to no oneâs surprise jaeho views vanguard as his family. his only family, now that his mother had passed months ago. and as selfish (or foolish) as it was he used their presence to ignore his mental health. if heâs surrounded by people then he is not lonely; if they call him then he is needed; as long as they exist then he has a reason to live, too.
does that mean heâs using them? no.
(perhaps, but from his perspective he cares for each and every member of vanguard fully.)
when he gets a vague text message he moves immediately. leaving friends at the bar and running to where heâs needed--wherever heâs supposed to be needed. itâs vague for a reason and he realizes that when he stumbles upon several sounds of violence. itâs there where he sees red, paints the alley with red, and wipes it off of his hands once heâs done.
extending his clean hand to his fallen comrade, he smiles, âwhen you text âhelpâ you should really add where youâre at next time. i found you purely outta luck.â
jaeho is no expert in the kitchen so it should come to no surprise that he spends most of his hard earned cash on the food he canât make. one day heâll take the time to learn a thing or two so heâs not stuck with a fridge full of microwavable food but until then heâll survive.Â
especially when heâs able to smile and get two whole boxes of fried chicken for free.
( sms : somi ) guess what
( sms : Â somi ) i just got free chicken
( sms : somi ) i should probably tell her that i have a girlfriend right???
( sms : somi ) anyway do you want any
okay now that iâm finished with that--like iâve started previously on hyoseongâs post feel free to like this and iâll write us up a random starter!
song jaeho 101: overdue moving joy (@mixjoy) back to his hometown and writing letters to her.
warnings: n/a
â THERE'S BONES IN MY CLOSET, BUT YOU HANG STUFF ANYWAY
âoppa, you labeled my clothes box as the dishes again.â
itâs a joyful, cherish-able tone that reaches jaehoâs ears, words that are obviously left to tease him and he doesnât so much mind that at all considering what was going on. tilting his head up heâs greeted with a smile that equals to that of the sun, a smile that radiates its warmth onto him and fills the entirety of his chest. if he had a word to describe the woman before him it would be splendent, and perhaps that is exactly how jaeho would describe joy since the very first day that they had met.
âmy bad,â he laughs lightly, having already been in the new kitchen all day and having to shuffle between trading with her all the boxes he managed to get wrong. âi told you it would have been better if you did it.â âyou were just trying not to do it, werenât you?â âha! maybe.â
shining brightly--thatâs exactly what joy does when she smiles, when she looks his way thereâs a sparkle in her eye that doesnât go unnoticed and he nearly wants to wrap her up in his arms and drag her to the unfinished mattress. back to her new room, new bed, everything all new and clean, the very opposite of his apartment back in seoul.
but before any of that he takes his hand to brush back strands of hair behind her ear once she places the box on the counter. âis the place big enough?â he asks curiously, brows raised, âit was the only thing my grandparents could find close to the police station while not being over five hundred miles from the nearest grocery store.âÂ
she humors him with her laughter.
--some reason, even with how blindingly bright she is, jaeho canât find it within himself to smile.
perhaps joy sees and understands why, or maybe she has a trick up her sleeve as she often does, which is why her lips remained tugged into a smile. (itâs undeniably cruel that he needs for her to smile through this just so he can get through this, selfishly putting himself first.)
âitâs fine, jaeho, really.â
her voice, like a song, eases his worry, shoulders relaxing as his hand comes to cup her face. his thumb brushes against her cheek, his eyes going over the structure of her face before learning down to lightly press his lips against hers, briefly, before leaning back into his own space.
of course she stops him, grabbing him by the same wrist that held her face. she seems to want to ask something, but also seems reluctant, so jaeho (holding onto the virtue of patience) waits for her lips to part, for the words to come out of her mouth, and admittedly he doesnât know what to say.
âso wonât you smile for me?â
he pauses.
âis that what you want?â
âonly if thatâs what you want.â
does he want to smile? does he want to seem happy knowing that heâll be miles away from her? even if heâs certain sheâll be safe with the police so close and his grandparents just a ten minute walk away, so she wonât be alone necessarily--but as stated earlier jaeho is being incredibly selfish. partially because he doesnât want her to leave, partially because he wants to stay.
but he has unfinished business in seoul that needs to be taken care of before he can settle out in the countryside with her.
somewhere, within that scene, jaeho does indeed smile for her. when he leans back to look at joy, his expression is a mixture of things he can't describe; adoration, pride, even the way his eyes are lit up suggests that he's in love.
and joy cries. cries in what he still believes was in both relief and sadness for reasons similar to his own. shortly after he takes her to that unfinished bed and--.
joy,
i donât write letters too often so donât laugh at how terrible my handwriting or the fact that iâm no scholar alright? haha.
i heard from my grandma that youâre learning some of recipes, the next time i come up youâll have to cook me my favorite stew now. i hope my grandpa isnât being too harsh at the store but from what heâs told me youâre the best worker theyâve had since opening up the place. he also said that your smile is way to contagious to the point where he thinks he somehow earned ten more years of life.
anyway they really like you. iâm happy to hear that.
iâm really proud of you, babe.
and i miss you lots.
things in seoul are still the same. i donât know if youâll read that as a good or bad thing but iâm still alive so itâs pretty decent. sucks that i need to go outside the city to see the stars, but you can see the whole sky canât you?
it helps make me feel that weâre close despite everything.
love you forever and always,
jaeho
p.s. i was thinking, why donât we plant sunflowers the next time i come over?
â â why would someone not want sweet things, regardless of the weather? â heecheon questioned, lips pursed as if the comment had possibly offended him somehow. it didnât, but his cheeks did gain a bit of colour after being called weird. at least jaeho didnât mean it as an insult.
heecheon keeps quiet as he slips his feet inside the skates and tries not to comment on how unhygienic it was to share shoes with who knew how many other people. the shoes, the lack of food and the amount of people; all of it promised a terrible time, yet his hyung was so confident that heâd have fun. if jaeho ended up repeatedly falling on his ass, perhaps, otherwise heecheon was quite sure all the whole experience would be quite lacking.
â â donât call me squirt. â the teen protested with a huff, watching as jaeho took a seat and started putting on his shoes and silently cursing him for having been prepared and wearing the appropriate socks. soon enough, a tiny grin tugged at the corners of his plush lips, however, as jaeho so confidently declared what would happen should heecheon not find any joy in the planned activity.
â â whatever i want? â heecheon questioned, eyebrows raised briefly before he tried to push himself off the bench and stand up â his legs were wobbling and knees nocking together, but he was standing.
â â i hope you know that iâm going to make you regret those words, jaeho hyung. â a surprisingly docile smile followed those words as heecheon stretched his hand out expectantly, curling his fingers and waiting for the older male to give him his hand to cling to. â â donât worry, i wonât make you spend them on something too expensive. â
âit just tastes weird?âÂ
this was jaehoâs train of logic: sweets were saved for sunny and clear days, it made them that much more enjoyable! colder seasons called for warm stews and pastries, all of which he adjusted to in the countryside. (and it was cheap to make a large bowl of stew and have a decent amount of leftovers for himself and his mother.) there was no way that would change, even if someone were to scientifically prove to him that there was no real difference.
he places a careful hand on the small of the youngerâs back when he pulls himself up, making sure he doesnât somehow fall. but once heâs confident that the other is able to stand without any support he brings his hand back, instead reaching up give heecheon a hand to hold onto. âyou can try, but i know youâre not evil enough to have your hyung go broke, so at the end of the day iâll be happy even if i lose!â
jaeho begins to stride over to the rink, holding the youngerâs hand and glancing over his shoulder to make sure he doesnât fall. once there he gives his back to the ice, the palm of his open hand out for the other to hold as he steps onto the ice and slowly moves backward.
âhold onto me and donât let go, i donât want you splitting your head open.â
even if she had been the one to suggest it, a rosy blush still finds its way onto her cheeks once jaeho makes his own sentiments known. itâs one of the rare times when she feels utterly embarrassed about her inexperience because she knows for sure that she wants something more except she doesnât know how to go about it. but at the same time, her heart swells at the realization that her vulnerability is not an issue for him and their relationship and that she can completely trust jaeho to be understanding and caring about her own personal boundaries.Â
âthe poor movie.â she says with a laugh, eyes trained on her twiddling fingers. âbut oppa, what if i want more that just kissing and cuddling? what if i think iâm ready?â she asks, voice quiet but full of veiled confidence and utmost trust in him.
her eyes and the way her fingers dance on his skin is an innocent assault on his senses, one that jaeho can only stand for so long before he feels the blush tingling at the back of his neck and slowly spreading to his cheeks. even after years of physical affection nothing could have prepared him of nervousness to bubble in his chest.
thatâs not right. when he looks to joy, his expression is a mixture of things he canât describe; adoration, pride, arousal, even the way his eyes are lit up suggests that heâs excited.
âif you want to, but only if you want to.â his voice is gentle, yet stern, âso if you  donât want to... tell me to stop. â she brings a hand up to the nape of her neck, dipping his fingers into that curve and pulling her closer, closing his eyes to press their mouths together. this time, unlike many times before, he does so with a hungry desire.
omg so i know iâve been super slow lately and really slacking on both replies and messages but the holiday season is kicking my ass while working retail. however iâm going to be available later in the week and iâll be getting to everything + sending messages to all the recent newbies for plotting purposes! and for all the new folk who i havenât said anything to hi!!!! iâm jaeho and hyoseongâs player and i hope youâre having a grand time here in mi!
a thousand and one butterflies seemed to have settled in her stomach when she hears him return the three words with the same amount of sincerity and affection. being in love with this man is comparable to the feeling of drowning and being saved all at once. never in her whole life has she felt a love as strong as this; itâs paradoxical feeling of being scared of its intensity and relishing the freedom of acknowledging itâs depth and breadth.Â
the heart that she had once closed off behind walls and walls of defenses sits pretty in the palm of his hands - a truly remarkable feat.Â
âiâm starting to think that the movie is a bad idea.â she says, eyes twinkling with mischief and desire. âi mean, i know for sure that i wonât be able to concentrate on it much because iâll distracted with thoughts of wanting to cuddle and kiss you.â joy lacks the embarrassment that should come with such a confession but she finds herself not minding it at all. â how can i resist the most handsome and cutest boyfriend of all? only a crazy person would be able to manage that.âÂ
he quirks a brow to her response, âhuh?â a smile remains on his lips, the spark in her eyes sending a subtle shiver to run down his spine. itâs not a feeling that is foreign to him and joyâs a natural temptress, but he admittedly placed any desires that went beyond second base in the back of his mind. rooting them there, waiting patiently for a verbal acceptance from the young woman he has wrapped in his arms.
so heâs fine with what the scenario she describes.Â
âwe can cuddle. and kiss. we can totally do both of those.â said with a little too much excitement. âi mean if thatâs what you wanna do.â
heecheon wanted to point out that it was his good right to be treated like royalty, considering how much heâs taking upon himself just by going outside, but decided that the response was a bit too bratty, after all. there was only so much being treated as a kid that he could bear before it started to become something he had to protest against. had it not been for the fact that heecheon enjoyed being spoilt and pampered, he definitely would have complained sooner.
with his nose wrinkled in distaste over the suggested meal, the teen sat down on the bench and leaned down to untie his shoes. his fingers were frozen and stiff and it made the whole ordeal that much more of a pain.â â i canât eat that, hyung. you can eat it, i want something sweet or something with veggies. â he sniffed, sitting upright again and trying to toe off his shoes while he watched jaeho struggle. another frown settled on his features at the thought of how many people had used the shoes he was about to put his feet into and decided the best way to deal with it was probably to throw away his socks afterwards. it was a pity, too; he liked the socks with the melon popsicles on them.
â â clearly, someone was planning to make your life harder by making you waste unnecessary seconds on trying to undo those knots. â had it not been for the frozen state of his fingers, heecheon would have offered to help, but watching the older male struggle was quite amusing, too. â â itâs not too late to turn around and go home, you know? â
âthatâs not happening,â he answers to the last suggestion quickly, eyeing him for a brief moment to address that heâs clearly aware that heâs trying to get out of this. desperately so. itâs almost humorous but jaeho saves all the laughter for a later time, fingers still working on the knots before he finally achieves his goal with a smile. âyouâre so weird, though, wanting sweet things when itâs cold.â
squatting down in front of the younger individual he notices the decorated socks and chuckles lightly to himself, humming as he opens one of the skates wide enough for the other male to slip into them. âhere,â he says, working on doing the same to the other one.
âdonât look at this so negatively, squirt. i bet youâre gonna have a ton of fun once you actually go out there.â
and once heecheon has both feet settled in the skates jaeho takes the opportunity to tie them, not being a complete  ass and not double knotting them. he then sits at the bench beside him and slips out of his own shoes, having forgot that he fortunately wore black socks today before pulling on his pair of skates. âif you donât then i will buy you whatever you want!â words that are said with confidence, only because heâs certain the other man will enjoy his time out.
as if the baby voice isnât enough, she juts out her lower lip in the cutest display of a pout in order to sway her oppa into agreement. joy knows that all this effort isnât really needed considering that jaeho is pretty much willing to do anything for her but she cannot deny the delight she takes in seeing him blush upon seeing the specific expression while trying to hold onto his ground.Â
âalright, thatâs sounds good although i still think your shirts are my comfiest clothes to date.âÂ
her own palms come up to cup his cheeks as she matches his gaze. it still awes her to this day just how much she loves him and she remains as thankful as ever for the opportunity to calm him her own. jaeho is so much more than a boyfriend to her; he represents the future and a new beginning, a chance at living a life she could only dream of. her heart overflows with love for him yet she knows that she is still lacking in so many ways hence the constant need to show him physically the extent of her feelings so as to reassure herself that even in little ways she can be enough for him.Â
âoppaâŠâ she calls out softly, a shy smile on her red lips. âi love you. very much.â
âwhoa, whatâs with the huge appetite?â he asks with a short chuckle.Â
the baby voice wasnât exactly necessary, neither was her continuous display of cute gestures, joy had jaeho eating out of the palm of her hand just for her existence. a single request from her and heâd go to whatever lengths to accomplish it, just to see her smile.
something about that fact would be dangerous in the wrong hands.
âwell youâre still free to wear them,â his voice softens just slightly, in fact all of his features do when she moves to cup his face. itâs something so subtle but manages to effortlessly cause his heart to race, the corners of his mouth subconsciously curling up into a large smile when their eyes meet. heâs looking straight into his world, feeling like a fumbling teenager who is completely foreign to romance and experiencing these feelings all for the first time.
and in a sense that wasnât wrong. itâs not that jaeho was unfamiliar with the act of falling for someone, but the love he shared between himself and joy was something that he couldnât find in another person. itâs warm, soft, and within her eyes he sees home.
âi love you too.â
arms wrap around her waist, easily flipping them over so theyâre both on their sides and he embraces her into a tight hug.
âstop being so cute, i wonât even bother to pay attention to the movie if we watch it!â
What is your muses favourite kind of weather? || Who was the last person your muse made a phone call to, and why?
headcanon meme: accepting!
What is your muses favourite kind of weather?
clear skies and eighty degrees! heâs a country bumpkin who likes the heat and being outside, heâs a fan of the big blue sky and all his happiest memories come from this kind of weather so thatâs what makes it his favorite.
Who was the last person your muse made a phone call to, and why?
probably joy and tbh itâs just to hear her voice lmaofa fkajfkdaf he loves her
he really!! hates lazy people and people who procrastinate. heâs the do it now and get it done kind of guy so he has zero patience for people who donât want to finish things at his pace. when people reach for/grab his food without permission (the only exception is joy). the feeling of chalk like he just?? hates that fucking feeling. honestly so many little things annoy him and could be described as pet peeves.
What is your muses favourite scent? What does your muse normally keep in their bag? What are the last five text messages your muse sent?
headcanon meme: accepting!
What is your muses favourite scent?
jaeho is a SUCKER for the smell of cinnamon, also the smell of clean laundry and freshly cut grass, those are probably his top three that heâd say are number one tbh.
What does your muse normally keep in their bag?
spray paint, water bottle, and small canvases.
What are the last five text messages your muse sent?
( sms :Â â ) princess, iâll be a little late getting home. if it gets too late just go to bed without me, i promise iâll be there when you wake up. always.
( sms : mingyu ) when i say i wanna die iâm only like half literal thereâs nothing to worry about bro. anyway we have shit to do tonight.
( sms : wonwoo ) TELL MINGYU TO STOP CUDDLING WITH YOU FOR FIVE SECONDS WE GOTTA GO AND IâM COLD ALSO IâM NOT YELLING MY CAPS BUTTON IS JUST BROKEN. IDK HOW IâM TIRED.
( sms : heecheon ) HELP I DROPPED MY PHONE AND NOW MY CAPS BUTTON IS PERMANENTLY STUCK THIS SMART PHONE IS DUMB
( sms : wonwoo ) OKAY NOW IâM YELLING IF HE DOESNâT GET DOWN HERE IN FIVE MINUTES IâM COMING UP
                  HEADCANON MEME!
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heecheon loved winter; the outside, not so much. but even less, being dragged outside by a â by his standards â overly hyper jaeho. what he absolutely loathed, was being dragged outside to join a bunch of clumsy oafs trying to navigate their way across freezing and slippery ice, while attempting to look graceful and not show the fact that he was just as clumsy, once he didnât have normal ground beneath his feet.
inside his mind, heecheon was cursing the other male. from his glare and tightly pressed lips, it must have been obvious too, and like so often, jaeho attempted to tease while lifting the mood. it would do little, but he always tried anyway.
heecheon sighed, admitting his defeat and giving a tiny nod before tightly â as tightly as he could, anyway â gripping jaehoâs hand.
â â i want something in exchange for complying to this stupid idea. you have to help me put my shoes on and you are not, under any circumstances, allowed to let go of my hand. if you do, iâll kill you. â it was an empty threat, of course. heecheon couldnât even see blood without feeling sick, nor did he have it in him to become violent, and jaeho probably knew it too. the teen wanted to bet thatâs why he dared push so much.
push and pull. heecheon would glare and huff and pretend to be annoyed, but he couldnât deny the tiny smile playing just at the corner of his lips and the warm feeling of having someone that cared enough. there werenât many people who did.
â â and if i fall, youâre buying me ice cream. â
some would take a tight of a grip as heecheon has on his hand as a warning--donât go with this unless you want to regret it later, basically--but (un)fortunately jaeho doesnât view it that way. itâs the other maleâs way of acceptance and after spending enough time with him he registers this as a normal response.Â
âah?â he responds with a sound, lips pulled into a bright smile as he laughs a tad bit harder than he originally intended. most of which was directed at the threat that he couldnât take seriously at all, âis that it? thatâll be easy, then!â
--but.
âiâm used to treating you like a prince at this point.â
heâs not complaining, not in the very least, song jaeho was the type of person who found joy in taking care of others and so the commands he was given were childâs play.
âice cream in this weather, though? youâre gonna end up with a brain freeze! letâs get yukgaejang~,â said in a sing-song like tone, gripping onto the other maleâs hand as they finally make it to the rink with no bumps along the road. they get their skates before heâs directing his head over to a nearby bench, silently telling heecheon to sit down as he works on untying his pair of skates.
âwhoever used these last is an asshole, who double knots anymore?â
admittedly saying âwinter is comingâ in the lowest tone he could manage sounded much better on the way to the other maleâs house. but he manages to get the message across that the seasons were changing and soon enough they would be greeted with the common cold front and freezing temperatures. the fact that his job required him to be outside meant that it was going to be hard on him, too, but jaeho was a man who constantly looked forward to the positives in everything that faced--which undoubtedly included heecheon.
push and pull, thatâs how one could describe their relationship. heecheon does everything in his power to push jaeho away while he pulls him closer. outside. all smiles while he drags this person he registers as a friend despite there being some protest from the young man. (and by some he means a ton.)
âcome on, donât be such a sour puss.â he refrains from finishing the sentence by saying âlike alwaysâ, tugging the persistent male over to the skating ring. âitâs going to be fun! whenâs the next time youâll go outside, huh? i bet youâll miss out the entire time the ring is in season.â
itâs the middle of the night and the only souls that should be posing a threat to anyone should be them. repeat, should be. theyâre a duo that never should have came across one another for the sake of every opposing force but thatâs what fate has lead them to. theyâre brothers in a sense, and right now they werenât on the job and in all honesty jaeho wishes to keep it that way.
âno oneâs dumb enough,â he snorts, âweâre not making a fuss so they shouldnât either.â
which probably is only wishful thinking while in enemy territory, but theyâre only here because this burger joint is supposed to be fucking good. (and it stays open for hours on end? heâs not letting it slip.)
but then comes another rustle, a sound coming from behind them that causes jaeho to glance over his shoulder. he plans to ignore it until another noise comes and sighs with displeasure, walking up to the trashcan that would surely be hiding someone behind it without much hesitation.
âbut instead what pops up is a fucking rat. a huge rat. and jaeho doesnât contain the scream that rattles its way out of his mouth.
