H-hi Ren-nim, it's me 😬 could you write something with older KDJ and younger YJH? 🥺🙏🏻
[I had to think on this prompt for a while because there were so many paths I could take with it lmao 😂 Hope you like it!! 💖]
※DO NOT REPOST / HOST MY WORK ON OTHER APPS OR SITES
“Dokja-hyung.”
Adorably large ears, a scrunched up nose, and pouty lips. He’s still small, but Dokja has a feeling he’ll be the type to grow up handsome eventually. A kid who’s five years his junior, the same kid who’s saved him from going hungry far too often that it’s already embarrassing, Yoo Joonghyuk.
He’s the older one of the pair of them, yet somehow, Joonghyuk is much, much better at looking after him. From sneaking him lunches when his aunt and uncle aren’t looking, to taking him in when his relatives are fighting…he’s been far too kind in inviting him over to escape all of that.
Joonghyuk is young, but he’s got an undeniably good heart and head on his shoulders. Dokja should feel humiliated for being so immature in comparison, but.
He’s lonely. He’s never had siblings, and Joonghyuk already has Mia at least.
He pats the space beside him on the bench where he’s taking a break. He’s sure Joonghyuk must have come here for the same reason, given the screaming matches that had been happening in his apartment. His relatives might have saved him from living alone, but that didn’t mean they were the best family he could have at the moment. “Need something, Joonghyuk-ah?”
Those sharp eyes set their gaze upon him, like a cat looking to capture prey. Dokja would be unnerved, but he’s spent enough years on the receiving end of such a gaze that he’s practically immune to it now.
Joonghyuk huffs out a breath as if coming to a decision. He sits beside him, turning his sharp gaze down onto his feet, and keeps quiet for so long that one would think he has nothing to say.
Yet Dokja waits, like he always does.
Dogs bark in the distance. He hears the laughter of people passing by, the occasional yells, and the tinkling of bells whenever someone enters the restaurant near the park they’re at.
Eventually, Joonghyuk says,
“Mia and I are moving soon.”
He’s still looking down. Dokja, for all that he feels his heart dropping to his stomach, manages to utter a small, “Oh?”
“Next week,” Joonghyuk clarifies.
Oh. So it’s already been decided.
“I see,” Dokja says, putting on a smile. Quickly, thoughts flash through his head (so he’ll be alone again, like always; at least Joonghyuk is kind enough to give him a warning; is this a permanent goodbye?), though all he ends up saying is, “You were able to find the guardian you said you were looking for?”
“Yes.”
He wonders if Joonghyuk will ever learn to be a little less short with words. “Then, that’s good.” I’ll miss you, maybe. “I’m glad you were able to find them.”
“...”
He leans down to get a peek at Joonghyuk’s face, finding him frowning. Like he’s still holding something back, perhaps? “Was there something else?”
“There’s something I want before I leave.”
“...is it something expensive? You know I’m not—”
“Fool,” Joonghyuk spits out, making him crack a more sincere smile. Even when he’s angry, he just looks cute. Like an irritable cat, kind of. “I know you don’t get much from your family, hyung. I’m not stupid.”
“Right, you aren’t. Then what do you want to ask for?”
Joonghyuk finally looks up at him then. He looks oddly determined for no logical reason, Dokja finds himself concerned if he’s going to ask for something beyond his means.
Then Joonghyuk holds out a hand to him, palm up.
Dokja stares at that small hand, then looks up at Joonghyuk’s face. Such a serious face for someone so young, he can’t help himself from saying:
“My hand in marriage?”
He had predicted an angry response to that. Another “foolish hyung” from Joonghyuk, like always. Maybe a smack for his immaturity once again.
And yet, he gets none of that. Joonghyuk keeps his hand held up, gaze unwavering on his face, and Dokja thinks, ‘Well, if it’s going to be like this…’
He puts his hand in Joonghyuk’s own.
Promptly, Joonghyuk slips a ring onto his ring finger.
Oh.
Oh, what the hell.
“You,” he laughs, disbelieving as he takes his hand back to squint at the plain silver band on his ring finger, “you smooth bastard? What is this? Are you seriously giving me this?”
“It’s a promise. Just wear it.”
“Wear it—you’re twelve,” he sighs, using his other hand to fiddle with the ring on his finger. “Why are you proposing at such a young age? Who even says I’m interested—”
“I’ll make you happy,” Joonghyuk says. Bluntly, almost expressionlessly, except…his thick brows are furrowed enough that even Dokja can tell he’s serious about this.
He can’t help smiling, seeing that. What, so he can be this cute? Who’d have thought?
“You already make me happy,” he admits. “You’re a good little brother to me.”
“I don’t want to be your brother.”
He hums in amusement. “You’re too young to be my partner, Joonghyuk-ah.”
“That’s one more reason why we’re moving.”
“...hm?”
“If we grow up like this, as neighbors,” Joonghyuk says, left eyebrow twitching, “you’ll never stop seeing me as a child. And since I know you’re going to leave soon, I thought this would be the best time to go as well.”
“You’re not serious.”
“I’m not you, hyung.”
“What is that,” he says, laughing as he covers his mouth. “That, that…that’s too sly of you. You’re just—”
“If you say I’m just a kid, I’m going to kick you.”
“...never mind then.”
It’s quiet for a moment, even if Dokja’s mind is anything but. What, so Joonghyuk’s first crush is me? That’s flattering, but also, very awkward. We’re both guys, so why? Does he think it’s fun to take care of someone like me? Isn’t that just sad? Joonghyuk-ah, you shouldn’t have picked this hyung just because we’re close…
“When I’m older, I’ll find you again,” Joonghyuk adds. He’s a lot more relaxed now than before…so maybe he’d been tense because he wasn’t sure of his own proposal? Even when he’d acted so confidently, at that.
Damn it, he really is a cute kid. Smiling, he says, “And you’ll propose again?”
“Yes.”
Ah, really, he can’t even joke around him.
Patiently, he explains, “You might change your mind eventually, Joonghyuk-ah. You shouldn’t make promises you’re not sure you can keep.”
“I won’t change my mind.”
“You’ve still got plenty of time to figure yourself out.”
“No. I chose you. I’m not that fickle, hyung.”
God, he’s gonna get a heart attack at this rate. Are kids these days usually this blunt about their affection? Are they often this determined? When he was Joonghyuk’s age…
Well, maybe he didn’t have the same kind of childhood to even afford being like this.
“Okay,” he says, finally releasing the ring from his fiddling. Joonghyuk blinks at him then, perhaps thinking he wouldn’t have accepted him this easily. “Then, find me in ten years so I can think of your proposal again.”
Joonghyuk frowns again. “Why ten years?”
“Because you’re still a kid in my eyes right now.” He raises his ring-adorned hand, and pats Joonghyuk on the head. “Give me ten years to forget the Joonghyuk that I know now, so the older Joonghyuk can have a chance.”
“...okay.”
Well, that was certainly easy. Ten years might be long enough for him to forget this childish Joonghyuk, but it’s also enough for Joonghyuk to forget him too. There’s no way he can keep holding onto such pure feelings for that long, right? It’s impossible.
He smiles.
“Then, I’ll be waiting, Joonghyuk-ah.”
-----------------
Kim Dokja is an idiot. A fool of the highest degree.
Exactly ten years later (down to the day, at that), Joonghyuk dares to come to Minosoft for a collaboration. Yoo Joonghyuk, who’s grown up to become a well-known pro gamer with enough funds to buy his own house—Yoo Joonghyuk, who’d proposed to him when he was twelve and Dokja was seventeen.
Upon finishing up the meeting, with cold sweat running down like bullets on his back, Dokja thinks he can escape. He’s just a QA tester who’d been requested to sit in on the meeting to provide his feedback on possible problems for their collaboration; there’s absolutely no reason Joonghyuk should remember their cute childhood memories.
Except Joonghyuk kept staring at him all throughout the meeting.
Except Joonghyuk kept mentioning, over and over, that the collaboration is only even possible because, “I’m here for Kim Dokja.”
Except Joonghyuk—
“Dokja-hyung.”
“Yes,” he croaks out, then clenches his jaw. Shit, get it together. He clears his throat, smiles, and completely ignores the curious looks on his coworkers’ faces as they exit the meeting room. Of course they’d abandon me like this. “Yes, Joonghyuk-nim?”
Joonghyuk makes a face at him. He’s certainly grown up handsomely, enough that even his ugliest expressions don’t look ugly at all. It’s unfair. “Don’t call me that.”
“Joonghyuk-ssi.”
“No.”
His smile twitches. “Joonghyuk-ah?”
Joonghyuk nods. What a brat. “You know why I’m here.”
“For the collaboration,” he says, maintaining the smile on his face even with the frown Joonghyuk throws his way. No way. There’s no way you remember that childish proposal. You’re twenty-two and at the peak of your career, there’s absolutely no way you haven’t found anyone else. “Yes?”
“It’s been ten years.”
Ahhh, shit.
“So it has…”
“I’m here to propose again.”
“...you can’t be serious,” he says, getting up to a stand. He drops his smile in favor of giving him a serious look. “It’s been ten years, like you’ve said. You…there’s no way you could’ve held onto those feelings for that long.”
Joonghyuk doesn’t waver. “I told you, I chose you.”
Why does that sound so much worse than a simple I love you? Joonghyuk-ah, you insane bastard.
He smiles, even when it feels awkward on his mouth. “Can’t we date first?”
“Okay.”
Okay? Huh?
“Let’s date first,” Joonghyuk agrees, his entire expression loosening up as he comes closer to him. There’s…something like a smile on his face, an expression that makes his chest ache at the sheer unfamiliarity of it. He’s handsome, yes, but more than that…
They’ve already grown up away from each other. They’ve been apart for far too long already.
Isn’t Joonghyuk just clinging onto old memories of him?
“...then, alright,” he says, sighing as he closes his eyes. He pinches at the bridge of his nose, hoping that the headache stinging at his eyes will fade away soon. It’s not dehydration, but the possibility of it being a headache from lack of sleep is too high.
“You still aren’t sleeping properly.”
“Hey now—”
His voice cuts off when he opens his eyes to the sight of Joonghyuk right in front of him, his warm hand coming up to…smooth down the wrinkles between his eyebrows?
“I told you,” Joonghyuk says, one thick eyebrow raised as he pulls his hand away, “I’ll make you happy. That’s why, don’t overthink this.”
“Huh.”
“The you that I chose then, is the you that I know now.” A pause. “It’s not difficult to find you on social media when you use your real name either.”
What. “What?” he asks, blinking wide eyes at him. “Social media—you looked for me?” You looked for me and still didn’t contact me, you jerk?
Joonghyuk nods. “I missed you.”
He chokes on an inhale. “Y-you, who taught you to be like this?”
“Like what?”
“This, this—being this sly, saying such things!”
Joonghyuk smiles at him then. A gentle, warm smile that reaches up to his eyes, making him look even more impossibly beautiful. It’s so new an expression that he’s left in a daze for a moment—which is when Joonghyuk takes his chance to grab his hand, the one he’d left adorned with that ring he’d had resized to fit him in his growth.
Joonghyuk kisses his ring, and he just about dies on the spot.
With a smirk on his lips, mouth moving against his skin, Joonghyuk says,
Sometime today, we’ll understand our
unsettled feelings and admirations, and our hearts will shout out louder.
We’re free, at a higher speed.
Whatever future we’re heading towards
We’ll continue straight on, so let’s swim this course.
why do height differences in shipping always have to be about one being really tiny and the other being really tall. what about one being exactly a single inch taller than the other and the second being consistently angry about this.
theartofmadeline
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
areudirty
germansingergirl
gummygunk
