Crave You Forever
Chapter 102: Let’s take care of him

Chapter 102: Let’s take care of him

After they finished picking up a mix of treats and groceries, Haeun paid at the register while Suho silently carried a smaller bag. As they walked out of the store, the wind picked up slightly, rustling the edges of Haeun’s jacket.

Yeongsoo walked beside him, his arm brushing against Haeun’s. He leaned closer, his lips near Haeun’s ear, and murmured low enough that Suho wouldn’t hear. "If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re using the baby as an excuse to spoil yourself. But don’t worry—I’ll spoil you more when we get home."

Haeun turned to him, his face heating as he tried to muster a scolding look. "Yeongsoo, not in public," he hissed, his blush betraying his attempt at sternness.

"Not in public, huh?" Yeongsoo teased, his smirk growing. "Guess I’ll save it for later."

"You do that one more time and I swear.."

Haeun groaned and walked ahead quickly, leaving Suho to glance between them with a raised brow, his expression saying adults are so weird as he trailed behind them.

When they finally arrived home, Haeun was still lightly grumbling under his breath, though the warmth of his flushed cheeks hadn’t quite faded. Suho, who had been oddly quiet throughout the walk, placed his bag on the kitchen counter with care before scuttling off toward the living room.

"Suho, make sure to wash your hands before touching anything," Yeongsoo called after him, slipping his shoes off at the entryway.

"Yeah, yeah," Suho replied with the faintest roll of his eyes, though he obeyed.

Haeun, meanwhile, let out a long sigh as he plopped down onto the couch, his entire body sinking into the cushions. He blinked once, his head lolling to the side, and then—nothing. He was out cold.

Yeongsoo walked into the living room a moment later, a bag of groceries in each hand. He paused mid-step, taking in the sight of Haeun already fast asleep, his soft breaths audible in the quiet space.

"Seriously?" Yeongsoo muttered with an amused shake of his head. He set the bags down on the dining table and walked over to crouch by the couch. Haeun looked peaceful, his lips slightly parted, his body completely relaxed.

"You didn’t even last five minutes," Yeongsoo murmured, brushing a strand of hair from Haeun’s face. His fingers lingered, tracing the soft curve of his cheek.

From the corner of the room, Suho peeked out, watching the scene unfold with a quiet expression. He stepped closer, tilting his head. "Is he really asleep already?"

"Completely," Yeongsoo replied, standing up and stretching. "It’s been a long day for him. He probably didn’t even realize how tired he was."

Suho frowned slightly, his usual cold demeanor softening just a little. "Then why did he come to the store? He could’ve just gone home and rested."

"Because that’s Haeun for you," Yeongsoo said with a chuckle. He motioned for Suho to follow him back to the kitchen. "He wanted to pick out his treats himself. You know how stubborn he can be."

Suho gave a small huff, crossing his arms as he leaned against the counter. "He’s always doing things for himself, but... he still takes care of us too. It’s weird."

Yeongsoo smiled as he began unpacking the groceries, his movements efficient but unhurried. "That’s what makes him Haeun. And that’s why we take care of him when he needs it."

Suho didn’t reply immediately, but after a moment, he grabbed a small bag of snacks and walked back toward the living room. Quietly, he placed it next to Haeun on the couch, his lips pressed into a thin line.

When he returned to the kitchen, he saw Yeongsoo watching him with a knowing look. "What?" Suho snapped, his ears turning slightly pink.

"Nothing," Yeongsoo said with a faint smirk. "Just thinking you’re a lot softer than you pretend to be."

Suho scowled, though it lacked any real heat. "Shut up."

"It’s disrespectful to tell your elders "shut up" what do you Haeun would say if he heard you?"

"..!!"

Suho quickly turned back to see if Haeun was awake and let out a sigh of relief.

"I’m sorry for being disrespectful Yeongsoo hyung..."

Yeongsoo let out a quiet laugh as he turned back to his cooking.

"It’s okay, why don’t you help with the cooking I’m sure Haeun would like that.."

Suho blinked, caught off guard. "Help you?"

"Yeah," Yeongsoo replied, picking up a knife and handing Suho an apron. "You said you wanted to protect Haeun and the baby, right? Learning to cook something healthy is a good place to start."

Suho narrowed his eyes, suspicion flickering across his face. "You’re just trying to make me do your work."

"Not at all," Yeongsoo said smoothly, tying the apron around Suho before he could protest further. "I’m trying to teach you something useful. Besides, Haeun will be impressed if you make something for him one day."

That last comment made Suho pause. He glanced toward the living room, where Haeun was still fast asleep, his expression softening just a little. "...Fine. But if this is boring, I’m leaving."

"Deal," Yeongsoo said with a grin.

He guided Suho to the cutting board and handed him a few carrots. "Start by peeling these. It’s simple, but you’ll need to be careful not to waste too much."

Suho picked up the peeler and hesitantly began, his movements awkward at first. "This feels weird."

"That’s because you’re overthinking it," Yeongsoo said, leaning over to adjust Suho’s grip. "Relax your hand a little. Like this."

With a small grumble, Suho followed the advice. After a few tries, he found a rhythm, the shavings falling neatly onto the counter.

"See? Not so bad," Yeongsoo said, setting a pot of water to boil.

Suho smirked faintly. "I guess it’s not that hard."

"Good. Now chop them into bite-sized pieces," Yeongsoo instructed, sliding a knife toward him.

Suho stared at the knife like it was a puzzle. "Bite-sized? Like how big is that supposed to be?"

"Think of it this way," Yeongsoo said, demonstrating with his own knife. "Something small enough that Haeun won’t need to chew too much when he’s tired."

"Got it." Suho’s tongue poked out slightly as he focused, carefully slicing the carrots. His precision improved with each cut, and soon, he had a small pile of neatly chopped pieces.

"Not bad, kid," Yeongsoo said, nodding in approval. "Now let’s move on to the greens. We’re making a soup, so they don’t need to be perfect—just wash and tear them into smaller pieces."

As Suho worked, his earlier stiffness began to melt away. He found himself asking questions—"Why do we add salt here?" or "How do you know when it’s done?"—and Yeongsoo answered patiently, guiding him through each step.

By the time the soup was simmering, Suho was standing a little taller, his chest puffed out with quiet pride.

"Smells good, doesn’t it?" Yeongsoo said, giving the pot a gentle stir.

Suho nodded, his cold demeanor replaced by a tentative warmth. "Yeah. It actually smells... nice."

"And that’s thanks to you," Yeongsoo said with a smile.