to know what kind of girl to look for,". Aki cleaned his chopsticks and slipped them back into the cloth sachet. "I have pretty high standards. It'd be impossible for kids like you to find someone like them at your age,". The boys continued begging and Aki sighed. He could only manage to say one word. "Korean,".
"Woah!! She's Korean?!!".
"No way! No way! She must be a real beauty!".
"Korean girls have really pretty faces!".
The male students practically slobbered over the thought that their coach was dating a foreigner. Aki groaned and kept his lunchbox before thumping them on the forehead. "If you want someone like them to like you, you'd better score as many baskets as possible at tomorrow's competition,". The students nodded and cheered in unison. "Yes! We'll shoot them all, Coach Nakanishi!".
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"How was the competition?"Jaehwan asked as he fetched Aki home from the school. "I'm surprised that my students won. Haha..I guess girls are a good motivation,". Jaehwan smiled at him. "See, I told you that you're a great coach! You should just go full time, Aki!". His partner shook his head and looked down. "Nah..I love science too much. Almost as much as I love basketball. But the money I get from coaching these kids would really help support Asuna,".
Thoughtful, Jaehwan nodded and leaned back. "I see what you mean. Well, it's important for people to have dreams. But little people ever achieve them,". When they stopped at a red light, Jaehwan looked at the silver ring on his right ring finger. "All I wanted was freedom. But in the end, I'm always tied down. Like a tent and its peg,". He laughed to himself. "My Master's that one stubborn peg,". Aki could hear the sadness behind his laughter and felt bad for him.
Once they got home, Jaehwan packed one of the jars of cookies into a mesh bag. "Hm? Where're you going with that?" Aki asked him and dumped his sports bag on the futon. "Oh..Remember that promise I made with my Master to visit him at least twice a month? I have to go,". Aki groaned and remembered that Jaehwan told him that his Master lived quite a while away. "You'll have to stay over right? It's already quite late. No way in hell are you driving back,".
Bringing out a small suitcase from their bedroom, Jaehwan fiddled with the tag on it meekly. "I wish I could bring you along, Aki. But you still have work and Asuna to take care of, I felt like I shouldn't be burdening you with something like this,". Aki got up from the futon and flung himself into Jaehwan's arms, kissing him. The suitcase fell with a loud 'bam!' but Aki continued making out with him passionately. Jaehwan clung onto his partner desperately, his knees weak.
"I know you can't help but be considerate of me, but sometimes, I can't control you or the things you have to do,". Aki pulled away from the kiss, wiping Jaehwan's mouth with the back of his hand. He pecked him on the forehead and smiled, hugging him tightly. "Call me whenever you can. Stay safe. I love you so much, my precious Jae,".
Right at that moment, Jaehwan couldn't have felt any more grateful to have met someone as understanding as Aki.
_φ(･ω･ Author's Note
Aki out here making me feel single- But that aside, did you like this chapter? Voting is appreciated! Thank you for reading this chapter of A Heart To Heal! ♡