#kinj

Since he spent weeks not eating rice, maybe you should make some. Some kimchi potato stew with that kimchi batch Namjoon's mom brought the other day. Some egg rolls, and of course, his coffee. The way he likes them.

"...I hope we're not running out of those," it has been awhile since you went to the store and stock everything back.

Namjoon sat himself up in the middle of the bed even before he could open his eyes. His bed hair sticking out in all direction, as he peeks the view in front of him with heavy-lidded sleepy eyes, his hand searching your side of the bed. Then he heard the rice cooker beeping on and he figured that you  must be outside in the kitchen to make some food. Food, he repeated in his head. He gathered the duvet around him, walked out shirtless to the living room, taking the bedspread with him outside. His hair bouncing cutely as he takes every step, before he plops himself with his pillow on the couch to watch you cook. You're still turning your back towards him, busy in the kitchen, rinsing plates and chopping potatoes while the pot filled with water was left on the stove to boil. The little dance you make when the television played some of Namjoon produced songs make him grin, proudly. The sight a little blurred since he forgot to take his glasses with him, but nonetheless, adorable.

"What time is the event again--" his raspy voice caught you off-guard that it made you jumped in place, surprised at the sudden sound. "--Namjoon," you scolded calmly, trying to collect your scattered brains and, "...I didn't see you coming out of the room...! It's at noon, the buffet is for lunch, but I brought some of my infamous butter chicken for the event since they were all asking for it in the groupchat. And you don't have to go if you want to stay home."

Namjoon shifted his head to move up the pillow to see you better, wondering why would you think he wanted to stay home. Before he could open his mouth, you already let out your arguments for him to digest, "...you have just returned from a lengthy trip, you don't have to go, and they'll understand. They always do." You lift your gaze up from the pot you were cooking with and turned to look at his sad expression. You lowered the heat and circled around the kitchen counter to get to him, kneeling by the couch as he watched you, his lips thinned and disapproval written all over his face but he chose to be silent about it. "...don't you go all sulky on me, I only want what's best for you," you thumbed his cheek and he bore his eyes into the shape of your irises and nose. "What's best for me is to be an actual husband, and you're doing it again," he murmured in a low voice, his long arm dangling on the edge of the couch at you.

"What?" "You're excluding me in your family affairs."

You leaned your back against the couch and hugged your knee watching the news, and coincidently, they began to show the new album Namjoon worked on, so you smiled absent-mindedly at it. He did such a good job on that one. Namjoon moved lower on the couch, so he could put his lips on your nape, coaxing you out whatever judgements you have against him, easing you out of your tough exterior that you put on whenever you both spent some time apart because of work and whatnot. He placed a lot of hopes into the simple gesture, anticipating that your firm stance will began to wane. You turned your face sideways and smiled widely at him, as he waited for your verdict. "...fine, you can come," you planted a chaste kiss on the tip of his nose and grabbed the house phone before he could even make sense of what was happening. "Which means that we will there all day..." you warned him that he has no place to whine when he's there, later.

"No problem," he shot, leaning his upper body on one elbow, watching you dialing your cousin on the house phone and placing them on one ear. "And no talking about work when you're there," you added another warning. "Yes," he replied, as if he was entranced. The phone is still dialing so you add another precaution and felt like it needed to be said, "...and there's no empty room available if you decide to be handsy." Namjoon simply smirked at you, saying nothing. "Oh we'll find a way," he thought, turning to lay on his stomach and plopping his face on the pillow, changing the channel while you chatted with your cousin. "He's joining... plus one," you paused to make way for your cousin to speak, "No, his friends aren't coming, they're all back in their hometown," you paused again, "Well bad news for her then, because Taehyung just left town, I'll ask Namjoon for some pictures of him, if he would like to share," you giggled. Your other cousin had a crush on Taehyung the last time he came to your nephews' birthday party and was looking forward to see him in the next gathering but Taehyung wanted to go sight-seeing with his mom.

"Sure, I'll see you in three hours, bye..." Namjoon waited for you to end the call and watch you return to the potato stew to add some salt and pepper. "Who's asking for Taehyung?" You heard him say from the couch, eyes glued on the television, pointing the remote. He has yet to decide a channel to stay on. "The one that's studying fashion, with the little bob cut and small voice," you answered, "I swear she gets cuter with each passing years." You tipped your eyes upward when you tasted the broth and commented to yourself, "Tastes alright to me." Namjoon doesn't like strong tasting food, like seafood or salty broth and you have accustomed yourself to his taste buds because you thought it was healthy. "...I need to do laundries, do you have dirty clothes you kept from the trip?" You walked down the hall to grab a full laundry basket, muttering to yourself, "The day looks like it's going to be sunny, maybe I should wash the sheets too." Namjoon poke his head up the air as he sat up, "...I sent everything to the laundromat so you don't have to wash a thing but here you are, doing the laundries despite all my efforts."

You threw your head back laughing because it's so funny that he thinks you won't be doing house chores when laundry is an endless task. "Thank you, sweetheart but as long as we're wearing clothes, we will be doing laundries until we die," you said, speeding down the other hallway to the laundry roomto set the basket there, passing him, laying on the couch. "Let's not wear any clothes at home," he suggested and you scrutinized your face at what he just said, approaching him to grab the duvet he brought out from the bedroom but he tugged them, preventing you to take it away. "Namjoon," you scolded. He sat up, eyes wide. "What... give it," you tug the duvet a lot harder this time and he stood up immediately like a kid who's toy was about to be confiscated. "Give me the duvet, I need to wash it," you tried to yank it but Namjoon's hours at the gym proves that working out makes him have stronger grips. "...I'm," he halted, "I'm not wearing anything underneath." He stammered, nervously. You blinked at him, and continued to judge.

"You think you're the only one who's strong in this relationship?" You tugged it hard and Namjoon felt the air on his thigh, instinctively grabbing a pillow from behind to cover his dignity while you walked away cool-ly, turning your back to him. "Babe!" He roared. "Is there anything I haven't seen," you shouted from afar. "The couch has virgin eyes!" He yelled, and his eyes shifted uneasily to the unanimated object, whispering, "...sorry, my wife is not right in the head. But you've seen it before right? You're not virgin at all, right? I think we've done it there before..." Then he snapped his head to where you were supposed to be and hollered, "I can't remember, but we've done it on the couch before right? Because if we haven't, we really should." Namjoon walks away with the pillow covering his front and you threw him a towel. "Can you help me turn the stove off? I think the broth is done now, and you should go shower," You said and he tied the towel around his waist before approaching the stove in a relaxed stride.

Then an evil smile crept up his face, "If I turn off the stove, will you shower with me?" You heard his voice, dimmed by the barricades of the walls between you and you smiled to yourself, but put on a false judging face when you walk out. "Move," you swatted his hip away from the stove, "I can't have anything done without a stupid deal made with you... why do you always ask for something in return. When will you do task without some sort of payment. Ever heard of sincerity?" you nagged and he smiled foolishly, backing away to give you way to turn the flames off. "You're tiring me," you darted electric gaze at him. He scrunched his face at you, "...you enjoy it too what...it's a win-win." You crossed your arm and leaned your back against the counter, shaking your head a bit at him. "We don't have time," you warned him. He approaches you, biting his lips, hands already on each side of your hips, as he hums naughtily of that hit song he made. "We have less than three hours to get ready," you hollowed your cheek as he dove into your neck, planting kisses on your skin--resisting with all your sorry might. He hissed and leaned his forehead to your temple, you could hear him smiling. He didn't have to say a word.

"You. Are. Impossible." You scolded him and he took the cue before he lifts you over his shoulder and slapped your butt. "To the shower we go!" He exclaimed.

"You're late!"

Exhale. "Trust me, we got on the road early," you skipped to your cousin, handing the food container to her, and her fiancee exclaimed, "Is that butter chicken?" Before proceeding to steal the containers away as fast as he could. Namjoon had been captured by your father and uncles, probably talking about politics again. You would have joined in but the kitchen crew is calling. They are all yelping for the cake and the scene had you thinking, why are we always so disorganized? Your auntie made her way through the kids, holding a cake in between her hands, chanting, "Excuse me. Cake coming through..." Your nephews began to hop around like bunnies, joined by your nieces. And then a shrilling cry coming from the corner where you second cousin is asking her daughter what she wanted on her fries, "Tomato blood!" And your cousin snaps her head to the kitchen direction, "Someone hand me the ketchup, please!" Her husband threw her one and she caught them in time. The synchronisation is only a shy away from Olympics badminton team, you thought.

"Can anybody tell the mens outside to take care of the kids? I'm going to trip over one and I'm not going to say sorry," your aunt who swore to never be married, complained and had once tried to talk to you about bailing from getting married with Namjoon the night before the wedding, "It's time that they use their brains instead of dicks." Your mother exclaimed, "Language! There are kids here!"

"Really? I thought they were fun-sized adults because no one calls tomato ketchup, tomato blood."

She had a point there. You were frightened of these kids sometimes. There was once that they were asking for unborns and you almost thought that you needed to call an exorcist until their parents say, "It's eggs. They meant eggs." And that's when you darted your eyes to Namjoon, outside, already carrying a toddler in his arms, while talking and pointing to bubbles. Talking about character development. If before he couldn't even carry a baby without freaking out at every sound the baby makes, he is now feeding them food and carrying them around without you around. You wondered if it's time for him to have one of his own. Smiling to yourself, you set the paper plates aside not noticing how your cousing is watching you from the opposite side. "... What are you going to eat when we slice our cakes?" She asked, because she knows you don't like cakes. "I'll find something to munch on, Namjoon can have my slice," you pursed your smile and tutted your tongue at the mention of his name. "How many years was it?" You asked.

"Twenty nine years of marriage," your cousin answered. The event was rather affectionate, since they're celebrating your aunt and uncle's anniversary, they wanted close family members around to spend their time with. You smiled so wide, placing one hand on your heart, eyes crinkling, "...that's amazing. So sweet. I wish we could last that long too." Your cousin nodded, "...I'm sure you will, brother-in-law is very adaptable and he's ready for the long run, I'll be lucky if I find one like him." You smiled was swept away bit by bit, and you reached over the counter and squeezed her hand, re-assuringly. "Talk. Whatever you do, talk. I don't know what you're going through, but the journey is not as easy as it looks, you're young, and he's young too, give some room for errors, and don't rush into things," you advised her. She avoided eye contact and you grew increasingly worried but decided not to show it much. There's so many possibilities on what was going on, but if you dwell on it, she'll be upset. Namjoon walks in, approaching you, after being fed by your nephew a mouthful of cream puffs and you giggled at his cheeks growing twice in size as he munches.

A cream made its way on the corner of his lips, and you thumbed them clean. He passed you a smile, thanking you. "...Will you be at the house more, now that the album is out?" You asked him, leaning your hip against the kitchen counter and he mirrored you. "We're working on the next one," he chewed and swallowed before fetching a cookie jar, twisting the lid open and hugged the jar. "...Already?" You blinked at the jar and then at him. He nodded with his whole body, like a cute giant he is. "...so you won't be home," you sighed inwardly, biting a small tip of the cookie as the fact daunts to you that he is going to be very busy, still. "Do you want me to be home? I can be home if you want, I can work from home," he said, not even stopping for air. You smiled and appreciated it but, "...no. Who am I kidding, your cubase is at work studio, I can't have you home." Your cousin nudged you an anti-nauseous pill, "I found it from the medicine basket, it had served me well," she said. Namjoon passed a nonchalant look at it and you gave it to Namjoon.

"I left my purse in the car, can you hold onto that, for me?" You asked him, he wordlessly nodded. "Are you unwell?" He tipped his eyes on you. "Yeah, for the past week. I thought it was because I wasn't seeing you but turns out I was a little stressed," you sighed. This gathering is going to tire you more and Namjoon didn't have a driving license, he kept an eye on you, incase you show any weakening sign but you did pretty well today, infact, you were being very generous with your energy, catering to the kids and the adults as well. He ensured you were eating well, but he did caught your low appetite. You were eating in smaller portions, but that's probably because you wanted more for the family members who have yet to come. Your face changed around 3 in the afternoon. Your lips are pale and you keep biting it to feel the blood rushed through, your eyes were droopy and Namjoon just know that you need to have a nap. You excused yourself and walked upstairs and he followed. "...there's a baby's room upstairs that you can have a nap in, you looked tired. Have a sleep first before you drive back to Seoul," your auntie suggested.

Namjoon took the oppurtunity to charge his phone and leaned his back against the tiny bed where you lay on. "I need to help wash the dishes," you slurred sleepily. "No, you need a nap, I'll take your duties," Namjoon assured you and you drifted to sleep almost straight-away. Namjoon rests his head back to the bed, but he wasn't sleepy. You said you were nauseous for about two weeks and he left the country for two weeks. How hard has it been for you to endure this on your own. No wonder he's being seeing used oral rehydration salts packets in the bin. You were taking that every morning, it seemed. "Could it be something she ate?" He wondered. Namjoon stared at the ceiling, decorated with floating planets and thought about how pretty it was. He sighed inwardly and planned to decorate the baby's room just like these when you both have a child. Namjoon had been having lucid dream about being inside an ocean but not suffocating, infact, he was breathing well in the water which was logically impossible. Namjoon was reminded about the walk he had with the boys by the beach in that two week trip of promoting the album and how warm the breeze was. But all he could remember was how much he misses you.

Even Taehyung began to scold him for talking about you so much. "She'll keep sneezing if you talk about her." Superstitious, he thought. "Maybe having sex before the trip was a huge mistake," he mumbled as his eyes closed. And then. He blasted his eyes open.

Two weeks trip. Two weeks nauseousness. Low appetite. Excessive cleaning.