[Haven]
Haven
Donghae/Sungmin | Domestic!AU / Romance | PG
3273 words
their lives were perfectly in-sync with one another, they understood each other’s hardships , they’ve already created their own sanctuary
It was the typical Tuesday, Donghae ends his class at around four, and by the time he’s home, it’s around five thirty and Sungmin would already be in the kitchen, meandering about as he prepares dinner. Sungmin turned around as Donghae was taking off his shoes, dropping his bag to the floor.
“You’re back?” Sungmin greeted him cheerfully, his hand holding onto a broccoli crown, droplets of water decorating the flowery part. He turned around and continued dipping it into water, carefully washing it.
“Yeah,” Donghae answered him and places his shoes onto their shoe rack and moves behind him, wrapping his arms in a familiar manner, “I missed you today.”
Sungmin squirmed a bit, shrugging away despite Donghae continuing to nuzzle against him. He dropped the broccoli into the water when Donghae leans in to kiss his cheek.
“Hae, I need to make dinner...” Sungmin’s pressed against the sink and he’s smiling, “You’re sweaty, go shower, get off of me...”
Donghae wedged harder against him, his arms going up to drape around his shoulder as Sungmin diverted his attention back to washing the ingredients.
“I just want a kiss...” Donghae whined and Sungmin turns his head back and pecks him on the cheek.
~
“Oh yeah, Hae, I dropped by the bank after the work to put in your cheques,” Sungmin screams over the gurgling washing machine, “You forgot to give me the last batch, so the funds are on hold, okay?”
Donghae bounces beside him because he couldn’t hear over the churning of their clothes.
“Funds are on hold, so don’t spend lavishly,” Sungmin takes another t-shirt out and flings it loose before he tosses it into the dryer.
“But I don’t spend without talking to you first,” Donghae looks sad when he helps Sungmin with the load.
“I know, I was just saying,” Sungmin takes the dirty t-shirt and throws it loosely over Donghae, giggling when Donghae pulls it off, instead smothering Sungmin’s face with the smelly shirt.
~
“Sungmin-ah, how are things going?” his mother asks immediately after they settled down at their usual cafe for afternoon tea, “Is everything all right?”
“Everything’s fine,” Sungmin answers simply, thanking the waiter when he gets handed the menu. He’s suddenly not very hungry when his mother orders a non-fat latte.
“Min-ah, you know what I’m talking about,” his mother says softly and reaches inside her purse. Sungmin noticed it almost immediately, it was one of the limited edition Chanel ones, and he bites his lip when she pushes an envelope towards him on the antique coffee table, “I don’t want you guys getting behind in rent, so take this.”
“Mother, I’m fine, Donghae and I are fine, we’re doing great,” Sungmin says convincingly because it was partly true. They were getting by fine, sure, things were tight by the end of the month, but that’s mainly because Sungmin insists on them saving more than they spend.
“I still don’t understand why you won’t come back and stay with us, it’s not like we’re against the two of you,” his mother sighs as her latte arrives, “don’t you want to order something, sir, can you get another latte for my son.”
Sungmin wants to decline, but the waiter is off already and it’d be better for him not to make a big hassle. He didn’t want to create a scene over a simple cup of coffee, since his mother is a frequent customer, almost all the staff know her by name, even the casual ones that he seldom see.
His mother pushed the envelope to him again, taking out the cheque and showing him. “It’s really not that much,” Sungmin almost wants argue, that fifty thousand was a lot, probably more than five months worth of their total income, “Sungmin-ah, just take it.”
Sungmin knows he’s fighting a hopeless war and nods, taking the cheque and putting it into his pocket. His mother looks a lot more relieved and takes a delicate sip of her drink.
“But, I really don’t get why you won’t come back to live with us, there’s lots of room, Donghae is such a sweet heart to us, Sungmin, I really miss you sometimes, it just feels empty without you.”
“Mother, its fine, we both like where we are right now,” Sungmin interjects and changes the subject, “How’s Sungjin doing? I don’t even have time to talk to him when we’re both at work.”
“Speaking of that, I need to get your father to promote you soon, we can’t have you working at such a low level anymore, it’s gone on for long enough,” Sungmin groans and wants to leave because his mother was always like that. Everything was about pride and how people perceive you.
“Mother...”
“Fine, okay,” his mother shakes her head, as if Sungmin’s the one being stubborn.
~
“She gave you a cheque too?” Donghae asks when he hands out a similar cheque given to him by his mother. It was another fifty thousand dollars, and Sungmin sighs, shaking his head severely, amounting to a hundred thousand. “She told me that you probably wouldn’t take the cheque so she gave me one too.”
“She also wants us to go back and live with her, says you’re the sweetest thing ever,” Sungmin pretends to gag at the last few words. Donghae looks unhappy and Sungmin coos, rubbing his cheeks together.
“But I am the sweetest thing ever, at least to you...” Donghae pretends to pout and Sungmin grins, taking his cheeks in his hand as he presses their lips together.
“I know you are...” Sungmin pulls him to their bedroom with gentle smiles and warm fingers.
~
Donghae invites his family over for dinner on a Saturday, and they’re scrambling around town trying to scrap together a decent menu for Sungmin’s immediate family.
“It’s our first time having them over, and I don’t want my mother to insist that we’re not getting by and she shoves more money into our hands,” Sungmin manages to mumble while he’s browsing through racks of vegetables.
“Min, I really don’t think they care...” Donghae slumps over the shopping cart while Sungmin decides between yellow and orange bell peppers, “it’s just a family gathering, why are you so worried?”
Sungmin ends up taking a couple of both colours and hands it to Donghae, who plops it into the cart full of other produce and meats.
“I am not worried,” Sungmin argues while he’s looking at the carrots, picking up a few and examining them a bit too carefully. Donghae takes the one in his right hand and throws it in the cart.
“You are, now stop it, smile,” Donghae steps behind him and links their hands together. As if on cue, Sungmin does smile and he shoves Donghae away playfully, knocking him into the cart.
~
“Sungmin, this is delicious,” Sungjin says between mouthfuls as he’s dipping more bread into the soup
Sungmin is a person that takes pride in his cook, and he smiles at his younger brother’s comment.
“I do have to admit, this is very tasty,” his mother adds on and Sungmin gloats in the admiration. Sungjin gets up, wanting more soup, and Donghae and him head over together to the kitchen, talking casually and joking with each other. “Look at how well those two get along, Donghae really is a great kid.”
“I know, he is...” Sungmin smiles, gulping down another bite of soup . Everything was going well, and maybe for once, his mother wouldn’t pester him about how he should live his life. Sungmin should have known that it would be too good to be true.
“Say, Sungmin-ah, instead of renting this place,”his mother puts down her spoon, “why you don’t buy your own place, and instead of paying rent, you could be paying it off instead, better to pay for your own mortgage than help someone else pay theirs off.”
Sungmin nods because he knows she has a deliberate point. His mother glances up and still sees Donghae and Sungjin in the kitchen. Sooner or later, if they still stayed together, they’d eventually need their own place.
“Instead of paying your landlord, you could just pay me instead, you could pay me an amount every month until you pay it off.” Sungmin sighed and a moment of guilt flashed across his mother’s face, “I know I shouldn’t be pestering you about these things, since it is my first time here, but promise me you’ll at least consider it?”
Sungmin nodded and Donghae bounced back beside him, holding out a plate of stewed beef and setting it in the center of the table.
~
“Hyung, mom told me to get you an office, so here,” Sungjin pulled him aside the next day and brought him to a different floor, “I got Hwangyeol to bring your things up, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
“Sungjin-ah, I don’t want an office,” Sungmin begins to protest when his younger brother shrugs and pushes him in, dropping the key onto the polished wooden desk.
“Mother insisted, so I’m in no position to refute that,” Sungjin looked indifferent and Sungmin decided not to pester him, he was merely the messenger, “oh, do you want to have lunch together later?”
Sungmin sighed uneasily at his spacious office, potted plants in the corner, an empty bookshelf replacing one of the walls, ceiling to floor windows and an ocean view.
“Hyung, I’ll come find you at noon, okay?”
Sungmin tipped his head and Sungjin closed the door. Eventually, the thought did cross Sungmin’s mind that he would take over the family business, that he would have his own office, one that’s bigger than this current one, and his own secretary to manage his schedules, to follow him around. Sungmin leaned against the bare desk, his eyes scanning the entire length of the room. It just wasn’t the right time yet.
~
Sungmin’s stayed late at the office, trying to finish up the proposal for Youngwoon, until Sungjin pretty much kicks him out of his own office.
“It’s this late already?” Sungmin inquires as if Sungjin is lying to him until he checks his own phone and watch. Sungjin groans and turns off his lights before he leaves, leaving Sungmin no choice but to stretch and pick up his phone, dialling a familiar number.
“Hae, I’m sorry, I got caught up with work, do you want to order some take out?” Sungmin’s trying not to let his cell phone slip from his shoulder while he’s busy trying to sort through papers.
“Right,” Donghae sounds mildly distracted and then he lets out a tiny shriek, “Sure, um, yeah, just come home, okay?”
“You okay? You sound like you’re in trouble there,” Sungmin curses under his breath when he realizes he’s been sorting sheets of papers into the wrong piles, that H&K and W&K are no under the same company, “anyhow, I’ll see you in a bit, I love you.”
Sungmin returns home and almost drops his briefcase because of the eye-catching stain of white powder beside their shoe rack.
“I’m sorry, I just tried cooking something for you, and...” Donghae looks like he’s about to cry and Sungmin winces at the red blotches of kimchi staining their white stove. Sungmin wasn’t exaggerating when he thought a mini hurricane had ravaged through their kitchen, even if there were three dishes of food settled on their dining table.
“No, no, Donghae...” Sungmin puts down his briefcase on the carpet and rolls up his sleeve. He’s pretty sure he can wash flour out of dress shirts and slacks, so he settles himself beside Donghae and pulls him up, “You did this for me, you have no idea how much I appreciate it.”
Donghae’s whimpering when Sungmin notices that his right hand is red and blotchy, then connecting it with the upside down frying pan and bright, half-cooked omelette splashed onto the floor.
“You burned yourself,” Sungmin accuses and Donghae nods, his whimpering getting louder when Sungmin flushes lukewarm water over his burnt skin. “I love you so much, Donghae-ah.”
Sungmin ends up feeding Donghae throughout dinner because he couldn’t hold his chopsticks, his fingers wrapped carefully in bandages.
“I’m so useless...” Donghae chews slowly and Sungmin’s holding up a piece of pork for him, which he reluctantly takes.
“Just promise me to leave the cooking to me, okay?” Sungmin piles a mouthful of rice before bringing the bowl over to Donghae, waiting for him to open his mouth.
~
When Sungmin hears another knock on his door, he almost wants to dismiss the person immediately without casting a glance because he doesn’t want to be bothered.
“Sungmin-ah,” Sungmin looks up and sees his mother walking in, her overcoat almost dragging along the floor, “I just dropped by to visit Sungjin and you, I’m glad Sungjin got you an office, this is much more appropriate.”
Sungmin nods and pushes the papers away, momentarily clearing a part of his desk so his mother has room.
“I know you’re busy, but have you thought about what I said that time, about your own place?” his mother gets straight down to business and Sungmin appreciates that. They never needed to beat around the bush, take the scenic route; between them they got to the point immediately, “I’ve checked out a few apartment complexes that I thought were suitable, and I got some of the floor plans and details for you already. A few agents that are friends of mine, so the price is negotiable.”
“Thank you, mother,” Sungmin takes the colourful pamphlets, putting the stack beside his chair, “I still haven’t really talked to Donghae about it yet, but I will soon, it’s just that work has been busy lately,”
“I understand, Sungmin-ah,” his mother gets up and Sungmin follows suit, already beginning to walk her out, “I’m glad, at least this is the first time you’re not immediately rejecting my help.”
“Mother... we’ve been through this, you know I don’t mean it like that,” Sungmin almost whispers solemnly.
~
Sungmin’s almost done cooking dinner when Donghae stumbles in after his classes.
“Hae, I was thinking,” Sungmin begins halfway through dinner, “if you wanted to change things a bit, instead of renting this place.”
Donghae coughs, and Sungmin wishes he had phrased it better, or dropped him hints along the way instead of proposing his idea head on.
“Why? You don’t like it here?” Donghae asks quietly after he clears his throat. His bangs shield his eyes and Sungmin’s suddenly scared.
“I just, well, maybe thought we should have our own home, we could buy our own apartment...” Sungmin replies just as quietly, because it’s a topic they haven’t really touched on. As much as Sungmin prefers planning ahead, he never once really thought about where the two of them would go, because emotions were unpredictable, spontaneous and neither of them wanted to strain themselves. It was almost a mutual agreement, in case things ended on a bad note; they’d be able to salvage their friendship.
Donghae gets up from his seat and Sungmin feels his heart drop, maybe it had been too early, and then Donghae walks over to him, hugging him tightly from behind.
“Min, I’d love to... I thought you’d never ask,” Donghae whispers softly, his voice rich and soothing, “I seriously thought you’d never ask...”
Sungmin puts down his chopsticks and hugs his boyfriend tight. They’re walking in a clumsy embrace towards the bedroom and Sungmin pulls Donghae down with him onto the bed.
“I love you...” Sungmin whispers while he’s pushing Donghae’s fringe away to look into his eyes and Donghae leans down to kiss him, fingers clasped tightly, “I love you so much...”
~
They manage to piece together a few remaining holidays here and there, shuffling and choosing to assemble a handful of longer weekends to go take a look at the apartments.
The first few were lacklustre; Sungmin didn’t like the first one because the layout was terrible, rooms stylishly divided into weird shapes. Sure, it looked nice, Donghae marvelled at the diamond shaped living room, but there was a lot of wasted space. The second and third was a mutual disagreement, the location wasn’t as inconvenient, and they were pretty close to the train station, which meant excessive noise pollution.
The fifth complex they went into felt like final deal before they even got down to the details, and Sungmin almost decided that he didn’t need to see the remaining ones in case there was something more suitable. The air, the feeling, everything seemed to just fit, that this place already belongs to them.
“Here, we have an island in the midst of the kitchen, very useful, and all the appliances are brand new and ready to go, so you don’t have to fret about measuring dimensions,” the agent is busy vomiting out facts, “and the unique two story design doubles the area, the ceiling is twenty feet high, so it’s almost like you’re buying two apartments and building a staircase between them.”
“Min, I really like this place,” Donghae comes back after exploring the second floor and Sungmin looks up from the brochure illustrating the details.
They’re walking back home together, the pamphlet tucked neatly into Sungmin’s bag, as Donghae continues praising the two level apartment.
“It is kind of expensive,” Sungmin muses back and he sees the flash of disappointment in Donghae’s eyes, “but I’m getting a promotion soon, so that shouldn’t be a problem. I really think that’s going to be it, Donghae-ah.”
His mother netted them an even lower cost, Sungmin almost didn’t want to know her methods of relationship, and everything was set in stone as he handed the cheque over. The agent thanked the both of them and closed the door behind him.
“Our own place,” Sungmin mused as he leaned against the kitchen counter. Donghae hadn’t been too far away as he tugged him into a quick embrace, the setting sun casting warm hues of orange and yellow into the living room, “we’ll need curtains though.”
/
Moving in wasn’t too big of a problem, they took their time with boxes, packing whatever they could into identical cardboard cubes, asking the family chauffeur to aid them with a means of transportation. They’d bring a couple of boxes over every now and then, unpacking them so they made the process gradual, and slowly, their old flat got emptier and their new apartment began to fill up.
Sungmin’s holding onto his oversized stuffed Yoshi doll as he waddles into the new apartment, setting it promptly in between the coffee table and the love seat. His mother insisted on picking out a new set of leather sofas for him, and a new plasma TV, that it was their housewarming present.
“Hae, I love you,” Sungmin sits down on the corner of their bed, a sheet of white fabric covering the quilt underneath. Unpacking and moving things meant a lot of dust, which was why most of their things were covered with white fabric. Donghae obliged only when Sungmin said they wouldn’t need to clean again once everything was done.
“I love you too,” Donghae pulls him atop of him, and for once Sungmin isn’t complaining that they’re going to get dirty.
“Ow, Hae-ah, what’s that in your pocket?” Sungmin whines when his thigh presses hard against a hard object. He looks on with displeased eyes, the doubt inside his irises slowly melting away as Donghae takes out a small, lilac box. The soft velvet that lined the inside of the box became the temporary house for the ring, and Sungmin is smiling because he thinks he has an idea.
It wasn’t easy for the two of them to move houses, excessive back and forth trips, and Sungmin swore they were going to throw out junk they didn’t need any more.
Donghae is slipping the ring onto his finger and Sungmin’s resulting smile can rival the first twinkling star in a black canvas. They’re almost done moving into their new apartment, a few scattered boxes lying here and there, and yet both of them have already found their perfect home a long time ago.