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It was breathtaking. Truly. The front of the house was suffocated by lavender wisteria and the footpath leading to the front door was captured inside rows of blue lace-cap hydrangeas. The front garden alone was home to tens of flower varieties and an abundance of trees secreting the beautiful house.
Minjun couldn't keep his eyes still. His sight flickered from the ceramic bird fountain to the delicate shrubs that lined the yard. He audibly gasped at the oriental turtle-doves that pecked away at the suspended feeders, producing an evergrowing heap of birdseed on the grass below for the squirrels.
"Which one is that?" Minjun asked, hand pointing out a mustard-coloured overabundance of flowers. He almost missed it when Seokjin responded, too tranced by the charming scene his eyes beheld.
"Goldenrod," the elder told him, "we can make tea from it if you'd like."
Minjun nodded his head as he reluctantly followed the group indoors. His eyes lingered forever on the golden bush, longing to explore more. When his feet hit a hard, wooden flooring, Minjun finally examined the room he was in.
Just an entryway. With only an inventive lineup of floral paintings on each wall and a dainty shoe rack to one side, the room was simple but breathtaking. Minjun kicked his sneakers off and ran to where he had seen Hoseok go.
He had unintentionally found the living room in doing so. It sported an L-shaped couch, nestled in the corner opposite a grand TV. Next to the sofa sat a single recliner, containing the dozy Hobi as he rocked back and forth with his feet lightly.
A coffee table separated the sofa and the TV. It was a reflective woody colour, home to a magazine and a row of unlit candles.
"This way," Namjoon playfully encouraged, taking ahold of Minjun's wrist and delicately pulling him through the room. Minjun snickered as he ran after the man.
Namjoon brought the two into a room down a well-lit corridor and when the door opened, a vivid blue light fell onto Minjun's astonished face.
The room was a heavenly playground. He saw first a pool table, oversized in the centre of the room. Along the walls were arcade machines, desks with their accompanying computers, video game devices hooked up to wall TVs, a dartboard, and a surplus of LED lights.
"Wow," he sighed, "this is so cool."
"You'll like the garden too, then I'll take you to one of the bedrooms to put your stuff," Namjoon beamed. He took Minjun's wrist but this time, allowed his fingers to slip southward until they interlocked with Minjun's.
The younger stared at their hands as they hastened through the expensive-looking house. He savoured the tender feeling of their palms cuddling.
He could see a little as they passed a window, a little of the vigorous and eccentric shapes and patterns in the garden. The flowers were even wilder than the front of the house, clearly less tended to. But, the messiness of the beauty added to its charm.
Wildflowers and shrubs sprouted in every possible clearing. The middle of the yard was home to an extensive, tarpaulin-covered swimming pool.
"It's so pretty," Minjun smiled to the garden. In the far corner was a greenhouse and through the pristine windows, Minjun could see ripening shingo pears, sumptuous strawberries, and a potted fuji apple tree. A bench was immersed into the grass beside the glass structure. Plants intertwined with the bench's wooden boards, claiming it.
Namjoon watched Minjun's brightened face, "I'm glad you like it," and swiftly turned the boy around, "in we go."
The leader showed Minjun to a random bedroom, furnished with minimalistic style, where he unloaded his bag. Before leaving, Minjun searched through his bag for his plushies. He expertly arranged his Christmas presents from Taehyung, Yoongi and Jungkook on his pillows, his Cinnamoroll plush and his Pororo and Totoro plush.
He even shovelled out the takashi murakami flower cushion that Hoseok had gifted him for the bed.
As Minjun left the bedroom and made his arrival in the boisterous living room, Jin approached him with a fond smile.
"Help me make dinner?"
"Sure," said Minjun.
Jin led Minjun through to the kitchen, "we'll make soft tofu stew, how does that sound?"
"Sounds good," Minjun replied with his thumbs soaring in the air for the eldest to see, "what should I do?"
"Cut the mushrooms for me," with a pat on Minjun's head, Jin set on the counter a container of both shiitake and enoki mushrooms and turned away to get started on the shellfish. Minjun got to work, he cut the stem off of the shiitake mushrooms and sliced them up, disposing them into a bowl before moving on to the enoki mushrooms.
He had the honour of cooking the rice after that, standing in front of the rice cooker with big, cheerful eyes. His nose welcomed the palatable smell wafting over from where Jin stood at the stove.
"It smells so nice," he grumbled, fists grasped on the counter while watching the lid of the rice cooker fog up.
It was to Minjun's shock when he heard Jin's voice tell him to raise his head. He looked up at his boyfriend, at his beautifully peaceful expression, then stared at the wooden spoon in his hand.
Jin waved it closer, "try it," and patiently held the utensil in front of Minjun's mouth.
Gazing up into Seokjin's adoring, misty eyes, Minjun opened his mouth and let the elder guide the spoon between his lips. Instantly, his lips tingled with the peppery, luscious tang of tofu stew. He hummed, licking his lips desperately when Seokjin pulled the spoon away.
"It's good?" Jin asked, eyeing the spoon and his younger companion.
Minjun nodded, "amazing!"
"Let me try," and the eldest gave no reaction time as he nudged Minjun's chin with his hand, capturing the boy's lips with his own. He let them linger together, unmoving until he gently broke free and rolled his tongue over his lips.
He smiled down at the red-faced boy and nodded, agreeing with him.