Work Text:
MC paused in the doorway of her office, the sunshine from her window spilling into the hall and washing across the hardwood floor in a wave of honey gold.
Jihyun was standing a few feet away, checking on one of the many cacti scattered around the house. He was murmuring quietly, a small water dropper in one hand while he readjusted the pot with the other.
She leaned against the wall, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips as she listened quietly. She didn’t want to disturb him, didn’t want him to know she was here. Not yet anyways. Didn’t want to interrupt him as he spoke to the little cactus.
They had numerous cacti in the house, many of them perched on windowsills or arranged on their countertops and tables. When she’d first moved in, MC had done her best to take care of them, giving them water and readjusting them when they needed more sunlight. And sometimes when she would feel the stillness of the house beginning to overwhelm her, suffocating her beneath a wave of silence and loneliness, she would catch herself talking to the little cacti. Would sometimes read them the letters Jihyun would send her as he traveled, proudly displaying the polaroid pictures and flower petals he would tuck away within the envelopes.
What she soon learned after Jihyun returned, after he’d moved back in and they’d begun sharing their lives together, was that he often spoke to the cacti too. That he would often idly chat to them when he was sketching or cooking or in the midst of particularly intricate puzzle.
The first time MC ever caught him talking to them was one afternoon after she’d been running errands. She’d just set her bags of groceries on the floor as she’d kicked off her shoes, about to call out and ask him to help her. But she’d paused when she’d heard his voice floating through the air like a summer’s breeze, warm and soft.
She’d scooped the bags of groceries into her arms, padding quietly through the house, only stopping when she’d spotted him in the kitchen, moving the small cactus that usually sat next to the sink.
“Her favourite colour is pink ,” he’d murmured, setting it on the counter beneath buttery sunshine spilling in from the window. “So I thought I’d paint the sky in different shades of pink.”
“Jihyun,” she’d said, and he’d jumped, spinning around to face her.
She’d set the groceries on the table, unable to fight against the smile tugging at her lips, at the warmth blooming in her heart like flowers unfurling beneath the sun. “What are you doing?”
He’d shrugged, colour creeping across his face as he gestured to the cactus he’d moved. “I was just telling Laura about my newest painting.”
She’d wrapped her arms around his waist, tipping her head back to watch as his cheeks had flushed a deep, sunset pink. “Laura?”
He’d nodded, his hands resting against her hips. “The cactus.”
That was the day she’d learned that he had named the cacti. That Jihyun had named every cactus in the house, that he called them by name as he spoke to them.
She remembered the feeling that had wrapped around her then. Remembered how warm she had felt, how pure, glittering delight had filled her heart, making her feel dizzy and silly and so deeply in love.
He’d named the cacti. He talked to the cacti.
She’d kissed him, then. She’d kissed him softly, her words little more than a breath as she’d told him how much she’d loved him.
She wanted to kiss him now, too. Wanted to wrap her arms around him and pull him into a slow, warm embrace.
She leaned against the wall now, watching as her husband carefully tended to his plants, his expression filled with a gentle warmth and serenity that sent joy bubbling through her, made her feel like sunlight was spilling through her veins.
His voice was soft as he murmured to the cactus, and she could have listened to him for hours. Could have stood there as he spoke quietly, the sunlight gilding his face in gold, weaving through his hair until it glowed like azure fire.
But he moved then, before she could commit the moment to memory, turning to her with a sunshine smile that could put the stars to shame.
“What are you telling Bryce about?” She asked, remembering the name of the small cactus now positioned closer to the window.
Jihyun shrugged, setting the water dropper to the side and holding out his hands. MC quickly closed the distance, taking his hands in hers, their fingers twining together as he tugged her closer.
“Just that my wife has been busy working all day,” he breathed, resting his brow against hers. “And that I’ve missed her terribly.”
She smiled, closing her eyes as she leaned against him. “I’m here now.”
“Are you done working for the day?”
She nodded, humming in delight as he brushed his lips against the side of her face. “I’m all done.”
“Wonderful.”
***
Jihyun was talking about his plans to open a new gallery as he washed the dishes after dinner, and MC listened quietly as she folded their laundry, grinning as he grew more and more animated.
But he wasn’t talking to her . Hadn’t yet noticed his voice had grown loud enough to be heard over the water pouring from the tap.
No, he was talking to the little cacti in the matching blue and green whale pots perched on the windowsill in front of the sink. One was named Sage and the other was Fern, and according to Jihyun they were both twins that he’d purchased from a flower shop that had been closing down.
They were always amongst the first cacti he would greet in the morning, and he always told them about his latest paintings and his business plans.
Laura, another of the cacti that had used to occupy the kitchen with the twins, had moved to their bedroom in the past year. Jihyun had alleged she liked the sunshine better from the small table next to their bed, and so she’d moved from the countertop to their bedroom, and had immediately begun sprouting scarlet flowers.
He’d been nothing short of smug when the first flower had bloomed, and he’d spent the entire day beaming as proudly as a parent watching their child ride a bike for the first time.
He turned off the tap, drying his hands on the dish-towel that hung from the stove, still chattering about his vision for the gallery’s layout, the music that would play, what the theme of the opening party would be.
“Wait,” he said, and MC watched as he tipped his head to the side, the burning evening light washing across his face.
He reached forward, readjusting Fern’s pot, pulling it closer to the edge of the sill.
“How’s that?” He asked, a gentle smile arcing across his face. “Is that a little better?”
MC watched him quietly, his voice carrying through the room, wrapping around her like an embrace, filling her with warmth.
Something about the way he said it, the way he so carefully kept watch over the plants, making sure they were properly cared for.
He turned around, making his way towards her, helping to fold the rest of the laundry.
“Jihyun,” she said, setting the cardigan in her hands aside to wrap her arms around him. “I love you.”
He chuckled, pulling her closer against him as he returned her embrace. He smelled like soil from the garden and the lavender dish soap and the cardamom spice he’d spilled on himself when they’d been baking.
“What did I do?” He asked, leaning down.
“Nothing,” she said, tipping her head back. “You’re just being you.”
She could feel his smile against her lips as he drew closer, as he paused a mere breath away. “Well I love you.”
She thought he would kiss her, she thought that he would close that final distance between them. But then he was pulling away, grinning as he held up the cardigan she’d discarded.
“Even though you’re terrible at folding clothes.”
“ Hey!” She shouted, but she was laughing, too. And her heart was filled with love for the beautiful man standing before her.
***
MC chewed on the corner of her lip, narrowing her eyes as she stared at the music score. She peeled her fingers from the keys, reaching for the mint-coloured pen sitting on the music stand next to the score.
She scratched a few notes onto the paper, reminding herself that the key was changing and that the next note was flat .
She set the pen down again, repositioning her hands over the keys as she began the song again, going slower to ensure she didn’t trip over that same cursed line again.
But she was so absorbed in the music, in the song she was trying to weave together as her fingers danced across the keys, that she didn’t notice her husband entering the room. Didn’t notice him coming up behind her, or the sunlit smile on his face as he watched her play.
It wasn’t until he moved so he stood beside the piano that she noticed him, that she noticed the cactus cradled in his hands.
She paused, quirking her brow curiously. “Is everything alright?”
“Poppy is a music lover,” he said, setting the cactus down next to her sheet music. “She always does better when she’s around the piano.”
“I see we’re kindred spirits, then.”
She lifted her hand from the keys, reaching out to him. He took her hand, threading his fingers through hers, letting her tug him closer until his legs bumped against the edges of the piano bench.
“Did you want to listen, too?” She asked, squeezing his hand.
He nodded, taking a seat beside her. “I would love to.”
***
Jihyun was turned away from her for the moment, which was a necessity if her plan was going to work.
He’d been doing his daily rounds of the house, watering the cacti and making sure they were doing alright. He muttered quiet greetings to each one, letting them know how well they were doing, telling them about his plans for the day, sometimes singing a few lines of a song for the succulents he swore always grew better after listening to music.
MC’s heart had begun to ache as she’d listened to him talking, as he’d idly shifted a few of the pots so they weren’t in the direct sunlight. His brows rose, just slightly, and a small smile arced across his face. His eyes grew warm, a soft blue the colour of an early morning sky, and she could have sworn she saw sunshine glowing from their depths.
Although, to be fair, it seemed like he was always shining, like he was made of a warm, golden light all his own.
She lifted her phone, pointing the camera towards him as he hummed, completely absorbed in his task. She hit the record button and watched as the seconds slipped past, as Jihyun continued chattering to the cacti, his expression soft and warm and filled with serenity.
She ended the recording after a few moments, even managing to catch him singing quietly to Lyn and Nina, another set of cacti twins that always seemed to bloom with cerulean flowers after hearing him sing.
She grinned to herself as she logged onto the messenger, deeply wanting to share. Wanting everyone to know that her husband was the most adorable dork in the entire world.
MC: Look!!! Look at my husband talking to the plants.
She tapped out her message quickly, uploading the short video into the chatroom so everyone could see.
The responses were nearly instantaneous and made her snort with laughter.
ZEN: LMAO, what?!
Seven: If singing to plants works why can’t ZEN keep anything alive.
ZEN: HEY
Jaehee: I should bring Nina and Laura to ZEN’s next musical.
Seven: Why stop at two of them? ZEN, try reserving a whole row just for his cacti
ZEN: I don’t have that kind of authority, lmao
ZEN: But I can give them backstage passes
Seven: Yo maybe we can invite Samantha to the next party. She seems like an intellectual
MC clapped her hand over her mouth to stop her giggles from escaping as the chatroom continued to explode with teasing messages.
“Love?”
She looked up as Jihyun came towards her, blinking at her curiously, the corners of his lips twitching into a smile. “What’s so funny?”
She hugged her phone close to her chest, hiding the screen from view. Not that it stopped her phone from buzzing as their friends continued chatting.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she said, wincing as it shook violently in her hands. “Absolutely nothing is funny.”
He smirked, his eyes darting to her phone.
“What did you do?”
She gaped at him, laughter bubbling in her throat. “Nothing! I’ve done nothing! I’m absolutely perfect. A total angel.”
“That smile says otherwise.”
She giggled again as he came closer. “Nothing, I did nothing!”
He poked her sides, earning a giggle as she tried to escape. But she was far too slow and Jihyun managed to catch her, tickling her sides as she gasped with laughter.
“Show me,” he said, sounding far too calm while she wiggled in his grasp.
Her hold on her phone loosened, and he took the opportunity to tug it from her hands, his eyes glittering like ocean waves beneath the golden sun.
She watched as his gaze flicked across the screen, his brows slowly furrowing, his cheeks turning bright red, colour washing across his face.
He looked up at her, blinking. “You took a video?”
She nodded, still grinning as she swiped her phone from his hands. “I did! You’re so cute and I wanted to share.”
“Now everyone knows,” He whined, shaking his head. “Even Jumin’s started teasing me.”
He pulled out his own phone from his pocket, wincing as he logged into the messenger. “Saeyoung’s already started sending me cactus memes.”
MC frowned. “There are cactus memes?”
He sighed. “There are now.”
Jihyun turned away, walking back towards the cacti he’d just been tending to. “Maria, look what my wife has done! I’m never going to hear the end of this.”
He peeked at her over his shoulder at her, his brows crinkling, looking utterly heartbroken.
And then she noticed how his bottom lip stuck out, just a little. It was subtle, but it was just enough.
“ Jihyun ,” she cried, following him across the room. “Jihyun, are you pouting?! ”
Her heart ached, her chest growing so tight she was surprised she could still breathe.
He ducked his head, but kept peeking back at her every few moments, his bottom lip sticking out a little more each time.
Her husband was pouting at her and it was so cute and her heart was aching and she didn’t know what to do.
She followed him into the living room, where he sank amongst the colourful blankets and the mismatched cushions.
“Jihyun,” she whined, perching on the arm of the chair next to him, reaching out towards him. “Jihyun, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to make you sad.”
His brows arched, and he looked at her skeptically.
“I just wanted everyone to know what a huge dork you are. How sweet you are.”
He stuck his lip out again, and MC felt like her heart was going to burst.
“Please don’t pout,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck as she crawled into his lap. “It’s so cute and I don’t know what to do about it.”
The corners of his lips twitched, like he was fighting against a smile, and she took the opportunity to lean forward, smothering his face in kisses. She pressed her lips to his nose, his cheeks, his brow, earning soft laughter from him as his arms encircled her waist.
She brushed a kiss against the corner of his mouth, and he moved his head, catching her lips with his.
“I’m sorry,” she breathed, pulling away after a long, long moment. “Will you forgive me?”
Jihyun hummed, and she could feel his smile against her lips. “I think I can do that. But ,” he leaned back, holding her gaze with his. She could see laughter in their depths, and she couldn’t help smiling as he continued. “ You have to make dinner, and I’m picking the movie tonight.”
She giggled, kissing his jaw. “I think that’s fair.”
“And you have to apologize to the cacti in the video.”
“Well of course.”
“And…” He started, trailing off as sunset pink stained his cheeks.
“And?”
“You have to sit with me like this all night. For comfort. Because our friends have already teased me mercilessly .”
MC nodded, cupping his cheek with one of her hands, brushing his bangs back with the other.
“For you,” she said, running her fingers through his hair. “I can do that.”