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The buzz of the mosquitoes is rampant and Jake feels like his waterproof suit isn’t going to be so waterproof soon. The sun is setting and yet he’s still planted firmly along the river between some rocks, being as stubborn as they are. There’s not a single fish in sight. He’s known for a while now that the chances of catching one is slim, but he doesn’t want to acknowledge it. Not soon anyway.
“Jake!” There’s a shout from the riverbank and when he turns around, he sees Jay, hands cupped around his mouth as he calls out. “C’mon, dinner’s ready!”
Jake whines and scowls as he trudges to shore. “Didn’t catch anything?” Jay asks when he’s finally out of the water, hands shoved in his pockets as they make their way back to the house.
“No,” Jake frowns, plump lips in such a pout that Jay wants to giggle and coo at the sight. “ That was supposed to be our dinner.” He says adamantly, pointing to the fish in the river that simply refuse to be caught.
Jay claps him on the back. “Maybe tomorrow.”
Well, tomorrow comes, but the fishes don’t.
He’s under the beating sun, a hat over his head, a towel around his neck, and still—nothing. It would be easier if there was at least a hint of life in that river. But aside from the rocks and the cascading current, the river is almost as barren as a desert.
The sun sets once again and Jake’s bucket is still empty and hollow, much like his heart right now. He loves fishing. If only it loved him back. At the end of the day, Heeseung and Jungwon had to coax him out of the river, and when he gets home, Jay’s curry welcomes him.
Everyone else had finished dinner, and it’s just the two of them in the kitchen. Jay is kind enough to prepare his plate–heating up the curry again when Jake walks through the door, knowing well enough that a whole day of trying to fish must be exactly as tiring as it sounds. Well, Jay is always kind enough despite…well, despite everything. Despite their constant bickering, despite Jake’s constant nagging, despite the small fights they always have. Jay will always be kind to him.
He scoops out a generous amount of curry and drizzles it over the rice, before serving it in front of Jake. “Did you catch anything?” He asks, pulling out the chair beside him and joining the younger at the dining table.
Jake immediately groans at the question, mouth already full of the delicious curry. “Take a guess,”
“You didn’t.” It was obvious anyway. If Jake managed to catch one he’d be parading through town holding the fish in the air, running back to the house to show it to everyone.
Jake’s shoulders slump in dejection. “I didn’t,”
Jay chuckles a little, finding him endearing. It’s cute how passionate he is about fishing. As lame as that sounds. But Jay does think that his determination is noteworthy. As is the fishes’ determination to evade him.
“Aww, you poor baby.” He coos, patting Jake on the back, fully intent on using it to tease. Just like that one time when they filmed an episode in the sauna and he baby-talked to Jake. Swear to god, he thought Jake was gonna throw a punch right then and there with how offended he looked.
But much to his surprise, Jake doesn’t react the same way he did in the sauna. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. His pout deepens and he leans into Jay’s touch, head hung low and crestfallen. “Go on. Comfort me more.” He demands. “I could use some cheering up.”
And Jay really does think of doing it. He thinks of running his hand up and down the boy’s back in soothing patterns, thinks of saying how Jake is amazing, and the fishes are fucking stupid to not see that, thinks of even pulling him into a lighthearted sidehug but…but the thought of it has the blood rushing up his cheeks in heady amounts and before he knows it, he’s up on his feet and on his way to the living room.
“Maybe tomorrow, you’ll catch some.” and that’s all he says before he runs away from Jake and from his thrumming chest.
It’s their third and their last day, and Jake is going to rip the hair out of his head any time soon. No fish. He expected it but he didn’t think it would actually be true. Did he have some bad luck following him around or what?
The sky wanes into a darker shade and finally, Jake acknowledges that he will not be able to catch anything. The directors tell him that it’s time for their party, so he has no choice but to go back, a still empty bucket in tow.
He forgets his fish-caused misery while they party in their suits, but once the fun dies down, and they’re all getting ready for bed, the thought hangs over him heavily. “I still can’t believe I didn’t catch anything.”
“Cheer up, Jakey. I think it was just a bad fishing spot in general.” Sunghoon tells him on his way to the bathroom to wash up.
Once everything has been cleaned and cleared, the lights are turned off, and the house settles down for the night. Everyone is in their respective rooms, sleep catching up to them quickly with the party leaving exhaustion in its wake. Everyone but Jake.
He’s lying there wide awake, staring at the ceiling and pondering about all the fish he could’ve caught. It sounds stupid, really. But he wanted to show off his catch to Jay and have him cook a nice meal out of it. Right before they even went to Danyang, he even told him wholeheartedly I’ll catch, you cook, okay? But their small trip is ending with him not reeling in a single thing, and him not being able to taste Jay’s glorious seafood meal.
The first one he can live with. The second one…not so much.
Which is why in the dead of the night, he finds himself pushing himself out of bed with a new found resolve to catch a fish and have Jay cook it. He will not let this trip end without getting what he wants. He refuses to. So, he trudges down into the river (which is also stupidly dangerous, Jay would scream his head off if he knew what he was doing, but he doesn’t anyway), casts his line, and waits.
He’s pressing his lips together, willing the universe to send a fish or two his way. Overhead, the stars twinkle in all their glory, their reflection embroidered in the swift waters, and finally, something tugs on Jake’s line. He jerks the fishing rod back, reeling it in with his heart thumping, and once the entirety of his line is pulled back, there it is—a ssogari hanging on his hook.
He dislodges it and puts it in his bucket, putting on new bait and casting his line once more. The stars shine brighter, as if to celebrate his bounty harvest, because after that first fish came another, and another, and another.
He goes back to the house with a heavy bucket and excitement brimming through his veins, unable to hold back the giggles erupting through his lips. He puts down the pail, discards his suit, and tiptoes to Jay’s room.
He steps over Sunghoon, who was sleeping on the floor, and isn’t shy to shake Jay awake. “Hey,” He says, putting a hand on the boy’s shoulder, the mattress dipping under his weight. “Jay, Jay. Wake up!” He says in a loud whisper, the smile on his lips not faltering one bit even when Jay looks over his shoulder to glare at him.
“What?” He says, scowling. But really, with the huge grin Jake is wearing, it’s difficult to contain even a fraction of anger.
“I caught fish!” He says, and Jay doesn’t know how to react. First of all, good for him. Second, does he really have to wake him up in such an ungodly hour to deliver the good news? And lastly…it’s cute, Jay supposes. He knows just how badly Jake wanted to fish and the river was simply being unkind to him. And to think that the first person Jake tells of his triumph, is him. There’s this odd feeling that blooms in his chest as he sits up and rubs his eyes.
“That’s great,” He says genuinely, though his raspy voice makes it sound empty, but he says it genuinely nonetheless. “What do you want me to do?”
“Cook it for me?” Jay did not see the beautiful stars that littered the night sky while the younger one fished, but he sees it in Jake’s eyes anyway. Bright and alluring and just so captivating that it’s impossible for him to say no.
Which is why at nearly three in the morning, Jay’s hunched over the stove, cooking through half-lidded sleepy eyes, while Jake watches everything giddily from behind. “I cannot believe I agreed to this.” Jay sighs, seasoning the fish with just the right amount of soy, before drizzling some sesame oil over it
Jake’s trying his best to be of help, hovering behind the older, ready to hand him everything he needs.
“Is it almost done?” He asks, hooking his chin over Jay’s shoulder to peek, hands timidly holding onto the sides of the boy’s shirt.
“Almost.”
A moment later, a freshly fried, richly seasoned fish is served in front of Jake, and his whole face brightens, eyes gleaming and all. Without another word, he dives in. Jay watches everything intently, eyes glued on the expressions swimming through Jake’s face, at the edge of his seat, waiting with bated breath.
Jake takes one bite, just one bite, and he immediately melts into his seat, relishing the rich flavor spreading in his mouth. “This is so good!” He says, groaning in satisfaction.
A smile grows on Jay’s lips and he leans closer to take a bite, their shoulders bumping in the process. He only cooked one fish, so they’ll have to share. This time it’s Jake who watches him avidly, excited to see him try out the amazing dish he cooked. And when Jay chews, he makes a sound of delight, brows rising as he looks at Jake.
Jake, with his mouth still full, hums in response, nodding at Jay with wide eyes and a held back smile. And that’s how they spend the early hours of the night, hunched over one plate, shoulders brushing, sounds of pure relish sifting through their lips. Not a word is said, but they understand each other anyway.
After they put aside the plate, eliminating all evidence of their midnight feast lest any of the other members say it’s unfair, Jay walks back to his room. “Night,” he says, fully expecting to see Jake on his way to his room with Heeseung. But no, the boy is on his tail, following him.
“Where are you going?” He asks, confused.
“I’m sleeping here.” Jake answers as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Jay furrows his brows. “Why?
Jake even has the audacity to jump into the older boy’s bed first. “Why not?” He answers.
See, usually, sharing a bed with each other would be the last thing they’d do. Usually. But something about this trip had made something within and between them shift so subtly. Jay pretends that he absolutely despises the thought of sharing a bed with him, but he lies down next to him anyway.
He doesn’t face him though. Even in the dead of the night when all is dark, Jay’s afraid Jake might be able to see the creeping blush on his cheeks. So he turns his back on him, lying on his side, hyper aware of every movement Jake makes behind him.
Jay’s nearly falling asleep, when suddenly, the feeling of arms winding around his waist jolts him awake. He peeks over his shoulder, only to see and feel Jake nuzzling his nose against his shoulder blade, his leg haphazardly slung over his.
“Thanks for cooking for me.” he whispers, and it takes everything for Jay’s heart to not burst within his ribs. Maybe he should stop fighting and bickering with Jake and instead start cuddling with him more often.
“There are cameras, y’know.” He whispers back.
“I don’t care.” Jake is quick to answer. “What’s so wrong with two homies sleeping in one bed?” He asks, even though they can both feel each other’s racing heartbeats, knowing well enough that they aren’t just homies.
Jay finally has the courage to turn around and face him, and Jake scoots a little to give him room. “Thanks for cooking for me,” He repeats, intent on making sure that Jay knows just how grateful he is. Well, it’s not like everyone’s going to get up in the middle of the night to fix him a meal. Jay’s one in a billion and Jake knows it.
He doesn’t know what to say. A simple welcome just won’t do. No biggie? No problem man? Anything for you haha. Would that be too weird to say? The words refuse to string themselves together cohesively, so he settles on: “Well, like you said. You’ll catch, I’ll cook.”
Jake grins, so much adrenaline rushing through his veins that it pushes him to jump in for a bone crushing hug, successfully knocking the wind out of Jay’s lungs. Jay pats his back in return, heart threatening to jump out of his throat. Jake then pulls the blanket over them, silence now hanging in the air as sleep begins to settle between them. But Jake’s arm lingers over his waist, and Jay’s ankles are tangled up with his.
“Your breath smells like fish,” He whispers silently and Jay playfully hits him on the chest, only for Jake to catch it and keep it there.
“Shut up,” Jay scowls, but makes no effort to pull away. “You smell like fish too.”
“I can’t believe the toothpaste wasn’t enough.”
“Stop talking, god, your breath is filling up my airways.”
Jake, being the little shit that he is, leans closer and breathes out of his mouth.
“You’re disgusting!” Jay tries to clamp his hand over his nose, but the grip Jake has on his wrists is too strong. In retaliation, Jay does the same thing, leaning closer and breathing out of his mouth, and Jake fights back, and they do it all over again until their faces are a millimeter apart.
Jake huffs in Jay’s face teasingly, but his eyes wander to his lips by accident, and all of the sudden, the breath he was supposed to air out catches in his throat. It feels like everything in the room stills, save for Sunghoon’s quiet snores.
Jay realizes belatedly what just happened, and on instinct, his gaze drops down to Jake’s lips too–plump and pink under the shine of the light outside. He gulps thickly, his knee trapped between Jake’s thighs, the younger’s strong fingers wound around his wrists. This…this is bad. The directors are going to review the footage and think what the fuck.
“For all its worth though,” Jake says, breaking the silence, voice so soft and low that only Jay would be able to catch it. “I’d still kiss you even if your breath smelled like fish.”
Technically, Jay should be disgusted, because in no universe is fish-breath appealing, but because it’s Jake. Jake who packs his things for him, Jake who tidies the room for him, Jake who catches fish for him, Jake who massages his shoulders after a tiring day of cooking—it is.
“Do it,”
And that’s all it takes for Jake to pull the blanket over their heads and lunge in for a kiss, hands immediately finding their way up Jay’s jaw, fingers combing through the tufts of hair on his nape. Jay drapes his hand over the boy’s waist, pulling him closer flush to his chest, their lips locked together, moving in perfect timing.
A pleased sound hikes up from the back of Jay’s throat and Jake couldn’t help but grin smugly against the kiss.
“You like that?” He asks in between pants when they pull apart for air.
“Just shut up and kiss me.”
Jake is quick to oblige, this time seizing the opportunity to enter when Jay parts his lips, their limbs tangled, their skin searing. Jay’s lids flutter shut, relishing the feeling of Jake’s mouth against his, his warm hand pressing against the small of his back. Jake keeps his eyes open though, wanting to cement the moment in his memory. A small heated banter led to the best night of his life. His eyes trace over Jay’s figure, the slope of his nose, his lashes against tanned skin, the way his lips chase after Jake’s when he slightly pulls away. And the night is lost to them.
They finally pull apart after a while, pushing away the blanket that concealed and safeguarded their little secret and catching their breath. Jake stretches his arm out invitingly, and Jay accepts the offering, resting his head against the juncture of the younger’s shoulder.
“That wasn’t very homie of us, is it?” Jake says after a while.
“No, it wasn’t,”
“But for all it’s worth,” Jake says again, and Jay slightly fears what he has to say next. Those were his exact words before he declared he’d kiss Jay senseless even if he tasted like the sea.
“Yeah?” he prompts him to continue.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it,”
Jay putters out a laugh, not expecting a wholehearted confession like that. God, they’re such idiots, he realizes.
“Me too,”
They fall asleep after that, limbs tangled, faces near and hearts nearer. Looks like fish isn’t the only thing Jake reeled in.
And in the morning, the members discover the pail full of fish, and them squished together in one bed.