Especially then
synopsis: five times he talks about something he loves. one time you kiss him for it.
pairing: fem!reader x jake warnings: kissing, excessive softness, nerd boyfriend jake
⋆˚｡ - one
it happens the first time on a random tuesday night.
you’re both sprawled across his bed, your back against the headboard while he sits cross legged near your knees, hoodie sleeves pushed up, hair a little messy from practice. he’s supposed to be resting. instead, he’s talking.
“okay but listen, you don’t understand,” he says, eyes wide, hands already moving. “layla actually outsmarted me.”
you hide your smile behind your hand. “your dog outsmarted you.”
“no seriously,” he insists, scooting closer. “i was eating chicken, right? and she was doing that thing where she just sits there and stares at you like she pays rent.”
“she should.”
“exactly. so i ignore her. for like ten whole minutes. i’m strong.”
“very impressive.”
“but then she sighs. like this dramatic, offended sigh. and i swear to you, she slowly turns her back to me.”
you laugh. “she turned her back?”
“yeah. like she was disappointed in me. and then she lays down facing the wall.” he demonstrates, twisting his body away from you in mock betrayal.
“and suddenly i feel guilty. like i betrayed her. so i call her name and she ignores me.”
“queen behavior,” you mumble.
“right? so i tap her and she looks at me over her shoulder like this.” he explains as he gives you the most exaggerated sad puppy eyes you’ve ever seen.
your heart actually hurts.
“and then i give her chicken,” he finishes triumphantly. “she trained me. i didn’t train her.”
you reach forward and squish his cheeks, “you’re so gone for her.”
“she’s my daughter,” he says, completely serious.
you let him keep going. he spends another fifteen minutes telling you about how she refuses to sit on cold floors and how she recognizes his suitcase and how she pretends not to hear commands when she’s “emotionally overwhelmed.”
you don’t interrupt once.
⋆˚｡ - two
the second time is at the kitchen counter.
it’s late. he’s leaning over his phone, scrolling through videos, showing you pictures of lakes.
“look at this one,” he says, sliding closer until your shoulders touch. “imagine fishing here.”
“it’s just water.”
“no it’s not just water. look at the trees. that’s like prime spot.”
“prime for what.”
“for peace,” he says dramatically. “you wake up early. like five am.”
“five am is illegal.”
“no no. you wake up, it’s misty. you’ve got coffee. you cast the line.” he makes the motion, nearly elbowing a bowl off the counter.
“and then you just wait.”
“that sounds like doing nothing.”
“that’s the point,” he says, turning to you like you’ve deeply offended the concept of fishing. “you just exist. and then when you feel the tug-” his hands grab your wrist to demonstrate.
“-your heart starts racing. and then you reel it in. and even if it’s small it feels like you accomplished something.”
you tilt your head. “so you want to wake up at five am to stare at water and fight fish.”
“yes.”
“romantic.”
“it is romantic,” he argues. “you’d look cute in one of those bucket hats.”
“oh so this is about fashion.”
“no,” he says quickly, cheeks pink. “i mean. maybe. but also imagine us just sitting there. no schedule. no noise.” his voice softens. “just us.”
and that’s when you realize he isn’t just yapping.
he’s dreaming.
so you let him.
he spends another ten minutes explaining bait types and how he once tried fishing and mostly just tangled the line but “that’s not the point.”
you nod through all of it.
⋆˚｡ - three
the third time is in the living room floor, pieces of plastic scattered everywhere.
he’s holding up his phone again. “look at this lego set,” he says, gasping like he’s discovered treasure.
“how many do you have already.”
“not enough.”
“jake.”
“listen. this one is a vintage car. and the detailing? insane. and i saw this architecture series too.” he leans forward, practically vibrating. “building legos is therapy. you just follow instructions. everything makes sense.”
“you like instructions.”
“yes. they don’t argue back.”
you shove his shoulder, fighting the urge to laugh.
he grins.
“and when you finish, you can just look at it and think. i did that.” he pauses, eyes bright. “also i want a shelf. like a proper display. with lighting.”
“of course you do.”
“imagine coming over and just seeing a wall of legos.”
“i do come over.”
“okay but imagine it more.” he laughs at himself, running a hand through his hair.
“i just think it’s cool. tiny pieces becoming something big.”
you watch him talk, watch the way his eyebrows lift and his hands move and how he forgets to breathe when he’s excited.
you let him explain the difference between sets for nearly half an hour.
you don’t tease him.
you don’t interrupt.
you just watch.
⋆˚｡ - four
the fourth time is after practice. he’s flopped onto the couch, exhausted but somehow still talking.
“so jungwon hyung was trying to be serious,” he starts, already smiling.
“that never ends well.”
“no listen. he was giving this speech about teamwork. and then sunghoon just stares at him and goes ‘are you done’.”
you snort.
“and then jay starts clapping. slow. sarcastic.”
“oh my god.”
“and then ni-ki falls off the chair laughing. like actually falls.” he’s half sitting now, reenacting each member’s reaction with concerning accuracy.
“and heeseung just sighs like a disappointed dad.”
“that sounds about right.”
“we’re chaotic,” he admits fondly. “but i like it. even when we fight. it’s loud but it’s home.”
there’s something soft in his voice again.
you reach for his hand this time.
he intertwines your fingers automatically, still talking about how they ended up ordering food at midnight and arguing over who finished the last drink.
you let him ramble.
because every time he talks about the people he loves, his voice changes.
⋆˚｡ - five
and then there’s the fifth time.
you’re both lying on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
he turns his head suddenly.
“did you know that time actually moves slower if you’re moving fast.”
you blink. “what.”
“like. if you’re on a spaceship going near the speed of light. time passes slower for you than for someone standing still.”
you stare at him.
“are you okay.”
“no listen,” he says, scooting closer. “it’s called time dilation. it’s real. so technically if i left earth and came back, you’d be older than me.”
“so your plan is to abandon me for science.”
“it’s not abandonment. it’s physics.”
he starts explaining spacetime like he personally invented it, hands tracing invisible diagrams in the air.
“gravity bends time too. like near a black hole. time slows down.”
“you’re such a nerd.”
“but isn’t that crazy?” he whispers. “like time isn’t fixed. it changes.”
he’s so animated. so earnest.
you can’t stand it anymore.
“jake,” you say softly.
“yeah but imagine-”
you lean up and press your lips to his.
he freezes. like completely.
his words cut off mid sentence.
for a second he doesn’t even move.
then he melts.
it’s slow. warm. his hand comes up to your jaw like he’s afraid you’ll disappear. and when you pull back, his eyes are wide.
“i-”
you kiss him again. shorter this time.
he makes the smallest confused noise.
“was that because i was talking too much?” he asks carefully.
you smile, brushing your thumb over his cheek. “no.”
“then why?”
“because you’re the cutest when you talk about something you love.”
he goes quiet.
actually quiet.
you can see the way his brain short circuits.
“you think i’m cute..?” he says, dazed.
“very.”
“even when i’m explaining time bending.”
“especially then.”
his ears turn red. “oh.”
you nudge his shoulder. “keep going. you were saying something about black holes.”
he stares at you like you’ve just handed him the universe. “really?”
“really.”
and just like that, he lights back up.
“okay so basically-”
he dives right back in, words tumbling over each other, hands moving again, eyes shining.
this time he talks even closer to you.and every now and then he pauses. like he’s wondering if you’ll kiss him again.
you let him wonder.
and you let him talk.
for as long as he wants.
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note: okay guys thank you so much for all the support on my first post like it seriously means so much, it really pushed me to get this one out but i hope you guys like it 👅👅 show some love and alsooo before i forget don’t be afraid to leave asks or requests, im super open to hearing out what you guys have to say!!
