Evolution of a lover's heart | jjk

42

Jeongguk stumbles a little, trying to find his place and his purpose. His language. Sometimes, it's only a split second's loss of balance before he finds his footing.

You try your best to be extra patient, let him try what he wants and see that nothing bad ever happens. You don't mind at all, in fact, seeing Jeongguk smile after taking a chance is the greatest reward, and, well, positive reinforcement is your thing.

Only two days later, you have your first date (again). You've agreed on dinner and a movie at yours; a tiny bit more formal than a pizza date. Jeongguk asked if he could dress up, and who were you to decline that?

So when you open the door to him, you almost lose your breath. He hasn't gone overboard or anything, he's just wearing a dark blue dress shirt and black slacks. But his hair is shorter, no longer obstructing his vision, and he holds a small bouquet of red roses in his hand.

"You've cut your hair," you marvel, opening the door wide enough for him to step inside.

"Yeah. She cut more than I wanted though, so I know it looks a bit stupid."

"What? Are you crazy? You look so handsome," you gush, looking up at him.

It's true, he looks incredible. His black hair is shorter, but not at all too short. It's parted a little to the side with a few stray pieces falling over his forehead.

"Thank you," he mumbles and you can see his ears turning pink. "These are for you. I thought it would be, uh... romantic; I didn't know it was tacky. But I'll get other kinds next time."

"Tacky?" you question, bewildered as you accept the flowers. "Who told you that?"

"I googled on my way here, but I'd already gotten them and there wasn't a trash can close by, so..."

You peer down at the roses in your hands. He would've thrown them away?

"I also just remembered that you don't like red," he chuckles but appears so nervous that you think you see his eyes getting glassy.

"I do like red, and call me tacky then or whatever, but I think red roses are wonderful," you smile toward him. "Did you pick the number yourself? Do you know what six red roses mean?"

His eyes widen slightly. "Uh, no... I kinda forgot that the number means something too..."

Grinning like a love-sick idiot, you raise the hand not holding the bouquet, and you pull him closer by the front of his shirt.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure, so don't take my word for it, but I think I remember six red roses meaning 'I want to be yours' or 'infatuation.'"

"Oh," he smiles shyly, "I guess it could've been worse then."

You stand on your toes to press a kiss to his lips before whispering "Thank you, I love them." He relaxes visibly, confidence returning little by little.

"Now take off your shoes so you can start cooking. I'll put these in a vase."

While Jeongguk gets started in the kitchen, you place the rose-filled vase on the coffee table in the living room and retrieve a bottle of red wine, pouring two glasses. Jeongguk is already slicing the meat when you place one of the glasses on the counter before jumping up to sit next to it.

"You're just gonna watch?" he asks with a quirk of his eyebrow and a smirk of his lips.

"Well, yeah? You said you wanted to cook for me. Also, you literally won't let me help," you defend, taking a sip from your glass.

"You 'literally' have cooking-related injuries," he mocks, eyeing your now fully healed wrist. "It's better if I do it."

"I'm gonna let that slide this time."

He chuckles but focuses his attention on the knife in his hands. The silence lasts for ten seconds maybe before you're breaking it. "Besides, it's very attractive."

"Is it?" Jeongguk chuckles again, opening a drawer next to your legs to look for something. You take the chance to run your fingers softly through his hair. It feels like silk between your fingers, and you resist the urge to bury your nose in it.

"Yeah. Maybe it's just cause it's you, though. And your hair looks so nice."

He shuts the drawer and moves closer to you, coming to stand between your legs.

"Hey, you've got your own," you complain when he grabs the glass from your hand and takes a big sip. Still, your nails keep stroking his scalp, right above his ear, and you can't stop smiling.

After putting the glass down on the counter beside you, Jeongguk surprises you by wrapping his arms around your waist and tugging you closer to the edge. Automatically, you circle yours around his neck to keep your balance, and you're left staring right into his pretty eyes just below yours.

"You're distracting me."

This time, he's the one to close the distance and press his lips to yours.