pairing: neighbour!eric x fem!reader wc: 2.8k words synopsis: you’re kinda feeling down in your bedroom, but your mom comes in to tell you something that will make you feel a bit better. genre: fluff, angst, a bit cliché, comfort, self-indulgent tw: the reader is not doing her best mentally, she’s lonely and insecure.
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Headphones glued to your ears, you didn’t hear your mother frantically knock on your bedroom door and call your name.
“Y/N, I know you hate us coming in without knocking, but you couldn’t hear me,” she said as you jumped when you saw the door swinging open, removing your set from your ears after pausing the episode you were watching. Your mother’s eyebrows slightly furrowed as she noticed the frown on your face but didn’t raise it, leaning her hand on your desk.
“I just saw Ericleaving his house as I was taking out the trash, he asked me to tell you that he’s going to the beach to chill with some friends, and you are more than welcome to tag along,” she explained, and you nodded, not showing a lot of enthusiasm, much to her dismay.
A few months ago, your former neighbours had to move out because of the father’s job abroad, welcoming another family into their home instead. They were quiet and nice, the son frequented the same college as yours and was legitimately a bundle of energy which was quite your opposite.
“I don’t feel like hanging out with anyone right now,” you emotionlessly said after sighing deeply.
“I know that you’re disappointed since you discovered that your friends betrayed you, but that doesn’t mean everybody will be fake and abandon you!” your mother exclaimed, and you just shrugged.
“You never know, not everyone has a kind heart. And it seems like I’m stupidly naive enough to be friends with toxic people without intending it,” your mother sighed at your stubbornness, but she didn’t insist. She knew that you were already suffering enough to be alone, feeling loved by no one. She kissed your temple and gently rubbed your back, telling you that she allowed you to join Ericand his friends if you wanted to, before leaving your room.
Groaning in frustration as the episode you were watching was the last, you closed your computer screen and stared at the logo, feeling jealous that all young adults around your age were having fun in groups while you were alone in your bedroom, your brother not even talking to you on the rare occasions he was home.
Walking to your closet, you lazily got out a swimsuit, quickly putting it on before covering yourself with a pair of sweatpants and a large t-shirt. You didn’t plan on going in the water, but maybe hanging out with people your age would get you out of your comfort zone and turn acquaintances into new friends. Or simply meet new people, because you were getting tired of the long process it was to become close with someone, only to end up disappointed by them in the end.
“Mom, I’m going!” you yelled from the entrance, and she hummed in response. “Have fun and be safe! Text me when you get there,” you promised her to be careful and walked out the door, following the pavement till you arrived at the beach.
You removed your light shoes from your feet and sunk them in the lukewarm sand, feeling at ease as the sound of the waves crashing on the ground reached your ears over the wind. Many groups of friends or couples were there, eating and laughing together. It made you feel even more like a loner, but you quickly chased this thought away by shaking your head, not wanting it to change your mind and force you to go home.
“Y/N! Over here!” you heard a bright, familiar voice in the distance, turning around as you involuntarily walked past your neighbour and his group of friends. A few of them raised their arms in the air to draw your attention, Ericvisibly happy that you eventually decided to join them. He jogged towards you and wrapped his arm around your shoulders, his display of affection startling you.
“I’m so happy you’re here, it’s been so long since I last saw you! Come on, the water is still warm!” he said as he drew on your arm, but you answered negatively to his offer. “I don’t really want to get in the water Eric, I’m tired,” you explained, and Eric’s eyes widened, disheartened at your answer. “Are you sure you’re okay? Because Y/N saying no to going in the water, you must not feel good at all,” his face twisted into worry, but you offered him a tired smile. “I just have a lot going on right now, and it drains me out a lot,” you repeated, and you were happy that Ericdidn’t pressure you into telling him what was wrong. “Okay… you can talk to me if you need it, I’ll gladly listen,” you thanked him and watched him hurry in the water with his friends.
“Hi,” you said with a slight smile as you sat on the sand next to Sangyeon, the only one you knew best aside from Eric, and he shifted on the picnic tablecloth to make some room for you. “Hi Y/N, thank you for coming. Ericwas becoming very whiny since you weren’t showing up,” you almost lost your balance as you looked at him in bewilderment, your heart panging in surprise at his words, and Sangyeon confirmed them by a nod.
“Since that time you helped him take pictures for his Instagram, he won’t shut up about you and your skills,” he giggled, and you were surprised, to say the least, not really expecting your neighbour to enjoy your company that much.
“Well I’m glad I managed to make him happy,” you mumbled as you watched him and his friends acting like fools in the water, the sight tugging a smile on your face. You were tempted to join them, but for some reason, tonight felt different. You were too much in your thoughts to even consider having fun, going there was just an attempt on clearing your mind from everything.
“Y/N! Come have fun with us, please!”Ericwhined from the water, slapping its surface in a groan as you negatively shook your head with a small, amused smile. He looked like a child throwing a tantrum, making Sangyeon next to you laugh. Kevin, Juyeon and Changmin joined the youngest in his sulk, encouraging you to change your mind.
“Ugh, fine,” you said as you stood up, the guys cheering when they saw you take off your shirt. You shook your head again, Sangyeon removing his as well. The sight of his bare, broad torso had your eyes widening and quickly turning your back to the beach, trying not to let any emotion show on your face.
You giggled as some of the guys whined and groaned in frustration when they saw their friend shirtless, comparing the size of their abs and biceps with him, while Ericwas too busy silly dancing in the water as you arrived near him, his goofy attitude making you smile. He tried sprinkling some water on you with his fingers, but a quick, stern look was enough for you to make him stop.
“Keep doing that and I’m going home,” you warned, and Ericshook his head, immediately apologising. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop. But come on, don’t just wet your feet!” He whined, and you rested your hands on your hips, letting the small waves crash on your calves. “The water is a little bit cold if you didn’t notice, I’m just taking my time to come in,” you explained, and Eric got closer, wrapping his arm around your shoulders to pull you quicker in the water. “Wait, wait-” you said, but next thing you know, you were sunk in the ocean to the neck, feeling the freshwater surrounding your body. You hissed but smiled as your neighbour stood in front of you, offering you a piggyback ride.
“Hold on, Eric! Do you think Y/N would want to play at ourgame?”Changmin asked, and your neighbour immediately nodded, showing you how Younghoon let Chanhee sit on his shoulders, Sunwoo doing the same with Kevin, the two guys on top trying to push each other and lose balance to fall into the water.
“I think yeah! Okay Y/N, get on my shoulders!”Ericexcitingly said, but you stopped him right before he sank in the water, his surprised face making you giggle. “Not to upset you or anything, but I don’t want to break your back,” you explained. “Come on Eric, she needs a strongman,”Sangyeon approached the two of you, a teasing look painted on his face as he emphasised the adjective, slightly nudging Ericaway. Your neighbour grunted, and you rolled your eyes at their little game filled with testosterone. Ericswam towards Juyeon and jumped on his shoulders like he was as light as a newborn, the older feeling the aftermath of Eric’s weight on his body with a groan.
Sangyeon sunk in the water, and you wrapped your legs around his shoulders, the young man standing back up like he was carrying a feather. His strength surprised you, and you struggled to find your balance as he walked closer to Juyeon and Eric, who seemed determined to get you off his friend’s shoulders. Sangyeon’s hands gripped on your knees as you started to fight with Eric, giggling in anticipation as you could find yourself in the water in a matter of seconds.
However, this fight broke between Sangyeon and Juyeon as well, the latter trying to tickle his friend, giving you and Eric unstable foundations to fight. You still managed to push Eric in the water, earning cheers from Sangyeon and the rest of the group.
“Nice job, Y/N!” Sangyeon exclaimed as he squeezed your ankle, shyly thanking him right before the rest of the group started a water fight around you two. You shrieked as Sangyeon sunk underwater to get you off his shoulders, and both swim away from the fight. They all laughed as you thought you could reach the ground, but you disappeared underwater, lacking a few centimetres to be able to stand on your feet. You coughed out water as you involuntarily swallowed some, making you shiver at the saltiness of it as the boys giggled.
“Younghoon can barely touch the ground where you are, come back to us!” Sangyeon said, and you obeyed, the water fight now finished, leaving them exhausted and laughing at Eric, who tried to justify his defeat against you. “You can get your revenge next time we come here,” you said as you exited the water, feeling tiredness and hunger taking over your body.
You let out a groan of despair when you noticed that you had forgotten a towel to dry yourself, shivers starting to seize your body violently. The air was cool since it was already the evening, and you didn’t know what to do.
“Fuck,”you cursed under your breath, and Ericappeared next to you, a questioning look on his face. “What’s wrong?” “I forgot my beach towel at home,” you said as you started collecting your clothes and your small bag, sliding your wet feet in your shoes, ready to rush back home in the hope to get some warmth. Ericemitted a small noise of surprise and fumbled through his bag quickly as if he could find anything in his bag before you left.
It’s with surprise that you watched him withdraw a huge towel from his backpack, still wondering how he could fit it in his small sports bag.
“Here, take it,” he whispered before shoving it in your hands, watching him run back in the water. You didn’t have time to thank him that his whole body was back underwater, playing again with his friends as if nothing had happened.
You were too cold to refuse anything, so you wrapped the towel around your body after dropping your stuff back in the sand, sitting on the floor next to the calm figure of Sangyeon. He looked so peaceful and serene that you couldn’t help but envy happy, carefree people.
Bringing your knees to your chest, you were enveloped in Eric’s towel, watching the rest of the group enjoying themselves in the water as you smelt the comforting scent of his laundry. They were coming out of the sea one after the other, running to their towel as they were shivering. Once you felt dry enough to put your clothes back on, you stood up and rushed to the seaside with your friend’s towel as he sprung out of the water and huddled himself in the cotton fabric.
“I wish I had taken my own so you wouldn’t have to dry yourself with something so humid, I’m really sorry,” you apologised, but Ericjust laughed, happy that you were taking care of him by vigorously rubbing his back.
“It’s okay Y/N, it’s nothing,” as guilt was starting to eat you, you offered him a saddened smile, which contrasted with the bright one that was decorating his lips, your hand on his back gently pushing him to go back to his friends in the sand.
“We’re gonna get pizzas,” Kevin said as you both arrived next to the group, “we would all love if you joined us,” he said while his eyes shifted to you, him smiling as you blinked a few times.
“Hum, sure!” you said, showing him the brightest smile you could as your mind was still surrounded by dark thoughts. Your heart felt warm in your chest, happiness sparkled in your brain, but for some reason, you weren’t able to show it, and you mentally cursed yourself for that.
When you were all sitting down in booths with pizza shoved in your mouths, you felt like your sorrow had reduced by half. You were seated between the wall and Eric, Juyeon and Sangyeon facing you two. The atmosphere was light as your stomach was starting to hurt at how much you were laughing. It felt almost right as if you were part of this group since the beginning.
You noticed that Ericwas sometimes glancing at you just to see if you were okay, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw you with a bright smile on your face, his lips mimicking yours. Yes, bags under your eyes made you look exhausted, yet your neighbour still found you beautiful. Sangyeon and Juyeon exchanged knowing looks as Ericcouldn’t tear his eyes off you when you were telling a story, his frank laugh echoing in the booth each time you told something funny.
Your happy mood slowly faded as the time to leave was getting closer, each going in separate ways, except for you and your neighbour. You still managed to have a slight smile on your lips as you were talking about everything and nothing, arriving too soon at the gate of your house.
“Thank you for offering me to join you, it’s really nice of you,” your voice trailed as you wrapped your fingers around one of the spikey metal bars of your gate, Eric’s smile almost illuminating the neighbourhood sunk in plain darkness. You felt like crying but thickly swallowed the lump in your throat, compensating your emotions with a smile. He pretended not to see your eyes slightly glistening more under the street light, but his heart cracked as you were battling with the demons inside your head in front of him, feeling as helpless as ever.
“We all love to have you around. I noticed that you tend to eat alone during lunch breaks at college, so if you see us, please free to join us, even if it’s just to hang out, okay? We’ll always be here, and you’ll never bother us,” you nodded and thanked him, eyes soon diverting to your house.
Eric’s hand lifted to rub your shoulder, and you stared back at him, his lips drawn in a gentle smile.
You took in a deep breath and smiled too, your heart fastening as you couldn’t keep eye contact. He smiled at your shy attitude and leaned forwards, pressing a gentle kiss on your cheekbone. You blinked a few times as you got startled by his actions, the tip of his ears going red as he took a step back, his hand scratching the back of his head.
“Goodnight Y/N, I’ll see you soon,” he started walking backwards, and your heart fluttered weirdly inside your ribcage, feeling a new emotion.
As if he was slipping away from your fingers, you rushed back to him and wrapped your arms tightly around his neck, nuzzling your face against him. He remained shook but eventually wrapped his arms around your figure as you were about to pull away, humming the mix of your shampoo and the sea that fragranced your hair.
You felt both shy when you pulled away from the embrace, regret invading your heart as you wished it had lasted longer. You wordlessly waved at him before trotting back to your gate, slamming it shut as you rushed inside your house. Ericfondly smiled, feeling lucky that he was part of the reason for your growing happiness.
He couldn’t wait to see your gauge of joy at its maximum capacity, thanks to him.
✁ plot: in the fashion and modeling world, there’s never enough time to just be yourself, until it’s behind closed doors. however, for both you and your idiot secret boyfriend, things aren’t surprisingly different in terms of your dynamics.
✁ a/n: to brighten up from my last eric post months ago,,, i decided to finish up my slot for eric as well for @nayuyeons’s la haute couture collab!! i saw the boyz on friday and was super proud after watching them after waiting for so long, and i realized at the end that i missed all of them and eric extra since he isn’t able to come, but am so proud of all of them for how far they’ve worked!! anyways i hope you guys like this oneshot!!
“Y/N! You’re due for makeup in fifteen for the next set.”
A hum goes past your lips as you had just finished up one of your biggest photoshoots of the year; a collaboration with one of the biggest brands that you were working with. As you’re scrolling through your for you page out of boredom, there’s a message or two that pops up at the top of your page that makes a smile, making you forget about all of the nerves and anxiety that were piling up on your chest and you could’ve sworn that if anyone were to see you now, they’d think that you were lovesick.
You’re going to look amazing as always.
Are we still down for dinner tonight, at the river?
You could’ve sworn that there were little giggles that escaped your lips as you typed back a response to your boyfriend, who was only a few doors down from where you were now in your dressing room. It was hard to even hide your relationship in the eyes of the public because of the harsh criticism that would come from not only his fans but also your own, knowing that being in the modeling industry was hard enough by just being a model.
Dating as a model, however, especially when your reputation is out there for the world to see was even harder because of the obscure standards that society had. After texting him back and realizing that the makeup artist was waiting for you to sit in your chair to get your makeup done for the next photoshoot that you were supposed to do for the day.
You were excited considering it was one that you were able to do with him for Vogue’s summer couple articles that they were planning on writing about; one that has been planned for months as it took a while for both yours and his agency to agree on. Vogue had asked both of you to model and be interviewed for their content, in which your manager had thought that it was a good idea to finally release a public statement of your relationship.
The article would be posted in a couple months from now, but that didn’t mean that you weren’t nervous for it to come out.
“Y/N?”
The sound of a familiar voice blocks you out from the daze that you were in while your makeup was done and the moment that you looked in the mirror to lock eyes with the figure that walked into your room, a large grin coats your lips as you smile at him. Eric carefully makes his way over to you and rather than look at you through the mirror, he stands right where the vanity and takes in your features sharply, but gently with his eyes and you could tell by the large grin on his face that there was something he had in his mind.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of having you here, Eric?” You giggled, getting up from your seat the moment that your makeup artist tapped your arm to allow you to and almost immediately, you’re already engulfed into his arms for a warm embrace.
He places small kisses into your hair on the side of your head, making more giggles escape from you as he rocks you both back and forth. It had been a while since you had last seen him, both of your schedules conflicted with the other and it was hard to even match it up on most times, but on days like today where you were able to have a photoshoot today and also schedule a date night ahead of time was going to be a good day for you overall.
You missed him anyway.
“When will I be able to shower you with kisses and hugs in public?” He jokes, giving you a silly look on his face and for a moment, you reach up to squish his cheeks together into a pucker in order to give him a quick peck on the lips.
It momentarily stuns him for a moment, but the large grin on his face doesn’t fade and you could’ve sworn that you saw the hearts in his eyes enlarge if it weren’t for the fact that you were also just as in love with him as he was with you. Pretty soon, you knew that your relationship would be in the eyes of the public and days like today where you’re both able to model together was going to be more often, but for now you treasured your little secret with him.
“Someday soon. Now, let’s go get ready babe.”
It’s finally night time as you’re walking hand in hand with your boyfriend as his other hand was preoccupied with the picnic basket that he had packed this morning into his car. You were both walking alongside the river in silence, but anybody could tell by the way that he was swinging your intertwined hands that he was ultimately in love with you.
“Do you think the grass has feelings when we step on them?” You randomly blurted out in the middle of silence and it takes everything within Eric to not playfully judge you right then and there.
He gives you a confused look as if you had asked him an absurd question, even though it was, and he gently flicks your forehead before setting down the basket and blanket that was in his other hand. The two of you eventually had your dinner on the picnic blanket and shared what had been going on in your schedules, but it was mostly Eric considering he was animatedly telling you how he had been finding new adventures with your mutual friends Juyeon and Hyunjae after you told him about your regular routine.
You were shocked to hear that he was able to have so much time off recently, making you miss the breaks and free time that you used to have also before you were bombarded with your schedules. It was to the point where you unknowingly frowned at the thought of it, making your boyfriend notice the ends of lips pointing downwards when he was just about to tell you about how he had gifts for you back at his place.
“Hey, what’s wrong baby? Are you okay?” He asks you quietly, reaching up to cup your cheek and gently stroke your face and you nodded in response, letting out a small breath as you gave him a small smile.
“I miss being able to spend time with you, ya know. Times like these us having late date nights planned weeks ahead of time sound like a fever dream… And it doesn’t feel like I’m actually with you when I have to go to work again the next day, while you’re able to take a break without me.” You rambled on, looking up at the stars and moon that were brightly shining above you to avoid the tears that were slowly starting to sting your eyes but you could tell that he was frowning as well at your words.
You didn’t mean to make him upset with the burden you were feeling at this moment, but you realize that this overwhelming feeling had been building up since the moment that the photoshoot started to begin earlier today. Pretty soon, your relationship will be published by the time that the magazine comes out and then you’re in the eyes of the public even more than normal. You were scared of what everyone would say about you both knowing you had big names in the modeling industry, but what then?
“Is it because of today?” Eric asks you, breaking your thoughts and you could’ve sworn that your knees felt like jelly because he knew what you must’ve been thinking about after today.
Truth be told, he had noticed from the moment that you were both taking photos and even if you were both having a good time modeling with one another, you had also seemed a little off as though there was something on your mind. He knew that coming out to the public with your relationship was going to be a scary moment, but he also swore to himself that he would be by your side the entire time that it happens, he wouldn’t leave you.
“I’ll be with you at every step of the moment. I’m not letting you face the public alone, Y/N, I promised you that when we first started dating, and I promise you now too. We’re in this together, and I won’t leave you behind.”
His words made your heart feel like there were fireworks bursting in it, feeling him pull you into a warm embrace that comforted you more than words can explain. You were grateful for Eric and for his presence in your life, because you knew that you would’ve definitely been eaten alive in this industry, had he not appeared into your world. From what was supposed to be a prank when you both met when you faked being a photographer to his significant other now, you’ve both been through a lot.
Even though the ups and downs of your relationship, you had only reserved your best smiles for what was supposed to be for the camera for the other instead.
“Thank you Eric, I love you.” You smiled, hugging him even tighter as if he were to disappear at any moment and he kissed your cheek at the same time that you squeezed him, hoping that him being there was enough to make you feel reassured.
we begin with the rain, the spring, and the flowers that grow in that time. love blossoms and grows, is new and fresh and knows as little as there is to know about love. but you supposed that’s what made it exciting. you were finally dipping your toe in new waters, and you’re finding yourself surprised.
It was raining, and raining hard; the kind of rain where, if life were an animated film, people would be ducking under shop covers with newspapers as umbrellas. There was something about quiet rainy nights. They seemed to be a cornerstone of your life, reliable and consistent and never faltering to make you feel completely insignificant. Car tires rolled you forward slowly, reluctance in the air as the hand cupping yours hardened its grip. You felt reality sliding back into your veins, pulsed into you with the constant strumming of his thumb against the back of your hand. He refused to drive anywhere without holding you near, his favourite mode of operation being tricky left turns to impress you along your simple city drives. Yet, it was a straight road home, lines separating lanes feeling like imaginary barriers you could slip in and out of. The barrenness of your street had you paying attention to the song quietly dripping from the speakers and the orange lamplights.
That was the funny thing about rain. It highlighted things you wouldn’t otherwise pay attention to. Lamplights only seemed to be orange when it was pouring out, but would resume their usual canary the second it stopped. Your favourite thing was looking at the way the wind blew the droplets every which way under the light. It was like you were watching a furious dance or perhaps a race, with no clear winner but definite plot twists. You felt a smile pull at the corners of your lips as you created stories in your head, watching drops hit the window like film spots in old movies.
“Hey.”
His voice came as a whisper, just above the slight pounding of the rain. Eyes torn from the road and all the thoughts in your head, you met yours with his. The brown in them was fading into the green he liked to claim he had none of in his eyes. The headlights were casting little shadows on his face, highlighting the more prominent parts of him- the sharp corners and edges of his facial structure you’d come to love to much.
“Hi,” you whispered back, a smile creeping onto your lips involuntarily. You caught a glimpse of his teeth beyond his stretched smile, one hand firmly on the steering wheel and attention back onto the road.
“What’s going on up here?” The point of his finger came to press against the middle of your forehead, the familiar scent of pumpkins brushing your nose as you caught a whiff of his sleeve. Your hand rose with his, and fell just the same, his grip strong when you were linked as such.
“Nothing,” you admitted, realizing your thoughts about rain and film spots and races amounted to just that, “just thinking.”
“About?”
Your smile pulled at your cheeks a bit harder, knowing he was going to keep pressing if you didn’t give him a straight answer. A breath was all you took before starting, “about how much I love you. Did you know that? That I love you?”
The passage of air between tight teeth and his lips hooking onto each end of his ears was enough for you. The answer made him giddy but he chose not to show it. He substituted a big hug for rub of your forehead with his thumb as you dipped your head to rest it on his arm while he drove.
“Dork.”
“I do kind of think about how surprising it is though,” you admitted, the idea suddenly coming to you. The pause you took made you realize it wasn’t a complete thought and you rushed to finish it off with, “like, how we’re together and stuff. Almost a year later and- and here we are, you know. Isn’t is weird?” “Weird? No, I don’t think so.” He notched up an eyebrow at you, the look almost envious of the timing in which you brought the conversation up. You were so close to home, you would hardly have the time to really chat about it all.
Reluctantly, he made the left turn into your building’s driveway, slowly rolling through the parking lot as you picked up words to say that would be able to really encompass what you were trying to say.
“I guess we just went through a lot. There was Subin, Minseok, your whole band thing, hiding stuff from people, falling in love when we shouldn’t have; there was a lot. We were just supposed to be friends, right?”
You raised your arms up, waving around at nothing and everything. “Now look at us.”
“It was a lot, wasn’t it?” He decided on these words after rolling to a stop in his usual parking spot at the back of the lot, a big V marking the floor. He raised the back of your hand up for a kiss, holding it there to murmur words against it.
“I think it worked out for the best. Probably not the healthiest start to things, or the most advisable or repeatable, but I can’t say I regret it.”
“Can you?” he asked after a well mannered pause, definitely taking into account the fact that you hadn’t responded quickly enough.
“No,” you admitted, getting a proper look in his eyes now. He was focused, all his attention in one spot, filling you up from your heart into every crack and crevice you held.
It overwhelmed you sometimes, the amount you felt for him. Your heart knocked in your chest and you couldn’t believe one person had the power to make you feel this way. He lifted you off your feet and placed you back on the ground again but with arms and legs made of jelly and lips made of sour candy. You were a new person every time you were around him and yet, you were just as you always were as a kid: happy, whole, and completely yourself. Home meant the flecks of gold in his eyes and the freckles on his skin that he used to get made fun of for. Home was the way his lips made you see visions when they touched yours, and his hands that seemed to envelop yours even when they were the same size. A thousand feelings and thoughts and words rushed into every part of your body, little tendrils of the flame in your heart nipping at your eyes.
“Hey,” he whispered again, leaning across the console to place a kiss on your forehead. His hands let go of yours and came to either side of your face, thumb running little circles into the skin just above your jaw.
“You can’t go crying or you’ll make me start up.”
“I know,” you sniffled, holding it in as your eyes met again, “I’m sorry.”
A little giggle left his mouth as it did yours, both of you knowing each others tricks at this point. He didn’t even have to tell you to stop apologizing. He just bumped his nose against yours, clicked his tongue, and pulled you as close as you could get with the console in between.
“I don’t regret it,” you murmured quietly, ear pressed against his chest. Your eyes closed, yellow and white lights streaking across your eyelids from the passing cars just down the road.
“I don’t regret it for a second.”
His arms wrapped tighter around you. Your hand instinctively touched the pendent around your wrist, a little charm there in the shape of his name. You traced the J, feeling the pressure in your chest release with every single rub of your head.
⊱ warnings: i’m pretty sure i wrote ‘ass’ a couple times
⊱ word count: 2.8k
⊱ a/n: i try my best to make my work gender neutral but for my collab pieces where i have a lot to write, i tend to forget to write from all perspectives and therefore found it easier to make them from fem. reader perspectives, i apologise if this upsets some of my readers <3
my first collab piece! @atbzkingdom thankyou for the opportunity! i planned for this piece to be longer and better, please don’t hesitate to give me feedback as i’m still a little unsure on some parts. i’ll possibly edit and rewrite some parts in the future! thankyou and i hope you like it!
inserting the cassette into its player, the nostalgic melody slowly echoed around the room; you were entranced into a flood of beautiful and precious memories playing on repeat in your mind.
you were seated, cross-legged, on your roommates bed. she had invited you over upon your arrival at campus, to which you gladly took her invite, considering you wouldn’t really have a lot of time to spend with her with classes starting so soon. she was currently parading around in several different dresses, some tight, some loose, some just outright hideous. she claimed she was in a rush - her boyfriend, sangyeon, on his way to pick her up for the party they were attending that night. she ushered you to go with them but you opted out, wanting to get settled in before rushing off to a party.
pulling on the tiny bobbles on your socks, there was a knock at the door, and the next minute you were met with two guys. one in which you assumed to be sangyeon, considering your roommate sprung herself into him upon seeing his face. and the other - someone you didn’t know. that was, until he was introduced to you, as eric sohn.
your second encounter with eric, was - funnily enough - at a party. you were in your last years at college when your friends wanted to let off some steam and somehow had managed to get you to tag along with them. you couldn’t handle your alcohol very well so let’s just say you were pretty befuddled.
“woah, watch where you’re going there, princess” someone chimed.
you were wobbling slightly and accidentally backed up into someone, sending their drink down the front of their shirt.
the next thing you knew, you were being swept up by your legs, your face in vision sight with the person’s back, “hey! put me down.” you screeched between each punch of your fist. whoever it was, was really enjoying themselves, chuckling at your childish behaviour.
you were finally put on your feet, coming face to face with the ever-so-rude person who happened to escort you out of the building before a fight occurred. for some odd reason you just felt feisty tonight, probably since you haven’t let yourself loosen up since the start of classes and all of your wild and chaotic energy was protruding through all at once.
“i’m guessing you’re y/n, right?” he looked oddly familiar, as did his voice, but through your blurry and clouded vision, you couldn’t really make out who it was. he must’ve sensed your hesitance, tugging at your wrist before giving you a small high five, “i’m eric.”
ever since that night, he would take you out somewhere. and for someone who hadn’t explored much or had never even gone out of their comfort zone, it meant you had a lot to see and a lot to learn.
your favourite hangout had got to be the night where he drove the two of you to an outdoor cinema, seated on a plaid blanket that laid flat against the grass, your jacket shared between the two of you, your thighs pressing against one another whilst the pillows you brought propped your heads up comfortably to watch the movie playing. every so often, you could smell eric’s perfume as it blew with the wind, intoxicating you almost. without him realising, his hand would unconsciously fall and lay on your thigh, you ignored it however, knowing he didn’t mean it and is something you shouldn’t really be making such a big deal out of.
you were occupied in the screen played before you, giving eric the chance to etch your features into his brain. he had liked you for a while, even before you first saw him in your roommates dorm, sangyeon brought him along, knowing you’d be there and thus giving eric the chance for you to finally meet him. your hair was tied back, checking the weather before leaving knowing it would be windy and figured you’d pull it back to avoid the nuisance of doing it later on, except your baby hairs escaped it’s capture in the bobble and floated around with the direction of the wind. the screen’s light shone and bounced across your face, illuminating it in a way that made you look like you were an angel visiting earth but without the wings and plus, he knew you were real. he couldn’t help himself but to occasionally stare at your hands and wonder what it would feel like fitted between his, wondering how smooth they were. oh, how much he wished he could just squish your hands together right there and then. so he settled for leaving it purposely nearer to you, hoping you’d feel the same as him, yet a little braver by slipping your fingers together. you didn’t, but he figured it was wishful thinking anyways.
or there was another time, where he snook you out of your dorm past midnight just so you could both watch the sun rise. his safe place, he’d never brought anyone there before and he told you just that, causing butterflies to flutter crazily from inside of your tummy. just like how you smiling and letting out a little giggle at one of his lame jokes, he told the boys the same one and earned an eruption of laughter but it just didn’t create the same feeling compared to when you did it.
no. your favourite moment had got to be the moment you realised you loved him. you had been working yourself to the bone upon exams nearing and eric knew this, trying his best to relax you and to take your mind off of everything causing you distress. engulfing you into his warm embrace when the tears began rolling down your face. promising to stay the night with you in his arms to keep you safe and comforted and just so you weren’t alone. it’s also the moment you shared your first kiss.
what followed consisted of a few things. you celebrated your three months together before leaving education to finally turn into your own independent people with individual plans and paths they want to take. in other words: growing up. becoming an adult. and hence, you split. it was hard, at first. eric became your rock, as did you, become his. you never left each other’s sides and maybe that was why it was so hard for the long distance to work. you were both affectionate, both two loving and caring soles that just needed that physical touch, facetime can only go so far.
the door chimed, indicating someone had come through the door, “hi, welcome to moonlight’s diner what can i get for you?” you cringed at your superficial tone of voice as you casted a smile to the new customers, one of which left to find the pair a table. what a cute couple.
the woman was pretty, the way the sun shone through the open glass windows as she peered behind you at the menus, “hi, can i get two hot chocolates and chocolate chip muffins please?” she gleamed, fiddling with the cash notes she held in her hands as she looked at you expectedly.
“of course,” imputing the order into the cash register, excusing yourself as you went to prepare her order as she left to accompany her friend.
you were quite used to the machines at the diner, considering you had worked there long enough to learn everything like the back of your hand, so it only took you a couple of minutes before making your way to the table, placing each saucer and plate in front of the two, concentrating too much to notice the eyes watching your every moment.
“here’s your order and the bill, enjoy.” pushing the tray between the fold of your arm as you slid them the bill, only just having the chance to spot the man sat opposite the woman you served at the counter.
“oh hey y/n.” eric spoke, flashing his pearly whites as he began to stir his hot chocolate, “i haven’t seen you in… years. it’s nice to see you again.” the girl now staring at you instead, curious as to how eric knew you.
turning on your heel, wanting to get out of the situation as quickly as you could, you were just about to leave but god had other plans for you, “hey, i’m hanna, eric’s girlfriend. nice to me you..y/n.”
you didn’t see eric for weeks after the encounter with his girlfriend. nothing much happened after that, your manager had called for you from the back room to tell you it was the end of your shift and how you could go home. not even sparing eric or his girlfriend a second glance or word, you gripped the tray tighter and scurried out the door, not caring to even say much as a goodbye or see you tomorrow.
“so that’s y/n, huh? is that why you brought me here?” eric had been watching you leave, you looked different from the last time he saw you. god, he couldn’t imagine you being any prettier but there you were; proving him wrong. proving to him that he never actually stopped loving you. all those nights he would stay awake silently hoping you would surprise him at his dorm and you never leave his side again, “was a surprise for the both of us it seems.”
he met hanna through a mutual friend from his baseball team. they weren’t really that close, only a few civil greetings shared between the two but when he stopped eric in his tracks on the way out of the changing room, pleading him to go on a date with his love-struck friend, there wasn’t much to lose. he was lonely and she reminded him of himself; bubbly, energetic, and hence, they started dating, seeing one another more often. something he wasn’t able to do with you. he told hanna all about you. the girl he was once head over heels with, quite frankly, she knows everything about you. as do his group of friends.
except, the difference is, they met hanna and hardly know anything of her. but you, someone they have yet to meet, hell, they know everything from how you can’t eat dairy due to your intolerance to how when you were a child, you got bit by a donkey and still have the scar on your wrist. it wasn’t pleasant, comparing the both of you. you both have different traits, different personalities, different styles, you were polar opposites. and maybe that’s why things weren’t working well between eric and hanna and why he still loves you. you match him like a missing puzzle piece. hanna knew it too, but she was too blind sighted by the four letter word called love, that she didn’t want to lose eric. maybe it was out of nerves or worries, not knowing what the future had planned for her: would she ever get married? have kids? would she even meet another boy if she broke up with eric? she was being selfish really, but she couldn’t help it… especially when she saw the sparkle in his eye and the fond, lingering smile on his face by just the slight glimpse of your shadow.
it seemed like someone in the clouds above were playing some kind of god, putting scattered pieces together. almost like a person putting a broken jigsaw puzzle back together, nothing happening too fast, but also too noticeable for it to be just a coincidence.
life was hard, to say the least. some days better than others, some appearing as though it’ll never end and whilst some, you wished would stay around forever. but that’s how it goes, time still ticks on and moves through the waves of reality and if you just happen to stumble and trip, there’s the risk of never being fully able to catch up. time. something that is very limited, something people take for granted, that some people have too little of and others struggling to stay just one foot in front of; the fear of falling behind being all too real.
“penny for your thoughts?”
he spoke, breaking the tranquility that filled the empty playground.
“how funny, sohn.”
“so tell me,” he softly murmured, turning on his side to look directly at your side profile, “what brings you here? this is where we always went during school on our breaks.”
you nod, “i know. it brings peace, you know? i like it here.”
to which the male simply nodded.
“and you? shouldn’t i be asking you the same thing?”
“me and hanna broke up. came here to clear my head.”
“oh.”
abruptly, eric stood up, his hand outstretched towards you as he dragged you to your feet, “c’mon, we’re going to get ice cream from that place around the corner.”
and with that glimmering smile, you couldn’t refuse.
“andthat, is how sunwoo managed to get stuck inside of our dorms dustbin.”
“so, you’re telling me, at half three in the morning, sunwoo climbed into a tiny ass desk bin as he wanted to prove to you that he could get from one side to the other in thirty seconds or less?” letting out a cackle, your head thrown back as your hand covered the ice cream in your mouth.
sighing, “i miss how things used to be.” putting your spoon into the ice cream tub, resting your chin in your palms as you stared at the scenery occurring outside of the parlour, “i feel the same.” eric replied, huffing a little whilst his lips protruded into a pout as he copied your form, looking at you.
“want to restart?”
“restart?”
“yeah- why not? i’m not saying forget about what’s happened, just, i miss you.”
popping the spoon back into your mouth, a small smile forming on your face, “me too.”
eric was true to his word, every chance your schedules allowed, were you spending time with one another. like nothing had ever changed, and that you were still in school.
but there you were, sprawled across eric’s bed in his small - one man - apartment. both of you laid beside one another on your backs whilst observing the coloured star projector he had pointing to his ceiling.
“hey y/n?” eric whispered, closer to your ear than you expected, the tip of his nose rubbing against the shell of your ear slightly.
copying him, your noses now skimming each other but neither of you daring to move, “yeah?” you whispered back. unknown as to why you were whispering, possibly not wanting to burst the bubble the two of you were entranced in.
“do you miss us?”
smiling slightly before it dropped, recalling all the memories from your younger years, when you lost the love of your life, your best friend, the person who was always there in your time of need. just like you were to him, “i never stopped.”
never did your feelings for eric disappear, some might say you were meant to be together; soulmates your friends and family would say.
in which, probably explains why you were here to begin with, the same place, the same position, the same old
ceiling with the star projector. except, this time you were saying goodbye.
goodbye to eric’s one-man apartment, your life together with your identical rings located on your ring fingers as tiny hands held each of your empty hands. leaving heartbreak in the past, and focusing on loving one another for eternity whilst bringing up your two children that came after three years of marriage.
maybe it was always meant to be this way. maybe you’re meant to go through hard times to be stronger for the person you were always meant to be.
the puzzle was complete, and your happy family decorated the pieces. memories were memories for a reason. what was important was to live in the present, to stop daydreaming of the past, things that could’ve been better, regrets, mistakes- all made and done, but accepting you for you. and being complacent with that.
maybe you’d be stuck inside a daydream for the rest of your life, especially during the tough times. or just maybe, life itself is your daydream.
a knock on the door was what brought you out of your trance, and there you were - seated, cross-legged, on your roommates bed when her suited up boyfriend waltzed in with a familiar man trailing behind him.
eric sohn, the infamous, and handsome, baseball player on campus. the same boy of whom you’ve harboured a crush on for as long as you could remember and-
oh my god?! is he walking up to you?! okay y/n, stay calm!
— pairings: puppyboy!eric x gender neutral reader.
— tw: nsfw. cursing. humping. cumming in pants (?). male masturbation. guided masturbation. handjob. light bondage. overstimulation. dry orgasm. ahegao. eric is desperate.
— wc:3139.
eric sohn is a handful, but that’s nothing new to those close to him.
a beagle hybrid, he shares multiple traits of his personality with these canines— namely, his fun loving, thrill seeking tendencies, but also his energy and the tenderness with which he treats those dear to him.
you’re no exception to this, of course, you’re more often than not on the receiving end of his constant loving, a tongue that laps at your cheeks as a form of greeting and a tail that wags happily whenever he happens to lay his eyes on you.
but this innocent loving and this happy, merry personality isn’t all that there is to him, isn’t all that he shares with other dogboy hybrids and canines: eric also happens to be, coincidentally, incredibly lustful.
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