As long as you’re with Yeonjun, there’s no place you’d rather be. Even if it’s sitting across from each other while you chug beers at his kitchen table.
genre: fluff, friends to lovers !! also lowkey coworker au
words: 1485
warnings: alcohol consumption, mentions of underage drinking
a/n: happy belated to moa’s first love😭 i had a lot of fun writing this !!! i think i fell for cyj more than i already was ;;;
If someone told you this morning that you’d be ending your day sharing drinks with Yeonjun at his kitchen table, you would have laughed in their face.
After all, you had the whole day planned to a T. Today wasn’t supposed to end with your work friend, it was supposed to end with your new boyfriend walking you home after a fancy dinner, telling you he had a nice time, and then kissing you goodbye at your front doorstep before making sure you got in safely. It couldn’t be so hard, it happened all the time in the romance movies you watched in high school.
But alas here you were, rolling your eyes as Yeonjun laughs when you crack open your third beer for the night.
“You’re too much of a romantic. Isn’t this already the second time he’s flaked on you?” Your friend asks, taking a sip of his own beer. He scoffs when you ignore his question in favour of chugging down your freshly opened can. “That’s a bad sign. Break up with him before you get too attached.”
You take a few moments before parting from your drink, sighing in satisfaction at the refreshing sensation it left behind. It’s funny, you remember hating beer when you first sneaked a can from your uncle’s fridge as a teenager. Fast forward ten or so years and you basically rely on it like an at-home remedy. Well, that and a friend to listen to your misfortunes.
“I already beat him to the punch and dumped him. I blocked his number too, after texting him to say that it was over.” You paraphrase your actions, unconsciously swirling your can in a force of habit as Yeonjun nods in approval. There isn’t much liquid left to splash against the thin aluminum, but neither you or your drinking partner are too concerned. “And I’m not a romantic, I’m just an average, unlucky office worker with standards. Can’t I have standards?”
“Of course you should have standards, but your idea of what a relationship should be is too idealized.” Yeonjun’s advice seems more like a declaration. Especially as he sets his beer can on his wooden kitchen table with a contained force that doesn’t do much to scare you, but does enough to grab your attention. “Listen, men are horrible. There are already so many guys in this country alone who can’t even reach the bare minimum for standards everywhere.”
A pout makes its way onto your lips. “So you’re telling me to just suck it up and settle?”
“What? No way. Never ever settle.” Yeonjun shakes his head in a strong disagreement to your question. “Instead, compromise. Relationships are all about compromise and you have the standards of an early 2000s romcom lead. You can’t be afraid of disappointment, but you’re only going to keep on being disappointed if you go on like that. You deserve someone who will treat you well.”
Though attentive to what he had to say, you don’t do much to react to Yeonjun’s commentary. You instead stare at the way his index finger circled along the top of his can while you formulate a coherent response.
After all, you couldn’t disagree more.
“I may have high standards, but I don’t think it takes a lot to make me happy. I’m not hard to please.” You start, your tone coming out surprisingly even.
Yeonjun quirks an eyebrow at your statement as you take a moment to take a sip at your drink. “What makes you say that?”
“Well, you do it all the time...” You set your can down. “Making me happy, that is.”
The shift in atmosphere that washed over the two of you felt as if it came out of nowhere. As if it sneaked into Yeonjun’s one bedroom apartment through the window he’d opened to let the night breeze in. You don’t know what to make of it, but you don’t exactly hate it.
“What are you saying?” Yeonjun laughs. Not quite awkwardly but more… expectantly. He leans forward and folds his arms on top of the table. “Are you saying you’re happy whenever you’re with me? Even now?”
Especially now, you think. Especially now. Nothing about your current situation was anything near ideal. After all, you were sitting across from your coworker, chugging cheap convenience store beers instead of sipping an expensive wine at a fancy restaurant, but you don’t think you’d want to be anywhere else. Yeonjun isn’t your boyfriend, but you feel so much more at ease when you’re around him. So much more... yourself. How could that be?
Your eyes avert to avoid Yeonjun’s stare, and you unconsciously stare at his outfit. He’s dressed so much simpler than your own date outfit, having let you in his apartment immediately after you called him out of the blue. Of course, something about his beanie, sweatpants and t-shirt ensemble is endearing. Maybe because you’d only seen him in your workplace’s required attire of suits and ties. Maybe because you’re seeing a side of him that your other coworkers don’t get to see.
But you don’t say any of this out loud. You remember Yeonjun’s question, were you happy when you were with him? Even now?
“Of course.” You say, nodding without hesitation. “You treat me so well even though I’m only a friend to you. I don’t even know why I bother going out of my way to date around anymore.” At this point, you’ve finished your third drink. You knew what was running through your veins isn’t blood anymore. Just liquid courage.
Yeonjun stays silent. You suddenly feel a warmth spreading through your cheeks. Was it because three drinks in a row really just hit you all at once? Or was it because Yeonjun’s gaze is heavy and unreadable as his eyes trail your every movement? You’re not sure if you want to find out. The suspense is killing you, maybe another beer would help.
But Yeonjun seems to think otherwise. He catches your wrist in a gentle hold before you could reach for another can. He doesn’t let go. His hands are cold, his demeanour seems like it should be intimidating but it’s somehow comforting.
“You’re already drunk?” Yeonjun asks.
You scoff, keeping your eyes locked onto how his hand gripped onto your wrist. “God, is it that obvious?”
“Then you won’t be able to lie to me.” Yeonjun’s voice is steady as he speaks. He leans in closer and tilts his head to meet your eyes. “I’m going to ask you something. It’s okay if you say no.”
You nod silently, keeping eye contact and egging him to go on. You’ve never been more attentive in your life. He blinks a few times before parting his lips,
“You like me, right?”
“Yes.”
Following your words, you watch in real time how Yeonjun’s once stoic expression morphs into a smile he couldn’t contain even if he tried. It reaches his eyes and softens every part of his otherwise sharp features. He looked elated; one hundred and ten percent satisfied by your answer.
All at once, the tension that had stuck itself into the atmosphere is released.
“You too?” You ask quietly, a smile growing onto your own lips because you definitely know the answer.
“Obviously.” Yeonjun chuckles softly. Almost shyly. His grip slides from your wrist to your hand, and the way he intertwined his fingers with yours couldn’t feel more natural. “You put me through a lot. I’ve had to deal with you cycling through six different boyfriends even though I was right in front of you this whole time.”
“Sorry,” You giggle, enclosing Yeonjun’s hand into your own. “I knew there was a reason you always told me to break up with every one of them. No one would have lasted anyways. They weren’t you.”
“God, how cheesy. ” Yeonjun’s smile doesn’t leave his lips, even as he clicks his tongue. His other hand reaches across the table to pinch your cheek.
You laugh and lean in closer, only leaving a few inches between Yeonjun and yourself. “It comes with liking me back, unfortunately.”
Yeonjun scoffs. His fingers let go of your cheek and travel to play with your hair instead. “First I have to take care of your drinking problem and now this?”
“It’s not a problem… my desire to drink is what eventually brought us together!”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Yeonjun snickers. His eyes seem like they’re looking at you in adoration, as if you’re the most precious person in the whole universe, and you realize that he’s looking at you the way he’d always had. You take it as a cue to finally lean in and close the distance between him and yourself.
Sure, today didn’t go as planned, but as you feel Yeonjun’s grin against your lips, you don’t think you could want to be anywhere else. You know this is where you belong.
“I thought you quit smoking.” There’s a familiar warmth in Soobin’s voice that’s bittersweet. You suspect that it’s because he’s reminiscing. Soobin always finds something to be sentimental about. Even if it’s as simple as standing beside you on his balcony when he should be entertaining his party guests inside. Soobin is well mannered on top of being a people pleaser, but he opts to stay with you, circling his index finger over the edge of his glass of whiskey. He stares at the line of smoke that took root at the end of your half-burnt cigarette as it floated up and swept into the frigid night breeze.
“It’s only when I’m stressed,” You let out a chuckle before taking a drag from the cigarette between your lips. Casually. As if to prove that the taste of smoke on your tongue wouldn’t be the only sense of comfort you’ll be able to get your hands on tonight.
After all, if there was anyone who hated parties more than Soobin, it was you.
”You’re stressed?” Soobin asks, tone laced in something between concern and confusion.
You hold back from scoffing at the question. “Well, yes. Soobin. Parties are stressful, and even if it’s not some stupid frat party, this is still a party.” You say, a cloud of swirly smoke clinging onto your breath that followed every word. “Although, this party is an important celebration for you so I’m deciding to endure it. Thank me later.”
Soobin hums in response, and your eyes avert to his frame as he leans onto the balcony railing. He purses his lips before taking a sip of his drink. He wants to say something, you think. Soobin always had a knack for small talk, but there are times where he needs to take a beat to collect his thoughts. It’s usually when he’s about to say something that would be better left unsaid.
“Y’know,” He starts. You prepare yourself for the potential bomb your friend is about to drop on this cold spring night. “I spent the last half hour trying to find you in there.”
“Why?” You ask, taking another drag from your cig to tame the nervousness blooming in your chest. Tonight, there are more important things to worry about. Soobin knows that. He sighs as he watches you exhale.
His voice sounds small when he speaks, “I don’t know. I just… it feels like, the more I think about what I’m getting myself into, the more you’re running through my brain.”
is taehyun becoming my bias .... maybe ........ do i have the tyunsgf url saved ................ maybe .... do i want to use this url......................... perhaps
“I thought you quit smoking.” There’s a familiar warmth in Soobin’s voice that’s bittersweet. You suspect that it’s because he’s reminiscing. Soobin always finds something to be sentimental about. Even if it’s as simple as standing beside you on his balcony when he should be entertaining his party guests inside. Soobin is well mannered on top of being a people pleaser, but he opts to stay with you, circling his index finger over the edge of his glass of whiskey. He stares at the line of smoke that took root at the end of your half-burnt cigarette as it floated up and swept into the frigid night breeze.
“It’s only when I’m stressed,” You let out a chuckle before taking a drag from the cigarette between your lips. Casually. As if to prove that the taste of smoke on your tongue wouldn’t be the only sense of comfort you’ll be able to get your hands on tonight.
After all, if there was anyone who hated parties more than Soobin, it was you.
”You’re stressed?” Soobin asks, tone laced in something between concern and confusion.
You hold back from scoffing at the question. “Well, yes. Soobin. Parties are stressful, and even if it’s not some stupid frat party, this is still a party.” You say, a cloud of swirly smoke clinging onto your breath that followed every word. “Although, this party is an important celebration for you so I’m deciding to endure it. Thank me later.”
Soobin hums in response, and your eyes avert to his frame as he leans onto the balcony railing. He purses his lips before taking a sip of his drink. He wants to say something, you think. Soobin always had a knack for small talk, but there are times where he needs to take a beat to collect his thoughts. It’s usually when he’s about to say something that would be better left unsaid.
“Y’know,” He starts. You prepare yourself for the potential bomb your friend is about to drop on this cold spring night. “I spent the last half hour trying to find you in there.”
“Why?” You ask, taking another drag from your cig to tame the nervousness blooming in your chest. Tonight, there are more important things to worry about. Soobin knows that. He sighs as he watches you exhale.
His voice sounds small when he speaks, “I don’t know. I just… it feels like, the more I think about what I’m getting myself into, the more you’re running through my brain.”
