The front door clicked shut, and the weight of the day finally crashed down on Jin. Exhaustion pulling at every muscle, he slumped into the sitting room chair, letting the silence of the house wash over him. But a caretaker's mind rarely rests. After a few quiet minutes, he forced himself up to put away the market groceries, his movements heavy but deliberate. He washed a handful of fresh fruit, arranging them neatly on a plate before carrying it over to the table.
Stepping softly into his own bedroom, Jin found Alex asleep. The sight of him, still fragile and worn out from his injuries, made Jin's heart ache. He knelt beside Alex on the bed and gently shook him awake. To his relief, Alex didn't protest and simply drifted awake in a quiet, pliable daze, allowing Jin to guide his unsteady steps out into the sitting room.
Jin helped him ease up into a chair. "Let me go get you some water," he murmured softly.
When Jin returned a minute later, the chair was empty. Alex had migrated to the carpeted floor, his back pressed against the wall. He stared blankly into the empty air, looking so profoundly lost, as if he were mourning something invaluable that had slipped through his fingers.
"Here." Jin extended the glass.
Alex snapped back to reality, a brief flicker of disorientation crossing his face before he realized he was safe at home. He took the glass and drank greedily. Watching him, Jin's chest tightened. Ever since Alex had returned injured, his mind had been drifting to distant, painful places. Jin resolved to ask him about the incident tomorrow when he was rested; for now, peace was the priority.
"You should eat some fruits," Jin said, his voice dropping to a soothing register as he passed the plate over. "And I shall prepare you something delicious in the meantime."
Jin sat beside him for a few minutes, finding a strange peace in just watching Alex slowly, mechanically chew the fruit.
"Jin... uhm..." Alex broke the silence, his voice a hesitant whisper. "What...actually, where are you... no, I'm sorry, but would you stay with me for now?"
Alex stammered, his cheeks flushing with a shy vulnerability. Jin fought a losing battle to keep his face completely serious, while inside his head, his thoughts were blushing furiously from the face Alex was showing.
"I understand, Alex," Jin tried to reason, desperate to hide how much his heart was racing. "But I have to cook something for you. You haven't eaten a proper meal since you got back."Instead of answering, Alex reached out, his fingers wrapping firmly around Jin's wrist. With his other hand, he offered Jin a slice of watermelon, completely ignoring the protests.
Jin had no choice but to surrender to the quiet gravity of Alex's need. After several minutes of gentle negotiating and making deals, a compromise was struck to make up for being left alone right now, Alex would sleep the night in Jin's room.
Satisfied, Alex drifted back into the bedroom while Jin finally retreated to the kitchen. Left alone in the quiet sanctuary, Alex buried himself in Jin's bed, wrapping himself tightly in the blankets. The soothing, familiar scent of vanilla on the clothes and sheets enveloped him like a protective embrace, and it wasn't long before deep sleep claimed him again.
Meanwhile, the kitchen came alive. The rich, comforting aroma of spiced fried meat, fluffy boiled rice, and tender potatoes began to drift through the house, cut through by the savory, evenly flavored steam of a simmering vegetable stew. By the time Jin finished cooking two hours later, the evening had completely settled outside, bringing with it a sudden, cool drop in the temperature but inside, the house was warm.