Hi there Lovelies and welcome to my little corner of the internet where I share the inner workings of my creative brain. Below you’ll find a posting schedule for my fics that I like to write, currently I’m fixated on Stray Kids but I also write for Marvel, Kingsman, and many others. My requests are open, though it might take me a minute to get to them since I focus more on what pops up in my brain. Also I’ve linked my Masterlist down below and at the top of bio on this blog.
Main Masterlist
Stray Kids Masterlist
Day6 Masterlist
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I have 3 side blogs, @sheerficrec is where I reblog fics that I enjoy, @sheerartrec where I reblog gifs and artwork that I enjoy, and @kaitspromptcorner where I reblog fic prompts that inspire me.
My Lovely Anons: 🌱
Posting Schedule:
SKZ May Flowers Series 5.3 - 5.10
Day6 May Flowers Series 5.25 - 5.28
SKZ Pet Rescue Series 6.7 - 6.14
Jeongin Yakuza Series 6.26 - 6.30
Mystery Hickey 3rd Part 7.6 - 7.12
Content warnings: playful accusations of cheating (flower-based, not relationship-based), excessive banter, and one (1) seaside “trial” with zero legal credibility, teasing dynamics, mock arguments escalating into romantic tension, affectionate physical contact (kissing, leaning, close proximity), soft but confident love confessions, includes themes of devotion, comfort, “arguing as a love language.”, a relationship strong enough to survive even the most suspicious petal counts
Summary: On a quiet pier, a playful “he loves me, he loves me not” game turns into a full-blown mock trial when Dowoon catches you bending the rules. What starts as teasing banter escalates into accusations, deflections, and undeniable tension until words give way to something far more convincing. In the end, the verdict is clear, not from the flower, but from Dowoon himself: he loves you, even when you cheat.
The pier is quiet for once except for the occasional overhead call of the seagulls as they coast on the thermal airwaves in the sky above. It’s the kind of quiet that makes you forget there’s a city buzzing just beyond the boardwalk behind you. The sun is hot from above and you’re thankful that you remembered to bring your wide brimmed hat to keep the sun out of your eyes. You squint still as you look up from your fishing pole when a breeze ghosts across the surface of the water, sunlight shimmers over the water reflecting it like diamonds. Your eyes fall nearly closed as you feel the breeze lift your hair and you sigh happily at the relief from the heat.
You sit on one of the mound seawalls next to Dowoon who’s staring out across the water under his own wide brimmed hat while idly tugging on his fishing pole, hopeful to catch something. It’s peaceful and serene around the both of you causing you to kick your feet out childishly as you grin widely. You love days like this where you can just spend quiet time with Dowoon doing whatever strikes your fancy. Today Dowoon had planned to take you out fishing along the shoreline just to be able to reconnect together after being separated by opposing schedules.
Turning to your side you place your fishing pole in the holder that Dowoon stuck in the ground next to you and then lean back on your hands reclining back to enjoy the warmth from the sun. Dowoon flicks his eyes over to you with quiet curiosity before turning his attention back to his fishing pole. Your eyes drift over his broad back and a smile flits over your face softly as you gaze at him quietly.
“You gonna keep looking or take a picture?” he asks you teasingly without looking back at you. You grin at him before chuckling softly, you shift and lean into his side playfully which makes him grin softly as well.
“It’s free to look at my handsome boyfriend. In fact, I think it’s my job to ogle and moon over my handsome boyfriend.” you tease him causing him to scoff softly at you as he ducks his head in embarrassment of your praise.
“Ogle and moon over?” he teases you as he looks back at you while you grin up at him.
“Of course. You’re so handsome, how can I not?” you ask him in a faux offended tone. Dowoon rolls his eyes at you but shifts closer to you settling you firmly into his side without saying anything.
You glance over the sand and dune grass around where you’re both sitting and spot a few sprigs of Sea Lavender growing in a clump of dune grass. You reach over and grab some, pulling it from the sand and into your lap. The flowers are tiny and purple and their petals look like they’ve burst from the crooked stem like little pretty fireworks. Twirling the stem between your fingers for a moment your eyes follow the pretty purple colors as they swirl in your vision as a soft smirk slips onto your face.
“He loves me…” you begin and pluck the first petal from the first small flower. Dowoon glances over at you and his eyebrows lift ever so slightly.
“Why are we trusting the flower with that answer?” he asks you dryly already knowing your game causing you to pout softly at him.
“Let me have my fun.” you gently scold him and he chuckles softly before shaking his head. “It’s tradition! Sacred, ancient, entirely scientific.” you insist and he barks out a laugh of incredulity at your words.
“I highly doubt it’s scientific.” he murmurs quietly as he hums low in the back of his throat, clearly unconvinced. He turns and places his fishing pole in its holder and leans back on his hands in the sand to watch you closely as a soft smirk tugs on his lips.
“He loves me not…” you continue on with a dramatic flair. Petal number two falls softly onto your lap and you reach up again to pluck the third. The next two petals fall with rapid succession with each answer from the flower. “He loves me…He loves me not…”
Dowoon’s eyes narrow ever so slightly as his lips press into a thin line of concentration. He doesn’t say anything, but the slight tension slipping into his posture betrays his deep suspicion. You pick up the pace, the motion of your fingers plucking petals both chaotically and oddly hypnotic. The seagulls screech in the distance above you both, completely oblivious to the drama unfolding on the beach.
“He loves me…He loves me not…” you count out for petals five and six letting them fall into your lap with the others that now create a pretty mosaic of plucked petals. Only one petal remains now, and it clings stubbornly to the stem as though it has a personal vendetta against you and Dowoon’s love for you. You pause for dramatic effect as your fingers pinch the petal, Dowoon’s eyes narrow slightly before darting down to your lap and then back up to the stem in your fingers. “He loves me.” you say with flourish and pluck the petal from the stem and let it cascade through the air down to your lap.
“You cheated.” Dowoon says softly as he smirks at you. The words land on the dune sand beneath you like an objection in a trial causing you to gasp out loudly at him.
“I would never, sir!” you cry out dramatically and he leans in closer to you with that knowing smirk on his face.
“I watched it in real time honey. You were slick but not that slick.” he teases you softly. He then raises a hand and points to each petal in your lap. “He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not.” he says after pointing to each petal, his eyes following from petal to petal in your lap before darting back up to yours with a sparkling knowing reflected in them. “You plucked double on one of the turns.” he accuses softly, his voice is low and dangerous as your mouth drops open slightly. For a second you consider denial, outright, shameless courtroom-drama denial and then you grin wickedly.
“Objection,” you shoot back at him lifting your chin like you’ve just been personally appointed as judge, jury and menace. “That’s speculation. Conjecture. Vibes-based accusation.” you argue. Dowoon huffs a laugh through his nose, slow and disbelieving, like you’ve just insulted his intelligence and he’s deciding whether to be offended or impressed with your methods.
“I saw it,” he repeats. His voice is quieter this time as he leans closer until his shoulder presses more firmly into yours. “Right there, two petals one motion. That’s fraud.” he accuses you as he points to the petals in your lap while his grin is impossibly wide on his face.
“Wow,” you breathe out as you press a hand to your chest. “You think I'd manipulate a sacred, ancient, entirely scientific system?” you ask him haughtily and his eyes sparkle with challenge.
“Yes.” he says immediately as his head begins to nod.
“You didn’t even hesitate!” you cry out in faux outrage as you squint at him.
“Because I know you.” he says confidently. There’s something annoyingly soft tucked under his words, it’s wrapped in that dry delivery like he didn’t mean to let it slip out but you latch onto it anyway.
“You know me?” you echo, tilting your head at him as your smile turns sharp and playful. “And what exactly does that mean, huh?” you challenge him.
“It means,” he says, reaching over and flicking the fallen petals off your lap, “you hate losing.” he finishes as he leans closer to you until your faces are only inches apart.
“I do not hate losing.” you argue with him sounding scandalized at his perception of you.
“You absolutely do.” he counters with a wicked grin slipping across his face.
“I just prefer winning.” you argue and he laughs softly at your words.
“That’s the same thing.” he tells you and you shake your head quickly.
“It is not.” you argue causing him to raise an eyebrow at you. You raise one right back in retaliation and he smirks at you. A beat passes between the two of you, the breeze stirs again tugging at the edges of your hats and scattering the tiny purple petals across the sand like bits of confetti from a very low-budget parade. Dowoon’s eyes dart away from you to watch the petals scatter across the sand.
”Look at that,” he murmurs as he nods his head toward the mess you’ve made. “Evidence trying to escape the crime scene.” You scoff before nudging his shoulder with yours.
”Oh, please. Even the wind is on my side.” You tell him haughtily as you lift your head slightly in the air.
”The wind isn’t on your side,” he shoots back quickly as he turns his head to look at you again. “The wind just doesn’t respect integrity.”
”My integrity is flawless.” You gasp out, your hand flying to your chest again like he’s just personally offended your ancestors.
”Your integrity just plucked two petals at once.” He says in a deadpanned tone.
”That was a technique!” You argue with him.
”That was cheating.” He counters with a smirk.
”That was innovation.” You insist heatedly.
”That was fraud,” he repeats and this time he’s closer to you. Close enough that the teasing edge in his voice starts to blur into something warmer, something that hums low under your skin. You notice it, of course you do. When it comes to him you always notice it.
”And what?” You press him as you lean in just as much as he is, refusing to give him the upper hand. “You’re the authority on love now? Should I consult you instead of the flowers next time?” You ask teasingly, trying to rile him up.
”Yeah,” he says easily as his eyes drop to your mouth for a half second before flicking back up. “Probably more accurate.” He states teasingly.
“Oh? So you do have an answer.” You say sounding surprised as your grin sharpens delightedly.
”I always have an answer.” He tells you confidently.
”Confident,” you hum out to him. “Dangerous.”
”Realistic.” He counters and you roll your eyes playfully at him.
”Arrogant.” You say challengingly.
”Right.” He says firmly.
”Annoying.” You huff at him grinning.
”Still right.” He tells you again and you huff out a laugh at him while shaking your head, but you don’t pull away from him. Neither does he, in fact, the two of you are so close that the space between you has shrunk to something fragile. It’s thin and charged between you two. The breeze from the water drifts through again, softer this time, like it knows better than to interrupt.
”So what is it then?” You ask him to challenge him, your voice is quieter no but no less playful. “Since you’re apparently the expert. Does he love me or not?” Dowoon’s jaw ticks just slightly and his gaze drops once more, this time lingering on your mouth and when he looks back up there’s less sarcasm in his gaze than before. Not gone, just thinned out.
”You really need a flower to tell you that?” He asks softly and something in his expression shifts, it’s subtle and quick but it’s there. Like a thread pulled too tight. You tilt your head to the side watching him and waiting.
”Say it,” you prod sweetly knowing that you’ve got him. “I dare you.” His eyes drop to your mouth again and this time they don’t leave.
”Yeah, he does.” He says quietly and then he’s kissing you. The kiss isn’t hesitant or particularly gentle either. It’s like he’s been arguing with you using words and suddenly decided those weren’t working anymore and needed to argue with his actual lips.
His hand comes up to your jaw, thumb brushing just under your ear as he pulls you closer, tilting his head to deepen the press of his lips to yours. The world stops and tilts off axis around you with the incessant glide of his lips against yours, the heat of the sun, the salt in the air, the distant cry of seagulls all blur into background noise and atmosphere.
For a second, you forget how to be sarcastic which is frankly impressive to you. Your fingers curl into the front of his loose shirt, anchoring yourself to him as you kiss him back just as fiercely. You match his energy beat for beat as the two of you become engulfed in the flames of your love for each other. Sand shifts under you both as you lean into him, laughter almost bubbling up in the middle of it because of course this is how it happens.
Not with a confession but with an argument that combusts. When he finally pulls back, it’s only just enough for you to breathe. His forehead rests gently against yours as his hand is still warm against your face. You blink up at him, a little dazed, and a lot pleased. Then your grin creeps back in.
”Did you just kiss me to shut me up?” You ask him, your voice a little breathless but still very much you. Dowoon doesn’t even look guilty.
”Yeah.” He says. You stare at him for a quiet moment and then you burst out into incredulous laughter.
”Oh, so this is your version of manipulating the outcome?” You ask him amused as you throw his previous accusation back at him and he smirks at you slowly while leaning back into you.
”Yeah.” He says simply and your breath catches in your throat.
”That’s your big strategy? Just kiss me until I’m distracted from what I was saying before?” You ask him.
”Works better than flowers,” he says unapologetically while glancing at your mouth again like he’s considering proving it a second time.
”Debatable. Flowers have a certain charm.” You hum out to him and he grins wickedly at you.
”I have better odds.” He tells you confidently.
”Cocky.” You accuse him.
”Accurate.” He corrects you which makes you smile, softer this time as something warm settles in your chest again.
”So what’s the official result then?” You ask quietly as you nudge his forehead with yours. “Since you’ve apparently replaced the entire system.” He exhales through his nose, eyes flicking up to meet yours. There’s that softness again within him, that certainty that makes him confident and bold in his feelings for you.
”That I love you,” he says, like it’s obvious. Like it’s been obvious the whole time. “Even when you cheat.” He adds on cheekily at the end and it makes you grin widely.
”Even when I cheat?” You ask him curiously.
”Especially when you cheat.” He corrects dryly. You laugh at him before brushing your nose against his lightly.
”Good. Because I’m not stopping.” You warn him and he smiles at you.
”I know.” He responds softly.
”And you still love me anyway?” You question him which causes him to roll his eyes, but his hand tightens just slightly where he holds you.
”Yeah.” He mutters simply and you beam at him, entirely too pleased with yourself.
”Wow,” you sigh out dramatically. “Obsessed and devoted. That’s crazy.” You tease him.
”You’re still talking.” He points out and your whole body warms from the inside out at the low tone of his voice when he speaks.
”And you’re still in love with me.” You tell him. He studies you for a second like he’s debating something. Then he leans in again, brushing his lips against yours in a softer, quieter kiss this time.
”Yeah.” He says against your mouth and you smile into the kiss as you lunge forward now initiating the contact fully hoping to show him just how much you love him as well.
Content warnings: extreme softness, dangerously high levels of sweetness, and one (1) daisy being treated like a certified relationship expert, established relationship fluff, playful banter, gentle teasing, affectionate physical contact (hand holding, feeding each other cake), themes of romantic reassurance, quiet devotion, and small everyday rituals turning into meaningful moments, warm café vibes, sunlight, sugar, and two people very much in love
Summary: In a sunlit café, a simple daisy gifted by a child turns into a playful “he loves me, he loves me not” game between you and Wonpil. What begins as teasing curiosity quickly becomes something sweeter, as Wonpil treats each falling petal like proof of a love he already knows is real. Between shared cake, quiet laughter, and soft confessions, the moment blooms into something deeper, a promise that even the smallest rituals can hold the biggest truths.
The coffee shop is warm and smells like heaven in the form of freshly baked bread, vanilla sugar on frosted cupcakes and a hint of something nutty roasting in the large metal coffee pots somewhere behind the counter. Early morning sunlight spills through the large glass windows painting golden stripes across the tiled floor and warming your skin in a way that feels like it was made to be touched. The quiet murmur of conversation and the soft clink of coffee cups form a soundtrack that’s impossibly soothing. While outside, pedestrians stroll lazily past, their shadows just beginning to stretch along the sidewalk as the sun begins its ascent into the sky.
You sit across from Kim Wonpil, your boyfriend of three years, who has his elbows on the table and his chin resting on his hands while his eyes are half-lidded in delighted curiosity as he watches you softly talk to a little girl who wandered over to your table from the table her mother had claimed when they came in. The little girl is showing you the flowers that she picked on her walk with her mother to the coffee shop this morning and you’re cooing softly at her array of pretty flowers.
“Oh look how pretty this one is.” you say softly to her and she giggles brightly as you pick up each of the flowers before twirling on between your fingers at her.
“C’mon honey, we have to go now. Say bye bye to the nice lady.” her mother calls out gently to the little girl and both you and Wonpil pick your heads up at her words. You help the girl gather her flowers while smiling before waving to her. “Thank you so much for entertaining her.” her mother says warmly to you and you easily wave your hand goodnaturedly.
“Of course, she’s so cute. I couldn’t resist.” you tell her mother and she beams happily before she holds her hand out to her little girl. Wonpil watches warmly as the little girl turns to her mother before rushing back to you and hands you one of her flowers proudly. “For me? Oh, thank you so much!” you gush at her thankfully before waving at her and her mother when they turn and walk out of the coffee shop. Wonpil smiles fondly at you, feeling the warmth that you always manage to create in every situation and feels himself melting even further with affection for you.
“You made a new friend, huh?” he asks teasingly and you grin at him from across the table as you nod your head.
“Yup, she was adorable. Wasn’t she?” you gush to him and his smile grows on his face as he nods his head in agreement. He watches as you twirl the flower between your fingers with a soft warm smile on your face. As the flower spins in between your fingers he watches as something sparks behind your eyes and excitement grows on your face. It’s a cute small little white daisy with slightly crumpled petals from the little girl’s grip earlier. Wonpil feels his eyes widen as he watches you pinch one of the petals and pluck it cleanly from the flower. “He loves me…” you murmur warmly with a soft wistful smile on your face before letting the petal fall to the table between you.
“Hm? What’s that?” he asks you curiously as he raises an eyebrow and leans forward slightly to get closer to you. You grin brightly at him as your eyes sparkle and he feels himself being drawn into your little chaos that you’re about to create.
“Science.” you tell him excitedly and he chuckles softly at your antics. “A very important test.” He hums thoughtfully at your words as his eyes narrow just enough to show you that he’s assessing whether you’re joking or not.
“Important I get. But I doubt that’s science. More like chance.” he argues softly and you just grin at him before pinching another petal on the flower.
“He loves me not…” you murmur quietly and petal number two lands softly on his napkin that sits in the middle of the table, its stark white color contrasting brightly with the beige napkin. Wonpil leans closer, his elbows inching forward on the table showing that he’s clearly invested now. His expression is subtle but animated, the kind of anticipation that you’ve learned is rare for him, reserved for moments he can’t quite hide behind casual calm.
“He loves me…” Petal three falls quickly to the napkin and Wonpil’s eyes follow it as a tiny pile now begins to form. “He loves me not…” Petal four joins the others and the rhythm feels ridiculous in the middle of the coffee shop, surrounded by quiet chatter and the smell of baked goods. But somehow, it also feels sacred between the two of you. It was intimate, almost like a little universe suspended on a napkin with just the two of you and a flower conducting its slow, arbitrary judgement. Wonpil’s hands are close to the edge of the table now, trembling slightly as though the outcomes of your tiny ritual could influence the very air around him.
“He loves me…He loves me not…” Petals five and six fall to the pile and the two of you dart your eyes down to it before looking back up at the flower in your fingers. Only one petal remains on the flower and you pause dramatically and glance up at him. Wonpil’s wide-eyed anticipation makes you laugh softly, because it’s like he’s watching the climax of a drama series he didn’t know he’d been cast in.
“He loves me.” you say as you pluck the final petal and let it fall to the pile. Wonpil’s reaction is instantaneous. His eyes go impossibly wide and his mouth drops open just slightly as if he’s forgotten how to use words.
“Oh!” he exclaims happily, his voice louder than intended making a few heads turn towards your table in the coffee shop. You can’t hold it in as you burst out laughing while he ducks his head in slight embarrassment. You lean forward grinning at him as your eyes dance over his happy excited face.
“Why are you excited?” you ask him teasingly with a hint of curiosity in your voice.
“That’s good news!” he says while pointing at the crumpled petals now lying like tiny confetti on the napkin.
“You already knew the answer though.” you say around a wide grin.
“Yes,” he admits grinning just as brightly as you, “but now the flower knows too!” he says happily before reaching for the tiny pile of petals. Warmth and happiness blooms within you as you watch him gathering the petals into a heap like they’re sacred evidence in a court case. He examines them for a moment as if they carry the weight of the universe and you shake your head while laughing softly as your heart picks up its pace in your chest.
“You’re ridiculous.” you tell him fondly.
“Romance requires diligence,” he says seriously while his grin never fades from his face.
“Diligence or obsession?” you ask him as you raise an eyebrow. He shrugs his shoulders at you, then reaches across the table to slide your pastry plate toward you that you had completely forgotten about when the little girl came over to your table earlier.
“Celebration cake.” he says as his eyes dart up to yours with a softness that makes your breath catch in your chest. You look down at the plate and see the small slice of chocolate cake with a dusting of powdered sugar, a single raspberry perched on top like a crown. You can’t help but laugh again. “Romance requires snacks when there’s triumph.” he declares solemnly and you smile before scooping a bit of the cake onto your fork and holding it up for him. His eyes dart down to the cake before moving back to your eyes and he smiles widely at you. He leans forward and opens his mouth before gathering the cake off your fork into his mouth. “Delicious.” he says when he swallows.
You roll your eyes fondly at him and take a bite of the cake for yourself. Chocolate melts smoothly against your tongue, raspberry tartness cutting through the sweetness making you hum in agreement with him. Your fingers brush against his when you reach across the table for your drink and he doesn’t pull away. Instead, he leans just a fraction closer as his eyes crinkle with a small secretive smile.
“Do you think,” you say trying to sound casual with your curiosity, “that flowers are actually good at this? Like, predicting love?” you ask him and he tilts his head to the side as he steals another bite of the cake from your fork. He chews slowly and you smile at his antics.
“Maybe,” he says finally after swallowing, “but I think some flowers just need an assistant to translate for them.” You laugh softly, letting your hand brush against his again as you reach for him. He easily turns his hand to capture yours and begins to play with your fingers.
“And who would be the translator?” you ask him as you smile softly at him.
“Me.” he says immediately. “Definitely me.” His insistence makes you laugh softly as you nod your head along with his words.
“Oh? And you’re fluent in flower translation?” you tease him as you tilt your head to the side.
“Absolutely,” he says adamantly as his eyes sparkle delightedly at you. “When it comes to translating that I love you? I’m fluent in every translation.” he says honestly and you melt against the table while making a soft noise of surprise which makes him grin boyishly at you as his cheeks heat with a flush.
There’s warmth pooling in your chest at his quiet honesty and it’s hard to resist falling further and further in love with him, even when his honesty is wrapped in playful absurdity. You glance at the daisy stem lying on the table now, it lays there tiny, stubborn and almost inconsequential and in the face of the love you both share for each other. And yet somehow, its verdict has turned the midmorning into something entirely brighter. Wonpil leans back slightly still holding onto your hand with one of his hands while picking up his fork and taking a small bite of the cake. His eyes stay trained on you.
“The petals were just a formality,” he says quietly after swallowing the bite of cake. “But the cake was the real proof. Just a small celebration of something beautifully growing between us.” he says softly more to himself than you. You stare at him for a quiet moment as a grin slips onto your face as sunlight filters in through the window to fall across your face warming it.
“You are utterly ridiculous.” you say fondly before learning forward and accepting the piece of cake that he offers you.
“But effective.” he counters with a small sly smile tugging at his lips.
The coffee shop feels smaller now, cozier, like it was meant to hold just the two of you in your little bubble of warmth and love. The soft hum of conversation fades into the background as you sit together, letting the quiet intimacy stretch comfortably between bites of cake and tiny, triumphant petals piled on the table.
“Promise me something?” Wonpil asks in a conspiratorial whisper as he leans forward.
“Hmm?” you hum out to him feeling dazed and foggy minded due to the warmth from the sun and the love you hold for him.
“Promise me we’ll always need these small ceremonies,” he says as his eyes lock onto yours. “The flowers, the cake…the ridiculous moments that make love obvious.” he requests reverently, making your heart thud heavily in your chest.
“I promise.” you tell him as you beam softly at him.
“Good,” he says with a confident nod of his head before sighing softly as he tilts his head at you. “Because I love you and think that should be celebrated.” And just like that, in the coffee shop filled with sunlight, sugar and laughter, the daisy though small and stubborn wasn’t the final verdict. It was just the beginning.
Content warnings: playful arguing, and one (1) daisy being publicly discredited, established relationship dynamics, light bickering, teasing banter, and overwhelming romantic reassurance, creative frustration, affectionate physical contact (kissing, cuddling), and a dramatic songwriter declaring war on botany
Summary: In a quiet, golden-hour park, Young K struggles to write a love song while you lounge across his lap, turning a fallen flower into a playful “he loves me, he loves me not” experiment. What begins as teasing spirals into mock outrage as he refuses to let something as random as a daisy define his feelings. In the end, inspiration strikes not from the world around him, but from you and he makes one thing undeniably clear: his love isn’t up for debate.
The sun hangs in the sky casting a soft golden glow over the nearly empty park you sat in, the park itself feels like it’s exhaling. There’s a slow, collective sigh rolling through the trees as the last wave of commuters dissolve into the city beyond the gates. The distant hum of traffic softens into something more like a memory than a sound around you. The bench you’re sprawled out on like you belong to it is still warm from the day’s sun and you hum softly as you lay against it and wiggle comfortably. One leg is hooked over the armrest on your side of the bench and the other dangles over the edge of the seat. There’s a soft rustling next to you and your head turns automatically as a soft smile slips onto your face, Young K sits next to you with his lyric notebook opened on his lap as he hurriedly writes in with a pensive look on his face.
You shift slightly and tilt your head backwards to stare up at him as your head rests on his unoccupied thigh as if that’s the sole purpose it’s been created for. After two years of dating at this point that had become his thigh’s sole purpose in your mind. There’s a familiar ease in the way he lets you settle there without looking up, his hand automatically drifts to your hair and his fingers thread absentmindedly through the strands as he stares down at his notebook.
He’s been stuck on the same line for twenty minutes now, you can tell by the way his pen taps against the page. It’s a soft irregular rhythm that doesn’t quite match the cadence he’s chasing. Every now and then he writes something down only to scratch it out seconds later with a soft huff to follow the faint rasp of ink being crossed out scratching against the comfortable quiet around the two of you.
“What’s the matter K?” you ask him softly as you tilt your head back and squint up at him through half lidded eyes as the glow of the sunset almost blinds you.
“Nothing is sounding right.” he sighs out to you and you frown softly at his words.
“Even after us visiting three different coffee shops, a bookstore, and that weird alley with the mural for inspiration?” you ask him bewildered.
“It’s not weird,” he says automatically, making you chuckle at him even as he doesn’t lift his head from his notebook. “It’s textured.” he insists and you scoff at him.
“It was a mural of a raccoon painted in existential despair.” you counter him dryly.
“It’s commentary. A great conversational piece. And one I thought was going to help get the creative juices flowing.” he laments quietly as he scowls down at his notebook. You huff out a quiet laugh, the sound is warm and lazy, before you shift slightly and press your cheek more comfortably into his thigh as you gaze up at him. His fingers adjust in your hair without thought as they smooth through your strands distractedly and scratch lightly at your scalp in a way that makes your eyes flutter shut for a second as a full happy hum emits from your chest.
“And all that inspiration and you’re still stuck?” you asked softly as your tone took on a more worried tone to it.
“I’m not stuck,” he says quickly in defence before sighing as his pen pauses once more in mid-air. “I’m temporarily resisting resolution.” he says softly with a look of defeat on his face. You hum unconvinced as one of your arms falls over the edge of the seat and your hand dangles into the grass underneath the bench.
A breeze drifts through the park, rustling the leaves overhead in the trees. Something soft brushes against the knuckles of your hand that’s left dangling over the bench and when you glance down you spot a small, slightly imperfect flower that must’ve fallen or been left behind. It’s not particularly special, it’s a little uneven with petals slightly curled at the edges. But to you it’s perfect as an idea sparks in your mind. You grab it from the grass and turn it between your fingers as you raise your hand to hover over you. Young K doesn’t notice at first, he’s muttering to himself now, barely audible, testing phrases under his breath.
“Something about…timing…no, that’s overdone…” he says softly to himself and you smile at his quiet antics before turning your eyes to the flower to inspect it.
“He loves me…” you say just loud enough for the two of you to hear and you smile softly when you hear the tapping of his pen cease. The petal that you pluck from the flower falls to the ground below you as you continue on with your little game hoping to inspire him. “He loves me not…” you say gloomily as you pick another petal from the flower. You don’t pay attention to the petal as it falls since you’re more interested in Young K’s response already knowing that it’ll be over the top and ridiculous, because it’s Young K.
“Wait.” he draws out softly but you ignore him as you pick another petal off the flower now fully committed to your game.
“He loves me…” you say and pause waiting for his response.
“What are you doing?” he asks now as he watches you avidly while you pluck another petal.
“He loves me not…” you say and let the petal fall to the ground. Young K looks down at you fully now, his brows knit slightly over his eyes as he watches you continue your slow dismantling of the flower. There’s a flicker of confusion on his face and then it morphs into curiosity before turning into something that looks suspiciously like offense.
“Are you seriously consulting a plant on such an important question?” he asks you bewildered and you bite your lip to try and curb the urge to laugh at him.
“This is supposed to inspire you with your lyrics.” you tell him confidently and he scoffs loudly at you.
“For what, a sad song? I’m supposed to be writing a happy song, not one about betrayal and heartbreak!” he protests and you chuckle at him.
“It’s a time-honored method that’s been passed down throughout the ages.” you tell him completely serious, knowing that it will set him off even further.
“You’re outsourcing emotional verification to…flora!” he cries out dramatically as if you’ve caused the ultimate betrayal.
“He loves me…” you continue and he huffs at you.
“You’re literally letting a daisy decide-” he begins to scold you but you cut him off easily.
“He loves me not…” you say and he stares at you with one eye slightly twitching makes you bite your lip once more but you continue on. Petal after petal, a quiet rhythm of soft snaps and drifting white pieces, each one landing somewhere below you under the bench. The city beyond the park grows quieter still, like it’s leaning in to listen for the final answer from the flower. “He loves me…” you continue and Young K’s hand that had been in your hand stills with a quietness that you know won’t last long. “He loves me not…” you continue on and can see out of the corner of your eye that his own eyes are slightly narrowed with something calculating sparking behind them. You’re absolutely enjoying this as you continue on with the petal plucking. “He loves me…”
“You do realize,” he says slowly breaking his silence much to your delight, “this is statistically unreliable.” he tries to argue.
“He loves me not…” you continue knowing it’ll bother him even more that you don’t respond to him.
“It’s random distribution at best.” he argues confidently and you try your best not to laugh at him.
“He loves me…” you say.
“You’re assigning meaning where there is none.” he tells you insistantly but you continue to pluck another petal.
“He loves me not…” you say while grinning softly as your eyes stay locked on the flower. “There’s always meaning in meaningless things.” you tell him confidently and he exhales heavily through his nose, somewhere between amused and mildly exasperated.
“There is not always-” he begins to argue again but you quickly cut him off.
“He loves me…” you say and another petal falls to the ground below but you deliberately slow your actions wanting to drag it out since there’s only a few petals left. “He loves me not…” You can feel the shift in him now as he stares at the flower in your hands. He straightens his posture just a fraction on the bench underneath your head, his gaze sharpens as if he’s watching the final seconds of something truly important.
“It’s not even a full bloom that you started with,” he mutters dejectedly and you smile softly at his argument. “That already compromises the integrity of the result.”
“Gives it more chances.” you tell him and he squawks loudly at your reasoning.
“More chances to get it wrong.” he tells you.
“He loves me…” you say and the two of you as you watch the second to last petal fall from your fingers. You pinch the last petal in between your fingers for a quiet moment letting it stretch just a little longer than necessary. You glance up at him from your spot on his thigh and he’s already looking at you with a quiet softness that’s hidden beneath the mock seriousness written on his face. He knows you’re teasing him and riling him up but he’s allowing it just as much as you are playing it up. There’s a soft flickering in his eyes every time they connect with yours and you know it’s reflected in your eyes as well, it’s familiar and steady and still somehow capable of catching you off guard. You pluck the last petal. “He loves me not.” you say and silence follows your words.
The final petal flutters from your fingers and a soft breeze catches it before dragging it over to land on his notebook like it was fated to. Young K stares down at the petal before securing it in between the pages of his notebook carefully. His actions are dramatic or loud for once but they hold an intensity that speaks volumes to you.
“That’s…” he says slowly, voice edged with disbelief. “Objectively incorrect.” he states seriously and you burst out laughing, the sound bright and happy in the quiet park. You sit up from his lap and he scowls softly at you as his hand falls from your hair to his lap.
“That was the result of the test.” you tell him as you hold up the now bare stem as evidence.
“The result is flawed.” he insists and swats the stem from your hand which makes your mouth drop open in shock before you start laughing at him. You sit up on your knees as you face him still laughing at his antics.
“You watched it happen!” you tell him as your eyes sparkle at him in delight.
“I watched a deeply biased experiment.” he insists and you laugh at him again as you reach forward and cup his face gently before tugging him towards you slowly.
“And what made it biased?” you ask him softly and he grins up at you boyishly which makes you melt for him.
“It’s clearly underqualified.” he insists confidently and you chuckle softly at him.
“That flower had only one job.” you tell and he quickly nods his head at your words as his eyes widen slightly.
“And it failed spectacularly!” he cries out dramatically. Your laughter is soft and delighted as you shake your head at him as your nose brushes against his gently.
“I don’t make the rules.” you tell him and he huffs at you softly.
“No, apparently you let botany do that for you.” he grumbles out goodnaturedly. You lean forward and press a sweet soft kiss to his pouted lips as you chuckle quietly.
“I adore you. Absolutely and wholeheartedly love and adore you.” you tell him softly when you pull away from him. He blinks up at you for a quiet dazed moment before a grin slips across his face that is blinding. Suddenly then he gasps as his eyes widen and he pulls away from your hands. He grabs his notebook and flips to a clean page and starts writing, his pen moves quickly now and urgency now replaces his prior hesitation. “Inspired now?” you ask him happily knowing that your goal was accomplished.
“I’m correcting the narrative.” he tells you distractedly as he continues writing.
“You’re writing about the flower?” you ask him curiously.
“I’m writing about the injustice.” he says and you laugh as you shake your head at him.
“You’re seriously beefing with a daisy now.” you tease him and he shakes his head at you.
“A single daisy cannot summarize devotion.” he mutters to you as he’s already half in the rhythm of it, words coming faster into his brain now. His pen scratches across the page, and you can practically see the song forming in real time, piece by piece. You settle into his side and rest your head on his chest while watching him with a soft smile tugging at your lips. This is your favorite version of him, not the polished performer or the composed artist. It’s this version, the one who gets personally offended by hypothetical flowers and turns it into lyrics. “Listen to this,” he says, not waiting for permission as he reads, his voice low but animated. “Counting petals like they’re evidence, as if chance could measure this feeling…”
“Careful,” you tease him as you reach up and poke his cheek lightly, “the flower might hear you and double down.”
“It can try,” he says while not even looking up. “It’ll be wrong twice.” he insists, which makes you laugh as you shake your head.
“You’re unbelievable.” you tell him softly.
“I’m correct.” he argues and you roll your eyes fondly at him before pressing a kiss to his cheek quickly which makes him flush brightly.
“You’re dramatic.” you whisper out to him and he huffs out a soft laugh.
“I’m inspired.” he counters hurriedly.
“That flower did more for your song than three coffee shops.” you tell him happily and he nods his head with a look of determination on his face.
“That flower is an antagonist.” he says heatedly and you grin before settling back into his side content to let him spiral and get out all of the lyrics that are flying through his mind right now. There’s something warm about this moment, something that settles deep in your chest. The quiet park, the fading light, the soft scratch of his pen, the way he shifts his body closer to you to keep you comfortable without breaking his focus. After two years of being together you’re surprised but not truly surprised that being with him still feels like this, because it’s him.
“You should title it ‘He Loves Me Not’.” you say after the thought filters into your mind. His pen stops, not gradually but immediately. You feel him shift underneath you and he’s suddenly turning you towards him as he gives you his full attention.
“No.” he says seriously and you look up at him to see that there’s no humor reflected on his face, no playful argument there, just certainty.
“No?” you ask him curiously and tilt your head to the side.
“No.” he says and shakes his head adamantly. He sets the notebook aside, the page still half-filled with lyrics. “No, because that’s not even a possibility worth entertaining.” he says firmly, making your breath catch just a little. There it is again, that steady, grounding certainty that he carries like it’s second nature. You swallow quietly as you stare into his loving eyes. “I love you and I’m not going to let some flower try to deny that fact or some song title to try and ever hint at something untrue.” he says softly before leaning forward and capturing your mouth with his.
You melt against him and the love he has for you while your hands come up and thread through his hair. The two of you sit on that park bench with his notebook, filled with lyrics confessing of a love that surpasses a silly little chance game, between you. You both lose yourself in the kiss as the evening shifts further on with time, neither of you coming up for much air until a loud car alarm blares through the air shocking the two of you. Soft chuckles slip out of the two of you when you do pull back, you pull your hands out of his hair as you both stare at each other with love reflecting in your eyes.
“C’mon, I think I’ve got enough material to work with. Let’s go home.” he says softly to you and you beam up at him happily before nodding your head. You help him pack away his things before standing from the bench and stretching widely. You wiggle your fingers at him and he easily slips his hand into yours before slotting his fingers between yours. The two of you walk away from the bench leaving behind the evidence of a failed biased experiment that couldn’t stand up against the love cemented between you.
Content warnings: A quiet camping night draws you into a soft, introspective moment as you watch Sungjin stripped of all noise, just himself in the firelight. A childhood petal-plucking game turns unexpectedly vulnerable, leading you to confess feelings you hadn’t fully named yet. Sungjin gently reveals he’s been certain all along, choosing you without hesitation, and the night ends wrapped in warmth, love, and the kind of kiss that feels like coming home.
Summary: soft romance, mutual pining resolved, emotional vulnerability, love confession, gentle kissing, non-explicit intimacy, campfire setting, introspection, light teasing, mild language, brief anxiety over feelings, soft domestic vibes but in the woods, tooth-rotting fluff, quiet character study energy, and one (1) dangerously powerful wildflower acting as an unlicensed relationship counselor
The evening air settles around you like a cooling blanket making you smile softly as you revel in it after feeling the heat from earlier while building your camp site. The forest settles into night the way a secret settles into a room, slow and deliberate, until everything feels wrapped in it. The last of the sunset has long since dissolved behind the trees, leaving only the soft glow of the campfire, Sungjin made to push back the dark. The fire crackles and breathes like something alive, orange light licking up the sides of the stacked logs. Crickets hum in steady rhythm, a quiet orchestra tucked into the underbrush of the forest around you. Somewhere deeper in the woods, a branch snaps and then stillness returns unbothered.
Across the fire from you, Sungjin sits in a brightly colored camping chair with his elbows resting loosely on his knees. He’s holding a long stick in his hand as he nudges at the fire like it owes him something, you smile softly at the image of him in front of you. He hums under his breath, low and absentminded, a melody that never quite forms into a full song but lingers in the air anyway. It’s soft and hauntingly beautiful which you’re not surprised by since it was coming from him.
You watch him for a moment longer than necessary, there’s something about Sungjin in this setting that feels simpler. Almost as if he’s been stripped down from the infamous Kpop idol. There’s no noise out here, no distractions, just him and the quiet crackle of firelight painting gold along the edges of his face. His expression is calm, thoughtful, like he’s somewhere halfway between here and somewhere far away. Seeing him like this cracks something unusual inside your chest and it makes your breath seize within your lungs. It’s something heavy and consuming but not unfamiliar to you, you’ve been feeling like this towards after the six month mark of your relationship you just haven’t delved deeper into it just yet. Your eyes dart away from him after a moment when it all becomes too much for you.
You knew he had needed a break from his busy schedule so when he had started planning a camping trip and asked if you’d join him you had eagerly agreed wanting to spend as much time with him as you possibly could. You just hadn’t imagined how much it would affect you seeing him so unfiltered like this. Your eyes dart around the small camp site, your eyes trailing over Sungjin for a moment before darting the darkened woods behind him. Then as if the fire was calling you back your eyes drifted back to the crackling fire as if hypnotized. Your eyes follow the bouncing flames and the stray embers that snap off from the logs of wood as they move in arcs out of the flames, that’s when you spot it.
A tiny wildflower, stubbornly blooming beside a rock just outside the circle of firelight. Its petals are pale blue and almost glow against the dark soil, like it didn’t get the memo that it shouldn’t exist out here next to a campfire in the middle of nowhere. You lean forward reaching out past your camping chair and pluck the wildflower gently from the ground. Sungjin’s humming pauses for a second as his eyes track your movement before it resumes once more after he sees that you’re okay and just grabbed the flower. You sit back in your chest as an excited smile slips across your face and you roll the stem between your fingers while your eyes stare at the petals while your mind thinks of an old game that you used to play with your girlfriends when you were younger. It’s silly, even childish, you know this but the excitement that bubbles up within you is more prominent than your urge to limit yourself.
“He loves me…” you murmur softly as you pluck the first petal from the flower and toss it into the fire watching as the fire consumes it quickly turning it to ash. Your words hang in the air with softness to them and an uncertainty that lingers in the air around you. “He loves me not…” you murmur just as softly and your eyes follow the petal as it burns in the flames again. Across the campfire the humming falters again as Sungjin focuses on you and the tiny wildflower in your hands. “He loves me…” you say softly and then watch as the petal that you tossed gets caught by a warm updraft from the fire before spinning down into the flames to be burnt to a crisp.
“What are you doing?” Sungjin asks in a nonchalantly curious tone but you can tell by the way his eyes don’t leave you that he’s not as nonchalant as he comes off as. You don’t even glance at him, keeping your attention fixed on the flower like it’s a serious experiment requiring full concentration as you smile brightly.
“Science.” you say seriously. There’s a beat of silence after you speak and then a quiet snort rings out. Your eyes dart up and see that Sungjin is now watching you fully with one eyebrow slightly raised. The corner of his mouth is tugging upwards like he’s trying not to smile but he’s unable to stop it. He leans back a little in his chair and shifts his weight so that he’s sitting more comfortably in the brightly colored chair, his eyes are still fixed on you. “He loves me not…” you continue, more pointedly now, because you have to finish your little game with his sole attention on you.
The weight of his gaze is steady and warm in a way that makes your fingers slightly clumsy as you pluck the next petal. Sungjin doesn’t say anything but the way his lips curve into a soft smirk makes your pulse skyrocket. The fire crackles louder and it makes the atmosphere almost throb with intent between the two of you and you suck in a quick breath before speaking up once again.
“He loves me…” you say softly before hesitating for half a second. You don’t know why you’ve suddenly grown nervous, it’s just a stupid harmless game. But there’s something lingering within you that wraps around you and makes you more aware of what the ending answer you want this game to land on. You idly wonder if you’ll be able to talk to him further about your feelings for him.
“He loves me not…” you say slightly dejectedly and toss the petal into the fire a little more aggressively causing Sungjin to chuckle softly as he jabs his stick into the burning logs, his movements send up a small burst of sparks spiraling upward in the dark night sky. His eyes flick between your hands and your face, attentive in that quiet way of his, like he’s listening to something you’re not saying with actual words. You swallow silently as you turn the stem between your fingers letting yourself focus on the flower as opposed to focusing on him.
“He loves me…” you say softly and feel yourself melt from within as your smile slips back onto your face. Your attention fully now on the flower as your mind starts to concoct images of how he treats you and how it makes you feel loved even if you don’t know for sure that’s how he intends it to be viewed. There are only a few petals left now and your eyes try to count them but you stop yourself not wanting to spoil the game even as the air feels thicker.
“He loves me not…” you say and you can hear your own heartbeat now as it escalates within you, it’s annoyingly loud compared to the steady hum of the forest. Sungjin doesn’t say anything as his eyes rake over you from across the fire, he doesn’t move, just watches you before darting his eyes to the singular left petal on the flower. You blink in realization at the last petal for a moment, your thumb brushes against its edge as if it’s lucky as happiness begins to well up inside of you. It’s ridiculous the way your chest tightens with joy like this silly little game actually matters. Like the answer is anything more than coincidence. But still, you pluck the petal and your eyes dart up to connect with Sungjin’s across the fire.
“He loves me.” you say fondly as your smile bursts out on your face as the words land softly between you, they’re already being carried on the warmth of the fire into the night sky above you. For a second, neither of you speaks after the answer is found to your game, you toss the petal and the now empty stem into the fire. Triumphant joy consumes you and you can’t stop your smile from morphing into a grin as you grow a little breathless.
“Good.” he says with a confident nod and that makes you falter slightly. His answer is so no-nonsense that it shocks you as you blink at him a few times.
“Good? That’s it?” you ask confused. You had expected him to tease you for going through with the game, you had thought he’d joke about it or maybe even that quiet laugh he does when he finds something genuinely funny. But instead, he just shrugs his shoulders as a soft smile slips across his face and he slips back into his chair as if the answer didn’t really hold much weight.
“Yeah,” he says with a nod of his head as his eyes dance with a soft spark in them. “Good.” You narrow your eyes at him while leaning forward slightly and pout dramatically at him.
“You’re no fun.” you huff at him and he laughs delightedly at your response.
“Was I supposed to be?” he counters goodnaturedly as a hint of amusement fills his voice now.
“Yes,” you say immediately. “That’s how this works. You’re supposed to react. Dramatically, preferably with shock and awe. A little indignation if it had been the other option. Then I’d be able to lead into a conversation about how I feel about you.” you ramble and Sungjin’s eyes sharpen on you for a quiet moment before he easily slips into the conversation.
“And how do you feel about me Jagi?” he asks curiously as his eyes focus intently on you. You don’t realize what you’ve already said to him and as you continue on you still don’t realize that he’s got you exactly where he wants you to gather more information.
“I’ve got this warm, consuming, heavy feeling within me whenever I think about you. It’s not a bad feeling. It’s quite pleasant, like a weighted blanket that makes me feel safe and secure. Sometimes it grows too big when we’re apart but whenever we meet up again it settles into this contentment that just makes me breathe easier.” you begin to explain and Sungjin smiles fondly at you as you continue to ramble. “You’re the first person I think of when I wake up and you’re the last person I think of before I fall asleep. I always wish you a goodnight right before falling asleep even when we’re unable to call and talk. You’ve become so important to me that I don’t think I could go back to not knowing you.” your voice drifts out for a moment and Sungjin takes the time to step in then.
“That sounds an awful lot like love.” he says softly and fondly which makes you whip your head up at him in surprise. Your eyes widen comically and your mouth drops open slightly but before you can panic your eyes recognize the way he’s looking at you. It’s steadier and softer, and you realize he’s been looking at you like that for a while and you’re only just noticing. Your panic gets stuck somewhere between your brain and your mouth and Sungjin tilts his head slightly at you as he studies your expression like he’s trying to read something written there.
“I think it is love. I just didn’t recognize it until you confirmed it just now.” you say softly and he smiles happily at you.
“For what it’s worth, I already knew the answer to your little game.” he tells you in a soft tone that makes your heart thud heavily in your chest. You look down at the ground at your feet as you break out into soft disbelieving laughter, because that’s easier than unpacking whatever that sentence just did to you.
“Oh, really? And what, you’ve been consulting flowers behind my back?” you ask him teasingly as you lift your head slowly to look at him only to see that he’s no longer in his camping chair. No, he’s gotten up and is now standing at your side taking your hand into his as he guides you up from your own chair. He stares down into your eyes with a softness that makes you melt further as you stand in front of him.
”Don’t need to.” He replies fondly as the fire pops, a sharp sound that makes you flinch slightly causing you to step closer to him. He watches you quietly and the air between you grows thick as his eyes dart from your eyes down to your mouth which parts slightly under his gaze. “I chose to fall in love with you a long time ago. I won’t leave it up to flowers to decide for me.” He tells you and the words land heavier in your mind and consciousness as your breath rushes out of you. The night seems to lean in around you both, listening to your conversation.
Sungjin steps closer to you, close enough that you can feel his chest brushing against yours as he breathes. His arms simply slide around your waist and tug you into his chest making you rest your hands against him gently. You look up at him almost in awe as his emotions and feelings for you are revealed finally and you feel your chest burst with happiness.
”Oh.” You say softly not knowing what else to say. It’s not a very impressive response, but it’s all you can manage right now and it makes Sungjin smile warmly down at you.
”Like you said before that I’ve become important to you, you’ve become important to me. I like being around you. It’s…easy.” He says like it’s the simplest thing in the world.
”Easy?” You echo softly and you realize that he’s right, it is easy being around him. It’s easy and calming whenever it’s with him.
”Yeah,” he tells you. “You don’t make things feel complicated. Like how you said I make you feel safe and secure. You do that for me by making things less complicated and easy.” He explains and you nod your head before looking back up at him fully.
”I thought,” you start before stopping when you feel his chest rise with his breath distracting you for a moment. When he chuckles at your distraction you quickly shake your head and look back up at him. “I thought it was just me who felt that way. That’s why I didn’t say anything earlier.”
”How could I not feel that way with you?” He asks softly as his hands come up and cup your cheeks. “You’ve become the person who I want to be with all the time. You make me feel like I’m able to relax around you. When I get to see you again after being away it feels like when I get to go home after a busy day of schedules.” He explains to you while staring into your eyes. You can feel the emotions rising up in you to consume you whole but just as they’re about to Sungjin leans down and presses his lips against yours in a gentle chaste kiss.
His lips slide against yours unhurried and you shift closer to him as your hands grip his hoodie on either side of him drawing him in further. Tilting your head to the side the kiss deepens and the two of you hum in a sweet melody that only the two of you can create. The fire crackles again, softer now as it burns lowers, embers glowing deep orange beneath the surface and the two of you keep kissing as if nothing else matters in the world.
When you pull away because your lungs are screaming for air, the two of you stand there quietly just gazing at each other before Sungjin hums softly. He leans down and presses a kiss to your forehead gently before wrapping you up in a tight hug that you easily bury yourself into loving the warmth of him surrounding you.
”Thank you for loving me.” You say softly to him and he pulls away after a moment to gaze down at you.
”It was the only option for me.” He tells you honestly before pulling you back into a hug.
Content warnings: extreme fluff, chaotic children energy, classroom/teacher setting, playground mayhem, first graders acting like tiny detectives, public interrogation about relationship status, “he loves me / he loves me not” flower trope taken way too far, mass flower plucking, dramatic overreactions, faction-building among children (he loves me vs. he loves me not), Jeongin under emotional siege, playful manipulation via cuteness, loud group chanting, secondhand embarrassment, soft affection and light kissing, found family vibes, and one very official (and extremely loud) council of children determining matters of the heart
Summary: What starts as Jeongin reluctantly helping you at the park quickly spirals into chaos when a group of first graders interrogates him about your relationship and refuses to accept anything less than confirmation. When you introduce the classic “he loves me, he loves me not” game, the children erupt into competing factions, turning the park into a loud, flower-fueled debate over his feelings. In the end, Jeongin leans into the madness, letting the “council of children” declare the final verdict, one that matches exactly what his heart already knows.
Jeongin didn’t know how he had wound up surrounded by a small crowd of first graders in the middle of the local park. Actually, that wasn’t true. He knew exactly how it happened, he was pretty sure you had bewitched him one night with your soft eyes and sweet lips. It had all started the other night when you with those soft pretty eyes, sweet smile and a very suspiciously timed, “Hey can you help me with something tomorrow at around three?” that had been asked while you were already leaning in too close and tilting your head in that way that made his brain short-circuit.
He should’ve known that he was doomed as soon as you fluttered your lashes at him and tilted your head to the side all cutely that you did. He did know he was doomed but he couldn’t help it when it came to you, after dating you for a month into your year and a half relationship he already knew that he was goner for you and would give you anything you asked for if he had the power to do so. Which is how he found himself in the middle of the local park under the warm bright sun outnumbered, outmatched and currently being interrogated by a gaggle of children no taller than his midriff.
“So…are you dating teacher-nim?” comes the question that they’ve all been dying to ask him. Jeongin chokes at the words. He actually chokes on air, as his hands fly to his chest as if that might help him recover faster and find the words to deflect the question. Chan would be disappointed, after all that media training for the group has apparently all if has immediately escaped his brain with the simple question from the tiny girl with pigtails and the confidence of someone who has never known fear. She looked up at him expectantly as behind her, the rest of the group went quiet in eerie unison, like a flock of birds sensing drama. A few of the kids even lean in waiting for the answer while one kid straight up gasps.
“Oooooooooh,” another kid whispers but his volume is not quiet at all. Jeongin blinks, once, twice as they all stare at him silently. His brain? Gone, completely evacuated his skull and he can hear Chan hyung’s voice in the far distance yelling about their media training lessons.
“I-what? No! I mean-” he stammers, his words tripping over each other on his tongue as his ears start to burn with embarrassment. He looks around the park for help, his eyes darting from side to side looking for you. Across the small clearing, you’re crouched down in front of a little boy tying his shoes that had come undone. His eyes narrow on you and he can see that you’re pretending to be very focused on tying the shoes as your shoulders shake with barely restrained laughter. He huffs at you for a moment before the kids capture his attention once again.
“So you’re not dating her?” one asks him accusingly and Jeongin’s eyes widen in surprise at how offended the little one sounds in your defense. Jeongin flinches back at the angry look on the small child and he begins to flounder in the face of their offense all while you look over with a soft grin on your face and wide sparkling eyes, traitor.
“I didn’t say that.” Jeongin manages to say weakly as his eyes dart back and forth from each child. “Who told you that?!” he asks defensively.
“I think he’s dating her.” says the first culprit of this investigation, the little girl with the pigtails.
“He looks at her a lot.” Another child reasons out loud and Jeongin snaps his head to stare at the child bewilderedly.
“And he stands next to her all the time.” a third adds making Jeongin swing his head towards them now.
“And he brought snacks!” chimes in another one, like that’s the most incriminating evidence of all. Jeongin presses his lips together for a moment because he can’t argue with them, they’re all right in their observations but is this topic of conversation appropriate for kids this little? He doesn’t know and he doesn’t want to be the one to destroy their innocence.
“I brought snacks for everyone.” He tries to appease them all but they all turn to stare at him unimpressed and unconvinced in his words. None of them are buying it.
“Sus,” one of the kids says and Jeongin flinches back as if he was shot wondering where the kid even heard that word let alone learned how to use it correctly in context. But before he can attempt to defend himself any further, you finally step in, clapping your hands together to regain control of the chaotic group of tiny humans in front of you.
“Alright detectives,” you call out your voice bright with barely contained laughter as your eyes sparkle in delight. “Why don’t we focus on the actual lesson and not give Innie a heart attack before he reaches old age?” you joke and a chorus of groans rise up immediately, most from the kids but Jeongin also groans at your joke as his eyes dart to you accusingly.
“Booooo!” calls out some of the kids.
“Noooo!” rings out from a few others.
“Tell us the answer first, teacher-nim!” cries out the little girl and you smile at her softly before patting her head gently.
“There is no answer.” you say firmly even though your eyes flick to Jeongin for just a warm amused fond second. “Now come on, we’re learning about plants today, remember?” you tell them sweetly. Reluctantly, the kids disperse, though not without several suspicious glances back at Jeongin. He exhales slowly, dragging a hand down his face as he stops closer to you.
“You did this on purpose.” he mutters accusingly to you and you look over your shoulder at him with a wide happy grin already on your face.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” you say loftily and he scoffs softly at you before a slight pout graces his lips.
“Liar.” he accuses softly and you burst out in happy laughter.
“You agreed to help when I asked. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t think you could handle a group of first graders.” you tell him teasingly and his pout deepens slightly at your teasing.
“I was manipulated.” he argued and you gasped softly at him before turning to him and widening your eyes at him.
“I would never.” you gasped out at him and he smirked softly down at you as he leaned closer.
“You batted your eyelashes.” he accuses softly.
“That’s not a crime.” you tell him.
“It should be.” he mutters quietly and you laugh at him softly while bumping your shoulder lightly against his as you turn to survey the group of kids now scattered around the park looking at the flowers sprouting from the grass.
“Relax, they like you.” you tell him fondly and he looks at you for a moment before huffing softly.
“That’s the problem,” he says, though there’s no real heat in it. “They’re too comfortable.” And as if summoned by his words one of the kids runs back up to the two of you clutching a small white flower in his fist.
“Teacher! Look!” he cries out as he makes it to you causing you crouch down with a wide smile on your face.
“That’s daisy,” you explain gently and Jeongin watches with a soft look on his face. You’re good at this, the kids follow your word as if it’s law and they automatically look to you as if you would protect them from everything. And he knows you would without a second thought. “See the petals? They’re really easy to count.” you tell the little boy as he nods seriously, already absorbing the info like it’s the most important piece of information in the world. Jeongin watches from beside you, his arms loosely crossed over his chest as he still recovers from the earlier ambush. Then he watches in shock as you reach out and pluck the flower gently from the child’s hand. “Actually,” you say with a playful tone slipping into your voice which automatically sets Jeongin on edge. He knows that voice. “There’s a game people play with these.” you tell the child.
Uh oh, Jeongin narrows his eyes slightly at you as he waits silently for your next course of action. His body tensed to book at any sign of chaos that you could create. The little boy looks up at you with wide eager eyes as he nods his head already invested in whatever game you’re going to tell him about.
“What kind of game?” Jeongin asks, beating the kid to the punch. You don’t answer him as you hold up the flower and reach over with your other hand and pluck a petal from the flower.
“He loves me…” you say dreamily before letting the petal fall to the grass below. Jeongin freezes at your actions and his eyes widen with slight worry and betrayal written on his face. “He loves me not…” you say with a soft pout as you pluck another petal. The kid gasps in outrage before darting his eyes over to Jeongin accusingly which makes him raise his hands in faux surrender.
“Oh no.” Jeongin murmurs softly as he watches you continue with each petal, The child’s eyes grow wider with every word, like you’re revealing secrets of the universe that they were not privy to earlier. Jeongin’s eyes dart between you and the flower, already sensing danger. It’s like a sixth sense for him but no matter how much he’d like to stop it it’s already too late. The kid grabs another flower and holds it up like a valiant weapon.
“I wanna try!” he calls out, catching the attention of all the other children. And just like that, as they all turn with interest to you and the child before you, everything spirals. Within seconds, it’s utter chaos. Absolute unfiltered chaos descends on the once serene park. Kids scatter across the grassy area, plucking flowers with reckless abandon, their voices rising into a chorus of overlapping chants.
“He loves me!”
“He loves me not!”
“He LOVES me!”
“NO HE DOESN'T!"
Jeongin stares with wide eyes filled with horror and slightly impressed. You slowly stand amid the chaos that you’ve created laughing delightedly and looking like an evil villainess who has unleashed her tiny minions onto the world to create havoc on the unsuspecting public.
“What have you done?” he breathes softly and you laugh loudly once again.
“I taught them a classic!” you declare happily as you spread your arms out wide.
“You’ve started something that we cannot control.” he warns you as a kid runs past the two of you at full speed.
“Mine says he doesn’t love you!” a child shouts gleefully causing Jeongin to gasp out like he’s been personally attacked.
“WHAT?!” he cries out after the kid who now has a small gang running after him. Jeongin clutches his chest dramatically before another child rushes up to him waving her flower triumphantly.
“This one says he DOES!” she shouts happily. Jeongin pivots towards her immediately as he points at her flower assuredly.
“See?! That one’s correct!” he calls out as she then runs past.
“No it’s not!” shout the kids from the he loves me not flower group.
“Yes it is!” Jeongin shouts back in response and you burst out laughing at him.
“No!” shout the kids back at him in a chorusing group.
“Yes!” he calls out determinedly. You laugh so hard you have to brace your hands on your knees trying to calm yourself down. “This is your fault.” Jeongin says as he points at you accusingly.
“You’re participating!” you cry out in argument as you laugh again.
“I am defending myself!” he cries out dismayed as he presses a hand to his chest in a dramatic flair that he got from Hyunjin. Meanwhile, the chanting from the children grows louder and more intense as they all commit to the task at hand. At least twenty kids are now involved, each with their own flower, each declaring wildly different outcomes like tiny prophets of chaos.
“He loves me!”
“He loves me not!”
“He loves me!”
“He loves me not!”
It echoes across the park, drawing curious looks from people passing by or through the park. There’s a few older couples watching with amused smiles on their faces as the chaos unfolds like a grand play in front of them. Jeongin crouches down beside you as you collapse on the grass laughing uncontrollably, his own laughter bubbles out of his despite everything.
“You’ve started a flower cult.” he says around a laugh and you grin up at him breathless as you lay sprawled in the grass below him.
“At least they’re enthusiastic.” you reason and he laughs as he looks over at the horde of children you’re both supposed to be in charge of.
“They’re forming factions.” he mutters and you grin as you both watch two kids begin arguing over whose flower is more accurate. Jeongin watches them like he’s witnessing the collapse of society in real time. “I can’t believe this is happening.” he says softly in awe.
“You’re doing great.” you tell him fondly as you pat his knee causing him to look down at you bewildered.
“I’m not doing anything!” he cries out which makes you beam up at him. The way happiness just pours out of you melts him with deep rooted affection for you and he can’t stop his own beaming smile he directs at you.
“Exactly.” you say as if that answers all questions. Before he can respond, a small hand tugs at his shirt and he looks over to see a little girl standing next to him holding out a slightly lopsided daisy.
“For you.” she tells him and he blinks at her in confusion while you sit up from your place in the grass with eager eyes.
“For me?” he asks and the little girl nods solemnly at him.
“You have to try. Everyone else has.” she tells him and there’s a pause as Jeongin looks at the flower and then over at you while a circle of expectant little faces slowly form around you both. Oh no. You bite your lip, clearly trying to curb your laugh but the way your eyes sparkle up at him has him feeling ten feet tall.
“Go on Innie. Your turn.” you say sweetly as you pull the little girl into your lap with a small shriek from the child.
“This is a setup.” he accuses as he narrows his eyes at you.
“Maybe.” you agree with a shrug of your shoulders as you grin while the kids lean in closer.
“Do it!” they all chant.
“Do it!”
“DO IT!” they all crow out to him and Jeongin sighs dramatically as he takes the flower anyway holding it carefully between his fingers as if it’s a bomb waiting to detonate.
“Fine,” he sighs out resignedly. “But when this goes wrong, I’m blaming all of you.” he says firmly which only makes you and the children grin up at him as he stands. He brings the flower up, clearing his throat as if he’s about to deliver a speech to the whole park. “He loves me…” he says and plucks the first petal. The kids all gasp with a dramatic flair that he knew Hyunjin would appreciate. “He loves me not…” he says as another petal falls to the grass, the group of you react like it’s a live sports event.
“Ohhhhh!!”
“NOOOOO!
“Teacher-nim did you hear?!” Jeongin tries not to laugh but it’s already slipping through as he continues plucking petals.
“He loves me…” he says and discards another petal. “He loves me not…” He drags it out a little now, playing into the theatrics of the whole thing as his voice grows more dramatic with each word. “He loves me…” he says while infusing his voice with warmth. “He loves me not…” this time his voice holds a sense of sorrow. The kids all gasp and few of them wrap their arms around each other in hugs of comfort. Jeongin looks down at the flower and notices that there’s only one petal left and he grins softly as he raises his hand to grab the lone petal. The entire group holds their breath, his eyes dart over to you and you’re watching him with stars in your eyes as you hold your breath in anticipation as well. He softens even more for you as you cradle the little girl in your lap and another child hangs on your shoulder watching him avidly.
He knows he doesn’t need a flower to tell him how he feels about you, he feels every day he’s around you and even when he’s not around you he feels it. But he’s truly glad that this flower has agreed to work with him on this epic journey. His fingers pinch the petal and he plucks it cleanly from the flower.
“He loves me.” he says with finality and for a beat it’s silent in your group surrounding him. Then the kids explode with chaos and sound. The decibel of sound that erupts from them is nearly deafening and Jeongin has to drop his jaw to make his ears open so that he can hear again after their explosion.
“YAAAAAY!!”
“I KNEW IT!”
“SEE!?”
“HE LOVES YOU, TEACHER-NIM!”
Jeongin laughs bright and full as he still holds the now empty stem like he’s just won something important. And honestly, he believes he has. You’re staring up at him with a soft expression over your face that lets him know exactly how you’re feeling about him and the kids are hyping him up so much that he feels like a million bucks. He idly wonders if he can convince Chan hyung to rent these kids out to give them motivation during long hard practice sessions. The little girl in your lap jumps up and begins zooming around the park with the other kids as they all begin racing around the park together shouting out their triumph. Jeongin reaches down and pulls you up until he gathers you close in his arms as the kids all rush past and around you. You gaze at him fondly and he grins down at you.
“Certified,” he says as his eyes dart around at the running kids, “by the council of children.” You roll your eyes even though you’re grinning at him and he beams down at you as well.
“That’s not a real thing.” you tell him softly and he smirks softly as he ducks his head closer to yours.
“It is now.” he says softly.
“It’s real!” shouts some kids racing by which makes the two of you laugh.
“We’re the council! Teacher-nim’s boyfriend said so!”
“We decide!”
“This is ridiculous.” you say as you shake your head while laughing under your breath.
“Authoritative.” Jeongin corrects you gently. The chaos begins to settle after that, the kids drifting back into smaller groups still playing but less frantically now while others had collapsed in the grass after their mad dash. The noise softens around you and the moment between the two of you lingers. Jeongin still has you cradled close leaning into your space happily.
“Thanks for helping me today Innie.” you say softly to him and he grins at you happily before he ducks his head and presses a quick kiss to your cheek which makes you huff out a soft laugh at him.
“I got to hang out with a bunch of cool kids. And I had my love for you certified by the council of children. I had a great day today.” he tells you softly and you laugh softly before leaning up on tiptoe and press a quick shy kiss to his mouth that he chases when you pull away.
“Best day ever.” you whisper to him and he beams happily down at you before burying his face in your neck.
Content warnings: established relationship, playful arguing, “he loves me / he loves me not” flower trope, weaponized logic, dramatic overreaction to incorrect results, affectionate bickering, soft sidewalk sunset vibes, light teasing and sarcasm, hand holding and a sweet kiss, chaos disguised as science, stubborn x stubborn dynamic, emotional reassurance, and one man personally offended on behalf of facts, logic, and his own reputation
Summary: A quiet walk back from a coffee run turns unexpectedly dramatic when you decide to let a random flower determine whether Seungmin loves you, much to his growing horror. As your playful experiment delivers the wrong answer, Seungmin takes matters into his own hands, hijacking the “test” and turning it into a string of undeniable, heartfelt confessions. By the time the last petal falls, the results are no longer up for debate, only reinforced with certainty, laughter, and a love that refuses to be left to chance.
The sun is slowly starting to set on the day as you walk down the sidewalk with Seungmin, the two of you had just gone for a coffee run for the both of you and Felix who was back at the apartment setting up your gaming night that you all had planned. You and Seungmin walk together at a steady pace, you hold the bag of baked goods that you had ordered to share with the two men while Seungmin holds a drink caddy of extra drinks for all of you.
You’re enjoying the warmth of the sun as you walk back, letting the comfortable silence between you and Seungmin just settle easily when your eyes land on some pretty decorative outdoor planters in front of a shop. You spot a loan ragwort in one of the planters and pluck it with precision before holding it up in front of you like a trophy. The flower is small, unremarkable honestly but it was a stubborn little thing to push out of a concrete planter like it had something to prove. You loved it immediately. You held it out between your fingers like it’s something sacred, something ancient, something has decided in its tiny chlorophyll heart that it is now the judge of your fate. Seungmin watches you quietly with a raised eyebrow before scoffing softly as you begin to pull the petals off the flower.
“He loves me…” you say as the first petal comes off and you let it flutter to the sidewalk in a dizzying dance. “He loves me not…” you say as you repeat the action and pull another petal from the flower. Seungmin watches you in silence as he slows his steps to match yours fully but you can see the increasing disbelief, that is specifically reserved for you, start to flicker across his face as you continue to pull petals from the flower. You can practically read his mind just from his expression to you he’s saying, I knew you were ridiculous but I didn’t realize we were doing this today. You love it and try to hide your delighted smile as you bite your lip playfully.
“You’re not seriously doing this, are you?” he asks you incredulously but you continue to pull the petals as you wax and wane on about if he loves you or not. Seungmin huffs at you as you both keep walking though you notice that his eyes don’t stray from your fingers pulling the petals off. He’s completely focused on what you’re doing and what answer you will get from this stubborn little flora.
“He loves me not.” you say with a soft dejected tone in your voice as you look at the flower as if it betrayed you before swinging your eyes to Seungmin who sighs like a disappointed professor as he shakes his head.
“You cannot let a flower determine my emotional state.” Seungmin tells you honestly and you widen your eyes at him in response which makes him sigh as he nods at the flower for you to continue.
There’s a quiet stretch of sidewalk ahead, dappled in late afternoon sunlight, the kind that makes everything feel softer than it actually is. The bag of pastries in your hand swings like a pendulum keeping time with your steps. You reach up and pluck another petal before it spins in the air like a tiny white helicopter as it races down to the sidewalk.
“He loves me…” you coo softly with happiness and Seungmin shakes his head at your antics.
“You realize,” he says cutting into your fun, his tone sharpening into something dangerously close to a lecture, “that this is not a scientifically valid method of determining anything, right?” he asks you rhetorically and you barely give him a response as you hum unfazed in your actions.
“He loves me not…” you say as another petal falls to the ground as you walk leaving it behind in like a crumb trail from the story Hansel and Grettle.
“If anything,” he continues, now fully committed to dismantling your logic, “your starting point already biases the outcome. You began with ‘he loves me’, so statistically-” he begins to reason and you cut him off as you stare up at him in silence.
“You’re ruining it.” you tell him with a sniff and he blinks at you for a quiet moment before his brain comes back online.
“I’m actually saving you from flawed reasoning.” he tells you and you huff at him before turning back to the flower.
“He loves me…” you say wistfully as the petal falls daintily from your fingers. There’s a faint crunch of gravel as he adjusts his step, keeping pace with you. You can practically feel the way he’s staring at the flower now, like it personally offended him.
“You’re letting a plant,” he says slowly, carefully, like he’s explaining something to someone particularly stubborn, “dictate my feelings for you.” he finishes as he stares at you with one eye twitching slightly in disbelief.
“I’m letting it guide me to the truth.” you counter knowing that those words will really set him off.
“Truth?! That is an inanimate object! The truth can come from the actual person who loves you!” he cries out raising his voice slightly and you feel your heart begin to melt for him. He’s so adamant that you shouldn’t be doing this silly little test and he’s trying so hard to get you to stop but you want to finish, so you do.
“He loves me not…” you say and Seungmin huffs loudly while throwing his hands up in the air in disgusted disbelief. He then begins to pout slightly and your heart thuds heavily in your chest, he knows what his pouting does to you that menace. But you still continue on, the flower is starting to look a little tragic at this point. It’s more than half-plucked and uneven, like it regrets being chosen for this role. Seungmin exhales loudly besides you, it’s the kind of sigh that carries weight, judgement and hint of resignation. “He loves me…” you say with a soft whimsical smile on your face as you’re only half paying attention to the flower now as Seungmin’s reactions to your actions are more entertaining than the actual answer from the flower. “He loves me not…” you say and pluck the petal with a soft scoff before moving to reach for another petal but when your fingers find nothing you freeze and blink down at the now bare stem.
Silence stretches long between you and after a moment of it you slowly turn your head to him. Seungmin is already looking at you, his expression is exactly what you expected. A mix of unimpressed and deep offense on behalf of logic itself.
“You cannot,” he begins in a low tone that calm but has an edge to it, “let that flower lie on my name like that.” You press your lips together, trying very hard not to laugh as your eyes widen comically in dismay. You slowly raise the sad petal-less stem like it’s evidence in a court case.
“It said what it said.” you lament softly and his left eye twitches as it stares at the stem and then darts his eyes to you before returning to the offending piece of botany. Something shifts in the air between you, it’s subtle at first. His eyes narrow with the kind of look that means he’s thinking, calculating and deciding something with the quiet intensity of someone who always believes he’s right. Which, to be fair, he usually is. Without another word, he reaches out and plucks the stem from your fingers.
“Hey!” you cry out as he tosses the stem into the gutter next to the sidewalk. You blink at him bewildered but he doesn’t respond to you as he instead begins glancing around the two of you. He scans the row of planters lining the sidewalk before zeroing in on another flower that’s just as small and unsuspecting.. Before you can even figure out what he’s going to do he’s leaning over and plucking the flower cleanly from the planter. “You can’t just-” you start to protest but he easily cuts you off.
“I can,” he tells you already turning back to you. “And I will. Here hold this.” he tells you as he hands you the drink caddy he’s been holding. You take it from him easily and watch with wide eyes as he then reaches up and begins to pluck the petals. “Since I can’t trust you or the flower with this task I’m going to do it.” he tells you snarkily and you bite your lip to stop your laughter from bubbling out. “I love you, even though I find you ridiculous in the best way possible.” he says as his fingers pluck the first petal and let it fall to the ground.
The two of you have come to a stop now not far from his apartment and you’re staring at him with a heart that’s racing too rapidly in your chest. Your eyes are wide and filled with so much warmth and love for the silly man in front of you.
“I love you, and your stubbornness because it mirrors mine just in a softer font.” he tells you seriously and you slowly begin to melt at his words of affirmation.
“Seung” you drag out in a soft whine and he smirks at you as he shakes his head quickly.
“Nope, you made me go through that silly little test of yours. Now you have to go through mine.” he tells you softly with a delight that exudes from him. “I love you, you’re the best part of my day. Scratch that, my life.” he tells you as he plucks another petal from the flower. Something warm starts to bubble in your chest and you find yourself growing antsy to let it out towards him.
“That’s cheating,” you say around a laugh that creeps into your voice but Seungmin shrugs entirely unbothered by your words.
“I corrected the experiment.” he tells you before continuing with his petal plucking. “I love you, you’re my person. The one I wake up wanting to see first thing in the morning and the one I go to sleep dreaming of each night.”
And with those words you can’t hold it in anymore, you laugh loud, happy and bright. It spills out of you in an uncontrollable manner as it echoes softly down the sidewalk. People pass by, glancing curiously at the two of you but you don’t care. Seungmin doesn’t stop plucking petals as he grins at you as well. This time with just declarations of love.
“I love you.” he says letting a petal fall to the sidewalk. “I love you.” he repeats and your heart swells with love and affection for him as your eyes watch the petals fall in that dizzying dance once again. “I love you.”
The flower is now nearly bare just like the last one you had tested with as your laughter slows at his antics. He’s still declaring his love for you as petals began to gather around both of your feet. Your eyes dance as you look up at him stepping close.
“You’re unbelievable.” you tell him softly and he chooses to ignore that as he plucks the last petal from the flower. He holds it up for you to see, you glance at the petal and then into his eyes.
“I love you.” he tells you with a finality that makes your breath stutter in your chest. He lets the petal go and it falls slowly to the ground. He looks down at the empty stem for a moment, as if confirming the result with a nod of his head and then looks up at you. There’s something quieter in his expression now, no longer sharp or teasing.
“You rigged the results.” you tease him softly and he shakes his head at you while grinning.
“I fixed it, you mean.” he counters and you laugh out once more before stepping closer to him. He easily loops his arms around your waist and drags you closer. He’s staring at you in way that feels steady and certain, like there was never a question to begin with and that makes you beam up at him.
“I love you too.” you tell him softly and his eyes soften while his whole body melts to surround you slowly. You lean up on tiptoes and he’s already there steadying you as your lips brush in a sweet chaste kiss.
When you pull away Seungmin looks pleasantly pleased with himself and you can’t help but grin at him. He turns to start heading back down the sidewalk and easily takes the drink caddy from your hands. The sidewalk stretches ahead once more, warm and golden in the fading light. The planters continue in neat little rows, full of flowers that suddenly feel very…watched. You glance at one and then dart your eyes over to Seungmin before slipping back to the flower.
“Don’t,” he warns you softly, catching your actions immediately. A grin slips onto your face and you turn to look at him with faux innocence lining your face.
“I wasn’t going to do anything.” you lie to him boldly and he scoffs softly in response.
“You were absolutely thinking about doing something.” he says knowingly.
“That’s not a crime.” you tell him and he looks at you with a deadpanned look on his face which makes your grin widen.
“It should be.” he grumbles out which makes you laugh softer this time. You both continue walking towards the apartment and as you do your hand brushes light against his. Not quite intentional but not entirely accidental either, Seungmin easily catches your hand on a swing and laces his fingers with yours and a soft smile slips onto both of your faces. And somewhere behind you, a few unlucky flowers remain unplucked, blissfully unaware that they narrowly escaped becoming judges in a case that, apparently, had already been decided.
Content warnings: fluff overload, established relationship, child character (niece) being adorable and chaotic, flower petal “he loves me / he loves me not” game, exaggerated dramatic reactions for comedic effect, hand holding and light kissing, emotional reassurance, sunshine boyfriend energy, tiny family-coded moments, secondhand embarrassment via dramatic antics, and an aggressive amount of sweetness that may cause spontaneous smiling
Summary: A simple afternoon at the playground turns into something quietly magical as Felix effortlessly bonds with your niece, matching her playful energy and turning every moment into a shared adventure. When a silly “he loves me, he loves me not” flower game spirals into dramatic stakes, Felix and your niece become fiercely determined to prove what you already know. Between laughter, soft touches, and gentle affection, the day settles into something warm and certain, where love doesn’t need guessing… but gets proven anyway.
Felix Taglist: @kayleefriedchicken, @ivaviavi, @justsomekpopstuff, @lov3rachan, @cixrosie,
It’s early afternoon on the weekend and the playground that you’re visiting with your niece and Felix is a symphony of chaos. Swings creak in an uneven rhythm as kids pump their little legs in competition to see who can go the highest. Shouting can be heard across the monkey bars like the kids are conducting very important business deals. Somewhere a ball bounces with determined enthusiasm even while it misses its target entirely. The air smells faintly of sunscreen, grass, and the kind of snacks that come in bright plastic wrappers.
And in the middle of it all is your little niece as she races from one end of the playground to the other without a care in the world. Her braided pigtails, that you had weaved the pretty sparkly ribbon Felix brought for her as a gift into the strands, fluttered behind her as she ran. You grinned widely as your eyes tracked her every move not wanting to lose sight of the excited little girl. You watch as she suddenly pivots on her feet and starts making a break for the slide while Felix trails behind her laughing.
“Let’s go on the slide again!” she declares loudly already halfway up the slide ladder before you can respond as you move to follow after her.
“You just went on it a little bit ago.” you tell her as you shade your eyes against the sun as you look up at her.
“That was practice!” she tells you as if it was common knowledge. Felix stops beside you laughing as you nod your head at her words as if you were mistaken.
“I like her logic.” he says jovially and you chuckle softly at him while turning your head to the side to glance at him.
“Of course you do.” you say sarcastically and he grins widely at you, his eyes are bright as they dance happily across your face before he steps closer to the slide like he’s prepared to catch your niece at the bottom, just in case gravity decides to misbehave. You stand there watching them for a quiet moment among the chaos of kids. Felix crouches instinctively as your niece launches herself down the slide, arms up like ehs’es riding a roller coaster instead of a plastic slope. He catches her easily when she flies off the end, steadying her before she even wobbles.
“Woah! High speed!” he says impressed.
“I’m the fastest!” she announces proudly and Felix laughs as he nods his head at her.
“I totally believe it.” he tells her warmly and you smile as you shake your head. The two of them are like two peas in a pod easily getting along the moment they met. Today was only supposed to be simple babysitting, a few hours at the park so that your sister could get some errands and stuff done at the bank without having to drag your niece along with her. You figured some snacks, some play and maybe a little bit of chaos to wear the excitable kid out. But you didn’t account for Felix becoming her personal hype man within the first five minutes. Not that you’re surprised at all, it’s Felix. He somehow matches her energy without overwhelming it, meets her excitement with his own, like they’re operating on the same bright, unfiltered wavelength.
“Come on!” she calls out as she grabs his hand. “We’re going over there!” she announces while pointing her index finger out past the playground.
“Where’s there?” he asks her curiously as he tilts his head up to look beyond the playground.
“The important place.” she tells him and begins pulling him along behind her.
“Of course it is.” he says with a smile before he glances back at you, his eyebrows lift in a silent you coming? You’re already a step behind the two of them and you smile softly as you watch your niece drag Felix away.
“Lead the way.” you say softly as you continue to follow behind them feeling a warmth and softness start to fill you at how well Felix gets along with her.
The “important place” turns out to be a patch of grass just beyond the playground, dotted with tiny wildflowers and the occasional stubborn weed. Your niece drops down immediately before she starts scanning the ground like she’s searching for treasure. Felix mirrors her without hesitation, crouching beside her with the same level of seriousness. You plop down into the grass and lean back watching the two of them in their search.
“What are we looking for?” you ask them and without even looking up from their task your niece responds.
“A good one.” she says simply as she determinedly keeps searching. Felix nods his head as if he understands the task as a wide grin falls over his face.
“A very good one.” he echoes and you stare at him bewildered but he doesn’t look at you fully only out of the corner of his eyes while still grinning.
“Right.” you say after a quiet moment and Felix chuckles at you. It’s only a moment later that your niece gasps loudly and delightedly as she darts forward and plucks a small flower triumphantly from the ground before holding it up like she just discovered something rare and valuable.
“I found one!”” she declares loudly and proudly before moving closer to you which causes Felix to slip into the space besides you as well. Felix’s eyes light up as he watches her avidly waiting to see what she’ll do. You both watch with quiet baited breath as she holds the flower in one hand before reaching her other hand up and plucking a petal from the flower. “He loves me…” she says with absolute confidence and your face drops instantly while Felix giggles delightedly at her antics.
“Wait, wait, wait!” you begin as Felix devolves into giggles besides you. “What is this?! You don’t have a boyfriend.” you accuse her over exaggeratedly and she pouts at you for a second before stomping her foot which makes Felix fall back laughing loudly at the two of you.
“I can figure out the answer ahead of time!” she tells you confidently and you stare at her with a raised brow while she pouts at you.
“Awww, let her find out if her future boyfriend will love her.” Felix tries to cajole you but you shake your head adamantly.
“Her future far in the distant future should love her without question. That’s the whole point of a relationship.” you argue and Felix looks over at you with softened eyes as your niece scowls at you for ruining her fun. You don’t let her get away with that little scowl as you quickly scoop her up into your arms and cradle her close which makes her burst out into a fit of giggles. “Listen here little girl, I’m gonna tell you something very important about love and boyfriends.” you tell her seriously with an undertone of playfulness as you gather her close and press your forehead to hers. “If he doesn’t care for you and fall in love with you he’s not meant to be with you. Period. Understand me?” you tell her sternly and she grins at you widely while nodding her head against yours.
“Yes, Auntie I know. Mama tells me that all the time too.” your niece tells you sweetly and you huff at her before pecking her forehead as you let her loose in your lap. Felix looks over at you with a soft look on his face after that sweet display of affection for your niece. “Can I do the flower test for you then?” she asks as her eyes dart from you to Felix and you huff at her once more which makes her grin while Felix chuckles softly.
“You just want to pluck petals off a flower.” you grumble out and she eagerly nods her head at your words. “Fine, but I already know the answer to this question.” you say with an eyeroll and Felix melts at your words as he cuddles close to your side.
“Oh do you?” he asks curiously and you nod your head at him without an preamble.
“It’s kinda hard not to know the answer when I’ve got a boyfriend who’s sunshine personified.” you tease him gently and he bursts out in happy laughter before falling back into your side. “But go ahead if you want to masacre an innocent flower just to be able to do a test that I already know the answer to go on.” you say dramatically which makes your niece squeal in delight as Felix settles firmly against your side with a bright softened smile on his face.
“He loves me not…” you niece continues and Felix sticks his tongue out slightly at that answer which makes you smile warmly at him. The petal she plucks flutters through the air daintlty as it falls into your lap. “He loves me…” she says and Felix nods his head in agreement which makes you smile at the two of them. This continues on and Felix soon starts to lean in closer before resting his chin on your shoulder watching your niece pluck petal after petal.
“This is intense.” he whispers and you burst out in laughter at him.
“This is not intense.” you counter but he only hums in response while your niece shushes the two of you quickly. The two of you fall quiet as you both focus back on the flower and notice that there’s only two petals left.
“He loves me…” she says and plucks the second to last petal and you feel Felix tense besides you.
“Oh no.” you say softly already knowing that the two of them are going to be unbearable with the results.
“He loves me not.” she says and the petal falls slowly into your lap with a beat of silence following that almost throbs with intensity. Your niece gasps loudly and outrageously while Felix freezes besides you. It’s quiet for a moment before pandemonium crashes into your world.
“WHAT?!” Felix cries out loudly as he clutches his chest and falls back dramatically. You jump in place startled by his antics as you begin to chuckle at him. Your nieve jumps up from your lap to hover over Felix.
“It’s okay! It’s okay! We can find another one! The answer will be different!” she cries out dramatically and your laughter grows loud and bright at the display of chaos the two of them put on. “It’s just a game! The flower doesn’t know anything!” your niece is adamant as she cries which makes you laugh even louder. Suddenly Felix rises from his place in the grass and he connects eyesight with your niece before the two of them move in sync searching the grass for another flower to test their theory.
“Guys! Honestly?! I know the answer we don’t need to kill another flower for it.” you call out to them but neither of them listen to you as they both search the grass for the perfect specimen.
“No,” Felix says insistently as his eyes dart around the grass. “That one was clearly misinformed.” he tells you and your niece nods her head in agreement.
“Found one!” she cries and Felix rushes to her side as they both stare down at the flower critically.
“Okay.” Felix agrees and your niece neatly grabs the flower before they both rush back to you. Felix takes his spot against your side while your niece takes her place in your lap. You chuckle softly at them while shaking your head at them. “Try again.” Felix instructs her and she nods her head eagerly before you all turn back to the flower.
“He loves me…” she says and plucks the first petal. “He loves me not…” Felix leans in again, watching with the same intense focus as before, like he’s personally invested in correcting the previous result. “He loves me…He loves me not…” Soon your niece is surrounded by a thing layer of petals as she sits perched in your lap. When she nears the end she starts to slow down no doubt for dramatic effect even Felix’s hands hover slightly like he might intervene if things go wrong again. One petal left and she plucks it with the precision only a small ten year old can muster. “He loves me!” she cries out as her whole face lights up. She turns to Felix and beams at him, Felix beams brighter right back at her before they both turn to you.
“See?” he says immediately, nodding with complete confidence. “Science.” he tells you and you snort out a laugh at the two of them.
“That’s not science.” you inform him and he glances at you while his grin softens just slightly.
“Still accurate though.” he says happily while your niece nods like this confirms everything.
Your niece springs from your lap scattering the petals she had plucked before she begins to dance and twirl through the grass shouting that Felix loves you. You shake your head as you laugh at her but your attention soon shifts when Felix’s hand finds yours. It’s casual and easy almost like it belongs entwined with yours and you feel that it does belong there deep in your soul. His fingers curl around yours gently, giving a small reassuring squeeze before raising your hand to his mouth where he presses a soft kiss to the skin on the back of your hand. He’s still smiling while pecking kisses into the skin there as his eyes follow your niece, he’s still invested in the tiny world you’ve created on this patch of grass and that warms your heart and soul. You lean over and press a kiss to his temple making him beam at you before turning and capturing your lips with his. He hums happily against your mouth before you both pull away when you hear your niece running back towards you. When you look over at her you see that she’s got another flower in her hands with a happy eager look on her face.
“Again!” she demands happily and Felix brightens up beside you instantly.
“Again?” he asks and holds his arms open for her where she falls into his lap with a loud bright laugh. He looks over at you with eyes sparkling with happiness. “One more round?” he ask you and sigh pretending to be reluctant but a smile peeks out slightly.
“Fine.” you tell him with a nod of your head. He cuddles your niece into his lap securely and look down at her expectantly. “Wait,” you say suddenly and he looks over at you surprised. “If it says ‘he loves me not’ again-” you begin to warn him and he cuts you off easily.
“It won’t.” he says confidently.
“You don’t know that.” you warn him and he shakes his head at your words.
“I do.” he insists and you look at him skeptically.
“How?” you question and he grins before resting the side of his face against your shoulder as he looks up at you.
“Because I’m part of the experiment.” he tells you confidently and you rolled your eyes at him while still smiling.
“Your logic is terrible.” you tell him in a soft grumble.
“My results are great.” he informs you before your niece catches his attention while holding up the flower in front of her.
“Ready!” she calls out and Felix leans in as his excitement is renewed.“Ready.” he tells her fondly. You settle beside them again, laughter still lingering in your chest, the warmth of his settled next to you leaning in close as you both watch your niece is still wrapped around you both. And as the next test begins, he loves me, he loves me not, everything feels a little brighter and lighter. Like even if the flower gets it wrong, someone here will always make sure it gets corrected.
Content warnings: extreme fluff, established relationship, mild existential spiraling (played for humor), chaotic overthinking boyfriend energy, “he loves me / he loves me not” trope, fake conflict resolved immediately, soft kissing (multiple), clingy affectionate behavior, playful logic vs. emotions, light teasing, brief anxiety about fate/probability (quickly soothed), gentle reassurance, soft intimacy
Summary: On a quiet rooftop above the city, you half-listen as Jisung spirals through his usual whirlwind of thoughts, until a tiny wildflower steals your attention. A playful “he loves me, he loves me not” game sends him into full existential panic, convinced the universe itself might be leaking spoilers about your relationship. Determined to “correct the data,” he reruns the experiment and ultimately overrides fate with kisses, logic, and an insistence on loving you enough to balance the statistics.
Han Taglist: @kayleefriedchicken, @ivaviavi, @justsomekpopstuff, @lov3rachan, @cixrosie,
You lean against the ledge of the rooftop and look down at the city below, the city at night feels like a secret you’re allowed to keep. From up here, everything softens and quiets. The noise below becomes a distant hum like background music, lights stretching out in quiet constellations, windows glowing like little stories you’ll never fully know. The air is cooler on the rooftop, brushing against your skin with a kind gentle insistence that makes you pull your sleeves down a little more just to curb the slight chill. Jisung said it was his favorite place to think, which considering how much his mind is always racing with thoughts, says a lot. You couldn’t blame him, it’s so peaceful and calm up here.
“...and then,” he’s saying, dragging your attention away from the cityscape below back to him as he paces a small familiar path across the roof. His hands move as fast as his thoughts race through his mind while he talks. “If we actually consider the possibility that-wait, no, because that doesn’t account for…okay but what if-”
You’re only half listening to him at this point, not because you don’t care but because you've heard this rhythm before. The way his thoughts stack and tumble over each other before branching out into possibilities faster than he can finish explaining them. It’s comforting in a way for you, the way you know him so well and the way his brain works comforts you. His manner of speaking is like background music you’ve learned by heart and look forward to idly listening to. You know eventually he’ll wind down enough for the thoughts to start connecting and that’s when you’ll be able to contribute to the conversation but right now it’s better to just let him speedrun through his thoughts.
Your attention drifts from his chaotic jumble or words to the edge of the rooftop ledge, there something small catches your eye. A tiny pretty blue wildflower growing stubbornly from a crack in the concrete like it refused to accept that this wasn’t where it was supposed to be in the universe. You smile softly as your eyes trace the lone flower as a sense of rightness fills within you. You shift closer to the flower in a lazy unbothered manner before settling near the edge. The city stretches out beneath you as a breeze kicks up from below but your focus narrows on the small blue flower as you reach out and pluck it free from the crack in the cement. Han is still talking behind you as he continues pacing along the roof not noticing your own movements.
“...and statistically, if you think about it, there’s like a-wait, are you even listening to me?” he asks you as he finally turns and spots you leaning over the ledge holding the small flower in your fingers.
“Mmm?” you hum at him as you turn your head to look at him. You twirl the flower between your fingers for a moment before turning back to the flower. It’s small, a little uneven, definitely not meant for anything important but it had enough gusto to grow in such an unforgiven place that it made it perfect the idea that lazily formed in your mind. Jisung stares at you for a quiet moment before he shakes his head and begins talking once again about whatever was still racing through his mind. Your hand reaches forward and your fingers on your free hand pinch one of the petals on the flower before plucking it and tossing it over the edge of the rooftop ledge. Your eyes follow its path through the air and the breeze flies by catching it and lifting it in the air before dragging it down to the street below making it disappear from view into the darkening street like it never existed. “He loves me…” you murmur with a grin.
You grab another petal and repeat the process watching as it falls downward into the dark abyss below never to be seen again as it serves it’s purpose for you to test the love from the man behind you. Jisung keeps talking exactly for two more seconds as his eyes follow your movements before he stops completely in mid-thought and mid-gesture as if his brain was rebooted without his consent.
“He loves me not…” you say in a soft lament as you lean over the edge watching the petal’s descent.
“Wait.” Jisung says softly as he narrows his eyes slightly at you in confusion but you pay him no mind as you reach out and pluck another petal.
“He loves me…” you say wistfully and before you can even toss the petal down the breeze snags it from your fingers and makes the petal dance high in the air. It’s quiet for a moment but you can feel the shift in the air between you and Jisung. The way his attention is now locked on you with full, immediate intensity.
“Wait, WAIT.” he says as he stumbles closer to you but he’s too late as you pluck the final petal from the small flower.
“He loves me not.” you say softly with a sad small pout forming on your mouth as silence falls around you and the empty stem rests between your fingers. You glance over at Jisung and he’s completely frozen in place on his way towards you like someone hit the pause button on him mid-existence. His eyes are wide and his mouth is slightly open and you can see that his entire brain is visibly buffering with what he just watched happen.
“That’s wrong.” he says on a soft gasp and you blink slowly at him.
“It’s just a flower.” you dismiss it with a shrug of your shoulders before tossing the stem over the ledge and Jisung stumbles forward into your side while pressing his hands against the ledge as he peers over the ledge to find the flower.
“But what if the flower knows something we don’t???” he asks worriedly and you stare at him bewildered.
“Jisung.” you say softly trying to calm him down but he runs a hand through his hair already pacing once again. His movements are faster now, tighter like his thoughts just hit a speed boost.
“No, think about it.” he starts to explain, words coming quicker as they stack over each other. “What if this is like-like some cosmic foreshadowing? Like a warning? Or…no, like a probability leak from the universe-like it’s telling us something before it actually happens.” You watch him spiral in real time with wide eyes before you speak up.
“Sung.” you call out to him hoping that it will filter through his spiraling thoughts.
“What if…okay, okay, what if every ‘he loves me not’ is like a micro-glitch in reality. Like a preview of a timeline where…no wait, no that’s worse-” he cuts himself off as he stops suddenly and turns to look at you like he’s just realized something deeply concerning. “We need to test it again.” he tells you and you open your mouth to tell him that you don’t but he’s already crouching as he scans the rooftop looking for another flower. He’s like a man on a mission as he searches, his eyes darting along every available space of the rooftop before he spots one. “There!” he cries out loudly.
There’s another tiny flower growing near a pipe on the other side of the rooftop. He rushes over to it quickly and plucks the flower from its place before immediately holding it up like it’s about to solve everything. He comes rushing back over to your side quickly pushing the flower into your hand and you look down at it before looking back up at him with a soft dazed smile on your face as you gaze at him.
“We’re running a retest.” he tells you and you can see how serious he is about this. You can’t stop the laugh that bubbles up within you and escapes out of your mouth.
“You’re unbelievable.” you tell him gently but he quickly shakes his head at you.
“I’m thorough.” he counters as his eyes fall back down to the flower in your hands now. “Come on. We need accurate data.”
“This isn’t data, Sung.” you try to reassure him but he stomps his foot a little bit in a temper tantrum and you bite your lip hard to stop your laugh.
“It is now.” he tells you, causing you to sigh out at him as a soft smile slips onto your face.
“Fine.” you say wearily and he drops down onto the ledge beside you resting his elbows there close enough that your shoulder brush, his entire focus locked knot the flower like it might explode.
“Okay,” he says softly, taking a deep breath like he’s preparing for something serious as he stares at the small red flower in your hand. “Go.” You shake your head as you chuckle quietly at him but you start anyway.
“He loves me…” you say as you pluck the first petal and then toss it over the ledge. Jisung leans in and over the ledge watching as the petal disappears down below. “He loves me not…” you say, causing him to wince as you pluck the second petal and toss it out into the nighttime air.
“That one doesn’t count.” he says suddenly and you look over at him in shocked amusement.
“You can’t just invalidate results you don’t like.” you tell him and he huffs at you softly.
“Yes I can if they’re wrong.” he tells you confidently and you grin widely at him before nudging his shoulder with yours.
“He loves me…” you say fondly with a warmth that fills the minimal space between the two of you and Jisung grins wide as he nods his head in agreement with the flower.
“Yes I do.” he says softly and your heart clenches sharply in your chest at his words.
“He loves me not…” you continue and he suddenly groans under his breath as his hands hover like he wants to intervene but doesn’t know how to.
“This is stressful.” he mutters softly and you huff at him with a grin.
“It’s just a game.” you reassure him.
“It’s not a game, this is my emotional stability.” he tells you firmly and you laugh softly at him.
“He loves me…” you continue on before tossing the petal. The flower grows more bare as each petal is plucked, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not. Jisung grows quieter and more focused on each petal being removed from the flower. Everything else has fallen away except this tiny ridiculous moment you created with him. You slow as you reach the end of the petals, there’s only two left. You dart your eyes over to him and see that he’s already staring at the flower with baited breath and wide unblinking eyes. He’s completely invested and you exhale slowly at him softly.
“You need to relax.” you tell him gently and his eyes dart over to you.
“I physically cannot.” he tells you and you stare at him quietly for a moment before darting forward and pressing your lips against his in a sweet chaste kiss. Jisung melts against you immediately and you smile when you hear him exhale through his nose after a second. When you pull back a little bit he chases after you and grin at him and peck his lips once more quickly.
“He loves me…” you whisper against his mouth and he grins dazedly at you as his eyes dart to the petal as it's tossed over the edge. He surprises you when he reaches forward quickly and plucks the last petal himself. He’s still only an inch away from you as you watch him toss the petal over the ledge before turning his eyes back to you.
“He loves you.” he hums out softly before wrapping his arms around you and slanting his lips against yours in a loving and adoring kiss that makes warmth bloom within you. When you’ve both had your fill of each other he wraps his arms more securely around you and keeps you tethered to him tightly. You blink up at him caught off guard for half a second before you relax into his arms feeling loved and dazed.
“What are you doing?” you ask him and he buries his face in your neck for a moment.
“Preventative measures.” he mumbles into your skin and you squirm in his hold. When his words reach your ears you smile before resting the side of your face against his head.
“Against what?” you ask him softly as your arms come up and begin rubbing his back as you fall into a trance.
“Statistical imbalance.” he tells you and you chuckle softly at him.
“That’s not how statistics work bub.” you tell him gently as he burrows further into your hold.
“It is if I say it is.” he tells you. “But just in case,” he continues, his voice growing quieter as it's muffled against your skin. “I’m loving you extra tonight to balance the statistics.” Your heart thuds heavily and warmly in your chest as your arms tighten their hold on him just a little.
“That’s not necessary.” you whisper to him.
“It is to me.” he insists, you hum at him accepting your fate of being loved to him fully and wholly. There’s a quiet pause between the two of you as the city hums below you, a car passes somewhere far away and the breeze slips across the rooftop cool and quiet. Jisung doesn’t let go and you don’t move away, in fact you shift closer to him and adjust your arms tighter around him before pecking softly at his temple. The frantic edge of earlier dulls and is slowly replaced with something steadier and softer between the two of you. It’s still him as you know him completely just quieter now.
helloo, sorry if this has already been asked but will you ever release part 3 of 'the case of the mystery hickeys' series? ^_^
Hiya! Yes I plan to start working on them soon and hope to release them in July. It's just taken me a bit to get into the right headspace to finish them.
I'm so behind on your latest works cause I've been locked in for school 😭 but I'll read them eventually!!
Hi lovely! I hope you did well with your schooling and that it wasn't too stressful for you! Take care of school and yourself first and foremost. The fics will always be here for you so don't pressure yourself. What are you studying if you don't mind me asking?
Content warnings: extreme fluff, established relationship, playful teasing, dramatic boyfriend behavior, light physical roughhousing (playful tackling into soft soil), public-ish affection, kissing (multiple, soft), “he loves me / he loves me not” trope, fake conflict resolved immediately, exaggerated theatrics, Hyunjin vs. botany, flower slander accusations, gentle intimacy, soft emotional reassurance, mutual pining but already together energy
Summary: In the quiet calm of a community garden, you and Hyunjin fall into an easy rhythm of weeding and soft teasing, the world narrowing to just the two of you. A playful “he loves me, he loves me not” game quickly spirals when the final petal delivers the wrong answer, prompting Hyunjin to dramatically reject the result and quite literally tackle you into the dirt. Between laughter, mock outrage, and sun-warmed kisses, he makes it clear that love isn’t something left to chance, it’s something he knows with absolute certainty.
Han Taglist: @kayleefriedchicken, @ivaviavi, @justsomekpopstuff, @lov3rachan, @cixrosie,
The community garden hums with quiet life as you kneel at one of the raised garden beds. It’s not loud or chaotic, just steady, bees drift lazily from bloom to bloom, leaves whisper against each other in the breeze and somewhere nearby a hose sputters as someone forgot to turn it off all the way. The air smells like soil and sun-warmed greenery.
It’s one of your favorite places in the world, it’s a place that you like to come to and just forget about the rest of the world. You kneel next to a raised garden bed with your hands buried deep in the earth, your fingers moving with practiced ease as you loosen stubborn roots and pull weeds free. DIrt gathers under your finger nails and smudges across your wrists. You come here often enough as you find peace in the work that you do that you don’t even notice the dirt anymore.
You love it when you come here to work, it feels real to you and it keeps you grounded when the rest of your life gets too chaotic or out of control. Here you can work and lose yourself in the movement of weeding, planting and watering. A shadow falls over your patch of soil that you’re working on and you look up at Hyunjin as he stands over you blocking out the sun.
“You missed one.” he says cheekily as he grins down at you causing you to laugh out delightedly at his teasing before sticking your tongue out at him.
“I didn’t miss it,” you tell him as you tug a weed free with a small satisfied motion. “I was saving it.” There’s a pause above you and you smile knowing that you’ve captured his attention now.
“For what?” he asks you curiously as stands there watching you. You glance up at him again and show him the small dainty little flowering weed in your hand. He stands just at the edge of the garden bed, his sleeves are rolled up to his elbows. There’s a streak of dirt across his forearm like a badge of honor of his work in the garden with you today. His hair is slightly mussed, probably from running his hands through it every time he gets distracted, which admittedly is often. His artist’s brain and eye trying to capture every aspect of the day he’s spent with you so that he can recreate it in his sketchpad. The man looks out of place and completely at home at the same time and it’s infuriating to you in a way that warms your heart. He’s like someone who wandered into a painting and decided to stay while you look like you’re slow close to heat stroke that EMTs should be on call.
“For dramatic effect.” you tell him and toss the flowering weed onto the large pile of weeds that you have been pulling from the garden beds. He narrows his eyes slightly at you as if he’s trying to figure out if you’re teasing him.
“That’s not a thing.” he tells you and you laugh at him as you shrug your shoulders before reaching forward and grabbing another weed from the bed.
“It is now.” you tell him easily. Your dismissive words make him huff out a quiet laugh before he crouches down beside you, his knees brush against the edge of the wooden frame around the garden bed before nudging yours gently making you smile at him. Without asking, he reaches for another cluster of weeds and starts pulling them up, his movements a little less efficient than yours but no less determined.
“You’ve been doing this longer.” he mutters softly as if that’s an accusation.
“Years.” you answer with a nod of your head.
“I can tell.” he says with a puff of air escaping his mouth as he pulls roughly at a stubborn weed.
“Is that an insult?” you question him softly as you reach forward and help him pull the weed from the bed.
“It’s admiration.” he corrects quickly as the weed comes up from the soil with your help as you look over at you with a small smile. “You’re…weirdly good at this.” he tells you and it makes you grin widely at him as you tilt your head to the side.
“Weirdly?” you ask teasingly and he grins back at you as he nods his head.
“Very.” he confirms and you burst out laughing at him before you gently bump your shoulder against his.
The two of you get back to work and it’s quiet again for a little while. Just the two of you, side by side, hands moving through soil searching out stubborn weeds. The rhythm of it is easy and familiar between the two of you. He works slower than you, occasionally pausing to examine something like it might reveal a secret if he stares long enough. You notice everything, the way he carefully separates roots instead of yanking them out. The way he brushes dirt off leaves like he’s apologizing to them for getting them dirty. The way he glances at you every so often, like he’s checking he’s doing it right.
You spot another weed near the edge of the garden bed, this one smaller than the ones prior that you’ve pulled up and it’s topped with a tiny white flower. You reach for it, easily pulling it free in one smooth motion. It’s delicate and soft in your hand, almost too pretty to be considered a weed. You turn it between your fingers and as your eyes follow it’s track something playful sparks in your chest.
”He loves me…” you say as you pluck it’s first petal from it and let the petal fall into your weed pile. Hyunjin pauses in his movement and his head whips up quickly and dramatically, he blinks a few times in stunned silence as his eyes narrow in on your hand.
”What?” He asks after his pause. You pluck the second petal and let it fall morosely to the weed pile.
”He loves me not…” you say so sorrowfully that Hyunjin’s mouth drops open in quiet dismay. Hyunjin’s eyebrows knit together over his eyes as he focuses fully on your actions and words.
”Is that-“ he starts and then stops watching your hands with intense eyes. “Wait, is that about me?” He asks in disbelief. You shrug your shoulders acting as deliberately casual as you possibly can in the face of his slow dramatics.
”Who else loverboy?” You ask him softly and that’s all it takes. He shifts closer immediately, abandoning his half-pulled weeds like they’ve offended him in some way only stubborn weeds can.
”I need to watch this.” He says softly his eyes darting from the flower in your hand up to your eyes before falling back to the flower.
”You don’t know if you love me?” You ask him teasingly with an exaggerated pout on your face. Hyunjin huffs at you and rolls his eyes before he darts forward and presses a quick kiss to your pouted lips before pulling away.
”Oh I know I love you. But I’ll let you test it in petals first and then when that ugly little weed lies on my feelings then I’ll be here to pick up the pieces of your poor broken heart.” He waxes on causing you to have to bite your tongue so that you don’t laugh outright at his declaration. You nod your head at him before going back to your flower.
”He loves me…” you say and another petal falls from the flower to the weed pile. “He loves me not…” The flutter of the petal almost looks like a tiny helicopter of all white. Hyunjin leans in like you’re performing something sacred as his eyes follow your every move. His elbows rest on his knees, his entire focus locked onto the tiny flower in your hands like it holds the fate of his whole world.
”This is a flawed methodology.” He mutters softly and you laugh at him as he frowns softly at the flower.
”He loves me…” you continue and another petal falls. “He loves me not…” Hyunjin watches each petal fall like it's personal, almost like every petal has something to prove to him. You glance over at him briefly and see how serious he is about this. You find it ridiculous but oddly endearing, he is being about this silly little game you’ve started. “He loves me…” you say and pluck the second to last petal.
Only one petal remains as you hold the flower up in front of you. The moment stretches a little longer as you both stare at the sad pathetic looking weed. Hyunjin’s eyes flick from the petal to your face and back again, anticipation sharpening every line of his expression.
”Okay,” he says quietly on a soft breath. “Be careful.”
”Be careful?!” You ask him bewildered as you turn to look at him as if he’s insane.
”Yes.” He says resolutely and you let out a soft bark of surprised laughter.
”It’s a flower.” You say incredulously causing him to shake his head adamantly.
”It’s an answer.” He tells you and you laugh under your breath as you turn back to the flower. You reach out and pluck the petal with deliberate over exaggeration as he watches.
”He loves me not.” You say with finality fit for a lead actress as the petal falls to the pile in a slow solemn flutter.
Time freezes around you and Hyunjin goes completely still. The garden hums around you, bees buzz lazily in the air, the breeze makes the leaves whisper again and there are distant voices that can be heard, but right here, in this small patch of dirt everything narrows down to one very offended man and one very incriminating flower stem. Hyunjin blinks, once, twice, thrice. So slowly that it looks as if he’s moving frame by frame as if life was captured on an old movie reel.
”Excuse me!?” He asks loudly and dramatically as he presses a hand to his chest over his heart. You burst out laughing at his dramatic actions.
”It’s just a silly game!” You cry out amused and Hyunjin shakes his head quickly.
”No,” he says immediately, his voice is low and dangerous in a way that is entirely theatrical. “No, that is slander.” He says seriously causing you to laugh once again.
”It’s random.” You counter but he doesn’t let up.
”It’s wrong.” He argues and you shake your head at him still laughing and holding up the empty stem like evidence.
Before you can say anything in your defense he moves, fast and almost imperceptible. One second he’s crouched beside you in the dirt, the next he lunges at you and you barely have time to register what’s happening before his hands catch your sides. You yelp as he tackles you sideways into the freshly dug flower bed. Soft soil breaks your fall, it’s loose and forgiving but the fall still knocks the breath from your lungs for a moment.
”Hyunjin!” You cry out.
”You cannot accept that result.” He declares dramatically as he hovers over you, his hair falls into his face as his eyes blaze down at you with theatrical outrage. “I refuse.” He insists and you’re half-laughing, half trying to shove him off you.
”You just tackled me over a flower.” You cry out incredulously.
”A lying flower.” Hyunjin corrects you and you huff up at him as he gazes down at you fondly.
”Flowers don’t speak, they can’t lie!” You cry out to him and he shakes his head.
”It is absolutely lying. I told you it would!” He tells you, causing you to huff at him and push lightly at his shoulder.
”You’re ridiculous.” You tell him as you smile warmly up at him.
”Tragically correct.” He counters and you stare up at him exasperatedly. He stares back at you, his hair still falling into his eyes. There’s dirt on his cheek now and you reach up to brush it away with your thumb. He leans into your touch and the moment stretches onward, something softer threading through the laughter and chaos of it all. His eyes darted down to the flower stem that’s still clutched in one of your hands caught between your fingers. His expression shifts into something less dramatic and more certain. He gently takes the stem from your hand, holding it between his fingers like it’s evidence in a case he’s already decided on. ”This,” he says while lifting the flower slightly so that you both can see it, “is unreliable.”
”Oh?” You question him as you raise an eyebrow curiously. He leans in closer, close enough that you can see the faint dusting of soil along his jaw, the way his lashes catch the sunlight filtering through the leaves above.
“Because I know the answer.” He tells you softly and your breath catches in your throat a little bit.
”And?” You ask him after correcting your breathing. His lips curve slowly and confidently as his eyes sparkle fondly at you.
”And it’s not the answer it gave us.” He tells you honestly. You swallow your laugh that’s turned into something quieter as you gaze into each other’s eyes. He doesn’t look away from your eyes as they stay connected in the quiet moment. He leans down towards you and presses his lips to your nose first making you chuckle softly at his antics before he shifts and tilts his head to the side and captures your lips softly with his. The kiss is sun drenched, warm and light as you’re pressed further into the soil beneath you. When he pulls back his expression is smug in the gentlest way as your arms come up around his neck keeping him close. “Consider that a correction.” He husks out to you. You stare at him for a second and then laugh breathless and bright.
”You’re insane.” You tell him.
”About you?” He asks rhetorically as he tilts his head to gaze at you warmly. “Yes.” He finishes and you roll your eyes at him but you tug him down towards you with a grin on your face as you begin peppering kisses around his face happily.
Content warnings: fluff overload, established relationship dynamics, public affection (kissing), playful teasing, food-centric setting (night market, food trucks, eating), loud excitable boyfriend energy, soft emotional reassurance, brief insecurity themes (light, resolved quickly), crowd setting, hand holding, petal plucking “he loves me / he loves me not” trope, overall very sweet and low-stakes vibes
Summary: At a glowing, chaotic night market, you trail after Changbin as he excitedly hunts down a food truck he’s been dreaming about for days. While waiting, a playful “he loves me, he loves me not” flower game turns into a surprisingly heartfelt moment where he insists he doesn’t need fate to prove his feelings. Between laughter, kisses, and shared food, the night settles into something warm and certain: love that doesn’t rely on petals to exist.
The evening market is loud and alive making it almost feel electric. There are strings of warm lights crisscrossed overhead like constellations that decided to come closer, dipping low enough to glow against faces, food, and the glossy surfaces of plastic tables. You follow Changbin who’s walking a step ahead of you while holding your hand, guiding you through the crowd that’s attending the outdoor market with a purpose in mind. Music drifts through the air from some unknown location half drowned out by laughter, shouting vendors, and the constant hiss of grills working overtime. Everything smells incredible and your stomach grumbles softly as the sweet, smoky, fried, spicy layers of it all wrap around you like a cozy blanket.
Changbin weaves in and out of the crowd of people who are perusing the vendor stalls with an ease and precision that negates his stocky build. He had called you up and asked you to join him on his hunt for one of the food truck vendors that he liked since he had heard they would be here at the market tonight. You had happily come out with him so that you could spend more time with him doing things that he loved, not to mention you loved how excited he got for good food.
“Wait, wait, wait.” Changbin says softly as he stops short in his tracks and begins looking around the market. You nearly get pulled off your feet when Changbin suddenly pivots sharply to the left and gasps loudly and dramatically as he spots a food truck. “That’s it!” he says excitedly as his eyes light up like he’s spotted treasure. “That’s the truck.” he tells you as he points towards a line of food trucks and you raise an eyebrow surreptitiously as you dart your eyes back to him.
“Binnie, there’s like five trucks over there. Which one is it that you’re looking for?” You tease him as a grin slips across your face. He huffs at you before tugging you closer to him which makes you chuckle at him and he pouts softly at you.
“The one with the black banner and the red lettering.” he tells you hurriedly before he’s moving again and dragging you along with him. “They do that spicy pork thing I told you about, the one I couldn’t stop thinking about for, like, three days!” he says and your grin widens on your face at his words.
“You think about food all the time anyway.” you tell him and he huffs at you once again as he weaves between the crowd on his path to the food truck.
“This was different.” he insists and you laugh delightedly at him as he moves now with the focus of someone on a very important mission. He’s got one goal, one destination in mind and absolutely zero hesitation about dragging you through the sea of strangers to get there.
“Bin,” you call out to him trying not to trip over your feet as you stumble to keep up with him. “So down please. I can’t move as fast as you.” you tell him and Changbin immediately slows his gait before pulling you closer into his side.
“Sorry, I’m just so excited to eat their food again.” he apologizes and you smile warmly at him as you cuddle into his side before pecking his cheek quickly.
“I know, you just gotta slow down a little that’s all.” you tell him warmly and he nods his head as he keeps you close and weaves through the crowd at a slower pace now. You grin fondly at him as you spot the soft blush creeping up the back of his neck while a warm affection fills you at his antics. He’s just being him, loud, enthusiastic, fully committed to whatever he’s decided matters in the moment. And right now, that’s food.
The two of you finally reach the truck in question, it’s tucked slightly off to the side but it’s still surrounded by enough people to prove how popular it is. Your eyes dart around the truck and see the black truck and the bold red striking letters already seeing how it caught Changbin’s attention to begin with but you know that he prides himself on finding good tasting food so you don’t doubt his recommendation to eat here.
“I promise, it’ll be worth it.” he tells you and you nod your head at him before turning to look at the menu on the side of the truck as Changbin settles into the back of the line with you.
“I don’t doubt you but it better be good after you dragged me across half the market for their food.” you tease him and he pouts at you again which makes you grin, he’s so easy to rile up like this.
“I guided you.” he insists.
“You yanked me.” you counter and he ducks his head to get closer to your neck and ear crowding close to you.
“Semantics.” he huffs out at you and you roll your eyes at him while chuckling softly at him. The two of you don’t have to wait very long before reaching the front of the line and you let him place orders for the both of you since he knows what kind of food they offer as well as knowing what you enjoy. You find it cute when he orders with the confidence of someone who has rehearsed this moment in his head.
After he places your orders the two of you step to the side where there are a few tall standing tables for those who are eating from the food trucks to eat comfortably. The chaos of the market settles around you into something more manageable, it’s still loud and bright but now it feels like part of the fun instead of something you’re navigating through. As you both settle at the table together you can see Changbin keeps glancing back at the truck like they might forget his order if he looks away too long which makes you chuckle softly before speaking up.
“You’re staring.” you tell and he quickly looks at you before turning back to the food truck.
“I’m monitoring.” he insists and you laugh at him before shaking your head at his ridiculousness.
“You’re staring babe.” you argue and he pouts softly while still staring at the food truck.
“I’m ensuring quality.” he tells you and that causes you to burst out into happy delighted laughter.
“Let them do their job. They obviously know what they’re doing. You even insisted they make good food and your standards are high. Relax babe.” you tease him softly and he huffs in response before turning back towards you.
“Fine, while we wait, what do you want to do?” he asks you with a soft smile. You glance around and your eyes land on a large cement planter with an array of pretty flowers planted in it, your eyes dart around it and spot a singular slightly wilted daisy peeking through the soil at the edge of the planter. You reach over and grab the flower out of the planter and hold it up in front of the two of you while resting your elbow on the table you’re standing at. “What are you doing?” he asks curiously as he tilts his head to the side slightly while staring at the flower in your hand. You spin the flower in between your fingers watching it move as a small smile tugged at your lips.
“He loves me…” you say warmly and fondly as you pluck the first petal from the flower. Changbin gasps dramatically and then rests his own elbows on the table and sets his chin in his palms as he watches you with excited eyes and a wide grin on his face. “He loves me not…” you say and the second petal falls from the flower onto the table which makes Changbin pouts exaggeratedly at you and the flower.
“Nope, go back to the other option.” he says in a rush and you grin at him as you reach forward and pluck the next petal from the flower.
“He loves me…” you say and he nods his head proudly as he agrees with the flower now.
“Yup, that’s the answer. The only answer.” he says fondly and you grin at him warmly before puckering your lips and blowing him a kiss which makes him grin and duck his head. You continue on with the silly little flower test on the table as you both rest there while waiting for your food. Changbin is fully invested now as the petals fall and create a small pile on the table, each he loves me earns you a proud puff of his chest as he grins while looking around at the others walking around the market as he nods his head. But each he loves me not earns you a dramatic pout and an insistent shake of his head as he disagrees with the flower logic. After a while his eyes narrow with every falling petal, his expression shifting from delight to suspicion to something that looks dangerously close to offense.
“What’s wrong?” you ask him softly as your eyes dart around his face and he frowns softly at you before his eyes dart back to the flower.
“I don’t think this is a reliable system to test my love for you.” he tells you honestly and you all but melt against the table with his honest words but you continue to tease him gently.
“We don’t know that for sure.” you tell him hopefully and he quickly shakes his head.
“Jagi, I do know that.” he says adamantly as he stares at you. “I know how I feel about you. I don’t need a flower to tell me or test my feelings.” he tells you and you feel your chest crack open with love and affection for the man in front of you.
You don’t question yourself as you drop the flower on the table on top of the small pile of petals that you had created. You move around the table and easily wrap your arms around his neck and press in close, you begin to pepper kisses across his face causing Changbin to grow shy and giddy at your loving affection.
“I love you too. It was just a stupid silly game. You’re absolutely right I don’t need a flower to tell me how you feel about me and how I feel about you.” you mumble out to him adoringly in between pecks along his face. Changbin whines softly at your gesture of love as he wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you close into his chest.
“You silly woman.” he tells you affectionately before capturing your lips quickly for a second. You both stand there for a moment kissing each other sweetly before there’s a loud call of Changbin’s name from the food truck behind you both. Changbin’s head lifts slowly and he looks at you for a moment which surprises you since he was so excited to come get food from the food truck with you. He presses a kiss to your forehead as he smiles warmly down at you. “I’ll be right back.” he tells you quickly before he rushes to the truck and gathers your orders before making his way back to you at the table. You go to move back to the other side of the table but Changbin quickly slips his arm around your waist and tugs you back into his side. “Where are you going? I want you here.” he says softly to you before he starts setting out both of your food for each other.
He splits the orders in half so that you can both enjoy them together. When he’s done he slides your plate over to you and you beam at him happily before leaning over and pressing a kiss to his cheek once again. He hums softly and turns his head pouting his lips at you for a proper kiss which you happily bestow on him. He then darts his eyes to the pile of petals in the middle of the table before moving his eyes back to you.
“So are we done relying on flowers to confirm our love for each other?” he asks you skeptically and you laugh at him before leaning into his side slowly.
“Yes, I promise never to doubt your love or need to use a flower to confirm it.” you tell him warmly with a nod of your head. “I see if in every considerate action you have around me.” you tell him and he grins widely at your words pride exuding from him in waves.
“Good.” he says with a resolute nod of his head. “That flower was going to give you the wrong answer anyway.” he says and you furrow your brows at him before looking back over to the flower. You mentally counted the petals and saw that he was right, it would’ve landed on he loves me not in the end. Turning back to him you stare at him surprised which makes him scoff softly at you. “I might be easily distracted and can’t multitask but when it truly matters I know how to focus fully and look towards the future or end.” he defends himself and you chuckle softly at him before you tilt your head at him with a wide smile on your face. “What?” he asked.
“You just confessed that I truly matter to you.” you tell him and he bursts out loudly in indignation.
“Yah! I just told you I loved you! Of course you truly matter to me!” he cries out loudly and you burst out into delighted happy giggles at his loud voice that catches the attention of others around you. “Woman, I swear.” he grumbles out and you fall into his side laughing loudly at him as he rolls his eyes at you.
“I love you.” you tell him softly as you look up at him from leaning into his side and he smiles warmly down at you.
“I love you too. Now eat before it gets cold.” he responds easily before nudging you towards your food.
Content warnings: extreme fluff, established relationship, light teasing, playful arguing, “he loves me / he loves me not” trope, flower abuse (one daisy did not survive), dramatic overreaction for comedic effect, Minho vs. botany, fake science, stubborn declarations of love, forehead flick, soft kisses, temple kisses, mutual adoration, “jagi” pet name, love confession energy, repeated “he loves you” affirmations, quiet intimacy, gentle laughter, zero angst just warmth, emotional sincerity disguised as teasing, hand squeeze “I love you” code, soft ending kisses
Summary: During a quiet spring date at a botanical garden, you and Minho stumble upon a playful “love test” using a daisy, turning a simple game into a teasing back-and-forth. When the flower dares to suggest anything less than his devotion, Minho quite literally destroys the evidence and rewrites the rules, insisting on an outcome that matches his certainty. Among petals, laughter, and soft confessions, he proves that love isn’t left to chance, it’s something he’s already chosen, completely and without hesitation.
The botanical garden feels curated in a way that almost doesn’t seem real to you. Every path curves just enough to reveal something prettier than the last. Flowers bloom like they’ve been rehearsing for this exact moment, colors are layered in careful gradients, petals catching sunlight like they’re aware of being watched. Even the butterflies and bees are putting on their best performance as they flit from flower to flower. It’s quiet too for a Friday mid-morning which is surprising to you. It’s not completely empty as you and Minho come across some other attendees at the garden. There’s a hush that has consumed the garden though almost as if the air here knows not to interrupt.
You and Minho are on a rare date in between work obligations looking to reconnect with each other in a simple walk through of the botanical garden that you heard about from a coworker. Now that Spring was in the air you had asked if he’d like to go and enjoy some of the new flower arrangements the staff had been growing. He had agreed easily and even dressed the part in a loose button up in a soft pastel lavender left unbuttoned over a soft heather gray tank top and black slacks. He blended and fit in with the flower blooms perfectly. You’re dressed in a white and floral print sundress that has all pastel colored blooms printed on the fabric to match well with Minho’s outfit and the flowers you’re perusing.
You gently hold his hand with your fingers interlocked as you walk slowly down a winding path that’s surrounded on both sides of large hydrangea bushes with large pretty blooms. The sun is shining down on the two of you and you’re enjoying the quiet of the morning with him. Halfway down the path you spot a large wooden barrel that’s filled with soil and what looks like blooming daisies. As you both near the barrel you spot a sign stuck in the middle of all of the daisies, Put Your Love To The Flower Test. You smile softly as you reach down and pluck a lone daisy from the barrel. Minho looks over at you curiously before his eyes dart over to the sign and he scoffs loudly at the words on it.
“You’re not really going to do it are you?” he asks you loftily and you grin widely at him as you slowly untangle your hand from his which makes him roll his eyes at your antics.
You pluck a petal from the small daisy you picked from the barrel as you begin to continue walking with him down the path, there’s a lightness in your steps and Minho’s lips curve softly upwards as he watches you. Your movement is delicate and precise as you hold the lone petal in between your index finger and thumb before letting it flutter down to the path below you.
“He loves me…” you say warmly and Minho blinks at you, his rapid blinking in two makes your heart swell in your chest with affection.
“Obviously.” he tells you as if it wasn’t a question and you feel a warmth consume you from within at his words. You then pluck another petal with sharp precision and soft movements as you continue to do the flower test.
“He loves me not…” you say and Minho scowls at the flower as if it offended him with its lies. You chuckle softly at the look on his face as you let the petal flutter down to the path as you both continue walking. Both of your attention is now solely on the small daisy in your hand though as if it held all the answers.
“Please, as if that flower can tell how I feel about you.” he scoffs out and you grin at him softly leaning fully into the teasing you’re doing to him.
“He loves me…” you say softly as you pluck another petal Minho nods his head in agreement which makes you chuckle softly at him before he scowls softly at the flower as he watches your fingers come up to pluck another petal already knowing the answer for that petal. You stop your movement to grab another petal and instead slip your arm around his and cuddle into his side. “It’s just a game, Minho.” you try to appease him gently.
“It’s incorrect and a lie.” he grumbles out and you laugh at him softly as you begin to pluck more petals.
“He loves me not…” you say with a dramatic pout and Minho rolls his eyes at you before nudging you to pluck another petal growing impatient with your slow movements. “He loves me…” you say as another petal falls to the path below, your mind being reminded of a flower during a wedding and that reminder warms you even further as you duck your head closer to his broad shoulder. Minho looks down at you with a raised eyebrow but as he sees your sparkling eyes looking up at him affectionately he softens towards you before he presses a quick kiss to your temple.
The two of you continue down the path as you keep plucking petals slowly letting them fall to the cement in a sporadic trail that follows your route. You’ve both walked into another section of the garden now where large blooms of Lupine in an array of colors line the cement path. You lean over and rest your head on his shoulder as you walk and pluck petals, an ease and comfortability falls over the two of you as you both watch the flower in your hand.
“He loves me not…” you say with a pout and Minho huffs softly in response. But then you feel him tense under your head and you flick your eyes up to him to see him staring at the flower accusingly with a squinted look. You furrow your brows at him silently for a moment before looking back at the flower. There’s only four petals left and you realize what that means for your little silly test, he loves me not.
There’s a quiet pause between the two of you before Minho suddenly springs into action. He surprises you by batting your hand causing the flower to fall from your hand to the cement path below. Your head pops up from his shoulder to stare at him with wide bewildered eyes. He then stomps his foot on the flower and you cry out in shock before he books it down the path to another wooden barrel full of daisies. Your eyes dart down to the original daisy and see that it’s smooshed to unrecognizable form and you pout softly at the loss of the pretty little flower. But soon Minho is back to standing in front of you holding a singular daisy in between his index finger and thumb.
“Redo.” he says gravely and you stare at him before flinching back in response.
“You can’t redo!” you protest and he shakes his head at your words.
“I absolutely can. That flower was lying.” he insists adamantly. Your heart thuds in your chest at his words and his claim that the flower was wrong.
“That’s not how it works!” you protest again but it’s softer now as you stare at him waiting to see what he does next. He stares into your eyes quietly while holding the flower between the two of you at eye level. He then begins to pluck petals.
“He loves you…” he says at the first petal and carelessly tosses the petal to the ground without much care. His movements are impatient but his words are soft and loving, the disconnect between his movements and his words makes you chuckle softly at him as love blooms large and bright within you like the flowers around you. “He loves you…” he repeats as he plucks another petal from the flower before tossing you to the ground like before. His voice holds no doubt as he speaks, there’s no chance for you to even second guess his intention or meaning behind the words even if you tried. “He loves you…” he says warmly and another petal is tossed carelessly to the ground. “He loves you…” his words become a soft mantra as petals fall to the ground in a scatter pattern causing you to let out a disbelieving laugh.
“That’s cheating!” you cry out in soft incredulity but Minho quickly shakes his head in response to your words.
“No, that’s accuracy.” he tells you firmly and you chuckle softly at him before raising your hands to clasp around his holding the flower. Your smile is wide and your face is warm from the love you’re feeling for him as you stare at him with stars in your eyes.
“You’re impossible.” you tease him affectionately and he stares at you for a moment with a raised eyebrow.
“And you’re listening to a plant about how I feel about you.” he accuses you and you laugh as lean closer to him unable to curb your smile even a little bit. Just as you’re about to argue with him again he raises his other hand that’s not holding the flower and you expect him to cup your cheek but he surprises you again and flicks your forehead. His movement is light, quick and precise. It doesn’t hurt but it makes you flinch back in surprise, he’s smirking softly at you as his eyes dance around your shocked face.
“Hey!” you cry out loudly and he grins wickedly at you as his eyes sparkle with mischief.
“If a plant decides whether I love you,” he tells you in a low tone as if he’s talking to himself and not to you. “I’m starting a war with botany.” You stare at him for a quiet moment blinking quickly in silent shock before your head tips back and you burst out laughing at his ridiculousness. You’re still clutching his hand holding the flower that’s only half plucked of its petals standing in the middle of the cement path just laughing in delight at him as warmth and love throbs around the both of you.
“A war with botany?” You ask him after you’ve calmed down a little, you raise one of your hands and wipe at a tear that escaped your eye while laughing.
“Yes.” he says resolutely as he nods his head once.
“That’s your solution?” you question him incredulously as you grin at him.
“It’s a valid one.” he tells you and you nod your head exaggeratedly which makes him smirk at you softly.
“So let me get this straight, you’re going to fight plants?” you ask him teasingly and his smirk deepens on his face at your question.
“If necessary.” he promises you and you shake your head at him as you begin to chuckle again at his antics. You lean up on your tip toes and press a quick kiss to his lips which he reciprocates easily and effortlessly.
When you pull away you smile warmly up at him before slipping back to his side and gently take the flower from his hand. You wrap your arm around his and lean your head back onto his shoulder before you both start walking down the path again. He falls into step beside you easily as if he hadn’t ever stopped. For a moment, neither of you say anything, the laughter jovial atmosphere still lingering around you both.
The garden hums softly around you again, leaves rustle in the canopy of trees behind the rows of flowers, distant footsteps can be heard of others walking in the garden. The quiet, curated calm settled back into place like nothing happened. Your hand slides down his arm until his hand captures yours and his fingers slip between yours comfortably. The movement is casual and natural between you like it was always meant to happen that way. Your eyes dart over to him and silently take in his profile, he doesn’t look at you as his eyes dart around the garden landing on different bright blooming flowers. He just keeps walking next to you, his gaze forward on the flowers around you while his expression is composed like he didn’t just declare war on an entire field of science.
“You’re ridiculous.” you say softly with a warmth infused into your words that can be felt by everyone within listening range.
“Mmm.” he hums out to you noncommittally and you grin at him before turning to look out at the flowers as well.
“But you’re still wrong.” you tell him softly and he doesn’t spare you a glance as he immediately answers you.
“Nope.” he answers.
“Yes.” you counter but he still doesn’t look at you.
“No.” he replies with no fanfare and you huff at him.
“The flower was going to say-” you begin to tell him but he cuts you off quickly.
“The flower is irrelevant.” he tells you firmly and you blink up at him.
“What? No it’s-” you argue but he cuts you off again.
“It is.” he tells you adamantly. You huff at him before smiling softly at his unwavering stance on it all. You squeeze his hand slightly and he squeezes your hand back softly in a series of three, I love you. Your heart nearly explodes at the meaning behind the squeezes and you cuddle closer to his side. “You’re lucky,” he says softly and you look up at him with a soft look as you tilt your head to the side.
“Lucky?” you ask him curiously which makes him finally look down at you. There’s a softness about him now, something quieter around the edges that lets you know how affected he is about his feelings and emotions he’s feeling right now.
“Yeah,” he says quietly as his eyes take you in. “That I already decided I love you a long time ago.” he tells you and your breath catches a little in your chest at the meaning behind his words and the way his eyes have turned adoring as he stared at you.
“Oh.” you say softly before ducking your head down towards the ground a wide happy smile slipping onto your face. Minho chuckles softly as he turns to you fully and cups your face before tilting it back up to him where his eyes dance between yours teasingly.
“Don’t get shy now Jagi.” he coos softly at you and you feel your cheeks warm at his words. “You don’t need a flower to know that I love you. I’m right here and I’ll tell you every day.” he promises you before he leans down and presses his lips to yours in a soft loving kiss that you quickly reciprocate pouring all of your love for him into it.
Content warnings: established relationship bliss, domestic fluff in a public park, picnic dates with unrealistic sandwich variety, playful bickering, light teasing, “he loves me / he loves me not” flower trope, pseudo-scientific nonsense, misuse of statistics for romantic purposes, hand-holding, cuddling, kissing (multiple, gentle, and frequent), forehead/face kisses, emotionally devastating levels of affection, Chan being helplessly in love, reader being adored beyond measurable limits, petals everywhere, zero angst just vibes
Summary: After weeks apart, you finally reunite with Chan for a long-overdue picnic date in a quiet, sun-drenched park. What starts as a playful “he loves me, he loves me not” game turns into an absurdly serious (and deeply affectionate) “study” as Chan refuses to accept any result that doesn’t align with his very obvious devotion to you. In the end, petals scatter, logic collapses, and Chan proves that love isn’t something you measure; it’s something he’s already overflowing with.
A/N: Divider was created by @strangergraphics, thank you for sharing your dividers with tumblr!
As you walk into the park from the small parking lot you can feel yourself relaxing immediately, the park feels quieter here and is allowing you to breathe easier. The sun sits high in the sky as the late afternoon hour stretches long, the beams of sunlight are honey-soft as they fall across the grass. Tree canopies sway in slight the overhead breeze, their leaves whispering as if they’ve agreed to keep your secrets. The world of this small tucked away park is gentler here, slower, like time itself decided to slow down for a bit.
When you walk through the cute little gate you spot him, Chan is under a large tree unpacking what looks like enough food to sustain a small hiking group on a brightly pastel patterned blanket in the grass. Your eyes take him in silently as you make your way over to him, he’s kneeling on the blanket busily setting out plates of cut fruit and pretzels with the precision only appropriate for something monumental. And you figure today is pretty monumental, it’s the first day that the two of you have been able to keep free so that you can hang out and go on a date to reconnect with each other after being away and busy for a few weeks. What with Chan’s busy schedule and constant movement and your own daily life often your dates were few and far between. But you had known what you were getting into when you had started dating Chan three years ago.
“Channie!” you called out happily and warmly as you raised a hand to wave at him. Chan’s head popped up immediately and when he spotted you the happiness he felt at seeing you practically melted his whole form into a puddle of affectionate goo. He moved up onto his knees and spread his arms wide for you. You laughed brightly as you rushed towards him and fell into his arms which banded around you tightly as he cuddled you close to his chest.
“I missed you.” he said softly as he began to pepper kisses around your face making you laugh with a lightness that throbbed between you. Reaching up you cupped his face before stilling him and tugging him down to press your lips to his sweetly.
“I missed you too.” you whispered to him softly as you pecked his lips thrice more making him grin bashfully at you. “But Channie,” you started softly as you looked at him before turning and eyeing the vast amount of food he had laid out. “Who are you feeding on this date?” you asked him teasingly which made him blush brightly as he ducked his face into your neck with a soft groan at your teasing words.
“It’s our first date in a while. I wanted to make sure you had options.” he whined softly at you and you laughed at him before pecking his lips once more before you turned to the food. As you peeked into the food basket at the edge of the blanket you grinned widely at his consideration of you.
“You brought three types of sandwiches.” you said amused and Chan shrugged his shoulders as he shifted you around until you were facing the food but still securely in his lap with your back pressed to his chest and his arms looped around your hips.
“Variety is important.” he said confidently and you burst out in delighted laughter at his words. You settled back steadily against him feeling the warmth of his embrace start to sink into your bones.
“Thank you Channie, you always think of everything.” you say softly as you soften against his chest and rest your head back against his shoulder.
“Always Jagi. I like taking care of things for you.” he says warmly before pressing a kiss to the back of your neck making you shiver in his arms. He grins softly as he lets out a huff before he tilts to the side dragging you down to the blanket with him. You cry out as you fall with him before laughing brightly at him as he hovers over you with a dreamy smile on his face. “Man, I missed you so much.” he says softly to you as he leans down and kisses you softly, the two of you easily falling into lazy warm kisses as you both laid sprawled out on the blanket.
A few hours later you’re sprawled out on the blanket with your head resting against Chan’s stomach feeling hazy from the heat of the sun even as a breeze flutters by cooling your skin slightly. Chan is sprawled underneath you picking at the fruit that’s left from his display plates humming softly as he chews the fruit. The two of you are completely at ease as you spend quiet time together just enjoying the day.
Suddenly the breeze picks up and a few green leaves flutter down from the canopy above you catching your eye. You watch as the leaves dance and twirl in the breeze before they spiral down into the grass, your eyes catch onto a few sprigs of daisies scattered in the grass next to the blanket. An idea pops up in your head and you reach over before grabbing the stem of the small flower. Chan watches your movement as he feels you shift against his stomach and he smiles as he watches you hold the flower above you when you settle back against him. It’s small, bright, and cheerfully unqualified for the responsibility you’re about to give it.
“He loves me…” you say softly as you pluck the first petal from the flower. You can feel Chan go still below you as you toss the petal in the air and you both watch as it drifts down onto the blanket. “He loves me not…” you say with a soft intonation to your voice as you pluck the next petal and practically flung the offending petal away from you causing Chan to scoff out a laugh.
The two of you settle into the warm lazy atmosphere of the day as you continue to pluck petals, he loves me, he loves me not. Each petal being tossed softly or more aggressively into the air depending on the answer that the petal holds. His soft deep chuckling laughter fills the air as his stomach shifts and undulates under your head with his movements.
It’s only when you’re halfway through the petals on the flower that he pauses. You feel it more than you see it, the tiny shift in his movement underneath you alerts you that he’s more attentive now. It’s in the way his attention tilts, the way his breath stutters in his chest under you. You can’t see him but you can feel the tension in the air starting to ramp up in his silence.
“So is this what my feelings and emotions for you have been reduced to? A scientific test?” he asks teasingly. You don’t look back at him as you continue to pluck petals from the flower.
“He loves me…” you say as a wide grin slips across your face causing him to scoff softly at you. The two of you are now solely focused on the daisy in your fingers. “He loves me not…” you pout exaggeratedly and Chan makes a sound of disagreement that makes you smile once more.
“I just want to understand the methodology,” he says as his eyes don’t stray from the flower. “Is there a control group? Variables? Or is this…vibes-based research?” he asks carefully and you chuckle softly at his questions.
“It’s fate willed research.” you tell him as you chuckle when you feel him flinch under you.
“That’s not methodology.” he tells you and you shift to look back and up at him with a wide grin on your face.
“It is if you believe in it. And I believe in this flower giving me a true answer.” you tell him before turning back to the flower at hand. “Flower better not do me wrong.” you grumble out teasingly and Chan lets out a small huff of amusement at you. You can feel his eyes on you and the flower as you keep going, dramatically plucking each petal like the outcome might actually matter.
“He loves me…” you say and your voice rises with happiness as you pluck the petal and gently toss it into the air. “He loves me not…” you say dejectedly and Chan scoffs softly as he hunches around you as he cuddles you closer up onto his chest. He sits up and gathers you into his lap once again with your back pressed to his chest as you both stare at the daisy.
The daisy is starting to look a little tragic now, half-bare and uneven like it’s been ravaged by a heavy storm. The weight of your experiment now shows its effects on the poor sprig of flora. Chan leans forward and hooks his chin over your shoulder, his breath ghosts against the skin of your neck and you shiver at the feeling of it.
“You know,” he says softly bemused, “statistically speaking, you’re introducing a lot of bias.” he teases and you pause mid-pluck as you tilt your head to the side at his words.
“What?” you question him curiously.
“You started with ‘he loves me’,” he explains as he gestures to the flower still held in your hand. “So depending on the number of petals, the outcome is basically predetermined.” he finishes and you blink at his reasoning before you pluck the petal from the flower.
“We’re going to let fate, destiny give me my answer.” you tell him stubbornly and he huffs at you as he chuckles softly. “He loves me…” you say softly watching as the petal flutters down to join its fellow comrades before you snuggle back into his chest. “He loves me not…” you say and your finger plucks the very last petal from the flower before throwing it through the air aggressively with a pout on your mouth.
When you go to pluck the next petal from the flower you freeze as your brain catches up to what’s happened. You expected there to be more petals to pluck but truthfully there were none. The stem is bare in your hand and the verdict hangs in the air like a poorly delivered punchline. Chan blinks once as silence falls over the two of you.
“Oh.” you say dejectedly already playing not the charade that you started when you first grabbed the daisy. And then suddenly Chan is moving, he shifts you out of his lap and onto the blanket as you pout when his warmth is removed from your back.
“Nope. No, no, no. Hold on.” he tells you as he shakes his head. He then tilts to the side and reaches towards the little cluster of daisies in the grass at the edge of the blanket, you can almost hear their screams as his large hand grabs one and yanks it out of the grass. When he has a few daisies in hand he sits back up straight in front of you showing the flowers to you. “We are not accepting that result.” he tells you firmly and honestly.
“It said what it said.” you tell him morosely as you clutch your bare stem to your chest.
“It said nothing,” he counters quickly before he reaches forward and gently pries your stem from your fingers. “We need a bigger sample size. We can’t just accept one result, there needs to be multiple experiments.” he tells you.
You watch as he holds one of the daisies he picked in between the two of you, his eyes never wavering from yours. You sniffle softly and his face drops with concern before he scowls softly at the flower in his hand with a determined look on his face.
“Chan…” you say softly and he shakes his head adamantly as he hands the flower to you.
“Trial expansion,” he tells you solemnly, entirely serious in his words as he nods his head at you gesturing for you to start plucking the petals. “This is how real research works.” he tells you adamantly and you chuckle at him before you begin to pluck petals. “Trial number two.” he says, sounding official and you chuckle at his antics as he grins at you.
You pluck each of the petals from the flower as the two of you stare at the flower with quiet manifestation coursing through the two of you. He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me. With each petal plucked Chan watches you and the flower like this is the most important study of his life. And maybe it is because he has something to prove to you now even though you know the truth. By the time you finish the result lands on-
“He loves me.” you say softly with a warmth infused in your voice that makes Chan’s chest swell with pride. You lift your chin triumphantly to him and he grins back at you.
“See? Already improving.” he tells you happily. “We need more data though.” he tells you as he turns and hands you another flower with expectant eyes.
You know you shouldn’t fuel this delusion of his, you really shouldn’t. But there’s something about the way he looks right now. Bright, animated, fully invested in something so utterly ridiculous and silly just because you started it. The love is practically leaking out of him as he looks at you expectantly and nods his head. You don’t hold back and begin plucking petals much to his delight.
Soon the blanket falls into chaos, there’s petals everywhere as they scatter across the brightly colored blanket. Little white and yellow fragments scattered across the fabric, sticking to your clothes, your hands and his pants.
“Trial number ten.” he announces and you burst out in happy laughter as you look over at him.
“You skipped six through nine.” you accuse him and he grins confidently at you.
“I’m streamlining the process.” he tells you confidently.
“That’s not how numbers work.” you tease and he huffs at you softly.
“It is now.” he counters confidently, causing you to laugh, nearly doubling over as you pluck another petal from the flower in your hand.
“He loves me…” you say and pluck the petal. “He loves me not…” you pout as you fling the petal at him making him burst out into giggles. Every round lands differently, the results varying from one or the other. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. But Chan doesn’t seem bothered at all by the results. If anything, he looks delighted.
“Trial number eleven.” he says softly as he holds the last flower up between the two of you. He’s sitting there cross legged in front of you like he’s a professor about to present groundbreaking findings to you. “Hypothesis, I am ridiculously in love with you.” he says fondly, his voice goes soft at the end of his sentence as he gazes at you with sparkling amused eyes. You pause for just a second before you speak up.
“That’s a biased hypothesis.” you tell him seriously and he nods his head at your words.
“All hypotheses are biased,” he explains as he smiles softly as his eyes dart down to the flower he holds. “That’s why we test them.”
The two of you share the task of plucking the petals from his flower this time. He starts, his voice warm and full of love, he loves me. You follow after plucking the petal quickly as though if you rush you can get rid of the next option, he loves me not. The world feels quieter again between you both, or maybe it’s just you. You’re focusing too much on the rhythm, the small fragile certainty of each petal falling away from the flower between you.
When the last one drops, neither of you say the result out loud. You just look at him feeling too warm and loved up by his affection for you. Chan looks back at you smiling warmly, no teasing or jokes this time. It’s just full-on love in his expression. He reaches out then tapping your nose lightly with his finger.
“Good news,” he says softly. “Flowers are bad statisticians.” you huff out a quiet laugh at his words before you crawl into his lap and loosely wrap your arms around his neck. He eagerly wraps his arms low around your waist and keeps you secure against him as he grins up at you.
“The flowers got it wrong?” you ask him teasingly.
“They were never qualified to begin with.” he tells you as he leans up and presses a soft kiss to your mouth. The kiss is soft and loving, it feels like a conclusion to something he’s already proven a hundred times over. “If it helps,” he murmurs against your mouth, “I’ve run the numbers.”
“Oh yeah?” you ask him breathlessly as you pull away an inch for a quick breath.
“Mmhmm,” he nods his head seriously again in that playful way that makes it impossible to tell where the joke ends and the truth begins. “Extensively.” he tells you and you grin widely against his mouth before pressing another kiss to his mouth.
“And? What were your findings?” you ask him.
“The results are statistically impossible.” he says quietly as he brushes a petal from your shoulder. You raise a brow in confusion and suspicion as you eye him quietly.
“That sounds like a problem.” you say softly as you shift in his lap and his arms tighten around you for a second dragging you closer.
“It is,” he agrees. There’s a beat of silence as his eyes connect with yours and you suck in a harsh breath at the love reflected in his eyes. “For anyone who isn’t you.” he says quietly. Your breath catches just slightly in your chest as your eyes dart between his. The park hums around you again, the trees sway in the breeze, the sunlight warms the air and ground around you as the distant murmur of people existing somewhere far away. But here, on this blanket buried in petals and ridiculous experiments, everything feels very small and certain. “I love you.” he whispers to you as your hands card through his hair tugging his head back. You grin widely before slowly slanting your mouth against his in a kiss that is full of a sure answer of your feelings for the man wrapped around you. And it was an answer that no flower in the world could argue with.
Content warnings: Live television mishap and public embarrassment, viral social media teasing, secondhand embarrassment, emotional vulnerability following public failure, brief negative online comments, romantic best-friends-to-lovers progression with kissing (non-explicit).
Summary: When Dowoon nervously calls you before his first live TV weather segment, you reassure him like you always have, because you’ve known him forever, and showing up for each other is what you do. But when a cue card mishap sends his broadcast into a hilariously disastrous spiral during an unexpected thunderstorm, you rush to the station with coffee and unwavering support before the clips can crush his confidence. Beneath teasing texts, viral embarrassment, and pouring rain, lifelong friendship finally shifts into something deeper when a playful challenge turns into a long-overdue kiss.
A/N: Divider was created by @animatedglittergraphics-n-more, thank you for sharing your dividers with tumblr!
The sound of your phone vibrating against your bedside table wakes you before your alarm goes off. You groan loudly before whining and then kicking your feet against your bed as your lips pull into a pout effectively throwing a tantrum with only you as the audience. The phone vibrates once again and you huff out a loud breath before rolling in your bed and grabbing the offending piece of technology. Groaning once more you turn it on to see that you have two text messages waiting for you and your eyes don’t even bother glancing at the contact name since you already know it’s from Dowoon.
Today’s the day! Wish me luck! I’m going to be on TV! You groan softly as you blearily read the texts before your fingers begin to move along the keyboard quickly. Good luck Pabo! I believe in you. Go be the best weatherman they could ever ask for! Once the text sends you drop your phone back onto your bed and shut your eyes hoping to fall back asleep since you had been up working late into the night. But just as you’re falling back into that comforting black abyss your phone vibrates once again. I’m nervous. I shouldn’t be nervous right? Everything will be fine. Right? Sighing softly you know you’re not going to be getting any more sleep with his quiet spiral starting to happen. Sitting up in bed your fingers move as if they have a mind of their own and you immediately call him. He picks up before you can move the phone to your ear.
“Hey.” he clips out and you know the nerves have gripped him tightly already. Dowoon may come off as nonchalant as anything but this man cares. He cares about doing well and representing himself in a way that others can look up to, he just doesn’t show that very often and likes to hide his nerves. You’ve known him since you were kids, you two grew up together and you knew him like the back of your hand. You were pretty sure you knew him better than he knew himself.
“First take a breath. Relax.” you tell him sleepily and listen as he breathes out shakily. “You are going to be just fine being the weatherman for the morning news station. Crack a few jokes, make some exaggerated movements up there in front of the green screen, and use that natural charm you have. I promise you’ll be fine.” you tell him gently.
“But what if it all goes wrong?” he asks you quickly and you shake your head at him even though he can’t see it.
“D, The only way it will go wrong is if someone holds up the wrong cue cards. And if that happens just make a joke, grin that puppy dog grin you have and all will be forgiven.” you tell him honestly not wanting to lie to him that nothing could go wrong.
“Okay, okay.” he says softly. “You’ll watch it though? The live broadcast?” he asks worriedly after a second.
“I have it already in my calendar with an alarm.” you tell him and he chuckles softly over the phone.
“What are you a simp for me or something?” he asks teasingly and you scoff at him.
“You know what? I hope they make you dress up in the silliest outfit for this thing.” you tell him and he barks out a happy laugh.
“Yeah, yeah. They probably will. Go back to bed workaholic. I’ll call you after the segment.” he says goodnaturedly and you grin softly at his antics. “Thanks, by the way.” he says softly and your grin melts into a warm smile.
“Anytime D. Now don’t forget to get him an autograph from the hot news anchor.” you tell him and he yells out in disgust which makes you laugh delightedly as he quickly hangs up. You flop back into bed after the phone call and slowly shut your eyes so that you can get some more sleep.
You sit on your couch with a steaming cup of coffee as the local news station intro plays loudly on your television. You’re still waking up after getting another hour of sleep as your eyes squint slightly at the flashy colors and bright graphics of the intro. Taking a sip you watch as the news anchors come on screen and run down a few bits of happening news locally before they announce that they had a special guest to report the weather for the day. When Dowoon comes on screen you grin widely at the image of him, he’s dressed in a nice blue button up and black slacks with his hair styled to fall over his forehead in a pretty arc. And then you laugh as you spot the bright almost neon yellow rain coat with a hood that they’ve dressed him in, not to mention the obnoxiously clashing colored umbrella he’s holding as a prop. You can’t stop the laugh from building in your chest and slipping out past your lips as you watch him look seriously into the camera exuding professionalism.
The weather segment starts off fine as you sit there watching him hoping and praying that everything will go smoothly for him and he won’t have any issues. He’s confident and moving about the screen pointing to the right numbers and graphics as he talks about the weather from yesterday. But then when he moves on to predict the weather for the day it all goes downhill.
“Today expect to have some light drizzle in the morning with clear skies in the afternoon with mild winds.” he says as he reads from the cue cards and points to the right graphics on the screen. But just after he finishes speaking there’s a loud booming clap of thunder outside and your eyes dart over to your window to see that it is actually a torrential downpour outside your apartment. A flash of lightning streaks across the sky and you sigh softly knowing that something must’ve gone wrong and they didn’t have the right information for the weather today. Your eyes dart back to the television and you can see Dowoon’s eyes widen just as a loud clap of thunder is heard in the background.
Suddenly your cellphone explodes with dings as a slew of text messages begin to show up on the screen. Is this your boy?? You might want to come get him! Comes a text message from one of your girlfriends from school who knew both you and Dowoon. Oh my gosh! Why is he so wrong? Comes another text from one of your mutual friends and you sigh softly knowing that they’re only teasing but you know how Dowoon is most likely panicking inside right now.
That little tidbit is confirmed as he tries to continue on with the weather segment with the grace of a stumbling fawn who’s just started walking. He points to the wrong day for the temperature as he tries to catch his footing after the first blunder. But his nerves are large as he says the wrong wind direction and it only spirals from there as he drops the umbrella prop once while he tries to regain his balance. The camera catches his spiral and panic on live television and your heart breaks for him knowing that this would most likely sit with him for a while even though it truly wasn’t his fault.
After you hear him stutter out the end of his weather segment you stand from your couch and move to your bedroom to get changed and grab your own umbrella. Before you’re ready to leave your apartment you make a travel mug full of his favorite kind of coffee prepared the exact way he enjoys it. Within ten minutes you’re out the door and heading to the parking lot on a mission to go save your boy.
Once you park in the parking lot not far from the television station you’ve already received five different text messages from your friends with links to clips of Dowoon’s disastrous weather segment. The station has already posted the clips online and they’ve gone mildly viral. Your eyes flit over the comments and you try to hide your grin even as your heart twists in your chest.
“Weahterboy with 0% accuracy.”
“They did him so dirty.”
“What’s next, a prediction of a tornado?!”
You stare at the words until they blur and then you sigh out softly. Getting out of your car you make a quick call to Dowoon’s manager letting him know that you’re there and that you’d like to take Dowoon out for lunch knowing that he doesn’t have anything else planned for the day. The manager sighs out thankfully and tells you he’ll let security know to let you through. You then shoot a quick text to Dowoon.
Meteorology isn’t your calling. It’s simple and gently teasing, something you know that he’ll appreciate and want to lean into more than addressing that things didn’t go well. His response is quick, I hate you. You chuckle softly as you come to the doors of the station and wait just outside with your umbrella over your head. No you don’t, you text him back and watch as the typing bubbles pop up but you’re quicker than him, Meet me outside I think you need some liquid lunch to forget about that disaster. It takes him a few minutes to respond but when he does you can hear the text read aloud in his voice, You’re here?! Rolling your eyes at his surprise you chuckle softly while a small smile slips onto your face, Duh I’m here to save you from your embarrassment. So c’mon Mr. Weatherman.
Not even twenty minutes later and you spot Dowoon through the large glass panes of the front lobby as he walks out towards you. He steps outside and you’re immediately moving to cover him with your umbrella. He blinks at you for a quiet moment before he sighs softly. You step close and wrap your arms around him, hugging him tightly.
“It was so bad.” he says to you softly and your heart breaks for him.
“C’mon, let’s go get in my car before I catch a charge for threatening the television station staff for failing you.” you tell him honestly and he chuckles softly at your words before nodding his head as he relaxes in your hold. The two of you are quiet as you walk to your car letting the rain and thunder fill the air with noise.
When the two of you get into your car you crank up the heat to drive away the chill that’s permeated the air around you. Rain hits your outside of your car in sheets that are almost too dense for you to see through. You turn to him and he’s staring at the floor of your passenger seat, you wait for him to speak knowing that if you don’t wait it’ll stop him speaking and he’ll just let it fester within him.
“They said someone switched out the cue cards at the last minute. It was just a mistake for the afternoon weather segment.” he said dejectedly and you watched him quietly.
“They should’ve been able to catch that though, D. This wasn’t your fault. Please don’t think this was your fault.” you say softly yet firmly trying to reach him through his embarrassment. He nods his head quickly before looking over at you with a sad smile on his face.
“Manager-nim said that the company will spin it in a way to show that idols are human and make mistakes. But it still was really embarrassing and I couldn’t get a hold on it once it went sideways.” he tells you and you nod your head at his words.
“That’s good that they’ll be able to manage it that way but still the station should be held responsible.” you say adamantly as anger rises within you at the embarrassment that he had to face because of their mistake and he stares at you for a quiet moment before grinning widely at you. “What?” you ask him as you notice his grin.
“You always know exactly what to say to make me feel better. You always show up when I need you the most even when I don’t even know that I need you.” he says softly and you smile proudly at him. You’re reminded of all those times when you were kids growing up together, you both had always been there for each other no matter what. Always looking out for each other and making sure you were both alright. Silence settles over the both of you, familiar, comfortable.
“I’ll always be here. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” you tell him honestly with a cheeky grin on your face. He scoffs while rolling his eyes at you, he then leans over and nudges your shoulder with his own.
“I wouldn’t want to get rid of you anyway.” he said softly and you look at him surprised with how much emotion is packed into those simple words. “Who would be my source of entertainment then?” he asks and you burst out into happy laughter at his teasing.
“Whatever, you’re still the worst weatherman ever.” you tell him and he laughs at you before shaking his head.
“At least I’m not some wannabe Kdrama lead with an umbrella scene!” he cries out and you blink at him for a moment before dramatically gasping and pressing your hand to your chest.
“How dare you!” you dramatically gasp out and he rolls his eyes at you. “I’ll have you know I would be the best Kdrama lead for you!” you insist and he grins at you.
“Prove it.” he challenges you with a sparkle in his eyes as he stares at you. Something shifts in the air and for a moment your brain stutters in comprehension before your heart takes over and you reach out and grab him by his shirt before dragging him into a slow, hot, gentle kiss. One that feels familiar and like it’s always belonged between the two of you. Dowoon reciprocates the kiss easily which surprises you but with his challenge you should’ve realized what he was getting at.
When you pull away from him you rest your forehead against his while a grin spreads across your face and your eyes flutter closed. The rain sounds louder as it hits the outside of your car and it makes the inside of your car be consumed with a quiet that just feels warm. He huffs out a quiet laugh sounding relieved before he leans down closer to you his own soft grin on his lips.
“Forecast update,” he murmurs softly and you chuckle softly at him as your eyes flick open to stare into his eyes expectantly. “High chance of me kissing my best Kdrama lead again.” he teases but you grin wickedly at him.
“100% probability?” you ask him cheekily and he laughs at you.
“Finally something i won’t get wrong.” he breathes out before kissing you again while the rain pours outside shrouding the two of you away from anyone else’s eye.
