summer haze
an ode to summer and the feeling of home in a person.
MAINS. Leehan & female reader
TROPES. long distance relationship, summer break, mostly fluff with some longing
WARNINGS. Leehan is referred to as Donghyun, skinship
WORDS. 1.4k
NOTES. requested by @mirouie, hope you like it! ♡
The road shimmers with summer haze Even the honking feels like heat
Sometimes you look at Donghyun and can’t believe he’s real.
You spot him first in the busy center of the train station. It’s not hard as he stands out not only with his height but with that angel face he has. He’s looking at the arrival board right in front of your platform and it gives you the perfect opportunity to stare without him knowing. His hair has gotten longer since the last time you met, now the cinnamon brown locks frame his face like proper curtain bangs and they hang over the wire frame glasses he has on instead of the thick frame ones he usually wears during your video calls. His oversized plaid shirt slips off one shoulder, revealing the cute mole on the base of his neck and he turns to fix it with a casual shrug. When he lifts his head again, his gaze meets yours as if sensing your attention on him and time seems to cease.
The rush of the station and the children’s yelling fade into distance and all you can see is the boy in front of you. His doe eyes widen in recognition and his lips part as if to say something but eventually he just smiles. Softly like it’s a secret then wider when you start crossing the remaining distance between you. It's only a few meters, much less than what you had to grow accustomed to during the semester but suddenly even this feels too far. So when you reach Donghyun, you let go of your suitcase and practically crash into his chest.
He lets out a breathless laugh as you practically punch all the air out of his lungs but he envelops you in his arms all the same. You grab at the sides of his plaid shirt like it’s a lifeline and nuzzle into the crook of his neck, taking in the familiar smell of ocean and citrusy cedarwood and beneath it all something so, so him. Donghyun’s hug is warm and welcoming and everything you’ve missed.
“Come on, noona’s waiting at the parking lot,” he nudges you gently after what could have been seconds or even a small eternity.
His deep voice resonates through your entire body and you want to etch the sound of it into your memory so well you never forget. You have a sudden urge to whine for just five more minutes but you don’t want to make his sister wait, so eventually you pull away and let him take hold of your suitcase while you interlock your fingers with his free hand.
Donghyun asks about the train ride on the short walk to the car and only lets go of your hand when his sister pulls you into a tight hug. He loads the luggage into the trunk and ushers you inside. Once in the backseat he offers his hand again, palms up, free for taking and you try to hide your smile by burying your face in his arm. Your hands slot together like puzzle pieces.
Pressed close to his side, resting your chin on his shoulder, listening to old kpop from the radio and staring out the rolled down window as the car passes by the orange skyline, the humid wind of the seaside hits you with a feeling like no other.
You’re finally home.
As the rain falls more and more The sound of shattered waves
You’re fairly certain that Donghyun will be the death of you.
You’re soaked from head to toe and shiver at every breeze coming your way. You can barely see from your wet hair sticking to your face and there’s a spot between your ribs that hurts but you keep laughing, you just can’t stop. Donghyun is chasing you down on the beach in the middle of a downpour because he wants to show you a crab. He says it’s cute and harmless but you refuse to believe that something with more than four legs can be anything but evil.
The sand is wet under your feet and the sea is licking at your ankle with every wave. Your lung capacity must be shitty because you can’t breathe properly with how much you laugh. Hoping for a short break, you look over your shoulder to see how much behind Donghyun is but the sudden movement makes you lose balance. You’re fully ready to land on your butt once gravity wins, so you squeeze your eyes shut but before you know, there’s an arm around your waist and Donghyun peering down at you from under his equally wet and messy fringe. You can see the worry in his eyes and the way his amused smile turns into something more fragile.
“I’ve got you,” he whispers as he helps you back onto your feet but doesn’t let you go. You wish he never would.
You reach up and tuck a dark strand of hair behind his ear, fingers hovering over his cheeks as the pit-a-pat of the rain gets louder around you.
You have no idea where his crab friend went or how long he has been running after you with the simple purpose of just catching you but you’re not complaining.
There in his arms you’re safe and sound and even in the pouring rain, you never felt warmer.
Signboards filling the office streets A starry night with no sign of sleep
Sometimes you wish Donghyun could be your best kept secret.
On days like this you want to be selfish like that.
The sun set hours ago and so far from downtown the only faint light comes from the stars above. The cicadas are noisy around you but the city sounds are far away. You can almost hear your own heartbeat and the echo of your breathing.
You’re sitting on the soft picnic blanket laid out in a valley in the outskirts of your hometown and Donghyun has his head on your lap. You can only take out his silhouette, the slope of his nose and his lips jutting out in the darkness but his closeness is something you revel in. Your right hand is in his hair, fingers playing with the soft locks and occasionally his earrings. The moment feels fragile and special, you want to bottle it up and keep it forever.
It’s sometime later when Donghyun stirs and his hair tickles your bare thighs as he turns his head. He taps on his phone’s screen to check on the time and the sudden brightness makes you squint but not before you see that he has changed his lock screen to a silly selfie you took on the beach last time.
It’s twenty minutes past midnight and Donghyun looks unearthly even when sleepy and in the unflattering blue-tinted light of the phone. His long eyelashes cast shadows onto his cheeks and with the way they sparkle, you swear he must have the entire universe in his eyes.
You’re too busy staring at him to notice the stars falling and the sky caving in around you.
“Look,” Donghyun pulls you out of your reverie with a single word, pointing at the phenomenon you originally came for. Still, it’s not easy to tear your eyes away from him no matter how pretty the meteor shower is.
You close your eyes and make a wish on a hurtling rock.
Don’t leave me, summer Give me memories worth breaking for
You have always wondered why Donghyun is letting you repeatedly break both of your hearts.
The train departs in a few minutes but you’re still on the platform with him, unable to let go. You're the one who’s leaving, so why can’t you move?
Donghyun brushes a lock of hair out of your face gently and his thumb keeps carressing the skin at your temple. He smiles softly like angel wings flutter and his eyes are so full of love that you feel overwhelmed. Even though you told yourself you wouldn’t cry, you can feel tears pricking your eyes.
“I love you,” you blurt out and it comes out as a whisper.
It’s a confession you make and a promise Donghyun seals with a kiss. It’s barely anything, just a graze of lips like a butterfly touch but you feel it deep in your bones.
Donghyun shines brighter than the sun and his eyes sparkle with the radiance of stars. He holds you close and handles your heart with tender hands. He smells like sea, salt and everything that’s summer. He feels like home.
Maybe that’s exactly the reason why. Maybe some things are actually worth getting your heart broken for as long as they mend and make it anew.
END NOTES. this drabble is written as part of my if i say i love you drabble request event. hope you enjoyed, there will be more coming!
title and lyrics are taken from step by step as it is the main inspiration for this story
header picture is from the smart japanese magazine photoshoot
for the first scene i used these pictures as reference
according the the minju's pink cabinet episode, Leehan uses dior sauvage fragnance hence the specific scent descriptions
also because light pollution makes it hard to see stars in big korean cities like seoul and busan, i looked up whether perseids can even be seen without having to go very far and according to the articles i found they should be
☆ BOYNEXTDOOR masterlist
💌 askbox
© 2025 dat-town
