— BOOKWORM!

pairing: jeong jaehyun x reader 

genre: fluff | wc: 0.3k | disclaimers: none

[ : ]

jaehyun strides the streets of seoul. he watches as the autumn leaves fall with the gentle breeze surrounding him. before he knew it, he stares at the library’s window in front of him. he finds himself examining the book display. jaehyun’s eyes lit up as he noticed the book you’ve been wanting for days. for the past week, he’s heard you talk to your friends frequently about this certain book. jaehyun knew you had a big passion for reading - he always found you nestled up in your nook, smiling to yourself as you read quietly.

when you first met jaehyun, he teased you constantly about being a bookworm. it was never ill-intended, more of an inside joke between you both. jaehyun slowly fell in love with the way your eyes sparkled in a library. day by day, he’d buy you books and leave it on your desk right before class started. your first date was in the library, the quiet atmosphere gave jaehyun easy access to absorb your beauty in your favorite place; maybe even your second home.

you hear your shared apartment’s door twist, you look up to see jaehyun with a bag filled with books. you could hardly contain your happiness, as you jumped up from your seat, running over to him. jaehyun watched your excited expression, his heart throbbed with happiness. he cherished you with everything he had, you were his heaven on earth. jaehyun couldn’t help but buy you anything that reminded him of you, as long as it made you happy.

as you opened the bag, your eyes widened at the sight. jaehyun bought you the book you’ve been dying for, added along with some books he thinks you’d love. as you read the introductions, you feel hands wrap around your waist. you feel jaehyun lay his chin on top of your head, looking down at the book and reading along with you.

“do you like it? i hope you do, i browsed around and picked the ones i think you’d like.” you feel him grinning, causing you to smile yourself. “these are perfect! thank you love, genuinely.” you felt so lucky to have such an amazing person in your life.

“anything for you.”

yeah, jaehyun was head over heels for you.

a/n: hi! thank u for all of ur notes & reblogs, i appreciate it sm!! also, feedback + tips are always welcome! don’t be afraid to reach out :D

© jjaehyuk, 2021. all rights reserved.

— AWESTRUCK!

pairing: jeong jaehyun x reader 

genre: fluff | wc: 0.15k | disclaimers: none

[ : ]

jaehyun looks up to see you in all of your glory. not too much makeup, but enough to accentuate everything about your appearance just right. jaehyun watched you in awe, no words came out of his mouth. he couldn’t believe that he was even close to lucky enough to have you here with him, walking away from this as a cemented team with a future ahead of you together.

you reach over to his jaw , grazing his jaw with a feathery touch. you stop your hand on his chin, slowly shutting his mouth closed.

“hey hyung, snap out of it!” you hear haechan exclaim with a cheeky smile.

you hear light chuckles from your families and friends around you, causing you to chuckle to yourself.

jaehyun clears his throat, ears slowly turning red as he realizes his jaw dropped over seeing his beautiful fiancée.. in front of everyone he knows.. lee donghyuck, you’re dead meat.

© jjaehyuk, 2021. all rights reserved.

—  NEIGHBORS!

pairing: jeong jaehyun x reader 

genre: fluff | wc: 0.14k | disclaimers: none

[ : ]

“jeong, leave me alone!” you sigh in frustration, the neighbor won’t stop throwing his basketball over your fence while you’re outside with your dog.

“not until you give me a chance, y/l/n! you know i’m never a quitter!” you can basically hear his smirk in his tone of voice. you always had pushed your feelings for jaehyun aside, it felt as if you guys were polar opposites. so why even take the chance?

“y/n? y/n darlingggg?”

you snap out of your thoughts as your eyes trail over to the fence.

“w-what do you want, jeong?”

you hear his quiet giggles, “i told you already, y/n-ie. i want you!” you can’t help but break into a slight smile, looking down at your hands as you fidget with them. you’re so blessed he can’t see your flustered state.. that would be one hell of a teasing.

© jjaehyuk, 2021. all rights reserved.

These pictures of yuta…… That’s all I have to say….

[16:28]

“hey,” you utter softly. “i’ve missed you.”yuta’sgaze is tired yet gentle as he breaks into a small smile when he sees you, standing in the doorway of your shared apartment. he takes your hand gently and entangles his finger in yours, his jacket hangs loosely off his shoulders as he pulls you closer to him.

“i’ve missed you too.” he whispers at you, placing a delicate kiss to your cheek. though the kiss feels less warm than it used too. you look up at him, meeting his tender eyes, and smile shyly. yuta’seyes never meet yours and your smile never seems full-hearted. you both notice that but it seems you’re both too scared to tell each other.

his grip around your fingers feels less loving than it usually does, but it has a for a while now and you try to pretend it still does. he notices every time you kiss him on the lips, you never lean in fully like you used to before but yutastill grins back at you as if you had just kissed for the first time though his eyes always give it away.

it hurt to see this happen, you and yutaknew it. but there was a part deep inside both of you that was hoping that this was only temporary and that everything would go back to normal. it was probably a stupid choice that you and yuta choose to believe, normal felt so far from where you were right now. but maybe, it truly would go back to the way it was like once before.

[21:52]

you remember him on a summer night like this. golden eyes, bright smiles he felt like heaven. his hair was a soft chestnut brown that glimmered in the moonlight as he took your hand in his, wrapping his warm fingers around yours with his sunglasses perched low on his nose. you felt the sand crinkle between your toes as hyuck, now gone from your grip, stood alone on the rocky shore of the beach before beckoning you over, a small pout resting on his lips with his hand outreached expectantly for yours. as you took his warm hand, bracing yourself for the harsh ocean wind blowing your way with the sea crashing violently against the rocky shore, a look of worry graced his face for a split second before he turned to you.  you giggled as you glanced at him a lopsided grin plastered on his features with his windblown hair resting messily upon his head as you asked him. “why? scared hyuck?” you could almost hear him light scoff at your question, a gentle smile spread across his red lips. you felt his hand grip tighter around yours, a quiet giggle left his lips as he placed a feathering kiss upon your nose before quirking back, his eyes watching yours intently. “never y/n.” it was a beautiful night wasn’t it, you thought to yourself. a heavenly night with a heavenly boy. but with all boys like him, he was never meant to last.

[03:09]

tarotreader!hyuck’s heart always skips a beat when he sees you walk into his shop for one of his infamous late-night readings. 

[17:36]

you feel yourself become filled with an almost childish glee when bestfriend!marksuggest for you two to go on the ferris wheel together with the last two tickets you have to wrap up the day spent at the amusement park together. hand in hand you step into a pale blue cabin as you watch the cotton candy skies with a bright wonder in your eyes. you point out different shapes of clouds, remarking on how the little lion-shaped one reminded you of mark. he smiles shyly at your comment, his gaze meeting yours for a split second before returning to the sky ahead of the both of you. you could feel your heart start to race a bit faster from his warm eyes meeting yours. as the ferris wheel starts to slow down, you feel a slight tap on your shoulder coming from mark. you turn towards him, puzzled before he places a tender kiss upon your lips. you feel yourself pause at the sudden feeling of his soft lips against yours while you were registering that mark lee, your best friend of nine years and that you hopelessly pined in those said nine years, was in fact kissing you. you felt your heart suddenly race and your stomach flutter as you gave into his touch, his hands slowly cupping your face. you could feel your cheeks burn up furiously and you were almost certain your knees would have given out if you weren’t seated. when you two parted lips, your face still cupped in his hands, he smiles softly at you before he utters quietly under his breath.

“you have no idea how long i waited to do that.”

[23:54]

boyfriend!jaehyun presses tired kisses upon your forehead as he lies next to you in the comfort of your shared bed. you feel your eyes flutter open from his touch as he drapes his arms around you. he shifts closer to you until you can feel his heart pounding against his ribcage through the thin fabric of jaehyun’sshirt. “are you still awake?” you ask him softly in a sleepy daze, his gaze flicker towards you. a small smile graces his lips, letting the ever-so-slight mark of his dimples show upon his cheeks. “yeah,” he replies, letting his thumb brush the side of your cheek. you return his smile, enlacing his finger with yours as you both lie still with limbs entangled underneath the blanket. you feel yourself nuzzle closer to him as you lay your head into the crook of his neck, earning a soft giggle from your boyfriend. jaehyunfeels his breath hitch for a split second, his eyes admiring your every feature as you feel your face heat upon under his intense gaze. he places a gentle kiss upon your lips as he whispers.

“god i’m so in love with you.”

jisung: i’m really into dark humour

chenle: *turning off the lights* wanna hear a joke?

Dreamies stuck in a elevator

Renjun: can you not stand so close you’re making me claustrophobic

Jisung: what does claustrophobic mean?

Haechan: it means he’s afraid of santa Claus

Renjun: no it doesn’t

Chenle: HO HO HO

Jisung: STOP IT CHENLE YOU’RE SCARING HIM

Chenle: HO HO HO

sharing kisses with the sevens.

feat. mentions of kissing, light touches, (light) anxiousness

unrequested ┊version with haechan (dream)

ʚ ⋮  moon taeil

• as much as taeil tries to hide it, he’s easily excitable and completely wrapped around your finger. so if you’re looking for an easy way to get his lips on yours all you have to do is tug on the sleeves on his sweater with a pout and he’s done for.
• even with the rush from the excitement, he’s so so so gentle with you. he’ll take his time playing with you (read: rubbing the tips of your noses together? like those little nose kisses?) before finally giving you what you really wanted.

ʚ ⋮  johnny suh

• his absolute favorite thing to do is lean in for a kiss only to turn his head at the last second leaving you all sad and pouty, he thinks you look adorable! (he ends up kissing you a million times to make up for it).
• like that one time you tried to kiss him during movie night and he thought to himself: this feels like a great time to mess with my s/o. he inched closer to your lips only to redirect right before the kiss, pretending to look past you and reach for the remote.
• he’ll see you staring at his lips from across the room and shoot you a judgmental and wiggle his eyebrows.
• or, he’ll pull you in by the waist and tickle you until you’re on the verge of complaining and kiss you right when you start to open your mouth to tell him off. then, he has the audacity to break away asking you, “oh, what were you saying?” with a smug smile on his face.
• but, as much as he tries really hard to keep his cool guy composure during the kiss, we all know he’s not fooling anyone—especially not you—when he has to pull away because he can’t stop smiling like a lovestruck dummy.

ʚ ⋮  lee taeyong

• if there’s two things for sure, 1) what tae wants: tae gets and 2) your boyfriend is mr petty.
• if you’re busy he’ll follow you around the house like a lost puppy whining, “y/n, kiss me! i know you want to! please, just one kiss and i’ll leave you alone~”, until you give in (and you do, duh).
• not to mention, you forget your morning kiss one time and suddenly all his members know and he’ll be bringing it up forever.
• he lives for when you kiss him out of the blue, even if he lies through his teeth when you ask him about it. if he’s had a tough day at practice and you’re at the door waiting to give him the world’s most healing kiss™, tae will for sure melt in your arms and maybe even tear up a bit.

ʚ ⋮  nakamoto yuta

• now yuta is a gentleman through and through, so he’ll never do anything you’re uncomfortable with and he’s not even thinking about touching you until he gets the green light.
• even with the smallest of pecks he has to hear you say you want it. you might think it’s stupid or repetitive, but you’re the most precious thing he has in his life and if he makes you the slightest bit upset he is not going to be able to live with himself.
• yuta is in love with everything about you and your body is no exception. he’ll always have his hands over you leaving soft touches over your lower back or lightly grasping the skin of your elbow. if he’s being a bit daring he’ll pull you closer to him with a hand behind your head and there’ll be no doubt that by the time you’re done you’ll be gasping for air with swollen lips as yuta stares back at you with an innocent, shit-eating grin.

ʚ ⋮  kim doyoung

• when it comes to anything you, doyoung tends to panic and forget that he doesn’t have to put on an act to impress you anymore. no matter how much he’s dying inside to be close to you, he can’t help but play hard to get.
• he sees you lean in towards him and goes !!! and his hands work ahead of his brain, pushing you away. you’ll try again, but he can’t seem to get it together and after a while you get discouraged, readying to leave without the thing you came for. luckily, the one braincell that showed up for work that day kicks in and doyoung grabs your hips, pulling you onto his lap. he lets you get comfortable, leaning you against his chest while mixing whispered apologies and soft kisses into your neck.

ʚ ⋮  jung jaehyun

• by nature jaehyun is so kind hearted and caring and when it comes to you? he becomes almost completely selfless. your comfort and consent are always first in line for anything he does. he’s always checking in on you and asking how you’re feeling or if it’s alright if he places his hand a certain somewhere.
• his kisses are soft and slow! he takes time to cup your cheek and stare at your lips before leaning in. most of the time, he has a track running in the back that helps establish whatever mood you’re going for!

ʚ ⋮  kim jungwoo

• choose your character: a complete sweetheart or a complete tease. only i lied, and it’s not a choice with jungwoo, you get both at the same time.
• jungwoo has got it bad for you and he’s one-hundred percent ready to give you everything you’ve ever wanted… except for when it comes to kisses.
• you’re cute, but he’s not gonna fold that easily.
• he’ll kiss you everywhere but your lips just to have you whining with puppy eyes and shaking his arm, begging him to give up the act and kiss you. lucky for you, jungwoo is not built as different as he says he is nor is he god’s strongest soldier and he ends up crumbling at your puppy eyes.

ʚ ⋮  mark lee

• he’d kiss you all the time if he could.
• you could’ve been together forever and he would still be getting giggly over the close proximity. you’re just so pretty? and he’s so in love? he can’t help but feel giddy.
• that being said, mark takes forever to actually kiss you because he can’t stop breaking away to laugh. he gets two centimeters away from your face and he just falls into a fit of giggles before softly slapping your arm as he apologizes
• (“sorry, sorry, i’ll do it for real this time! i swear! stop looking at me like that!”)
• the only exception would be if he’s in a rush or running late to his recording session after a restful night at your place. he’d grab the bagged lunch you made for him just minutes before and rush towards the kitchen island to press a swift kiss to your cheek before running out the door, yelling his goodbyes.

☆ [nostalgic] summer romance!au doyoung
late birthday post for mr. kim! i am never on time for these posts, apologies. 
find others here: johnny|haechan|taeil|taeyong|mark|jaemin|yangyang|yuta|sicheng|chenle|kun | yukhei

• a sinking feeling has you rooted to the floor. staring at the lock of your front door as someone knocks politely over and over again.
• “what are you doing?”
• your mother’s voice gusts past you like a breeze, she leans over your frozen figure and turns the knob.
• you step back to avoid being hit by the door and dread the light that washes over your mothers face
• “doyoung! come in!”
  
• he steps through and all you catch is a bit of side profile, hidden behind the gigantic plant he’s holding
• “oh! that’s the orchid your mother was just up in a fit about? come here sweetie, place it on the kitchen table -”
  
• his footsteps echo and you shrink a little, he didn’t even look at me. 
• you’re thankful for your mothers insolent obsession with being a good host and trudge your way back to your room
• doyoung is in your house. 
• which is weird, the first time he was in your house - you knew, obviously, but he was uninvited. your mother didn’t welcome him through the door.
• now - for the past month - after both his mother and yours had come to a unbreakable bond over their indoor houseplants 
• doyoung has very much been a presence, an invited presence, a presence everyone but you seemed to be delighted about
• “he’s such a nice boy, he’s spending his summers tutoring younger kids and i see him biking all around town.”
  
• your mother gushes almost every time at dinner after doyoung leaves - delivering whatever ailing plant his mother has sent to yours to fix and play botanist with
• you pick at your food
• yeah, he’s a nice boy. that’s what makes this all so much worse.
• now - you’re laying on your sheets with your hand on your stomach and staring up at the wall thinking very much the same thought.
• he’s so nice, and so perfect, and everything anyone ever dreams of. why am i such an idiot for not wanting that?
• you drum your fingers and again spiral back into the memory that keeps itself wedged between you and him like a piece of food that’s stuck so sternly between teeth, no pushing at it with your tongue helps.
• summer starts in ten days, officially you know - by the university calendar.you’re supposed to be focusing on a final paper for some elective politics class you took, but you’re not. you’re staring at the back of doyoung’s neck. he sits in front of you for most lectures.
• “hey, do you know anything about this military-first politics and nuclear armament essay prompt the professor gave us?”
  
• doyoung turns slowly, blinking at you from behind his thin-wired classes, “yeah - it’s been the topic of discussion and reading for like a week.”
• you know you sound kind of stupid to even ask - but you will admit, politics isn’t your thing and it seems to really be doyoungs - so you smile, with a please pity me kind of look in your eye. doyoung sighs, but he gets up and slides into the seat beside you - opening up the half blank word document on your laptop.
• that’s it. that’s all it was going to be. doyoung helping you skid by, so that your summer isn’t ruined by a shitty grade. 
• but that’s not what happens. at all. 
• doyoung instead spends a lot of time helping you write a good enough paper to pull through a B-. 
• that means a lot of alone time in the library, in study hall, in the empty halls of the school buildings where classes have ended and no one is around.
• it’s a lot of being shoulder to shoulder with him, realizing how nice he always smells - how long his fingers are when they type - how he doesn’t have a significant other because no one except his friends ever end up interrupting you.
• it’s the day after you get your grades for the semester, something about getting the paper back sparks a fire in you
• you scope doyoung out at the coffeeshop and exclaim that you and him did it!
• a couple of heads whip around, did it?, you quickly add some mumbling about the paper.
• doyoung laughs, it’s the first time you’ve heard the genuine sound, because most of the time he just makes a half-sided smirk or chuckle.
• you buy him an iced latte as repayment and somehow end up walking out of there with side by side.
• doyoung asks if you live near by if you don’t dorm, you say you do. he does too. that’s weird - you’ve never seen him around the neighborhood.
• after that you pretend it’s a blur. because truth be told it isn’t.
• you and doyoung are going to be taking the same train anyway, why not take it together. you and doyoung are going to know the same little places around town, why not talk about them.
• why not? why not? why not? 
• why not invite him inside when you’re back in your hometown, why not lead him up to your room just so he can see it and why not kiss him when he leans over you.
• people your age do it all the time, they hookup. that’s the only answer to that stupid hanging ‘why not?’
• so when you felt doyoung’s fingers graze down your side and he’d clumsily gotten his glasses off just in time for you to pull his shirt up over his head 
• you were convinced it meant nothing. you were convinced he thought the same.
• then it all happens and you can’t take it back. 
• especially not the part where you’re laying on your bed, just like you are now, waiting for doyoung to start gathering his things and instead a hand loops around your sweaty waist.
• “aren’t you going to leave?”
  
• the words blurt out of your mouth before you even think about it. 
• the tension that stalled in the room had been so horrible you swore you’d felt it seep into every pore, damn near trickling itself down the walls.
• doyoung had darkened, pulled himself away from you, and disappeared before you could string together your next thought.
• part of you had been relieved, the other part felt like the biggest asshole on the planet.
• you were just grateful the rest of the summer could easily be passed by keeping away from each other - until your mother had found her new best friend.
• downstairs you can hear doyoung shuffling around with your mothers plants, you can’t make out what they’re saying, but you’re sure your mother is inviting him to stay and eat with you. asking doyoung about his amazing future plans to become a lawyer. enthralled by everything he is as a child and that you, most likely, are not.
• when he finally leaves and the commotions die down you can’t get up
• this is the most confusing moment. 
• not the whole ignoring each other when he pops over, not the whole reliving the past from just a glimpse. 
• it’s why - when it happened, you had been so content with it just staying nothing - you had been the one to make that decision for the both of you
• yet
• why does it seem like you’re wallowing in it, clinging to it, imaging it all over
• every time he comes over
• because you didn’t just want a hook-up. you wanted doyoung and were playing it off because having a crush on him isn’t worth it right?
• your mind coils itself through a storm
• you thought he only wanted to sleep with you too, because the thought of someone as good as doyoung liking you just doesn’t make sense?
• despite the summer heat, you feel cold
• you’re not good enough to actually be liked, to be the person doyoung chooses for something more than just your-
• your phone rings and you sit up so fast it gives you a headache, you feel around and bring it to your ear without checking the number
• “hello?”
  
• “our mothers are trying to set us up on a date.”
  
• you want to be anywhere in the world, but here. 
• doyoung’s blank expression doesn’t let you know if he feels the same, but the way he won’t get in at least eight feet of you is telling enough.
• you’re in his backyard, well technically you’re in his neighbors backyard, because he doesn’t want to be visible behind the hedges
• rather be caught dead than be next to me, right? 
• you shrill at yourself and try to bury the wince you make internally
• “i think you should just tell them you have another boyfriend.”
  
• “i can’t lie to my mother.”
  
• you start and doyoung watches you chew on your lower lip and retreat defensively a step back
• “why not?”
  
• “she’s noisy - she’ll find out. she’ll insist until i die to meet this ‘other boyfriend’. plus i’m not a good liar.”
• “really? could have fooled me.”
  
• doyoung straightens himself as he says that, eyes unblinking behind the frames of his glasses
• i probably deserve that. well actually-
• “doyoung, i never promised you anything when we-”
  
• the words wilt and doyoung suddenly looks over his shoulder.
• “you’re right, you never promised me anything. im the one who was a fool for ever thinking it was something.”
  
• you look at the grass. 
• you wonder, if you had not said that one sentence - aren’t you going to leave - would this summer be different?
• would you and doyoung be spending every second together, holding each other at the beach? kissing under the fireworks? sharing ice-cream and diving into pools filled of water and your laughter?
• the thought blooms something in your chest
• i wish - i wish it was that.
• “you say i should lie, but you’re pretty good at it too doyoung.”
  
• “excuse me?”
  
• “it’s not like you - it’s not like you really wanted it to be anything more than it was.”
  
• you think the grass is going to burst into flames with how hard you’re concentrating on it.
• “what, you’re telling me-” you swallow “you’re telling me you actually wanted to be with me after? our mothers are trying to get us to go on a date and you called me out here just to avoidthat.”
  
• he leans forward
• “if you are trying to make me the only guilty party here-”
  
• he’s closer and you feel your voice shake a little, but you try to push to the end of your thought.
• “im not, you never made any effort to make it seem like you had any genuine emotion so am i so wrong for just assuming it was just se-”
  
• his hands, large and gentle, manage to find your shoulders and doyoung presses his lips to yours 
• you stiffen from the external shock, but then relax under the light grip
• his breath smells sweet, like he’s been chewing bubblegum, he’s wearing the same cologne he does at university
• “i don’t just sleep with people.” 
  
• he whispers against your mouth
• “nothing against it, but i don’t think there’s a point to sharing something intimate with someone who i don’t want in every possible way.”
  
• when you and doyoung agree to go on a date - both your mothers lose it. they’re convinced you’re soulmates.
• although you and doyoung both agree they’re thinking way too far ahead in the future - it doesn’t mask the fact that the attraction that ends up forming between you two is undeniable
• doyoung is so determined and intently goal orientated that you would think there isn’t the capacity to have fun in one bone in his body, but that’s not true
• when he’s comfortable, he’s charming and full of humor - he makes you double over with laughter more than you could have imagined
• and you aren’t as spacey and shy as doyoung might have assumed either, you have a competitive streak and you make doyoung feel like this is the summer of his life
• the summer of his life that someone could probably make a decent coming of age film out of
• he brings it up after you two exit a movie that was just about the same topic and you look down at your hands intertwined and shake your head
• “no they’d never cast the right people to play us.”
  
• doyoung sees the reflection of the milky way in your eyes, but he doesn’t say it
• “no one on this planet is like you.”
  
• he returns this sentiment with a small kiss that bumps this glasses against the bridge of your nose.
• you get nervous sometimes when you think about how the summer started, it’s not like you’re living in the middle ages where intimacy is a sin before eternal commitment or anything
• no you just get nervous because the reason you ever even made that situation as bad as it was, was because of your insecurity
• does doyoung actually like me? did two weeks of being together at school make him realize something about me is worth it?
• you can’t ask him that - even though sometimes you want to, so you can explain why you hadn’t just rolled over and nuzzled yourself into the dip of his chest
• much like you do now - you fit so perfectly right between his arms
• instead it sometimes gnaws at you until doyoung is cleaning his glasses over your sink and you’re sitting in the bathtub looking at him
• your parents are ironically over at doyoungs for some wine party or whatever and although your mothers are in awe about you two being “a cute lil couple” 
• they see that - cute, part of it makes you snort. you and doyoung sometimes act more mature than they do.
• “i always knew you were staring at me in lecture.” he starts and a little smirk pulls at his long lips
• you flick some of the water at him and he leans against the counter
• he doesn’t like baths, he prefers showers, but he still stays in the room with you when you take them 
• “i wasn’t staring at you.”
  
• “you were staring at the back of my neck.”
  
• you look away because fair, not like he spends a lot of time looking away from the professor.
• “so i knew you liked me, or something about me. that’s why it hurt.”
  
• “when we-”
  
• “yes and i like being logical, so not having a real answer for why that all happened like it did still haunts me.”
  
• he tilts his head and you see the line of his thin collarbones through his shirt
• “i thought you’d say it first.”
  
• he blinks
• “i thought you’d say something like, that was cool. ill see you at uni come fall. and then leave. so i mean, i didn’t even say go leave - i asked, aren’t you going to leave?”
  
• doyoung is smart so he gets what you’re saying in the most roundabout way possible
• he walks over and squats down, leans over the ridge of the bath to kiss you and doesn’t complain when you bring your soapy hands up to cradle his neck
• “im sorry i did leave, i should have just said what i felt right there.” 
  
• he mutters and you nod. you should have said it too.
• when you and doyoung graduate and he goes on to law school and you start working, you almost break up - twice - because of the stress
• but somehow neither of you can ever ask the other one
• aren’t you going to leave?
• because neither of you ever really wants to.
• so you don’t, you stay through all the hardships, through every argument and bump in the road. 
• you stay, you choose to stay and so does he and you might not even fall asleep next to each other on some days but the heat of the person you love is always there.
• and then doyoung gets his first big promotion at his job, runs all the way home with the news and ends up breathing hard and talking nonsense to you in your shared kitchen
• “you need a shower.”
  
• you say, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he shakes his head, no. he needs a bath.
• you lean back against his chest, stronger and broader as he’s aged. 
• he looks down at you and even the eyebags that have gotten darker with all that work he does don’t do anything to make him less attractive
• you peck his chin, because it’s what you can reach.
• “if we sit here any longer we’re going to prune.”
  
• “are you going to be the first one to leave?”
  
• he asks and you shake your head. 
• you’ll sit here forever if that’s what it takes.
• on the counter of the bathroom, there’s one of the houseplants your mothers keeps shipping to you. 
• you don’t notice that it’s the same orchid that doyoung carried into your house all those years ago, when you thought he hadn’t even looked at you when your mother opened the door.
• he curls a strand of your wet hair around his finger.
• he had looked at you, quickly, but he had done it. 
• even half covered by orchid leaves, you’d made his mouth dry. 
• “no seriously though - we will prune.”
  
• “i’ll get up if you get up?”
  
• i’ll never leave, the only way i’ll leave is if it means im taking you with me. 

☆: pastry chefs/bakers!au taeyong
a little bit of a rivals au, but mostly oblivious pining that stretches for way too long like please just tell each other you’re in love. also i dont know anything about baking sweets so…ignore any of my mistakes..
tw: worrying about your career lol, drinking

• in your first year of culinary school, you realize cooking is a language full of its own rules and century-old traditions.
• cooking is like french, or pashto, or russian
• but baking - is a completely different dialect
• baking exists in the world of cooking, but it sets its own path that you end up falling in love with
• and your once dream of becoming an executive chef at some fancy, flashy restaurant turns into a dream of owning your own bakery
• a place unique to the skills you start to hone with a vicious passion that leaves most of the other students around you confused
• you find out one of your professors has had a decorated career in pastry making and immediately seek him out to take you as an understudy
• and that’s when you meet lee taeyong
• he’s got big eyes like molds full of warm chocolate and stands thin in frame under the white uniforms you all wear
• in his front pocket is a wrapper from the milk buns they sell down the street
• he’s not intimidating at all
• but when you get closer to him you smell the familiar scent of sugar and you start to understand why he’s there too
• “im here to talk to the professor about becoming his apprentice.”
• you say it because the silence between you two is awkward
• also - you want to read him
• you want to see what his reaction will be, you wonder if he’ll snort at you and tell you to back off, he was here first
• but all taeyong does is bat his eyes at you like a baby deer caught in the headlights
• “oh. me too.”
• although you both live in the realm of sweets - you and taeyong are on opposite ends of the spectrum in every way possible
• for one, you are excitable and energetic and want to get elbow deep into any ingredient, familiar or foreign
• taeyong is reserved and usually sleepy during the early morning classes. he observes and takes every step of his routine with caution.
• your fundamentals are the same - cookies, cakes, and bars. these are staples to any baker or patisserie’s book
• but everything else you and taeyong make couldn’t be more different
• you always lean into the comfort kind of dessert: brownies, puddings and pies. you can make a doughnut fancy - but why should you? the most important part is that it tastes like a place somewhere you know.
• but taeyong is a scientist, a designer, and completely out of your loop.
• he pushes forward crème brûlée’s, strawberry eclairs, and makes meringue’s with his eyes closed.
• when you put forward your desserts, one always looks like you could get it at a street fair and the other looks like it’s only available for a week at some snotty european bistro
• you sometimes don’t know what in the world he is even making until it’s done
• and the first time you learn what cream of tartar is - taeyong looks at you with the same innocence he always has painted on his face - “oh, i use this all the time.”
• you won’t lie - in the beginning you were a bit disheartened by the gap between you two
• and it would have been easy to think that just because his ingredients were more expensive and sometimes harder to pronounce that he was the more deserving apprentice
• but you managed to crush that thought for all your time at school because sure he could do his own thing and you could do yours
• and you could both be great at it
• “except, what if you like apply for the same job?”
• you ruffle through your sparse choices of outfits for graduation. all of them are not as great as you thought they were when you bought them.
• “hmmm, you mean me and taeyong?”
• your friend who said they’d come over and help you pick is not doing that at all.
• instead, she’s sitting cross legged on your bed and looking at one the polaroid’s on your wall.
• she taps a nail on the one that has you, taeyong, and your shared professor on it
• you join her and look at taeyongs small face on the photograph
• “i mean i doubt it. he’s probably going to go work in paris or milan.”
• “he has the looks for it, that’s for sure.”
• you purse your lips and turn to look at your friend with disappointment but she just deadpans back
• “c'mon, all this time together and you’ve never thought he was hot?”
• you shake your head before you can really register an answer
• you look at him and he’s got his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. his uniform looks like he’s ironed it.
• you have what might be sugar on yours, and your hair is a bit of a disheveled mess.
• “i guess he’s cute.”
• graduation comes and goes in what seems like a blur - you can officially call yourself a baker now, although you think the journey started for you a while back
• the last person who want to share a tearful goodbye with aside from some friends and other graduates is your instructor
• you head to where you think you’ll find him - only to find taeyong waiting outside of his office just like on your first day together
• dressed in a pale blue, tailored suit and with that signature lost look on his face he holds a white box in his hands
• “is that a cake?”
• you ask for the sake of conversation
• “dacquoise.”
• “ah. i made snickerdoodles.”
• he hesitates as if he wants to say something, but before he can the door opens and your professor smiles fondly at the both of you
• but he turns first to taeyong
• “congratulations on the job!”
• you blink and feel your mouth dry slightly, “y-you already got a job?”
• taeyong’s ears go red and you can see him clutch a little at the box he’s still holding
• “yes, i got an invitation to work with the patisserie at the shilla hotel.”
• unable to control your expression, your eyes go wide
• the shilla hotel - the most expensive hotel in the city?
• “i called in a recommendation for taeyong as well, im proud to have a student of mine pushing the boundaries already!”
• a recommendation…..he didn’t offer me a recommendation…
• “really, it’s not that gr-”
• taeyong’s voice drowns out and the world starts to feel like it’s rapidly shrinking
• “are you going to apply for some manager positions at some of the bakery chains around here?”
• your professor asks - taking the cake from taeyong’s hands and not hurrying to reach for what you’ve brought along
• manager position? is that what all my work is going to come down to?
• you force on a smile and shake your head.
• you want to be strong and say with confidence - “im going to forge my own way ahead. im going to be the baker i always dreamed i would be.”
• but the words are lost and suddenly, you’re embarrassed
• you’re embarrassed to be standing beside taeyong.
• to be holding these cookies that just don’t compare.
• it goes over your professors head, but taeyong tenses and you suddenly make up a reason for having to leave
• they both say something to you - something that gets lost in the spiraling, sickening feeling of dreaded realization that is gripping you
• we were never on the same level. taeyong was always running a mile ahead of me.
• you feel too ashamed to go home and call your family like you had planned, and you are feeling too small to go out onto the big city streets of seoul
• so you find yourself at the post graduation party the students of your school have thrown
• and you find yourself in front of a bottle
• you are not a drinker, and you are not really a party person either - unless you get to mingle and watch people try your desserts. but this is the only thing you can think of doing
• i thought we were always going to succeed, the both of us. what’s a roll of homemade bread to a world class five star tart - the worst part is
• you draw a circle on the rim of your drink
• the worst part is taeyong isn’t even being selfish about it. he probably didn’t even think it was a competition.
• someone sits at your table, off in the corner and you look up
• just as if he’s sprung from your thoughts - it’s taeyong. and he looks uncomfortable to be in a swarm of so many people.
• “don’t come here to pity me.”
  
• you say it with conviction and the confidence of a little bit of drinking
• he winces, as if it really stings, but you don’t notice and go back to your own thoughts
• taeyong swallows and says something you barely hear over all the noise
• “i can’t pity someone who inspires me.”
• to be frank, you think you imagine the sentiment
• but it’s weird because you can’t decide if you did or if he really said that. why would he? you and him learned side by side together for a long time and you’ve never heard something like that before
• you finish your drink and get up without a word
• taeyong follows and stutters out what he thinks will make you stop from leaving
• “i’ll tell the hotel to consider you instead.”
• all it does is make you angry, you scoff in response
• “you didn’t hear me did you? i said don’t pity me.”
  
• you turn on your heel, rushing toward the door as the world spins slightly in a blur around you 
• you manage to make it out of whatever bar you were in, until you trip against the uneven curb of the sidewalk and hear something split under the platform of your shoe
• you kick up your left foot and see that the bottom is peeling, broken completely off at the edge
• “are you kidding me?”
  
• you try to force it back into place, but it doesn’t work and when you nearly tip over from losing your balance - you put your hand out - only to land on the soft fabric of someone’s shoulders
• it’s taeyong and he puts an arm out to support you that you try to swat away weakly
• all it does is make you wobble into him even more
• when you’re stable, he squats down to look at the damage and his fingers are cool on the skin of your ankle
• from the outside - you probably look like a couple
• the ever doting boyfriend, worried about their partner. there’s an intimacy between you two that you are both oblivious to
• until it hits you from the glances of people who walk by and you pull yourself away
• “it’s fine. im going to walk home.”
  
• “do you live close by, i’ll help you.”
  
• you purse your lips - “actually i have to take the subway so if you could just move-”
• he doesn’t, instead taeyong mutters that his place is luckily just around the corner and he’ll let you borrow something of his to help you get home in
• you refuse - vehemently because you are not trying to look even more embarrassing in front of him than you apparently have been looking all this time
• but taeyong doesn’t sound or looks as meek as you remember when he points out that your shoe is falling apart and you aren’t going to be safe in this kind of state when it’s already so late into the evening
• somehow - you end up in front of taeyong’s apartment - you watch him punch in the code and furrow your eyebrows
• “haha” you start dryly “your code is my birthdate.”
  
• the tips of his ears dust pink but you convince yourself it’s just a weird coincidence 
• taeyong’s place is as neat and as organized as he is, there is a fish tank that grabs your attention and a bookshelf full of cookbooks
• “just let me borrow some slippers and i’ll be gone.”
  
• taeyong disappears into another room and comes out with a pair of fuzzy, clean, nearly brand new looking slippers
• he puts them down by your feet 
• “can i tell you something before you go?”
  
• you want to refuse, but you feel so much of your self worth has leaked out of you in front of him today that you just nod
• “i’m serious about being inspired by you.”
  
• his voice is calm and collected
• “you taught me how to bake the most delicious bread i’ve ever had in my entire life. how am i not supposed to look up to someone like that?”
  
• you blink back an initial wave of shock that nearly gets you sober
• “wh-what are you talking about?”
  
• taeyong doesn’t look up at you so you don’t see his small smile
• “two months after we started our apprenticeship - i told you i’d never made bread from scratch before.”
  
• you can sort of remember the time he’s talking about, but the memory isn’t super clear in your mind
• for most of your time with taeyong, you always thought you were kind of in a secret race, small moments that he’s talking about seemed to have flown over your head
• “instead of just letting me do it myself - you taught me, step by step how to do it. i’d never seen someone do something so easily, like you were born for it. i know it sounds childish to say this but watching you do it felt like watching a movie.”
  
• you can tell taeyong isn’t used to this long of a dialogue and that he’s taking time to choose his words
• “i didn’t think anyone could love baking as much as i did - but i felt in that moment that i met my match in you.”
  
• you stand up, far to quickly than you should, and taeyong has to leap up to catch you from stumbling forward
• this time you don’t try to pull back right away
• you look at him - those big brown eyes that always seemed aloof and far off are concerned and seeping into your own
• “is that wh-is that why the code to your door is-”
  
• taeyong’s face turns nearly crimson
• “yes, because the day after that day was your birthday and when i asked you how to repay you for the lesson you said-”
  
• “-just make me something sweet for my birthday tomorrow.”
  
• something in the room shifts. 
• you don’t know what it is, but it’s like the quickening of a pulse
• you lean forward, but taeyong stops you gently
• “i’m scared you won’t remember if you do that right now.”
  
• you agree, and let taeyong help you sit down. 
• “i don’t want to be a manager.” you hiccup suddenly and taeyong takes in a breath “i want to own my own store. i want to be my own boss. but taeyong, i don’t think i can do it.”
  
• there’s silence and the weight of adulthood and responsibility weaves itself onto both your shoulders
• “i know you can do it. and i want to help if you’d let me.”
  
• the sincerity is almost heart wrenching. you’ve waited to hear those words from everyone, you’ve wanted them from the people you thought should be saying them.
• but hearing them from someone who really believes in you - hits in a whole different way.
• at some point you put your head on taeyong’s shoulder. the night is spent talking about all the things you haven’t been able to share
• even though you spent so much time elbow to elbow in the kitchen
• when your eyes close, you feel safe with taeyong and he doesn’t do anything to betray this newly formed bond between you
• the morning sun through the blinds hurts your head a little. 
• you sit up in the white, clean sheets of taeyong’s bed
• you’re still wearing all your clothes and your shoes and the pair of slippers he brought out for you are on the side of the bed
• when you shuffle into the living room, taeyong is sprawled out on the couch asleep
• you try to be quiet as you sit down in front of him on the carpet, studying the architecture of his face
• “wake up…” you mumble, but he doesn’t seem to hear 
  
• you trace the strong, but somehow inviting lines and says it again a little louder
• taeyong shifts in his sleep and his shirt rides up his flat stomach
• “there’s something i want to do taeyong, please wake up.”
  
• after a moment of stirring, his eyelashes flutter open and he gets caught between a flustered blush and a smile of happiness that you’re still here
• “good mo-”
  
• “can i kiss you now?”
  
• it’s soft, quick, and sweet. somehow taeyong even tastes like sugar. he’s wide awake when you pull back.
• “don’t you have a job to get to you?”
  
• you say to break him out of his trance, he fumbles up and off the couch as you follow too
• but then he stops in his tracks
• “i - i really meant it last night too, that i’d give my recommendation up if you want it ins-”
  
• you put a finger to his lips and taeyong gets the message
• “i’ve decided i am going to work toward my goal and you work toward yours. after all, you said i inspire you and taeyong you inspire me too.”
  
• he looks like he’s biting back giddiness
• this time you two kiss for real, and you nearly drive taeyong up onto a wall which he’d gladly let you continue doing if it weren’t for the alarm that goes off on his phone that breaks you two apart
• you hurry him along and say you’ll make coffee before he has to go
• when you open the cabinet, there are two mugs with little cat faces on them
• when you pull them out you think,
• i’ve learned the language of baking - but now i think i have to learn the language of lee taeyong. 

• pairing. prince! jeong jaehyun ✗ fem! reader
• genre. romance, royalty au, lowkey there’s some sexual tension
• warnings. implied smut??, not proofread

author’s note. wow it’s been a hot minute.

[ 10:24 PM ] “Tell me, my prince,” you traced along his jawline, eyes never straying away from his alluring lips. Countless times have you gained the liberty of feeling them pressed against your own, tasting his love. And that privilege went further beyond your lips. You felt them against the expanse of your neck, down the slope of your shoulders into the dips of your curves. He travelled north and high to south and deep on your body, and you let him. And even when you were apart from him, you could still feel the ghosts of his kisses on your skin. Enthralling, he was, for you could never get enough of it.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?” you asked.

You can feel his eyes on you, the corner of his lips lifts a fraction to which your eyes took notice of. You were already aware of his response to your question, having known him thoroughly in and out on the back of your hand. But you still wanted to hear him say it, to hear what your royalty has to say.

“Is it wrong for the prince to visit his lover?” he chuckles.

“Oh, forgive me, Your Highness. I was unaware of this relationship we had together.”

“Blasphemous, how unforgiving of you to say after calling me yourprince.”

“Your Highness, with all due respect, if I may say,” you jested, eyes filled with mirth, “you never once established the title you’ve bestowed upon me.”

“Oh, then I must beg for your forgiveness.” And with that, he lifts a hand to your cheek, thumb softly caressing your skin. You gazed back up to his brown orbs and, Gods, they were the prettiest browns you’ve ever casted your eyes upon. It would be a bitter injustice to call them any short of enchanting. Browns so deep, yet so warm—you could get lost in them forever.

He inches closer to you, closing the distance between your bared souls as his warm breath tickles your chin. You’re one step closer to salvation, your willpower holding you back from sinning you back to hell.

“In this lifetime, if you allow me, you are my lover, as much as I am yours. And in another life, I promise,” he whispers one last time before reaching solace in a place he craves so much, “… I will never forget you, for your and my souls are of the same.”

You’ve tasted the Gods and the heavens above, and you’re not planning on coming back down so soon.

♡ 2.6k, fluff  =^._.^= ∫

• you first met Mark on a Nature Republic photo shoot where your friend was a hair stylist 
  
• she called you frantically because the SM staff caught multiple employees from each department posting on their personal social media stories the location and whereabouts of the members and dismissed them from the site
• they were shooting at an island in the middle of nowhere which you were conveniently writing a thesis on different landscapes of South Korea 
• you had no experience of styling other people and only did it for yourself but you knew you couldn’t leave your friend deserted so you came to help in any way that you could
• half of the staff were fired on the spot so they immediately pushed you towards the members to prepare them for their next shoot after threatening legal action if you decided to act as stupidly as the other stylists did 
• you saw your friend quickly adjusting the collar of theHawaiian shirt that was roughly put on Jaehyun and she gave you an apologetic look and mouthed a ‘thank you’
• you were assigned at styling Mark’s hair, which you were scared of because you had never styled a man’s hair before never mind a celebrity but you squared your shoulders and hoped for the best
• he was already used to the chaos but he was slightly concerned at how well you would perform considering that your eyebrows were furrowed and had sweat rolling down your temples as you scrunched the ends of his hair with mousse to create beachy waves
• every stylist that he met was always either professional and stoic or overly friendly to try and get with the members romantically but he tried to suppress his laughter when he saw your distressed face under your medical mask
• in such a stressful and hectic situation, he would never talk to the staff to help them focus but he couldn’t help but strike up a conversation with you
• you looked younger than him too so he felt more comfortable
• “first time?” he asked with a smile on his face as he looked up at you
• your hands stopped in the middle of combing the fluffy mousse through his hair and your face dropped slightly, “you could tell?”
• Mark covered his laugh with his hand as he didn’t want to discourage you but couldn’t help but chuckle at the cute expression on your face 
• “yeah,” he answered but then realized that it came out meaner than he had intended
• “but you’re doing a great job! Keep going!” He tried to encourage you by motioning with his hands to continue
• you patted his hair into place for finishing touches but you pouted under your mask when you realized, “how would you know? You can’t even see it” 
• there were no mirrors in sight except for the hand mirrors that stylists held on their belt
• he choked on his saliva out of embarrassment and rubbed his hand awkwardly on the back of his neck
• “well let’s see then!” He exclaimed and you begrudgingly gave him the hand mirror to see 
• you were bracing yourself in case he thought you made his hair into a bird’s nest and demanded you to be fired on the spot but he let a “wahh” escape his mouth as he admired the hairstyle 
• “this actually looks great!” He said a little too excitedly 
• “we were both expecting it to look bad then, huh?” You joked but really you were relieved that he thought it didn’t look atrocious 
• Mark shook his head to deny but you held his shoulders in place to not disrupt his hair 
• his face went pink and you realized that you just touched a client, a very influential client 
• you lifted your hands off of him quickly and stepped back so that he could stand up from his chair and go in front of the cameras to prepare for the shoot
• “thank you” he said and you both exchanged bows before awkwardly getting back to work 
• you stayed on the set with your friend for the rest of the day until the sun went down and the sky turned a bright pink from the previous ocean blue 
• luckily, that was the last hair and clothes change that NCT needed and everyone started to pack up after the photographer and managers shouted “thank you for your work” and everyone bowed and clapped to each other 
• while each member started to load into their vans to get back to the city for their next schedule, Mark ran up to you and asked if you were apart of the SM staff or were for hire from another beauty boutique
• “oh, I just came last minute,” you said 
• “I’m not actually licensed for this I came to help”
• he let out a disappointed “oh” and decided not to take your number down since it was unprofessional and knew that after the fiasco today that there could be anyone around to expose him if he did 
• “good night, see you around,” he said in hopes that he would see you again
• you doubted that he would see you around but you repeated what he said and waved at him as he ran into the van 
• the other members were confused as to why he ran off to greet you and were ready to tease him since they noticed that you were his type physically 
• but he knew that they were about to so he lied and said that he forgot to take a bracelet from you and pretended to fall asleep so that they couldn’t question him further
• you thought about that was a once in a lifetime experience until 2 weeks later the campaign was a hit and everyone was fawning over Mark specifically since he looked like boyfriend material in a white button up shirt and blue jeans with messy beach hair 
• your friend called to tell you that she recommended you as a freelance hair stylist after they asked her who did Mark’s hair 
• as a broke college student living in another country you took the offer but felt guilty getting an amazing job with no credentials so you got licensed at a beauty school within 2 months 
• the next time you saw Mark was on the Punch music video set 
• he had everything on except makeup and hair 
• you were taken aback at how different he looked with the leather pieces, chain jewelry, and overall bad boy vibes
• he was sitting in front of the dressing room vanities and his face lit up when he saw you stand behind him with your cart of hair products and tools 
• usually he’d stay still in his chair but this time he turned around to face you, “hey! I thought you said you weren’t even licensed?”
• “I decided to after getting offered a job” you smiled 
• he turned around and looked at you through the mirror’s reflection, “or did you come back because of me?” 
• you coughed through your mask and felt the heat creep from your neck all the way to your cheeks and temples
• Mark smiled to himself when he saw your bright red face and was even more excited for the music video shoot knowing that the stylist he thought was cute would be doing his hair on a regular basis and could see him act cool on stage
• to not let you out of his sights again, Mark pulled his phone off of the vanity table in front of him and went straight to his Instagram search page, “can I have your Insta by the way?” 
• you were combing the translucent gel through his hair when you tilted your head out of curiosity of why he would want your socials 
• “I send what kind of hairstyles and concepts I’d like to try to stylists on here,” he said 
• in actuality Mark wasn’t one of the idols that really cared of how his stylists dressed him like Johnny or Jaehyun but he wanted an excuse so that his interest in you was too obvious
• “oh sure,” you spelled out your Instagram handle and you saw him follow you right away
• for the rest of the shoot for the two days that it took place, Mark would admire you every time you came up to him between scenes to wipe the sweat off his forehead and to spray his hair with setting mist 
• although you were a fan of the group, you didn’t want to make them uncomfortable so you invested all of your focus on making them look their best
• Mark appreciated that; you weren’t completely cold and professional but you also didn’t cross any boundaries by asking him about his personal life or interviewing him like some new stylists did 
• when you got home you decided to look at Mark’s profile and saw that he was only following his family, friends from Vancouver, idols friends, and a few celebrities that he looked up to 
• you were the only staff member that he was following other than his managers
• but you didn’t think for a second Mark liked you
• even though during promotions he would text you on his time off about your day and ask you about yourself 
• “because I don’t want to be to formal” was his excuse to his unofficial game of 21 questions 
• even though after promotions when he was on his break, he’d ask you to go shopping with him “to get some inspiration from uh hair stuff” 
• at one point he was bold enough to ask you to go to a cafe because he said he felt like you two were friends at one point
• behind the scenes, Johnny caught on quickly at how Mark was on his phone more often when he’d usually just use it to play mobile games or listen to music 
• “I don’t think you left the bracelet with the pretty stylist,” Johnny would tease Mark one day when he saw him re-reading your texts and smiling to himself 
• “you left your heart,” he’d say and slap himself on the knee from laughing too hard at his own joke
• “can you get out of my room?” Mark would retort in embarrassment but it was worse for him from there
• Johnny told both floors that Mark had a big fat crush on the young stylist and was flirting with them 24/7 
• Mark wasn’t really the type to get in his feelings 
• sure he’d find different celebrities or employees that he’d work with attractive but he knew it was for business or that they’d just be really good friends in the industry 
• but you felt like home 
• like he could imagine that if he was back in Vancouver that you two would meet at a library or something and he’d ask you for a coffee after you asked him to watch your bag to go to the washroom 
• that was what he’d imagine before he went to sleep at night anyways 
• half of the time he’d stay up thinking about asking you out officially and keeping your relationship as a secret and the other half of the time he’d kick his blankets scolding himself for even thinking that because it would put both of your careers on the line and he didn’t want you to feel the burden of dating in secret
• you also had feelings for Mark but thought that he was just friendly and flirty 
• even if he did have feelings for you, you thought that it would be best to just stay as friends because you didn’t want to get in the way of his career
• one day Mark couldn’t take it anymore and went to the convenient store by himself instead of riding bikes with Haechan and Renjun like he originally planned to 
• they noticed that he didn’t get embarrassed or annoyed at the teasing anymore and just kept to himself so they followed him to the store and found him outside on a bench with a beer in his hand
• both of them sat beside him and Haechan grabbed the beer and took a swig, “just tell her” 
• Mark placed his elbows on his knees and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, “I don’t want to ruin it for us… Or for her”
• Renjun placed a hand on his shoulder reassuringly, “if you both have strong feelings for each other then it’ll always work out in the end” 
• Mark shook his head although he appreciated the support, “what if the stress gets us to break up? What if I make it awkward for her at work?” 
• Haechan stopped him and told him sternly, “I see the way you two look at each other and I know that she’d accept if you asked. If the press or pressure causes you to break up then at least you tried.” 
• Renjun added on more gently, “do you just want to continue suffering forever? What if she’s waiting for you too?” 
• Mark didn’t want to think about it any longer and as a lightweight, the 2 cans of beer in his system were already giving him courage
• if he had another night to think about it, he’d probably never confess to you so he decided in his tipsy state to confess right then 
• with urgency, he told you to meet you at Hangang River right away 
• “thank you guys,” he said while standing up too quickly 
• he stumbled a little bit before starting to walk towards the meeting place, “I can do it!”
• “you can do it!” Renjun laughed while holding up too fists to show his support
• Haechan on the other hand held up his phone and started to record Mark walking clumsily towards the river, “don’t mess up loser!” 
• you were finishing up on your readings when you got Mark’s text 
• it sounded like he was going to confess but you shook the thought out of your head at the thought of a global star asking you out 
• “probably wants to de-stress with a friend,” you thought before putting on a hoodie and jeans before walking to Hangang
• when you arrived you could smell a mixture of beer and mint in his breath
• His face was flushed pink which was a result of the alcohol and the 2.2km he had just walked
• “why did you call me out all of a sudden?” You asked 
• “will you go out with me?” He said a little bit too loudly
• you quickly looked around to make sure that no one was within a kilometre near you too and asked in a hushed voice, “what?”
• “I like you!” He nearly shouted, not aware of his volume due to the nervousness of the chance of rejection
• “I tried not to like you ever since I met you but I can’t get you out of my head,” he avoided your gaze and couldn’t believe how cheesy he sounded
• Mark continued regardless, “I know that we have to date in secret if you do like me but I promise to protect you and I won’t regret my decision if anything happens. So uh-”
• “yes,” you grinned. “I’ll go out with you”
• he was surprised at how you accepted with ease, “oh wow I wasn’t expecting this. Thank you for listening to me talk on haha, I don’t even know what to say I-”
• to stop his blabbering you held onto his arms to steady yourself for when you went on your tippy toes to peck him on the lips
• “that’s not fair” he pouted
• “what’s not fair?”
• “that’s it?” He murmured under his breath 
• “then get some more” you teased
• his hands cupped the sides of your face and bent his neck down to reach your height
• your hand wrapped around his waist to pull him into a hug while his warm lips pressed onto yours