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[sweetdejun]

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(jaafar jackson x fem! reader) henna-stained hearts: 1, 2, 3, 4

[sweetdejun]

henna-stained hearts (4)

last part

soundtrack for the dholki (a/n: totally optional, but if you want a more immersive experience, I'd recommend listening to this when the dholki happens: this is as close to what the real event sounds like in person!)

pairing: jaafar jackson x fem!reader, slow burn, right person-wrong time, wedding!au

summary: At her best friend's extravagant five-day Pakistani wedding, Y/N wasn't expecting to find a connection of her own. But when she meets Jaafar, an up-and-coming actor escaping the pressures of his everyday life, an unexpected friendship begins to bloom—until a hidden truth changes everything.

word count: 3.8k

Y/N was on a mission today: she needed to go to the shops in town and buy the matching earrings, bangles, and anything else she thought would work to complete the outfits for the wedding events. She didn’t know that there was an unofficial event at the house tonight, called a dholki, that Arzoo and her mother were hosting. This was where all the women of the bride’s family came together to celebrate the bride. Khala said that her outfit didn’t need to be as extravagant, and Arzoo said that she could just borrow one of her outfits that wasn’t packed up. Still, she needed to buy jewelry for the remaining events.

Arzoo offered to come along, but because Y/N knew the city like the back of her hand (particularly these areas, thanks to Arzoo), she told her to relax at home. Truthfully speaking, Y/N wanted to have this expedition alone because she knew that if Arzoo was with her, she would try to ask a little more about Jaafar. Arzoo had caught Y/N when they came home after yesterday’s event, asking about her conversation with Jaafar. When Y/N shrugged it off as fine, Arzoo nodded slowly with a sly grin on her face. Saad had told her about Jaafar before, as he’d only come up in conversations very briefly, and they met at the engagement too. From what she remembered about him, he was an interesting guy.

Y/N similarly grew curious about him since meeting him the night before. How did someone who grew up around people who practically lived in front of the spotlight for decades manage to blend seamlessly into a crowd of normal people? Perhaps that was the charm behind him, that he seemed incredibly humble from the moment they met. It didn’t help that Y/N was also unaware of today’s movie culture and found more comfort in rewatching her comfort shows like New Girl rather than keeping up with the upcoming films of the year. She only found out about new movies or TV shows through her subscriptions to streaming services. If she hadn’t at all known about Jaafar’s connection to the film industry, she would’ve assumed he had some other profession, like anyone else.

What shocked her the most was how easy it was to talk to him. The conversation ebbed and flowed naturally, moving from one topic to another without skipping a beat. Not only was he an eloquent speaker, but he was also taking the time to really listen to her, too. Y/N had known many people throughout her life, but only a select few who listened to her the same way. When she talked about work and Arzoo, she remembered his gaze intently on her, like he was trying to absorb every detail she gave him. It left Y/N a little breathless, but she had to control herself. She just met the guy yesterday. She needed to divert her attention. Hence why she was pulling up in the parking lot of a shopping center, alone.

Jaafar, on the other hand, was helping Saad with some last-minute things today. Since they had the whole day to check out the city and finish quick errands that Saad had to get done before the big events, Jaafar offered Saad a helping hand, which he gladly took. In a way, these mundane tasks helped Jaafar realize that this mental break away from Maddie is what he needed. Perhaps that was why today he was calm, even though tasks like this that waited till the last minute often stressed him out. Saad had it all under control. After taking the morning to explore Atlanta a bit more, Saad and Jaafar headed to an area that Saad could describe as ‘the Mecca of Pakistani wedding shopping’.

He needed to get some scarves and other accessories that he said matched his look for some of the ceremonies. Jaafar followed Saad around the store, occasionally stopping to admire the handiwork on some of the garments, or the array of colors very similar to what he’d seen in LA when he went shopping for clothes. Saad had managed to find only one of the things he needed at the store, and so when they walked out, Jaafar was turned away from the door, facing Saad, who stood behind him. He didn’t even see that there was someone walking into the store until it was too late.

Jaafar collided with a girl, sending a small plastic bag flying. The girl yelped, and Jaafar steadied her before he caught a glimpse of who he bumped into. It must’ve been fate playing a dirty trick on the two of them because he stood face to face with Y/N. Jaafar’s grasp on her shoulders tightened a second, and Y/N was scanning his face, recognition slowly dawning over her features. Wow, she thought, his skin is really clear, and his eyelashes are really long. He also has a small mole above his right eyebrow.

“Are you okay?” Jaafar said in a low tone. Snapping Y/N out of her thoughts, she doesn’t trust her voice because she’s lost in the scent of his cologne and the warmth of his hold, so she nods instead. The bag of jewelry, long forgotten by Y/N at this point, landed perfectly on the carpeted floor behind Jaafar, and Saad bent down to pick it up. “Y/N! Crazy seeing you here!” Saad’s voice broke the trance between Jaafar and Y/N; Jaafar cleared his throat and helped her stand up again, and the warmth of where his hands were on her shoulders disappeared, leaving a cold shiver to run down her spine.

“Hey guys, what are you doing here?” She hesitantly breaks her gaze from Jaafar and onto Saad, who hands her the bag back. “I needed to run some last-minute errands, Jaafar’s just accompanying me on this adventure. What about you?”

“I came here for jewelry shopping. I realized I didn’t buy anything to match my outfits, so I ditched Arzoo at the house and came here on my own.” Saad laughs at this, and for a second looks like he remembered something. “Y/N, have I introduced you to Jaafar?” Jaafar shook his head. “We met yesterday at the welcome dinner,” and looked quickly to Y/N, a friendly smile forming on his face.

Distracting herself from focusing too much on Jaafar, Y/N starts again, “Saad, did you find everything you needed? I’m about to head into another store since I have a feeling this place isn’t going to get me much,” she took a quick peek in the store and realized this place mainly had textiles and clothing items, she didn’t really see much of a jewelry variety here. Most places had a whole wall of bangles, earrings, and necklaces visible just from the entrance alone.

“Actually, there are a couple of other things I needed, but they don’t have them here,” Saad answered, and Y/N hummed in thought. “You know, there is one more place I was on my way to, maybe you guys could join me? I’m not sure exactly what you’re looking for, but I know this place is massive.” Saad didn’t see any harm in checking the place out… Jaafar, on the other hand, was treading lightly. Seeing as it was his friend who was shopping, not him, he decided to just stick to his goal and be Saad’s companion.

The three of them walked to the store together, Y/N walking in front of the two men. Saad’s chatting away with Jaafar, but Y/N’s mind lingers on the way Jaafar’s hands felt on her for a moment. You JUST met the guy, you need to relax, Y/N tells herself. Jaafar caught up for a second to get the door to the place, not waiting for Y/N to reach for the handle herself. What a gentleman, she thinks again. “Thank you,” she tells him, and he offers a polite nod and smile. Snap out of it, Y/N.

Jaafar gets dragged into a corner of the store with Saad, and Y/N makes a beeline to the opposite end of the store, following the wall of jewelry that she’d been looking for in every store she walked into. So far, she’d covered the bases for two of her outfits. She needed earrings for two more. The older lady behind the showcase sees her and smiles sweetly. “What can I do for you, young lady?” Y/N offered her a sincere smile. “I’m looking for earrings to match a few of my outfits. I brought the dupattas, since I was told that was the best way to find a matching earring.” Y/N pulled her tote bag forward to reveal the colorful scarves that were part of her outfits. She now only needed a pair to match a red, gold, and bronze outfit, and then one to match a powder blue one with silver accents. The lady stood straight like she knew exactly which ones to pick and went to her stash to find them.

While Jaafar wanted to see what Y/N was up to, he told himself to do what had been asked of him. Besides, if she wasn't right in front of him, maybe his thoughts would settle down for once. The last thing he needed was another reason to think about the state of things waiting for him back in California. Still, as Saad consulted the store workers on which style of turban suited him best, Jaafar managed to slip away. Roaming the aisles of the store, he spotted Y/N standing in the corner, holding one earring up to an ear and then swapping it for another.

Y/N stood with both options, asking the lady to help her choose between the two; it’s a stunning red and gold one on one side, and a gorgeous bronze and gold on the other. When the lady said, “Why not both?”, she realized that at the end of the day, this lady was trying to meet her sales quota. She only needs one of these pairs, she thought; she’s already planning to buy a second pair to match the blue situation. That was when Y/N spotted Jaafar out of the corner of her eye and quickly turned to him. She doesn’t think too hard before asking him, “Okay, I know you’re here with Saad, but really quick, which one should I get?”

Jaafar was caught off guard for a moment, partially embarrassed that he was caught lurking. He shuffled closer to her to get a better look at the two earrings, ignoring the way Y/N’s eyes search his face for any sign of approval, if that’s what it even was. After examining the two choices, he pointed to the gold and bronze one, “I like that one more,” he says, unknowingly, because it brings out the gold specks in her eyes. He would never admit it to himself or out loud, though. She gave him a small thanks and an appreciative smile, then turned back around and set that one to the side, “Alright, we’ll go with this one”. He stood watching the exchange when the lady said, “Great, sweetheart! Now for the second pair! I’m sure your boyfriend here can help with that one, too!”

Both Y/N and Jaafar went quiet, suddenly very aware of themselves. Before either of them could say anything, they heard a loud “JAAFAR! Come check this out!" All three of them flinch in surprise, and Y/N turns to see Jaafar scurry off, but not before giving her one last glance. “I’m coming!” He says, exasperated, quietly thanking the universe that he didn’t have to hear the rest of that. Y/N, on the other hand, bit her bottom lip to keep the small grin from forming; impossible, Y/N, you are impossible. Touch some grass.

“He’s just a friend, but please show me what you were thinking about the second pair!” In the next 10 minutes, Y/N finds stunning blue and silver earrings that came with a matching necklace. She takes it and quickly makes her purchase. Thanking the lady for her help, she secures the bag with the others, and the last thing Saad and Jaafar saw was Y/N disappearing through the storefront, a smile she couldn't quite suppress still lingering on her face.

Later that evening is when the dholki begins. There’s a drum, singing, and some very informal dancing. Y/N sat next to Arzoo almost the entire evening, feeding her dinner while she was getting her henna done, a grueling process that began almost 6 hours ago. The bride’s henna goes up from her fingertips to the crook of her elbows, on both the front and the back of her hands. Detailed handiwork that left Y/N and Arzoo staring in awe, that incorporated elements of Arzoo and Saad’s lives, along with an inscription of his name somewhere in the design. The family’s women sat in a large circle, playing the drum, laughing when someone messed up the lyrics to a song or sang with too high a pitch. The lady doing Arzoo’s henna had asked one of the girls she brought with her to do Y/N’s henna, too. It wasn’t going to be as intricate as Arzoo’s, but this gave Y/N and Arzoo the chance to sit together, and in the midst of the chaos unfolding around them, Arzoo finally had a shot to probe some more.

“So, a little birdy told me that he and his friend bumped into you today,” she squinted at her, that same knowing smile growing on her face. Y/N rolled her eyes, her heartbeat quickening at her best friend’s implication. “I need the details,” Arzoo urged, and Y/N said, “There’s nothing to tell. I just happened to see them when I went jewelry shopping. Then we happened to go to the same store together. It was all coincidental.”

“Jaafar’s really sweet, you know,” Arzoo tells her, eyes trained ahead at the design being drawn on her hands. Arzoo mentioned that Saad had known Jaafar for a while now and how she got to even briefly meet him at the engagement party. “He’s very nice,” Arzoo tells Y/N, “and humble. I had no clue he was part of the Jackson family, and I wouldn’t have known had Saad not told me. He’s very funny, too- he was cracking jokes at the engagement, and had everyone laughing in circles.” Y/N didn’t realize the smile that was growing on her face as she listened to Arzoo.

“He cares deeply for Saad, I can tell by the way they are with each other, and Saad does too. When he was filming, Saad would call and check on him all the time. And you wanna know something else? Jaafar also spent a week in Pakistan- or was it a week and a half? I don’t know, but he went to Pakistan with some of their other friends to explore the country, but also to raise awareness for children’s education.” Y/N nodded, and unbeknownst to her, committed this new information she’d learned about Jaafar to memory. “He seems very considerate. We didn’t talk much,” and at that, Arzoo scoffed. “You spent the latter half of yesterday with him, that’s ‘not much’?” Playfully nudging her teasing friend, Y/N giggled. “Okay, but still… he was very easy to talk to. Whatever conversation we had, he was genuinely part of the conversation, not zoning out or on his phone or something, you know? It was refreshing.” Arzoo leaned over and told the woman applying Y/N's henna something in Urdu. When Y/N asked what she'd said, Arzoo smirked.

"I just asked her to hide a letter in your henna. A 'J.'"

Y/N gasped. She knew exactly what that meant. It was a playful tradition, a way of teasing—or "manifesting"—someone into your life.

"Relax," Arzoo laughed. "It's just for fun. Besides, I wouldn't mind if something did come of it."

Y/N shook her head, cheeks warming as she looked down at the intricate design. Somewhere among the winding patterns, a tiny J was hidden. She found the hidden J late into the evening. After that, every time her eyes drifted down to her henna, they seemed to find it again.

Meanwhile, Jaafar sat in Saad’s hotel room, stuff scattered everywhere from their shopping spree earlier that day. “Okay, man, talk to me,” Saad broke the silence in the room- he’d noticed Jaafar had gone quieter after Saad made his purchases. “What do you mean?” Jaafar knew better than to play dumb with someone who had spoken to him so much these past few years, given that Saad was also someone who could read people well. “You’ve been quiet since we got back. What are you thinking about?” “Don’t worry about it.” Jaafar didn’t want to spoil the atmosphere of a wedding by talking about his problems. “I’m not one to push you, so if you don’t want to talk about it now, then that’s fine. I just want you to have a good time,” Saad left that hanging in the air between them for a bit. That’s all it took before the dam broke, and Jaafar let out a long sigh. “Ten years we’d spent together, Maddie and me. I wasn’t even planning on becoming a singer or an actor; I wanted to play pro golf, for Lord’s sake. She was the singer, if anything. We were just kids in love.”

Saad silently sat as Jaafar paced back and forth in the room, combing a hand through his curly locks. “When this opportunity came to me, for Michael, Maddie struggled to understand why acting suddenly became so important to me. Especially after years of never mentioning it, that this became a sudden ‘passion’ I never told her about. It wasn’t just an acting job for me; I was given the chance to present my uncle Michael in a very human way to the world. I didn’t even know it was something I’d enjoy, but I took it on as a challenge and somewhere along the way, fell in love with it.”

“I felt like proposing was the natural next step, since we had been together for so long. Then Michael happened; you know this, I spent endless hours in that house, singing, dancing, practicing everything.” Saad nodded, and Jaafar continued. “She tried to make up for lost time where she could, visiting on set, hanging around the practice and recording studios, and I saw it. I saw her effort, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to reciprocate that energy when I saw her.” He felt like a balloon popped with that, breathing a heavy sigh and sitting down. He can’t believe he’s admitted these feelings aloud.

“Things really took a turn for the worse during the second half of filming. I was rarely home, sometimes spending days at a time out of the house. Maddie’s patience grew thinner by the day- when I had the rare days to get out early to rest and recharge, I would come home to one-word responses to my questions, and longer ones had only to do with wedding planning. I can't blame her for being frustrated. I'd been gone more than I was home. But when I finally had the chance to breathe, I just... couldn't give her what she needed. That's why I didn't bring her with me. I needed a break, and I wanted to give her one too. It's the best I can do for her right now.”

Saad sat in silence for a bit; he didn’t know things had gotten to this point. Moreover, Jaafar was dealing with this on top of everything else… who knew how long he kept all of this inside for? “Thanks for listening, God, I’m sorry. I don’t want to ruin your wedding week with my shit,” Jaafar grumbled, his face in his palms. “Hey, you ruined nothing. You needed to let it out, and I’m glad you did before the wedding actually began. Now you can enjoy the wedding properly.” Saad moved over to Jaafar and sympathetically rubbed his friend’s back. They shared a few moments of comfortable silence again before Saad decided to change the topic.

“That’s so funny that we bumped into Y/N today. Crazy coincidence. I’m surprised she was able to get away from Arzoo; she loves shopping for these things.” Jaafar’s ears perked up at the sound of her name. “Y/N is Arzoo’s best friend, right?” Saad tells him it’s more than that. “She’s basically family to us,” he says as he starts to lay out the clothes needed for tomorrow’s events. Saad knows about Y/N’s history and how she became close with Arzoo. They were practically like sisters. He tells Jaafar how she and Arzoo were always very close, and that her move out of Atlanta made it very hard for her to attend the engagement. “I had the chance to talk to her a few times before the engagement, and I could tell at that point how much Arzoo meant to her, and even more importantly, how protective she was of her. Y/N fiercely loves the people in her life, and that was a quality I’d only seen in a small number of people.” Hearing that about Y/N brought a faint smile to Jaafar’s face; he’d had the opportunity to know only a couple of people like that in his life, and they were people he held near and dear to him.

Later that night, Jaafar heads back over to his room after helping Saad lay out whatever else he needed for tomorrow’s eventful day, and hops onto the bed. He pulls out his phone and begins scrolling on social media. His eyes find Saad’s story, which seemed to be a repost of him and Arzoo at the welcome dinner; the photographer uploaded shots of the night before. He swipes through the album, and his eyes freeze on a photo: one of him and Y/N standing by the coffee bar, laughing at something. Her eyes are closed, and her mouth is wide open, mid-laugh, while his eyes crinkle on the edges, hands in his pockets, yet he’s focused on her. His gaze falls on the tag, and when he taps the picture, Y/N's Instagram handle appears. His thumb hovered over it for a second before his eyes drifted back to her smile—carefree in the way only someone unaware they were being photographed could be. She was simply being herself at that moment. He tapped her profile, then pressed Follow, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

Back at Arzoo’s house, Y/N was getting things ready for the next day, laying out the jewelry when she got a ping on her phone: jaafarjackson started following you on Instagram. Her heart stuttered a moment, and her breath was caught in her lungs. Before she could overthink it, she hit Follow back and set her phone face down on the bedside table, biting her lip and trying to shake off the growing flutter in her stomach. Tomorrow was going to be interesting.

[sweetdejun]

henna-stained hearts (3)

last part, next part

pairing: jaafar jackson x fem!reader, slow burn, right person-wrong time, wedding!au

summary: At her best friend's extravagant five-day Pakistani wedding, Y/N wasn't expecting to find a connection of her own. But when she meets Jaafar, an up-and-coming actor escaping the pressures of his everyday life, an unexpected friendship begins to bloom—until a hidden truth changes everything.

word count: 4k

Once Y/N had turned her service back on, as people stood in the aisles of the plane, waiting their turn to leave, she laughed at the chain of texts she received from Arzoo:

​

Hey! We’re on the way now!

I’m so excited to see you!!

Sorry, needed to stop and get gas.

Mom said your outfits were gorg, btw! Can’t wait to see them!

Traffic is INSANE

Baba’s asking if we should pick up some dinner for us otw back, what are you thinking?

This music is making me sleepy, idk how he drives listening to this stuff.

Okay, we’re pulling up now, we’ll see you in a bit!

​

She got out of the plane, texting Arzoo ‘Just made it out of the plane, should be there shortly!’ She followed the crowds to the baggage claim areas, and as soon as she secured her luggage, she pushed the cart out to the waiting crowd. She didn’t have to wait to look around, because as soon as she walked through the pickup crowds, she heard her name being yelled in the crowd, “Y/N! OVER HERE!”

​

Following the sound of that voice, she located Arzoo’s dad, whom she called Khaloo, in the crowd. His tall stature over the groups of people ahead of him helped her find him more easily- he was waving his hand, trying to get her attention. Y/N smiled in his direction and pushed her cart towards him. She barely worked her way through the crowd when she was practically tackled to the ground by Arzoo. Wrapped tightly in a hug, Y/N reciprocated the action just as ferociously, if not harder. Khaloo affectionately joined the hug before helping Y/N with her bags all the way to the car. Y/N and Arzoo talked the whole way home, and she finally got to see the engagement ring in person. “It’s beautiful, Arzoo. I love it, it’s perfect.” The diamond reflected off the orange hues of the sky outside, and Arzoo smiled down, admiring the ring on her hand. “I still can’t believe it. I’m gonna be a wife.”

​

Y/N’s eyes shot up from the ring to Arzoo’s face, which carried a small wash of worry. “Hey, there’s nothing to stress about. Saad loves you with all his heart. Just remember that, and you guys can face anything.” Arzoo gave Y/N a soft smile and intertwined their hands. “I’m so happy you could be here for the wedding, Y/N. Seriously, I think I’m more excited about that than some of the events.” Y/N laughed, and Khaloo joined in, too.

​

He started asking Y/N about work, how Seattle was treating her, and if she was going out making friends. She knew where this conversation was going: was she seeing anyone? Over the course of the past couple of years that she’d established herself in Seattle, Y/N had a rough start when it came to making friends and dating. Coworkers were the easiest way for her to get to know like-minded people first, but everyone at work just ended up being friend material. There wasn’t anyone she’d find interesting enough to want to get to know more. Outside of work, she’d frequent coffee shops, bookstores, and yoga studios, and these places offered more friends. She eventually made it a goal to try to put herself out there: went to bars, comedy clubs, areas where she’d likely find someone that, at the very least, intrigued her. Unfortunately, the kind of attention she was getting, she wasn’t very receptive to it, nor did she feel anything for it.

​

She had tried dating apps, and there were a couple of dates that came out of those, but they’d mysteriously end up the same way: the guy would start talking about himself over dinner, she would be ‘polite’ and ask more, hoping in return he’d ask her questions about her personality (spoiler, they never did), and then towards the end of the date, they’d say something along the lines of “we may be better off as friends, but it was nice meeting you”. Then, she’d make her way home and forget the night even happened.

​

Arzoo knew the struggles of modern dating well because, before meeting Saad, she, too, had been in similar situations. She sympathized with Y/N, and that’s why she never insisted that Y/N do more than what she was doing: her best friend was a gem, and she had full confidence that sooner or later, there would be someone who was worthy of Y/N. Arzoo was happy that Y/N was living her best life because she had never been male-centered to begin with. Still, a part of Arzoo hoped Y/N would find someone—not because she needed a relationship, but because she deserved the happiness and love that came with the right person.

“Don’t pester her, Baba!” Arzoo stopped her father before he went further in his interrogation.

​

“She’s come to Atlanta to enjoy the wedding! I was gonna say she’s here to relax, too, but let’s be real, babe. I’m gonna need your help a lot throughout the next few days.”

​

Y/N laughed, silently relieved that Arzoo’s interruption happened, because she didn’t want to talk about that aloud. At least, not to Khaloo. “Of course! I’m here to help! It’s not every day your best friend gets married!” The trio carried on to other conversations on their journey back to the house, the sun disappearing into the horizon and painting the sky with stars.

​

When Jaafar landed not too far behind Y/N, he checked his phone. Maddie hadn’t called him, and there were no texts from her either. And Jaafar? He felt oddly at peace with it. That was the unsettling part. This was the woman he had planned to spend the rest of his life with, so why did her silence leave him calm instead of disappointed?

​

He did, however, receive a text from Saad. Just a singular text, not too long ago, saying, ‘let me know when you’re here, I can steal someone’s car and come get you.’

‘Thanks for offering, don’t worry about it, I’ll Uber. See you at the hotel in 20?’ Saad was the last person who needed to worry about how Jaafar was gonna get to the hotel, but that was the kind of considerate person he was. That was the foundation of their friendship and why they stayed in touch with each other, involving one another in each other’s lives for so long. Saad knew better than to fight Jaafar on this, so when he just responded with ‘FINE. I’ll wait for you in the lobby.’ Jaafar laughed.

​

The Uber ride there, Jaafar was leaning his head back against the headrest of the backseat. Closing his eyes, he was trying to clear his head of all the things back in LA. He was here on vacation; he was not here to think about work, his wedding, or anything in between that would cause him to not be present and in the moment. He’d done far too much to push himself into overdrive for the movie, and coming home drained every night for months did a number on his mental state. He was going to treat this trip like a wedding guest and have as much fun as he could. Before long, the Uber stopped in front of the hotel, and Jaafar opened his eyes, blinking to adjust to the sudden light change.

​

Grabbing his bags, he heads inside to check in, and as promised, Saad stands up at his arrival, wrapping his arms around his friend. Jaafar chuckles, patting his back. “Jaafar! Hope your flight was good, thanks so much for coming, man!”

“It’s good to be here, Saad. Thanks for having me. The flight was good.” Leaning out to look at the Uber, Saad’s eyebrows raise, “Where’s Maddie? Is she taking a later flight?” Jaafar stiffens at the mention of her name, but doesn’t allow it to affect his voice, “She was busy.” Saad nods, “Ah, that’s too bad. Tell her we will miss her.”

​

Saad reaches for Jaafar’s bags before he can comprehend it, and lets out a sound of disapproval as he tries to reach back for them. “You’re my guest, the least I can do is help you take these up to your room.”

​

After catching up for a few minutes as they went to Jaafar’s hotel room, Saad dropped his stuff in and told him that the first event was tomorrow and to rest up during the day. “What is the first event, and do I need to wear anything special?” Jaafar confirmed with Saad as he walked him out to the door. Saad shook his head, “It’s just a welcome dinner my parents and Arzoo’s are hosting for the friends and family that are here for the wedding. You just need to wear something that you’d wear to any nice dinner. I’m sure these past few months working with stylists have taught you something,” he teased Jaafar.

​

“Hey, I was always stylish,” Jaafar defends, and Saad nods playfully. “Of course, man. Those striped shirts and fedoras were the hottest fashion choices of the time,” and the two of them laughed, the only sound in the quiet hallway of the hotel. “Alright, Jaafar, I’m gonna let you rest up for the night. I’ll see you tomorrow, and again, thanks for coming.”

Jaafar gave his friend a brief one-armed hug, patting his back. “I appreciate the invitation, Saad. This week’s gonna be fun!”

​

The next day, Y/N is helping Arzoo pack up the remainder of her belongings. After a matter of two more days, Arzoo will be moving out of her home to a new home, a space she will be starting to live in with Saad. This was very common in Pakistani culture; the couple didn’t live together until after marriage. The two of them had been apartment hunting since their engagement, and once they found the perfect one for them, Saad quickly put down a deposit, and the move-in date was a week ago. Slowly, the pair had been gathering bits and pieces of themselves from their respective homes, packing them in boxes, and moving them into their new shared space. Arzoo, of course, had been starting with the essentials first, but as Y/N dug through her box-filled room, she realized just how much stuff Arzoo had been holding on to for the sake of memories.

​

It’s almost a little bittersweet for Y/N- here she is, collecting all of Arzoo’s art projects from high school and putting them into a box (“I’m going to have a dedicated wall for my works, and then someone’s gonna visit me and offer to buy them off of me,” she claimed). The memories of her working on these projects late into the afternoon flood back into Y/N’s mind. How she would go to the art room after her last class and find Arzoo, diligently blending away and focused hard on the drawings in front of her. She’d grab a seat adjacent to Arzoo and talk about her day, and Arzoo would react with a laugh, a scrunched nose, or a snarky comment. Packing away these memories that were a core part of Arzoo’s growth, she didn’t realize that she’d also made memories associated with these seemingly normal items.

​

“Y/N?” She heard, snapping her out of her thoughts. “Hmm?”

​

“I was asking if you were done with the box. Are you good?” Arzoo looked up at her from the box labeled ‘books and shelf stuff’, with several books in her arms.

​

“Oh! Yeah, I’m fine. Was just thinking about something,” Y/N shook her head. Arzoo wanted to know what her best friend was thinking, but she’d find the right time to have that conversation with her. The hours passed, and finally, after a bigger dent was made in the packing and moving, it was time to get ready for the welcome dinner.

​

Arzoo was decked out in a white and gold long-sleeved dress. Heavy embroidery and crystals shone on the dress, shimmering with every inch of movement. She pinned her long black hair back with silver pins, her wavy locks moving in perfect harmony. She looked beyond elegant, in a way that everyone knew that she was the bride.

​

Y/N had a dress that she wore to a coworker’s birthday party, and it was instantly one of her favorite articles of clothing. She rarely pulled it out anymore, but given the chance tonight, she knew it was the only choice. It was a short-sleeved midi dress, a burgundy satin dress that was pleated. It hugged her torso effortlessly and flared out at her hips. She wore her hair back in a neat bun and fiddled with the necklace she wore every day: a gold chain with a small emerald, a keepsake from her mother.

​

“You look stunning, Y/N! That dress is everything!” Arzoo saw her best friend at the top of the stairs, standing below while her parents took pictures with her. “We have to get a photo of the two of us together!” Y/N smiled and cascaded down the steps to meet her best friend. They stood close, arms around each other, and smiled brightly for the camera, and they stood the same way, in the same spot, for other captured moments in their lives: prom, high school, and then college graduations, and the day Y/N moved out of Atlanta. “Beautiful girls, as always,” Khala gushed, blinking back tears.

​

“Mom! You can’t cry already, we haven’t even gone through the first event yet!” Arzoo exclaimed, laughter overtaking the room.

Once everyone reached the venue, a beautiful outdoor patio with string lights and a gentle breeze blowing in the air, the family dispersed into doing different tasks: Arzoo’s parents began greeting Saad’s family and their own guests, Arzoo and Saad found each other in the front, seated on a loveseat overlooking the crowd, and Y/N caught up with some of her old friends. Eventually, Y/N made her way over to Arzoo and Saad, whom she’d met for the first time in person. “It’s great to finally meet, Saad!” Saad politely smiled, eyes crinkling at the edges, while Arzoo watched the two of them with a grin of her own.

​

“Y/N! I hope your flight wasn't too uncomfortable. Seattle’s a long way!” Y/N shook her head, and they began just talking. Y/N playfully mentioned to him that now that they have met in person, she could share some of the embarrassing memories she has of Arzoo from high school and college, earning a ‘HEY!’ and a nudge to the shoulder from Arzoo. All laughing in a circle, Y/N carried on talking with them, failing to recognize that across the patio, in a different conversation with some of Saad’s friends, Jaafar’s gaze fell on her.

​

At first, it was just a scan across the open space, but Jaafar slowly found himself looking back at the girl who was animatedly talking to Saad and his fiancée, and the focus in the group of men in front of him faded away. Her hair was neatly styled away from her face, and the red wine-colored dress she wore stood out against the illumination from the string lights. But his eyes fell quickly away from her when his name was called back in the conversation. The guys in front of him continued their spiel on the dances they rehearsed for the next day’s event, and Jaafar could only mindlessly nod and smile, the curiosity about the girl only piquing in his subconscious.

​

Glasses were clinked, and everyone proceeded to grab their seats. Arzoo and Saad’s parents welcomed all the guests for the evening. Followed by Arzoo and Saad also taking the floor to thank guests who flew in from different cities. Dinner was served, where Y/N and Jaafar separately sat on their respective tables to mingle with the people sharing the meal with them for the night.

​

Jaafar did find himself looking around the crowd a couple of times over dinner, trying to find the girl again. When he finally found her whispering something to Saad’s fiancée, some tables away, laughing till her eyes closed shut. Jaafar didn’t feel the small smile forming on his face until someone called him on it, and the table’s attention turned to him. “Oh! I’m seeing a coffee bar here, I was just happy to see one!” The table laughed at his reaction, and Jaafar felt his ears heat up. Maybe a cappuccino would get his mind off the embarrassing moment he’s just had. Smoothing out the brown shirt he donned, he excused himself to the coffee bar.

​

The to-be-wed couple graciously placed a coffee bar near the desserts; Jaafar stood from his seat and beelined over to it, where a line of people had already begun to form. He found himself standing behind a middle-aged man, and someone he presumed was the man’s significant other, as they were trying to decide what to order. “You get the vanilla, and I’ll get the lavender. That way, we have different drinks, and we can try each other's,” the woman told him, and he huffed, “but I don’t want to try the lavender one.” Jaafar watched the interaction with an amused smile, and that’s when he heard two more voices behind him. Two women, where one of them told the other, “Your dress is gorgeous, by the way, Y/N. I love the pleats, and this burgundy color suits you!” The other voice giggled a shy ‘thank you’. Y/N. Jaafar found himself glancing over his shoulder before he could stop himself.

​

It was the girl he’d seen glimpses of all night, right behind him. As he turned, she glanced up from her phone to his face, blinking back at him before giving him a polite smile. “It’s your turn next,” she says with a small chuckle. Jaafar lets out a ‘oh!’, turning back ahead and placing his order. Stepping to the side, he rubs the back of his neck and turns to Y/N. “Thanks.” She gives him a nod, with kind eyes hovering over his face a second too long. She places her order and goes over to wait next to him. That’s when Jaafar decides to introduce himself to her. “I’m Jaafar, it’s nice to meet you.” He reaches out a hand, and she’s taken aback for a moment. “Uh, hi Jaafar. I’m Y/N. Nice to meet you as well.” Her palm meets his as she shakes his hand.

​

“So, are you the bride’s side or the groom’s?” Jaafar asks to strike up a casual conversation. He’d never heard a Y/N leave Saad’s mouth, but then again, Saad had a huge family, and they knew tons of people. Y/N fiddles with the pendant around her neck, a habit that Jaafar would quickly pick up on, when she says, “Bride’s side. Arzoo’s my best friend from high school. You?”

​

“Groom’s side,” Jaafar starts, and that’s when the barista calls, “Sorry folks, our espresso machine is acting up. We will not accept more orders at this time, but we will once we get the machine up and running again. For the people who have ordered, if you could wait around 10 minutes or so, we’ll get your orders out for you! So sorry!” Both Jaafar and Y/N look at each other at the announcement, and Jaafar clears his throat. “Saad’s a good friend of mine, he’s been a real support system for me, especially these past few months.” Y/N nods, “Saad’s very nice. I’ve only spoken to him a few times before today, but he’s been nothing but a gem with Arzoo.”

“Saad’s a great guy. Very down-to-earth and humble. I took on a very… different job, and Saad was one of the people that I could talk to and instantly calm down.” Jaafar says to Y/N, and it prompts her to ask, “What do you mean by ‘different’?”

​

That’s when Jaafar explains that originally he wanted to be a golfer, then he decided to get into music and production. Then, he was cast for a role in a movie, and it was a role that meant a lot to him. “I’m sure you’ve heard of the movie Michael coming out soon, right?” Y/N knew of it; she’d heard some coworkers talking about how thrilled they were that the role of Michael Jackson was being played by his nephew… they said his name, what was it… wait.

​

When the realization slowly dawned on Y/N, Jaafar could sense that the questions were coming up. “Hang on. You’re Jaafar, as in Michael Jackson’s nephew? You’re playing him, right?” Jaafar nodded sheepishly. “My coworkers would not stop talking about the movie, they’re so excited! Forgive me, I haven’t seen any of the news or anything on the film, ever since I started working, that’s seemed to be the only thing my world orbits around. Wow, congratulations!” Jaafar sees that animated look in her eyes appear again as she speaks, and how expressive she is with her hands.

​

“Thank you. It’s been an incredible journey, but also very challenging. I never thought I’d take on the life of an actor, but it’s definitely different and refreshing,” Jaafar grins, looking down at his hands. “And I get it,” he says, “work can be extremely time-consuming.”

​

“It’s one thing when you’re a rookie interior designer who’s scored the dream job, but it’s another when you’re starting to realize that it’s a lot more work than you bargained for,” Y/N says, now peering out towards the barista, who seems to have the machine figured out by now. Pretty soon after, Jaafar’s order is called, then Y/N’s. “I hate to be the one to talk about work, but I have to ask you, Jaafar, what was it like- the whole process of filming and all. I haven’t got the slightest clue about how filmmaking works.” Jaafar, who’d heard his name out of your mouth like you weren’t just strangers ten minutes ago. He laughed a little, a sound that caused a small flutter deep in Y/N’s stomach. “Of course, here, let’s take a seat.” He motioned to two seats on a nearby table.

​

That’s how the remainder of the night was spent between the two of them: Jaafar telling Y/N about how he got the role, the acting lessons, the singing and dance rehearsals he had to do, and the countless hours he’d put into perfecting the role as much as he could. Pretty soon, the conversation drifted from one topic to the next, so effortlessly that anyone who saw the two of them from any point in the room would think they’d known each other for years. Laughing, listening intently, asking follow-up questions (Y/N told Jaafar to treat her questions like he was practicing for the eventual interviews he’d do, to which Jaafar let out a deep laugh and a ‘fair enough’.)

​

Y/N’s work life came up, how she got into interior design, and how she had the perfect job opportunity open up in another city; she had to build her life from scratch on her own, but felt that she was now at a place where things were finally looking green for her. Jaafar doesn’t hear her mention anything about dating or a relationship, and for some odd reason that he couldn’t explicitly pinpoint, he doesn’t think of mentioning Maddie either. If he started to think about her, it was going to stress him out. So he avoids talking about it and instead focuses on Y/N’s voice.

​

From across the patio, greeting her guests who are leaving, Arzoo catches a glimpse of Jaafar and Y/N in a corner. She’d briefly heard of Jaafar through conversations with Saad or on his Instagram. She hadn’t spoken to him before, nor did she know much about him otherwise. One thing she did note, though, was how they were in their own little bubble at this moment. Arzoo was absolutely going to ask Y/N to debrief her later.

[sweetdejun]

henna-stained hearts (2)

last part, next part

pairing: jaafar jackson x fem!reader, slow burn, right person-wrong time, wedding!au

summary: At her best friend's extravagant five-day Pakistani wedding, Y/N wasn't expecting to find a connection of her own. But when she meets Jaafar, an up-and-coming actor escaping the pressures of his everyday life, an unexpected friendship begins to bloom—until a hidden truth changes everything.

word count: 1.5k

The next morning, between breaks, Jaafar found a moment to call up Saad. “Hey, brother! How’s it going?” He hears Saad’s voice at the end of the receiver. “Hey man, I got your wedding invites last night. I’m so honored you’d like for me to be there,” Jaafar says with a smile in his voice.

​

“Of course, Jaafar! I’d be so happy if you could make it!” Jaafar hesitated at that moment, but he needed to know, “Is the invite for me, or me and Maddie?” Saad laughed, “Of course you can bring her! A reminder that there are 5 events, so pack accordingly! Although I don’t need to tell you how to shop for Pakistani weddings, right?”

​

Jaafar chuckled lightly, “Nah, don’t worry, Saad, I’ve got it under control. I’ll see you in 2 weeks!”

​

He was sure he could get some friends together, and they could help him buy clothes for these events. More importantly, Jaafar had to figure out whether or not he was taking Maddie along with him. Surely, she saw the invite in the mailbox when she left it all on the counter, but she knew better than to open his mail. The thoughts circle in Jaafar’s head until he hears the producer calling his name again, and he’s pulled away from this dilemma for now.

​

It’s now a week before the wedding. Jaafar had already RSVP’d for himself for some of the events, but was still on the fence regarding Maddie. He needed to make a decision, quickly. What happened next made that decision easier than he hoped.

​

He got home as he usually did, and this time Maddie wanted to talk about the details regarding the wedding caterers. One thing led to another, and here they were, having a massive blowout fight. This is where Jaafar made a misstep, angrily grumbling, “Maybe it’s a good idea if you don’t go.”

​

“Go where?” Maddie stops in her tracks after pacing around the kitchen counter several rounds. Jaafar holds his breath for a second, then says, “Saad’s getting married in Atlanta. He invited me to all the events.”

​

Jaafar could visibly see the fumes coming out of Maddie’s ears. “You can’t even plan your own wedding, what are you doing going to someone else’s?” Jaafar blows up at this, “Wedding, wedding, wedding! That’s all you fucking talk about! Every night, I come home, tired as shit, and the first thing to the last thing that you go on about is the damned wedding! Why can’t we talk about anything else- literally anything else!” Maddie goes quiet at this, and Jaafar can see her bottom lip quivering.

​

He puts his head in his hands and takes a deep breath. “We need a break. Not permanent, just some… breathing room. I’m going to the wedding, and you’re not coming with me. I’ve gotten the okay from production anyway.” Maddie looks at him, tears now gathered in her eyes. “A break?” Her voice cracked out at him, and for a second, Jaafar felt bad. He can’t find it in him to look at her, so he looks away. “I think... a week away from each other will do us some good. Maybe this is just burnout, and you need a break from wedding planning, too. I’m sure you know that.”

​

Maddie stays silent for a long time after that, and Jaafar wants to step away and needs a minute to breathe. “Okay.” She sounds defeated, but Jaafar knows Maddie: she sounds like a part of her is exhausted from this whole cycle, too. They could use a break- it’s probably better for them in the long run anyway. Jaafar booked his tickets that night.

​

These past two weeks have gone by in a whirlwind for Y/N. She wrangled together a list of potential boutiques and stores that sell Pakistani event and wedding attire; a mere twenty-minute drive later, she found herself standing between racks of bright colors, golds, silvers, and any kind of shimmer one could imagine. Y/N had 3 outfits to buy, as Arzoo already had the mehndi outfit waiting for her in Atlanta- she could just imagine the standout colors that Arzoo must’ve chosen for the fun-filled night. As for the welcome dinner, Y/N had the perfect formal dress already in her closet.

​

Based on what she’s learned from Arzoo’s years of teaching, the three events had different dress codes: the nikkah, the religious ceremony, was often something not very embroidered but still somewhat fancy. The rukhsati, a formal wedding event that typically occurred in the evening, prompted more glamorous outfits that were physically heavy due to all the handiwork and sparkles on them. Finally, the valima, which was the reception done by the groom’s family, almost always called for pastel-colored outfits, no matter the time of day. With the help of the shopkeepers at the different stores, and after trying on dozens of clothes, Y/N successfully acquired the three outfits she needed for the wedding. She knew she made the right choices when she video-called Arzoo’s mother, just to double-check them. “Y/N! I see we’ve trained you well!” She joked on the phone, laughing and gasping as Y/N twirled in the outfits.

​

“These are the correct outfits, right, Khala?” Khala was the Urdu word for “mother’s sister”; Arzoo’s mother insisted Y/N call her that, because it was more familial than aunt. They were her family, after all.

​

“Yes, yes! These are perfect! Although I wonder what jewelry you’re going to wear with these- did the workers at the store help you pick something to match?”

​

Y/N smacked her forehead almost comically. She can’t believe she forgot about jewelry! Probably one of the loudest parts of the outfit, with all of the colored glass bangles, the dangly, shiny earrings, and the most gorgeous adornment for the forehead, called a teeka. The jewelry was truly one of her favorite parts of the whole look, so she was shocked that she totally forgot to buy something.

​

Usually, she’d borrow something from Arzoo, as she did with the clothes, too. Or it could be the fact that she had done all this shopping in bits and pieces over the last two weeks, and now that she was packing for the trip, she completely overlooked jewelry.

​

“You know what, you’ll have a day or two to get some last-minute things, you can go to our usual spots and pick up some sets from there. Don’t you worry about it,” Khala said, snapping Y/N out of her thoughts. “Okay, Khala, I suppose I’ll have to do that. I’m gonna go now, I’ve gotta finish this packing. Thanks for looking at the outfits! I’ll see you soon!”

​

“Okay, jaan, take care! See you soon, and have a safe flight!”

​

Y/N ended the call and fell back onto her bed, surrounded by the glittery garments. The good news was that besides the jewelry, she’d pretty much covered all her bases. She was lucky enough to be staying at the wedding house; Arzoo’s family always had a room for Y/N, but Arzoo would always insist that Y/N stay with her. A decade and more later, and that hadn’t changed- Arzoo was still adamant that there was more than enough room for Y/N and her suitcase among the moving boxes, but Y/N was skeptical. Nevertheless, if she were given the opportunity to spend a few moments with Arzoo, she would take them in a heartbeat.

​

For now, though, Y/N needed to finish packing all these outfits because she sure as hell was not going to catch herself scrambling at the last minute- airports were already chaotic as they were, there was no need for her to make the situation worse for herself. She packs the remainder of what’s leftover and calls her Uber.

​

Jaafar was also packed up, ready to go. His friends came through, looking at the names of the events and knowing exactly what he needed to buy. Maddie gave him a quick hug and a dry, “Have a safe flight.” He said a quick “thanks, we’ll talk when I get back, okay?” and she nodded, folding her arms over each other. After one last look at Maddie, Jaafar was on his way to the taxi.

​

So here the two of them were, Y/N and Jaafar.  Heading to the airports of their respective cities, flying to Atlanta: Y/N in the hopes of finding solace in her hometown, appreciating the people around her celebrate the person she’d loved the most, and Jaafar, who was planning on putting a pause on one point of his life, and moving towards something completely different, in the name of finding some peace, and wanting to slow down this hectic lifestyle he’s now adopted. And as their flights took off, the two of them leaned back against their seats, closing their eyes. Hands gripped tightly around the armrest handles, because there’s no one next to them whose hand they’d feel comfortable holding. Deep breaths in and out, they open their eyes and think about what the next week will bring them.

[sweetdejun]

henna-stained hearts (1)

next part

pairing: jaafar jackson x fem!reader, slow burn, right person-wrong time, wedding!au

summary: At her best friend's extravagant five-day Pakistani wedding, Y/N wasn't expecting to find a connection of her own. But when she meets Jaafar, an up-and-coming actor escaping the pressures of his everyday life, an unexpected friendship begins to bloom—until a hidden truth changes everything.

word count: 2.9k

a/n: given the opportunity to express the beauty of Pakistani culture (esp wedding culture), I will take it every time. I’m Pakistani-American, so it’s a great way to introduce this world to people who aren’t familiar with it. That said, the wedding details I’m writing about are based on my personal experiences with Pakistani weddings and don’t reflect everyone's way of doing things. I just wanted to write about one of my favorite seasons with one of my favorite guys hehe. I hope you enjoy it!

Tonight started out as another evening for Y/N. Leaving her design studio, she undid the umbrella after seeing the drizzle paint her office windows. Parka-clad, she got to her car and drove a short 10 minutes to her apartment. She stopped at her mailbox inside the complex and greeted the neighbors she always catches in the hallway, with tired eyes but a wide smile. She set the mail down on her dining table, kicked off her boots, and trudged to her bathroom to shower and change into a comfortable pair of pajamas. Everything until this point was routine.

​

She stood in her kitchen now, deciding between heating up the leftover broccoli soup she had made earlier that week or calling in takeout from the Chinese place down the street, when her eyes met the large pile of mail on her table. Shutting her eyes, throwing her head back, and letting out a large groan, she makes her way to the intimidating mountain of paper, sitting in front of it. She started organizing it into smaller, more manageable piles: bills, promotional letters for candidates running for office, and other pieces of mail that she’d likely read over once and toss out, the occasional coupons for a discounted dental cleaning, and her hands stopped when her gaze landed on several beige envelopes, with her name written intricately on the fronts. “These must be Arzoo’s wedding cards,” she thinks aloud.

​

Arzoo, her best friend in the whole world, was someone she met when she was just in high school. After her father’s passing, Y/N and her mother moved to a new neighborhood, which meant she had to switch schools. Then she met Arzoo in one of her classes, and when they discovered the similarities in their schedules, they became inseparable. It was no surprise that when it came time to select colleges, the two girls chose to apply to the same schools. It was even better when they both got into the same school, albeit for different fields of study. Arzoo went for education, and Y/N for architecture.

​

It was during their sophomore year of schooling that Y/N received the tragic call that her mother was brutally injured in a car crash. Just a few days later, Y/N was all alone. This became a very dark time in her life: not only was she an only child, but they didn’t have much family- some people did reach out after hearing about her mother’s passing, but everyone was so busy in their lives, they never carved out time to actually see if Y/N was doing okay.

​

But the light at the end of that tunnel was Arzoo and her family. They were affluent, so much so that with the help of the lawyers, they were able to cover the rest of Y/N’s college funding. She was eternally grateful to them, and they would only say one thing, “you were our daughter’s pride and joy for many years, that makes you family now- and family doesn’t say thank you. You’re our daughter, just like Arzoo.”

​

They had quickly assimilated Y/N into their family events: Arzoo was Pakistani, and that meant that their holidays, weddings, or just a random weekend brunch could consist of many people. Not only did she mesh well with this newfound family, but she also taught her everything and anything about Pakistani culture. Slowly, family photos that Y/N used to take for them started including her, and that was how Y/N morphed into becoming an honorary member of Arzoo’s family.

​

When Y/N got the job offer from a large interior design firm in Seattle, she was hesitant to move from her hometown of Atlanta, away from the comfort of her daily life, away from her well-established community, and most importantly, Arzoo and her family. However, Arzoo and her parents were insistent that Y/N must take the job. She was getting the chance of a lifetime to move ahead in her career. “This is huge, Y/N,” she remembered her saying. She was scared of big changes- who wasn’t? With the support of Arzoo, she ended up accepting the position, and just a few weeks later, she was welcomed into Seattle by a wonderful team. The job was great in the beginning, but Y/N had a habit of being a perfectionist, which cost her a lot of peace, and things that she wanted to enjoy became clouded by pressure to be seamless.

​

It was during her transition into working in Seattle that Arzoo mentioned to Y/N on a phone call that she’d met Saad: a friend of a friend, at someone’s wedding. Arzoo was gushing over the fact that the moment was perfect in terms of Bollywood standards. It still makes Y/N laugh when she thinks about it. Fast forward a couple of months, and Arzoo called again, saying she’s getting engaged. While the timeline was faster than Y/N had imagined, she knew how Arzoo and her family were. When Arzoo had her heart set on something, she’d pursue it as fast as she could: Y/N had gotten to speak to Saad over the phone a couple of times, and when she did, she couldn’t really see anyone complement Arzoo quite as well.

​

Unfortunately, the engagement coincided with a really big job for a big client in town. As much as Y/N wanted to make it, her supervisor left her no wiggle room. Y/N felt incredibly guilty, crying to Arzoo on the phone. “I’m so sorry, Arzoo, but I can’t make it. I feel awful.”

​

Arzoo consoled her, her voice blaring on the speaker phone. “Don’t you dare apologize! I understand completely! Listen, as soon as I have the wedding dates confirmed, I’ll send them to you so you can book that week off.” Absolutely, that’s the best way to make it up to her, Y/N thought. “Your wish is my command, Ms. Bride,” Y/N laughed sadly into the phone.

​

Fast forward to the present day: Y/N knew of the dates before these invitations arrived. She’d taken the liberty of putting in her PTO for that week- her supervisor, who’d noted how hard she’d been working, signed off on it without hesitation. “Take it easy, okay, Y/N? You’ve been at it hard since you got here. Give yourself a well-deserved break,” he’d told her, and she shot him a grateful smile, “thank you, I definitely will!” She picked up your phone to call Arzoo, and on the first ring, she picked up. “Hello?”

​

“Arzoo! Your wedding invites are here! I haven’t opened them yet,” Y/N set her phone down on the table and turned on the speaker. She starts to open up the wax seal, revealing a dark green and gold-patterned card that matches the interior of the envelope beautifully. “How does it look? We never kept any of the invites, so I don’t remember if they’re navy blue or green!” Her voice blared from the phone, and you laughed. “It’s green, and absolutely stunning!”

​

Arzoo squeals, “I’m so excited that you’ll be here for the whole week! We’re going to have a blast! Okay, did you go shopping for clothes already? Don’t buy the outfit for the mehndi, I have yours here! You know the wedding’s two weeks away, right?”

​

“Don’t worry, Arzoo. I’ve gotten everything taken care of. I’ve got some places here in Seattle I’m going to shop at, so I’m set. I don’t want you to stress out over this; you’ve got a million other things to go after. I’m so excited to see you again, and this is going to be so much fun,” Y/N remembers the many conversations she and Arzoo had about the amount of detail put into Pakistani weddings. When Arzoo’s cousins or her brother were getting married too, Y/N naturally became a part of these weddings, and with Arzoo’s help at the time, she learned about all the different events, the types of clothes to wear, and was a part of some of the choreographed dances (even with her two left feet, she pulled it off).

​

Arzoo’s deep exhale is heard from the other end of the line, “I’m so excited, but I’m kind of nervous. This is a big thing, Y/N. I just want everything to go smoothly.” Y/N hears the pout in her voice and begins to console her, “and it will. You just need to think about having a good time. Everyone else will take care of anything, okay?” Arzoo giggles, “You always know what to say. And hey, who knows, maybe one of Saad’s friends is single? I’d wish that in a heartbeat if it meant you’d stop going on those weird dates with the guys from the dating apps.”

​

“Arzoo.”

​

“What? Then, you can have your own meet-cute! Can’t I wish good on my best friend?”

​

Y/N rolls her eyes and laughs, and her eyes fall on the clock on the wall. “Okay, I’m gonna let you go, Arzoo. Don’t worry about me or my outfits or anything, you’ve trained me well enough to know what to get.”

​

“Alright, sweets. Send me your itinerary and Baba, and I will be there to pick you up. I love you, I’ll talk to you soon!” With that, Arzoo disconnected the call. Stomach growling,

Y/N considers opting for the broccoli soup. After all, if she’s going wedding shopping, she is going to need to budget for these extravagant outfits.

​

Somewhere in Encino, Jaafar stood in a room lined with mirrors, breathing hard after another run-through of a dance sequence. The furniture had long since been pushed to the edges to make room for rehearsals, and despite spending hours on the choreography, he still wasn't satisfied.

​

Playing Michael Jackson in the upcoming biopic Michael came with enough pressure on its own. Being Michael's nephew only magnified it. The good news was that the movie was about 90% finished, and now that he was at the tail end of production, he had something to look forward to: Saad’s wedding. Saad and Jaafar knew each other for many years, being introduced to one another through mutual friends.

​

He’d been around Pakistani people before; in fact, some of his closest friends were Pakistani. He’d had his share of exposure to the culture, but to be a part of a wedding, regardless of background, was always something he enjoyed. Could he have said the same thing about his own situation? That’s where the page went blank.

​

Jaafar and his longtime partner of 10 years, Maddie, were engaged. While the beginning of the time they spent together was nothing short of a fairytale, as time went on and they got closer and closer, the natural question that arose inside many people’s minds when they met Jaafar and Maddie was, ‘When are you putting a ring on it, Jaafar?’ At first, his eyes would go wide, and he’d bashfully laugh off the comment, while Maddie would laugh along with him, saying ‘all in due time’ as a response. Over time, though, the latter part would change into a shrug, then a curious look from Maddie. Almost like she was waiting for his answer to that question. So, one day, he did it: he proposed. And she said yes.

​

Since the beginning of filming Michael, Jaafar had taken it upon himself to be the best and, honestly, only candidate the producers and director saw fit to play his uncle to a tee. Due to this immense pressure, Jaafar would practice for hours at a time, singing, dancing, making sure he got the mannerisms down just right. The result of this was a tired Jaafar making his way home for the night, running on fumes and feet blistered from the constant strenuous dances. This put Jaafar in a rocky place with Maddie; while she took on the task of arranging most of the wedding planning to take the load off of Jaafar’s shoulders, there were several moments where her attempts at making him feel included were beginning to burn him out further. Moments where he just wanted a moment of peace to himself after a long day would shatter when Maddie came in, discussing all the things she’d worked on that day, and asking what he thought.

​

At first, Jaafar would conjure up enough energy to still offer some form of an opinion, but if there was something that they happened to disagree on, Maddie would either silently move on to the next subtopic or try to convince him that what she was thinking worked better. He learned quickly that maybe silence to her questions was a smoother way for him to get that moment of quiet that he wanted to unwind after a long day.

​

This wasn’t fair to Maddie, he knew that. She brought up her frustrations with him many times these past couple of months, where arguments led to Jaafar opting to sleep on the couch and Maddie in the bedroom with the door shut. Eventually, in the morning, she’d wake up to a coffee pot with a sticky note that said ‘sorry’ next to it. That’s all the interactions they’d been having recently. Jaafar doesn’t remember the last time he and Maddie did something fun, couple-y, where the two of them could come back to where they once were. That was because of the demanding work schedule he had, and right now his main priority was to finish the movie, no matter what lengths he needed to go.

​

Today had been just like any other for Jaafar, too. He came home in the early hours of the morning and once again found Maddie asleep on the couch of his shared apartment, the TV playing some odd commercials like they normally do during this time. At the sound of the door and the keys hitting the counter, Maddie blinked her eyes, rubbing them, then stretched her arms out. “Hey,” she started, yawning while she reached for her laptop. Jaafar tiredly mumbled back, “Hey.”

​

“How was the shoot today?”

​

Jaafar shrugged, tucking his shoes into a corner, running a hand through his curls. “It was good. I did the whole Beat It routine; we shot it today. I think that’s the last big dance sequence we have in the movie.” Maddie turned to face him, setting the laptop down to give him a couple of claps. “Good for you! I knew you could do it!” He heard the encouragement in her voice, which caused him to give her a small smile. “Thank you. I’m so tired, though. I think I’m just gonna shower and go to bed.” Maddie’s smile faltered. “Are you not going to eat dinner?”

​

“No, I had a quick bite after shooting with some of the crew.” It was true- to celebrate the end of the dance sequences, some of the dancers invited Jaafar out for dinner. He didn’t want to turn them down- it was quite the opposite, actually. He hadn’t spent much time with the team outside of training, practicing, and shooting the movie. It was a nice change.

​

“I was hoping we could talk a little about the wedding,” Maddie started, reaching for her laptop again, and Jaafar fell silent. Like most nights as of recent, the last thing he wanted was to occupy himself with wedding stuff. “I’m sure whatever you’ve decided will be fine,” Jaafar says under his breath, but Maddie does hear him.

​

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

​

“I’m just… too tired to think about this right now,” Jaafar’s eyes fell on the envelope addressed to him, and curiously, he picked it up and began to open it. “Just go ahead and choose something, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

​

Maddie scoffed, “I’m not getting married alone, Jaafar. Your input is just as important as mine.” Jaafar doesn’t realize that he’s not listening because he’s focused on the wedding invites that have come out of the envelope addressed to him: it’s for Saad’s wedding. Jaafar didn’t know his friendship with Saad would escalate to the point where he’d be invited to his wedding, but that’s the kind of genuine person Saad was. He should call him and thank him for the invite, but should he go?

​

“Jaafar! Are you even listening?” Maddie’s voice rings him out of his thoughts. “Huh, yeah, sorry.” Maddie sighed, pinching her nose bridge. “Just go, I’ll talk to you about it later.” Jaafar felt like part of him should’ve fought it out, let Maddie talk about it a little more. But a bigger part of him was ready to call it quits for the night. With a small nod, averting his gaze, he walked away, with Maddie quietly following his movement into the bedroom.

​

After showering and getting into bed, Jaafar was turned over to one side, still thinking about the wedding invitation. If he was invited, was Maddie also coming? If he offered her to join him, she’d come in a heartbeat. As scary as it sounded, Jaafar was flirting with the idea of maybe not asking her to come. How would Maddie react to that?

​

Maddie came into the room, heading to freshen up before getting under the covers, next to Jaafar. “Good night, babe,” Maddie tells him, and Jaafar is not asleep yet. He feels it’s the next step to turn and offer her a good night peck, so he does-, but he’s painfully aware of how performative it feels, and he falls asleep with a frown on his face.

[speed-s]

Finn Bennett as Bobby Backrooms Trailer (2026)

[azaablue]

the best fanfiction you've ever read was written by a woman in her 40s before she made dinner for her kids. it was written by a teenager after school when they should've been studying for a history test. and a barista came up with the idea while they cleaned the espresso machine and busser fact-checked it on their break and the post-doc edited between writing grant proposals and the nurse apologized for typos in the notes after a long shift and behind every drabble and one-shot and multi-chapter fic there is a person with a wonderful and interesting and chaotic life and it is such a privilege that we get to be apart of it because they decided to do this thing we all share, for fun.

[sweetdejun]

dear you.

trope: optional bias x fem!reader, arranged marriage, angst/fluff

synopsis: An all-too-well story through a series of letters she wrote to him, as they navigated a withering love story that had yet to see its eternal bloom.

word count: 3.7k, unedited (typical)

AHHH so excited that this is finally done!! I haven't posted in a LONG time so I'm nervous to see how this goes. thanks for reading, hope to see you soon xoxo

Dear you, 

Today was the first time we met. I couldn't hear much of the loud conversation our parents were having while, well, I tried to keep the thundering beats of my heart quiet. Stolen glances were all I had the courage to give you, and when our eyes locked for a brief moment, I could’ve sworn I saw a tinge of honey in those gorgeous eyes of yours. Perhaps it was the effect of the lighting, but I doubt it. 

I wonder what your hobbies are? What kind of music do you listen to? How do you take your coffee or tea? Is there a place in the world you wanna go to? Do you want the right side or the left side of the bed? Just thinking about the two of us sharing a bed makes me blush. These next few months are going to be dedicated to celebrating us, and I can’t wait for the day I get to become your wife. 

Patiently waiting,

Me

Dear you,

The wedding festivities are ticking closer and closer. We got to exchange numbers so every now and then when I get the chance I send you small texts here and there. Your responses are slow, if at all, but I bet it’s because you’re busy with work. It’s no big deal, I totally get it. 

Did you know, my friends ask about you all the time? I have to say that you’re always busy, so you don’t have time to talk or spend time with me. There’s always a flash of sympathy on their faces when I mention this, but I don’t care. As long as you respond to me, that’s all I care about. 

I’ve been trying to learn more and more about you through your mom and sister, who have been nothing but kind to me since day one. I didn’t think you were the type to be in a band in high school, but I got ahold of one of your demos (courtesy of your sister) and I listened to it in the car one day. Pretty good, I would say. Your voice sounded so cute… a little bit of that childhood innocence is mixed in with the majority of the baritone found in your voice today. 

Eager to meet you,

Me

Dear you,

When we sat down for dinner, you didn’t talk much. A couple of quick exchanges were all we had, but mostly I spent the evening picking at my food and looking around to watch the couples smile happily and enjoy their lovers’ presence. I moved one piece of broccoli around back and forth for a good ten minutes, while you quietly ate your dinner, one hand glued to your cell phone and mindless scrolling.

I saw a lady walk behind you towards the bathroom, and a quick look at your phone was all she needed to give me a look of pity before disappearing behind me. I excused myself to go the bathroom, and as soon as I leaned against the sink, my hands gripping the cold, wet porcelain, the woman was exiting the stall. I didn’t miss that strange look on her face when she approached the sink next to me to wash her hands. I tried to take a few deep breaths when she turned to me, a paper towel aggressively ripped from the automatic machine. She was hesitant, but eventually, before leaving she said to me, “take care dear, he’s not worth your time.” I don’t know why she’d said that. 

Confused and a little hurt,

Me

Dear you,

The countdown is getting shorter. It’s now a matter of days, and if things weren’t crazy enough, the hustle and bustle around the house have definitely been made very obvious now. I’ve had my bachelorette party, and a few other small dinners courtesy of my friends, but I feel that now I must be the blushing bride everyone wants me to be. At least for the next few days, that is. Once we get married, things will be different. I know they will. I hope that whatever doubts and hesitations I am feeling now are nothing but mere wedding jitters. 

I have to get my nails done, my hair colored and every inch of my body scrubbed and polished. My facial needs to be done, too. It’s funny, the last time I must’ve put this much effort into looking prim and perfect must’ve been for my senior prom, and it’s been years since that day. Did you go to prom as well? I have to remember to show you those dreadful photos, but back in those days, there was a spark of hope that love existed out there for me. Even if the guy I went with was nothing more than a friend, I hoped that my destiny had love written for me at some point, when I’d grow into a woman. I hope that time’s finally arrived.

Excited about what’s to come,

Me

Dear you, 

The wedding is over. You looked dashing, as always, and I was told that I looked beautiful. My parents cried today, and I think it didn’t hit me until now that I really am a married woman now. You’re gone to play pool with your groomsmen, you just told me that you would be back in a bit. It’s been an hour and a half, and I got impatient and changed out of my gorgeous but annoying dress into something more breathable. I took the dozens of bobby pins out from my hair, and as I wiped the makeup away, I couldn’t help but remember the fake smile I’d put up for everyone; the pictures, your friends and family, and my friends and family. The facade is already setting in that we’re a happy couple… are we really? You didn’t even feel the need to spend tonight, of all nights, with me. I must be that ugly, huh?  

Maybe pessimism isn’t how we wanna start this new chapter of our lives. I’ll try to make an effort to be more present in your life because I don’t wanna lose something without giving it a chance. 

I hear your laughter downstairs. Wonder what that’s about.

Just stood by the door, but what I heard was enough to lull me into the security of my dreams. “I can’t believe we’re married… I know nothing about her, and frankly, could care less about her.”

Heartbroken on the night that was supposed to be cherished,

Me

Dear you,

Things have been up and down. On one end, when you’re around, we talk a little. Getting to know you has far exceeded my expectations, even though it’s little by little. In the beginning, you didn’t even want to sleep in the same bed as me, but one day, when I had enough I decided to confront you about it. The strongest I’d ever been, I will say, but it was liberating. You had no idea of the feeling of a burden being lifted from my shoulders that day. That conversation clearly had an effect on you, as you had started sleeping next to me since that day. but some people only deserve good, dare I say perfect, things in small doses.

I usually don’t wake up next to you. Feels like how it did when we first got married, which feels like ages even though it’s only been a few weeks. The faint dips in the bed from your body are almost completely faded by the time I wake up. The remnants of a freshly brewed pot of coffee lie in the coffee maker downstairs. I find myself repeating the same routine; making another batch of coffee, quietly having breakfast, and maybe rearranging the living room furniture to see if you’ll notice it when you get home. I do the laundry, cook a little, and work a little. 

I actually did something a little interesting today, though. When I went grocery shopping I was surprised to see handwriting that wasn’t mine. I couldn’t read what you wrote, though. Your penmanship is not great but I guess in the corporate world, you don’t really see the need to handwrite things anymore. I hesitated on calling you before I eventually deciphered what you wrote. Turns out, you just need to look at it a little longer and give it some time because before you know it, it’ll unravel right in front of you. Maybe there’s hope in me that you’ll do the same.

Slowly feeling the fatigue of the night,

Me 

Dear you,

Today was a bit different than the rest of the mundane days I’d spent in this empty house. I was sipping on my tea in the final hours of afternoon, reading a book when suddenly your footsteps started to echo against the marble floor. My gaze turned up to look at your figure that leaned against the doorframe, hands in your pockets. I raised my eyebrows, doggy-earring my page and setting the paperback to the side. “Hey, what’s up?” “Uh, nothing much,” you started. “I was wondering if you wanted to go grab something to eat.” I blinked back. This is the first time you’ve voluntarily offered to take me to dinner. Naturally I’ve grown a little skeptical after hearing the empty promises, but my heart has yearned for your calls. I hesitantly let my heart win over my head, and take you up on your offer. 

I took out the perfect outfit, gold earrings and wore a blood red lipstick. The last time I wore a shade like this… I can’t remember. Not even on our wedding day did I go with a bold shade as this one. 

When I got ready, you look up from your phone for a second and for the first time, you did a double take and took in my appearance properly. I felt shy under your gaze for a moment, but my brain was refusing to believe that this was happening. “You look nice, y/n.” I shift my gaze up through my eyelashes for a second and reply with a curt ‘thank you’. 

Everything between going to the restaurant (which has a beautiful seaside view, a live musician and there’s a warmth accompanying the brisk autumn breeze), ordering the food, eating the food and going home, we had a conversation longer than we’ve ever had before. 

The words exchanged were still formal, at least on my end, because deep in my heart I want you to experience what I experienced these last few months. I think you have a way of letting your frustration peek through more easily though, because I could sense your impatience with my one sentence responses to your questions and not as much reciprocation. My frustration’s getting to me too. 

Wondering what’s gonna happen next,

Me

Dear you,

We walked into the house tonight and you gritted your teeth, “I’m just trying to get to know you better. Why are you making this so hard?” That made me stop in my tracks. I’m confused now, because this entire time you were the one making things hard for me. I wanted to reach out and touch you, hold you, tell you that there was always a soft spot in my heart for you. But I couldn’t. Not anymore. “You were the one that pushed me away, and I just could not keep putting in an effort to try to win someone over that never wanted to be mine in the first place,” is all I can tell you. Tears ran down my face and the pain that I buried away reappeared on the surface of my heart with a vengeance. “I wasn’t ready!” I hear you exclaim as I walk away. There’s a tone of disappointment I’m picking up from your voice, almost like you’re confused as to why I’m walking away. “Well, good. I’m glad we’re finally on the same page for once,” my shaky voice responded and I shut the door to our room.

Crying myself to sleep,

Me

Dear you,

It’s been a couple of days since our argument. We’ve gone back to our terse exchanges, the lackluster life I grew to tolerate reentered my life. One day, much like before, while I was tending to my plants you came from around a corner, and grabbed a seat before me. “Look up at me for a second.” There’s something new in your voice, a sort of fragility that has my broken heart skipping a beat. I met your gaze and paled when I took in your appearance. Not that you’d been crying or anything but I could tell the stress over the last few days started to bring out an aged quality in your features. Subtle dark circles and a shadow of a stubble along your jaw. “I want to take this moment to say a couple of things,” you started. “I want to firstly apologize for how formal I was in the beginning. The truth was I never thought I would be involved in an arranged marriage. I was confident that I’d find someone myself, and when it didn’t work out the way I wanted it to, I let my ego come in the way of even starting off on the right foot with you.” I thought back to the very beginning, your words and actions aligned with you showing no interest. Perhaps what you say is true, so I nod to let you know I hear you. “I also want to give us a chance to start over. Like I said, it was a rocky start and I don’t think our families will be too happy if we keep things going this way. I’ll put in more of an effort, but this is a two way street. Are you willing to do the same?” 

Truth of the matter is, I’ve grown tired of living this way. We became two strangers, two roommates under the same roof instead of husband and wife. I know that even though I don’t show it much, there’s still a part of me that’s mad for you. I want to revive her. I want my happily ever after. If this is what will lead to that, I’m willing to give it a shot. “Yes.”

Looking forward to starting fresh,

Me

Dear you,

Things have been getting better. I learned about the company you work for and what you do there. I had an idea of when you left for the office and when you came back home. Now that your alarm is something I can hear now, I have started to mold my routine to fit yours a bit better. This is how things go now: your alarm goes off and you go and shower, while I get up and get a pot of coffee going and pull your pre-packed lunch from the fridge. By the time I get to pulling out your breakfast stuff, I hear you come down the stairs. You make our coffee, which has taken you several tries to get it right for me, and I go brush my teeth and wash my face. I come down and you’ve made your breakfast and mine. We enjoy breakfast silently, albeit on the same table, which is progress in itself. You’ve asked me how the coffee was today, and it’s a bit on the bitter side but it’s gotten much better since day one. On day one, I had to pretend to like the coffee and then I waited for you to leave so that I could remake it.

When you get back from work at the end of the day, I usually have dinner ready so that all you have to do it wash up really quick and join me for dinner on the table. Our conversations pick up a bit at this point. You tell me about anything exciting or crazy that happened at work that day, and I tell you bits and pieces about my work from home situations. You’ve made it a point to learn more about me too, so now you know that my favorite color is forest green, I have a fondness for interior design and that I’ve always wanted to go to Europe. Your favorite color is blue, you enjoy the occasional mystery novel and you have a guilty pleasure of 90s rom-coms. 

Beginning to wonder when we’ll have our 90s rom-com moment,

Me

Dear you, 

You have started becoming more open and friendly, and now we’re becoming friends. I find your lingering gaze on me from time to time as I complete a chore or fix my hair in the mirror. I can’t find it in me to connect my eyes with your own yet, but slowly and surely I’m getting there. I feel too shy, is that so bad? I suggested that we sit down and watch a 90s rom-com tonight, which I know you won’t object to after the latest revelation. You’ve gone to the kitchen to warm up some popcorn whilst I had time to sneak out to write this letter. I wonder if you’ll ever find these, I’ve hidden them quite well and I know you won’t look there. My wedding ring is glistening under the desk light as I finish this letter to you. Today it seems extra radiant.

Hearing you call my name with that dulcet voice,

Me

Dear you,

It’s been a while. Our mini vacation to that cute little town is over now, we’ve just returned home. I finally got to see the many sides there are to you. Your adventurous side that wants to try any new food, your mortified side when you almost slipped down the hill during our morning hike, your gentle and soft side when a little girl was standing in front of us in line for ice cream. I’ve started showing you sides of me, where I laugh the loudest at a comedy show, or make stupid puns when I read street signs or stare in awe as fresh snow falls from the sky over our heads. 

Tonight you asked to kiss me. Before today the last time we kissed was for the camera on our wedding day. The air was different tonight, though. You tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and asked for permission before leaning in closer. When our lips touched, a gasp left my lungs and my world stopped. My hands froze, hovering over your face and I slowly reached in till I felt the warmth of your cheeks across my fingers. Perhaps the chill in my touch caused you to pull back in shock, but you hesitated to let go. Your hands firmly held my hips with a fragile touch, like you were scared to hurt me, maybe again. Your eyes shined back at me and I’m reminded of the moment I first laid eyes on you. That tinge of honey came back to me and is now glistening with the same want and desire I used to see in my own reflection.  

My heart has had its time to heal. It’s slowly letting me love you again. I’m mortified that I’ll regret it if things go wrong, I don’t have the capacity to get hurt again. I don’t know what to do. You’ve noticed when I grow quiet and have started asking if I was okay. I put on a small smile and tell you I’m fine, but I have a feeling you see right through me. 

Scared to put my heart on my sleeve yet again,

Me

Dear you, 

You found them today. All of the letters. I thought I had done a pretty good job hiding them but out of sheer luck, when I found myself out of the house coincidentally while you were at home, you found the letters. You read every single one of them, you told me. That’s why when I came home and found you sitting on the couch, the letters in your hands as you read through them my heart stopped. You noticed the door closing and looked up at me, the red rims of your eyes telling me these letters have affected you in a way I don’t want to think about. “I didn’t mean to, I’m, uh, you weren't…” I started, rambling while avoiding your gaze, embarrassed and ashamed that you’ve discovered a vulnerable side of me that you could have hated. You could have left me tonight. We could have been over. But instead, you put the letters down and rushed over to hug me. Hold me tighter than I’ve ever been held before. 

“I’m sorry for everything, my love,” you started and my heart stuttered at the term of endearment. “I have never known someone as sweet, kind, innocent and breathtakingly beautiful as you. Please don’t be ashamed, I shouldn’t have opened these up,” Now you were the one rambling. I looked up at you, tears gathering at the margins of my eyelids. Waiting to slip and fall so you can catch them with the calloused pads of your thumbs. Your hands holding my face, cradling me gently, I wetly smiled, “they were addressed to you for a reason, honey. It was destiny for you to see them one day. I thought my world would come crashing down at the thought of you finding these letters, but I believe you. I’m ready to give you my heart in completion once again, because now I know. You are not going to hurt me like you did before. I trust you and love you.” With that, our mouths connected once more, and we spent the whole night talking about the letters. I am glad our lives brought us together like this, for now we will spend the eternity of our lives hand in hand, facing the world together as one strong team. With love, happiness and companionship at each step of the journey, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Confident that this is my last letter to you,

Me

(p.s. You just read the ends of this letter and whined for me to keep writing to you. I’ll start giving them to you directly starting from this one, my dear)

[sweetdejun]

It's my 5 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳

Haven’t written in a while, I’ve just been so preoccupied with grad school.

I do have a few things I’m working on, so maybe one day I’m gonna be able to finish and push them out to you guys, but thanks for all the support throughout the years!

[harrypotterandthefandomaccount]

brushing of noses

pairing: neville longbottom x fem!reader (use of she/her pronouns)

request: Hello! I'd love to order from you, Neville x female reader. Reader is Snape's goddaughter, reader's parents trust Snape a lot so they made him reader's godfather and he can watch her almost ALL the time at school. Reader and Neville become boyfriend and girlfriend (THEY LOVE EACH OTHER SO MUCH), you know, reader is extremely affectionate with Neville even in public, hugging him, wanting to kiss him every so often and although it's nice to have his bubble of love, it also gives Neville some fear since he feels Snape's murderous gaze on himself every time his girlfriend wants to express her love xD Snape would be like a jealous father and Neville the son-in-law afraid that Snape would poison him

warnings: yule ball is in fifth year instead of fourth, snape being snape

note: i've been WAITING for someone to send me a neville request, he deserves all the love in the world <3

your parents trusted your uncle severus a whole lot, and part of you believed most of that trust stemmed from the fact that he works at hogwarts and is able to keep a watchful eye on you.

they, as in your parents, have never denied your suspicions, but simply respond with, "uncle severus has shown how much he cares for you, and being a professor at your school is just a bonus."

oh, it was indeed a bonus. but at times it was as if you were suffocating.

you loved neville longbottom more than anything in the world, and him, you.

ever since that god-awful professor gilderoy lockhart had unleashed pixies into the classroom and strung neville high up into the air, questioning, "why me?" neville genuinely believed that he was never going to get a break. however, that changed once he heard the incantation, "wingardian leviosa!" and he felt his body being lifted until he hit the floor.

your second-year self had rushed over to him, asking if he was alright after the fiasco. he looked up at you, eyes wide in admiration while nodding his head, "t-thank you, y/n!"

you had smiled brightly, "of course neville! now, let's give those pixies a piece of our minds, yeah?"

from then on, you and neville were two peas in a pod. he knew of you and your family, yet was never one to judge too quickly. sure, your family had power in the wizarding world, but he never heard of any ties to you-know-who or even the malfoys. maybe you were good.

and that you were.

as time went on, well into your third year, neville had learned that you were genuinely the nicest, sweetest person he had ever known. he knew you like all of his plants, and had even named one of his mallowsweet leaves after you. you had patience for him, were willing to hear him talk about herbology or his parents, or how much gran upset him whenever she said that he would never live up to their family's expectations.

as your friendship evolved, you had eventually told neville of snape's relation to you in your third year, calling him "uncle sev" as neville looked at you as though you had three heads. you wanted neville to know that professor snape just wanted to look after you, and if snape was ever mean to him, you would talk to him.

by fourth year, it was evident that you and neville longbottom were best friends - and uncle severus was not a fan. his rude comments toward neville seemed to intensify and though he wanted to say something to you, he was not one to step into family business. he had never told you about what your uncle would say, but just the glares that he would get from snape if he were around you was enough to shut his mouth.

then, by merlin, on the train to hogwarts in the beginning of your fifth year, neville had asked you to be his girlfriend. while he was unbelievably nervous because he did not want to face snape's wrath, you held his hands in a hidden corridor of the express and he calmed almost immediately. your eyes had lit up and allowed neville to hold your face between his hands, your noses lightly brushing. you had considered that your first kiss.

neville loved you with his whole heart, but sometimes he thought that you actually wanted him killed by professor snape.

you loved showing neville attention, whether it be holding his hand when walking to class, kissing his cheek at breakfast, rubbing noses in the transfiguration courtyard, or, at this present moment, kissing under the starry night of the great hall during the yule ball.

neville had asked you weeks ago when you cuddled in his bed, poster curtains giving you both privacy as he gently ran his fingers over your back. your head was on his chest as his head laid atop of yours, pressing his lips into your hair ever so gently.

"petal," he began, "i know this is probably a given, but would you like to go to the yule ball with me?"

you lifted your head, an adoring smile on your face as you lifted a hand to his cheek, "of course, handsome. i would love to."

neville blushed and pulled you closer, his free hand catching your cheek as you both leaned in, lips meeting in a soft kiss. with a rub of your noses as you both pulled away, you gave a soft laugh, "I'm going to blow your socks off, longbottom."

neville brushed some hair out of your eyes, "you do everyday, petal."

you were right, of course. your dress had simply blown neville away and he was rendered speechless when you had walked down the stairs. you met your boyfriend at the bottom of the staircase, "where are your socks?"

neville chuckled, dipping his head as he grabbed your hand, "off somewhere in the world, i suppose, dove. I'm not sure that I'm ready to show you off to the school, you uncle especially."

you blushed, brushing your nose with his, "I'm only focused on you, nev. plus, my uncle can shove it tonight. now c'mon, i wanna dance with you."

the ball was spectacular, and it was an experience to be within a huge group of students dancing together as music played beautifully in the background. however, through the night, a slow dance was needed, and though neville hadn't seen your uncle severus yet, he was still nervous to put his hands on your waist.

you had looked up at him, settling his nerves immediately. with a small smile, you wrapped both arms around his neck, "just me and you, handsome."

he grasped onto your waist, breathing a bit steadier, "just us, petal." neville leaned down, capturing your lips in a kiss as you sighed, relaxing into him. he had that effect on you, calming you and just allowing you to feel him.

he pulled away, admiration clear in his eyes, "i love you, flower. with all my being."

tears found themselves at your waterline as you smiled at him, holding his cheek in your hand, "and i love you, nev. more than you could ever know."

soon enough, the song ended and you had excused yourself to the bathroom, kissing neville's cheek before you left. he watched you go from one of the pillars, eyes following your figure as far as he could just to see you.

that was until one professor severus snape stepped into his view.

neville let out a yelp, taking a step back and meeting the cold stone of the pillar. severus towered over him and his eyes were the most unkind he had ever seen.

"pr-professor snape, didn't see you there! enjoying the ball?" neville asked, voice full of nerves as he prepared himself for his untimely death.

snape almost growled at neville as he whimpered, "don't play coy with me, longbottom. who do you think you are, kissing my goddaughter like that? did you poison her with amortentia? I'll have you found out, longbottom, and torture you until you are deemed worthy of mercy."

neville stopped shaking, his fear turning into...anger? he furrowed his brows, "amortentia, sir? you really think i would do that to someone as, as beautiful, as kind, as loving as y/n? no, sir, respectfully, you have it all wrong."

snape glared, "watch your words, longbottom."

"no, sir - i think you better watch yours," neville began, "i love your goddaughter, and i am doing everything in my power to keep her safe, to protect her from this world, and she has shown me what it is like to love so strongly, that it hurts. she is my world, professor snape, and while i am deathly afraid of you, she is worth it. so, in the words of my girlfriend, shove it."

both men hadn't realized it, but you were back from the bathroom, directly behind your uncle as neville had confessed everything to snape. your breath hitched, and snape turned around, eyes meeting yours as a smile appeared on your face. snape glanced at neville, the tiniest hint of a smirk on his face, before he turned and kissed your forehead. then, he was off.

you immediately pranced onto neville, kissing him with all the love you could muster. your heart was full, as was his, and neville couldn't stop his heart from beating so fast. neville pulled away, letting you breathe as you laid your hands on his chest.

you played with the buttons on his suit, "he wasn't too mean, was he?"

neville shook his head, "nothing i couldn't handle, flower. all for you."

with a small nod, you looked at neville, "just give him time, you'll grow on him. with the way you put him in his place, seems like you've already proven yourself. not that you need to, nev, uncle sev is just-"

neville rubbed his nose with yours, "i know what you meant, petal. i just hope i didn't overstep and he poisons me tomorrow morning."

you giggled, "oh, my love. you did exactly what he wanted you to do."

neville cupped your cheek, "you're my world, petal. you know that?"

with a smile, you leaned into his hand, "and you're mine, nev. forever and always."

[sweetdejun]

I’ve just had Neville’s Waltz stuck in my head all day and this is fabulously written for it 😭

[bbyunc]

[1:44 PM] You stare at your ex-boyfriend from across the cafe you were in. You usually spent half of your time at this cafe, and you haven’t seen Baekhyun ever since the break up. You admire him as he laughs at something that had appeared on his phone, but what got you interested was the two white mugs in front of him. 

As you were about to go up to him, a beautiful lady walks into the cafe and takes a seat right in front of Baekhyun. You watch him smile as she starts talking and he grabs her hands, his eyes filled with so much love as she laughs at a joke he just made. You watch them and feel your heart break a little. No, a lot. Maybe you weren’t over him like you had thought you were? 

You wish you were her that caused him to smile like that. You were that girl that he said, “I love you,” to everyday. When did it go so wrong?

Once you walked out of the cafe, he was staring at you the entire time. Yes, he did notice you and yes, the girl in front him was very beautiful, but not as beautiful as you were. To be honest, he wasn’t even listening to the lady in front of him. The causes of his smiles? He was thinking of you and your memories together. You left the cafe and he felt so, empty? Was that the word? Broken perhaps?

“Excuse me, but I don’t think this relationship, or whatever this is won’t work. I think you are very kind and sweet, but I-I’m still in love with someone else,” he quickly apologizes and runs off to find you, leaving the heart broken girl there. He ran as fast as he could to find you, to make you his again.

[sweetdejun]

Hi! I saw you were doing a drabble game. Could i get a BTS Jungkook 19 and 17?

Thank you for all your effort and work! 💕

a/n: hii thank you for sending a request! also sorry for the wait there are some things going on in my personal life rn :// PS I really wanted this where the reader and jk are exes, but they’re not on bad terms. it’s a little different but I hope that you like it nevertheless!

prompts: “funny how things turned out, huh?” + "did you just call me 'dude'?"

genre/trope: exes!au, lovers-to-friends!au

warnings: none, unedited

pairing: jeon jeongguk x reader

word count: 716

you should have seen it coming in hindsight. you and jeongguk started as friends, then the two of you began your love affair after some alcohol-induced confessions and kisses one night. things were great between the two of you for a while, but within the past few weeks, you’ve felt the spark that kept things interesting start to drop. pretty soon, the small quirks that used to make your heart flutter stopped leaving you in an enamored state. you think jeongguk has been feeling the same for a while; it would have been not as obvious if you were dating someone who was not observant, but jeongguk knows you inside and out. if he was being completely honest, he was glad that the feeling was mutual. he couldn’t imagine what it would have been like if the spark was only lost on his end. even if he was seeing you less and less as a romantic partner, he had still given you a piece of his heart and he would have been absolutely shattered if you still loved him as much as you did since the beginning. 

after weeks of riding it out, you decided to bite the bullet and have “the talk” with jeongguk. “so, there’s no easy way to put this, guk. I, uh… I wanna tell you that, um,” you started off, but jeongguk raised his hand. “sorry, y/n, but does it maybe have to do with what our relationship is now?” of course he noticed. “yes, I think what I’m trying to say is that we should consider going back to being friends.” “sure.” you both breathed out in relief, and you started laughing. “that was too easy. I was not expecting it to be that easy.” “I’m so glad you feel the same way, though.” 

that brought you to this moment: you were helping jeongguk pack up any of the things that he had left behind at your apartment. “hey, you remember this?” you hear his voice become clearer and turn to see him holding up a beanbag. you held out your palm from a distance, and he tossed the item at you. “of course! that was from our first official date,” you feel the beans inside the cloth and reminisce the time you brought it home. it was from when you guys went to the carnival in town, and for some reason you thought it would be cute to keep a beanbag from one of the competitions, as ‘memorabilia’. jeongguk smiled, “funny how things turned out, huh?” you looked back up at him and the memories are still fresh of your relationship. “I know, right? we thought we’d make it to the end, but here we are.” you shrugged your shoulders, tossing the beanbag in with his stuff. “you don’t wanna keep it?” jeongguk stares at you, but you shake your head. “nah, dude. I’m good, I’ve got the memory, you keep the beanbag.” jeongguk shook his head, “did you just call me 'dude'? never say that again, y/n, please,” and you laugh. “sorry, I won’t say it again, I’ve gotta transition from calling you things like ‘babe’ and ‘love’,” you say and for a moment the room goes silent. perhaps it’s because the two of you know that time isn’t coming back anytime soon. quietly leaning over to pick up the box, jeongguk smiles at you, “thank you for a good time, y/n. you were a great girlfriend and I truly did cherish the time we spent together.” 

“I did too, but hey, the fun doesn’t have to stop! we’re still friends, so if you ever wanna just hang out for the sake of hanging out, my door’s always open for that,” you tell him as the two of you slowly walk towards your door. “this is probably the world’s calmest break up,” jeongguk laughs with the box gripped firmly between his arms, and you giggle back. “I know, right? the world would laugh at us for being so nonchalant about it.” you open the door, and jeongguk gives your place one last glance, before his eyes land on you. “alright, well, I guess it’s goodbye for now, y/n.” you lean up and place a final kiss to jeongguk’s cheek. “I’ll see you later, jeongguk.”

[sweetdejun]

café au lait //w.h.d.

tropes: blind date!au, drummer!hendery x barista!reader (fem.)

synopsis: your friend has been getting on your nerves about getting a boyfriend. but you would rather continue working as a barista, who occasionally gets to admire the drummer that plays with his band on Thursday nights.

word count: 2k YIKES

a/n: I love this trope mix lol, I hope you guys do too! p.s. unedited

"please, just meet the guy, y/n. he's a good person," yangyang began to reason with you, but you simply shake your head, gaze focused on the latte art ordered by a customer moments ago. "that's what you said last time, and do you remember what happened?" yangyang rolls his eyes; you didn't let him forget it. the last time you let yangyang set you up with a date, the guy took you to a bar where shortly after talking, he "went to the bathroom", only to walk to the other end of the room and ended up making out with someone else. that experience left a sour taste in your mouth, and it pushed you away from dating for a while. it was a blessing in disguise because you had more time to dedicate towards your school work and your part-time job, which you absolutely love. you work as a barista in a cafe hidden a few miles away from your college campus, which also happened to be a short walk away from your apartment. but that didn’t stop you from feeling lonely from time to time, and yangyang knew that.

you know yangyang just wants to look out for you, and he's probably sick of hearing you talk his ears off about the drummer from the band that plays at the cafe called 'wavy'. his name is hendery and you try keeping yourself busy with the customers that rush in Thursday nights to hear them play. still, your gaze can't help but follow his movements on stage, passionately headbanging with the music and his charisma radiating into the crowd. he was captivating and you couldn't find a better way to spend your Thursday nights.

"trust me, y/n, this one won't disappoint you. I have known him longer compared to the other guy and he's reliable and loyal." you bite your lip in thought. sure, you’ve had a bad experience once but you need to get your mind off of hendery, because you know you’re not planning on making a move anytime soon. hell, you don’t even think he knows who you are so you may as well give yangyang’s choice another shot. you groan and give yangyang a hesitant nod. “fine, I’ll go out with him, but I promise you, liu yangyang, if this guy is a jerk then I will come after you.” yangyang raises two fists of victory and clicks his tongue. “yes! thanks for trusting me, y/n, I won’t let you down.” later that evening you get a text from yangyang: he’s set up a reservation at some italian place that sounds familiar and has given you a time for 7:00 thursday night. your heart momentarily stops, because you’ll miss the band playing that night. you won’t get to see hendery this week. “let’s hope this stupid date is worth missing his performance,” you mumble to yourself, locking your screen and carrying on with the evening.

the time crept by so fast, you didn’t realize when you were standing in front of your mirror getting ready for the evening you’ve gradually grown to anticipate. you took the evening off and when your coworkers asked why and you told them that you had a blind date, half of them cheered you on and the other half guffawed because they know about your previous experience. still, you didn’t let the anxieties of that event get to you and you knew that if you tried to have fun you’d be giving yourself, yangyang and the guy a fair shot as well. so, here you are now, standing at the door of the restaurant and you can hear your heartbeat in your ears. you walk into the grandiose restaurant, and approach the front desk. “hello,” you start, “I have a reservation, under the name liu?” the man behind the counter looks down at his screen and he says, “oh, the other member of your party just checked in! let me lead you there, follow me, please!” your hands get clammier by the second but you tail the greeter as he leads you to your awaited date. just then, you feel your phone vibrate and you check and see it’s from a coworker. the text reads: “you lucked out tonight, wavy’s not playing” they’ve never skipped out on a performance before, you wonder. you put your phone in your bag and watch as the greeter comes to a stop. all you can see of your date is the mop of jet black hair, and his back which is facing you.

“here you are, ma’am. enjoy your dinner,” the greeter gives you a smile before leaving you to take a seat. the boy sitting turns around and your heart stops. “hi, I’m hendery.” he stands up and offers you his hand. “hello, I’m Y/N,” you manage to find your voice to say, gently placing your hand in his, in an effort to shake it. instead, hendery surprises you by bringing the back of your hand up to his mouth, placing a fragile peck on it. “it’s so nice to meet you, Y/N. here, come sit.” and he lets go of your hand to run over to the other side of the table to pull your chair out for you.

you both are given menus shortly after you exchange some small talk, and as you scan over the pasta options, you look up at hendery. you’ve gotta say, he cleans up really nicely, compared to the usual muscle tees and skinny jeans you’re used to seeing him in. his hair still holds the same middle part you’ve come to adore. then you think you’re being creepy, but you bite the bullet anyway when you say to him, “you play for wavy, right?” his gaze lifts up from the menu and goes straight to your eyes. you can see he’s surprised. “yes, I play the drums… how did you know?” your eyes widen comically and you shake your head, “I swear I’m not a stalker or anything, I just.. I’ve seen you play at the coffee shop I work at.” you’re rambling, and you tell yourself ‘shut up’ like it’s a mantra but hendery just stares back at you, thinking you are nothing short of adorable. “you’re the barista that works the late shifts when we play, then?” you sheepishly nod and he laughs. “I’ve been told by my bandmates that there’s a certain barista that ogles at me, is that you?” at this point, your mouth is hanging wide open and you scoff, “I do not ogle! and for your information, I am not the only barista that works the thursday night shift so it could very much be someone else.” hendery leans back in his chair and watches you, his expression softening. “that’s too bad then.”

over the course of the dinner, you learn that hendery actually went to school for acting, but then discovered his passion for music instead. he has three older sisters, his favorite color is pink, and since he’s moved to the city he has been homesick from time to time. of course, you’ve shared some stuff about yourself to him as well: you tell him that you love your job as a barista (throwing in a few funny and crazy customer stories here and there throughout the evening), you live in the city but drive out to visit your family who lives in a suburb nearby, and you have a favorite spot in a park that not a lot of people know about. “only special people get to see this place,” you tell him before taking a sip of your drink. “I hope I get to be one of those special people,” hendery says with a smile. a wave of courage hits you when you slyly respond, "maybe one day. now, I don't know about you, but I can go for a cup of coffee, so why don't we get out of here?"

hendery doesn't let you pay the bill ("you can get me coffee, y/n, but let me cover the meal") and you two take a short walk over to a nearby coffee shop. you are greeted with the sweet smell of coffee brewing as soon as the two of you step inside, and as much as people think you'd get sick of the smell, you haven't. "hi! what can I get you two today?" the barista greets the two of you, and you order a cafe au lait, while hendery scans the menu. "you know what, I'll have what she's having." after paying her, the barista leans in and whispers, "you two make a really cute couple, I had to let you know!" you bashfully smile and hendery replies to her, "it's our first date, but I think this one's a keeper," and he turns to send you a wink. you playfully nudge his arm and he laughs, leading the two of you to the pick-up counter. once your coffees are ready, you take them and start to embark on the long (but it feels short) walk back to your cars. the two of you chat for a bit, enjoying the weather but mostly relishing in each other's presence. as hendery sips on his coffee, you ask him with your chin in the palm of your hand, "how's the coffee by the way?"

"it's good! it's a cafe.."

"au lait," you finish and he nods. "it's good. I usually stick with an iced-americano because I never know what to expect with all these fancy-named drinks." you laugh, failing to observe the growing smile on hendery's face as he watches your nose scrunch cutely. "you can count on me to teach you coffee 101, as long as you would be willing to teach me how to play the drums," you tell him, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. once you see your car in the vicinity, you slow the pace of your steps, and hendery follows your speed. there's a restlessness in the air because the night is almost over and it's apparent that neither of you wants it to end. hendery huffs after a moment of silence and turns to you, eyes boring into your own, and with determination, he asks, "I would like to see you again, y/n if that's okay with you? it's been so long since I've started dating again, and I genuinely enjoyed every minute of tonight. I want to get to know you more, y/n." you blink up at him, and heat creeps up your neck but you bite your lip and nod. "I would like that, hendery. I had a great time tonight as well." hendery lights up and as you unlock your car with one hand, he reaches for the other one. stunned, you turn to him and he pulls you into a warm embrace. his arms wrap around you and it feels nice. you return the action, bringing your arms up around his torso. it feels like it's only been a few seconds, but you get an annoying buzz in your back pocket (who you assume is yangyang) that startles you. you reluctantly let go of hendery, chuckling when you hear a small sound of displeasure from him.

"I've gotta go now, hendery. thank you for an amazing evening," you tell him and you sit in your car, and once you start your car, hendery jolts in his spot and knocks on your window. you roll it down, and he scratches the back of his head, "I forgot to ask for your number." you giggle, and give him the ten digits he's longed for all evening. "I've just sent you a text," he says and starts to walk backward, waving at you. "text me when you get home, y/n!" your heart warms at the gesture. "I will, hendery! drive safe!" you yell out as his silhouette gradually gets smaller. "you too! bye!" moments later, the two of you have gone your separate ways, and as soon as you get home you remind yourself to do two things: 1) text yangyang about the details of the evening (of course, you must not forget to thank him as well) and 2) text hendery that you've made it home safely, with a smile on your face and the rapid beating of your heart.

[sweetdejun]

okay just realized after going back and reading that for some reason, a portion of the original story was pasted again into the middle >:( I just fixed it LMFAO sorry about that

[sweetdejun]

Hi! Here for the drabble game! Jungkook+7?

Thank you, your writings are amazing!

a/n: ahhhh sorry this took so long! I hope you like it!

prompt: "are you jumping into the pool, or should I come out and push you in?"

genre/trope: fluff, best friends to lovers!au, crush!au

warnings: none

pairing: jeon jeongguk x reader

word count: 638

“my pool is waiting for you, y/n!” jeongguk’s head popped out from under the water, nodding at you as you flipped the page in your book. “I told you, jeongguk, I didn’t bring clothes with me!” in all honesty, you had no idea that when jeongguk asked you to come over to “enjoy the beautiful day”, it meant to join him in his house pool. you didn’t end up bringin any clothes, and for what it’s worth, you would rather watch jeongguk swim around than yourself; at least that way, you could watch his toned back and arms float on the surface as he swam from one end of the pool to the other. he’s your best friend, but you wished at times that he was more. you’ve quietly harbored your crush on jeongguk and you hoped that the secret stayed with you; you’d be terrified if he ever found out. 

“y/n! you can borrow some of my clothes to change into afterwards, okay? now are you jumping into the pool, or should I come out and push you in?" putting your book down, you huff at the floating boy in the water, squinting your eyes in annoyance. “fine! you’re so annoying sometimes!” jeongguk smiled wide, “yeah, but you love me anyway.” you stripped down to your undergarments, unaware of jeongguk’s shameless stare at the curves and edges of your now exposed body. he ducks his head underwater in fear of you catching him in the act, but it’s going to be difficult to keep his composure in front of you. he’s found himself starting to wonder what certain experiences would be like with you: a romantic walk on the beach, or an evening quite like this one. 

the goosebumps on your skin rise as you step into the pool, teeth chattering at the sudden change in temperature. “it’s freezing, jeongguk.” he hopped over to you, “don’t worry, you’ll adjust to the temperature. isn’t this much better than sitting out in the heat?” you roll your eyes, “if you’re building up the ‘I told you so’ moment, I’d rather swim a few laps.” 

when the sun went down, and both yours and jeongguk’s fingers shriveled up like prunes, you decided to get out of the pool. dripping to the nearest bathroom, you turned on the shower and hopped in. you were so engrossed in your shower that you didn’t notice a hand prop some fresh clothes on the dry sink before quickly shutting the door. jeongguk was on his phone, in a new set of clothes and damp hair, when he heard the sound of your footsteps and looked up. his ears went red at the sight of you in his clothes. you sat down next to him on the couch, and turned to look at him.

“thanks for letting me borrow your clothes, jeongguk.” he smiled back softly, “no worries, y/n. you know you never have to thank me.” his eyes went down to your lips and with his heart beating, a rush of adrenaline inclined him to say, “I’ve always wanted to see you in my clothes.” the tension between the two of you grew so thick you could slice it until you decided fuck it. you leaned in and placed your lips on his, and at first, jeongguk was frozen. but then, you felt him kiss you back, reaching to hold your face in the palm of his hand. once you felt the bottom of your lungs begin to burn, you hesitantly pulled way, breathing hard and staring into jeongguk’s eyes, who was trying to hide his nervousness behind a smile. “I’ve always wanted to kiss you,” you whisper at him and he looks at you like you’re the only thing that matters in the world. “me, too, y/n. me too.”

[sweetdejun]

i’ve started a summer job so the jungkook (x 2), yangyang and winwin requests will be a little late! i’m working on them whenever I get time!! thanks for the patience my loves muahhhh

[sweetdejun]

hii! can i request 18-20 +nct haechan? thank youu

a/n: I wasn't sure if you wanted 18 and 20 only, or 18,19, and 20... so I did the latter, lol. I hope you like it!

prompts: "you're too cute" + "did you just call me 'dude'?" + "get your butt over here and kiss me"

genre/trope: fluff, humor/ established relationship!au

warnings: a little bit of swearing

pairing: lee haechan x reader

word count: 517

moving was always a pain; it doesn’t matter how many times in your life you’ve had to experience it, the process was never easier. thankfully, this time you weren’t moving alone. “that’s the last one, I am fucking exhausted,” your boyfriend, donghyuck huffs as he sets the cardboard box on the ground before bellyflopping onto the couch, the only piece of furniture in its rightful spot. you patted the back of his leg, and he moved over, to allow you to sit next to him. you looked down at him endearingly and used your hand to run your fingers through his locks. “you’ve done well today, babe! thanks for helping me out!” he looked up at you and puckered his lips, to which you laughed and bent down to peck him. “now, how’s dinner sound? it’s on me!” donghyuck gets up, and you shake your head. “no, I’ll get it! you’ve spent the entire day helping me move boxes, donghyuck, the least I could do is get us dinner.” “y/n, I would be a terrible boyfriend if I let you pay. let me take care of it, you can get us next time!” he stood up and picked up his phone to look for delivery places nearby.

“dude! you said that last time! I’ll take care of it, let me pay, please?” donghyuck froze and looked up at you from his phone. “did you just call me ‘dude’?” you blinked, confused. “yeah, I guess it slipped out.” donghyuck pouted and dragged his feet to the kitchen, huffing. 

you giggled, “what, you don’t like it?” “no, y/n, I don’t like it when you call me ‘dude’. it sounds so weird coming from you.” you stood up from the couch and turned towards him, “sorry, babe! I won’t call you ‘dude’ anymore,” you tell him but you can’t stop the chuckle that follows your sentence, and donghyuck turns to you, “y/n! you’re laughing at me! it’s not weird, most guys don’t like it when their girlfriends call them that!” “I can’t help it! you’re too cute! I’m not making fun, I promise!” the pout on donghyuck’s mouth shrunk and he smiled a little at seeing you relax a little; the moving process must’ve been stressful for you if it’s the first time he’s seen you loosen up all day. “alright, I believe you. make it up to me and get your butt over here and kiss me.” you coo at your boyfriend as he lifts his arms open, inviting you in an embrace. you beeline quickly to him and wrap your arms around his torso, and lean up to place a gentle kiss on his lips. he kisses back, trying to add more fervor to the kiss when you were interrupted by a grumbling stomach. you pulled away and he groaned. “donghyuck, why don’t we get some food in your system first? I’m starving, too.” he nodded and pressed his lips against your forehead, and pulled your body closer to his. “I’ll order in a minute, let’s just stay like this for a little bit longer.”

[jung-koook]

he’s so precious ♡