#nct x you

synopsis →osaki shotaro moving to town means trips to the dance studio, boba dates, and the perpetual teasing of lee donghyuck. 

pairing → shotaro, reader

requested? → yes! based off @onlyjihoons​​’s shipping game answer ♡

word count → 5.5k (this was supposed to be 1k…. goodbye.)

a/n →i enjoy writing texting scenes WAY too much ;; tbh this is like 50% texts im cryign but i had to convey how much i love 00 line …. and also how firmly i believe in lee donghyuck devil supremacy. as always, feedback is greatly appreciated and enjoy! 

+

if someone were to ask you how you felt about your friends, you would without any hesitation, answer that you loved them to death. of course, if you were being completely honest, you would also have to add that you experienced the urge to strangle them from time to time. that might earn you a couple odd stares but you’re sure people would be more understanding if they knew who was in your inner circle to begin with.

for starters, there was lee jeno — tall, handsome, and the textbook definition of a gentleman. then, na jaemin, who you would consider to be the yin to jeno’s yang. an extremely energetic guy and, in your book, a total freak of nature ever since you found out that he inhales four shots of espresso on the daily. liu yangyang was a more recent addition to your group but, being as quick-witted as he was, he quickly fit right in. he also had a habit of going on somewhat aggressive rants in german which renjun found to be extremely amusing. speaking of, huang renjun was another one of your close friends — the shortest of the group, actually. (and, much to renjun’s dismay, that’s exactly how donghyuck liked to introduce him to people.) he was the type of guy you could trust to keep everyone in check which consequently made you mildly terrified of him.

however, it could never compare to the perpetual fear you have of lee donghyuck. 

of course, you love him to pieces but sometimes you really wish he didn’t find so much joy in, well, making everyone miserable. you couldn’t deny it was funny to watch him tease and taunt your other friends. you still remember him purposefully messing up renjun’s game at the local arcade just when he was about to reach his high score — and also the way renjun had tackled him to the floor right then and there, resulting in the six of you being banned from the place. or, that time he offered to pay for everyone’s starbucks orders only to tell the barista that jaemin’s name was ben dover. (to no one’s surprise, yangyang had found that joke particularly hilarious.) you can also clearly recall how hard you had laughed in both of those situations.

but, donghyuck never let anyone laugh for too long.

according to him it was ’only fair’ to make sure each of his friends was at the receiving end of his gags. so, despite laughing at his latest victim’s expense, each of you knew that donghyuck would make sure you were in the same position sooner or later.

you definitely weren’t expecting it to be your turn one dull friday evening.

things are going slow for you as you sit at your desk, typing away on your laptop. school has been out for hours and your professors have decided to be saints and leave you little homework for the weekend. beside you, your phone dings, alerting you of the new text message in your group chat.

[4:23 pm] hyuck: i’m bored 

[4:23 pm]you:plz never use that emoji again

[4:24 pm] nana: it’s misleading dude

[4:25 pm] yangx2: yeah like when have u ever made a face that isn’t this

[4:25 pm] renjun: donghyuck is the devil = confirmed

[4:25 pm] nana: CALLED IT

[4:26 pm] hyuck: u guys are literally so evil

jeno laughed at “u guys are literally so evil”

[4:27 pm] jeno: look who’s talking lol

[4:27 pm] you: dangg u know it’s bad when lee jeno disses u

[4:28 pm] jeno: …ngl it kinda feels like ur shading me rn

[4:28 pm] you: u would be correct :)

[4:29 pm] hyuck: um HELLO can u guys go back to paying attention to me???

[4:29 pm] renjun: what do u want, diva?

[4:29 pm] hyuck: i just wanna spend some quality time with my best friends ;(

renjun disliked “i just wanna spend some quality time with my best friends ;(”

yangx2 disliked “i just wanna spend some quality time with my best friends ;(”

you disliked “i just wanna spend some quality time with my best friends ;(”

nana disliked “i just wanna spend some quality time with my best friends ;(”

jeno disliked “i just wanna spend some quality time with my best friends ;(”

[4:30 pm] hyuck: OH COME ON

[4:30 pm] yangx2: i think what u meant to say is that u wanna make one of us very miserable today, right?

[4:30 pm] hyuck: …..no comment

nana renamed the group chat “hyuck hate club”

[4:31 pm] hyuck: ok i’m honestly feeling so attacked right now

[4:31 pm] jeno: well now u know what it’s like to be friends with u

[4:31 pm] you: so true king omg ur on a roll

[4:32 pm] hyuck: hmm okay so either jeno or y/n is gonna be today’s target, got it

[4:32 pm] hyuck: anyway can u guys come down to the dance studio now??

[4:32 pm] you: what makes u think i would go anywhere near u when i know ur plotting ur revenge on me as we speak

[4:32 pm] hyuck: because maybe i’ll have mercy on u and just terrorize jeno instead

[4:33 pm] you: good enough for me! thnx bestie, see u soon!!

[4:33 pm] jeno:HEY

nana laughed at “good enough for me! thnx bestie, see u soon!!”

[4:34 pm] yangx2: u literally cannot trust anyone in this friend group

[4:34 pm] renjun: ikr isn’t it great???

you might have been slightly out of your mind to willingly go see donghyuck knowing you had teased him in your group chat earlier. although, if there was a slight chance he would show you mercy if you did hang out with him, you were going to take it.

the studio was where you had first met donghyuck, along with the rest of your friends due to the dance classes you attended. after bumping into each in between classes and during practice, you began to get well acquainted. turns out, the six of you actually got along incredibly well and after a while, you began to share routines and tips, even choreographing together from time to time. obviously, this led to the infamous group chat being formed and lots of time spent outside the studio as well.

but, none of you had lost that love for dancing. in fact, forming your little clique had only made it grow. as you opened the front doors of the building you had made so many memories in, you wondered if donghyuck wanted your insight on a certain routine or needed some help choreographing. of course, there was also the possibility that he really was just bored and wanted you to suffer with him.

what you did not expect, however, was to see him caught up in conversation with another person. you couldn’t clearly see them with donghyuck in the way; all you knew for certain was that your best friend’s mouth was moving a mile a minute. you tentatively tiptoe into the room, hoping to not intrude on their discussion. but, at hearing the doors creak open, donghyuck puts his rant on pause to enthusiastically wave you over.

you sigh, putting your belongings down and approaching the pair. as you near, you notice that hyuck has a huge smile — no, smirk — on his face. you internally curse yourself for believing that he would ever pass up an opportunity to torment you, especially in front of a stranger.

“this is a very dear friend of mine,” you hear him introduce to his acquaintance. “her name is y/n. she dances, too.”

“oh, that’s really cool!”

the stranger’s unusually cheery tone prompts you to finally peek behind donghyuck and put a face to the voice.

andwhat a face he has.

“this is shotaro,” donghyuck informs you. “he’s new to town and quite the dancer. caught him in the middle of a routine.”

your knees almost wobble as you take in the stranger — shotaro’s — kind eyes that almost sparkle. (you aren’t sure if it’s because of the fluorescent lights of the studio or just part of his charm.) his lips are curved up into a friendly smile that makes you feel slightly giddy. his hair falls into his face almost perfectly, not a strand out of place and you’re uncertain as to how that’s even possible since, as donghyuck had said, he was dancing. not to mention, there’s not a bead of sweat on his face. did this guy come straight out of a disney movie or something?

“excuse her,” donghyuck chuckles. “good looking people tend to make her freeze up. don’t worry, this happened when she met me, too.”

you offer your friend a glare and an elbow to the side and you swear you hear shotaro chuckle. you turn to him instead, putting on a welcoming smile.

“my bad, i just—”

“got lost in his eyes?”

you pinch the bridge of your nose. “donghyuck, please don’t make me have to attack you in front of our guest.”

more giggles escape shotaro. (you swear it’s the prettiest thing you’ve ever heard.) you curiously tilt your head at him.

“sorry, it’s just that, you guys are too funny,” he admits with a sheepish smile.

you mirror his grin, slightly relieved he was amused instead of weirded out. “yeah, well, just wait ’til you meet the rest of us. it’s like a circus show, you’ll love it.”

“hello, clowns!”

“speak of the devil,” donghyuck murmurs, watching as yangyang and renjun enter, followed by jeno and jaemin.

“woah, who’s the cutie?” yangyang asks renjun, in what you presume he thinks is a whisper. however, yangyang has never spoken quietly a day in his life. renjun simply shrugs at his question.

having clearly heard the compliment, a faint blush creeps onto shotaro’s cheeks.

“guys, this is shotaro,” donghyuck answers, tugging the sandy blonde forward.

he gives a somewhat shy wave. “hi, y/n’s friends.”

jaemin erupts into laughter. “uh oh, looks like he likes y/n more than hyuck.”

“don’t blame him,” jeno mutters.

shotaro’s forehead creases, face suddenly twisted in worry. “oh, i’m sorry, was i not supposed to say that?”

“oh no, don’t worry,” donghyuck denies, quickly. “i’m sure y/n doesn’t mind at all, right?”

if you could crawl into a hole to avoid the embarrassment, you would. of course, donghyuck was 100% right; you really didn’t mind shotaro calling the group that if it meant you could hear him say your name over and over again. in fact, his sweet voice could probably make the dictionary sound like the most addictive song. but, donghyuck had no right putting you on the spot like that.

jeno suddenly speaks, catching on to your flustered state and donghyuck’s evil grin. “so, it’s y/n’s turn today? sweet, i’m off the hook!”

shotaro furrows his brows slightly. “huh?”

“oh, it’s just an inside joke,” jeno says, smile reaching all the way up to his eyes.

you wish you could strangle him right then and there for finding amusement at your expense but the last thing you want is for shotaro to think you’re some sort of psychopath. (although, with a friend group like this, you’re definitely beginning to think that’s where you’re headed.)

“got it,” shotaro responds, breaking out into a grin himself. “you guys seem like a really close bunch!”

“theclosest,” donghyuck corrects, overly sweet, as he wraps an arm around you. (you resist the urge to shove him off.) “you’ll fit right in!”

+

you believed that the torture was over the day donghyuck introduced shotaro to your group. you would probably just see him from time to time and the studio (hopefully without hyuck around) and it would all be downhill from there, right? the latest notification on your phone alerts you that you are absolutely wrong.

hyuck has added one (1) user to the group chat

[1:05 pm] hyuck: welcome shotaro!!

[1:06 pm] unknown: oh hey guys! :]

the emoticon almost makes your heart beat right out of your chest. you roll your eyes in frustration at how easily affected you were by this guy. seriously, why did everything he do have to be so cute? regardless, you quickly add his number to your contacts.

[1:06 pm] hyuck: why don’t we do a little roll call so shotaro can save ur numbers to his phone

[1:07 pm] yangx2:YANGYANG

[1:07 pm] yangx2: HA I WAS FIRST

[1:07 pm] jeno:…

[1:08 pm] jeno: anyway this is jeno :)

[1:08 pm] nana: jaemin present!

[1:08 pm] renjun: hi shotaro, this is renjun

[1:10 pm] shotaro: haha cool thanks a lot, i just saved all ur numbers!

[1:10 pm] shotaro: but quick question, is y/n in this group chat? :0

you almost drop your phone at reading shotaro’s message although you’re unsure why. he just typed your name, get it together, you urge yourself.

[1:11 pm] you: heyy shotaro! i’m right here :)

[1:11 pm] shotaro: oh yayy! i’m so glad ^^

hyuck disliked “oh yayy! i’m so glad ^^”

[1:12 pm] hyuck: shotaro plz return my love what does she have that i don’t T-T

[1:12 pm] nana: a heart

[1:12 pm] yangx2: a brain

[1:12 pm] jeno: a conscience

[1:12 pm] renjun: a functioning moral compass

[1:13 pm] hyuck:wtf

[1:13 pm] shotaro: ahahaha it’s like i’m watching a comedy

[1:14 pm] you: told u it’s a circus

[1:14 pm] you: i say get out while u still can

[1:14 pm] shotaro: whaatt and leave u behind? no way!

nana renamed the group chat “shotaro x y/n supremacists”

[1:15 pm] jeno: my thoughts exactly

[1:15 pm] renjun: took the words right out of my mouth

you cringe at your friends’ blunt behavior, praying shotaro didn’t find their antics to be too strange.

[1:16 pm] shotaro:

[1:16 pm] nana: aww someone’s shy

[1:17 pm] renjun: he wouldn’t last a day in itzy

[1:17 pm] yangx2:HELPP

you shake your head, laughing silently to yourself as you mute the group chat and place your phone back down. although, moments later, you receive a direct message. you presume it’s one of the boys trying to rope you back into the chat but the moment you see the contact name, you’re forced to do a double take.

[1:21 pm] shotaro: i hope i’m not bothering u but i just wanted to make sure ur okay .. you kinda went quiet in the gc :>

[1:21 pm] shotaro: it’s shotaro from the dance studio btw!

you can’t help but find the fact that he seriously thought you wouldn’t remember him adorable. how could you ever forget a face like his?

[1:22 pm] you: that’s so kind! i’m okay, i promise. i’ve just had to put up with those dorks for way too long, sometimes i just ignore them haha

[1:22 pm] shotaro: lol yeah they do seem like a handful! but i look forward to getting to know them better!!

[1:23 pm] shotaro: and u too ofc~~

it takes all your willpower not to spam dozens of heart emojis in an attempt to show shotaro just how he has reduced you to a lovesick fool. instead, your response is short and sweet.

[1:23 pm] you: right back at u, taro! ♡

+

“okay, take five,” donghyuck pants, pausing the music blaring from the speakers.

you gladly obey, wiping away the light sweat you had worked up from the latest routine you and hyuck were constructing.

you both belonged to the same dance class and frequently paired together for partnered projects. the rest of your friends attended different classes, which you constantly joked was for the best since there was no way one dance instructor could possibly handle the six of you together.

“how do you feel?” donghyuck asks you, running a hand through his tousled hair.

“the choreo’s great, i’m proud of what we got so far,” you reply. “of course, i would be happier if i didn’t have to get so up close and personal with you.”

donghyuck scoffs at your joke. “i can’t do anything about that. the teacher said the whole concept of the routine is supposed to be is intimate.”

you fake a gag, failing to contain a laugh when hyuck playfully shoves you in offense.

“i’m sorry i can’t be shotaro,” he adds, a smirk forming on his lips.

you roll your eyes. “oh, very funny.”

“c’mon, you’re acting like you wouldn’t kill to have him as your partner, especially with choreo as spicy as this.”

“well, it would beat being paired with you,” you remark, picking up your water bottle and taking a swig.

“hm, then looks like today might be your lucky day,” donghyuck replies, eyes trained somewhere behind you.

you follow his gaze, nearly choking on your water as soon as you catch sight of shotaro entering the studio. he meets your eyes, plucking out his earbuds and offering you a small wave.

“oh, hey guys!” he exclaims, cheerfully.

“hey ’taro,” you greet, rather quickly, earning you a knowing glance from your partner.

“’taro?” hyuck repeats, amused, as he folds his arms over his chest. “you guys are already on cute nickname basis?”

shotaro giggles, eyes squinting adorably as he does so. “it is a pretty adorable nickname, right? she’s the only one who calls me that!”

your heart beats faster when you see how oddly excited that seems to make him. did he somehow find it endearing?

“seems like the two of you are becoming quite close, hm?” continues hyuck.

shotaro nods enthusiastically before glancing at you tentatively, as if to check for confirmation.

“yeah, you could say that.”

your agreement causes yet another smile to grace shotaro’s lips — this time he seems relieved. you briefly wonder if the kid ever stops flashing those pearly whites of his. you certainly hope so, or else your heart may never catch a break.  

“well, since you’re comfortable enough with each other,” donghyuck begins, flashing you a grin.

you’re not even sure what he’s gonna say but you already feel the need to put an end to it. after all, nothing good has ever come of donghyuck’s mischievous grins. you subtly purse your lips and narrow your eyes in an attempt to get him to stop whatever chaos he’s planning to ensue.

nevertheless, he proceeds. “maybe you could help me out with this choreography?”

you want to facepalm at donghyuck’s lame excuse of a lie. however, on the other hand, shotaro’s face lights up in delight.

“you’re working on choreo? what for?” he inquires, curiously.

“for our dance class,” hyuck explains, motioning towards you. “i have a couple ideas so i was thinking you two could maybe try out some steps i’m planning to include. you know, to help me… visualize.”

“that sounds awesome,” shotaro responds, oblivious to your friend’s untruths. “i would love to help you guys out.”

“great!” donghyuck claps his hands together. “just a heads up, the theme of the routine is intimacy, so i wanna see all that charm of yours, shotaro. it’ll, uh, help me choreograph.”

you cringe at the obvious fib. meanwhile, it’s as if a switch has gone off in shotaro’s mind. his smile fades and his eyebrows knit together. “hold on, i-intimacy? does that mean—”

“that you’ll have to get a bit touchy-feely with her? yeah,” donghyuck interjects, innocently.

“y’know… i’ve really been wanting to dance with her.” he faces you, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “just never thought it would be like this.”

you offer him an apologetic smile. “i know, it might be a bit… uncomfortable. you can back out if you’d like. i promise hyuck and i won’t mind.”

shotaro’s head shakes, vigorously. “no, of course not!” he must realize how quick he was to deny your offer, making him suspiciously eager to be close to you as he immediately adds, “i mean, it’s good practice.”

you suppress a giggle. “sure thing. hyuck, should we get started now?”

the boy in question dramatically picks at his nails, acting as if he had been waiting on you both for hours. “if you guys are done flirting, then, yeah.”

you roll your eyes, shooting shotaro a mildly annoyed stare. he grins, finding it to be equally amusing as it is endearing. (what can he say, the faint pout that appeared on your face was cute.)

“shotaro, how about you get in position right behind her.”

shotaro obeys, making sure to leave a significant amount of space between the two of you. however, donghyuck doesn’t seem to approve.

“closer!” he commands. “the concept is intimacy, not social distancing!”

shotaro shuffles forward, pressing his front into your back. you can’t help but notice how firmly toned his chest is. curse his dancers body, you think.

“okay, now, lemme see your hands on her waist!”

you feel the breath of shotaro’s shaky exhale on the back of your neck as he obeys, sliding apprehensive hands around your midsection. there’s silence on donghyuck’s end and through the mirror you watch him observe the two of you, no doubt acting way more pensive than he truly is. you know he’s just prolonging your flustered state by keeping you in this intimate position with the younger boy.

although, shotaro himself might know it too, considering the fact that he begins to rub comforting circles into your sides that he’s currently gripping, as per donghyuck’s request, in an attempt to calm you down. you nearly melt right then and there. at the same time, you hope he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

donghyuck calls out your name, successfully startling you and putting an end to the peaceful atmosphere. “why don’t you go ahead and lean on his shoulder. just lay your head back nice and easy— good, very good! look at that chemistry!”

if you’re being sincere, reclining on shotaro feels way more natural and enjoyable than it should. he steadily holds you in place, almost as if he secretly wishes to never let go. you wouldn’t be completely opposed to the idea either.

“alright, last thing, guys! y/n, how about you hook your arm around shotaro’s neck?”

you do so, fingers brushing softly against his jaw. he shivers beneath your touch, erupting into giggles when you shoot him an odd stare.

“i’m ticklish,” he confesses, in a whisper.

you can’t help but smile widely. “is that so? hm, i might have to exploit that information sooner or later.”

“as long as donghyuck doesn’t find out,” he replies.

his comment certainly gets a chuckle out of you. “did you finally realize how evil he is?”

“if the torture he’s putting you through right now is anything to go by, then absolutely.”

“only a matter of time before it’s your turn,” you reply. you lean into his ear to add, “by the way, this is anything but torture for me.”

“hey! no whispering!” donghyuck reprimands.

for the first time, shotaro goes against the older boy’s orders to whisper back, “it’s mutual. if anything, i think this is the best thing i’ve done since i moved here.”

your heart melts at the sincere admission. you stare at shotaro in what you’re sure is a very obvious case of heart eyes. you’re taken aback to find that he, too, returns the lovesick look. perhaps he was immersing himself a bit too much in the intimacy concept…

“stop! pause! cut!”

you and shotaro (reluctantly) untangle yourselves from each other to face a seemingly unhappy donghyuck.

“can you guys please just focus on my instructions without falling in love with each other?” he pleads. “i mean, you haven’t even gotten out of the starting position yet.” he groans, exasperated. “actually, you know what, just take five.”

+

[2:03 pm] hyuck: good morning

[2:03 pm] nana: it’s 2 o clock in the afternoon but ok

[2:03 pm] hyuck: i just woke up, therefore it’s morning

[2:03 pm] shotaro: good morning :3 did u sleep well?

[2:04 pm] hyuck: i slept a wonderful 27 hours, thnx for asking!

[2:04 pm] yangx2: ?????? THERES NOT EVEN 27 HOURS IN A DAY IM SCREAMING

[2:04 pm] you: LOLLL WHY WAS HE HIBERNATING

[2:05 pm] renjun: i was just gonna ignore him but i am genuinely concerned now

[2:05 pm] shotaro: woww,, well at least you’re well rested now! :]

[2:04 pm] nana: shotaro, i am begging u not to encourage him

[2:04 pm] you: all it takes is one (1) supportive person and he becomes an unstoppable force of evil

[2:04 pm] shotaro:o_0

[2:05 pm] jeno: besides ur like the only other person here with common sense besides myself and maybe renjun. i can’t lose u to donghyuck :(

[2:05 pm] renjun: ykw i’m not even gonna argue with that

[2:05 pm] yangx2: yeah shotaro is a good guy™

[2:06 pm] hyuck: i hate u guys and ur goldfish attention spans

[2:06 pm] you: sigh what do you need hyuck?

[2:06 pm] hyuck: i want boba :(

[2:07 pm] you: that actually sounds really good but idk if it’s worth being around u

[2:07 pm] hyuck: i’ll pretend like u didn’t just say that <3 what if i paid?

[2:07 pm] you:….

[2:08 pm] yangx2: LMAO HYUCK BEING NICE IS SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR

[2:08 pm] renjun: ikr it’s making me super uncomfortable rn

[2:08 pm] hyuck: can’t i do something nice for my friends? :/

[2:08 pm] jeno: no

[2:09 pm] nana: nope

[2:09 pm] yangx2:nah

[2:09 pm] renjun: absolutely not

[2:09 pm] you: never seen it happen before so no

[2:10 pm] hyuck: u guys are so fake :( shotaro do u wanna hang out with me? if u say no i’ll scream :)

[2:11 pm] shotaro: yeah i guess i could :]

[2:11 pm] renjun: oh this just got interesting.. i guess i could tag along

[2:11 pm] yangx2: me too, i gotta be there to record whatever happens

[2:12 pm] nana: i’m in

[2:12 pm] jeno:same

[2:12 pm] you: hhhhh okay fine.. only to ensure taro’s safety

[2:13 pm] shotaro:(^з^)-︎♡

+

due to the fact that you believed donghyuck was going to try and officially initiate shotaro into your friend group with one of his infamous pranks, you decided to head to the boba shop. you hoped that if you showed up, you would be able to prevent whatever mayhem he had planned or at the very least, provide some damage control.

you pushed open the door to the quaint building, the bell dinging to announce your arrival. your eyes immediately lock onto the table in the far back since it was where you and your friends always sat — you had practically claimed it. you expect to see all the chairs filled but, to your surprise, only one person occupies the space.

osaki shotaro.

he beams, probably relieved to finally have some company in the otherwise empty shop. (after all, you weren’t sure how long he had been sitting there all alone.) nevertheless, you allow yourself to wonder — just for a second —  if maybe he was just that ecstatic to see you. the way he enthusiastically waves you over seems to be in favor of that theory. it’s almost confirmed when you reach he table and he pats the chair beside him.

you let out a soft laugh. “the whole table’s empty, ‘taro.”

“i know,” he admits. “i just really want you to sit next to me.”

you swear you could break down in tears simply from the way he’s looking at you; like you’re all he needs. it’s pure adoration.  you wonder if that’s how you look at him too. you can’t help but ask yourself if he, too, notices your longing stares.

you decide that you would be a monster if you denied shotaro his wish, so, you internally prepare yourself to sit next to possibly the sweetest boy you’ve ever known. yet, that proves to be difficult as said boy stands up to pull out your chair like the gentleman he is. you shoot him a grateful smile, mentally dethroning jeno as the most well-mannered person you know and passing the crown on to shotaro.

“so, how long have you been waiting for?” you ask, resting your elbow on the table and leaning into your palm to stare attentively at the boy to your right.

“actually, i only got here a couple minutes before you. we did agree to meet up here a quarter before three, right?” he asks, slightly confused.

you nod in confirmation. “honestly, i think we got set up.”

shotaro tilts his head. “really? why would they do that?”

“might have something to do with our ‘chemistry’,” you explain, quoting donghyuck.

the japanese boy’s mouth falls agape, as he comes to the realization. “oh, so they literally set us up.”

“mhm,” you agree, smiling ever so slightly.

shotaro must be paying closer attention than you thought because he picks up on your grin. “what’s with the smile?”

you shrug, feigning uncertainty. “i guess i just don’t feel so bad about being set up if it’s with a certain cutie i know.”

“oh?” he raises a brow, cheeks growing as he too mirrors your lovestruck look. “should i be worried about this guy?”

“certainly not,” you reassure him. “i’ve only got eyes for one.”

you see a faded tint of pink rush to his cheeks and you find it adorable how your confession flusters him. you can’t help but caress the supple skin as gently as possible. shotaro leans into your touch, his own hand coming up to cup your own, almost as if he were holding you in place. after a couple moments of basking in the intimate moment, you retract your hand.

“maybe we should try and get hyuck to include that in the choreo, huh?” you suggest, a teasing smile on your lips.

shotaro chuckles, “sounds good to me. i might even ask if i can fill his position, too. if not, i just might get jealous.”

you playfully shove him and he raises his hands in surrender. you chuckle, grabbing one of the menus that litter the table, planning to offer shotaro some help choosing an item from the list that is surely unfamiliar to him but it seems something outside the window behind you has caught his focus instead.

“looks like we have an audience.”

you take a deep breath at his words, preparing yourself for whatever it is you’re going to see upon turning around. when you finally do, all you manage to catch is five heads ducking beneath the windowsill, in a weak attempt to not get caught.

“of course,” you nearly laugh. “they’re so predictable.”

shotaro seems to find the situation humorous as well, if his amused tone is anything to go by. “to be honest, we should be thanking them. they got us together.”

“oh, so we’re together now?” you inquire, raising a brow.

“w-well, i mean, if you want to. i-i definitely want to.”

“no need for stuttering,” you reassure him, reaching over to stroke that one ticklish spot on his neck. “to quote a very wise — and handsome — young man, ‘it’s mutual.’”

he smiles at his own words being recited to him. “i don’t know about you, but i think we should seal the deal.”

“interesting. how do you suppose we do that?” you ask with faux curiosity. you certainly had some ideas of your own.

“maybe… a kiss?” shotaro leans forward, eyes closed expectantly as he taps his cheek. you resist the urge to pinch his lovely, round baby cheeks. he peeks one eye open to add, “for the audience, of course.”

you giggle, completely and utterly love-struck by the boy before you. in fact, you are so enamored by him that you decide to go the extra mile and press a sweet, chaste peck to his lips.

it seems as if he himself didn’t expect it as his eyes snap open, hand coming up to cup his lips in shock. when he finally uncovers his mouth, you see there’s a dazed, giddy grin on his face that let’s you know the smooch was very welcome pleasant surprise.

your phones simultaneously go off, alerting you of incoming messages. it’s a given that it’s none other than the group chat.

[3:15 pm] nana: that smooch was romcom worthy i’m so impressed right now

[3:15 pm] jeno: shotaro is living proof that being a gentleman has its perks! everyone in this gc should take notes!

[3:15 pm] yangx2: HERE IHAVE THE VDIEO OF THE WHOELE THIGN IF ANYOEN WANTS IT

[3:16 pm] yangx2: attachment: 1 video

[3:16 pm] yangx2: SORURY FOR THE TYPSO MY TEARS ARE BLURRIGN THE KYEBIOARD

[3:16 pm] renjun: can we get boba now?

[3:16 pm] renjun: oh wait my bad, congrats to the new couple :-)

[3:16 pm] renjun: to celebrate they should pay for everyone’s drinks.. just a thought

[3:17 pm] hyuck: ur welcome, y/n and shotaro ;)

celeritas - kim jungwoo x gender neutral reader

masterlist

⇢   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?

⇢   word count: 7.3k

⇢   trigger warnings: car accident, blood, non-serious injury, swearing, implied sex but no explicit scenes.

⇢   a/n: this is my piece for adrenaline rush, the nct racer au collab! please make sure to check out the other pieces in the collab:)

When your boss moved you to the graveyard shift, you were certain it was nothing short of a curse. The lack of sunlight you witnessed, the subsequent cost of vitamin D supplements, the inherent loneliness of living your whole life while the majority of your city slept.

There were certain benefits, however, once you gave yourself the time to adjust. Laundry, for example. On your days off, you were perfectly free to saunter down to the completely empty laundry room in your apartment building, which was a rare sight. In days long past, you’d had to fight tooth and nail for an opportunity to run a load of laundry, although you had found that the room was mostly empty come 3 in the morning. Key word: mostly.

There was a certain gentleman, who apparently lived in your apartment building, although you hadn’t ever seen him before your late-night laundry escapades. Now, however, he seemed to be a regular fixture in your life. You hadn’t yet figured out whether this was a benefit or drawback. In fact, you were having trouble figuring him out in general.

Soft brown hair, a little overgrown but he wore it well. Warm eyes, dark and shining, the kind you’d expect to see on a puppy. An air of confidence, the sense that he knew exactly who he was and what he was worth. Something about him… you just had to know more. He was a particularly interesting synopsis on the back of a novel, and you wanted to stay up all night reading him, cover to cover. You’d begun sharing smiles with the man, glances across the laundry room. Not that night, though.

That night, his rosy lips were pointed decidedly downwards in a frustrated pout, his eyebrows furrowed in a worried knot. There was something on his mind, that much was clear, and your mind ran wild, creating stories about what might be troubling him. He’d missed his stop on the bus home and ended up in a strange neighbourhood, and he was attempting to comprehend the oddities he’d witnessed. He was an undefeated chess master, and an upcoming champion was threatening his spot on the throne. His pet turtle hadn’t been eating her greens and he just couldn’t figure out why. None of those things, or perhaps all of those things.

“Fuck! For the love of god!”

The man’s cursing startled you from your daydreams, the impact of his shout causing you to drop the shirt you were holding. Even through your alarm, you found yourself thinking that he had a nice voice - even when he was yelling obscenities. You wondered how it would sound when he paid compliments, when he rambled about something he cared about, when poetry tumbled from his lips.

“Hey,” you called to him across the room, with all the bravery you could muster. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed, although this clearly wasn’t the case. “I just can’t get this damn stain out.”

“Hm. What’s the stain?”

He lifted the shirt higher so that you could see it. A white t-shirt - well, you assumed it was once white. The condition of the fabric, when he pulled it from the washing machine, was a little less than ideal. A rusty stain covered the expanse of the material, red and brown. The man was far from happy - you could tell this wasn’t his first time battling this particular stain.

“Would you believe me if I said it’s ketchup?” he asked with a wry smirk. You couldn’t help but smile back at him - his sarcastic amusement was contagious, and you couldn’t help but feel that this was a frequent exchange for him. Not so much the laundry situation, but the smirk, making warmth blossom in the heart of a complete stranger.

You nodded. “Got it, no questions asked. Have you tried running a cold cycle? And do you wanna borrow some stain remover?”

“You’re a lifesaver,” he praised you. “Or at the very least, a shirt-saver.” You laughed at this; you wouldn’t have expected him to be so dorky. Or, upon reconsideration, maybe it was obvious. From the way his eyes glinted in the light. You swiftly closed your own machine, setting off the cycle, before gathering your equipment, your clothes-washing tools, and taking them over to the man.

“Here,” you said, taking the shirt from him and squirting the remover onto it. You walked him through the steps, rubbing the substance into the material before tossing it back into the machine and running a cold cycle.

“I’m Jungwoo, by the way. Apartment 127.” He held his hand out, and you shook it. Jungwoo, you thought, running his name through your mind. You wondered how it might taste, through laughter or in the dark.

“[Name]. Apartment 129.”

“No way,” he remarked. “We’re so close together - how haven’t we bumped into each other? Before recently, I mean.” It made you feel strangely special, the way he acknowledged your recent encounters with each other. Though you’d never spoken, he recognised you. He’d noticedyou.

You shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know. Well, actually - I just moved to the night shift.”

“That’ll be it,” he confirmed. “I’m a creature of the night, mainly.”

“Well, I’m gonna go. I have… stuff to do.” His pause intrigued you, but you let it slip. Jungwoo tapped the sign on the wall beside him, reading DO NOT LEAVE LAUNDRY UNATTENDED. “I won’t tell if you won’t. See you around, [Name].” With a wink, and a smile, he was gone.

*

Now that you had a name to the face, a voice to the man, a sliver of personality to the otherwise unknown figure, Jungwoo seemed to occupy your thoughts a lot more in the coming week. Hard as you tried to curb these thoughts - you barely knew the man, after all - but whenever you left your apartment, particularly when it was any later than 11pm, you found yourself looking for him. You scanned the hallways, crossed your fingers when the elevator doors opened, kept an eye on the door of apartment 127. It was all to no avail, however. You didn’t see Jungwoo once in the week following.

You’d almost given up hope entirely, or perhaps you were so weary and exhausted from your shift that even Jungwoo was far from your thoughts, which were solely focused on your warm, comfortable bed that you couldn’t wait to fall into. Birds were chattering away to one another, and you sincerely believed you’d never get used to falling asleep at seven in the morning. As you were scanning your way into the building, passing your key fob over the sensor, you noticed a figure behind you, in your reflection. The person was tall, though their identity was hidden by their hood, and fear flashed through you.

You really hoped this wasn’t one of those horror stories - where a strange man gains entry to an apartment building where he doesn’t belong, only to murder its inhabitants. You glanced backwards before you pulled the door open, only for your fear to lessen and your concern-slash-confusion to raise.

“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, [Name]. 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 neverneed 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. 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. “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 twoseparate occasions? Come on. Even to you, that must sound a little shifty.”

Jungwoo shrugged. “You’re the one who invited me into your home, baby.”

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. “[Name]. 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 thispretty. “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?

*

As you didn’t have a car, you didn’t tend to visit your building’s underground parking lot often. If you did, you were sure you would’ve noticed Jungwoo’s car before. Cars didn’t typically stand out to you - you weren’t a car person. But even you had to admit, there was something impressive about the vehicle.

It sat low to the ground, vintage-looking, stark black with two contrasting white stripes running across the middle. You didn’t know they still made cars like that; maybe they didn’t, you considered. You found yourself wondering how it sounded when the engine ran, how it looked when Jungwoo sped down city streets inside it. You noted the sizable dent on the front bumper, and wondered just how bad his crash had been the previous night. Apparently not big enough to deter him, seeing that he got right back into the game, but perhaps that said more about Jungwoo than the size of the crash.

“What do you think?” Jungwoo asked, his smirk audible in his voice. This thing was clearly his pride and joy.

“I like it,” you admitted honestly. It’s cute, you tacked on, mentally. Though it was an honest compliment, you weren’t sure it would go down well if you voiced it.

You smiled when Jungwoo opened the passenger-side door for you. It was nice learning things about him - he was a gentleman, you noted, someone who believed in chivalry.

“You aren’t gonna speed with me in the car, right?” you asked as he settled into the driver’s seat, only half joking.

He shook his head. “I put myself at risk when I drive. I wouldn’t do the same to you, [Name].” You said nothing, but felt your heart swell.

“It’s just a twenty-minute drive, baby. This kinda stuff has to take place on the outskirts of the city.”

“Hey,” you remarked, your tone surprised, curious, but not hostile. “Why do you keep calling me baby?”

Jungwoo paused for a moment. He didn’t seem to have the answer any more than you did. “I don’t call everyone ‘baby’ y’know. I’m not one of thoseguys,” he noted your sceptical look, “Really.” He trained his gaze back towards the road, eyes pointed forwards. “Something about you… I don’t know, [Name]. I just have to call you baby.”

You’d be lying if you said your heart didn’t flutter wildly at that. You pulled your scarf up to hide the blush that flooded your cheeks. You’d spent far longer than you’d like to admit picking out your outfit. You weren’t entirely sure what type of person he was yet, nor the crowd he raced with. Not that you were trying to impress anybody - that wasn’t you, that wasn’t what you did. You just didn’t want to stand out too much.

The weather was warming but the nights were still cool. You’d gone for a light jacket, paired with your favourite scarf. Enough to keep you warm, but not so much that you were completely bundled up.

“This isn’t a big race, by the way,” Jungwoo shared. “I’m sorry I can’t show you something more impressive.”

“That’s okay,” you told him, and it was the truth. You were happy to be invited here regardless. “I’ve never seen street racing before, so I guess I’ll be impressed by anything.”

Jungwoo snickered. “You’re cute.”

The city lights passed by in red and white streaks, and you felt dazzled. Before long, Jungwoo was pulling into a parking lot on the outskirts of the city. It had a strange feel to it; you knew that, by day, this place was probably rather abandoned, seeing activity levels of zero, most days. But now, just after midnight, there was a thrum of energy, small as it were.

Streetlights shone onto the lot, revealing one other car, its door open. One figure stood beside the car, another sitting in the passenger’s seat.

Jungwoo put the car in park, but paused and turned to you before getting out. “Hey, if you wanna go home at any point, just let me know. I’m your ride ‘n stuff, so…”

You nodded. “Thanks.”

“And, by the way, if you get scared, you can always hold your hand.”

You scoffed. “Sure. You wish.”

Jungwoo winked at you, and opened his door to climb out. “Maybe I do wish that,” he murmured before swiftly moving on, not giving you enough time to react. “The door sticks, I’ll come open it for you.”

Jungwoo was flirty. But you didn’t know what he was after. You didn’t know how genuine he was. Sure, he’d invited you out here to watch him race with his friends, but how did you know he wasn’t just doing it to get laid? Were you the first person he’d brought here? The second? The tenth?

You found yourself flustered as you looked up at him, climbing out of the car. You really had to stop overthinking every interaction between you two. You left the car and approached the other, sticking close to Jungwoo’s side.

“Jungwoo,” greeted the standing man with an inclination of his head, a happy grin on his face.

“Hey guys,” Jungwoo grinned at the boys. “This is [Name], like I said.”

“Hi,” you waved politely.

“This is Yukhei and Sicheng,” he indicated to his friends. You found yourself wondering, Are all street racers this beautiful?

Yukhei was tall, an overgrown golden retriever of a man, with kind eyes and tousled hair. His beauty was a warm and welcoming one, and you couldn’t help but feel favourably towards him right away. Sicheng, sitting in the car, had a more elegant, delicate beauty, a slight smile and a curious gaze; something about him intrigued you. You weren’t sure what you’d expected of a group of street racers, but this wasn’t it.

“Let’s get into it,” Jungwoo declared, sounding fired up. His excitement was electric, you felt it in the air.

“Move it, babe,” Yukhei instructed Sicheng, who left the car with a roll of his eyes.

“Look after [Name] for me, Sicheng,” Jungwoo called out before getting back in his car.

“I’m sure [Name] can look after themselves,” Sicheng responded, before turning to you. “You might want to step back for this, though.”

You complied wordlessly, taking a few steps backwards. Jungwoo and Yukhei lined up their respective cars, revving their engines a little more ferocity than necessary. Sicheng stood in front of them, a piece of fabric in his hand that looked like a bandana. He raised it in the air. The tension was thick, anticipation weighing on your shoulders. Sicheng lowered the bandana, and in an instant the cars were gone, leaving behind a cloud of dust which you braced yourself against.

And then… silence. It felt a little anticlimactic, but it made sense when you thought about it; the boys were racing through a concrete jungle, obviously you couldn’t observe the whole course. Sicheng let out a huge breath, a cathartic sigh. You realised that your own adrenaline was running high, and imagined that Sicheng’s must be even higher, since the cars had rushed right past him, impossibly close.

“That’s that,” he commented, smiling at you. He came to stand beside you, and you watched as he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, pulling out a flask. “Cocoa,” he said, before taking a swig. “Want some?”

You took it happily, enjoying the warmth that the sip instilled deep inside you. The night was a bit colder than you expected.

“So, you’re Yukhei’s-” the word boyfriendwas on the tip of your tongue, but Sicheng interrupted before it could come out.

“No, no. We’re just friends - he’s my best friend. He’s like a brother to me.”

You nodded in understanding. “And you don’t race?”

“Only idiots race,” he said sagely, and you trusted his judgement; if the people he was closest to races, he would surely be an expert.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” You accepted the cocoa flask, when he offered it to you again.

“So, how do you know Jungwoo? He was very vague when he said he was bringing someone.”

Your initial response, mentally, was I don’t know him, not really. Although, you waved it away. It didn’t feel true. “He’s my neighbour. We haven’t known each other long.”

“He must like you,” Sicheng remarked offhandedly.

“Well, I don’t know about that,” you denied, skeptical.

“He wouldn’t have brought you here if you weren’t special. This whole thing, the racing, it’s all underground. You can get into a lot of trouble when you’re caught.”

You thought this over. Special. Of course, this was Sicheng’s word, not Jungwoo’s, but you wanted it to be true. It seemed more and more likely, the longer you dwelled on it; and you certainly had spent some time dwelling on it. He must’ve seen somethingin you, to invite you here. Maybe more than just bed-material. Maybe.

Minutes later, the two cars returned to the parking lot, almost side by side.

“I won that, for sure!” Yukhei yelled out of his open window.

“Yeah, for once,” Jungwoo contended. “C’mon, you’re showing me up in front of [Name]. They’re gonna think I’m a bad racer.”

“You’ll get it next time, Jungwoo,” you cheered him on with a smile.

Jungwoo and Yukhei raced a few more times, while you and Sicheng drank hot cocoa and cheered them on. You couldn’t explain why, but you felt more and more enthusiastic each time Jungwoo returned; you really got into the spirit of things. Jungwoo seemed to be the clear victor; he had won four races while Yukhei had only won one.

“Should we call it a night?” Jungwoo asked. “I’m starving.” You had to admit, you were getting pretty hungry too. Upon checking your phone, you realised that a few hours had passed. You were so consumed in the excitement, in keeping score for Jungwoo, that you’d barely realised time was passing.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Yukhei agreed. “We going to Aeja’s?”

Jungwoo turned to you. “Are you up for that, [Name]?”

“Aeja’s?”

“Aeja’s diner,” he elaborated. “The bestapple pie you’ve ever tasted. Are you hungry? I can take you home, if you want.”

Your stomach rumbled, as if answering the question for you, and you chuckled. “I’m famished.”

You found yourself smiling when you got back into the car with Jungwoo. His presence was warm, and it felt good to be sitting next to him again.

“Are you having fun tonight?” Jungwoo asked you as he pulled out of the parking lot, following Yukhei’s car. “Sorry we haven’t really got to hang out yet. It can be kinda boring, watching people race.”

“No, I’m having fun,” you told him honestly. “This is exciting, and Sicheng’s been keeping me company; he seems nice.”

“I hope we can spend some more time together, [Name],” Jungwoo said, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at you. “We should hang out again.”

“I’d like that,” you replied honestly.

The tinkle of the bell above the door was a light, welcoming sound when you stepped into the diner. It was a nice place, and though you’d never been there before, it somehow instilled a sense of warm nostalgia within you. Hardwood floors, neon lights, cracked red leather booths. It was like something out of a movie. It was empty, save for a bored-looking waiter behind the counter.

“You guys again? Really?” he drawled, but there was a teasing expression on his face. He had an angular jaw, chocolate-brown hair in a low ponytail, and a nametag reading Yuta.

“Hush. We keep you in business,” shot back Sicheng, as the four of you found your seats in a booth.

“You’re right,” the waiter - Yuta - conceded. “Manager’s talking about shutting this place up at 10 every night.” He came around the counter, joining you at your table.

“Don’t you dare,” threatened Yukhei, sounding deeply devastated at the prospect of new opening hours.

“It’s not up to me, bro,” Yuta raised his hands in surrender, seeming amused.

“Ineedthis place,” Yukhei iterated.

“Yeah, yeah. What do you want?” Yuta pulled a notebook and pencil from the pocket in his apron, ready to take your orders.

Jungwoo, Yukhei and Sicheng all knew what they wanted immediately, being regulars at the diner, so you just followed Jungwoo’s lead and ordered a burger and fries, with a milkshake.

Yukhei folded his arms onto the table, leaning towards you. “So. Did Jungwoo tell you about the big race?”

You looked to Jungwoo in question. “Big race?”

Jungwoo nodded in confirmation. “In a few weeks. That’s what we’re practicing for right now.”

“Million won prize,” Yukhei interjected.

Your eyes widened in surprise. “A million? Where does the money even come from?”

“Gambling, mostly,” Jungwoo explained. “A lot of people bet on the organised races.”

“Your Jungwoo’s the favourite for this upcoming race - three to one.”

You dismissed Yukhei’s remark of your Jungwoo, instead focusing on his claim of Jungwoo’s capability. “Woah, really?” He looked bashful when he met your gaze, and you had to admire the fact that he hadn’t bragged about this to you; you’d met far too many boys who boasted and gloated about their many triumphs, talking themselves up in a completely unnecessary and unlikable way. Jungwoo wasn’t one of these boys, it seemed.

“It’s not like this is a hugerace,” he explained. “I only stand out locally. Plus, I have some pretty strong competition in this guy Jaehyun.”

“This is so crazy,” you expressed. “This whole street racing thing, I mean. It’s all been happening right under my nose and I had no idea. I didn’t even know it existed, really. I kind of thought it was just a movie thing.”

“It’s very real, baby,” Jungwoo assured you. You had to admit, you weren’t at all mad about the pet name he’d assigned to you; your heart fluttered each time the word passed his lips.

Yuta returned with your food, and you all tucked in. The boys hadn’t been exaggerating about the quality of this place - the fries were heavenly, the burger not too greasy.

“You know what they say about street racing, right?” Sicheng asked you, and you looked at him inquisitively. “Street racing started when they made the second car.” You smiled at the charming proverb.

“Drive fast and leave a sexy corpse, that’s my motto,” Yukhei said, around a mouthful of burger. Jungwoo snorted out a laugh, and Sicheng rolled his eyes though he was clearly amused. You caught Jungwoo’s gaze, and your own laughter doubled. There was a certain happiness that erupted within you, whenever you made eye contact with the boy.

You had to admit, this night was the most fun you’d had in a long time. You hadn’t met up with any friends in a while, now that you were a night owl, and you appreciated the way these three boys accepted you into their circle.

*

It was almost instantaneous, the switch in your life from loner to social butterfly. You began spending your nights with Jungwoo, Yukhei, and Sicheng, either racing, hanging in the diner, or otherwise exploring the city. You and Jungwoo had grown close, faster than you would’ve expected. He set off fireworks in your heart, stars erupting whenever you closed your eyes.

“What did you do before I came along?” you asked Sicheng as he poured you a cup of hot cocoa, in the parking lot that had grown incredibly familiar. “This must be so boring on your own.”

“I didn’t come to watch them race often,” Sicheng said. “I come to the big races, and we hang out a lot anyways - it’s not easy to find other people who are pretty much nocturnal. But Jungwoo asked me to come along to keep you company that first night.”

You hummed in acknowledgement. You supposed this was a new routine for more than just you.

“Oh, shit,” Sicheng muttered suddenly, looking past you. You turned to see red flashing lights, a police car cruising by silently.

“That’s bad, right?” you asked Sicheng, your heart spiking with nerves.

“It’s not good,” he confirmed, grimacing.

“What’ll happen if they’re caught?”

“They’ll probably get taken down to the station,” he explained. “After that, who knows.” Sicheng seemed worried, going by the tense look on his face, and his agitation was contagious. A sense of panic began to set in, and you chewed your lip anxiously.

“If they realise cops are patrolling before they’re caught, they should manage to get away okay,” he said, and you nodded in understanding.

After a few minutes, a few tense and painful minutes, a car rolled into a parking lot - Yukhei’s. He drove to you and Sicheng, parking up and climbing out.

“Where’s Jungwoo?” were the first words that passed your lips, urgent and hurried.

“Hiding out, I hope,” Yukhei responded, running a hand through his hair. “Fucking cop car, patrolling. We split when we saw it.”

Your worries weren’t eased in the slightest. “I’ll try texting him.” When you pulled your phone out of your pocket, you realised your hands were shaking.

Are you okay??? you tapped out, as quickly as you could. Moments passed. “He’s not replying,” you exhaled.

“Don’t worry, okay? It could mean he’s on the road, driving back here,” Yukhei said.

“It could also mean he’s been caught,” Sicheng mentioned. You saw Yukhei shoot him a look that said not helping.

Yukhei patted you on the shoulder. “Jungwoo’s survived much closer calls than this, alright? He’s tough. He’ll be fine.”

Though it felt like hours had passed, it had only been eight minutes, and you knew this precisely as you’d been checking your phone for messages the whole time. When the hum of Jungwoo’s engine neared, and he arrived at the parking lot, you audibly gasped. He jumped out of his car, and the sight of him, unscathed, brought relief that was almost overwhelming. You ran to him, hugging him tightly.

“Hey, hey, I’m alright. It’s okay,” Jungwoo reassured you with a surprised laugh, wrapping his arms around you. You pulled away, feeling shy all of a sudden, though Jungwoo kept a hold on you, arm wrapped around your waist.

“You think there was a leak?” Jungwoo asked.

“Maybe,” Yukhei responded with a shrug.

“A leak?” you asked. “What do you mean?”

“The police may have gotten word that there’s a race planned here. They don’t usually patrol this area,” Jungwoo explained, still holding you close.

“That’s what makes it a perfect racing spot,” Yukhei added. “No speed cameras, no police.”

Jungwoo sighed. “Let’s just call it quits for tonight, yeah? I’ll talk to Johnny tomorrow, see what he knows.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Yukhei agreed. “Let me know if you hear anything.”

“C’mon, baby,” Jungwoo said, ushering you to his car.

The ride home was strangely silent. You didn’t think it had ever been this quiet between the two of you, not since your laundry room days. When Jungwoo parked up in the garage, he paused before getting out of the car, turning to you.

“Hey,” he said softly, placing a comforting hand on your knee. “You okay?” You simply nodded, eyes trained on your lap. “Look at me,” he said, and you did. His eyes were wide, genuine concern evident in his expression.

“I was really worried about you tonight,” you explained, and he smiled.

“I know,” he said gently. “That’s not something I’m used to, y’know? There usually isn’t anyone to worry about me like this.” His voice didn’t call for pity. If anything, he sounded amused by your outburst.

“I don’t know what came over me. I was terrified for you, Jungwoo.”

His smile turned into more of a smirk. “Maybe you just care about me, baby.”

“I do. I really do.” Your heart was racing, pounding at an alarming rate. Looking at Jungwoo, this hurricane of a man who had stormed his way into your life, you felt something you couldn’t explain. You wanted to be close to him, to stay close to him forever. When he slowly leaned in, you closed your eyes and waited for his lips to find yours.

They were soft - softer than you would’ve expected. His touch was light as a feather when he cupped your cheek. Your hands went to him automatically, settling on his body as though they were always supposed to be there; your left landing on his shoulder, your right flat on his chest. Jungwoo deepened the kiss without hesitation, sliding his tongue past your lips and using it expertly. A small moan emerged from within you, and Jungwoo pulled away before things got any more intense. You were left panting slightly, adrenaline coursing through you.

“I care about you too, for the record,” Jungwoo stated, and you smiled, shaking your head in amusement.

“Do you want to come to my apartment?” you invited him.

“I’d love to.”

*

You awoke as the sun was setting, golden rays filtering through your curtains. You blinked yourself awake, eyes adjusting to the room. Jungwoo was sitting at the edge of your bed, scrolling through his phone. You smiled to yourself, admiring his frame, the wide expanse of his shoulders. You noticed his eyebrows tied together, frustration etched into his features, and wondered just what he was looking at.

“Morning,” you greeted him sleepily, before amending, “Evening.”

“Hey, baby,” he replied, expression softening into a kind smile once he saw that you were awake. “You sleep well?”

You nodded. “Everything okay?”

Jungwoo laughed, a stressed chuckle, as he ran his hand through his hair. “One of our message boards was infiltrated - everything’s coded, but we can’t take any risks, especially not after last night. We’re gonna have to change the location of the race.”

“Oh no,” you said with a frown, moving to sit beside him. He lifted his arm, and you cuddled into his side, savoring his warmth. You tried hard not to smile to yourself, given Jungwoo’s unfortunate situation. You hadn’t realised just how much you’d craved his touch until you got it, and now you’d gotten a taste, you never wanted to let go.

Jungwoo groaned. “This is gonna throw me off, big-time.”

“But it’ll throw everyone else off, too. That could be a bonus,” you pointed out.

“You’re right,” he agreed, planting a kiss on the top of your head. “Plus, I have you now. My good luck charm.”

You smiled into the warm skin of his bare chest. This was a big obstacle, very close to the race. But, even with your very limited knowledge on the subject, Jungwoo seemed like a very competent racer. You knew he’d push through this.

*

The boys hadn’t been exaggerating about the sheer energy these big races brought. There was an electricity in the air, and you felt inexplicably giddy, as though all your hairs were standing on end.

Floodlights shone down on the parking lot - not the one you’d been visiting, unfortunately, but a revised location on the other side of the city. The place was swarming, a whole crowd of people packed into the lot. Around fifty, if you had to estimate. Drinking, laughing, preparing. You didn’t know what you’d expected, in terms of demographics, but you were surprised. People from all walks of life were here; punks with brightly coloured mohawks, men who wouldn’t look out of place as lawyers or accountants, some of the most beautiful women you’d ever seen. It seemed that the art of street racing was seductive to all types of people.

You clutched Jungwoo’s hand as you looked out at everyone, standing beside his trusty car. You knew he was nervous, but he didn’t show it. He smiled down at you, giving your hand a squeeze.

“You’re gonna do amazing,” you reassured him, planting a kiss on his cheek.

“I know,” he said, hints of a smirk on his lips. He looked past you suddenly, scowling. “Who let you in here?”

You turned to see a man approaching, a smug look plastered on his face. He was tall, as tall as Jungwoo, and handsome. Though his charm was different to Jungwoo’s; where Jungwoo was pretty, puppy-dog eyes and a bright smile, Jaehyun was angular, cocky grin and dark eyes.

“Could ask the same about you,” he shot back. “You ready to get your ass kicked?”

Jungwoo sighed, shaking his head with a smile. “Don’t try to trash talk me, Jaehyun. It’s embarrassing.”

“I’m not gonna be the one who’s embarrassed, Kim,” Jaehyun denied. “See you out there.”

“You won’t see me, man,” Jungwoo called out to him as he walked away. “You’ll be left behind in my dust.” Jaehyun failed to reply, only shooting Jungwoo the middle finger behind his back. Jungwoo snorted in laughter.

“So, that’s Jaehyun?” you asked. You’d heard about him, from Jungwoo and the others. He was one of the only racers who was on Jungwoo’s level, his biggest competitor. He’d won the last race, and Jungwoo was determined to take back the crown.

“Yeah, that’s him,” Jungwoo nodded. “Nasty piece of work, right?”

“Yeah, awful,” you agreed with a laugh - it wasn’t serious. The two of them were rivals, that much was evident, but you sensed a great deal of respect between them, without a doubt. They challenged each other, pushed each other to be better, and it seemed that they appreciated each other for that.

An air horn sounded suddenly, and you grasped Jungwoo’s hand a little tighter in surprise. He grinned at you, and you laughed as your cheeks heated. You were just so excited, so worked up, that it made you jumpy. “That’s the signal, babe,” Jungwoo explained. “Kiss for good luck?” You complied, giving him one last lingering kiss.

You reconvened with Sicheng, watching as Jungwoo and Yukhei got in their cars and drove towards the starting line. There were six cars, in total, with Jungwoo, Yukhei, and Jaehyun accounting for three of them. Yukhei’s nimble red car stood out among the bunch; Jaehyun’s was a deep blue, bigger than Yukhei or Jungwoo’s; however Jungwoo’s was certainly the most impressive of the bunch, with her stark white stripes. You could have been biased, though.

Your heart was pounding. With nerves, with excitement, possibly even a bit of fear. This was racing - realracing. You knew how dangerous it could get. After all, you’d fixed up Jungwoo’s injuries yourself. And, really, he was lucky to get away that lightly.

The parking lot was near silent as the cars lined up. You and Sicheng stood, a few metres away from the line of cars. You looked at Jungwoo, through his windshield. There was a look on his face, determined and excited, that made your heart flutter.

You’d never felt a silence so heavy, never heard a silence so loud. It was as though every single person was holding their breath. The tension sunk its sharp, jagged teeth into your skin, and you dug your nails into your palm.

“On your marks,” boomed a voice, amplified by a megaphone.

“Get set.” Engines revved.

“Go!”

Almost the instant the word had been uttered, the cars had sped off, leaving no trace behind. The crowd erupted, whooping and cheering. Sicheng pulled you into a hug, and you laughed as you held him close. There was a certain high that came from this, an adrenaline rush. You could barely even imagine how Jungwoo must be feeling, flying down the streets at lightning speed.

“You look nervous,” Sicheng commented, the corner of his mouth lifting. You gave him a small smile in response. “Jungwoo knows what he’s doing,” he reassured you, and you nodded. This felt so reminiscent of the times you’d spent with Sicheng, waiting for Jungwoo and Yukhei to finish racing, drinking hot cocoa and laughing together. Though it also felt wildly different. There was something riding on this race; Jungwoo’s pride and a lot of money. Your heart was pounding. A month ago you’d never spared a thought for street racing, and now? You’d give anythingfor one man to win this race.

The race was a little longer than what Jungwoo and Yukhei had been practicing - or maybe it only felt that way because you were sitting on the edge of your metaphorical seat. You could hear them, in the distance. An unmistakable low rumbling, thrumming through the asphalt. It grew louder, the cars drew nearer. You reached for Sicheng’s hand, clutching it tightly as butterflies raged in your stomach. You stepped forwards, peering down the street. You saw the headlights in the distance, as they turned onto the stretch of road. Sicheng gripped your shoulder, pulling you back gently from harm’s way, and you chuckled, a little embarrassed at your anxious enthusiasm.

You didn’t think you’d ever seen cars move that fast - in fact, you didn’t think you’d ever seen anythingmove that fast. You barely had time to blink, as Jungwoo and Jaehyun’s vehicles, a blur of black and navy, raced ahead of the others, appearing in front of you within an instant.

A screech, a deafening crashing sound, and a hoard of gasps met your ears all at once. If it weren’t for Sicheng’s grasp on your hand, you would’ve ran directly into the line of oncoming cars. “Jungwoo!” you heard yourself cry out, and although it was your voice, it sounded distant, far away.

“Hey, hey, [Name],” Sicheng said, pulling you closer to him. “He’s okay, Jungwoo’s okay.” His words were meant to soothe you, but his voice was still tinged with worry. You blinked, looking out at the scene in front of you.

The other cars whizzed by, driving past the wreck that Jaehyun’s car had become. Jungwoo had been the clear winner, as Jaehyun’s car had skidded off-course just a short distance from the finish line. The bumper had been dented, the metal crumpling as though it were paper. You watched as Jaehyun stumbled out of the driver’s side, mostly unscathed. A group of people ran to him, now that the cars had stopped flying by, carrying first aid kits, but you paid them no attention. You shrugged free of Sicheng’s grasp, running to where Jungwoo had stopped.

You caught sight of his car, dented along one side, and tears sprang to your eyes. Jungwoo climbed out when he saw you coming, and you held him at arm’s length, looking over him frantically. “Are you okay?” you asked, your voice barely rising above a whisper.

“Baby, baby, I’m fine,” Jungwoo breathed, pulling you into a hug.

“Jaehyun,” you uttered. “He-”

Jungwoo pulled back, kissing your forehead. “He’s okay,” he assured you. You followed his gaze to Jaehyun, whose forehead was being wiped by a makeshift medic. He gave the two of you a thumbs up, and Jungwoo waved back.

“You won,” you stated, looking back to Jungwoo.

“Yeah,” Jungwoo laughed. “I guess I did.”

“You don’t sound very happy,” you pointed out, caressing his cheek lightly.

“It doesn’t feel right - I feel like I’ve won unlawfully, y’know? I only won cause Jaehyun crashed-”

“Maybe, but you don’t know that for sure,” you told him. “You won, and that’s that.” Jungwoo sighed, and you kissed him.

An air horn sounded, and you jumped yet again. Jungwoo laughed. “That’s for me, babe.”

“And the winner is Kim Jungwoo,” called out the voice, crackly through the megaphone. Jungwoo raised his hands in victory, as a scatter of applause rang out for him.

“A million won, huh?” you said. “What you gonna spend it on?”

“Fixing up my car, probably,” he sighed, looking back at the dent in his vehicle. “And I might take my baby on vacation.”

You giggled, kissing him once more. This street racing thing was slightly terrifying, you had found. But it had its plus sides too.

PAIRING/CHARACTERS• jaehyun x fem!reader

GENRE • fluff, dad!jaehyun, idol!au, marriage!au

WORD COUNT• 2k

CONTENT WARNINGS • just two curse words

GELA SAYS • this was in my drafts for a very long time and this is highly inspired by my personal life; my parents worked a lot when i was a kid, especially my dad who worked abroad, so he writes letters to me, my siblings and my mom whenever he’s away for work hehe he still does it up to this day <3 this is for anon who got their heart broken after reading divorce papers eahsahahah, i hope this makes it up to u!  also pls lmk if the link at the end doesn’t work and i’ll send u a new one hehe

HAPPY READING!

Jaehyun left the country heartbroken. It’s been two years since physical concerts stopped and now that it’s happening again, he had no choice but to leave the comfort of his home and his family for work. Something he couldn’t explain to his 3-year-old daughter. The last time they went on tour, Jieun was just a few months old and had no idea that her father had left to work abroad for a while.

“I will send you something every now and then, call me if you need anything and I will literally fly my ass back to Korea in case of emergency.” He told you as he rummaged through his bag, looking for his earphones. “Mom and dad said they’ll visit whenever they can, they’re just driving distance from where we live so you can drop Jieun there if you need to run errands on the days she’s not in daycare.”

You chuckle at your husband, “Babe, I know the basics. Your parents have contacted me as well, we’re heading there after this.” You replied, “Please, please, pleasebe safe and avoid anything that will lead you to injury. It’s already hard seeing you go, and it’ll be much harder to know if you’re injured while you’re thousands of miles away from us.”

“Alright, thank you.” He sighed, finally found his earphones before facing you. “I’m definitely going to miss you two.”

The rest of the members were on their way here, Jaehyun personally asked his manager and the company if it was okay to head off to the airport with you and your daughter. Jieun was clueless — for now. She was amazed by how huge airports were and somehow, a miracle occurred, the three of you managed to enter this without any of paparazzies knowing. 

“Aww, look at you, a dad working abroad.” You tease, “We’ll miss you too, Jae. We’ll be fine, I promise.”

He was tempted to remove his facemask, wanting to kiss you on the lips, but it was too risky, and someone might notice and make a scene out of it. Instead, he wrapped his arm around your waist and kissed your temple even if there was a mask in between. After that, he sank down, turning his daughter’s attention from the chairs to him. 

“Jieun, daddy will be back in no time. Promise me you’ll be a good girl for mommy?” He said to the 3-year-old, extending his pinky out and waited for the toddler to wrap her small pinky to her dad’s. “Alright, once daddy comes back, I promise to take you to Everland and to the zoo. As long as you’re good to mommy and to your grandparents.”

“Are you coming back tomorrow, daddy?”

Ouch.That sentence made Jaehyun’s heart crack at some point. Jieun was a pandemic baby; she’s basically used to Jaehyun being around most of the time — even if he comes home late in the night after schedules or early in the morning. But this tour would be longer than Jieun expects; this tour covers at least 7 months abroad as they have scheduled 30 shows in different countries and cities which means they would either go back and forth to Korea or continue the tour for straight 7 months. “Um, well…”

“Daddy will be back before you know it baby,” You chimed in, realizing that he was having a hard time explaining his job to the toddler. “Right, daddy?”

Jaehyun nods his head in agreement, “I’ll be back in no time.” He lowered his mask, planting a kiss on his daughter’s cheek and stood up to plant a kiss on your temple. Fuck the paparazzi, I’m not going to see my girls for at least seven months. He thought. He bends down again and carries his daughter before taking you to his free arm. “Ah, I don’t think I can go through with this.”

“Jae baby, you’ve been dreaming about this day. You’ve always told me that you missed performing in concerts and here you are now… the two of us will be fine, I promise. We have your parents and mine,” You comfort, “We’ll Facetime you every night before she sleeps or whenever you’re available.”

He had no choice but to nod his head.

The first week has passed since Jaehyun left for Japan— their first stop of the world tour and 29 more weeks to go. Jieun cried throughout the weekend, in constant need to see her father. Since two countries share the same time zone, he, along with his 8 uncles, were able to facetime her every time they got the chance to. One time during dinner after the concert, Jieun insisted on calling her father to let him know that she was being a good girl and that she’d spent the day with her grandparents. Jieun’s energy was emptied that day, she didn’t even notice that she fell asleep in the middle of telling her father a story. The following day after that, you received a letter addressed from Japan. When you texted Jaehyun what it was about, he told you that he just wanted to try writing you two letters as it feels much personal to him. Jieun, despite her reading abilities, was excited to open her letter. It has become a personal thing and every time the group heads off to another country, he will send you two letters along with other memorabilia that he is reminded of you two. It was like that until the very end of the 7-month mark of their tour.

Jieun was fast asleep in her grandparents’ bedroom, taking her afternoon nap after playing with her grandfather. It felt like it was a perfect timing to share with your in-laws about the letters that your husband has been sending the past few months.

“I’ve told him he could also email me these things because imagine how much he’s already spent on shipping,” you told his mother, “But it’s cute, it’s romantic and Jieun looks forward to it every time we open the mailbox in the lobby of our apartment, she gets disappointed if it’s the bills - I, too, get disappointed.”

“Oh dear, Jaehyun loves writing. I think it started when he made one during kindergarten,”

“In Connecticut?”

Your mother-in-law nodded her head, setting down her cup of tea and stood up. “Wait here and I’ll grab some of the things he’s written to me and his father.”

Not even five minutes later, she returns to the dining area with a clear medium box filled with photographs, letters and memorabilia. She pulls out an album containing photographs of their stay in America, their travels when he was younger, basically everything that happened in Jaehyun taken in photographs. It was so cute that you were already thinking of doing the same with Jieun, recalling the Google drive you made where you store every photo of your daughter and have made a decision to print all those photos and create a box like this one. 

Jaehyun’s mom pulls out a frame, the first thing you notice were the two small handprints of color green and yellow. The piece was titled: My Handprints dated August 15, 2001. He was four years old and in kindergarten. You look at your mother-in-law, she was smiling yet feeling really emotional.

“I’m sorry, it’s just… he was four when he did this in school and I just can’t believe that time has gone by so fast.” She said, wiping a tear that escaped her eye. “You know, Y/N, I was really happy the day Jieun was born. She looked so small and looked like your husband. She’s almost the same age as Jaehyun when he wrote this poem.”

You comfort her, rubbing your hand on her back as you read the poem:

You’ll wonder how I grew so quick

When and where and why?

That hang here on your wall,

And memories will come back of me,

When I was very small…

Love,

Jay

After that visit to your in-laws, the following day, you and Jieun head off to the closest stationery store and grab the things you need such as paper, pen, frame as well as paint and stickers. You thought of surprising Jaehyun as he will be arriving tomorrow with something like the poem he made when he was young. When you told Jieun about it, she was thrilled and wanted to go home straight after your small date (you promised her ice cream, but she was too distracted about your plan that she didn’t ask to stop at the parlour).

“Mommy, what do I say to daddy?” She asked, holding a pencil, and started writing broken letters as best as she could.

“Hmm, you can write about how much you missed him. Can mommy guide you with writing?”

“Yes, please!”

You chuckle, carrying your daughter to the kitchen table and sat her on your lap before holding her small hand that held a pencil. So far, so good that her small hand was cooperating as you write on the paper. After writing, you’ve asked her if she wanted anything else to put on it, she decided to put stickers on them instead of paint because according to her, paint is very messy (based on her daycare experience). It was hard putting her to sleep, knowing that her dad will arrive in a few hours. When you did, successfully put her to bed, you wrapped your gift and hid it in Jieun’s bedroom next to her bed.

You woke up feeling someone plant kisses on your cheek, at first you thought it was Jieun because lately, she enjoys doing that. But you smelled the familiar scent of Jaehyun’s cologne, your eyes opened, and you jolted up in bed. You immediately wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him closer to you, inhaling his scent and even pinched yourself to check if he really was home.

“Are- are you really home? Am I not dreaming? But you said you’ll arrive at 4 o’clock in the afternoon! I haven’t cleaned the house- well, it’s no longer important, you’re back!”

Jaehyun laughs, “I am home, wifey. I wanted to surprise you and Jieun, Johnny and his wife dropped me off.” He explained, the tip of his fingers playing with your skin, “It’s only 7 o’ clock, do you want to… you know-”

Jaehyun was immediately cut off when the bedroom door opens and spits out your daughter holding her favorite stuffed toy. Her hair was messy, and she was rubbing sleepiness out of her eyes. “Mommy, I’m hungry- DADDY!” She squeals, dropping the toy and ran to her father.

“Hello princess. Good morning,” Jaehyun greets, tucking a few hair strands behind her ear and kissed her cheeks. “Have you been good?”

“I have!”

As Jieun babbles about her experience for the past seven months, the three of you head to the kitchen. You prepare breakfast, chocolate chip pancakes as your daughter requested.

“Sweetie, don’t you want to show daddy your gift to him?” You asked, and the moment you put the plate in front of her, she runs off to her bedroom.

“Gift? What gift?”

“Oh, it’s just something to thank you for all those letters and words of affirmation you’ve been sending us the past seven months.”

Jieun returns to the dining area with a box and a huge grin on her face. She hands it to her dad and climbs to his lap to watch her father’s hands as he rips the wrapping paper, revealing the letter that you two wrote and framed last night. Jaehyun’s smile grows big as he reads the content, his heart softens and looks at you: “Babe, this is amazing.”

“We went to your parents’ house the other day and your mom showed me the poem and letters you wrote to them when you were young. I thought I’d do the same thing for Jieun.”

Jaehyun puts the frame down on the table and carried Jieun before walking up to you and kisses your lips. “You two are the best.”

“Welcome home, daddy singer.”

(Jieun’s gift to Jaehyun)

COPYRIGHT © THEJE0NGS. 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

DO NOT REPOST OR TRANSLATE.

JJH |

in which painter!reader asks her boyfriend, jaehyun, to help her with her art.

and that’s when jaehyun decided to bring out the kit.

PAIRING/CHARACTERS ✎ jaehyun x fem!reader

GENRE/CATEGORY ✎ smut

CONTENT WARNINGS ✎ 18+, nipple/breast play, using paint during sex (does paint play exist ? lol), unprotected sex (wrap it before u tap it), riding, missionary, doggy style, hair pulling (m&f), spanking, profanities

WORD COUNT ✎ 2.3k

GELA SAYS ✎ …oh my god sorry for being absent for so long lmao my semester just ended and honestly i had a hard time writing so i had to take a break for awhile and now i’m back ! this feels rushed (because it is :/) but i hope ya’ll will like it <3 please excuse the typos and grammatical errors, i’ll edit it once i find the time :D enjoy ! also pls lmk if i missed anything on the warnings ~

SONG REC ✎ ten - paint me naked

HAPPY READING!

Ah yes, it was one of those moments that you feel unmotivated and out of ideas. 

You were asked to paint something unique for the new art gallery opening in a few days that was set for a bidding; despite the fact that you were given a heads-up months ago, you still haven’t done anything. There was no picture forming into your head, and it was starting to worry you because it felt like your career was on the line.

Jaehyun had come home to a dark apartment after his schedule for the day. It was already one in the morning, he was a hundred percent sure you were asleep by now. As he removed his shirt and tossed it to the hamper, he noticed the faint light coming from your workroom. The door was agape, and he saw you standing in front of probably the biggest canvas he’s ever seen. He leans against the doorframe as he watches you unbutton your jumpsuit, revealing the sports bra you were wearing underneath. He bit his lower lip, god,you just looked so hot with your hair messed up and your bra. 

“How’s the painting going?” Jaehyun asked, wrapping his arms around your bare waist, causing you to flinch and drop your brush.

“I have nothing, until now- I’m actually starting to get worried.” You replied, massaging his knuckles “Can you help me with some ideas?”

Jaehyun’s eyes widened as he held you in his arms, you weren’t the type to ask him for ideas. He knew you loved working alone and gathering ideas on your own, and this was the first time you had asked him something like that. Some people think that your way of working is selfish, but it was how you got famous in the art stardom and besides, for sure, you weren’t the only artist who prefers to be alone. Jaehyun stares out the window, hoping to find ideas in the calm city. 

Then he remembers something that you brought home a few months ago. 

“Wait here.” Jaehyun unclasps his arms and runs outside the room, leaving you confused.

He returns back a few minutes later with a box and a huge grin on his face.

“Nope, we’re not gonna do that.” You shook your head, “Nope.”

“Why not? We’re both topless and you asked me for ideas and now I’m giving you one!” He argued, “plus, Ten has a song called Paint Me Naked. I… well, thought of that, too.”

In his hand rests the passion erotic art kit brought by your sister as her giveaway during her housewarming. According to her, when you visited her house, one of the paintings hanging inside the bedroom was made by her and her husband using thatkit. Jaehyun wanted to use it for so long, but with his schedules and yours, that kit has been long forgotten under your bed. You were used to having paint stains all over your body, but painting withyour body? Hell no.

“Babe, we’re too messy when we… do thatthing and it’s even going to be messier if we do it with painting!” You sigh, walking towards him and sandwiched his face between your hands, “I love you and the fact that you tried giving me an idea even though I usually don’t ask, amazes me. Now, let’s just go shower together and sleep. Pretty sure I can come up with something tomorrow.”

Jaehyun pushes his lower lip out and you giggled, planting a kiss to stop his tantrum. You take away the box in his hand and put it somewhere around the room, pushing him out of your work area and inside the bathroom. Once Jaehyun and you are settled in the small bathtub, your tense muscles calm down as you listen to Jaehyun talk about his day.

While Jaehyun slept next to you, you were brainstorming. Actually, Jaehyun’s idea wasn’t… that bad and it would be unique and new to your collection and portfolio! The problem is, you’re not sure how you would explain it to the curator. ‘Oh, me and my boyfriend used our bodies to create that artwork’? But you were already desperate to finish the project. You tried to nudge Jaehyun’s arm, but he didn’t move. You tried poking his cheek, but then again, no response. Sighing, you threw the duvet off your body and got out of bed. Maybe milk would help you calm down and help you feel sleepy.

“Babe.” You let out a gasp, almost dropping the glass of milk. You turned around and looked over your shoulder to check, “It’s 4 o’ clock, why are you stillawake?”

“I can’t sleep, that stupid painting is making me anxious and it feels like my whole career is going south if I won’t come up with something.”

“Baby,” Jaehyun said in a calm voice, walking towards you and engulfed you in a hug, burying his head on the crook of your neck. “You’re a great artist, a remarkable one— don’t pressure yourself because if you do, you won’t get the piece you wanted. Because you forced yourself to finish it.”

“But I’m running out of time!” Jaehyun sighs at your remark, biting his lower lip as he thinks of a way to help you resolve your problem. “I’m even considering your idea.”

It was like Jaehyun regained energy when he heard you say that “You sure? We don’t have to do it just because— no, um, we can still think of other ideas now that we’re both awake.”

“How about we do your idea and if it didn’t come out the way I wanted it, we can brainstorm.”

“Deal.”

You turned around, placing your hands behind his neck, pulling him closer until there was only a small space between the two of you; “We can start right now if you’d like.”

“Baby, you’re the artist… it’s up to you.” He replied, “Been awhile since we last did it, hmm?”

You hum in response, inhaling the scent of his body wash as you bury yourself on his neck, your fingers unbuttoning his top. You could feel his hands travel on your waist, down to your hips until his hands settled on your ass. His biceps tighten when he lifts you up while you pepper his face and neck with kisses, he could feel your body temperature change in a short amount of time. He then puts you down in front of the door of your work area, before opening the door he claims your lips in his. Sloppy and could echo throughout the whole room. 

You like it when he pulls your hair, he likes it as well; the way you let out a loud moan as he grips onto the strands of your hair turns him on so bad. 

“W-wait, we have to prepare the paint and clothe—”

You stopped mid-sentence when you noticed a huge plastic laying on the floor and the cotton canvas which seems to come from the art kit he suggested using earlier. You raised your brows and faced Jaehyun, “…I was just preparing in case you wanted to give it a shot, and you did that’s why I prepared it beforehand while you were still in the shower.”

“You know me so damn well.” You smiled, taking his lips and started to tug his t-shirt, signaling him to remove it. When he pulled away from your kiss, you too, removed your shirt, your breasts bounced when the fabric was removed and Jaehyun could feel his dick twitch at the scene he just witnessed. God, you are so fucking perfect.

Like a baby in need of milk, Jaehyun latches his mouth on your nipple, the other is being massaged by his free hand. This time, you were the one who pulled his hair. When he bits your bud gently, you couldn’t help but let out a moan and throw your head back, pulling his hair a bit harder. Jaehyun is messy whenever he’s got your breasts in his mouth— his saliva was everywhere as he was swirling his tongue around the nub, sending shivers all over your body.

“Jae, hold on— our pants.” You say, letting go of his hair and pulled yourself away from him. “It’s not gonna be easy doing the laundry with clothes stained with paint.”

“Oh yeah, sorry. I could’ve ripped your pants off if you didn’t say anything,”

After discarding the remaining clothes you two had, you both kneeled down, grabbing the paint that was included in the packaging. There were five colors in total— red, peach, two shades of blue and white. You asked Jaehyun if the paint can easily be washed or safe to use, fortunately, they are. You were worried about having paint on your pussy and having to explain that to a doctor would be a nightmare. And that was tonight’s goal: to not have any paint near your private areas.

The two of you opened the caps of paint, drizzling some of them on the canvas, some on the exposed and easy to wash parts of your body like on your leg, knee, arm, his chest and his toned back. You weren’t sure on how this thing works, you’re an artist, someone familiar in nude art but nude art usingyourownbody? It was like a whole new world for you. Jaehyun suggests for you to ride him because it would be much easier to get rid of the paint already as they might stick on your hair. The paint on your palm prints on the canvas the moment you hold onto it for balance as your boyfriend helps you guide his hard cock to your embarrassingly wet pussy. 

“You’re filthy, Jeong Jaehyun.” You moan, feeling his dick stretch your walls as you sink down. “O-oh, fuck…”

Jaehyun’s hand rests on your hips, guiding you and taking the lead for the first few seconds. He lets out a groan when he feels you clench around him. When he is certain that you are able to work on your own, his hands travel on your breasts, kneading them— his right hand that was once covered in peach paint, all transferred to your boobs. He wipes the remaining paint on the canvas, leaving a visible handprint. Then again, you started to pick up the pace, causing his hands to move back to your hips.

“Slowly baby, we’ve got the time in our hands.” He said, lifting his upper body to plant a kiss on your lips and lie down again. “I’ll take the lead, hmm?”

You nodded your head, placing your white and red colored palms on his chest, marking your hand on it. 

“Fuck baby, you look so fucking hot.” He said, “I love you being on top, but fuck— switch. I gotta fuck you on my favorite position.” 

Satisfied (because you were tired), you pulled out of him, you both moaned in sync. On fours, ass up, head down. The breasts that Jaehyun colored paints something on the canvas, specifically on the place where he laid his back earlier, mixing the colors of peach and blue altogether. You let out a gasp when Jaehyun enters you wholly and drags his cock out, running it on your wet slit.

“Pretty pussy.” He said, forcefully slamming his hips again and earning a loud moan from you. “You told me earlier that I’m filthy, you’re filthy too, baby. Look at you taking my cock so well with paint all over your body.”

You whine when you felt a sting on your buttcheeks and his hand running on the place he just spanked, “What would you tell the people in the gallery, pretty? Imagine their reactions when you tell them this is our masterpiece because the materials you used are our bodies…”

“I- oh my god, J-jae faster—” You started gripping on the canvas, crumpling the cloth. You could feel paint come contact with your cheek as Jaehyun rammed into you faster, like what you said. His nails dig on the skin of your hips, you were pretty sure it will leave a few marks there later. “J-jae, fuck, baby- I’m close… please…”

You clench harder, unable to take the pace he was in. You could hear the plastic underneath the cloth you were laying on move as his feet dug onto it. He was letting out loud groans as he pounded into you harshly, abusing your pussy - at this point, you were starting to see stars. If possible, the inside of your head as you kept on rolling your eyes in pleasure. 

“Pussy… feels so… fucking good.”

The moment you released, you felt as if a lump somewhere in your body was finally out, but Jaehyun wasn’t at his climax yet and was not satisfied with the position. He instructs you to turn around, pulling his dick out before helping you flip yourself. You were now in a missionary position; one leg was pushed to your chest while Jaehyun rams himself inside of you again. Your stained hands grabbed the back of his neck, pulling him close to you as he tried to reach his climax. Each thrust he gives; you roll your eyes in pleasure. 

“N-near…” He whispered against your jaw before planting a kiss on it.

By the time he painted your walls white, you came for the second time.

“Jaehyun, I saw on the news that Y/N was one of the highest paid artists in that gallery the other day.” Ten says to Jaehyun after bumping into him in the halls of their company. “That painting is amazing.”

“Yeah, well, we never really got to thank you.” Confused, Ten asked him what he had to do about your painting. “Oh, well, Y/N was actually having a hard time thinking about what she had to paint… I thought of your song - Paint Me Naked, and… well, boom!We created a masterpiece.”

The older didn’t know what to feel - honored that the piece you made was inspired by his song or that his friend just used his song to have sex with you. “Well, um, I don’t know what to feel - s-should I be honored or…?” Then it hit him, “Man fuck you, you ruined the song for me…”

The younger one only laughed at him.

COPYRIGHT © THEJE0NGS. 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

DO NOT REPOST OR TRANSLATE.

JJH, JSC | , mini series masterlist

This is a mini-series written by theje0ngs to celebrate her first year of writing here on tumblr. The memories will be unlocked every now and then so make sure to watch out and share a memory with Jaehyun, Sungchan and theje0ngs!

We’ve all experienced joy, sadness, anger, andfear in our lives.

Like Riley’s memories, the memories we made are kept somewhere in our brain.

These memories have brought significant changes in one’s life, the memories that brought joy, sadness, anger, andfear to Jaehyun and Sungchan’s lives.

And these are those memories,

JAEHYUN’S CORE MEMORIES:

• MEMORY FROM AUGUST 19, 2013 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM DECEMBER 09, 2013 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM APRIL 09, 2016 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM FEBRUARY 14, 2018 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM JANUARY 23, 2022 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM FEBRUARY 14, 2025 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM APRIL 24, 2026 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM FEBRUARY 27, 2027 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM OCTOBER 24, 2030 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM NOVEMBER 12, 2035 LOCKED.

SUNGCHAN’S CORE MEMORIES:

• MEMORY FROM MARCH 29, 2011 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM SEPTEMBER 13, 2014 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM APRIL 12, 2015 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM JANUARY 19, 2016 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM MAY 12, 2017 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM JULY 21, 2018 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM FEBRUARY 02, 2019 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM JANUARY 09, 2023 LOCKED.
• MEMORY FROM DECEMBER 24, 2028 LOCKED.

우리가 나눴던 추억들,

Our Memories,

COPYRIGHT © THEJE0NGS. 2022. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

DO NOT REPOST OR TRANSLATE.