The sunlight finally pushed its way fully into the room, spilling golden light across the wooden floor. Min leaned back on his hands, gazing at the glowing window. Kei had already gotten up, pulling on a light shirt and combing his silver hair with his fingers.
For a moment, Min just stared.
Kei always moved like he didn't care who was watching—quiet, almost careless, but precise in his own way. The sunlight caught in his hair, making it gleam like frost in the morning.
"What?" Kei asked, glancing over his shoulder.
Min snapped out of it, heat rushing to his cheeks. "N-Nothing!"
Kei raised a brow, suspicious but too tired to push. "You're weird in the mornings."
"I'm 'always' weird," Min shot back, puffing his cheeks.
Kei chuckled quietly under his breath—just a small sound, but it made Min's heart skip.
Downstairs, the faint scent of bread baking drifted up from the kitchen. It wasn't their usual bustling shop scene yet. Just them, wrapped in this lazy warmth before the day began.
"Come on," Kei said, already heading to the door. "We'll be late if you keep sitting there like a lump."
"I'm not a lump!" Min protested, scrambling to his feet.
Kei only tilted his head slightly, smirking. "You 'looked' like one."
The banter was light, but it filled the room easily, like the sun itself. They moved downstairs together, shoulders brushing for a moment on the narrow staircase.
Min froze at that brief touch, a strange flutter blooming in his chest. Kei didn't react, but his hand brushed Min's slightly when they reached the last step.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.
Kei finally muttered, "…Watch your step."
Min blinked up at him, confused and flustered at the same time. "I wasn't falling—!"
"I didn't say you were." Kei walked off first, hiding the faint tug at his lips.
Min stood there a little longer than he should've, trying to calm his racing heart. He hated how easily Kei could do this without even trying.
But at the same time… he didn't 'really' hate it.
To be continued...