#kpopscapes
celeritas - kim jungwoo x gender neutral reader(teaser)
⇢ synopsis: celeritas; speed, swiftness. windswept hair and ripped jeans. kim jungwoo, mysterious neighbour and alleged street racer. just what secrets lie within this man? and can you match his speed?
⇢ release date: some time in april, exact date tbc
⇢ expected word count: 4k-8k
⇢ teaser word count: 0.9k
⇢ trigger warnings for full fic: car accident, blood, non-serious injury, swearing.
⇢ trigger warnings for teaser: blood, non-serious injury
⇢ a/n: this is my piece for the racer au collab, originally hosted by the lovely anie
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“Jungwoo?” you asked, peering at him. He was clearly trying to hide himself, but you knew it was him. You unrecognised his lips, and hoped that wasn’t creepy, but what deterred you was the swelling around the left side of his jaw. “Are you okay?”
“Hey, Y/N. I’m fine.” He tried to give you a reassuring smile, but winced as the action twinged his swollen features.
“You don’t seem too fine,” you commented, trying to peer at the rest of his face, under his hood.
“I’ve had worse,” he shrugged, wincing again. “Look, can we go inside?”
You frowned, pulling open your apartment door before ushering him inside and pulling down his hood, acting fast and catching him unaware, only to gasp at the state of his face. Along with his swollen jaw was a black eye, and a gash across his forehead that had recently ceased its bleeding, judging by the dark, dried blood around the site of injury
“Oh my god, Jungwoo, what happened?”
“Listen, I said it’s fine-”
“Come on, let me patch you up.” You grasped his arm, marching him towards the elevator, and he got the message that his protesting was worthless and you wouldn’t be taking no for an answer. Once in your apartment, you pulled a chair out from your kitchen table and pushed Jungwoo firmly down onto it, before digging the first aid kit out of your cupboard.
Jungwoo was silent through the whole affair, and you sensed that some of this was surprise. It didn’t seem like he was used to this - being taken charge of, that was. He seemed like the type of guy who took charge of everything and everyone he encountered. Well, you supposed, he had met his match.
He was a good patient, and only flinched once, when you brushed his wounds with an antibacterial wipe. Finished your cleaning and bandaging, you leaned back against your kitchen counter, eyeing the man up. He said nothing, simply looking back at you with an undetectable look on his face. His lips were set in a straight line, though his eyes were soft.
“Do you want a drink?” you asked him eventually, breaking the silence. “I have decaf coffee, tea, hot cocoa-”
“Hot cocoa, please!” Jungwoo interrupted, looking excited all of a sudden, despite his injuries. You nodded, and went to prepare two hot cocoas. Silence fell again, and it was a strangely comfortable silence considering you were near-strangers.
“So,” you spoke after a few moments, “I know I said I wouldn’t ask questions. But I did just fix your face, so I think you kinda owe me a little explanation.”
“Hey, hey. This face? Could never need fixing. You can’t fix perfection.”
You gave him a look. “You’re avoiding the subject, Jungwoo.”
“Alright, alright,” he raised his hands in surrender. “I’m a street racer.”
You paused for a few beats, looking at him. Searching his face for any sign of amusement, waiting for a gotcha!
It didn’t come. “A street racer?”
“You don’t believe me?” he asked. He sounded genuine enough. You were left wondering whether he was, in fact, a street racer… or a pathological liar.
“You don’t look like a street racer,” was all you said, as you handed him his cocoa. He took a sip.
“Then, what do I look like?” he questioned. A model, you thought. Outwardly, however, you simply shrugged, and tried to hide your blush by taking a sip of your drink, which was far too hot. “You can come see me in action if you want, baby. I’m racing again tomorrow night, midnight.”
You raised a skeptical eyebrow at him. “Follow a mysterious man, who I’ve found covered in blood on two separate occasions? Come on. Even to you, that must sound a little shifty.”
Jungwoo shrugged. “You’re the one who invited me into your home, babe.“
You sighed - you couldn’t really fight him on that one. You wrapped your hands around your mug tightly. “I don’t know anything about you, Jungwoo. I don’t even know your last name-”
“Kim,” he interrupted. “Kim Jungwoo.”
You roll your eyes. “Fine. Well I know your last name, now. But still. How do I know you’re even telling the truth?”
Jungwoo smiled, his lips twisting upwards in the corners in the most endearing way possible. He looked into your eyes. “Y/N. Darling. Why would I lie?”
You give him a cynical look. “Really, Jungwoo? There are some serious creeps out there. Creeps who tell many different lies for many different reasons. And none of them are good reasons.”
“Just trust me, okay? Take a leap of faith.” You raised an eyebrow at him. Most creeps weren’t this pretty. “A leap right into my arms,” he continued, stretching his arms wide as an invitation.
Snorting out a laugh, you delivered a shove to his shoulder. Gently - you didn’t know the extent of his injuries. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Midnight, right?”
“Midnight,” he confirmed. He smiled at you, in a way that you couldn’t help but smile back. “See you then.”
With that, he was gone, leaving you alone in your kitchen once more. Jungwoo always seemed to come and go, much like a tornado, leaving you shell-shocked and windswept in his wake. Street racing, hm? You shook your head to yourself. Just what were you getting yourself into?
