the house is quiet. too quiet for a sunday morning. jongdae knows you wake up earlier than him on the weekends, but something feels off.
he finds you in the kitchen, making his usual cup of coffee for him. warmth blooms in his chest at your simple action, but something still feels off.
"morning, sweetheart," he mumbles, arms coming to wrap around your waist, face buried in the crook of your neck. he can smell his cologne on you from how closely the two of you were cuddled up the night before. the thought makes him smile.
"morning, dae," you say. sing-song, rather. there's a lilt to your voice he doesn't understand. "slept well?"
"mm. head's not hurting too much. i don't think i drank a lot."
you don't say anything, just continue watching the coffee drip as you go about preparing some cereal.
jongdae tilts his head. did he do something? "you'll tell me if something's wrong, right?" he asks, fingers worrying at his sweater that reaches past his fingertips. "if i said or did something stupid? that hurt you?"
"of course."
"…well?"
"you didn't do anything that hurt me," you say, and he's known you long enough to be able to read between the lines.
"but i did do something stupid."
you turn to face him, palms against the counter. there's a grin on your face too radiant for the morning. it feels like jongdae's looking at the sun.
"maybe."
he sighs. "did i sing and wake up our neighbours again?"
"no."
"did i serenade you?"
you laugh. "no, but i'd like that, i think."
"throw up on the carpet?"
you shake your head. "you just crawled under the covers and slept next to me. you even apologized for waking me up."
that sounds…good, then. what the hell did he do?
"do you really not remember?" you ask, eyes glinting.
jongdae shakes his head, mind drawing blank on the previous night. all he remembers is you being on his mind, from the moment the party wrapped up till minseok dropped him home. he'd been tipsy, but sober enough to unlock the door, slip into his nightclothes and snuggle up behind you in bed.
(and press tens of tiny kisses to every part of your face he could reach because he remembered just how much in love he was with you, even if he had to tone down his affection in favour of your sleep.)
suddenly, one memory pierces his spine enough to make him stand up straight.
no wonder you're looking at him like he just got declared the class clown or something.
"i didn't," he breathes out, mortified, hiding his face in his hands.
"you did," you say, pulling his hands away from his face and replacing them with yours. "you asked me to marry you. even told me what songs you want sung at our wedding."
"that's so…"
"sweet?"
"i was going to say cringey."
"pff. i've been waiting for you to say it again so i know you actually mean it."
jongdae looks at you. of course he meant it. he wants to spend the rest of his life with you, filled with silly moments just like this.
a grin breaks out across his lips. he'd holler from the rooftop of your building if you asked him to.
but you're not asking him for any of that.
"marry me," he says, a statement rather than a question. "marry me, sweetheart. i'd love to be your husband forever."
