he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Cosmic Funnies
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Claire Keane
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@starriniqhts
ㅤㅤㅤbeen up all nightㅤ, ㅤto shake you outㅤ;
⊹₊ ⋆ㅤㅤㅤyeahㅤ, ㅤyou're on my mind ──── girl you know i can't lieㅤ!
ㅤstep oneㅤ♡ﾟㅤstep twoㅤ;ㅤdon't need a thing but i text youㅤ﹒˚ ₊ ︵﹒⊹
so i gotta make it simple ──── i'm gonna run with your loveㅤ✶ㅤi need you !
elysium in the dream
ꨄ.. ⠀⠀hyung line x gn! reader. bunker / apocolypse au.
#성호 SUNGHO
the bunker has a specific rhythm to it, and sungho made sure it was kept in time.
breakfast at eight (even if breakfast was just stale crackers and a tin of something mushy and questionable), water filtration check at four in the evening, lights out (or rather, dimmed out, because riwoo gets squirmy if its complete darkness) at ten. the routine settles around you like a blanket - and you reach for it, its warmth, comforting, it helps you pass the time while the world continues to crumble to dust above you.
he’s the oldest of the bunker, the only one who had some remembrance of the world before it all went to crap, before all of you had to bundle into someone’s underground sanctuary. he came from a cushy background - knew all sorts of things: how to play piano, speak second languages, old world history. he taught everyone all sorts of things, how he’d speak about the old world that you didn’t remember - because why would you? the old world was already gone by the time you were born.
he’d sit by your beds, voice low as he shuts his eyes and begin reciting pieces from memory: about the plate tectonics and the french revolution and old architecture. things that are completely useless but you grasp onto them like dandelions in the wind.
that’s the version of sungho people usually see. the one who meditates arguments between taesan and leehan with the patience of a saint and who helps jaehyun with his maps. then there’s the version that you can’t help but notice.
you’re out with sungho during a surface run. it’s nothing too out of the ordinary - a quick run because the pantry is growing worryingly empty and riwoo’s on the edge again and leehan has been gone for a few hours already. you had cornered a wild boar into a dilapidated tunnel - but it had lunged at you with a ferocity that comes with owning the city. you froze - something you weren’t exactly proud of.
but sungho didn’t.
he moved with such composure and assuredness you didn’t truly process it until it was over. sungho had click back his rifle and wiped his hands clean on his jacket, looking at you with the simplicity that came with something like filling up a glass of water rather than shooting a bullet in between the eyes of a boar.
“are you okay?” he asked softly.
“fine,” you stuttered.
sungho acted akin to a domesticated cat, but he had that instinct underneath anyways - that human desire to stay alive, no matter what it took. he didn’t even flinch at the creatures with human faces either - the ones that had the wrong shape and limped at you. sungho puts them down clean and doesn’t lose sleep over it. they’re gone anyways, he said, wiping down his rifle with a rag, we’re doing them a kindness.
you toss and turn at night, trying your best not to rouse the other members curled up in their kots.
“can’t sleep?” he towers over your makeshift bed like a statue, the faint glow of the light casting his shadow over you as his hair falls into his face. he casts a look at woonhak, who is curled up next to your head, inches from falling off the edge of his mattress.
“i’m too old for bedtime stories,” you whisper, scooting up until you’re sitting up against the wall. he sits down anyways, and you curl into him, his arm coming up to wrap around you.
he tells you them anyways, his voice quiet so he doesn’t wake up woonhak who is snoring away beside the two of you.
“sungho.”
“mm?”
“we’re not going to sleep, are we?”
he looks down at you.
“do you want to?”
you look him in the eyes.
“no, not really.”
then you kiss him, unhurried like you have all the time in the world.
his hand moves to your jaw, and the bunker around you disappears completely.
when you break for air, he nudges his forehead against your’s, mumbling against your lips.
“since you don’t intend on sleeping, why don’t we do something fun? you’ll have to be quiet, though.”
#리우 RIWOO
the thing about riwoo is that he’s actually funny.
it’s like his brain never switches off - he jumps at any opportunity to crack jokes and entertain you. if this was before, he’d probably have an audience of thousands - but he’s stuck doing stand-up for seven people in a reinforced basement and they love him for it possibly more than any crowd ever could.
for a brief moment, when he comments on woonhak’s stumbling of words or make noises nobody expects, it feels normal - your concrete home turns momentarily human with riwoo in the center.
chef riwoo claims the makeshift kitchen as his own. its a poor excuse of one - a few stacked cardboard boxes and rusted tins. riwoo makes do with what you have, which isn’t a lot to begin with. he’ll spend an hour on a can of beans, coaxing them into something that tastes like deliberation. he’ll somehow scrounge up a bundle of sad, dried herbs from behind a shelf and savour them like how a sommelier might with wine. a sprinkle of rosemary, he says, deadly serious, even though it smells like nothing to you. he’ll serve you it on a platter, paired with our evening crackers. you’ve realised he likes to watch while you eat, a set line in his forehead until you take that first bite of food and smile.
the other thing about riwoo is that he doesn’t like it here.
you realised when, two months in, he cheerfully gestured to the bare walls and laughed. it’s like summer camp! he says lightly, and we’re all dorms mates. isn’t this basically just a very underground camp? leehan played along, laughing, and riwoo’s face had a flash of something that looked like relief.
he doesn’t talk about outside, even though he’s probably old enough to remember something like sungho. he reroutes any conversation that edges in that direction with a precison of a surgeon with a scalpel. he hums loudly when jaehyun tries to walk through logistics, and when sungho starts talking about skyscrapers he pointedly gets up and walks away, or produces a story wholly unrelated, usually involving himself in some comedic situation, and usually very successful in changing the subject.
you catch him one day, standing in front of his corner, not moving - his face doing something it rarely does - stock still and serious.
he clocked you in about two seconds and the smile came back up like a blind snapping shut.
“oh, good. it’s just you,” he says, “we’re… running low on some stuff.”
you cast a look at the empty shelf, pitiful with just a few cans of who-knows-what.
“hey,” you say, stepping closer and taking his hand.
he looks at it, and then drops his forehead onto your shoulder, like how a tree branch might fall under it’s own weight. your arms naturally come back up, encircling around him.
“i don’t know what to do,” his voice is muffled against your skin.
“it’s okay.”
“it’s not -”
“it’s fine.”
he’s quiet for a long time, simply breathing in your space. when you pull back he flinches, but he doesn’t run. the edges of his eyes are rimmed red, but when you lean back in he doesn’t turn away.
you give him a chaste kiss on the lips, his eyes fluttering shut at the sensation.
when they open back up, he has a smile on his face again - not the one from earlier, but something more gentle and tender.
“chef riwoo -” he says, pulling back, “- is going to need a minute.”
“take all the time you need.”
#명재현 MYUNG JAEHYUN
jaehyun’s natural inclination to leadership is both a blessing and a curse, and jaehyun carries it with grace - and that’s the most terrifying part. he doesn’t look tired, he doesn’t crack under the pressure, he holds it together with an air of practice that scares you.
he’s good at it, being a leader. he’s so good at it he might be the best in the world - and since the world is so small right now, that phrase might actually be true.
jaehyun authority is embodied in his maps - the ones spread across the rickety table in one corner of the room. it’s littered with his handwriting, covered in symbols and dots only he can decipher and you try to understand. you sit with him while he thumbs at the edge, constantly reworking, rewriting, redrawing - trying to make sense of a world that is constantly shifting and is far too threatening.
he used to bury his head in his arms and sleep directly over the maps, almost like if he could splay out on the map he could control the world that lays under his fingertips. then you’d come over, place a hand on his back as he shuts his eyes, then, fifteen minutes later, he’d pull himself back together and sit up again.
“i’m glad you’re here,” he whispers one night, when everyone is asleep and your shadow casts your figure across his maps, “you’re the only one who understands me.”
you find his hands under the table and he brings them to his lips, kissing them like how a knight would to his grace. then he intertwines your fingers and turns back to his map, picking up his pen. romance blossoms under the dim light of a lamp that’s running out of time.
“you’re rerouting,” you point out quietly.
“i need you to be safe,” he squeezes your palm, “i - i…”
“i know,” you say softly, “it’s okay.”
he doesn’t look at you, his eyes still downcast as he draws an assertive line across the green.
“you need to drink,” you push the cup towards him.
“later.”
“now.”
he frowns at you but acquiesces, pulling the cup towards him. eventually it becomes half empty, and eventually jaehyun picks up his pen again.
you cup his cheeks and turn him towards you.
“tell me.”
“the east route -” he falters, “it’s… worst than i thought.”
“how bad?”
jaehyun stops, “i don’t know.”
you can tell by the scrunch in his nose that he hates himself for saying it. he’s supposed to be the one who always knows, the one who understands, the one who has a plan.
he not supposed to not know. he can’t afford to.
you run your thumb across his cheek and he leans into it, his eyes fluttering shut in the warmth.
“we’ll figure it out.”
“you don’t know that.”
“no,” you press your forehead against his, “but i know you will.”
jaehyun’s eyes blink open, and he shifts, ever so slightly, so his lips graze against the palm of your hand. he stays there for an exhale, then two, and three, and then he finds it in himself to pick up the pen again.
maknae line later
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JUNE YOU'RE AMAZING I LOVE YOU
DUDE THE ALBUM THE SONGSSS THE PERFORMANCE!!????!!!!
BROOOO IT WAS SO GOOD im actually so in love with forever you and i wonder and upside down and adios and AHHHHH VIRAL ITS SO GOOD im such a big fan omg QUICK WHAT WERE YOUR FAVS
BOYNEXTDOOR: VIRAL (2026)
hihi, i'm in a really sappy mood but i've been thinking alot about boynextdoors' full album dropping today/tomorrow.
i really do want them to suceed, i want everyone in the world to know who they are.. i'm saying this as someone who really cares about them, we all know how hardworking, determined, resilient and patient they are, spending constant hours and nights in the studio producing, managing, singing and writing.
they want the album to be big! and it will be, so please please please stream their first full album dropping on 8th June, 6pm kst. i want them to be happy and i want them to suceed so so much and i want to give back to them..
onedoors please stream!! and if you're not a onedoor.. still please stream!! <33
reblogging would be amazing <33
. ❥ ּ֯ ┆MY MOON, MY MAN ⋆ ⏾ ݁ ˖
✮ — i’m so bnd pilled good god they plague my mind every single day im not normal. ( + ty to my dearest @ivehan for providing me the moral support for me to actually finish and post this🙂↕️❤️🩹….and leehan’s silly questions…!!)
fluff ; ᵎᵎ boyfriend headcanons ᵎᵎ, implied idol!bnd in some, a bit of comedy, lots of sweetness, overall very cute and kissable ot6 <3 wc : ~ 1k per member — 6.5k total
⤷ ゛sungho ˎˊ˗
.⋆ ༘ - he loves to laugh with you. sometimes, you’re convinced he thinks you’re the funniest person on earth. you could make the dumbest, corniest joke you don’t even think twice about and he’s giggling up a storm. he’s doubled over and slapping your knee like he’s about to pass out. he’ll try to add on to the joke but ends up cackling mid sentence and almost losing his breath. and if you start to laugh? it’s over for him. hearing you laugh makes him happier, therefore making him laugh more. he has to get up and take a lap before he loses his mind even further, giggling to himself as he mumbles the joke under his breath. it’s a cycle that takes longer than necessary to break but the memory afterwards is so worth it. you don’t even think you’re that funny most times, he just wants that cookie so effing bad…
.⋆ ༘ - takes your night routine very seriously. for him, a proper nights sleep means better mornings with you, so he makes sure it’s done right. he cradles your face delicately, insisting he takes your makeup off for you with a cotton pad damp with makeup remover. next is a hot shower with your favorite scented candle followed by getting into comfortable pajamas (his shirt and an old pair of shorts). he’ll have your skincare lined up on the bathroom counter for you, which he of course likes to do together. and although a little calloused, sungho’s hands are gentle against your skin while he works in your moisturizer “the right way,” he says. he’ll then fill his comically large water bottle with cold water and set it on the nightstand in case you’re thirsty later. he says it’s for convenience but, in reality, he just doesn’t want you to leave him in the middle of the night. it’s all a labor of love and his favorite way to decompress after a long day, so you let him take care of you before resting in his embrace.
.⋆ ༘ - always notices and helps when you’re anxious. he has a knack for sensing when theres a situation that’ll make you want to curl in on yourself. he’ll see you pick at your nails or fidget with a loose thread on your top and slide his palm into yours. you feel three reassuring squeezes to let you know he’s there for you, maybe even keeping you a little closer to his side. other times, he watches as your leg shakes below you restlessly and sets his hand against your knee, swiping easy circles with his thumb to ground you. sungho’s picked up on your habits before you even realize you do them, doing his best to avoid anything that would make you feel worse. he’ll carry some earbuds on him or keep a sweater that smells like him in his car, “just in case.” you tease him for it but are ultimately grateful he’d even think of going out of his way like this. and if all else fails, he is more than okay with taking the time to break you away from the crowded noises, or even leave altogether if need be. he’s never made you feel like a burden for something you can’t control, always reassuring you that it’s his job to keep you happy and comfortable. besides, he has more fun when there’s a smile on your face anyway.
.⋆ ༘ - loves treating you like the passenger princess you are. seat heater on, drink in the cup holder, a blanket if you’re still cold, and obviously you’re on aux. he’s an absolute gentleman when it comes to escorting his girlfriend around, because why should you have to drive yourself around when he’s there? he opens the door for you and kisses your cheek before closing it. the seat is adjusted to the perfect setting for your comfort and hasn’t been changed since he set it ages ago. he’s always happy and proud to drive you wherever you need; your work, the store, out with friends, with no complaints as long as you’re back in his car on the way home. he’s never had a reason to doubt or question your whereabouts, sungho is just naturally a protective person when it comes to you, so it eases his mind to know you’re safe with him by your side. his only ask is that you’re holding his hand the entire drive.
.⋆ ༘ - he loves to cook with you. fortunately, he isn’t the “gtfo of the kitchen while i cook.” type of person, so he has you sitting pretty on the counter while he prepares a meal. he likes when you help cut veggies or prep the side dishes while he works on the main ingredients and seasonings, watching as everything comes together just like it should. he’ll hold a steady hand under your chin while he spoon feeds you a bite to taste for flavor, smiling at how your face lights up when it’s good. but of course it’s good, he has your preferences memorized. sungho even keeps a list of foods he knows you like and peruses the supermarket with a guiding hand on your back to make sure they end up in your dinner that week. you think it’s a little corny when he talks about teamwork but he’s right, the food always ends up coming out tastier when you help each other.
.⋆ ༘ - is always holding your bag(s) for you while you’re out. he really doesn’t let you hold anything while you’re out, claiming it’s his responsibility as your boyfriend to make sure your hands are free. in his mind, the only thing you should be carrying around is his wallet and a sweet treat. it’s a struggle to convince him to let you hold something yourself. no matter the amount or how heavy your bags are, he’s carrying them without breaking a sweat and still holding your hand. “that’s what i work out for,” he says, encouraging you to buy even more. and if you’re out on a date? good luck. the only way he’ll begrudgingly agree to let you hold your own bag is if you argue that it goes with your outfit. otherwise he’s slinging it over his shoulder with an arm around you and walking down the street with pride. (plus it makes him look cunt !!)
⤷ ゛riwoo ˎˊ˗
.⋆ ༘ - always gives you the first bite of whatever he’s eating. not only is it important that he keeps you fed, but seeing your expression when something is really good makes it all worth it. especially with desserts; he’ll lift his fork to your mouth and insist you try it first, even if it’s his favorite. he doesn’t even think about trying it himself before asking “is it good?” in a tone even sweeter than the cake. it goes without saying that whatever he’s eating, you should be the first to appreciate its flavor. riwoo’s started to form a new habit of basing his tastes off of yours because of how you describe each bite you take, it gives him a greater appreciation for foods he’s never thought much about. if you try to feed him the second bite, he all of a sudden grows shy and turns his head with flushed ears after eating off of your fork.
.⋆ ༘ - cannot stay away from you for long after a fight. it’s not too often you guys have disagreements. but when you do, you typically like to take some space for yourself. your boyfriend, on the other hand, does not. of course he’ll respect your decision and let you have a breather to collect your thoughts. but not even 20 minutes go by before he’s knocking on your door to make up. he swears he’s not an overthinker but just the thought of upsetting you over something silly makes his heart ache. so he’s quick to get back on your good side. riwoo’s very patient and understanding when hearing your opinions, admitting when he’s wrong and agreeing when you’re right. but you’ve been away from him for too long and he knows how to get through to you with that charmingly cute face of his. there’s something in his expression that makes you realize this argument wasn’t worth seeing his lips downturned. and even if you continue to give yourself alone time, he’ll wait patiently by your door until you’re ready to talk and invite him into your arms again.
.⋆ ༘ - matching nails is like his love language. he’ll notice you staring at his hands a little more than usual and offer to do your nails to match his (not before teasing you a bit, of course). his hands work steadily, putting all his concentration on every little detail to make the design as cute as possible. once he says he’s done, the fond grin on your face at the reveal brings him a joy that’s unmatched by anything else. he’s even gone as far as to schedule nail appointments for when there’s an aesthetic you both love and would like to get done. the nail techs coo in adoration when they realize you’re matching and hope to see you both again. and of course, when you’re both walking out and gleaming with excitement, you know you’ll end up seeing candid pictures of your hands across your boyfriend’s social media. you holding a cup of coffee, his fingers laced with yours, even just resting on the couch. riwoo is just so happy to show off how beautiful your matching accessories are.
.⋆ ༘ - side quest final boss. you two go everywhere with each other no matter the situation. oh you have a package to ship? he’ll join you at the post office. craving that ice cream from across town? he’s slipping his coat on before you finish that sentence. he enjoys the spur of the moment ideas you can come up with throughout the day too. like if your local arcade is having a discount on play tokens or a new line of plushie blind boxes at a store, you both wordlessly decide that you’re going. as your partner (in crime), he’s made it his mission to keep you on your toes. so he also just..shows up at your door on multiple occasions to drag you out of the house for whatever adventure he’s decided to take you on. many of your dates and outings have sprouted from the simple phrase of “hey, do you wanna —” because you two are just joint at the hip now!
.⋆ ༘ - you guys have way too many inside jokes. ever since you started dating, the back and forth of making jokes has been a constant between you two. you’ve since made a handful of on-going jokes that you’ll bring up from time to time that have weaved themselves into your relationship. he can’t even make eye contact with you for a while after either, otherwise he starts laughing all over again. the moment will pass when you’ve calmed down but you can still hear him giggling quietly every now and then. it’s impossible to get the two of you to be quiet when you’re in a group setting because you’re going back and forth making references no one understands. “riwoo, look…it’s a.. banana…” and then you’re both giggling. even just the tone in which you say something creates a pattern in your jokes. in his mind, there’s always something to giggle about. he has single-handedly brought so much whimsy into your life and you wouldn’t have it any other way.
.⋆ ༘ - always remembers to buy you flowers. every week or so when he realizes the last bouquet is wilting, he walks over to the flower shop and gets you a new one. the owner recognizes him by now and thinks it’s so sweet how he speaks of you with the sweetest smile and faint blush. he shows up to your door with the bouquet and sweet little treat in hand, ready to watch them bring new life to your home. he has your favorite flower memorized and always includes them in every bundle. they’re never the same either. always a different color scheme or a different arrangement of flowers, to change things up a bit. of course, he keeps a flower to himself in his room as a reminder of both your presence and your love. and in the months leading up to your anniversary, he gathers the dried petals and presses them in a small picture frame to surround a picture you had taken on your last date. you recognize each petal from every bouquet, realizing he had planned this from the start.
⤷ ゛jaehyun ˎˊ˗
.⋆ ༘ - gives you the most loving, heart melting smile ever. the look in his eyes is so warm and genuine, especially when you tell him you love him. his ears flush and his eyes turn into adorable crescents before he says he loves you more. he’s just so mesmerized by you doing anything that a cheesy grin spreads on his face before he realizes. watching you be so kind to the world just melts his heart and he gets a little emotional thinking about how perfect you are. anyone that talks to him knows about you. and they can tell just how whipped he is for you by the dreamy look in his eyes and how he can’t stop smiling. on the days that are harder, you’re the only one to get his spirits back up by making him smile, and all you have to do is.. be you. knowing how much you love and care about him is enough to energize him for weeks.
.⋆ ༘ - his camera roll is filled with more picture and videos of you. you occupy his storage more than anything else. you’re not even sure how he has so many reminders of you on his phone, he’s just always thinking of you. he may not be the best at taking candid pictures, but he captures the raw and real you. when you’re laughing hard enough to fall over, when your favorite song comes on the radio, and he notices that you’re a lot brighter when you’re with him. it makes him happy to see he’s had as much of a positive impact on your life as you have to his. jaehyun doesn’t care how much of his storage you take up, he’s never deleting anything. he keeps pictures, videos, voice memos, even the grocery list you typed in his notes app when your phone was dead. to him, they’re all memories of you that he needs to keep forever, he’ll buy a whole new phone if he has to!!
.⋆ ༘ - is obsessed with kissing you. as in, any chance he gets, he’s pressing his lips onto your skin and pulling you close. working on your laptop? shoulder kiss. brushing your teeth? kiss on your temple. just standing there? big fat smooch. he just thinks you’re too cute and the opportunity is too perfect to pass up. he thinks your face fits just right in his hands and goes in before you can protest. sometimes he gets a little carried away and the two of you end up making out for a lot longer than anticipated, but it’s so hard to resist him. he’ll send you a flying kiss from across the room and you watch as his ears go red when you return the favor. one time, you forgot how pigmented your lipstick was and kissed him on the cheek before a date. that man refused to wipe it off and wore it out on the town with so much pride. he’s actually asked you to do that before every date because he was obsessed with it. oh, and never forget to kiss him goodbye before either of you leaves for work. he’ll hold a grudge, that doesn’t last that long anyway, and sulk until you kiss him properly.
.⋆ ༘ - he loves being obnoxiously clingy. he will make a show of resting his chin atop of your head or caging you against a fence with a sly smile. he truly doesn’t care if people are staring with a stank-face, he’s happy to be molded to your side like this. as your boyfriend, jaehyun will find any excuse to hold you, which includes clinging to your back while you stand there. he’s definitely a huge fan of pda, excited to be able to show off your relationship when he can. you’ll find his arm draped around your shoulder and twirling your hair around his fingers absentmindedly. soon, it’ll drag down and linger around your waist as if ready to pull you in at any moment. and when that moment comes, he presses a big smooch on the crown of your head with a wide grin. you know he means well and doesn’t mean to embarrass you but that won’t stop him from at least squeezing your hand as a small ‘i love you’.
.⋆ ༘ - really good at comforting you and calming you down after a rough day. he can tell you’re not feeling your best right when you walk through the door. your bag quickly thuds on the ground and he can tell you’re dragging your feet. and once he sees that drained expression on your face and it’s almost like he’s more upset about whatever happened than you are. jaehyun pulls you in, cooing about how he’ll make you feel better as he kisses your cheeks. his hand is warm and solid as he runs it up and down your back, the pads of his fingers brushing against your spine. his other arm holds you close to remind you he isn’t going anywhere. he’ll always offer to let you rant it out and is a great listener; he knows what it’s like to keep these feelings to himself. he knows the importance of not only voicing these feelings but also giving them time to pass and process through your system. you work through it together and watching you regain your spark only gives him more motivation to work harder for the both of you. and even if this streak of poor days continues, you’ll always have your number one supporter waiting at home for you to get you through it all.
.⋆ ༘ - your family loves him and he loves them just as much. as expected, jaehyun is nervous to meet your family at a gathering. he needs to make a good first impression, to prove he’s worthy of standing beside someone as lovely as you. he knocks on the door, anxiously waiting for the door to swing open. but instead of a stoic man, his gaze drops to a smaller, much more energetic child. he lowers his guard almost immediately as he crouches down, noticing your cousins shirt. “i love that show!! is that your favorite character?” and he blends right in, safe to say he’s a fan favorite. your aunts will tease, saying they realize why you like him so much. he’s respectful towards your elders yet caring and lively with your siblings and cousins. they treat him as one of their own and he gets shy when they mention how often you talk about him. it melts your heart to see him get along with everyone despite being so nervous. he’s beaming by the time you two leave, his heart warm with how openly he was accepted by the people who made you who you are today. your grandparents send him home with food and he is elated when he realizes this means he’s officially apart of the family.
⤷ ゛taesan ˎˊ˗
.⋆ ༘ - he will not have a good nights sleep if you’re not in his arms. it’s like his body doesn’t know what to do with itself unless you’re there. he’s tossing and turning in bed trying to get into a comfortable position, even if he already knows it’s no use if you’re not beside him. he has some sort of sixth sense for when you’ve moved out of his arms in your sleep. he wakes up, already pouting despite being disoriented, and pulls you back into his chest before falling right back asleep. and if he’s feeling extra dramatic? he’ll throw his leg over you “for good measure,” he mumbles. the nights you’re away are always difficult. he’ll sleep in the hoodie you sprayed your perfume onto and it normally helps but it still isn’t you. his members aren’t sure whether to be amused or scared at this change since he’s a little snappier in the mornings without you. he’s a bit embarrassed he can’t sleep alone comfortably anymore but he uses it as an excuse for you to stay at his place more often (and to move in sooner..)
.⋆ ༘ - does the cliche of sharing an earbud with you in public. some may say it’s cheesy but it’s just another reason to keep you by his side. at the beginning of the relationship when he was a bit quieter and more shy, he made you a playlist of songs that reminded him of you or ones you’ve mentioned you liked. the blush that crept up his neck when he showed you was adorable and you both still add to the playlist. so if the two of you are standing in a long line or taking the train home, he pulls out an earbud and offers it to you. he holds you closer if you fall asleep on his shoulder, staring at your face a little too hard when a favorite song comes on. other times, he’ll put a random album on the queue and you both rank the songs in his notes app until you arrive at your destination. he’s kept them all and added your favorites from said album into the playlist, with mental notes of your feedback.
.⋆ ༘ - uses pictures of you (and his members) as reaction images/stickers. you’re convinced he hasn’t used a normal emoji in years considering how many he’s collected. there’s an album in his phone just full of pictures of his friends. some are heartwarming and let you see the members through taesan’s eyes, seeing how he’s collected these memories seemingly without them noticing. but most of them are unflattering and dumb. you, however, have your own special album that to you seems so much worse. you when you’re sleeping, eating, working, studying, even zoning out. but to your boyfriend? there’s not a single bad photo in there. he finds some of them funny but mostly uses them because he gets to stare at your face. he has a system with them. jaehyun images are for when something is funny, woonhak for when he disagrees, and sungho for when he’s confused. riwoo and leehan are very versatile so he uses their reaction stickers on the regular. but girlfriend pictures are strictly for when he’s happy, because that’s all he feels around you. he’s also infected you and your messages are full of every sticker he has.
.⋆ ༘ - he will break his nonchalant streak just to see you smile. at first glance, everyone assumes that in public he’d keep to himself and linger quietly by your side. but in reality? he’s incredibly chalant and is conjuring up the most devious plan to embarrass himself, or his friends, to make you laugh. it’s completely unpredictable too, the 1001st possibility fr. he’ll make a dumb joke completely out of nowhere that he knows only you’d understand because he loves the way your face lights up. his reputation is long gone anyway so he thinks being embarrassed for the sake of your amusement is nothing. like a court jester to his queen… partially because you’ve helped him become a more expressive and extroverted person since you got together and he wants to repay you for that. he would fight wars for that smile of yours. #1 aegyo hater but he will change that for you.
.⋆ ༘ - claims to be a night owl but, in reality, can’t stay up past midnight. he’ll insist that you have a movie marathon and pays attention no problem for the first part. but in the middle of the third movie, you notice the clock reading 11:47pm and your boyfriend is laying his head on your lap just a little too still. he shoots up when you question if he’s okay to continue and nods his head, determined to finish and stay up. but to no ones surprise, he’s fast asleep when you come back from the bathroom after the movie at 12:30 sharp. the only times you’ll see him awake in the late hours of the night is when he has a deadline to make or is cooped up in the studio finishing something up. otherwise, his words start to slur and his responses get shorter as the night drags on. he’s definitely gotten better since adjusting to your late night antics, but it doesn’t stop him from clinging to you as the clock ticks closer to the later hours of the night.
.⋆ ༘ - seeing you in his clothes makes his brain short circuit. the first time was when it had started to rain in the middle of your date, and he couldn’t have you soaking your shirt and freezing your skin. so you took shelter under a small awning as he took his sweater off and handed it to you, not thinking much about it. however, it had then clicked that the sweater that’s even baggy on his 6’0 frame would look big on you, and he got noticeably quieter. taesan couldn’t think straight when you had commented that his cologne smelled nice. the effect it has on him is crazy because even months later he’ll have the same giddy reaction when you show up in his clothes. he loves seeing you freshly woken up, hair a mess and brain still catching up to what day it is. he just wants to squeeze you because of how his shirt hangs off of your shoulder and he won’t shut up about “how cute you look,” while smiling at you. but his personal favorite is seeing you wear his clothes when you go out because it’s like showing to people you have a piece of him everywhere. whether you have similar or completely different styles, he thinks whatever outfit you make with his clothes looks better on you than him, and insists you keep it.
⤷ ゛leehan ˎˊ˗
.⋆ ༘ - loves sending you his random thoughts. you’re just the first person he thinks to turn to when he wants to talk. and he talks about everything; a new fact he learned, hypothetical scenarios, something that made him think of you, and of course his endless rhetorical questions. it’ll be nearly 3 in the morning when your phone lights up with his contact asking if you think crabs have eyebrows… i mean, you answer him anyway but not before questioning his concerning sleep habits. however he makes for a pleasant audiobook when you’re bored. he’ll rest beside you and talk about his day, getting excited all over again when he recalls something that reminded him of you. you just adore the way his face lights up when you remember something he’s told you, it makes him feel heard. he gets upset when you’re away from each other though, if he’s across the country and can’t give you live updates because you’re probably asleep. but of course he makes the time and calls when it’s convenient for you both, setting his phone up on his bed while you go over your day with a smile.
.⋆ ༘ - prepares fruit for you two to snack on. because he’s such a light eater, leehan often opts for a bowl of fresh cut fruit throughout the day rather than larger meals. to him, it’s an act of love to prepare fruit for your lover, that alongside peeling shrimp (which he also does, of course.) and so he’s taken it upon himself to make sure your fridge is stocked with produce you’ll both enjoy, that of which is typically gone by the end of the week. he’ll take the time to feed you some pieces if he notices you haven’t eaten much that day or if he thinks you’ll enjoy a little something sweet in the moment. you’ll catch him lounging around the place with a cup of mango and it doesn’t take long for him to guide his fork to your mouth with an offering smile. plus, it’s always a sweet treat to taste the faint, sweet taste of strawberry that lingers on his lips.
.⋆ ༘ - he is always smiling around you. pupils dilated and a soft cheesy grin on his face while he stares at you. leehan is almost always the optimistic and smiley one amongst the group when you go out, but around you? he’s entirely worse. why should he have to look at anyone or anything else when all he needs is right in front of him. absolutely nothing can bring his mood down when you’re beside him. well, only when you tell him you need to go. he definitely has the “no one but my gf matters,” mentality. if he could, he’d spend his whole day just studying your face silently while he sits there smiling. sometimes you think he just wants a kiss, which he graciously accepts, but he’s just that happy to be around you. you’d think you just told him you’re an alien princess here to bless him with how he stares at you like you created the stars. this man has never had a bad day with you around and it shows.
.⋆ ༘ - his morning voice goes crazy. i mean, you already expected such considering how deep and velvety his voice normally is. but hearing him first thing in the morning as he whines about waking up is something else entirely. it’s a shock the first time you hear it. he had called you as soon as he woke up in his hotel room since he had a schedule that day. you thought your phone was tweaking but it was just… him. he questions why you went silent but you just urge him to keep talking, and the laugh he lets out when he realizes why kills you. even now, it makes you shiver when he holds you in bed to whine about how you should stay. a low drawl he presses against your ear, you can hear his pout without even needing to look at him. and he knows the effect it has on you, that’s why he uses it every morning to his advantage and smiles when it works before falling back asleep.
.⋆ ༘ - he gets sulkier than he’d like to admit. he never makes a big deal out of it and that almost hurts your heart more. it’s not a drastic change either, you notice the pout on his lips as he speaks less or the way he doesn't make eye contact and that's when you know he needs your attention. you’ll ask what’s wrong and at first he denies he was even upset. but the feeling of your hand slipping into his brings him back down to earth, back to you. you never push the truth out of him and that’s what he loves. it’s easy to coax him into letting you into his head. you tend to know how to deal with it better than his friends so they’ll call you over with an exasperated giggle. it’s known that he’s a little more sensitive than the others so he’s always grateful when you’re patient with his mood and take the time to care about him. you’ll comfort him with a smile and gently kiss the corner of his mouth, a win-win in his book; a sweet kiss and your attention.
.⋆ ༘ - likes to dry your hair for you after a shower. the bathroom could still be warm with condensation sticking to the mirror, but he thoroughly enjoys being able to help you with a small task. it’s his way of helping you de-stress, especially if he knows how much of a hassle it is for you to tire your arms. your hair products will be ready by the time you’re out and he’s ushering you to sit in front of him. he runs his fingers gently through your hair and brushes out any knots, trying his best not to snag any too hard. he doesn’t mind if your hair is thick or has a mind of its own, leehan’s patience is unmatched and will not be defeated by some hair. he also finds it adorable when you attempt to fight off your drowsiness, only to give in and rest your head against his chest because of how relaxed he’s made you. and when he’s done, he’ll press a kiss to your forehead, scoop you up, and carry you to bed, tucking you in beside him where you belong.
⤷ ゛woonhak ˎˊ˗
.⋆ ༘ - gives you the best princess treatment while you’re on your period. while he doesn’t always have your cycle fully memorized, he definitely recognizes the signs when that time is coming. he knows when to run to the store to restock on pain killers and grab your favorite snacks to surprise you with, the kind gesture easing your pain for a moment. is it because he’s a little scared of you when you’re snappy? maybe, but it’s not like he needs a reason to spoil you. his heart melts at the sight of you when he walks into your room as he comes back from the store. seeing you curled up in the corner of your bed just makes him want to help you feel better. he’ll refill your emotional support water bottle without asking and order the takeout you’ve been craving because it’s your comfort meal. he lets you order him around like your own personal assistant and he’s happy to do it. and sometimes, woonhak gets a little carried away with trying to do things for you that he forgets all you really need is a long nap (and some ibuprofen) to help it go by easier.
.⋆ ༘ - is obsessed with your scent. the smell of your shampoo, your body wash lingering on your skin, and especially your perfume. he caught a whiff of it on your first date and had been obsessed ever since, even restocking it for you when you run out. he’ll smell it off of the hoodie of his you had worn to bed the night before and tuck his face into his sleeve while he works. his members noticed something was up almost immediately because he refused to take his hoodie off in the middle of practice despite it being the middle of summer. he’s also used your shampoo on more than one occasion so he can keep a piece of you with him throughout his day. it’s cute, you think, to find a small travel sized bottle of it sitting in his bag before he travels. and once he comes home, all woonhak wants to do is melt into your embrace and drown in the sweet scent of your perfume that lingers on your skin. and now his favorite part of his bedtime routine is burying his face in your neck and letting your shampoo and body wash flood his senses and lull him to sleep.
.⋆ ༘ - prides himself on being someone you can be yourself around. woonhak has never given you a fake version of himself because he’s never had a reason to, so why should you? he’ll always love every little quirk of yours, no matter how weird or silly you may think it is, because it’s just another thing to admire. he won’t judge you for acting childish because why limit your youth? he won’t look down on you when your emotions get the best of you and you end up crying out of frustration, instead he opens up to let you know he’s a shoulder to cry on. he’s never made you feel weird or out of place for your hobbies/interests because he loves the look in your eyes when you get excited. woonhak will match your energy no matter the situation and you two grow closer each time because of it. he wants you to know he’s someone you can lean on and know there’s no pressure for you to be someone you’re not.
.⋆ ༘ - he still gets shy around you. you could be months, maybe even years into your relationship, and he’s still hiding behind his hands and smiling when you look at him with a warm expression. you’ll tilt your head in confusion and ask why he’s acting like that and all he does is shake his head and claim “it’s not fair you’re looking at me with those eyes” (his words btw), and doesn’t elaborate any further after that. it’s a handful of things, really; how your hair frames your face or the quick twinkle in your eyes when your gaze meets his. even when someone mentions your name, he feels himself getting nervous just thinking about you. his members can tease him all they want because, at the end of the day, he gets you all to himself. he ends up thinking about it way too hard, therefore causing a blush to crawl up his neck quicker than he realizes. he’ll just pull you in close and tuck your face into his shoulder while he composes himself.
.⋆ ༘ - the most over dramatic baby when he’s sick. i’m talking whiny, needy, and congested. normally, woonhak is very independent and always claims he doesn’t need to be babied. but when he’s sick? that man is down for the count and begging you to take care of him. never in the demanding way, though, more so in a dramatic “take me to the garden one final time,” like a victorian child kind of way. the medicine you give him tastes too bitter and he’s embarrassed at how he’s practically losing his voice. he’s sprawled out on the bed under two blankets but complains he’s still hot. says he’s starving but then loses his appetite. but he’s always super grateful when you take the time to nurse him to good health (maybe even gets a little emotional that you care so much.)
.⋆ ༘ - takes up the ENTIRETY of your bed in the mornings. you’ll fall asleep in each other’s arms the night prior, peaceful and comfortable underneath the moonlight. it’s foolish for you to think the morning would be the same, because then you wake up to half of your body dangling off the edge of your bed and woonhak’s leg over yours. the only reason you didn’t end up on the floor is because his hand is still holding yours, a habit he claims only occurs when he’s asleep, but he really can’t sleep well without it. “i can’t help what my body does when i’m asleep!!” is his excuse, and you can’t really stay mad at him when he’s so apologetic. however, this little habit of his does seem to mellow out for a few days once you threaten to make him sleep on the couch…
.⋆ ༘ + mini bonus for iphone users - sends game pigeon games and takes them way too seriously. definitely a pro at basketball, obviously, and hates how good you are at the word games. he may be on a 5 game losing streak on 8 ball but it’s just because he’s going easy on you, he swears!!
like what you see? check my masterlist for more!! feel free to join my taglist if you’d like to be notified!! ↳
≡ p.s. i have so many more hcs that didnt fit here, so stay tuned for a part 2 ;D
❛❛ Riwoo actually feels like the oldest of the three eldest bandmates. He never says anything harsh and he always conducts himself well. In daily life, we have rules we set. He's the one who follows them best. That's why if he says, 'You're too late, let's all try to arrive on time', since he always gets there first and waits for us, nobody can argue with him. He's just really honest. He takes extra care of people he likes and he likes being cared for, too. ❜❜ — TAESAN on RIWOO / 'HOME VIDEO' EP.2 : HOME
war of hearts
There is nothing like the fear of losing somebody you love.
MAINS. kaiju scientist!Leehan & ranger!female reader
TROPES. pacific rim au, best friends to lovers, hurt/comfort (the angst to fluff pipeline)
WARNINGS. birth names used, canon-typical mentions of loss and death, brief alien monster fight descriptions, minor injury, skinship, mutual pining (taesan just wants to kill some kaijus but he somehow gets caught up with these two)
WORDS. 2.8k
NOTES. rewatched the movie recently and this happened. you cannot tell me Leehan wouldn't join a kaiju lab
Seven years ago, when the first Kaiju showed up on the shore of San Francisco and the news was plastered onto every billboard across the world, sixteen year old Donghyun turned to his best friend in triumph: “See? I told you aliens are real!”
At first, it seemed like a grotesque miracle. A never seen before huge monster showing up out of nowhere and leaving massive destruction behind. After a while people forgot about it. It happened once and far away, on American soil. Then six months later it happened again in the Philippines. Then it kept happening and so the countdown began.
Now, with you in a Jaeger’s cockpit, Donghyun wishes he had been wrong.
He wishes for a lot of things these days, he’s greedy like that. If not for world peace, for you.
He wishes he hadn’t been so fascinated by these creatures that he had applied to join the Kaiju scientist program right after graduation to become a cryptozoologist with his advanced fish biology knowledge. He wishes you hadn’t followed him to the Busan Shatterdome only to excel at the ranger training. He wishes you had never tested drift compatible with Han Dongmin. He wishes he didn’t have to watch you risk your life out there again and again while he’s safely tucked in the military facility’s laboratory analyzing Kaiju behaviour. He wishes you knew how much you meant to him.
There it is again, that wrong feeling. The sirens are blaring but he can barely hear them. He just stares out of the glass panel of the lab, watching J-tech engineers running around to get Siren Fury ready for battle. The Jaeger stands 72 meters tall, made of sleek steel, Korea’s only Mark-5 model. It’s as much of a weapon as it is an armour, humanity’s only effective shield against these monsters, but you and your co-pilot always call it her, call it beautiful and Donghyun has to bite his tongue because chances are this metal giant will be your graveyard one day. There’s nothing beautiful about that. But you don’t fear death, not like him. You come face-to-face with it every time a new Kaiju emerges from the breach in the Pacific Ocean and you’re dispatched to fight.
He begged you before your first field mission.
“Please don’t do this,” he grabbed onto your wrist before you could have left the sleeping quarters. You were in his room, laughing at something stupid and meaningless when the speakers blared and you were summoned. Everything stopped being funny then.
“Donghyun–”
He could see something break in your eyes as you glanced behind your shoulder and then back at him. Your pulse thundered under his fingertips. The sound of sirens and footsteps dulled in the background.
“Don’t go,” he pleaded, cold fear grasping him with bony fingers. It was pathetic but he didn’t care. Now that it was happening, he didn’t think he could watch you fight a Kaiju. Simulations were different, you might have aced them all but this was the real thing.
“I haven’t trained for the last three years to give up now. I… we can die on the street during any attack. We don’t know when this will end, if this will end at all. I don’t want to sit around and just wait while people are dying. I want to do something,” you told him back then all determined, your eyes fiery, and he knew it was useless to argue.
He wanted to though, he wanted to ask why did it have to be this? He knows you though, after ten years of friendship, of course he does. He should have seen it coming since the first time you threatened to beat up kids who bullied him for his fish obsession. He knew you would make it since the first time he saw you on the mat, sparring with guys much bigger than you in the Kwoon combat room. You even kept up with Han Dongmin of all people and he came from a military family as expected from PPDC’s new favourite. He knew you were made for this.
“You know what’s the first thing they ask you in ranger training? Whether we would rather die here or in a Jaeger. You know what my answer is,” you added, quieter and put a hand on his to slide it off your wrist.
He let go, his fingers twitching and curling around nothing.
“ I know but… I can’t lose you too,” he whispered, swallowing around the glob in his throat. You had both lost too much when the Southern coastal line was attacked in Year 3 of the resistance. But the fear of losing you was so much more than that.
Still, you looked at him like you understood and you reached for his hand to squeeze it.
“You won’t,” you promised before catching up with your co-pilot yelling at you.
He still feels like he’s losing you, every single time. Even when you come back, he knows you will slip away soon enough. That’s why it hurts to let go even though he has no right to keep you back.
Today, it feels especially like torture. To watch it on the big screen in the Shatterdome as the Category IV Kaiju with its hardened scales, crocodile-like jaw and human-sized teeth tries to bite off Siren Fury’s arm.
The metal monstrum stumbles as the Kaiju drags it further into the water. The close combat seems unfair as the Jaeger’s left arm becomes useless and its right hand cannot seem to get a grip on the Kaiju that has a hard enough shell to not seem affected by the cannonball-sized bullets hitting it. Unfortunately firing a proper missile that might do some damage could also destroy the Jaeger from so close, so Donghyun knows why the fight is dragging out for so long.
“Did they mutate to be bulletproof?” He hears a girl from the K-watch team mutter under their breath and he presses his lips into a firm line. As somebody on the research team he knows exactly how these creatures evolved over time, how they got bigger, faster, smarter. It’s both fascinating and scary to see this fast paced evolution in real time and how Jaeger technology has had to match every new capability. It took six days, three destroyed cities and nuclear missiles to kill the first Kaiju, these days a Category IV takes two or three Jaegers and half an hour. But with the Japanese Midnight Ghost having its Conn-Pod detached from its body, Siren Fury is alone and they are losing.
“Did it rip out the electro blaster?” A girl gasps and Donghyun stands up so abruptly it knocks the chair he sat on over. He can’t just watch this.
He looks up at the communication center’s glass walls and the panicked faces before running out and taking the stairs by two. He’s heaving by the time he falls into the LOCCENT Mission Control room. He sees the Marshal’s eyes snap at him for his rude, unauthorized presence but he will deal with that later.
“Tell them to attack the underside of the neck or in the mouth,” he tells the officer behind the microphone. He doesn’t explain it because there’s no time. He sees the red warnings all over the computer screens, the health levels of the pilots dropping low, the Jaeger’s now disabled functions. It’s life or death at this point.
“What?” The officer blinks, looking up at the Marshal for instructions.
“Donghyun?” Your voice comes from the speaker broken and strained. Donghyun’s heart shatters a bit at the way his name sounds from your lips so differently from the usual teasing tone.
“With a body like that, it should be soft and weak in the neck,” he says firmly, now right into the microphone he has grabbed from the useless LOCCENT officer.
Kaijus might be aliens, they might have an anatomy the human race has never seen on Earth nor can comprehend. But they have flesh and blood – albeit toxic blood – like other mammals. They aren’t bulletproof and most have their gills on their necks to breathe underwater, so it’s as good of a guess as any.
“I sure hope you’re right, Kim, ‘cause we’re going to have to blow off our own arm for that since it’s still munching on us like we’re a chew toy,” Dongmin’s voice comes through the speakers too with its usual arrogance despite the heavy breathing.
“Well, do you have a better idea before it finds our generator too and Siren shuts down in the middle of the Japanese Sea?” You huff and Donghyun feels proud as he watches you and Dongmin work together to direct the right robotic arm’s open weaponized palm right to the base of the Kaiju’s neck.
The sound of the blast echoes in the tensely quiet control room until the monitor showing the Kaiju parameters declares it dead and the lifeless body of the Kaiju falls to the bed of the sea next to the victorious Jaeger.
“We did it,” Donghyun hears you say and he can practically see your smile just because of your voice. Relief washes over him as even the Marshal pats him on the shoulder. It seems like his reprimand has been postponed.
“Reset the clock,” the man says and the Kaiju attack counter restarts just as a beeping sound interrupts the cheers.
Your co-pilot calls your name the same moment Donghyun notices that your chart has a blinding red warning on the top of the screen.
By the time Siren Fury is brought back to the base, Donghyun is positively going crazy. Everybody is telling him that you will be alright but it doesn’t help. He can’t calm down until he sees you safe and sound.
But he sees Dongmin first. He looks haggard but okay, unlike you who has to be whisked away to the hospital wing.
“You!” Donghyun points at him accusingly and Dongmin has the nerve to look around as if he could be talking to anybody else. “You should have paid more attention to her. You shouldn’t have let her–”
“You and I both know there’s no such thing as letting her,” the ranger cuts him off and it only adds oil to the fire burning inside Donghyun because he’s talking big about you, acting like he knows you oh so well, which might be true but it still pisses Donghyun off. He’s supposed to be your best friend.
“Still. She shouldn’t have overexerted herself like that,” he says but it only makes the pilot guy cross his arms, unimpressed.
“Tell that to her yourself, maybe she will listen to you.”
Donghyun pouts because he has no good comeback for that and Dongmin gives him a pointed look.
“Dude…”
“What?” He snaps.
The truth is, Donghyun has never really liked Dongmin. At least not since you were paired with him. Personally, he doesn’t have anything against the guy, he is even kind of relieved that your partner is a capable soldier. But the link co-pilots share is almost more intimate than what lovers have. They see each other’s memories and they are in each other’s minds. From the moment you drifted together, the one who knew you the best was no longer Donghyun. So yeah, maybe it’s the bitter feeling of jealousy eating him up every time he looks at Dongmin, so sue him if he glares.
But Dongmin just shakes his head with a sigh as if the interaction already bored him.
“You were her last thought before she fainted. Just saying in case you want to do something about that,” he says with a tilt of his head and walks away, leaving Donghyun in a state of confusion.
Of course, he has to be by your side when you wake up. He feels your fingers twitch in his hand first, then he notices your eyelashes fluttering. Caught red-handed, he moves to pull away but your fingers curl, hooking into his, holding him back. Those damned words from Dongmin echo in his mind as his gaze meets yours.
“Hey,” your voice sounds a bit scratchy and you look a little sick under the unflattering white light of the infirmary but you’re alive. You will be okay. Now, he can finally believe it.
“Hey,” he breathes out, relieved, and even to his ears it sounds sickeningly fond.
Still, he lets himself stare a bit, at the way your cheeks get a healthier color and your hair falls into your eyes when you turn your head. When you push yourself up to sit – because of course you can’t stay still –, he rushes to help you by arranging the pillows and hands you a glass of water for your parched mouth. He briefly wonders whether he should call for a nurse but you don’t give him a chance.
“You saved us,” you speak up with a smile, a little awed and a lot proud. It makes him ridiculously shy, so he just shrugs it off.
“For once. It’s usually you who does the saving,” he says but there’s a small smile in the corner of his mouth.
“My knight in a white lab coat,” you tease and tug at the overcoat he forgot to take off since he left the lab in a hurry before.
“At your service,” he salutes playfully but your laughs fade into silence soon enough. It’s not heavy or uncomfortable, nothing ever is with you but there’s something building there, in the quiet space between you as his nails dig into his pockets. He wants to ask about what Dongmin’s big mouth said, but he has no idea how to bring it up. Not to mention, he’s afraid of what you would say. What if Dongmin was just pranking him?
“Kim Donghyun… I can see you thinking hard. Your forehead is getting all wrinkly,” you point out as you reach up to smooth out the lines with your thumb. Your fingertips are a little rough against his skin from years of training with the combat staff but he doesn’t mind. He mourns the loss of your touch as soon as your hand falls away. “What are you thinking about?”
“Just something stupid your co-pilot said,” he shrugs, playing it off but you tense nevertheless. So there is something to tell, he notes.
“Oh. What did he say?” You ask and he can tell that you’re aiming for casual while planning Dongmin’s demise in your head. So instead of answering directly, he prods further.
“What were you thinking about before you fainted?”
“Oh… I just realised I don’t want to die with regrets,” you shrug, averting your eyes and if his heart wasn’t doing aerobatics against his ribs, he would laugh at the glare you shoot at the heart monitoring machine by your bedside as it shows gradual increase in your pulse.
“And does that include me? Your regrets?”
Donghyun thinks that if aliens can be real, there must be a universe out there in which you love him back the way he wants. He just hopes it’s this one. He’s greedy like that when it comes to you.
“I can’t believe you’re making me do this here,” you huff and this time, he laughs. He’s not making you do anything, he just asked a question like a coward because you have always been the braver out of the two of them. So when you grab him by the collar and yank him closer, his laughter dies on your lips like a Jaeger shutdown. He needs a system reboot to catch on and kiss you back. He slides a hand behind your neck, his thumb caressing your cheek like he has always wanted to do. It makes you smile against his lips.
“No regrets anymore,” you whisper against the seam of his mouth and pull him in more.
That is, until you’re rudely interrupted.
“Yah, let the patient rest! Youngsters these days…” The nurse clicks her tongue but the roll of her eyes is quite doting as she comes to check on the IV dip by your bed. Donghyun’s ears burn as he listens to you negotiate your early discharge and the nurse advises against kissing, but he can’t help smiling when you shoot him secret looks.
A famous ranger once said that there are things you can’t fight unless you’re in a Jaeger. He called them acts of god. Donghyun isn’t so sure if any god has anything to do with it but he knows for sure that he could never fight his feelings for you, Jaegers or not. He tried and failed and he wouldn’t have it any other way, because if he were to die during the next Kaiju attack he would rather have it happen with no regrets too.
END NOTES. i'm currently writing a longer romcom but apparently my brain was like wait, what about something angstier in the meantime? and here we are.
title is from the ruelle song (although work title was acts of god because of the quote but that sounded too religious)
header pic is from the dangerous mv behind sketch
☆ BOYNEXTDOOR masterlist
💌 askbox
© 2026 dat-town
war with heaven
You have lost enough to this Kaiju War. The last thing you need is getting attached to somebody who willingly risks his life on the regular. Han Dongmin doesn’t get the memo.
MAINS. ranger!Taesan & nurse!female reader
TROPES. pacific rim au, comedy supplied by taesan embarrassing himself, a bit of hurt/comfort
WARNINGS. birth names used, canon-typical mentions of violence, loss and death, minor injuries, probably inaccurate medical practices, taesan copes by thinking he’s some kind of hotshot, skinship
WORDS. 8.2k
NOTES. a bit late but happy 3rd anniversary to bonedo ♡ this is a spin-off to leehan’s war of hearts so this contains spoilers to that but can be read separately
Han Dongmin has always been a force of nature – headstrong, determined, relentless – and in a Jaeger he’s truly unstoppable. At least that’s what he likes to think.
In reality, whenever Siren Fury is dispatched, there’s a chance he won’t make it back. Or at least, not as the same person he used to be.
Jaegers are built to be as indestructible as possible since they are humanity’s only hope against the Kaijus that emerge from the Pacific oceans. They are practically humanoid metal robots as tall as buildings to be able to fight back the dinosaur-size extraterrestrial monsters. Nothing of this size and delicacy can move on its own effectively like a toy car. So after trial and error all working models of Jaegers are built like humans: with a neural network running through their limbs and a control panel acting as their brain. The Conn-Pod needs at least two pilots to work because only one person cannot possibly handle all that without lasting brain damage. When attached to the Jaeger with their Drivesuit’s spinal clamp digging into their back, the pilots’ minds basically become one. That’s the only way proper coordination can work. Like the right and left halves of the brain working together.
Or at least that’s what Dongmin was taught at his Academy classes by J-technicians who never actually drifted with another person or saw what the world looked like through the eyes of a Jaeger. Dongmin is a soldier though, he doesn’t actually care how it works as long as it gets the work done. As long as humanity is winning against these monsters.
So it’s not often that he’s sentimental enough to contemplate the fragility of human life, but now he’s in the middle of the ocean waiting for the pick up team in the damaged Conn-Pod of Siren Fury with his unconscious co-pilot in his arms. The Jaeger’s half arm is in pieces scattered in the water with the remains of a Category IV Kaiju after they blew it off. Later, the Marshal tells him that it will take weeks to fix it up and it makes him feel useless because that means weeks of forced standby.
A Ranger is nothing without their co-pilot or their Jaeger after all.
Dongmin used to hate this fact, this dependance. All his life, there was nothing he couldn’t do alone. He learned early on that in his family’s dictionary there was no such thing as ‘can’t’. Not having the ability to do something was a weakness he couldn’t afford. Not if he wanted to make his father proud.
Three generations of navy soldiers, that was the dream they cradled since he was young. Then the Kaijus came and turned the world as they knew it upside down. So he was one of the first ones to sign up for the newly established Jaeger program in Busan, one of the youngest ones too. It’s been six years since, two since he finally found a drift compatible partner and now, the girl who was in his head half the time went quiet.
Nevermind. A few hours later she’s up like she merely took an afternoon nap.
Dongmin crosses his arms in front of his chest at the leg of her hospital bed.
“He bought you flowers?” He asks with a grimace as he’s having a staredown with the bowl of water and flora that certainly wasn’t there when they were both brought in for post-mission check ups.
“Aquatic ones! These won’t just die,” his co-pilot glances at the gift dreamily and Dongmin sighs. If he thought it was annoying when she and that Kaiju researcher guy were both pining he might have had to re-evaluate. This could be so much worse now that they finally confessed their undying love for each other or whatever.
“Such a nerd,” he mutters under his breath, unimpressed.
“It’s romantic!” Even bedridden his military partner has energy to argue with him.
Dongmin rolls his eyes and sneakily picks up the honey butter peanut box from her bedside table to pop some into his mouth.
“Whatever. Just try not to think about kissing him when we’re drifting,” he says dryly and dramatically shudders at the thought just for the effect.
“You’re just jealous,” his co-pilot jabs back at him and snatches the snack back from his hand.
“Of you kissing Kim?” Dongmin makes a face and that earns him the pillow thrown at his head.
He knows it wasn’t what she meant but between rigorous training and fighting alien monsters, annoying her is the closest thing he has to normalcy in his life.
It’s a soft sound, somebody clearing their throat, that’s saving her from getting the pillow thrown back at her, hospitalized or not, because when Dongmin sees the presence of a nurse their age, he haphazardly hides the soft material behind his back as if to hide evidence of the childish fight.
“Sorry, I need to check on her vitals,” you say, pulling a clipboard close to your chest and raising your gaze. Soon enough, soft eyes meet his.
Now, this is the part when you should look away shyly, like a blushing, giggling mess. He’s used to that. Girls reacting to his presence like that. And he gets it, Rangers are idolized by the media like stars, they are heroes after all. He has given out autographs and taken selfies with fans who came to congratulate on their victories, so with the way you can’t take your eyes off of him, he thinks that maybe you will ask for one, too.
“Can you–” Ah there it is, just another fan request. He should have brought a pen. “–move aside?”
Wait, what?
“You’re in the way, idiot,” his co-pilot chides and he makes sure to scowl at her before stepping aside, so you can check on the monitor and how much liquid is still in the IV bag.
Embarrassment burns in the pit of his stomach but he doesn’t let it show. He leans against an empty bed, hopefully looking as nonchalant as humanly possible, even as his gaze follows your figure until it disappears down the corridor.
“Is she new?” He blurts out against better judgement but lucky for him his partner is too preoccupied with a text she got most likely from loverboy to notice the weird tone of his voice.
“Who? The nurse? I think so, why?”
Dongmin shrugs like he doesn’t care. Because he doesn’t. It just irks him that you didn’t even spare him a second glance before leaving. He’s not used to being disregarded.
With nothing better to do Dongmin throws himself into Kwoon combat practice. It isn’t like fighting with his co-pilot (not just with words) but she has been advised to not strain herself for at least a while, so he has to suffice with cadets. Not to brag but he can easily take two at a time, three on a good day or if they are really bad. Kwoon is about balance, about connection, it’s more of a dialogue than an actual fight to win but there is no balance if Dongmin is freaking bored with these kids. So he pushes himself more: morning Kwoon sessions, afternoon drift simulations with his co-pilot (if she doesn’t stop thinking about Kim Donghyun’s smile, he will put bleach into her shampoo), strategy discussions with the Marshal and late night gym visits. He watches the numbers climb on the war clock and the J-Techs slowly re-build Siren Fury’s arm while restlessness brews in his stomach.
Then Park Sunghoon visits from the Gangneung Shatterdome and beats his ass on the mat without breaking a sweat. Dongmin grits his teeth as he gets up, leaning more of his weight on the fighting stick.
“What’s with your left side? You rely too much on your right,” the senior Ranger points out calmly while putting the wooden prop away. Dongmin considers lying, saying he just prefers this way, but in the end just sighs.
“Just a bit of a strain, nothing serious,” he shrugs, slowly rolling his left shoulder back, grimacing at the ache seeping into his bones.
“Have it looked at in the infirmary just to be sure,” Sunghoon suggests and grabs his stuff from the floor. Before he leaves, he turns back once with a hint of a smile in the corner of his mouth. “Then find me for a re-match.”
And Dongmin is nothing if not disciplined. It has been drilled into him through military training since childhood, so there he is, at the infirmary. He hasn’t been back since his co-pilot has been discharged but it’s surprisingly empty. Still, it surprises him that the only person at the nurses’ counter is you.
“Oh, are you alone?” He blurts out and it makes him sound stupid when you glance up from the book you’re reading and pointedly look around.
“Do you see anybody else here?”
“I’m just asking. I didn’t know they allow new nurses to be on duty on their own,” he explains his surprise quite poorly if your unimpressed look is anything to go buy. So professional. You really don’t want his signature, huh?
“We don’t really have the luxury to have proper rotations. I guess you know how that is,” you shrug and turn the book upside down, leaving it open on the desk before standing up. He tries to catch what it’s about but the angle is off to read the title properly. You round the counter and point at the examiner table. He takes a seat with a straight back but his eyes are following you.
You tie your hair back and pull a folder out of a drawer. His check up data most likely. He wonders what they say about him. If that folder catalogues all the injuries he has suffered ever since he joined the Jaeger Academy, if it even contains the result of his psychological evaluation that cleared him stable enough to pilot, if it made him seem like a soldier through and through or just somebody who bled through their teenage years to be here.
You move around with a confidence that newbies don’t have. It makes him want to ask where you came from but you beat him to it.
“So what’s wrong?” You step in front of him after leaving his files on the desk and look up. A hint of jasmine hits him and it has him inhale sharply. With him sitting, you’re pretty much eye level and suddenly he can’t make himself look away. You missed a strand of hair when tying your hair up but you’re too focused to care about it. His fingers itch to brush it back, so he curls them into a fist.
“My left shoulder feels off for a few days now,” he ends up saying. It’s the oversimplified version of the truth but admitting that he overestimated his limits and overworked himself to the point to strain a muscle sounds pathetic. He should have known better.
You don’t say anything, just hum quietly and round the table. When you touch him, thumb pressing lightly into his upper trapezius while the rest of your fingers rest on his shoulder, he tenses up for no reason at all.
“Does this hurt?” You ask, voice coming from much closer.
“No,” Dongmin lies because this much is nothing. He has once showed up to his Academy evaluation with a broken rib and nobody noticed. You hum again, contemplating, then press into the skin near his shoulder blade harder and he nearly blacks out from the sharp pain. “Ah, fuck.”
“Yeah, thought so.” That’s your only comment to his outburst before your hands leave him to rummage through a cabinet. “Take off your top.”
You say it like it’s nothing with your back to him, so you miss how fast his ears redden.
“What?” Dongmin’s voice jumps half an octave, dumbfounded, nearly getting a whiplash from how fast he turns to you, not making any moves to follow instructions. An exasperated sigh escapes you and turning back to look at him, you put a hand on your hip.
“Do you always ask so many questions? Be glad I didn’t ask you to pull down your pants,” you raise an eyebrow almost challengingly which has him gaping like a fish. He had no idea being a nurse at the Shatterdome includes such duty.
“You do that too?”
You cross your arms in front of you and deadpan:
“Yes, if some idiot needs a rabies vaccine.”
“Which idiot?” Dongmin is quick to inquire but you just give him a look, so he shuts up. But he would bet that it was Myung Jaehyun. That J-technician is a self-hazard.
“Come on. Shirt off. I need to apply ointment on your back,” you explain and he clears his throat to collect himself.
Right. Get it together, Han Dongmin, don’t act like you haven’t been in the infirmary before.
Dongmin would like to think he’s unaffected. Like totally. Why wouldn’t he be? But the fact that you were unaffected the entire time you had him half-naked on that uncomfortable examination table, fingers gently rubbing something that smelled strongly of peppermint into his skin bothers him more than it should have. Half the girls in the Shatterdome would have liked to be in your place just to ogle, so why do you act like it was nothing?
And yes, he knows that it doesn’t make sense. He’s usually annoyed by the amount of unwanted attention he’s getting. He’s usually busy making sure to keep people at an arm’s length. But now he’s staring up at the grey ceiling from his bunk bed, turning the dog tag of Siren Fury that hangs in his neck between his fingers and can’t sleep. He thinks of your eyes, neutral and never lingering longer than they should, and he couldn’t help but wonder: are you like that, professional and distant, with everybody or do you have something against him personally?
Dongmin kicks the blanket off himself and hauls himself out of bed. He grabs a jacket and his shoes and slips out of the room without waking his roommate. PPDC’s favourite or not, he doesn’t get the luxury of having his own room. Instead he’s roomed with a politician’s son. The Marshal said it’s because they’re the same age and moved to the Shatterdome around the same time but Dongmin has a feeling that it has something to do with how they both have powerful fathers. Commander Han and National Assembly member Lee might not be friends but they are both avid campaigners for the Jaeger Program funding over those useless Anti-Kaiju walls. Chanyoung is a good enough roommate though, he’s quiet but friendly, he knows when not to bother Dongmin.
On nights when Chanyoung can’t sleep, he goes for a swim. On nights when Dongmin can’t, his feet take him to the Kwoon combat room. However, this time around it’s not empty despite the late hour. The boy on the mat is tall and lanky, hasn’t built much muscle yet. He’s practicing hits with the wooden stick but he puts more effort into channeling strength than precision. He doesn’t even notice Dongmin watching from the open door, not until he pushes himself away from the frame and approaches the mat. The younger boy clearly startles and bows with widened eyes, his swift apology cut off by the Ranger:
“Straighten up properly. You put too much of your upper body into the swings. Like this you will tire yourself out before getting any hits,” Dongmin says matter-of-factly as he kicks off his boots and grabs a stick for himself.
When he turns around, the cadet still stands in that awkward position of just having stood up straight after a polite bow like he can’t quite believe he’s seeing an actual Ranger from up close. Dongmin gets it, he used to be starstruck too when he first met senior Rangers but he sure as hell did a much better job at hiding his fascination. This kid is practically vibrating out of his skin and effectively ignoring his previous advice.
Dongmin sighs and lands a soft hit on the boy’s lower back that effectively has him fix his spine.
“I said, straighten up,” he repeats like he’s bored already and nods towards the stick hanging uselessly from the cadet’s hand. “Try to get a point.”
The boy does not manage to get any hits.
Dongmin didn’t actually expect him to. If he managed anyways that would have meant that Dongmin was in a much worse form than he would have liked to admit it despite his healing injury. So the real achievement he wanted to see wasn’t any points but the cadet improving his stance and attacks. And to his credit, the boy tried his best and he has potential. He’s determined and doesn’t give up, not even after the dozenth hit Dongmin gets in lazily without actually straining himself to attack.
“What’s your name, cadet?” He asks when the boy is sprayed out on the floor with sweat dripping down his forehead and neck soaking the collar of his uniform. Dongmin offers him a hand.
“Kim Woonhak, sir,” the cadet rushes to answer while still trying to catch his breath once upright. Dongmin’s mouth pulls into a grimace at the formality that makes him feel much older than he actually is.
“Just hyung is enough,” he corrects and he swears he sees Woonhak’s eyes sparkle.
“Yes, sir– Hyung!”
Dongmin cracks a smile and adjusts his grip on the stick.
“Again.”
When the next Kaiju emerges from the ocean near Brisbane, two Australian Jaegers are dispatched since they are the closest but it doesn’t change the fact that Dongmin feels useless watching the fight through the monitors hung up in the Shatterdome’s halls. What ifs plague his mind about the defenseless Southern coastline of the country and even though he knows that Kim’s idea saved them from being dragged into the water and being torn apart, rebuilding Siren Fury takes more time than he expected. Jaehyun also told him they might not be able to build a plasma charger in the new arm because funding is low and the component parts are crazy expensive. Most of the money goes into the new Mark-6 Jaeger they are building, hopefully launching next year with brand new pilots. At times like this the PPDC’s priorities boil the Ranger’s blood. Is it really better to have two half-built Jaegers than one proper one?
Later that night, after Jake and Leo defeats the Category III Kaiju, he visits the hangar bay smelling of grease and metal to check on Siren Fury. She stands tall and proud, all sleek steel and battleworn scars. Her left arm is open, wires and rods peeking out showing its half-finished state. Dongmin walks over the elevated walkway to get a closer look but halts as soon as he notices a figure already there. At first he thinks it might be his co-pilot driven by the same restlessness he feels but when he gets closer he recognizes you.
For once you don’t wear your usual nurse uniform and don’t have your hair tightly tied back either. Instead you have sweats and an SNU Med t-shirt on, hair falling into your face. It’s the first time he has seen you look so… casual.
Dongmin has half a mind to slip away like he hasn’t even been there but then his shoes made a squealing sound against the grated metal flooring and you look up straight at him. Whatever excuse he was about to say then freezes on the tip of his tongue when he sees your red-rimmed eyes in the hangar’s dim night light. Oh.
You look away quickly, sniffling as you wipe your face clear of evidence and Dongmin just stands there awkwardly, not knowing what to do with the situation. Should he leave you alone and pretend he saw nothing or offer some kind of comfort even though he’s shit at it? One would think having a girl co-pilot helps navigating situations like this but the Ranger girl has always had Kim Donghyun by her side and Dongmin never had to be the shoulder to cry on. Not to mention, you and him aren’t even close, so it probably would be weird if he suddenly initiated anything… right?
“How is it?” You speak up quietly before he could make up his mind. You don’t look at him, just keep staring ahead but it feels like a permission to stay. Like maybe you would actually appreciate some company.
“What?” Dongmin asks as he lowers himself into a sitting position against the railing in a decent arm’s length distance from you.
“Going out there and fighting in this,” you point at his Jaeger and while your words are emotionless, there’s a strain in your voice that most likely has something to do with why today’s Kaiju attack triggered something in you.
So Dongmin takes your question seriously, gives it a moment to think it over properly, instead of just blurting out the first thing that comes to his mind. Everybody has seen Jaegers on TV, some has seen them in real life but only a handful have ever been in a dispatched one. Dongmin is one of the few but he isn’t sure how to describe the feeling to somebody who has never ever sat in a simulator.
“Like you’re on the top of the world,” he says as he stares at the helmet of the blue-washed Siren Fury, at the Korean flag proudly painted on its side. His voice is tethering on the edge of sounding awed. “Piloting a Jaeger isn’t like piloting a plane. It’s not a separate entity. Once you’re attached, it becomes the extension of your own body. Practically, you, your co-pilot and the Jaeger become one after the drift. It’s hard to explain but suddenly you are more.”
Dongmin’s gaze drops to the robot’s legs. Somewhere on its mechanical ankles there are marks of two scratchy names. Him and his co-pilot carved their names into the steel with a knife after their first successful mission. The J-Tech must have noticed but nobody has ever said a thing.
“Isn’t it scary?” You ask quietly and he isn’t sure what you mean. The drift, the control over something so big or the fight against Kaijus? His answer is the same nevertheless:
“Only if you let it,” he says because he has long gotten used to all that. He has come to terms with the fact that he will probably die young in a Jaeger. He just wants to take as many Kaijus with him as he can. He can’t afford to let fear dictate his life. Nobody should, so he tries to crack a joke: “Otherwise it’s just a hyper realistic video game.”
When a hint of a smile graces your features, he considers it a win even if you don’t say anything.
For the first time, silence settles comfortably between the two of you. You don’t cry anymore and he lets the railing dig into his back more as he relaxes his shoulders. Siren Fury glows under the moonlight shining through the glass dome.
“I think being stuck on land having nothing to do is scarier,” Dongmin admits, quieter than before, his fingers mindlessly following the engraving in the dog tag that hangs from his neck between his pulled up legs.
Who is he if he is not out there fighting? It’s a question he has been turning in his head all day but he would like to think there was nothing in his voice that warranted you to look at him with all doe eyes. He clears his throat as he looks away.
“Why leave Seoul? It’s relatively safe there,” he stumbles to fill the void. It’s only fair if it’s his turn to ask, he justifies, and it seems like a neutral enough question. The assumption is also mostly a guess based on your shirt, but you don’t correct him.
“My younger brother joined the Busan Academy as a cadet. He’s all I have,” you answer simply, like it explains everything and maybe it does. The you followed him here part goes unsaid but it’s clear enough. Dongmin wonders what else you left behind in Seoul other than university.
He also wants to ask what happened with the rest of your family but the intensity you’re staring at the Jaegers towering over you is an answer too, he supposes. Wrong time, wrong place and a Kaiju. Everybody seems to have a story like this these days.
“Are you not… proud of him?” He asks instead. Tentatively because it sounds like you don’t approve of your brother’s decision to join the military, to work for keeping the country safe while you’re also on the frontline even if in a different role. Shatterdomes are built right by the water which makes them the closest targets when a Kaiju attack comes. Everybody risks their life by being there, not just the cadets who might pilot a Jaeger one day.
“I am,” you’re quick to protest but your voice breaks when you continue. “But I don’t want to lose him. Why does it have to be him who plays the hero?”
Dongmin clenches his jaw at the clear concern in your voice and stares out at the sea through the giant windows.
He grew up in a household built on discipline, diligence and loyalty. It has never been a question to him if he will put his life on the line for his country, it was a given. He still remembers the warmth of his father’s palm squeezing his shoulder when he officially became a Ranger and the smile on his mother’s face as she told her friends that her son had defeated Kaijus. He cannot disappoint them.
“Somebody has to do it,” he says.
He has gotten used to it: people expecting him to be that somebody. He was the best of best, they said, if somebody could do it, it would be him. It has always filled him with pride, the trust they put into his abilities and the way they justified the hard work he has put into getting there. But listening to you talking about your brother with such unabashed care, he can’t help but want that. Somebody to care enough to worry about him too. It’s stupid because he’s better off without it and yet, now it keeps plaguing his thoughts.
Thoughts you break easily when you shift until you face him, you knee almost bumping into his side.
“You’re his role model, you know? That’s why he applied here,” you tell him and while it doesn’t sound like you’re blaming him, he feels a pang of guilt anyways. He doesn’t let it hurt though.
“Want an autograph?” He raises his eyebrows and flashes a charming smile at you. At the girl who has every reason to hate him because her brother might die one day because of his influence.
You snort at his silly question regardless and he finds that he doesn’t even mind it, at least you’re smiling. That’s good enough.
Dongmin hisses when the wound stings under running water. The bleeding has stopped already and now he just feels stupid trying to clean up broken glass with his hands. He brings his hurting hand up to his face to inspect the injury. Luckily it’s nothing serious, barely more than a paper cut. He normally ignores such things, because while sure, they’re mildly annoying for a few days when in contact with something, soon enough they’re gone without a trace. But now for some reason his feet take him to the infirmary’s floor, his brain already racking up explanations like how even such a small wound could get infected or affect his job if not taken care of professionally. You don’t ask for any of his excuses when you see him, just have him sit down and treat his cut with careful hands. It takes less than five minutes and he’s out of the infirmary with a plaster on his finger.
The thing is, normally Dongmin doesn’t get injured or sick often. At least not seriously enough to ask for help. No wonder even his co-pilot looks at him weird when after a Kwoon combat session, he’s off to the nurse station to have a freshly reddened bruise looked at. He leaves with a cooling cream in hand. You didn’t even ask him to take his shirt off!
One time he goes as far as pretending to have fever after his skin heats up from blow drying his hair but you just put a cool hand against his forehead and brush his fringe out of his face before dropping a sour candy wrapper into his hands. He’s not sure whether this is more humiliating or when only Mrs Hwang is in and he bolts after she tells him that it’s your day off.
So now he’s at the hangar bay, sitting on a stool too small for his long legs, while Jaehyun is working on his Jaeger’s hand. Dongmin is there to supposedly help, wearing a motion capture glove and bending his fingers every once in a while when the J-Tech guy tells him to, but he mostly just complains about the dissatisfactory health care service he has received lately as in not being able to talk with you properly because you always send him away once he’s treated.
“Dude, if you want her attention so badly, maybe talk to her instead of giving her more work,” Jaehyun advises while checking on the hand sensor settings on his tablet and making some modifications to the sensitivity levels.
“I don’t want–” Dongmin is quick to argue but he bites his tongue when his friend sends him a knowing look. He sighs begrudgingly. “I’m not that desperate.”
He has a reputation to uphold after all. He’s the Jaeger Academy’s best for a reason. The Pan Pacific Defence Corps’s favourite role model to parade for young cadets. Commander Han’s eldest son. He’s not some lovesick male lead from a tv drama.
And yet, somehow, half an hour later he’s back in the infirmary wing because he touched something on the workstation he shouldn’t have and now he has a fresh burn mark on his palm. For once, he feels more embarrassed than sneaky when he walks through the double doors and you look up from your desk. You don’t even seem surprised anymore to see him there.
“You know, for a Ranger, you’re kind of careless,” is the first thing you tell him after he shows you his newest injury.
“Excuse me?” The snarky reaction escapes Dongmin as defensiveness takes over. The callout feels unfair, because no matter what anybody says, he is one hell of a Ranger. He has medals the president awarded him for god’s sake.
You look him in the eye, unwavering, and press a pad of disinfectant against his wound as if to prove a point. Dongmin hisses and deflates like a balloon.
“Oh, that. Right,” he mumbles, casting his eyes down like a child that knows they were in the wrong.
You hold his hand gently while applying the disinfectant properly and spread a thin layer of cream over the burn. He already misses the subtle touch when you let go to get the gauze and wrap it around his palm. When your fingers linger a bit more than necessary after securing the bandage with a plaster, he might have just imagined that.
“You should be more careful,” you tell him belatedly, half scolding, half worried, while sitting down in front of the age-old computer to log his newest visit into his files. Dongmin has to turn his head away to hide his smile.
After that things slowly start to change.
You don’t ignore him anymore when he looks your way in the canteen. The first time he sits down at your table, the girls nearby stare and whisper and giggle not-so-subtly. But at least he gets to talk to you about how his burn is healing and that he managed to beat Park Sunghoon at Kwoon combat the last time they sparred. When you notice he doesn’t eat the eggplant on his plate, you steal it from his tray and give him a piece of chicken instead. He can’t stop smiling behind his can of soda.
During one of his now semi-regular practices with Woonhak, who is slowly growing on him despite his best efforts, you show up and he gets distracted enough for the cadet to easily land a hit straight on his chest. Only when Woonhak waves to you with wide smiles does he understand why you don’t seem surprised at all to see the two of them there. When you and Woonhak get ready to leave, he kind of expects you to tell him to go easy on your brother next time now that you’ve seen him get in several hits but instead, you mouth a thank you towards him. Dongmin watches you ruffle Woonhak’s hair dotingly which makes the younger boy whine with something squishingly soft forming in his chest.
One time he catches you in the gym on the treadmills and challenges you to a race. Unexpectedly you agree and get him the vending machine soda he asks for when he wins without complaining about his unfair advantage. Both of you are sweaty while you’re sitting there with your legs aching, slurping on your drinks, but when Dongmin is glancing your way, you’re smiling.
And then there are the late night meetings in the Jaeger hangar. Sometimes you’re just lying on your back on the catwalk and searching for stars on the pitch black sky through the glass dome. Sometimes you talk about everything and nothing. He gets to know you there slowly.
You like the hangar because your father was a mechanic and the district smell of oil, burning metal and fresh paint reminds you of his garage. Your voice breaks when you tell him that your father was working on the Anti-Kaiju wall that was destroyed by the Category III bringing catastrophe to the Southern shore years ago. He asks about your university days and tells you about the Jaeger Academy and how it wasn’t that different from growing up in a military family. You’re the first one to ask him about what he would do if one day the monsters stopped coming. He doesn’t have an answer, not then, but later, lying in his bed alone, staring at the starless ceiling, he hopes you’re there in a future like that.
"Category IV Kaiju alert! J-Tech, prepare Siren Fury for dispatch! Rangers report to Conn-Pod immediately! I repeat: Category IV Kaiju–”
The sirens are blaring throughout the Shatterdome, waking everybody up at 4AM. Dongmin laces up his boots haphazardly and swings the door open. Down the corridor he sees his co-pilot leave Kim Donghyun’s room.
“Are you ready?” She asks while she’s zipping up her jacket.
“So ready. Let’s kick some Kaiju ass,” Dongmin grins. Finally the restlessness he has felt in the last few weeks has a space to go as they are making their way to the Conn-Pod.
Chanyoung is already at LOCCENT, tracking the Kaiju’s movements on one monitor and checking the Jaeger’s energy levels on the other with other comm officers. When Dongmin puts on the Drivesuit, he hears him in his in-ear.
“I hope you slept well, it’s a really ugly beast.”
“Don’t worry, we will send it right back where it came from,” he says, ever so confident, wincing quietly when the spinal cord is attached. Some say it’s bad luck to celebrate early but Dongmin thinks it boosts morale. Not to mention no Kaiju could take them down before, isn’t that proof enough that it’s warranted? His roommate just wishes him luck, then starts the countdown.
“Initiating drift in 3, 2, 1…”
Dongmin closes his eyes and lets memories flood him. It’s a mix of old and new, his and his co-pilot’s. A Kaiju that has left him shaking, a beach town in ruins, late night practices until his body was sore and useless and still not good enough, Kim Donghyun smiling under the sunset, ice cream smeared on his lips, and your voice echoing in his ears, the sour candy he got from you tasting sweet on his tongue.
“Drift successful, connection stable. Rangers, confirm!” Somebody yells just and he opens his eyes, feeling the familiar presence of a companion in the back of his mind. He turns his head towards his partner who smiles and he already knows what she wants to say even before she opens her mouth.
“That was so cheesy.”
“You’re one to talk,” he rolls his eyes but with no malice and they move their hands at the same time, the Jaeger’s mechanic limb following their movements swiftly.
“Siren Fury is ready for deployment,” he confirms and when the Jumphawks hatch onto the mech’s shoulders to airlift them, he imagines you watching it happen through the big monitor in the hallways. It gives him one more reason to win.
It’s not an easy victory but it feels good. Every landed punch and every plasma hit right on target. After weeks of restlessness, Dongmin finally feels like he’s doing something useful. By the time the Kaiju’s lifeless body collapses into the Japan Sea, he’s sweating, his muscles ache and there’s a beginning of a throbbing headache in his temple. Yet, he feels delirious, the good kind, like he can take on the whole world.
It’s always a bit disorientating when they are back in the Shatterdome and the Conn-Pod is detached from the Jaeger. Suddenly it’s a lot quieter in his mind even though his co-pilot’s thoughts linger for a while like ghost touches.
“Let me guess, you will go for a check-up right away,” she wiggles her brows as she’s getting out of her Drivesuit.
“Shut up and go make out with your boyfriend or something,” Dongmin rolls his eyes instead of reminding her that medical check-ups after an actual drift were important. It would be hypothetical because he used to not care much despite the protocol. It would also be useless because he can already see Donghyun waiting like a puppy behind the Conn-Pod station’s glass doors.
He gives the Kaiju nerd a nod when he walks by him into the LOCCENT and accepts the pats on the back and congratulations from the officers with his usual nonchalance. He doesn’t intend to stay long but before he could escape, the Marshal finds him and tells him about an event they should attend to secure more funding for the Jaeger program. He agrees like a good soldier would because he doesn’t really have a choice anyways, then asks for permission to leave. When granted, he slips away through hidden corridors before anybody else could stop him.
Usually he loves the part when every resident of the Shatterdome gathers to celebrate the new win of humanity. These are the only few times when they get to relax before the next Kaiju appearance. They are allowed to have fun, to drink, to forget that the attacks are getting more and more frequent and the world might be doomed. Dongmin also likes the post-Kaiju fight high, the adrenaline pumping in his veins and the feeling of being invincible. He knows he will crash soon, either with the headache worsening or exhaustion taking over, but for now he feels like he could do anything.
When he opens the door to the infirmary, he catches you pacing from one end to another.
“–would be such a bad idea to–”
You stop when you notice him and another girl jumps off the counter. It’s Minju, Dongmin recognizes her from Donghyun’s lab.
“Uhm, I will go get coffee,” she exclaims abruptly even though there’s clearly a mug half-full of dark liquid on the counter where she just sat. When she passes by Dongmin’s side she shows him thumbs up and offers a “Good job today!” cheerily.
“Thanks,” Dongmin says and waits for you to agree, to comment on his performance, to say anything but when the door is closed behind your friend, you turn your back on him and shuffle back to the computer to pull up his charts. The examination table makes a creaking sound in the silence when Dongmin sits down without having been told. He knows the drill by now.
“How are you feeling?”
When you speak up, it’s in your usual work tone, all professional. He’s a bit disappointed but he refuses to wilt like a flower.
“Good. Just a little headache,” he says and watches you get up to grab a few things.
He knows what comes, he has been in the same situation multiple times just with different nurses. Mrs Hwang who works the alternate shifts is such a mother hen, treating all of them like children. The previous nurse who left before you came was so chatty, always had a new gossip whenever he sat there. He never really craved either of their acknowledgement, but with you he almost feels desperate for it.
“Did you watch us?” He asks when you fasten the blood pressure monitor’s cuff around his arm but you just shush him. He casts his eyes down, sulky, like a scolded child all the while the cuff tightens then loosens and the machine beeps. You jot down his results before stepping closer again. Your fingers are soft on his skin while you slip the medical device off his arm.
You don’t look him in the eye when you eventually answer. “No.”
It has Dongmin reeling. All this time he has thought that everybody was busy following the broadcasts of the Kaiju fights, he thought that you saw him defeat this newest alien monster, that somehow this could maybe appeal to you, but now he’s just confused.
“Why?”
You ignore his question and pick up the penlight instead.
“Follow the light with your eyes,” you tell him and he begrudgingly follows the instructions like a champ. However, when you drop your hand and turn away, he grabs onto your wrist to pull you back. You’re clearly startled as you stumble and have to catch yourself with a hand against his chest to not fall completely onto him.
“Why?” He asks again and there’s something defiant in your eyes when you finally make eye contact with him, your arm flexing under his hold, your fingers curling into his uniform shirt. He has half a mind to let go of you but he’s also relishing in the fact that you haven’t even tried to pull away, that you’re staying close on purpose. He’s basking in your subtle jasmine scent and the warmth of your shaky exhales.
“I don’t like seeing you hurt,” you whisper into the barely there space between the two of you and it ceases the ugly disappointment burning in the pit of Dongmin’s belly.
“I’m fine though,” he insists and swipes his thumb over the inner side of your wrist. It’s supposed to be soothing but when your breath hitches, he can’t help a grin at the reaction he finally got out of you.
“Ranger Han–” You raise your voice and it sounds like he’s in for a reprimand or a warning. He decidedly ignores it.
“Dongmin,” he corrects with a smirk as he tilts his head and continues the caresses on your skin.
For a long moment you just stare at each other as if to see who can take it longer. He can feel his cheeks heat up despite the confident act he puts up and when your gaze drops to his lips, his pulse jumps. There’s a tremble in his fingers when you lean closer and then…
“Noona! Have you seen–” Somebody barrels through the infirmary’s double doors and Dongmin has to hold himself back from dramatically sighing when you step back until your back hits the nurse desk. “Oh, hi, hyung! Oh my god, you were so cool out there!”
Woonhak is all smiles and pure enthusiasm. He’s also totally oblivious to what he has interrupted. Still, he’s your brother, so Dongmin puts on a smile and answers all the questions Woonhak has about this new Kaiju and their strategy against it. He also promises to give him a tour around Siren Fury’s Conn-Pod one day. You drop a piece of sour candy into his hands before he has to leave.
The next time he ends up in the infirmary, it’s not on purpose and totally not his fault.
He was looking for his co-pilot so they could run a drift simulation but she was hanging out with her boyfriend in the labs. Apparently the K-scientists found something breakthrough regarding the anatomy of the Kaijus but Dongmin was busy checking on the different shades of blue vials labelled synthetic Kaiju blood to really pay attention. Nobody around him wore masks or gloves, so he assumed it was safe enough. That little piece of shiny rock on the petri dish wasn’t even blue, so the last thing he expected when he poked it was for his skin to stain a fluorescent color.
Apparently it was a sample from a beach that got exposed to Kaiju Blue, the deadly toxic agent in the aliens’ blood, and since the team was currently working on how to reverse its destructing effect on nature, they already had an antidote on hands for small exposures. Donghyun quickly had him drink something awfully bitter that stopped the pins and needles feeling slowly spreading in his arm.
Still, it caused quite a bit of fright for everybody present, so his co-pilot dragged him to the infirmary just to be sure he would be okay. You keep it professional while she’s in there explaining what happened but as soon as she leaves, you start scolding him.
“You know very well that Kaiju blood contains toxins. What were you thinking?” You tsk, flashing him a severely disappointed look before getting something from the cabinet. Then suddenly turn back to him and point an accusing finger at him. “You’re officially banned from the labs, got it?”
You don’t even wait for an answer, just keep mumbling something about him being so eager to put his life on the line under your breath while pulling out an IV bag. When you turn back to him, you have a cannula in your hands.
“There’s really no need–” He tries to protest but you cut him off with the authority of someone who has bossed men around all her life.
“Sit back down,” you tell him and Dongmin’s bottom hits the mattress even before his mind can process the words.
He has faced a dozen Kaijus. He has faced death. But apparently nothing scares him as much as you do when you’re mad at him. He has never seen you so agitated, frantic and frustrated. So he bears it without complaint as you put him on IV drip even though when you stab the needle into his arm, he’s pretty sure you do it with more force than necessary.
Even after you make sure the fluid is flowing into his bloodstream properly and that the last remnants of blue discoloring disappeared from his fingers, you’re still hovering over him. It makes him feel bad.
“I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me,” he says, trying to coax you into a more relaxed state.
“Then stop getting hurt!” You shove at his chest but it’s weak because you clearly don’t want to cause him more pain.
Dongmin has the audacity to smile when he catches your hand and pulls you down to sit on the bed. You let him more easily than he expected. You also make no moves to pull your hand away.
“I will try, I promise,” he tries, gentler, rubbing gently your palm.
“You better,” you huff with downturned lips and avoiding his eyes like a sulky cat and Dongmin is awfully endeared. Who knew that he just needed to get exposed to almost deadly chemicals to see this side of you? It makes him want to push his luck.
“What about a get well soon kiss?” He asks playfully and you scowl at him, unimpressed.
“You don’t deserve it.”
He pouts, playing his disappointment up, and you roll your eyes at him. Your hand remains in his though and you don’t move from his infirmary bed, so he’s not complaining.
He can’t tell whether it’s from the IV bag’s contents or the antidote from earlier, but soon his eyelids start getting heavy. Just before he tips over the edge and slips into a dreamless sleep, he feels soft lips against his forehead. He falls asleep with a stupid smile on his face.
Before meeting you, Dongmin used to think that nothing can compare to the feeling of being invincible in a Jaeger. Now, he’s not so sure anymore. You make him feel on top of the world too.
END NOTES. title from the keshi song. header pic from the BEAT High magazine behind cut.
☆ BOYNEXTDOOR masterlist
💌 askbox
© 2026 dat-town
Color Me Yours
Synopsis - In a quiet corner of the city, where self-care is more ritual than routine, Y/N finds herself returning again and again to a small, aesthetically perfect nail studio known for one thing: Riwoo
Pairing - Riwoo x Y/N
ONESHOT SMAU (27 screenshots)
check out my other works! - zizi’s masterlist ⋆⭒˚.⋆
A/N - THIS IS FOR MY #1 RIWOO X YN MOOTIE @xionvlog AND YES HE MIGHT BE INVOLVED IN THE OTHER ONE TOO (also I don’t know if anyone has done this before so if someone has I’m so sorry!) AND PLEASE DO GIVE FEEDBACK I DONTKNOW HOW TO DO ONESHOTS
my favorite part
᭝ ᨳଓ ՟ fingertips
pairing: riwoo x reader (a full head and half a neck shorter than riwoo) genre: fluff(?) cw: physical touch/skinship, mention of heart attack wc: 1,037 synopsis: the stationery store is packed and you keep running off by yourself. so riwoo had to take matters to his own...fingertips. note: ang fantasy ko today ay si riwoo, a basket on one of his hands and the other nakahawak sa baywang. yes. how to write 2nd pov without using the word 'you' so much??
your jaw drops upon entering the stationery shop. there were so many items and the place was huge. you get why the store was recommended so passionately by your friend. riwoo, who stood behind you, chuckled at the way your eyes were practically sparkling while looking around the store. before you could walk away, as you seemed so entranced with cat shaped notepads, he immediately grabs a basket before following you from behind.
"hey, don't forget about me." he calls for you, basket in hand.
"oh wait, we forgot to grab a basket!" you turn back to look at him already raising his hand that held the basket. "i got you," he grinned.
your hands reach out for your bag that was hanging on his shoulder and grabbed the list given to you by your club president. as much as you wanted to tour around the store for your own interests, you have a task to complete before doing so.
while scanning the list for what you need, riwoo moved close to you. leaning his head over your shoulders to see the list for himself. you feel his chest brush against your back and his breath behind your ear, making you shiver at the close proximity. before your mind could drift away to thoughts you weren't ready to have, you start walking towards the filing supplies.
riwoo, though puzzled by you suddenly walking away from him yet again, picks up his speed to catch up to you, "will you please stop wandering off without me?" the store was a lot more packed than he had expected, he didn't want to lose you in the crowd. however, you couldn't help yourself from wandering off, simply too excited and too nervous to stay close to him.
"hmm...sungho didn't specify the size of the folders in his list," you scan the paper in your hand. riwoo, once again moving to stand close behind you. "what size should we-" your words are cut off at the feeling of riwoo's hands brushing and hovering on your lower back as a person walked behind you. your brain short circuits for a moment and you somehow forget how to speak.
"sorry, what were you saying?" he asks. hands still hovering behind you.
"uh- sungho. folder." damn it. you curse yourself in your head. thankfully, riwoo is too concerned over people bumping against you to notice your stuttering. he does it again, leaning over your shoulder but with his hand hovering on your lower back.
oh, god.
you feel his breath on your cheek now. warming them up, or maybe it's warmth from your face blushing the longer he stayed close, practically pressed against you.
"let's just get both sizes to be sure." his lips faintly brush against your cheekbones as he spoke. making your cheeks even warmer. honestly, your whole face was heating up now. your chest wasn't any better. it felt like you were having a heart attack. it was beating in an abnormal way.
with a gulp, you nodded your head to agree with him, unable to trust yourself that you can talk without stuttering out a weird sound instead of an actual word. hurriedly, you grab the folders in front of you before, yet again, wandering off, to riwoo's disappointment. he sighs before jogging to catch up to you.
this time, you try to go through the list as quickly as possible. moving to different sections before riwoo could even breathe in the same spot as you. this gets him really frustrated. but you don't even notice the way he looked at you with furrowed eyebrows out of both concern and frustration. you can't even look at him now. not without your heart beat racing and blood rushing to your head. it was dangerous and very, very bad for your health.
riwoo almost gets a heart attack when he sees you almost tripping on a basket on the floor and bumping a stranger. tightly clutching the basket on his hand, he maneuvers his way towards you. he sighs in relief, now finally being able to stand next to you. "how many times do i have to tell you to stop wandering off by yourself? seriously, the place is packed, what if you had actually tripped back there?" he spits out rapidly upon reaching you. but it seems as though you were not even listening to his worries, "yn, are you listening to me?"
"can you grab those highlighters up there?" you ask him. completely ignoring his nagging. riwoo simply sighs before putting down the basket in his hand. another person coincidentally walks by the same time he tried to walk past behind you, making the space for him smaller. instinctively, he brushes a hand around your waist before reaching up for the highlighters you asked for. fingertips hovering right above your waist.
the sensation gave you goosebumps. and you felt dizzy from the blood rushing straight to your head. oh dear, you felt like you were about to pass out.
he lets go of your waist and sets down the highlighters in the basket, "what else is on the list?"
"uh...i think that's all," surprisingly, you manage to let out real words after that. but your legs betray you when they wobbled when you both started walking to the cashier. yet again, riwoo's hands are back on your waist. this time, a firm grip instead of hovering. now your face reddens out of embarrassment.
"you okay?" he asks, concern etched all over his features.
riwoo's hand never let go of your waist, even while you stood in line at the cashier. sometimes he would mindlessly squeeze them lightly and caress down to your hip before going back to rest on your waist. even until you were paying for the supplies. his other hand effortlessly grabbed his phone from his pocket to scan for the payment while keeping the other attached to your waist.
and when you both got out of the store, he never let go. not like you wanted him to anyway.
and its not like he wanted to let you go too.
he liked having you close. feeling your presence and your body, right on his fingertips.
©️ tobiotaesan
do not repost or translate without permission !
HEYYY i missed you so bad wadehek
LILIIIII MY BB HIIIIII I MISSED U TOO HRUUUU
.｡.:*☆ home is where the heart is - boynextdoor.
⋆｡°✩ pairing platonic!friend group!bnd x gn!reader wc 0.678k tw none genre fluff, uni au, nostalgic i think, the tiniest hint of angst if you squint.
⋆˚꩜｡author's note hihi everyone long time no see! the past semester was lowk kind of tough so i didnt have time for writing... anyway hopefully i'll get back into it soon lol. anyway it's still may 30th where i live so happy 3rd anniversary to boynextdoor!!!!!! i'm so so grateful to call this group my favorite <3 this fic isn't like my other ones, it's inspired by the film essay for their upcoming cb and my own thoughts about what it means to define home as a uni student. not proofread at all lol but enjoy and happy reading <3
⋆˙⟡ synopsis when so much is changing around you, what does it mean to call a place home?
⋆⭒˚.⋆ reblogs + feedback very much appreciated! ^^
you let the door swing closed behind you, shivering as a cold gust hits your skin. goosebumps rise across your arms, and you rub your hands together for warmth as you make your way over to the edge of the rooftop of your apartment building.
tonight is the last time you’ll see this view.
you gaze out over the glimmering skyline of your college town, the buildings and houses bright in the dark night that envelops the rest of the world. tomorrow you leave for your home, leave your roommates and your friends and the places you’ve come to inhabit over the past year for a summer back where you grew up. and come the next year, you won’t be back - you’re moving to a new apartment, one that’s closer to campus but not nearly as generous with the view.
so here you are. braving the cold night one last time.
you sigh, resting your forearms against the railing. the metal is cold, and you wince as the sensation bites into your skin - but it’s not nearly as painful as the lump in your throat, and for the life of you, you can’t figure out why. it’s not as if you’ll never see your roommates again. it’s not as if you’re going to leave forerver. so why does everything feel like its slipping through your fingers, and you can’t hold on?
you’re leaving home.
a new message buzzes on your phone, and you pull it out of your pocket, the white glare of the screen lighting up your field of view. it’s a new message from woonhak, in your group chat with your college friends.
hakathon: have a good summer guys! when you’re all home lets keep talking lol
you’re going home.
the place where you grew up somehow doesn’t feel like home anymore. not anymore, when you’re living life on your own terms. now that you have the freedom and independance to live as you please, take the classes you wanted to, spend time with whomever you like for as long as you wanted to.
wooriwoo: yeah!! myungjae: leehanie you better be checking the gc fr wooriwoo: and yn dont forget to send us a tour of your new apt wooriwoo: you should do a before and after of when you first move in and later when it’s all decorated and like home lol giant mountain: oh yeah that would be cool
you smile to yourself.
home.
a barren apartment turning into your safe space. what a concept.
in truth, though, hasn’t it always been like that? you take a space and make it your own. over and over and over again.
what is home?
perhaps home was your bedroom in your parents’ house that would remain a time capsule of someone you once used to be. perhaps home was the many library tables you’d spent hours studying at. perhaps home was your bunk bed in an apartment that was never going to be forever and yet is at the same time.
you pause.
no.
no matter the amount of decorations you put up, your apartment hadn’t started to feel like home until you’d been sharing it with people you could call friends.
what is home?
home is the people you share these places with. friends, family. friends who become family. it’s only because of them that these places hold meaning to you. they’ve been there long before you were born, and will still be there long after you pass through. it’s arbitrary to call them yours, and yet they are. perhaps places like those belong to everyone who ever smiles or cries in them.
you exhale slowly, watching the stars twinkle in the sky above you. somehow, you feel as through you can breathe a bit easier.
you: wait i’ll do that lol you: also jae is right leehanie please check the gc park sungho: bro he’s literally too busy starinf at his fish we’re never going to see him again
you laugh to yourself.
home is the people you share your life with.
⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚ want to check out the planetarium's other exhibits?
٠ ࣪⭑ © starriniqhts 2026, all rights reserved.
ur cuter !!
aylin, what do you think about the oppression women face in the workforce
this but its workplace inequities
you’re definitely something. ꨄ.. ⠀⠀myung jaehyun x gn! reader. spider-man au. part one / part two.
sypnosis: in between late night texts and museum visits, myung jaehyun gains a feeling he doesn't have the words for just yet. (wc 10.4k) a/n: THIS IS A PREQUEL. also there might be a pt. 2.... okay anyways congrats spidermyung for the second place finish. i predicted you'd win but not even spider powers could stop hydrogen bomb woonhak.
“[y/n]! it’s been way too long!”
15-year-old blonde extraordinaire, girl-next-door, little miss perfect gayeon sim nearly loses her balance trying to tackle you in a bone-crushing hug.
"okay - i missed you too, now let me breathe!”
gayeon detaches from you and beams.
“but surely this sign isn’t for me?”
you point at the cardboard sign she’s holding, WELCOME HOME LOSER written in thick marker across the sign.
“no - it’s definitely for you,” she grins, looping her arm around your’s, "it’s been way too long!”
“three years,” you sigh wistfully, letting gayeon drag you by the arm.
"can’t believe you left me back here!”
"sorry, gifted kids programme. you know it was too good to pass up,” you quirk, "besides, i left you at home - not prison. i was totally stranded in the middle of nowhere.”
gayeon regards you with a quick side eye, "i think you’ve changed, yn, really.”
"good way or bad way?”
"good way!” gayeon gasps, "like - you’re seem really, what’s the word… grounded! confident! um - stuff like that!”
"way to boost my ego,” you grin, dragging your suitcase behind you, "so, what’s up with you? how’s - you know - him.”
"y/n!” she gasps before looking around, as if anyone in the airport was awake enough to care about a silly schoolyard crush, "there’s nothing!”
you grin, "really? so what was all that he’s so cute texts about?”
gayeon blushes, "i mean… h - he is cute! he’s in my chemistry and maths class and - god, he’s so cute. he’s the student council president, you know? leads the economics & business club, captain of the soccer team, won poetry competitions, volunteers at the community centre -”
"gayeon, breathe.”
"- and he’s just so nice to everyone!” gayeon barrels on like she didn’t hear you, “like - genuinely nice. one time, i dropped all my books and he helped pick it up for me. and then he smiled at me and i swear i forgot how to function for like five minutes straight.”
"isn’t that just something anyone would do?”
"no! i mean - you just don’t get it!”
"i don’t. you’re down bad.”
"i know!” gayeon wails, "and he doesn’t even know i exist! okay, he probably does. he talks to me in class. but - he's one of those people who somehow knows everyone's name and asks how your day is going and actually listens to the answer. it's kinda infuriating how perfect he is.”
"nobody’s perfect, gayeon,” you muse.
"myung jaehyun is!” she protests, "the entire school has a crush on him!”
"right…”
"last week he stayed after school to help the janitor clean up after someone pulled a prank in the cafeteria. nobody asked him to do that! he’s just so -”
"- perfect?”
"exactly! it’s been a year since he transferred here and i'm still trying to work up the courage to actually have a real conversation with him that doesn't involve me stammering like an idiot.”
"a whole year’s gone by and you haven’t even talked to him?”
"okay, listen - i have talked to him. just not, like, talked talked. you know?”
"not sure i do.”
"you'll understand when you see him,” gayeon says sagely, "he’s amazing. j - just don’t fall in love with him, okay? you’ll ruin my chances.”
"okay, gayeon,” you laugh at her sincerity, “i’m sure he’s lovely.”
"he is,” gayeon sighs lovingly, "he really is.”
gayeon’s mom picks you both up, and the drive back to your house under the sunrise is filled with more stories - some new to you, some old ones you’ve heard about over text before, 60% of which seem to orbit around this jaehyun guy in some way or the other.
by the time you get home, you feel like you already know him. perfect student. perfect smile. perfect grades. perfect personality. helps old ladies cross the street and probably rescues kittens from trees in his spare time. knows how to bake a mean banana bread and says thank you when getting off the bus.
some guy this is, myung jaehyun.
“look - dinosaur kid is back,” someone snickers to your right.
“they think they’re so cool just because they spent three years in egypt or something,” someone else whispers.
gayeon bristles on your behalf, “isn’t it amazing your passion got acknowledged by the literal national museum?”
she loudly proclaims as she side eyes your classmates, “some people don’t even get the chance, but they sure do like to talk anyways.”
you catch gayeon’s arm before she can continue rattling off, "it’s fine, gayeon, just leave it.”
"it’s not fine,” she grumbles, helping you unpack your textbooks into your locker, "madison is just jealous because the only thing she’s passionate about is making other people feel bad.”
"gayeon -”
"no, seriously! you got accepted into this super cool program and all people can talk about are dinosaurs and - like - jurassic park! like, do they even know you were studying paleontology with actual professionals?”
"it’s just important that i know,” you say grimly, trying to wedge your english textbook in between the wall of your locker and the chemistry textbook.
"but -”
"- it’s the first day of school,” you say firmly, "i’d rather be stressed out about remembering where all the classrooms are than what other people have to say about me.”
gayeon huffs but relents, steering you toward the main building with a firm grip, “fine. but if she says anything else, i'm not holding back.”
the hallway are cram packed with students reuniting after summer break. some of them familiar, some faces completely new to you. gayeon keeps an iron grip on your arm, pulling you down the hallway with relentless speed.
"’cuse me, people,” she mutters through gritted teeth, "coming through - oh my god!”
gayeon screeches to a halt and you look up from the floor at gayeon’s sudden outburst, "what?”
"there -” gayeon breathes out slowly.
in a scene that’s almost ridiculous, the crowd in front of you parts, revealing a cluster of students coming down the stairwell. in the middle is a boy with dark hair and an easy smile, laughing at something someone said. he's wearing the standard uniform - white shirt, navy blazer, tie slightly loosened in a way that screams ‘it looks like i just threw it on, but actually i spent a few minutes in the mirror making sure it looks good’. when he laughs, his whole face lights up, eyes crinkling at the corners.
"that’s him!” gayeon whispers harshly, "that’s jaehyun.”
right.
as if sensing he’s being watched, jaehyun’s eyes scan the hallway and land directly on you and gayeon.
"oh my god,” gayeon whispers, "he’s looking our way!”
he raises up a hand in a wave, breaking off from his group as he turns in your direction -
and promptly falls flat on his face.
the entire hallway gasps as jaehyun crashes to the ground, his books and papers flying into the air as he lands with a loud thud. his copy of pride and prejudice slides across the floor and hits the side of your shoe as the rest of his books and papers scatter.
you swear the entire hallway is afraid to breathe.
“sorry! i’m such a klutz!” jaehyun yells out faster than you can blink as he jumps up from the floor, dusting off his trousers and laughing.
the entire hallway giggles uncertainly alongside him, exchanging glances until jaehyun reassures the crowd around him that’s he’s fine. eventually, the crowd thins out as they disappear and file away into classrooms, still looking back over at the seemingly infallible student council president who somehow face planted onto the floor.
you stare down at the book by your foot, then back up at jaehyun, who is still frantically trying to pick up his scattered papers while still maintaining that easy-going smile, but you can see the red creeping up his neck, his hands shaking as he shoved loose sheets into his folder.
“your book,” you bend down to pick it up.
jaehyun looks up, and you can see his brown eyes widen in embarrassment.
“i - yeah - just,” he scrambles to his feet, “i wasn’t looking and my shoelace was untied and -”
“are you okay?” you interrupt him, handing him his book.
“oh,” jaehyun breathes out, “i - i’m fine.”
“that’s good,” you point at your cheek, “you have a bit of dust here.”
jaehyun’s face explodes into a rose as he quickly swipes at his cheek with the back of his hand, “did i get it?”
you stifle a giggle, “yeah.”
beside you, gayeon has completely frozen, but she finally finds her voice and snaps back to reality, “h - hi, jaehyun!”
“oh! gayeon!” jaehyun’s entire face brightens, red fading slightly, “how was your summer? did you end up going to that science camp thing you mentioned?”
“you remember that?” gayeon squeaks.
“yeah, you seemed really excited about it,” jaehyun shoves pride and prejudice into his backpack with finality and zips it shut, “how was it?”
“it was good!” gayeon rushes out, almost too quickly, “we - we did biochemistry! chemistry and stuff like that!”
“sounds cool, you should tell me about it during class,” he smiles, “you’re [y/n], right? the one who got scouted for the leading youths in palaeontology course?”
“you know who i am?” you’re slightly taken aback.
“yeah! read about you in the school newsletter.”
you laugh incredulously, “you read the school newsletter?”
“i’m the student council president,” he shrugs, “i have to keep up with stuff.”
you look at him - really look at him now that he’s not as red as a tomato. he really does have that wide-eyed, puppy-eyed look gayeon gushed about over text.
“you’re definitely something, myung jaehyun.”
jaehyun tilts his head, “what’s that supposed to mean?”
“ask me again sometime,” you just smile.
“w - what?” jaehyun stutters, “when?”
you raise an eyebrow at him as you literally pick gayeon’s jaw off the floor. the bell tolls the start of your first period back at school and it’s your turn to pull gayeon down the hallway. you can hear jaehyun scoff to himself behind you as you disappear down the hallway.
“i’ll hold you to that!” he yells after you.
english is probably your least favourite subject.
you sit at the back of the classroom, content at staying out of sight of mr. kim’s whiteboard dictations and spending the entire class reading about deep sea animals instead of a literary analysis of ozymandias.
“you’re supposed to be analysing the poetic devices employed instead of looking at fossils from the crustaceous period,” someone whispers into your ears, and you jump when your eyes meet with jaehyun’s bright ones.
“it’s boring,” you whisper back as you scrunch back into your seat.
“did you know that ophiodon ozymandias is an extinct species of lingcod? it’s named after this very poem.”
you squint at jaehyun’s screen, “are you reading the list of organisms named after works of fiction wikipedia page?”
“i - um… no!” jaehyun quickly closes his tab and angles his laptop away from you, pouting.
“do you even know what a lingcod is?”
jaehyun chews on the inside of his cheek, “uh.”
“it’s a type of fish,” you go back to annotating your fossils, “it still exists, you know? ophiodon ozymandias is a larger species, identified through fossils from the late miocene. and by the way, it isn’t the crustaceous period, its the permian period.”
“i only understood, like, half of that,” jaehyun deflates.
“well, that’s not too bad. most people understand zero,” you say back.
“you’re good at this.”
you freeze, “well, it’s not like i’m good at anything else. like literary analysis? and i’m barely passing maths.”
“is that such a bad thing?,” jaehyun tilts his head, “it’s pretty cool that you’re so… passionate about it, you know?”
“myung jaehyun, are you making fun of me?”
jaehyun recoils in shock, “huh? what? of - of course not! i - i was giving you a compliment!”
you laugh, “relax. focus on your work, okay?”
"you’re making it really hard for me to focus,“ jaehyun grumbles as he pokes at the keys of his laptop.
“why did you sit here then?” you tease.
“it was the only seat left!”
“no, it definitely wasn’t,” you side eye him.
“well… as student council president, it is a part of my duty to make sure all the new students get settled in!”
“but i’m not new.”
“… you’re new to me!”
"why do you even care so much?“
jaehyun doesn’t answer, and when you peer at him through your peripheral, you see him with his cheeks puffed out, head buried into his notebook. you can’t help but laugh, but when jaehyun whips his head around to look at you accusingly, you’ve already returned to doodling ammonites in the margin of your textbook.
you’re busy reading the plaque under the statue of the founder of the museum when jaehyun slips away.
"bathroom break,“ you hear him announce to the rest of the field trip group as he jogs away.
ten minutes later, he comes back, bending down and placing his hands on his knees as he heaves.
"h - hey! where is everyone?“
you look up from scrutinising the narrative on the history of the city and shrug, "i think they moved on to the arctic exploration section.“
you check his pale face and his heavy breathing.
"are you okay?“
"i - i’m fine,“ jaehyun wipes the sweat from his forehead, "just got lost trying to find my way back and ran around like a headless chicken for, like, ten minutes. what are you looking at?”
“the founder,” you turn back to his statue, “apparently it took him thirty years to build the museum, and he donated his entire collection to it.”
jaehyun shuffles over to stand closer to you. the hallway is empty, there’s plenty of space, yet you let him press into your bubble.
“thirty years,” he repeats, scanning the plaque.
“he was twenty-five when he started,” you summarise, “spent every penny trying to build something that resembled a collection. his entire family thought he was crazy.”
“do you think he did the right thing?”
you look around you, at the high walls and bright lights and people milling about. the fossils, artifacts, and writing on things that existed for far longer than thirty years. a person’s stubborn love for something immortalised forever.
“i think he probably knew what he wanted to do with his life, and then did it.”
jaehyun looks at you instead of the plaque.
“did you know - what you wanted to do with your life?”
“yes,” you answer immediately, “since i was eight.”
“how?”
you look at him briefly, “i was over at my mom’s. she brought me to a natural history museum. there was a triceratops skull in the main hall and i just stood in front of it. i got scared - this idea of something so… enormous existed, and then didn’t anymore. and the only reason we knew is because we found the evidence and someone cared enough to preserve it. i got so excited about the prospect of exploring the unknown. what other things are out there that we don’t know about because nobody cared enough to look?”
jaehyun is quiet for a moment, like he’s ruminating and actually thinking over your words.
“i’m jealous of your dinosaurs,” he eventually says.
“they’re dead, myung jaehyun, not much to be jealous of.”
“i mean - it must be nice to have… something you want to do with your life,” he looks down at his scuffed loafers.
“hey, if gayeon’s right about what she says about you, you’ve got that too. student council president, poet, athlete. she went on and on about it.”
jaehyun laughs humorlessly, leaning against the base of the founder’s statue, “that’s different. it’s like running a race just because everyone’s cheering for you. sometimes, i don’t know if i’m running towards something or just running because i don’t know how to stop.”
you look at him, brown hair falling into his eyes as he stares at the floor. he looks like a puppy left out in the rain rather than the all perfect student council president you’ve heard about.
you reach out and flick the name tag pinned to the lapel of his blazer, “you’ll find it eventually. something to live for, a mission to go by. there’s no rush to this type of stuff.”
jaehyun groans and buries his face in his hands, “how are you so good at this type of stuff?”
“sitting in a dirt hole gave me a lot of time to think about myself,” you say gravely, “but don’t tell my supervisor. i wasn’t supposed to be distracted when sweeping.”
jaehyun laughs, straightening up as he fixes his collar and name tag.
“come on, we should go catch up. mr. kim is going to count heads soon.”
by the time you make it back to the main group, they’re discussing the big bang.
gayeon took one look at jaehyun’s face and immediately grabbed your arm after he melts back into his usual friend group.
“i told you not to get technical about the classifications of organisms!”
“i did no such thing,” you say in mock offence, “i don’t just speak about dead things, gayeon.”
“then why does jaehyun look like he’s about to throw up?”
“how would i know?” you shrug out of her grip, “maybe he had a really bad time in the toilets here.”
“ew,” gayeon recoils at the mental image, “yeah - um. let’s not talk about that anymore.”
you watch jaehyun reintegrate into the group, sliding in easily as he laughs at something one of his friends whisper into his ear.
whatever that was back there, you could not tell gayeon.
unknown heyy you who’s this? unknown its jaehyun unknown sorry i got your phone no from the gc myung jaehyun is that okay? you thats fine myung jaehyun :D myung jaehyun i had fun talking to you today
people say myung jaehyun has his mother’s eyes - bright, wide, always warm. aunt miran showed him a picture of her once - all he thought was… it’s nice to have a name to the face.
he hissed as his shoulder tweaked the wrong way.
for a week now, myung jaehyun has been spider-man.
someone asked him in class once: why do you keep doing the things you do? after he tidied up the entire classroom by himself when nobody asked.
when i can do something, but i don’t, and then bad things happen, they happen because of me. he said, like it was the most normal thing in the world. that was something i learnt a long time ago.
that’s why he keeps on running - not stopping - because if he has the power to do thing, why doesn’t he?
“i - i’m fine, everything’s fine,” he says through the mask at the police officer, pushing him away.
the bus driver he pulled out is still blubbering, the police are calming down the passengers. no one’s hurt, everyone is safe - hell, even the bus is intact.
but still, everything’s decidedly not fine, and jaehyun knows that better than anyone else.
get out before they notice - before they figure out the new superhero in town is some wimpy 16 year old in a handmade costume who hasn’t had dinner yet. jaehyun shoots out a web from his web shooters and swing away before anyone can stop him, the shaking in his arms screaming at him to slow down even though he won’t.
he eventually crashes into the side of the building, only his new spider-like reflexes and stickiness stopping him from plummeting twelve stories down. instead, he flips over the edge and tumbles into a generator, scaring the pigeons away with his stumbles as he tears off the mask and breathes heavily.
the entire world is shaking before his eyes, the spider emblem across his chest pressing down into him, making it hard to breathe. jaehyun heaves, falling to the floor as he clutches at his chest. he knows what this feeling is - panic. cold, hard fear pressing down into his bones and seizing his limbs like some kind of bind that he can’t get out of.
breathe, jaehyun. in, and out. he repeats to himself in his hand, still shaking as his vision blurs.
his phone buzzes and for a moment his heart stops beating, seized by some sort of panic and fear - what if it’s another news report about how much he fucked up? but what if it’s a citizen looking for help? what if -
he fumbles in his pocket for the phone, nearly dropping it when he pulls it out.
instead of some obtuse news headline or a series of s.o.s. messages, it’s just a name that flashes across his screen.
y/n l/n hey y/n l/n i know it’s late but i’ve been thinking about what you said last week - about the dinosaurs
jaehyun’s fingers are drifting aimlessly across the screen with how much they’re shaking, but he focuses on the three dots - the bubble that keeps drifting up lazily as you type. he manages to fumble back a response.
myung jaehyun what about it? y/n l/n well, you said that you felt like you running for really no reason right? myung jaehyun i remember y/n l/n and like y/n l/n most dinosaurs didn’t choose to be dinosaurs y/n l/n like a t-rex didn’t just wake up and decided to eat other dinosaurs y/n l/n it just did what it had to to survive y/n l/n ate when it was hungry, protected its territory, lived its life y/n l/n no grand purpose y/n l/n just existing and doing what felt right y/n l/n what im saying is that dinosaurs also didn’t know what they were doing y/n l/n so maybe we don’t always have to have everything figured out
jaehyun settles against the generator, watching your messages float up one after the other.
myung jaehyun but what if we do the wrong thing? y/n l/n dinosaurs literally went extinct and we’re still making movies about them and build museums for them y/n l/n they arguably did like the most wrong thing to do wrong y/n l/n okay not EXACTLY but you get what i mean? y/n l/n failures not the end all be all myung jaehyun the dinosaurs literally went extinct and all died tho y/n l/n hey y/n l/n some of them turned into birds! y/n l/n thats what we do - adapt and evolve to the situation when it calls for it myung jaehyun so myung jaehyun when things go wrong, become bird? y/n l/n thats one way to put it y/n l/n the dinosaurs just kept going - even if it meant being in a different identity. different face. different shape.
jaehyun looks out into the city, it’s lights blinking below him as the air tousles his hair. he takes a deep breath in before typing in a response.
myung jaehyun you sure? y/n l/n trust me. myung jaehyun i think i really needed to hear that tonight y/n l/n rough night? myung jaehyun yeah y/n l/n wanna talk about it? myung jaehyun not really y/n l/n fair y/n l/n i’ll be here y/n l/n in whatever shape 🐧
jaehyun stares at the last message for a long time before he finally cracks something that resembles a smile.
myung jaehyun yeah myung jaehyun me too
you’re loading up your tray with fries as gayeon rambles your ear off.
“did you see? spider-man saved that bus full of people!”
“i saw. i watch the news,” you say, poking around for the perfect apple to finish your lunch assortment.
gayeon carts you off to a lunch table, still yapping about the red and blue clad superhero from tv. you try to balance your fruit juice boxes on your tray as you weave through the crowd.
jaehyun hears you before he sees you.
your indignant hey! cuts through the chatter of the cafeteria, and jaehyun jumps into action before he can think, a hand shooting out to grab the lunch tray and another reaching out to cut a fall. apples, a bowl of pasta, and a milk carton flies into the air and jaehyun manages to catch them all in the green plastic tray in a show of superhuman speed. the entire cafeteria falls silent.
“woah, that’s crazy,” gayeon breathes from where she is in his arms.
“gayeon! are you okay?” you hurry over, lunch tray and fries abandoned as you whirl onto madison, “hey! what the hell are you doing?”
“tripped the wrong nerd,” madison snickers as gayeon leaps out of jaehyun’s arms in a blushing mess, finally aware of what exactly she landed in.
gayeon watches as your eyes narrow and you get that expression that could strip paint off a wall.
“wait!” gayeon grabs your arm in a panic, “d - don’t give her any attention.”
you scoff as madison and her posse drifts away, already bored. you seethe, fists clenching and unclenching at your side.
jaehyun is still holding gayeon’s lunch tray.
“um, here,” he offers it back, “everything’s still on it. except the milk - didn’t catch that one.”
gayeon takes it from him, avoiding eye contact and rather staring at the perfectly balanced bowl of pasta and rescued apples.
“how did you even -”
“lucky catch,” jaehyun says easily.
“that was way more than a lucky catch,” you turn back from glaring at madison’s retreating figure and look at the tray.
“i play a lot of sports,” jaehyun says breezily.
you make that sound that you make whenever you don’t really believe something but can’t be bothered to think about it enough.
gayeon’s still stuttering through her next sentence when you tell jaehyun to sit with you two.
“um,” jaehyun looks back at his usual table - loud even without him, “sure. why not?”
you’ve killed gayeon.
she’s probably mentally shut down by now, staring intensely at the edge of her tray as she dutifully eats through her bowl of pasta without a peep. jaehyun, however, has stolen one of your fries without asking, and you had to smack his hand away two times after.
“so,” you ask through a mouthful of fries, “you two doing anything next week at the fair?”
gayeon chokes on her milk, “like - together?”
you shrug, “together, alone, separate or not so separate. heard the ferris wheel is nice at night.”
you wink at gayeon as jaehyun stumbles through his sentence.
“i - well, i wasn’t - maybe - uh,” jaehyun stops and starts like a record player glitching out, “the fair.”
“yeah, the fair,” you confirm, stabbing your straw into your juice box.
"i think my aunt’s helping to run the ring toss - for the charity,“ jaehyun mumbles, "and i promised i would help, so…“
"wow, that’s perfect! gayeon loves ring toss!“ you clap your hands together.
"i do?“ gayeon questions unhelpfully.
"yeah! we were just discussing ring toss strategy a few nights ago, remember?“
"uh, yeah!“ gayeon’s never been a good liar - her entire face flushes red.
jaehyun raises an eyebrow, “well, um, if you two want to drop by, i’ll probably be free after six”
"oh, we definitely will,“ you chuckle.
"cool,“ jaehyun grins, "see you there.“
"thanks a lot, miss subtle,“ gayeon kicks your foot under the table as jaehyun walks away, lunch tray in hand, "we totally scared him away!"
"hey, i just scored you a date!“ you steal an untouched fry off gayeon’s plate, "you should be thanking me!“
"what if it goes to crap?“ gayeon frets, putting her head into her hands.
"then we’ll buy some cotton candy and go on the bumper cars, no big deal,“ you shrug as you finish off the rest of your juice box.
"very big deal,“ gayeon groans.
"hey, where’s gayeon?“ you’re sporting the world’s ugliest hat and a ice pop dangles in between your teeth as jaehyun walks over, still in his bright red and yellow fair uniform.
"oh,“ he double takes as you turn around, "uh, nice.. hat?“
"i won it from the hammer,“ you point behind you and flex your arms, "guess i’m stronger than i look!“
jaehyun laughs, “really? you’re going to have to show me then. speaking of - like, do you want to -”
"y/n! jaehyun!“ gayeon's yells interrupt him, running up to you and clutching your arm as she huffs, “sorry, am i late?”
“nope,” you pop the p, “jaehyun just got off shift, right?”
“uh, yeah,” jaehyun looks pointedly at you, “but i was thinking -”
“so, ferris wheel?” you interrupt, linking your arm with gayeon and steering the two of them towards the main attraction.
“uh, um,” gayeon says almost breathlessly, “why not?”
“amazing,” you shove the two of them into the line, “i’m scared of heights, meet you later!”
somehow - you manage to slink away before either of them can protest, your outrageous glowing hat bobbing away until it melts into the crowds.
gayeon kicks the floor awkwardly with her shoes.
"they’re lying, by the way,” gayeon mumbles, "they aren’t scared of heights at all.”
"oh, really?” jaehyun is reading the safety instructions like it’s the most interesting thing in the world, "i didn’t know that about them.“
"yeah,” gayeon bites her lip, "they aren’t scared of much, really. i’ve been trying to find something for years.”
"i could tell, they never seemed to be freaked about about anything,” jaehyun mumbles as the line inches forward ever so slowly, the ferris wheel an infinite cog of people and couples that sneak kisses at the top.
“yeah, total opposite of me,” gayeon sighs, “they’re totally… what’s that? the eye of the storm?”
“the anchor to your ship?” jaehyun offers.
“yeah, that,” gayeon groans, “i’ve never seen them scared! it’s like they don’t even know how to feel fear!”
"a - anyways,” gayeon coughs loudly while looking down at her shoes, “do you want to share a gondola? or something?”
"huh? i - i guess,” jaehyun coughs through the sentence, "listen, gayeon, i -”
a scream interrupts him, shriek rippling through the line as people immediately whip their heads around at the sound.
something groans and splinters - the rollercoaster! someone yells, another person shrieks about the sandman and jaehyun’s brain immediately flips into spider-man mode.
"j - jaehyun?” gayeon squeaks, gripping onto the sleeve of his jacket, "what’s going on?”
"just stay put,” jaehyun absentmindedly says, pulling his jacket out of her grip and pushing against the crowd towards the rollercoaster, "i need to go.”
"go?” gayeon’s voice rises, "where? jaehyun? where are you going?”
but jaehyun is already tuning her out, wading through the throngs of people and running towards the storm of chaos.
spider-man lands on the roof of a nearby building. people continue to scream and scatter as the wind picks up, flinging sand into the air and creating a haze that jaehyun has to squint to see through.
i need to get to the people, he thinks to himself, hopping onto the next roof over.
the rollercoaster groans again, the screech of metal against metal drawing spider-man’s attention. he pinpoints the people stuck in the cars at the top, frozen in place precariously as the rollercoaster sways like a tree in the wind.
"okay, everyone stay calm!” he yells as he swings, landing softly on the rollercoaster. ripping up the safety bars was like ripping paper at this point, and he offers a hand to a panicked mother and son to help them out of the car.
the boy cries as the rollercoaster trembles under their feet, falling to his knees in terror.
“woah, buddy, be careful!” jaehyun catches him, pulling him back up to his feet.
sandman emerges from the cloud of dust, his massive form towering over the fairgrounds.
"spider-boy," he growls, his voice like grinding stone, "always showing up where you're not wanted.”
"yeah, well, you're kind of ruining date night for everyone," jaehyun snips, his voice far too light for the way his heart hammers away in his chest, "mind taking this somewhere else?”
he shoots a web at the rollercoaster’s support beam and prays to whatever entity is listening to just give him a chance.
"spider-man, help me!” a young girl pushes at her restraint, fear evident in her voice.
jaehyun whips his head between the girl and sandman, carefully crawling towards her as he keeps the sandy storm in his peripheral.
"i’m gonna get you down, okay? i just need -”
“you just need a hand,” someone finishes for him, voice carrying over the wind.
from seemingly nowhere, a pair of figures rise from the metal bars of the rollercoaster.
"i’ve got you,” one of them - a girl - says, stepping forward and wrapping an arm around the young girl and somehow pulling her out of the car without even touching the restraints, her body melting into the vehicle like an object through an illusion before popping out the other side.
"i’ve secured civilians,” the other - a boy armed with a tablet and a sense of authority that makes jaehyun’s skin prickle - speaks, a finger pressed to the earpiece in his ear.
he nods to the girl, "get them down.”
her face contorts into something unreadable before she nods, taking the hands of the civilians and melting through the floor like solidity was a suggestion instead of reality.
jaehyun stares at the boy - and at the spot where the girl melted through the floor. he was probably around his age, his face partially obscured by a visor. the girl and him were wearing the same uniform - yellow spandex with an obnoxious red x across their belt. what was this - some type of child military unit?
sandman hisses, "x-men! i thought i killed you mutants all the way back then!”
"you made an attempt,” the boy says calmly, tapping away on his tablet, "it constituted barely a scratch.”
“you said you wanted a hand? i’ll give you a hand!” sandman raises a giant, sandy fist, intent on crushing both jaehyun and the boy. jaehyun flips away in an instant, his spider-sense setting off alarm bells in his nerves.
"what are you doing? move!” he yells at the boy, who stays rooted on the beam, staring defiantly at sandman.
the fist doesn’t land. instead, just as his fist is an inch away from crushing the boy, sandman disappears into a cloud of dust, leaving behind what sounds like a slurp and a pop. jaehyun blinks, the sand around him settling onto his suit like a second layer. the boy simply sighs and dusts off his clothes, not moving an inch from his place on the groaning coaster track.
"hey! what the hell was that?” jaehyun yells. the boy ignores him like he was just another howl in the wind.
"no, i have this under control,” the boy utters into his earpiece as he taps away on his tablet, back turned deliberately to jaehyun, "no need to send sakura.”
finally, he regards jaehyun - "spider-man.”
his voice is clipped, professional, like he’s at some kind of board meeting instead of a fight with a giant man made out of sand. jaehyun feels weirdly scrutinised.
"uh, yeah, hi. that’s me. that’s for the assist and all, but i had it under control -”
"you were going to be squashed like a bug,” the boy replies, "if we didn’t help, the support beam would’ve snapped. three casualties. you injured with a broken arm. we teleported him in time."
jaehyun raises an eyebrow - though he probably couldn’t see under his spider-man mask, "you’re really confident talking about something that didn’t happen.”
"i saw it,” he says, like its the most simple thing in the world before pressing a finger to his earpiece again, "phase - status?”
the girl from before materialises from the floor, slightly of breath, "all evacuated. ground team has them.”
the boy nods, fingers flying across his tablet, "good.”
"woah woah woah,” jaehyun holds out an arm, "who the hell are you guys?”
"x-men,” the girl says simply, “this is our part of town.”
"how come i’ve never heard of you guys?”
the boy shrugs, "unlike some people, we don’t do backflips on social media for attention.”
"wow, that one stung,” jaehyun mock winces, "i guess not much happens around here.”
the boy ignores him pointedly, speaking into his earpiece again, “rendezvous at point b, we’re pulling back.”
"pulling back?” jaehyun splutters, "while sandman is - uh - he’s still out there, right?”
"he’s near the log ride,” the boy raises an eyebrow, "you understand right?”
"i mean - yeah. water. but -”
"in two minutes and forty six seconds,” the boy begins, "you will rupture the water pipes and stop sandman.”
"what are you -”
"saw it,” the boy says impatiently, "now go. you’re wasting time.”
phase tilts her head, a grin playing on her lips, "can you do a flip?”
"not the time,” the boy warns, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it, "time to go, spider-man. try not to kill sandman with your cringe kitty litter comment.”
jaehyun groans and swings away as screams erupt from the direction of the log flume.
“professor. bugboy is handling it. we’re clear to extract,” he hears the boy murmur over his earpiece.
“bugboy,” jaehyun scoffs to himself, “very creative.”
but jaehyun doesn't have time to think about it more. sandman is terrorising the fair, and spider-man has water pipes to rupture.
it’s only after - after the police has arrived and captured sandman, and after the news vans, and after jaehyun swung into a dark corner of the fair and stripped off his costume - does he remember.
“shit, gayeon,” he curses, pulling his phone out of his pocket. fifteen missed calls from gayeon light up his screen.
he wades through the crowd, pressing his phone to his ear as another call from gayeon comes through.
“jaehyun!” gayeon more or less yells into the receiver, “where the hell are you?”
“uhh,” jaehyun looks around, “near the photobooths!”
“okay, okay, good,” jaehyun hears shuffling from her end, “i’m here! turn around!”
jaehyun whips around to see gayeon, mouth set into a thin line as she storms up to him.
“you left me!”
“i know - gayeon, i’m sorry -”
“sorry doesn’t cut it! i could’ve died! what type of person just ups and leaves a girl alone while a super villain is attacking?”
“gayeon - please. it was important, i had to go -”
“what was so important, jaehyun? tell me!” gayeon demands in frustration, stepping into his space and forcing him up against the side of the photobooth behind them.
“i - it’s complicated,” jaehyun tries again, pushing himself back into the wall.
“then uncomplicate it!”
“gayeon -”
“no!” gayeon’s voice cracks, and she takes a sharp breath, “i was scared, okay? i didn’t know where you went, i couldn’t find [y/n], i was completely alone while sandman was literally throwing people around and you just disappeared.”
“i know. i know. i’m sorry -”
“quit saying sorry and explain already!”
jaehyun inhales.
the fair is still buzzing with a particular post-disaster energy. news crews setting up, police taking statements, people pointing in the sky recounting what they saw.
jaehyun exhales.
“okay, but you have to promise me something.”
he pulls back the curtain of the photo booth and steps inside, “and i can’t let other people hear.”
“uh,” gayeon stares at him from the outside, “jaehyun, you’re freaking me out.”
“just - hear me out to the end. before you say anything.”
gayeon searches his face.
“fine,” she says, accepting the hand he offers as he pulls her into the booth and let the curtains swish close.
“now what,” gayeon crosses her arms.
jaehyun reaches into the front pocket of his jeans. pulls out something crumpled that’s red and blue and tucked hastily behind his phone. he presses it into her hands.
gayeon looks down.
“i’m spider-man. surprise!” jaehyun says weakly, his mask dangling from gayeon’s fingers.
gayeon looks at the mask, then back up at him, then back down at the mask.
“this isn’t funny,” she says flatly.
“no - i’m telling the truth! look - i can shoot webs and stuff,” he curls his middle and ring finger to press onto the button on his wrists, a jet of webbing shoots out and covers the camera of the booth.
gayeon gasps scandalously.
“you’re - you’re spider-man?”
“please don’t yell -”
“you’re spider-man!” gayeon’s voice goes up by about three octaves, “you - you? you’re spider-man?”
“gayeon, not so loud!”
“oh my god,” gayeon slaps a hand over her mouth, eyes wide, “the bus! last week! that was you -”
“yes.”
“and the house that was on fire -”
“also me.”
“and the bridge -”
“still me.”
“jaehyun!” gayeon grabs the front of his shirt with both fists, the mask still clutched in one hand, “why didn’t you say anything?”
“what was i supposed to say? hey, i’m spider-man?”
“that’s not - that’s -” gayeon sighs, “that’s why you ran towards the rollercoaster!”
“yeah - i… i had to.”
the fair churns out outside the booth.
“does anyone else know?’ gayeon says quietly, releasing her grip on his shirt.
“no,” jaehyun says, gently taking his mask out of her hands and stuffing it back in his pocket, “just you.”
“damn,” gayeon lets out a breath, “not even [y/n]?”
jaehyun pauses, “where are they?”
gayeon lights up like a switch, “wait - yeah! that’s why i was so panicked! i’ve been calling them since forever and their phone kept going to voicemail and i couldn’t find them and -”
jaehyun feels something in his stomach drop.
“where did you last see them?” he pulls out his own phone.
gayeon gestures at the phone, “they sai]d they were going to check out the haunted house last time i heard.”
“okay. let’s go,” jaehyun is already moving, whipping open the curtain as gayeon scrambles to keep up with him.
“jaehyun?” she says, half-jogging beside him.
“yeah?” he says, looking up over the crowd to see if he can spot you.
“thanks for telling me. even if i had to find out this way. we'll talk about this later. but first -”
“first,” jaehyun agrees, “[y/n].”
they find you twenty minutes later, sitting outside the medical tent with a new hat - a bedazzled cowboy hat - perched lopsided on your head and a square bandage over your left knee, your shattered phone in your lap. you look deeply unbothered - unbothered enough to still have a red solo cup in your hands, half full with a mysterious neon green liquid.
“the haunted house was crazy,” you say as a greeting, jaehyun and gayeon out of breath.
“what the hell is wrong with you?” gayeon all but launches herself at you, shaking you by the shoulders, “we’ve been looking around for you for ages!”
“phone died,” you hold it up, the cracks of your screen looking like fireworks, “some guy bumped into me, i dropped it, and it went under someone’s foot. i’m fine, by the way.”
“um, you call that fine?” gayeon gestures at your knee.
“i told you, the haunted house was crazy,” you say gravely, “are you two okay?”
“i’m fine,” gayeon bites her lip, “and jaehyun…”
the two of them look each other other, a beat of understanding exchanged.
you grin, “looks like the two of you are doing great.”
jaehyun chokes as gayeon flushes, “not what you’re thinking of!”
“sure, sure,” you hold out a hand, “now pull me up.”
“make sure she gets home safe!” gayeon calls, pushing her grinning mother back into the house behind her.
“i will!” jaehyun replies dutifully, giving her a mock salute as the two of you step down the porch.
the walk back is quieter than you’re used to.
jaehyun keeps pace with you easily, hands shoved into the pockets of his jacket as the two of you navigate post-sandman streets - faint sirens, news helicopters hissing overhead, a cluster of teenagers recounting animatedly about the encounter between the x-men, sandman, and spider-man.
“i have to admit, i was pretty scared,” you break the silence, kicking a rock down the street. it skitters loudly.
“really?” jaehyun raises an eyebrow, “you looked pretty not-scared. gayeon said you weren’t scared of anything.”
you laugh, “of course i’m scared of some things. just - less things than most people. it’s hard not to be spooked when you come out of a haunted house with a bleeding knee and everyone is screaming.”
jaehyun stares at the bandage across your knee, “so you really got that in the haunted house?”
“i tripped over a fake skeleton,” you wince, “and i’d rather not revisit that. thank you.”
jaehyun stares, then bursts into laughter.
“hey!” you say, slightly miffed, “i have a complicated relationship with bones, okay!”
your defense only seems to make him double over even more.
“you done?” you frown when jaehyun finally straightens up, wiping at his eyes with his knuckles.
jaehyun looks up at you, then dissolves into giggles again.
“okay, okay,” jaehyun holds up a hand, still half wheezing, “i’m done, i promise.”
you cross your arms, “really?”
“okay, not really,” jaehyun grins.
you shove him by the shoulder and keep walking. he laughs, unperturbed as he quickens up to step up next to you.
“i’m glad you’re okay,” jaehyun says, once the last of the laughter settles out of his voice.
“i had a bandage, a new hat, and a mysterious green drink within ten minutes,” you say, “i was always going to be fine.”
“you know what i mean.”
you look over at him.
“i know,” you say, softer, “i’m fine. are you?”
jaehyun pauses, the glow of the street lamps bathing his face in a honey gold.
“i think so,” he eventually says, “i am.”
you tilt your head at him, “sure?”
jaehyun chews on his bottom lip, “you really know how to make a guy question himself.”
you smile mysteriously, “one of my many talents.”
“i’m sure.”
“remember,” you stop in front of your apartment building, “the dinosaurs made it. sixty-six million years of doing freak all. not knowing if they’re doing okay, but living anyways.”
you tilt your ridiculous bedazzled cowboy hat at him, “and some of them turned into birds.”
jaehyun stands on the pavement and looks at you.
“get home safe,” you say, disappearing behind the front door before he can find the words to respond to you.
jaehyun stares until the door swings shut with a rattle.
above him, a helicopter cuts through the sky - the clouds trailing after it.
jaehyun is walking down the hallway when a hand suddenly darts out, clasping around his wrist and pulling him into a nearby classroom.
jaehyun reacts immediately, pulling himself out of their grip and backing up into the door in a fighting stance.
“calm down, it’s just me!” gayeon holds up her hands in surrender and jaehyun deflates into relaxation.
“gayeon? is something wrong?”
“give me your web-shooters,” gayeon holds out her hand expectantly.
jaehyun’s grip on his backpack straps tightens, “w - why?”
“i want to take a look!” gayeon explains exasperatedly, “let me give them a look over!”
“i -” jaehyun shrinks into himself, suddenly shy, “okay, but - but you have to promise to be nice about them! i made them myself!”
“just give them over already!”
jaehyun cautiously pulls up the sleeves of his cardigan, and gayeon immediately latches onto the watch-like device strapped down to his forearm.
“hmm, not bad for a home project,” she mumbles, more to herself than him, “could be optimised into a sleeker design. i’ve seen you hold up stuff like buses with these synthetic webs - so the tensile strength is acceptable for your current needs. i could up the strength of these - add a little co2, if it’s possible. faster swings, more impact…”
a finger on jaehyun’s hand twitches and gayeon jumps back like she’s been electrocuted.
“ugh, sorry. i was totally rambling, right?”
“it’s fine,” jaehyun pulls down his web-shooters, pushing the trigger pad to the middle of his palm, “i usually do it like this.”
he aims it out the classroom and a thin strand of web shoots across the desks and chairs, sailing gracefully out the window.
“okay,” gayeon says carefully, stepping forward again, “have you thought about other modes? like - a web grenade, or - or a multishot!”
“uh,” jaehyun scratches his cheek, “not - not really. didn’t really think that was neccessary yet.”
“okay - that’s fine!” gayeon says breathlessly, hands flying as she explains, “and - and i could streamline the design so you don’t have to wear long sleeves all the time and stuff and -”
“gayeon,” jaehyun interrupts, “i appreciate the help - really, but that’s where it has to end. i don’t want you more involved than this.”
“h - huh?” gayeon stops, hands stilling in front of her, “what do you mean?”
“it’s just that -” jaehyun picks his words carefully, “it’s dangerous. you knowing my identity is already dangerous. so don’t go around being my guy - uh, girl-in-the-chair.”
“oh,” gayeon’s face falls slightly, “i - i mean, if that’s what you want! i know being spider-man is seriously tough and all, don’t wanna make it harder for you and i know you didn’t ask ask me for help! and -”
jaehyun pinches her sleeve, “gayeon. it’s okay. i’m just happy i get to share this with someone. it’s nice having someone to talk to.”
“yeah,” gayeon says nervously, chewing on the inside of her cheek, “i’m glad you trust me.”
silence. then her phone beeps with the ringtone jaehyun has come to associate with you.
“crap, [y/n],” gayeon pulls out her phone, frowning.
“i’ll tell her i have chemistry club stuff and work on these -” she holds up his web-shooters, “over lunch.”
“you sure? you still have to eat, you know?” jaehyun frowns.
“i’ll buy a sandwich or something next period,” gayeon waves him away, “now go - genius takes time and solitude - as someone smart probably said once.”
jaehyun finds you at your usual lunch table, stirring the ice in your drink with your straw absentmindedly while you watch something on your phone.
“you okay?”
you raise your gaze up at jaehyun at his question.
“i’m okay,” you say, “just stressed.”
“yeah?” jaehyun tilts his head, “about?”
you purse your lips, “i don’t need any help.”
“i’m not saying you do,” jaehyun catches on quickly, “but i just want you to know you can talk to me, you know? like how i talk to you.”
you stare at him.
"seriously. i'm fine."
"but -"
jaehyun is cut off by your phone vibrating furiously on your desk, and for the first time since he met you, jaehyun sees something akin to doubt flash across your face.
"i - i have to get this," you say quickly.
you pick up on the fifth ring, nearly dropping the phone before you haphazardly press it to your ear.
"hello? dad? yeah - i heard about mom coming over. no - i didn't know... i don't know. no - i'm fine by myself. seriously, you don't need to come, and i know you don't want to either. okay, sorry. i'll call you back, i'm about to head to class."
the bell to go to class doesn't ring for another 20 minutes, but you press the end call button frantically and slam the phone facedown on the table with finality.
"it's fine," you mumble, your face falling into your hands, and jaehyun isn't sure if you're talking to him or yourself, "everything's fine."
jaehyun swears the temperature dropped the moment you picked up that phone.
what should he say?
'are you okay?' - you just said i'm fine like five times.
'is your mom coming over?' - way too direct and touchy.
'my parents are dead -' ugh, what are you thinking, myung jaehyun?
instead, he quietly places his own phone on the table, face down next to yours.
a moment of silence later, you finally crack.
"what are you doing?" you mumble stiffly, peeking up from your palms.
jaehyun shrugs and just sits, watching you twitch in your seat, looking at the back of your phones like it’s some kind of electronic gravestone.
“i hate it,” you finally whisper, “i hate how i still crave for my mom’s attention like i’m some kid.”
you stare at your hands, “they divorced years ago. mom packed up and left, and dad ended up sending me to a three year long program for weirdos obsessed with dead things and now it seems like he’s more used to be not being around than me being around.”
the cafeteria continues to churn around you like you didn’t just spill your heart out to a guy you’ve known for half a year.
“sorry,” you eventually say, “i didn’t mean to dump all that on you.”
jaehyun doesn’t say anything.
you look up and he’s looking at you - not with pity or sadness - but with that same look that you’ve seen before: when you’re reading the founder’s plaque; when you saw that triceratops skull for the first time; when his eyes first met yours on that stupid hallway floor.
“it’s not stupid,” he eventually says, softly, “you’re just human. things don’t just… stop because they hurt.”
he thrums his fingers against the table, “but that’s the thing - isn’t it? you’re human - you have the ability to do whatever you want. we can’t really… change how people look at us, just how we look at ourselves.”
he reaches over to gently flip over his phone, face up like it means something. you can see your reflection in the darkness of the screen and you’re frowning.
“besides, you’re not doing it alone. i’ll tell you how awesome you are everyday - gayeon probably does already - until you think so too.”
you lean back in your seat, and watch jaehyun fiddle with his phone until he looks up, his brown eyes catching in the sunlight and turning gold.
“when did you get so wise?” you joke quietly, watching a light pink dust across his nose.
“you must be rubbing off on me,” he says softly.
the cafeteria continues to churn, and you continue to stare at jaehyun.
then, the bell actually rings.
you lean forward to pull your phone off the table, pocketing it quickly before shooting a small smile at jaehyun.
“thanks. i’ll… think about what you said.”
you take off before jaehyun can reply - with the same commitment and speed you throw into everything else.
jaehyun swears he’s not trying to be a creep, but sticking to the side of your apartment building (that he only happened memorised from the last time he walked you home) isn’t exactly helping his case right now.
he’s trying to be a good friend, he reasons to himself as he crawls across the brick, trying to locate your apartment, he’s just making sure you’re doing okay.
he locates your flat through the glint of the sequins of your bedazzled cowboy hat, reflecting the light of the street lamps in a series of bright flashes. against his better judgement, he navigates around the window, pivoting until he’s peeking over the top of your window and down into your room.
jaehyun has never seen your apartment, but he never would’ve guessed that it would look something like this - a man cave with plaid and leather and a mountain of energy drinks and cans of beer in the corner. the ridiculous hats, collection of rolled up boy band posters, and stack of books tucked under the window is the only proof you lived here.
‘he’s more used to be not being around than me being around.’ your voice echoes in his mind. your father - he assumes - is sprawled out on the sofa while, looking done at the woman shaking her finger at him. he can hear bits and pieces of the argument - about how you were responsible for the safety of our child and you don’t get to call them your child after you abandoned them.
but where the hell were you?
jaehyun crawls around the corner - nothing, not even a wisp of your hair and a glimpse of your shadow.
okay, think - they could be anywhere. in that coffee shop they like, or their second trip to the museum this week, or maybe even gayeon’s house.
jaehyun ends up flipping over the ledge of the roof, pacing back and forth as he contemplates which direction of the neighbourhood he should jump in, and whether he should test that funny communicator gayeon fixed into his suit yesterday and ask if she’s seen you -
“spider-man?”
jaehyun whips his head around at the sound.
“uh,” he backs up like a dog cornered as you emerge from behind the door to the stairs, “hey there, citizen!”
you regard him suspiciously, and jaehyun wonders if you could see his expression under the mask, “what are you doing here?”
“j - just making my usual rounds,” jaehyun frantically looks around and points at a pigeon that’s perched on the ledge, “there’s been super villain who i suspect has been using pigeons as a form of communication!”
you scrutinise the pigeon, who chirps like it’s personally offended by jaehyun’s baseless accusation.
“okay…” you say slowly, stepping closer.
“w - what are you doing up here?” jaehyun stutters as he backs himself into a corner, “it’s not safe.”
you shrug, “i… i just wanted to see the sky.”
you flop down onto the concrete with the grace of a disgruntled cat, legs splayed out as you stare out across to the sky. the wind tugs at your hair and the air smells faintly of cut grass and car exhaust. spider-man stands stock still a few meters away, but you can still feel him watching you through those big white cutouts on his mask.
jaehyun scratches his head, “there aren’t stars out yet, though?”
you hum thoughtfully, “better than becoming collateral damage in my divorced parent’s third argument of the night.”
“oh,” spider-man’s shoulders drop, “that sounds tough.”
“it is,” you pick at a seam on your shirt, “can’t do anything about it.”
“you seem like you handle messes well,” jaehyun says before he can stop himself.
you shoot him a smile, “you’ve been watching me, spider-man?”
“n - no!” jaehyun raises his hands and shakes them furiously, “i’m not a stalker, i swear!”
“sounds like something a stalker would say.”
“i’m spider-man!”
“okay, do a flip then.”
jaehyun lets out a frustrated groan.
“kidding,” you say, before shivering lightly, the night wind catching your hair in a way that blows it in your face. you huff as you pull your hair out of your eyes, and spider-man notices, moving his body to shield you from the icy onslaught.
“you should head inside soon,” he says gently as you wrestle with your hair, “it’s getting cold, and dark. even if your parents are still probably yelling.”
“yeah, probably,” you draw circles in the dust of the ground.
jaehyun offers you a hand and you stare up at him.
“you’re strange, spider-man,” you say as you accept it, letting him pull you up to your feet.
“is that a bad thing?”
you look at him - and for a moment jaehyun wonders if you’ve already figured out who’s behind the mask - he wouldn’t put it past you, you were one of the smartest people he knows.
you tilt your head and smiles, “not really.”
jaehyun doesn’t even realise he hasn’t let go of your hand until you clear your throat and gently pull it out of his grasp.
“sorry!” he squeaks, shooting straight up, his hand clasped behind his back, “i - i should go patrol - make sure sandman is still behind bars and things. are you going to be okay?”
“i always am,” you dust off your palms, “don’t get beat up too badly, spider-man.”
“i’ll let green goblin know you said that,” he grins under his mask, “have a good night, citizen!”
“you too, spidey.”
with a flick of his wrist, jaehyun launches into the air, swinging onto the next building and down an alleyway, disappearing into the night with a few graceful swings. he leaves you with web fluid still stuck to the pipes and the faint smell of whatever cologne spider-man was wearing under that suit and the fabric softer he uses to wash it.
“gross,” you mumble to yourself as you swipe a finger through his webs. it sticks to you and you fling it off, your face crinkling at the unpleasant sensation.
jaehyun thumbs hover over your chat - he’s fresh out of the shower after a night of patrol and standing like an idiot in the middle of the bathroom overthinking about a single text. he squeezes his eyes shut and stabs the send button before he can overthink himself into a stomach ache.
myung jaehyun: are you okay?
your reply comes quicker than he expected.
y/n l/n yeah y/n l/n i met spider-man tonight, isn’t that cool? y/n l/n what did you do?
jaehyun scratches his cheek, chewing on his next words.
myung jaehyun student council paperwork myung jaehyun booooring 👎 meeting spider-man is so much cooler y/n l/n sounds boring! y/n l/n idk, spider-man seemed kinda lame myung jaehyun ???? y/n l/n he kept stuttering and stuff y/n l/n you think he has a crush on me or something? love at first sight? 😄
jaehyun tilts his head. did spider-man have a crush on you?
wait - what the heck is he thinking? he’s spider-man, and he definitely doesn’t have a crush -
y/n l/n whatever, probably not y/n l/n only nerds like you and gayeon would like someone like me y/n l/n i’m going to bed, goodnight jaehyun!
jaehyun hastily types back a goodnight message before switching off his phone, looking up at the mirror. his face is flushed, red blooming across his nose and down to his cheeks - and it certainly isn’t due to the steam of the bathroom. heat crawls up his neck and he has the urge to throw his phone across the room and collapse into bed and never get up.
jaehyun’s eyes widen.
hell, spider-man probably did have a crush on you.
and he wouldn’t even blame the guy for having one.
woonhakie next <3
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.｡.:*☆ home is where the heart is - boynextdoor.
⋆｡°✩ pairing platonic!friend group!bnd x gn!reader wc 0.678k tw none genre fluff, uni au, nostalgic i think, the tiniest hint of angst if you squint.
⋆˚꩜｡author's note hihi everyone long time no see! the past semester was lowk kind of tough so i didnt have time for writing... anyway hopefully i'll get back into it soon lol. anyway it's still may 30th where i live so happy 3rd anniversary to boynextdoor!!!!!! i'm so so grateful to call this group my favorite <3 this fic isn't like my other ones, it's inspired by the film essay for their upcoming cb and my own thoughts about what it means to define home as a uni student. not proofread at all lol but enjoy and happy reading <3
⋆˙⟡ synopsis when so much is changing around you, what does it mean to call a place home?
⋆⭒˚.⋆ reblogs + feedback very much appreciated! ^^
you let the door swing closed behind you, shivering as a cold gust hits your skin. goosebumps rise across your arms, and you rub your hands together for warmth as you make your way over to the edge of the rooftop of your apartment building.
tonight is the last time you’ll see this view.
you gaze out over the glimmering skyline of your college town, the buildings and houses bright in the dark night that envelops the rest of the world. tomorrow you leave for your home, leave your roommates and your friends and the places you’ve come to inhabit over the past year for a summer back where you grew up. and come the next year, you won’t be back - you’re moving to a new apartment, one that’s closer to campus but not nearly as generous with the view.
so here you are. braving the cold night one last time.
you sigh, resting your forearms against the railing. the metal is cold, and you wince as the sensation bites into your skin - but it’s not nearly as painful as the lump in your throat, and for the life of you, you can’t figure out why. it’s not as if you’ll never see your roommates again. it’s not as if you’re going to leave forerver. so why does everything feel like its slipping through your fingers, and you can’t hold on?
you’re leaving home.
a new message buzzes on your phone, and you pull it out of your pocket, the white glare of the screen lighting up your field of view. it’s a new message from woonhak, in your group chat with your college friends.
hakathon: have a good summer guys! when you’re all home lets keep talking lol
you’re going home.
the place where you grew up somehow doesn’t feel like home anymore. not anymore, when you’re living life on your own terms. now that you have the freedom and independance to live as you please, take the classes you wanted to, spend time with whomever you like for as long as you wanted to.
wooriwoo: yeah!! myungjae: leehanie you better be checking the gc fr wooriwoo: and yn dont forget to send us a tour of your new apt wooriwoo: you should do a before and after of when you first move in and later when it’s all decorated and like home lol giant mountain: oh yeah that would be cool
you smile to yourself.
home.
a barren apartment turning into your safe space. what a concept.
in truth, though, hasn’t it always been like that? you take a space and make it your own. over and over and over again.
what is home?
perhaps home was your bedroom in your parents’ house that would remain a time capsule of someone you once used to be. perhaps home was the many library tables you’d spent hours studying at. perhaps home was your bunk bed in an apartment that was never going to be forever and yet is at the same time.
you pause.
no.
no matter the amount of decorations you put up, your apartment hadn’t started to feel like home until you’d been sharing it with people you could call friends.
what is home?
home is the people you share these places with. friends, family. friends who become family. it’s only because of them that these places hold meaning to you. they’ve been there long before you were born, and will still be there long after you pass through. it’s arbitrary to call them yours, and yet they are. perhaps places like those belong to everyone who ever smiles or cries in them.
you exhale slowly, watching the stars twinkle in the sky above you. somehow, you feel as through you can breathe a bit easier.
you: wait i’ll do that lol you: also jae is right leehanie please check the gc park sungho: bro he’s literally too busy starinf at his fish we’re never going to see him again
you laugh to yourself.
home is the people you share your life with.
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