summary. ni-ki loves interrupting his girlfriends rants with kisses. pairing. bf!ni-ki x gf!reader. mentions. established relationship, kissing (duh), skinship, fluff, just a quick thing i felt like writing sorry if it’s so short lol 🫠
y/n wasn’t sitting still.
her apartment was quiet except for the sound of her voice filling the living room where her and her boyfriend sat with a half-finished cup of tea abandoned on the coffee table beside an open bag of snacks and a plush blanket thrown over both of their legs. y/n, however, was too worked up to notice any of it.
she sat cross legged on the couch, her hands flying everywhere as she talked. every word came out faster than the last, her voice rising and falling in exasperated little bursts as she retold a story for what had to be the third time.
“she literally said- no, wait, you’re not even listening- riki, this is important!”
riki was listening. just… maybe not in the way she wanted.
he was sprawled beside her with one arm lazily stretched along the back of the couch, his tall body turned toward her. his leg bounced as he watched her with quiet amusement, brown eyes teasing every little movement she made instead of focusing on the actual story.
there was something almost unfair about how cute she looked when she was annoyed; her cheeks were flushed a pretty pink, brows drawn together, lips moving so quickly he could barely keep up. every now and then she’d pause for a second like she expected him to react more dramatically.
instead, he smirked lightly, “you’re cute when you’re mad, you know.”
she froze mid-sentence, staring at him.
“did you just call me cute? i’m literally trying to tell you something-”
“yeah.” he shrugged, utterly unfazed, “i know.”
her mouth dropped open, “see this is what i mean! you’re not taking this seriously. i’m trying to tell you what happened and you’re-”
she didn’t even get to finished because in one swift motion, riki had pushed himself upright and leaned in, his hand coming up to gently catch her wrist. before she could scold him for moving or doing anything but listening to her, his lips were pressed against hers in a quick kiss - it was soft enough to feel like a tease but perfectly timed to cut off her words. just enough to leave her momentarily speechless.
when he pulled back, her brain took a second longer to catch up than she’d like to admit. she blinked up at her boyfriend who was smiling like he was way too pleased with himself.
“..what…”
“sorry.” he said, clearly not sorry at all, “you were talking too much.”
her jaw dropped, “excuse me?”
riki softly laughed under his breath. his hand was still loosely wrapped around her wrist and his thumb started brushing absentminded circles against her skin, “i was listening!” he added, “but you looked like you needed a break.”
“i did not-”
he leaned in again. another kiss. this time, it was a lot softer and a lot more deliberate, lingering for a few seconds enough to make her thoughts melt into complete static.
when he pulled away, there was a playful glint in his brown eyes that made her stomach flip despite herself.
“continue.”
y/n stared at him in disbelief because how dare he think she could actually continue talking after what he’d just done. he knew the affect he had on her, what his kisses did to her, and she was completely thrown off now. all the frustration from earlier had tangled up with the warmth creeping onto her cheeks.
“you’re unbelievable.”
“mhm,” he hummed, “go on.”
she tried. she really did.
“a-and then she said that i was being dramatic, and-” her words faltered slightly when his touch slipped from her hand and went to her waist, his fingers resting there like it was the most natural thing in the world and he hadn’t just short-circuited her thoughts.
“and?” he prompted, watching her closely now. her breath hitched.
“and…” y/n repeated, but there was no bite left in her tone because his thumb was rubbing softly into her side, completely distracting, grounding and infuriatingly gentle. his fingers skimmed the edge of her top, dangerously close to sneaking under her shirt and it was driving her insane.
suddenly, whatever the hell she’d been upset about felt very, very far away.
“lost your train of thought?”
she narrowed her eyes at him but there was no real annoyance left - just a warm, flustered kind of frustration, “this is your fault.”
“probably.”
y/n huffed and crossed her arms, though she didn’t move even an inch.
“…she said i was dramatic...” she tried again. her tone was a little quieter but riki still caught it, he still revelled in her cute little sigh of irritation and the way she suddenly got so shy under his gaze.
he nodded slowly, leaning closer a bit more and flashing her that smile he knew made her weak in the knees, “yeah?”
“and i said-”
he kissed her again. this one was longer than the others, still just as soft, still just as distracting. his lips slotted over hers like they were made to mould together, and his arm slid from the side of her waist to her back, pulling her until she was practically glued to him. y/n inhaled sharply as her words dissolved completely, yet she still kissed him back, still let her hand travel to his chest as if wanting to push him away but she didn’t have it in her to.
when he pulled back after basically stealing her breath, words and thoughts all at once, riki grinned down at her, unable to hide it.
“sorry, baby.” he muttered, voice dipped in mischief.
y/n stared at her boyfriend for a second before lightly shoving his shoulder, “stop interrupting me!”
“then finish your story.”
she opened her mouth to argue but then she noticed the way he was looking at her: attentive and amused, soft in a way he didn’t show often. he was enjoying this, and she knew he loved teasing her, he did it practically ten times a day which is why that look alone made it impossible to stay mad.
“…you’re so annoying.” she mumbled. riki just smiled that cute, boyish, boxy smile she loved so much, the one that made his features soften so sweetly, and she just knew she couldn’t ever stay mad at him.
“mhm, but you like me.” he playfully leaned forward and grazed his nose against hers before pressing a tiny peck to her cheek. y/n tried to roll her eyes but the breathy chuckle she let out gave her away.
“…maybe.”
“good.” both his arms slipped around her waist then, pulling her fully into his side until she was tucked comfortably against him. the blanket shifted around them as she instinctively curled closer, one arm wrapping around his middle.
riki planted a soft kiss to her hairline.
“now…” he kissed again, closer to her temple, “finish your rant.”
ᥫ᭡ drabble. loving on ni-ki’s moles. mentions. established relationship, fluff, kissing.
“this one is my favourite.”
riki hums a low, sleepy sound in return - a mix of contentment and amusement as he burrows, “we’re barely awake and you’re already up to something..”
y/n smiles at his raspy voice but continues trailing her fingertip down the side of his cheek. they’re both lying in bed, tangled under the hefty pile of blankets that she insists on keeping on her bed because ‘it gets cold at night when he’s not there with her’. riki’s eyes are half-lidded with sleep as he nuzzles closer into his girlfriend’s side.
his hair tickles her forehead and she fondly smiles to herself as her finger pauses on the tiny mole just beneath his eye.
she leans down to press a gentle kiss to that mole, soft and lingering on his supple skin. her breath is a feathery whisper as she murmurs, “shh… just let me.”
her lips start leaving feather-light kisses on each little mark that reveals itself to her sight. a few on his temple, another along the curve of his cheek, one more at the side of his jaw, two at his collarbone - she can’t help it, each one feels like a secret treasure only she gets to cherish and see up close.
riki tilts his head slightly, sighing, eyes fluttering closed, “…stop, baby..” he murmurs, voice half-protesting, half-melted on the spot.
his hands rest on hers as he stubbornly yet happily lets her continue. her fingers thread through his hair at the back of his neck gently, tugging him ever so slightly closer to her incessant pecking. she presses more soft kisses along his neck, each mole a tiny point she marks with her lips.
“you’re perfect…” her voice tickles his skin when she kisses the mole on his chin, “every little part of you. every little beauty mark and mole… perfect.”
one by one, she maps out the constellation of tiny dots on his flesh, nuzzling her nose against him between each kiss. and riki doesn’t mind. he never does when it comes to her being clingy and loving - in fact, he’s probably exactly where he wants to be but won’t admit it. yet he tightens his hold on her hand and a sleepy smile tugs at his plump lips, a rush of warmth spreading through his chest.
“mmm… you’re insane.”
“yeah?” y/n chuckles softly, kissing just at the side of his nose, “you love me either way.”
he sighs contentedly when she brushes a strand of his dark hair out of his eyes. his body instinctively curls closer to her warmer one as his free hand moves to rest across her waist, gently dragging her closer. there was no doubt in his mind that even in the quiet, half-asleep morning haze of their bedroom, his favourite place to be would be right there. with her. all cozy and tangled and utterly safe as she cherishes the constellation of beauty marks on his skin.
summary. reader randomly asks them to marry her. pairing. bf!skz hyung line x gf!reader. mentions. fluff, literally just them being the sweetest kings ever
hyung line / maknae line
bang chan
chan’s studio always felt different past midnight - a lot quieter, warm, almost like the walls themselves sighed in relief. the monitors glowed in soft blues and purples, reflecting off of the loose curls falling into his eyes. he sat hunched over his computer in an old, oversized hoodie and a brown cap practically falling off the back of his head.
y/n sat curled up next to him, scrolling mindlessly on her phone. the entire couch was there, yet the two of them still sat so huddled together, each in their own worlds, like it was instinct. the blanket kept half-sliding off her shoulder and chan kept tugging it back up without looking - he did it automatically, gently, the way he always cared for her even when he was busy.
her phone had been thrown in her lap for a while now. she was staring at him, watching him and smiling at the way he mumbled at the screen or quietly hummed. he was focused, but in that soft sleepy way where his shoulders relaxed and his eyes drooped just a bit.
maybe it was the hour, or the lighting, or the tiredness catching up to her, or maybe just the fact that she loved him more than she loved anything else in the world.
but the worlds slipped out without warning.
“chan.. marry me.”
his finger froze over the keyboard. his cursor stopped. his breathing stuttered. his entire existence practically stopped functioning.
slowly, painfully slowly, he turned to her with wide eyes and ears that were already gradually flushing pink.
“what?” his voice cracked, making him sound like a startled teenager instead of the very composed, very responsible leader and boyfriend he usually was. y/n only shrugged and pulled the blanket closer around her frame, letting his scent surround her just a little more.
“i said marry me.” she repeated like it was the most natural thing in the world, “i’d say yes, you know.”
chan let out a noise that wasn’t even a breath but more like his soul leaving his body. he blinked, lips parted, and exhaled like someone had punched him directly in his emotions.
he didn’t realise his hand was shaking when he bought it up to drag through his hair, knocking his cap off his head. then his other hand came up until both of them froze at once. his fingers scrambled like he was trying to reboot his entire system.
“baby, you can’t just… drop the m-word like that.” he slightly stammered with a huff that kind of sounded like a nervous laugh, “my heart is doing parkour. like, literally jumping against my ribs- fuck.”
y/n leaned her head against her hand and bit her lip to hide a smile at how clearly affected he was, “does the idea scare you?”
“what? no! no, it doesn’t scare me, that’s- that’s exactly the problem.” he buried his face into the sleeves of his hoodie, curling his shoulders inwards as if that would protect him from how utterly flustered he was.
“y/n, i- i need a warning before you stay stuff like that.” he groaned, “i think i ascended for a second.”
she playfully rolled her eyes at his dramatics before laughing quietly. it was soft and breathy but beautiful in the way chan loved more than he wanted to admit. it made him finally peek up at her again with nervous eyes that were soft around the edges.
slowly, the panic melted, revealing something warmer. something real.
“you’re serious?” he asked, voice low now. careful. vulnerable.
“i was joking at first but i don’t think i am now.” she replied, voice small but steady and chan’s face softened so completely it looked like his entire body unclenched.
he let out a little shaky breath and reached for her, gentle but urgent, like he needed to feel her heartbeat under his hands. he tugged her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her waist as if anchoring himself to her.
y/n settled against him easily, legs draped over his, forehead brushing his jaw. he only held her tighter, as if he was afraid she might disappear.
“i’d marry you.” he murmured into her hair, “one day. when it’s right. when i can give you everything you deserve.”
she smiled in response with her cheek pressed against his chest, listening to the way his heartbeat sped up like he couldn’t even help it, “i just want you.”
that did him in. completely.
he leaned back enough to see her face, enough to cup her cheeks with those warm, tired, slightly trembling hands of his - thumbs brushing her skin so tenderly it made her eyes flutter shut. chan leaned forward and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to her lips; a kiss that seemed to express everything he wasn’t able to say in his nervousness.
y/n’s fingers slowly grasped his wrists but she kissed him back nonetheless, letting him engulf her completely. it was quiet, save for the loud beating of both of their hearts. when he pulled away, he stayed close, letting his breath linger with hers, his lips hover over hers.
“then you already have the important part.” he whispered.
lee know
lee know’s kitchen always smelled like something comforting - garlic sizzling, broth simmering, or in tonight’s case, vegetables frying in perfect, even slices. it wasn’t a big kitchen but somehow, he made it feel like one. everything had a place, everything moved with him, and everything obeyed his quiet little clicks of annoyance or approval.
he cooked like he danced: precise, focused, almost annoyingly graceful. even the way he shook the pan had rhythm, like the vegetables were following some choreography only he knew.
y/n sat on the counter beside him.
her feet were clad in his slippers, her body engulfed with one of his knitted sweaters and she swung her feet against the cabinet in a gentle thud that didn’t match his rhythm at all - he would’ve complained about it if he wasn’t pretending not to care.
everytime he turned around, she stole something from the chopping board: a carrot piece disappearing the moment his back faced her, then a piece of bell pepper. and when he turned back, she was only chewing innocently, eyes neutral and brows raised as she avoided eye contact.
“those are for the pan.” minho muttered.
she stole another carrot piece right infront of him, “oops.”
he clicked his tongue and shook his head affectionately. he tried to look annoyed, like usual, but the corners of his mouth betrayed him as a stubborn smile took over. the one he tried to hide, the one she collected like a reward every time and smugly smiled to herself, proud.
minho reached a hand up to brush a strand of hair from his forehead, and despite everything, he handed her a cleanly cut piece anyway.
y/n watched him as he worked on their dinner: sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a cute barely-there pout on his lips, his favourite apron tied around his hips - the one that had tiny paw prints at the front and was only his favourite because she had bought it for him.
his focus was split between the two pans on the stove and making sure she didn’t eat all of their chopped vegetables before he even had a chance to cook them. his expression was half focused and half ‘i’m judging you but lovingly’ and y/n indulged in it, stubbornly.
maybe that’s why the words tumbled out of her mouth whilst her head was tilted, staring at him, utterly in love.
“minho… marry me.”
his hand froze on the spoon.
for a full three seconds, he froze. didn’t move. didn’t blink. didn’t breathe.
then, as if the lee know in him suddenly returned, he snapped his head to her, giving her the most lee know look possible: a mix of disbelief, ‘i heard you’ and ‘you better explain yourself before i combust.’
“..right now?” he asked flatly, “like this?”
“mhm.” she teased, “whenever you want.”
he nodded down to himself, “i mean, i look good enough. you look questionable, but i guess that’s fine if it’s just us two.”
y/n’s jaw dropped at his teasing and she reached forward to push at his arm, “minho, i’m serious.”
the sound of the pan and the overhead fan was the only sound in the room for a few seconds as he put the spoon down and lowered the heat. then, almost skillfully, he slid himself between her knees. the soft press of his palms against her thighs caged her in, not forcefully but more protectively.
his face leaned closer to hers and she could feel his breath against her lips. his brown eyes searched hers carefully, with that sharpness he used when he was trying to understand something delicate - and y/n swore her heart almost leaped out of her chest.
“you’re serious?” he asked quietly.
she nodded, small but certain.
his smile faded slightly and he leaned in even closer, letting his fingers graze her waist lightly - almost hesitant and shy - as if this moment mattered to him more than he wanted to admit.
“you don’t really make this easy for me, you know?”
y/n let out a breathy laugh. her hands came up to rest against the sides of his body - she reciprocated his touch equally lovingly before letting her fingers travel to his back and he let them travel all over his muscles.
before she could even say anything else, he leaned in and kissed her. it was slow, soft but sure in a way that made her legs tighten against his sides. he kissed her like he was giving her an answer he wasn’t ready to give out loud yet. like the sudden statement shook something in him, and this kiss was his way of steadying himself.
when he finally pulled away, after a good minute of indulging the sweet taste of her lips, he didn’t move far.
“if you ask me again properly, i might just show up tomorrow with the paperwork.” he muttered into the space between their lips.
y/n’s breath stuttered and she looked up into his eyes with a look of disbelief but not complaint, “you’re kidding.”
just like that, minho stepped away and back towards the stove like nothing happened. his shoulders suddenly relaxed while he turned up the heat under the pan, resuming their dinner like hadn’t just kissed her thoughts numb.
she sat there, shocked to her core, her lips still tingling.
“who said i’m kidding?” he replied, coolly, “you should be careful, i take things literally.”
but his ears were bright red.
and his lips held a smile he rarely ever let anyone see. a real smile. and she saw it when he moved over to the fridge, knowing that her mindless words hadn’t only shook something between them, but opened a possibility to more.
changbin
y/n and changbin were strolling through a quiet night market - one that had recently opened for christmas, and only truly woke up after sunset.
the air buzzed with faint chatter, sizzling oil, sugary steam and the familiar scent of grilled meat that clung to clothes like a souvenir. strings of golden lights hung overhead, swaying gently with the early-winter breeze.
changbin had already eaten twice.. maybe three times? y/n had lost count.
but he was still scanning the stalls like a man on a noble quest.
“do you want tteok skewers?” he asked suddenly, turning to his girlfriend with an intensity of someone discovering treasure.
“you just had tteok.” she reminded him.
“yeah but that was the past. i’m a changed man now.”
y/n giggled and bumped her shoulder with his playfully. he bumped back gently - like it was instinct, this natural teasing between them. their arms brushed every few steps, and each time, she felt a tiny spark crawl up her spine.
they walked in a comfortable silence; under the warm lights that washed over changbin’s face, turning his eyes soft. his hat was pulled low as the ends of his hair peeked out and he looked… stupidly handsome. effortlessly charming in that specific changbin way - boyish confidence mixed with pure chaos.
he pointed at another nearby stall; this one was selling light-up toys, the kind kids usually begged their parents for.
“oh my God, it glows!” he announced, “i’m getting it.”
y/n sighed, giving him a look, “binnie, that’s for kids.”
“okay.” he replied calmly, “am i not allowed to follow my joy?”
she rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless, following him as he marched over and paid for the tiny glowing sword like it was a collector’s item. she didn’t question him further - if he was happy, then she was too, even if it was with a stupid tiny sword.
a little later on, they wandered into the row of closed market stalls. it was more quiet here, very dim but peaceful. the only light came from old streetlamps humming above them as changbin walked a few steps ahead, swinging his glowing sword in slow, dramatic arcs.
and it hit her- so suddenly it stole her breath.
his shoulders looked broad under his jacket. his cheeks were flushed and warm-looking. he was smiling to himself, content in the simplest of moments. he looked… happy. with her. around her. because of her.
her chest tightened and her feelings felt like they were about to overflow.
he turned around to look at her, or more to see where she was since she’d been quiet for a while. he smiled at her and she smiled back, warmly, sweetly, and perhaps that’s why the words slipped out of her mouth before she could process what she was even doing.
“marry me, bin.”
he froze mid-swing.
“huh?” he said and his eyes widened with the most baffled expression - like she’d just spoken in some ancient dialect. it took a second for y/n to actually realise what she said, and instantly, she felt her whole soul leave her body.
her lips parted and she was immediately sputtering out words, anything to stop the embarrassment from leaking through, anything to stop herself from punting into the river nearby “i- i didn’t mean that literally-”
“you said marry me.” he blinked slowly like he had to replay the sound in his head, “to me.”
his voice had changed. it was lower now, quieter, almost too soft. not teasing or joking like he usually was but rather stunned. y/n’s stomach flipped violently and she covered her face with both hands with a groan.
“i wasn’t- just forget it. please.”
“no. no, absolutely not.” his reaction was immediate, firm but gentle. he reached out and curled his fingers lightly around her wrist, urging her to move her hands away from her face. his touch wasn’t forceful - it never was with her - but it was warm, steady, grounding, like he needed to see her eyes to understand what she truly felt and meant.
“explain.” his eyes locked onto hers, “what does that mean? was it a joke? or because i’m cute? or- wait-” he raised his glowing sword dramatically, “is it this? did this sword finally push me into irresistible territory?”
“changbin, please.” y/n groaned, wishing the universe would just swallow her whole.
up close, she could see it - the way he was trying (and failing) not to smile too big. his dimples twitched dangerously, threatening to appear any second. he saw her embarrassed expression and he couldn’t deny how much he actually liked hearing those words fall from her lips.
so changbin did what he always did best, he tried to lighten the mood, to make her not feel as crap about the situation. suddenly, he cleared his throat with theatrical intensity and straightened up his posture like some prince.
“well… if you’re gonna propose, you could atleast kneel down.”
she shoved his shoulder instantly, “i didn’t propose.”
changbin stumbled dramatically with a wounded gasp, clutching his chest like she’d stabbed him with the toy sword, “so you’re saying you don’t wanna marry me?”
“i didn’t say that either.”
his brows shot up so fast it was a miracle they didn’t fly off his face. and just to y/n’s luck, his whole expression lit up like he’d just solved a mystery, and she knew exactly what that look meant.
she knew the teasing would be never-ending from here on out, and her cheeks burned even more.
“ohhh.” he dragged, mischief gathering in his eyes like sparks, “so it’s like a… future potential thing. interesting. very interesting. good to know.”
“stop twisting my words, bin..”
but it was too late.
he was already shining, smiling, grinning like he’d just won a prize she didn’t know she’s given him. his dimples were fully out. eyes crinkled. cheeks tinged pink. instantly, he slung an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as they started walking down the path again.
his warmth seeped straight through his jacket, enough to warm her up despite her cheeks and neck already burning up. his scent, his closeness, his touch, it all settled into her bones in a way that had her heart tripping over itself. he didn’t seem affected at all by what she said now.
in fact, he was beaming, like he was actually happy she’d said it. like she’d just opened a possibility in their relationship, and changbin didn’t mind.
“don’t worry.” he said softly, delicately tapping her head with the glowing sword like he was knighting her, “one day, i’ll propose first. and when i do, you won’t even see it coming. i’ll shock the life out of you.”
she rolled her eyes but her face was on fire, and he absolutely knew it.
“you’re impossible.”
“and yet,” he squeezed her even closer to himself, holding back the urge to kiss her senseless, “you’re the one who wants to marry me.”
she groaned into her hands again, completely mortified beyond belief. but his laugh - bright, full and so happy it echoed between the closed shopfronts - filled the quiet night around them.
he laughed like she’d given him something priceless.
and honestly, maybe she had.
hyunjin
hyunjin’s apartment always felt like an art studio disguised as a home: canvases leaning against walls, brushes soaking in jars of warm water, the faint scent of acrylic paint lingering in the air.
the golden hour sun spilled across the hardwood tiles, bathing everything in its peaceful light, including the boy sitting cross-legged on the living room floor with a half-finished canvas in front of him.
y/n watched from the doorway as hyunjin hummed along to the soft music filtering in through his speaker in the corner. she watched him with that same awe she always felt when seeing him in his element - lip between his teeth as he stroked white paint onto the canvas. his hair was collected messily in one of her hair ties, fingers dotted with random flecks of gold and blue paint and hyunjin looked completely at peace.
completely absorbed. completely himself.
he didn’t notice her until she placed two mugs of tea on the coffee table next to him. she sat down behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“hi, angel.” hyunjin murmured without turning his head but leaning back into her touch instinctively.
her chin came to rest gently on his shoulder, “you’ve been painting for hours.”
“mmm.” he dipped his brush again, “time moves different when i’m creating.”
“it moves different when you’re ignoring me.” she teased.
he instantly scoffed, dramatically, “never. i could never ignore the love of my life.”
she rolled her eyes playfully, “hyun, you didn’t hear me calling your name three times.”
he froze mid-stroke and slowly turned around to face her. she had that teasing, bright, loving glint in her eye but he only gave her an offended glare, “i was in the zone. i thought you respected the zone.”
“the zone is fake.”
“take that back.” he gasped.
she laughed and hyunjin visibly softened - he always did at that sound.
he then fully turned to his side so that he was sitting between her legs. his eyes caught sight of the mugs on the table and he reached for his, taking a delightful, quick sip of the hot beverage.
“mm, thank you for the tea.” he muttered, taking another sip in satisfaction.
y/n chuckled under her breath and grabbed her own mug to take a sip. he was fully immersed for a few seconds and y/n took the chance to look at him properly - he had paint dotting the corners of his cheeks, a smear of white paint on his forehead from where he was moving his hair out of the way.
in some way, he looked ethereal but completely stupid at the same time.
hyunjin, voice now a lot softer and calm, looked at her curiously, “why were you calling me anyway?”
“hm?” her brows raised at his words. she suddenly forgot why she was calling him in the first place, too caught up in staring at him work, “oh, nothing serious.”
“are you sure, baby?”
“mhm, i’m sure.” she replied and they both went back to sipping from their own mugs.
it was quiet for a few minutes - filled with the warmth of their presence, the comforting steam and scent of their hot drinks, and the smell of acrylic paint and brushes surrounding the floor infront of them.
hyunjin, now finishing about half of his drink, set it back down on the coffee table as he was about to resume his painting. y/n, who was now just staring at the boy infront of her, completely forgot about the drink in her hand, about anything to be honest.
she really looked at him - at the boy she loved so intensely, her boy who loved her just as fiercely, who dreamed too loudly.
and she couldn’t even help herself from muttering the words drifting in and out of her thoughts.
“hyunjin?”
“hm?” he shortly hummed, sorting through some of his brushes.
“marry me.”
it hit him like a truck. a slow-motion, emotional truck.
his brows raised, his lips parted and he snapped his head to her with a sharp inhale - the kind of inhale people did when they saw a shooting star, or saw their favourite person walk into the room, or when their girlfriend randomly drops the marriage bomb on them.
“what?”
she shyly smiled, “marry me.”
“y/n...” the brush fell out of his hand and onto the palette in front of him but he barely noticed, “don’t joke like that. my heart is- i can’t-”
“i’m not joking.”
hyunjin’s gaze darted across her face as if he was trying to find a crack in her features, as if he was trying to memorise every single expression she’s ever made. suddenly, his eyes glistened with that familiar glossy sheen that appeared whenever he felt too much.
y/n’s heart softened when he reached out and gently held her cheeks with his paint-stained fingers.
“you want to marry me?” he whispered, his voice the most fragile she’d ever heard it, and she realised how real this actually was for him.
“i do.” she said, softer, more gentle, letting the words linger in the space between them, “i want a future with you. i want… everything with you.”
his breath hitched at her words. it was soft, shaky, so overwhelming the way his heart was beating so loud and his palms were starting to sweat. she had that affect on him, but he never realised how much two words falling so randomly from her lips could have him so deeply moved.
he never realised he could fall even more in love with her, until now.
all of a sudden, he threw his arms around her and hugged himself into her neck. he hugged her like a man who had been waiting his whole life for someone to say those words to him.
“you can’t just say things like that.” he mumbled against her skin, “i’ll cry.”
“you always cry.”
“i cry beautifully.” he corrected.
she chuckled against his shoulder, wrapping her own arms around his back, “you cry like a dramatic baby.”
he pulled back, scandalised, “a dramatic, artistic baby.”
but before she could even tease him back, she watched his expression soften even more and suddenly, he was cupping her cheeks once again. his warm fingers slid over her cheekbones perfectly, delicately, and he held that loving sparkle in his eyes that only she ever got to see.
“i would marry you in a heartbeat.” he whispered, eyes darting from her lips to her eyes, “right now. tomorrow. in ten years. in every lifetime.”
she smiled, “you’re being dramatic again.”
“i’m not.” he said earnestly, “i’ve thought all about it. about waking up next to you forever, about having our own little home without seo changbin walking in on us all the time.” that bought a little chuckle out of her.
“..about growing old with you.” he finished and her heartbeat stuttered in her chest so hard she thought she might faint.
she didn’t reply and he leaned in to kiss her lips softly - slow, deep, reverent, like she was something sacred… and to him, she was. she was special, she was precious, and she was all his.
y/n let her breath get caught up with his as he kissed all his love into her. when he pulled back, he wiped some paint off her cheek with his thumb and smiled softly.
“you asking me to marry you might’ve been the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
she laughed, “you didn’t even say yes.”
“oh, i screamed yes.” he insisted, still letting his thumb rub against her cheek, “internally. loudly. you just didn’t hear it.”
“mhmmm, sure.”
hyunjin let one of his hands fall to her lap and grabbed her left hand. he brought it up to kiss against her knuckles, making sure his lips lingered extra long on her ring finger - y/n smiled to herself, biting the inside of her cheek to stop herself from leaning forward and kissing him senseless from how romantically cute he was being right now.
“one day.” he promised, “when the timing is right… i’m going to ask you properly. with a ring. and i hope you say yes again.”
she placed her hands on his paint-smudged cheeks, “of course i will. a thousand times if i have to.”
summary. y/n vlogs her day out with her boyfriend for her youtube channel. pairing. bf!ni-ki x influencer gf!reader. mentions. fluff, teasing, ni-ki lowk being horrible at the claw machine lolol
the vlog opens mid laugh - a bright, airy sound that immediately fills the frame. the camera slightly wobbles as y/n tries to steady it so that she’s in the frame, sunlight spilling across the lens in warm golden flares and slightly obscuring her vision even under her sunglasses.
it’s early afternoon in hongdae, and the street her and riki are on feels completely alive: chatter of the public, buskers playing upbeat guitar tunes, and the distant sizzle of tteokbokki stalls all blending into the kind of background noise that feels like the soundtrack to something good.
“hi guys!” y/n says, a little breathless. she adjusts the camera so her face comes into focus from the harsh light and instantly, you can tell her cheeks are flushed from laughing.
“welcome back! i hope you’ve all had a great week, and as requested, i’ve got a special guest with me today…”
she turns the camera to her left, revealing riki, her boyfriend of a year. he instantly looks caught as his eyes catch the camera. his hoodie’s drawn up, a cap peeking out under the hood, and he’s adjusting the mask against his face as if it might somehow make him invisible.
still, you can see the squint of his eyes as he smiles at the camera under his mask, and waves sweetly.
“hi.” he says with a soft but amused voice. his other hand stuffs into his pocket while he points towards his girlfriend, “she dragged me outside today.”
“you needed fresh air.” y/n teases, “you have a week off and you’ve been inside for three days straight.”
“no, it was two.” he protests but you can hear the grin in his deep voice, “and i’ve been productive.”
“uh-huh.” y/n chuckles slightly as she glances at him, “if productive means sleeping until noon and watching dance clips for hours-”
“it’s research and it’s entertaining!”
she bursts out laughing, the camera shaking as her shoulders do, “sure, mr researcher.”
riki smirks slightly, looking away from the camera and down at her, “you’re just jealous i found new choreo before you did.”
“this isn’t a competition-”
“it’s always a competition.” he fires back dramatically and instantly earns another light-hearted laugh from her. riki can’t help but chuckle slightly too as he looks forward again, scanning the street they were walking on.
y/n turns the camera back toward herself.
“anyway-” she says as she fights against a smile, “we’re in hongdae today because the fans have been begging for some riki content forever, so-”
“so this is all for them?” he interrupts - the camera isn’t on him but you can clearly hear the pout in his tone, and y/n can’t help but smile as she looks at him.
“okay, maybe a little for me too.”
riki tilts his head, eyes narrowing in mock suspicion, “thought so.”
y/n bursts out laughing at his serious expression whilst the camera wobbles out of view, and that’s when the shot cuts off. the video now starts displaying a quick, short edit of their journey - small, random clips of them walking side by side down the bustling street.
there’s small snippets of colourful shop signs, some couples sharing street food, the hum of energy that only hongdae seems to have. there’s no music playing over the clips - y/n keeps the edit completely real as she captures the natural sounds of the moment.
the last clip shows riki holding a cup of iced coffee in one hand, the clear straw spinning lazily between his fingers as he keeps his pace beside her.
“okay,” y/n narrates once she flips the camera from herself to riki again, “tell the viewers where we’re going.”
he blinks, completely unprepared, “to eat?”
“wow, so specific.” she deadpans, “you’re such a professional guest.”
riki laughs at that, “i don’t get paid enough for this.”
“you’re literally not getting paid at all.” y/n says in a mock-offended tone and turns to look at him, “i bought your coffee!”
“oh yeah.” he smirks down at his girlfriend, his eyes holding nothing but playful teasing, “then i guess i’m your intern.”
y/n moves the camera so both of them are in the frame, “intern ni-ki, hard at work, everyone.”
riki eyes the camera and dramatically sighs with a slow shake of his head, “it’s tough out here, guys. she makes me hold the camera, carry her bag-”
“you offered!”
“i was being a polite boyfriend.” he replies but his teasing grin only widens when she lightly hits his arm.
“you love it.”
“yeah.” he says without hesitation, voice a lot quieter this time - almost drowned out by the loud shuffling of the street - “i do.”
the brief moment after his words hangs for a second. their eyes stay locked on each others, riki with a smirk hanging off his lips and y/n fighting off the blush on her cheeks, before she clears her throat. she twirls the camera around to face the street infront of her, specifically at one of the stalls a few feet away from them.
“alright.” y/n says quickly - almost as if brushing the brief moment of fervor, as if she could stop the way her heart was pounding in her chest just a little faster than normal - “we’re gonna get some hotteok now.”
the camera stays panned at the food stall and the queue infront of them, but there’s no doubt it catches riki’s teasing words. he pushes up behind her as he leans down to mumble something in her ear, his voice full of his usual deep handsomeness that had her weak in the knees instantly.
“you’re blushing.”
“no, i’m not.” she whispers back as she zooms into the sign of the food stall, trying a new camera angle meanwhile riki couldn’t help but tease her a bit more.
“camera says otherwise.”
“i’ll cut this out if you don’t be quiet right now.”
“you wouldn’t dare, baby.”
•••
the next clip fades in with a soft, golden light. the hum of conversation floats through the air - low, comforting and warm in a homey way - mixed with the faint clicking of cups and the mellow rhythm of some indie song playing from a speaker tucked in a corner somewhere.
the café is small. it’s tucked between two boutiques on a side street near hongdae’s main strip.
sunlight filters in through the tall windows draped with artificial vines, painting streaks of gold across the tables. the walls are dotted with hanging plants and hand-written menus, and everything smells heavily of espresso and warm sugar.
y/n’s camera sits neatly on their table: it’s angled perfectly so that both of them fit into the frame - y/n across from riki with a half-eaten pastry plate between them, their drinks still steaming faintly.
“okay.” y/n says rather cheerfully as she looks at the camera and holds up her fork like she’s introducing a masterpiece, “we found this cute café near the main street.”
“we?” riki repeats as he raises an eyebrow whilst stirring his iced matcha with deliberate laziness, “you mean you dragged me here. i just followed because you bribed me with dessert.”
“that’s not true!” his girlfriend protests, her eyes widening as she fights off a grin, “i was being nice.”
he points his straw at her, “you told me and i quote, ‘if you don’t come, i’ll expose your spotify playlist’.”
“that was supposed to be off camera!”
he smirks, “too late.”
y/n playfully rolls her eyes, shaking her head to stop her smile from peeking through. she leans towards the camera before speaking again, “anyway.. i found this café. by we, i mean me because he just follows wherever i go.”
“that’s not true!” this time riki is the one to protest as he leans back in his chair with mock offence, “i found the last café we went to! the japanese one.”
“that one was closed.”
his lips part in dramatic disbelief, “it was temporarily closed.”
“you literally said, ‘trust me it’s open’.”
“okay, but-” he starts but then gives up halfway with a huff of defeat. his lips slightly puff out and he only looks down to start stirring his drink instead, “it was open… in my heart.”
y/n can’t even help her laugh that escapes this time - hearty and lightweight, full of love at riki’s dramatics - her voice bubbles into a giggle as she says, “you tried, ki.”
he exhales heavily and pretends to sulk in his seat, “i’m never planning anything ever again.”
“you say that every time.”
he glances at the camera with an exaggeratedly deadpan stare, “i mean it this time.”
the scene cuts there with y/n’s laugh picking up in the back. it fades and the next one transitions in, some upbeat instrumental playing in the background.
both of them are now sitting side by side, shoulder to shoulder, in their corner table - it’s slightly messy with empty cups, y/n’s bag with riki’s phone and charger sitting to the side. a new, smaller plate sits between them now with a slice of strawberry shortcake that looks almost too pretty to eat.
“okay, wait-” y/n says quickly as she reaches for the camera, “don’t eat it yet! i need to get a close up.”
she zooms into the cake rather dramatically. the lens focuses in on the neat layers of sponge, whipped cream and the huge amount of strawberries and decorations glistening on top.
“look how pretty this is-”
before she can even finish her sentence, riki’s fork comes into view and he stabs it right in the centre. y/n’s gasp sounds out and she snaps the lens up toward him whilst he only widens his eyes innocently and takes a huge bite of the cake.
“yah!” her knee nudges against his under the table and her jaw drops open in shock, “i was gonna take a photo too!”
riki only chews unbothered while mumbling, “too late- you can caption it ‘my boyfriend doesn’t respect art’.”
y/n gapes at him for half a second before brushing out into laughter - the kind that makes the camera shake as she holds it and the boy beside her smiles in return.
“you’re ridiculous.” she giggles and turns off the camera there.
riki’s eyes squint as he smiles at the girl beside him, the way her laughter flows so easily as she fiddles with a few buttons on her camera and he can only stare in return. he knew he’d already taken a few pictures of the cake for her while she was distracted with her camera, before deciding to demolish it - and he’d made sure to take them just the way she usually likes for her vlogs and instagram.
and he might have snuck in some pictures of her too, but they were mostly just for him.
the clip cuts again.
this time, the atmosphere is quieter. the café’s background music has changed to something a bit softer and it hums calmly under the couple’s conversation. riki is leaning over his cup, squinting at his drink label whilst y/n films him.
“so repeat your order for the viewers.” she tells him sweetly.
“matcha.. cream… cold floam?” riki mutters slowly, brows knitting as he tries to read the tiny english words off of his cup.
“foam.” she corrects with a smile.
he looks up immediately, “that’s what i said.”
“you said floam!”
“yah, i didn’t.” he folds his arms as he leans forward on the table, turning his head to glance out the window beside him, “stop lying, baby.”
y/n turns the camera toward herself as she keeps chuckling under her breath, “ladies and gentlemen… korea’s next top barista!”
she turns the camera back to face her boyfriend. the sun seems to have peeked out and it’s golden flecks shine into his blonde hair as he tilts his face down, as if hiding his shy expression behind his cup, “you’re cutting this out.”
“absolutely not.”
his eyes slightly turn up to peek at her, “i’ll sue.”
“you can’t sue me if you’re the one who said it on camera, babe.” she teases back, zooming in on his defeated expression slightly.
“you’re evil.”
“yeah, welcome to the channel.”
the camera lingers on him a little, catching riki mid-laugh - the kind that crinkles his eyes and makes his whole face light up as the sunlight continues to catch in his blonde hair and trace along his strong features.
y/n doesn’t say anything; she just watches through the lens, smiling without realising it. it’s just one of those quiet moments she knows her viewers will love - simple, real, and full of the warmth she feels whenever he laughs like that.
•••
the next clip bursts into chaos.
it’s a sudden explosion of colour, flashing neon lights and the layered noise of an arcade in full swing. the air hums with energy: the rhythmic beeping of game machines, snippets of k-pop loudly playing from the speakers overhead, and the occasional triumphant yell from someone hitting a jackpot nearby.
the camera shakes a little as y/n speaks through her laughter, her voice bright and practically breathless. she’s looking at something, or someone, away from the camera but glances down at it ever so often as she speaks, and her hair flows off her shoulders as she calmly rushes over.
“so- we came into the arcade because someone said they wanted to ‘look around’.”
she turns the camera and there he is: riki, hood up and mask dangling from one ear. he’s laser-focused in front of a claw machine and his hands practically grip the joystick with the seriousness of a surgeon.
“sorry if it’s really loud, there’s a band playing on the other side of the room, and we’re under some sort of bar!” y/n speaks into the microphone of the camera while her words also display onto the screen of the vlog. the camera is still pointed at her boyfriend, who now holds a certain look of struggle and annoyance.
“this one’s rigged.” his eyes narrow at the glass.
y/n moves the camera to the claw machine and then back at him, “you’ve said that about the other four you played.”
“no, this one feels rigged.” he says, tapping on the side of the machine like he’s trying to intimidate it.
the plush toys inside - pastel bears, ducks and multiple sanrio characters - stare back at him lifelessly as if refusing to budge.
“you’re on attempt number… what, seven?” she teases.
“eight.” riki corrects seriously, still not looking away from the absolute monster that was the claw, refusing to be defeated.
“wow, what a record.” y/n replies, grinning, “maybe you’ll win employee of the month.”
“if i do, i want a framed photo next to the claw.” his tone is completely straight as he starts another game.
this time, y/n films the whole round. the sound of riki jolting the joystick around and the faint music in the back fills the scene. he smashes his fingers against the button and the claw lowers. everyone watching - meaning just y/n - goes quiet in anticipation.
the claw closes around one of the purple bears. it lifts and wobbles.
and then drops it.
riki groans like he’s been personally betrayed, letting his head fall into his hands dramatically.
“this thing hates me.”
y/n bursts out in a fit of giggles, the sweet sound half-lost to the clamor of arcade bustle, “the plushie just knows you’re desperate.”
“i’m not desperate, im persistent.”
“that’s what all desperate people say.”
riki side eyes her, “you’re gonna eat those words when i finally win this for you.”
y/n gasps, mouth rounding in mock revelation, “bold claim from the guy who spent all his cash on this one machine.”
“don’t distract me.” he says, holding up a finger for silence.
she muffles a laugh behind the camera, but stays quiet for him. the camera stays focused on him and the claw machine in frame, the reflection of the flashing lights catching across his sharp features just perfectly.
riki moves the claw again - slight adjustments, eyes flicking between the joystick and the purple bear like he’s calculating some extreme level physics problem. the music to some up-beat k-pop chorus in the background seems to sync perfectly with the moment and his focus.
the claw descends. closes around the bear again.
and this time - it actually holds it.
the plush wiggles, teeters, but stays.
when it drops into the chute, riki freezes for half a second before erupting into the loudest yet most silent cheer imaginable. he tries not to catch too much attention towards himself but he can’t help it when his hands clasp together and he whisper shouts a long “let’s gooooo!”
y/n can’t even believe her eyes as she laughs so hard behind the camera, she can’t even keep it still.
“twenty! thousand! won! later!” she announces dramatically whilst zooming into riki retrieving the purple bear from the chute.
he lifts it high above his head like some sort of trophy. his grin, running from ear to ear, is absolutely adorable and he looks so happy, y/n could almost pinch his cheeks out of joy.
“worth it.”
“totally worth it!” she grins at him, while he looks at the camera and holds his bear up beside his face, “so what are you gonna do with your prize, champion?”
without hesitation, he extends the bear out towards her.
“for you.” riki says simply, his deep voice and wide grin softening into something more sincere.
y/n’s voice also seems to fade into something quieter, gentler than her teasing tone just moments ago. she lowers the camera to his arm holding out the plushie and her voice is suddenly so shy.
“aw, you won it for me?”
“of course, baby.” a smirk tugs at the corner of his lips, “i had to prove a point.”
“and the point was?”
he tilts his head and his smirk just grows into a smug grin, “that i can do anything when i’m being judged on camera.”
“you really are ridiculous.” y/n says as her voice raises into a fit of giggles once more, completely uncontrollable and real. she turns the camera back to herself as he just about replies, “and you’re welcome.”
riki slips the purple bear into her arms. for a moment, he just watches her reaction - the way her smile softens as she looks down at it, how her cheeks visibly flush even under the dark neon lights above them, how ridiculously cute the little stuffed animal looks in her hold.
without warning, because he genuinely couldn’t control himself, riki leans forward and pulls her into a quick hug. it’s clumsy and warm - her laugh muffling against his hoodie and his chin brushing the top of her head as the camera wobbles out of view but still seemingly captures half of their embrace.
y/n can feel him smiling when he murmurs, “told you i’d win it for you.”
“you’re such a show-off.” she fires back but her arms instinctively wrap around his waist anyway. she presses a quick kiss to his shoulder, leaning her head against his chest for a quick second.
“yeah.” riki pulls away gently and takes a step back, “but you like it.”
before she can even respond, riki is already walking off toward the next row of machines. he claps his hands together as he bops his head to the music in the background in that cool, swagger way he did so naturally, yet his eyes still light up like a little kid at the long line of machines in front of him.
“you’re seriously going again?” y/n calls out after him, still clutching the bear and her camera between her fingers.
“obviously.” he glances at the camera for a second. the bright glow of the glass box shines onto his face in just the right way, reflecting off of his sunglasses that sat folded against the neck of his tee under his zip-up. he looks looks so handsome in the most natural, most riki way possible, and y/n’s breath almost catches in her throat both at the situation and at the way his eyes bore into the camera.
“that duck’s been looking at me funny. it’s only fair your new bear has a friend too.”
y/n’s walking up behind him with a chuckle sounding out - the perfect, chaotic end to the clip before it fades into the next scene.
•••
the last clip fades in with soft music playing faintly under the sound of water.
the sky is awash with colours - streaks of peach, lilac, and fading gold all melting together over the han river. the city hums quietly in the distance, a few bikes passing behind them, someone’s bluetooth speaker faintly echoing a calm song nearby.
the camera sits on a small tripod infront of riki and y/n. it’s angle is slightly crooked but it still looks like the kind of shot that looks unplanned but feels just right - the sunset painting everything in honey light around them and the wind rustling the grass between them.
both of them sit on the grass with their knees pulled up. half empty bottles of banana milk, crumpled snack wrappers, y/n’s bag and a small purple bear sits proudly between them like a mascot.
y/n is unwrapping a sambak-gimbap riki had gotten her from the convenience store on their walk over here. her fingers are slightly clumsy from the wind but she manages to take a small bite before glancing at her boyfriend beside her.
“you look tired.” she says in a low, caring tone, eyes focusing in on his face.
he’s leaning forward on his elbows that rest on his knees, watching the sun dip lower over the water. his blonde hair is slightly messy from the breeze and his hoodie and jacket is wrapped tighter around his frame… but even then, he manages to give his girlfriend a tiny, grateful smile.
“i’m good. this is… nice.” he says, eyeing her pretty features under the soft lighting.
she hums in response, nodding, “see? going outside on your days off isn’t so bad.”
he exhales, the corner of his mouth tugging upward.
“you’re right.” he stretches his arms over his head with a tired huff, “don’t get used to it, though.”
y/n laughs, a beaming, unrestrained sound that ripples through the quiet evening air. her eyes crinkle at the corners as she reaches for a small chip from the packet infront of them and tosses it at him with a flick of her wrist.
“you’re impossible.”
“accurate.” riki replies, effortlessly catching the chip as it fell into his chest before popping it into his mouth. the smug grin that follows makes her laugh even harder and riki swears he could stay here forever - with her and her soft, melodic laugh that hummed against the gentle sway of the river infront of them.
for a while, nothing else fills the moment - just the rustle of the breeze, the faint murmurs of people in the distance, and the slow shimmer of sunlight across the water. the camera keeps rolling as it quietly captures the stillness between them, and for a second, both of them forget it’s even there.
they sit side by side with the fading light of the sunset painting their faces in a warm glow. riki now leans back on his hands, hair glowing almost honey-blonde in the light, while y/n pulls her knees closer to her chest as she still smiles to herself.
everything about this moment just feels so familiar, so comforting.
a gust of wind lifts some of her hair and brushes it gently against his shoulder. riki doesn’t move it away, just glances down and smiles, the soft curve tugging at his lips that he doesn’t bother hiding.
“you know..” y/n speaks up after a quiet pause. her voice is a lot lower now, more relaxed and thoughtful, “i think this might be my favourite vlog i’ve ever done.”
he turns his head, studying her face in the radiant lighting, “because i’m in it.” he smirks faintly.
y/n laughs for the nth time today - softer this time, almost shy and sheepish.
“no,” she says, pretending to think, “because i got free cake and a plushie.”
“you’re lucky i like you.” he shakes his head playfully, eyes still focused in on her.
she grins playfully and leans in just a little closer so her chin rests on his shoulder, eyeing boring into his. her tone drops to a teasing whisper, “you love me.”
the words hang in the air, light but sincere. riki blinks for a second as his expression softens even more and the playfulness fades from his smile. the glow of the sunset outlines his profile just right - tracing his jaw, catching in his lashes - and for a second, everything else falls away.
“yeah.” he says finally, voice quiet but sure, “i do.”
y/n’s breath catches in her throat but not enough for the camera to pick up. her heart stutters in her chest and she quickly looks away, cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink. suddenly the grass seems more interesting as she casts her eyes down to the floor and her shaky fingers start picking at the grass beside her. the camera doesn’t miss it - the tiny, flustered grin pulling at her lips, the way her eyes shine under the last of the evening light.
“okay.” she says abruptly with a clear of her throat, “say bye to the vlog before it gets too emotional.”
riki chuckles once and reaches for the camera with one hand.
“alright,” the familiar ease slips back into his voice, “thanks for watching! today was fun - mostly because i won that stupid bear after a million tries.”
“and because you got to hang out with me.” y/n adds, leaning into the frame, her smile teasing but warm.
“yeah, that too.” riki admits, trying not to laugh.
he flashes a grin before flipping the camera toward her. she waves back at the camera, bundled up in one of his oversized hoodies she’d been carrying around with her, the sleeves practically swallowing her hands.
the whole frame is just painted with a soft amber and the slight breeze flowing through her hair with the tired yet amused glint in her eye making everything seem even more cinematic.
“we’ll see you in the next one.” she says gently, her voice carrying a quiet kind of affection she usually used for her outros.
the camera lingers on her for a moment longer. riki leans into the frame and pulls a silly face until she laughs again - that easy, heart-full sound that makes the whole world around them feel softer. the shot tilts slightly, catching the river infront of them flowing with the reflection of the orangey-pink sky.
the music rises faintly as the frame holds - both of them sitting so close, framed by the sunset, the small purple bear perched between them like a reminder of the day.
imperfect. spontaneous. completely real and so them.
summary. jake swears he’s not a jealous boyfriend yet still fights like he is when someone approaches his girl. pairing. boxer!jake x gf!reader. mentions. fighting/boxing, fluff, established relationship, i lowkey love this concept and have sm ideas i can’t wait to write them 🤭 [ more boxer!jake here ]
the late afternoon light cut through the high warehouse-style windows of the boxing gym, turning the air golden. dust floated in the beams like glitter shaken from the sun. every corner buzzed with that raw, gritty energy only boxing gyms had - the kind built from discipline, adrenaline and people trying too hard to impress eachother.
leather gloves smacked against pads. jump ropes snapped against the floor. water bottles clattered as someone kicked one over. a group of beginners stumbled through footwork drills, pretending they weren’t dying.
everything smelled like sweat, disinfectant, rubber mats and that faint metallic scent that always hung around the ring.
jake stood right in the middle of it all - breathing steady, gloves up, body sharp and precise despite the exhaustion tugging at his muscles. he was practicing with coach min, the same way they always did when coach wasn’t busy with new trainees or phone calls about upcoming matches.
coach min held the pads in his hands, his usual unimpressed look sitting firm on his face, “straight. hook. roll. again.”
jake reset his stance, took a quick breath in, ready to fire another punch with more intensity. but then coach min said it - casual. offhanded. like it wasn’t the single, most fastest way to fry jake’s brain mid-combination.
“your girl’s here.”
jake froze mid-jab. his glove hovered just under his cheek, breath caught in his throat.
he didn’t turn - he didn’t need to. his pulse kicked instantly, thumping warm and eager under his skin. a smile threatened to break his focus, tugging at the corner of his lips despite his best effort to stay disciplined.
he loved when she came by to pick him up. loved that she always stood just inside the entrance, as if too shy to walk further into the gym. loved that soft, tired smile she’d give him after her own long day - like seeing him was the one thing that settled her whole world.
“cool down.” coach min ordered, “two more minutes. don’t get sloppy now.”
jake swallowed, nodded, “yes, sir.”
he pushed through another set, body moving on autopilot - jab, cross, hook, slip - even though all he wanted was to turn around and look at her properly. but just then, halfway through his last combination, a laugh cut through the gym noise.
it wasn’t her. no, this one was too loud, too deep.
some guy.
jake’s eyes quickly flicked toward the entrance, just barely a fraction of a second, and suddenly his stomach dropped. y/n was still standing where she always did, but this time she wasn’t alone.
one of the new trainees - the tall one who had an objectively stupid haircut jake already hated - was leaning way too close to her. he seemed to be laughing at his own joke, talking with his whole chest like he was performing a comedy routine no one had asked for.
y/n gave a polite smile in return, small and tight, and jake recognised it instantly. it was her i-want-to-leave-but-i’m-too-nice smile.
jake’s jaw clenched. hard. tight. his punch slammed into the pad harder than he should’ve and coach min instantly grunted at the sudden impact.
“yah! control your strength.”
jake didn’t say anything, he physically couldn’t with how much he was seething through his breath. he forced himself through the last minute even though every instinct screamed to get out of the ring and peel that trainee off her like some annoying sticker.
across the room, y/n’s eyes were entirely focused on her boy.
the way his muscles flexed in his sleeveless top, the way his jaw clenched with each jab and deep breath, the way he pushed through even after knowing she’d finally come to get him - watching him like that always did things to her she didn’t want to admit.
and she swore she could see the smile tug at his lips from afar, warming her chest even further. she was just stood there, still in her work clothes and heels, with that pretty, fond smile playing on her lips, completely minding her own business when she heard someone speak up beside her.
“hey.. uh, you’re jake’s friend, right?”
y/n turned her head to see a boy - probably a year or two younger than her - tall, bad haircut, overconfident smile. she recognised him instantly - he was new, loud, tried too hard. the type who probably thought the gym was a social club instead of a place where people actually worked.
“yeah.” she answered, politely, “i’m y/n.”
he grinned like she’d just given him permission to keep going.
“you come here a lot?” he asked and stepped forward until she could smell the intensely artificial body spray he’d drowned himself in.
she instinctively shifted back, just an inch, but he followed the movement like he didn’t notice - or perhaps chose not to.
“i’ve seen you around a few times.” he went on, running a hand through his hair like he was posing infront of a mirror. and then he laughed - loud, awkward and forced - “oh, don’t worry. not in a creepy way.”
yeah. sure.
y/n’s polite smile tightened just a bit and she let out a chuckle but it ended up just sounding like a breath, “right..”
“jake didn’t tell us he had someone.” the trainee tilted his head and y/n watched the way his eyes dragged down her figure in a way that made her stomach twist with instant discomfort. like he was sizing her up, trying to memorise her.
“he usually keeps to himself. guess i know why now.”
she wanted this conversation to end. preferably before jake finished training and saw this guy inhaling her personal space like it was oxygen.
“well, jake’s almost done. so-”
“oh, cool, cool.” he cut in. he shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged a shoulder like she was discussing weekend plans instead of trying to walk away. y/n tried to drag her eyes away but he only moved his face in her direction, as if forcing her to look at him.
he leaned in again, too casual, “does he train you too?”
she blinked, “train me?”
“yeah.” he said, eyes flickering over her again - this time more scrutinising than flirty - “you look like you could use a few lessons. strength, stamina… maybe posture too.”
her jaw tightened. a slow burn of irritation crawled up her spine.
because not only was he pestering her - he was doing it two feet from her boyfriend’s ring. in the same gym he’d practically grew up in, the same gym he’d made famous.
and while jake was literally watching from across the room.
still, the trainee wasn’t finished.
“i’m just saying if you ever want tips, i’m around after evening sessions. i could show you a few things… one-on-one.”
y/n’s stomach twisted. she wasn’t helpless, and she damn well didn’t need some rookie talking to her like she was.
the second coach min dismissed jake, he was ripping off his gloves, dropping them on the mat as if relieved of the timing. he hopped down from the ring - still sweaty, chest heaving, hair damp and messy.
he didn’t bother with a towel. didn’t bother catching his breath. he just walked straight to her.
the trainee’s teasing grin faltered the second y/n’s eyes flicked past him and jake approached the scene - not that jake was looking at him, anyway. he didn’t spare him a single glance.
“hey.” he said softly, voice lower than usual. his arm slid naturally, possessively, around her waist.
y/n immediately leaned into him like she’d been waiting all day for his touch, “hi, baby.”
something in jake’s shoulders loosened. his chest warmed painfully, protectively, as he took in her familiar, sweet perfume. she looked relieved yet happy at the same time as she played a grin and that same glint in her eyes that always sparkled when she looked at him.
infront of them, the trainee mumbled something that died on his tongue. he bit the inside of his cheek and forced himself to keep his expression neutral even though he was irritated.
jake didn’t care.
he dipped his head closer to her and let his hand slide lower on her back - slowly, intentionally and very obviously for an audience.
“you ready to go?” he asked, eyes locked on hers.
y/n lifted her brows in amusement at his touch, hand splayed dangerously low on her waist. she could instantly feel it.
his new clinginess. his claim.
“yeah.” she smiled up at him nonetheless and jake intertwined his fingers with hers. he grabbed his bag from the side before guiding her towards the exit, not looking back once.
he didn’t have to.
he could feel the trainee’s glare burning between his shoulder blades - and it only made the corner of his mouth lift in a quiet, satisfied smirk.
-
as soon as they got into her car, jake didn’t wait for the engine to start. the second his seatbelt clicked, he reached across the console, found her hand, and linked their fingers together so tightly it was like he feared she’d disappear if he let go for even a second.
y/n blinked at their joined hands, amused, “well… hello to you too.”
jake didn’t react. his jaw was locked, shoulders tight, eyes fixed stubbornly over the passenger window.
“you okay?” she asked softly, smiling even though she already knew the answer.
“i’m fine.” he replied quickly, almost too quickly. his tone was low and clipped, trying to hide the embarrassment curling under the surface of his sweaty skin.
y/n only hummed, “yeah, definitely sounds like you’re fine.”
he didn’t take the bait.
instead, without looking at his girlfriend, jake lifted their joint hands and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to the back of hers. it wasn’t casual. it wasn’t distracted. it was the kind of kiss that said he’d been thinking about touching her since the moment he saw that boy standing too close.
then, he lowered their hands into his lap and kept them there - like it was non-negotiable.
y/n laughed under her breath and started the car with her free hand, nonetheless. she tried to pull her hand away to shift the gear into reverse, but jake tugged it right back. she tried to shift her seat, and he tugged again.
finally, she chuckled through her breath and turned to her boyfriend a little bewildered, “jake, i need that hand to drive.”
“still using it.” he mumbled, tightening his grip and sliding his thumb rhythmically against her knuckles, “drive with one.”
“baby.” she grinned, “you’re being clingy.”
“i’m allowed.” he muttered and his eyes lifted from her knuckles to stare straight ahead - stubborn expression, ears slightly pink, like a sulky puppy who refused to admit he was pouting.
the more she glanced at him, the cuter he became. he wasn’t angry, just… bothered. quiet. protective. a little insecure in a way that made her chest soften - he was this big, strong man out in the ring but with her, he practically melted into a puddle.
“did something happen?” she asked with a gentle tone that dipped into something a little more serious. with how quiet he was, she thought maybe he was bothered by more than that small interaction in the gym.
“nothing happened.” he spoke immediately - too fast again.
his fingers squeezed hers. his knee bounced heavily. his gaze stayed glued to the road in front of them, razor sharp as if he was the one driving.
y/n raised a brow, “you sure?”
he swallowed once, then lifted her hand again to brush his lips over her knuckles - slower this time, more tender.
“just wanna be close to you.” he murmured.
her heart melted on the spot. jake always got like this - after fights, after long training sessions, and especially after something, or someone, irritated him.
but y/n didn’t push him further, or tease him.
she just squeezed his hand back, let her thumb stroke over the back of his much rougher knuckles in a delicate caress.
“okay, stay as close as you want.” she whispered.
jake exhaled like he’d been holding his breath the entire drive.
he didn’t let go of her hand. not even once. not when she was parking, not when she turned off the engine and not even when she tried, and failed, to reach for her bag in the backseat. he stubbornly held onto her like she was something he’d won and absolutely had no intention of losing.
-
the next day, jake returned to the gym with every intention of being mature. he really did.
he told himself on the walk over that yesterday didn’t matter. he told himself she’s all his, she chose him, and that he had no reason to waste energy on some rookie with a bad haircut and no understanding of boundaries.
he was practically repeating it to himself like a mantra.
be mature. be calm. you’re above this.
that lasted about four minutes.
he’d just tossed his bag to the side of the changing room after searching around for his wraps, and was now making his way to the main area of the gym when voices drifted down the hallways. loud ones. laughing ones.
familiar ones.
jake slowed on instinct, suddenly intrigued, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up slightly.
“bro, she is so pretty.” that same deep voice of the trainee from yesterday bragged, letting out a chuckle with his two other friends, “i’m telling you, i didn’t even care that she wasn’t into it. i could still try-”
jake fully froze in his spot, his hand paused against the wrap on his palm. his blood didn’t burn, his pulse didn’t spike. no, everything just went completely still, eerily silent inside him.
one of the other trainees groaned, “doyeon-ah, stop. you said enough yesterday.”
but the kid kept going, louder, bolder, more disgusting.
“i’m serious! if she wasn’t so loyal to him, i swear i’d try again.. i mean-” he snickered like some psycho planning something, “did you see the way she looked? those legs? bro, she’s-”
“doyeon.” the second hissed, glancing around nervously. none of them had seen jake standing just further down the hallway, “shut up. that’s his girlfriend, and he’s our senior. we shouldn’t be disrespectful.”
“so what? not my fault jake pulled someone way above his league.” he laughed again, “anyway, even if she acted all shy, i bet she-”
that’s when one of the other trainees noticed jake stood down the hallway, silently fixing his wraps while quite clearly listening into their conversation. the kid’s heart dropped, eyes widening in shock and he instantly smacked doyeon against his sleeve.
“doyeon-ah, shut the fuck up.” he hissed but jake was already moving off.
he was walking into the main area when all the trainees went pale, straightening up instantly mid-breath as if they’d been caught stealing - actually, this was probably worse than being caught stealing.
jake didn’t say a word. he didn’t need to.
his expression was blank, calm, almost bored as he looked ahead, fixing his wraps and rolling his shoulders back. his stare was razor sharp, and his jaw clenched like he was calculating just how much force it would take to drop each one of those kids right now.
he looked more serious than he did before he went into the ring - and that was not a good sign.
all three of them stared at him like he had two heads. the silence thickened and seemed to tense even more when coach min walked out of his office. he gave them all a stern nod in greeting and then his eyes landed on his star fighter, a slow smile curling his lips.
“jake! good timing.” he said cheerfully, completely oblivious to the bloodbath brewing in the air. he clapped his hands once, loud enough to make the trainees jump, “i want one of the newbies to get some sparring experience with you today.”
jake nodded, “who?”
coach min looked around the group of boys and raised a brow, as if thinking which one needed the most improvement.
“you.” he pointed, “kim doyeon. get your wraps.”
kim doyeon.
jake’s lips curved ever so slightly. it wasn’t big or noticeable to coach min, but it was a smile - a calm, terrifying one that never reached his eyes.
“perfect.” jake said to his coach, voice smooth as silk and twice as dangerous.
doyeon’s face practically drained of colour. his friends winced at the situation and he swallowed hard, scrambling to grab his wraps as if being shaken out of a nightmare. except this might’ve been the nightmare - he was about to go against jake. the best fighter in their gym, the most known boxer out there right now for how good and sharp he was.
jake, who’s girlfriend he was just bad-mouthing and laughing about.
his hands shook as he grabbed his wraps and his friend had to practically help him whilst jake jumped up into the ring to warm up quickly. he joined him soon enough and jake patted him on the shoulder, friendly, almost gentle, but with a grip that made doyeon flinch.
“this’ll be good practice.” he murmured with a polite tone, “for both of us.”
doyeon didn’t respond. he couldn’t. he was too busy trying not to pass out.
the second the bell rang, doyeon charged, fists high, chin up, overconfident in the way only rookies could be - all speed, no precision, all ego, no discipline.
jake didn’t budge.
he slipped to the side as if he’d been waiting for this attack since yesterday.
“too slow.” he murmured, tilting his head.
doyeon skidded on the canvas before whipping around with an irritated grunt. he raised his fists and instantly went to throw another punch, sloppy and rushed, more emotion than technique.
jake pivoted away with a single step, barely shifting his weight, “still too slow.”
a few trainees snorted under their breath. they tried to hide it, but the sound carried and echoed in doyeon’s ears, flushing his neck red. it was humiliating how much he was getting thrown about - but what did he expect? this was jake he pissed off.
he tightened his fists and launched a full combination - jab, cross, hook - the kind young fighters practiced in mirrors thinking it made them look intimidating. jake saw every motion before it even formed - of couse he knew, he’d fought actual fighters with worse form than this kid right now.
without effort, jake landed a small jab to doyeon’s ribs. it was light enough not to bruise but sharp enough to humiliate.
doyeon stumbled and caught his breath, “stop running and fight-”
“then hit me.”
that only made doyeon angrier. he swung again recklessly, as if just punching for the sake of it, and it was hard enough that it could’ve actually knocked someone out if it landed.
but jake didn’t even need to step back. he leaned just far enough for the glove to whisper past his cheek. the crowd murmured, impressed, and jake’s lips curved into a small smirk.
doyeon saw it. it made him snap.
shots became wild. footwork completely disappeared. he wasn’t boxing anymore, he was just chasing jake’s shadow.
from outside the ring, someone muttered to another, “you can’t just let him play you like that-”
doyeon, stood right infront of them, snapped his head with irritation and humiliation chasing up his neck, “shut up!”
that’s when jake closed the distance and muttered with a voice low enough only he could hear, “you should listen to them.”
doyeon threw the last punch he had in him - a desperate, ugly right hook that only made coach min shake his head in disappointment. something in jake’s expression shifted - he became more sharper suddenly, shoulders squared and the air in the gym shifted like everyone expected something was about to break.
jake didn’t dodge. he stepped forward and connected his fist with doyeon’s jaw in perfect form, full rotation, literally a textbook execution. it was hard, precise. the sound cracked through the gym and everyone watched as doyeon’s body flew back.
he was caught by the ropes, his head whiplashed, mouthguard half-slipping out, feet scrambling for balance. the gym went dead silent.
someone whispered, “holy shit-” barely audible over the ringing tension. the kid stared up at the dull ceiling lights with ringing ears, unfocused eyes and a brain that suddenly forgot exactly where he was.
jake approached him slow and terrifyingly calm, “that was for talking about her.”
doyeon, his heart in his mouth and jaw aching, swallowed hard as the fear and shame finally took over his arrogance. this was the jake everyone feared out in the ring, the quiet boxer who barely snapped but when he did, it was brutal.
jake leaned down without blinking, his gaze sharp enough to cut, “and next time you even think about her again,” he tapped his glove against the boy’s cheek mockingly, “you’ll get worse.”
the warning hit harder than the punch.
coach min blew the whistle so loud half the gym flinched, “okay, enough. jake, out! now.”
jake didn’t argue, didn’t even look at doyeon again. he simply stepped out of the ring, going straight towards his bag for his towel and water bottle with smooth confidence as if he hadn’t just scared an entire room into silence. as if this was light work for him, something casual.
the jealousy that had been boiling under his ribs since yesterday, seeped out of him at last, leaving him much lighter, clearer, almost relieved.
+ BONUS
jake swore to himself he wouldn’t do it again - he wouldn’t let jealousy fuel him, he wouldn’t let it take over especially during a fight. but he couldn’t help the way it angrily seeped in when he heard a laugh. her laugh.
her loud, confident, pretty laugh.
the sponsor’s son, the same guy who’d been hovering around y/n all night, even as she kissed jake outside the ring before his match like usual, even as she exchanged small words with coach min while jake was warming up, even as she asked some staff for a bottle of water.
he was there… hovering, smiling, laughing just to impress her.
either way, it hit jake’s ears like a slap.
his first round started evenly - almost too evenly for jake’s taste. he’d kept his guard high, his footwork proper, his rhythm and the way his weight shifted before every punch. jake wasn’t aggressive yet; he was studying his opponent, calculating.
the crowd was murmuring with each exchange, filtering in with the continuous narration of the commentators. the air was thick, heavy with anticipation and jake had only looked toward ringside for barely a second.
only a second when he heard her laugh.
but that split second cost him.
it was all it took for his opponent to land a clean jab against his cheek.
his head turned sharply with a grunt and the crowd gasped in unison. y/n’s eyes widened as she snapped her head from the gradually irritating man next to her. her heart dropped with the gasps of the audience and she instantly stood up.
coach min slammed the ropes, “eyes on the fight, jake!”
jake blinked once. twice. slowly. he snapped back to the opponent without another thought and instantly everything inside him shifted. his whole demeanour changed. annoyance, jealousy, possessiveness - it all shot straight through his chest like he’d been plugged into an electric outlet.
he let out a long, deep exhale and suddenly he wasn’t just fighting. he was proving a point.
with his coach’s groans in the background and the shouts of the commentators, jake moved forward and his punches snapped through the air with terrifying accuracy. his dodges weren’t just evasions but statements - every hit made the ropes tremble, every counter made the crowd cheer louder.
by the middle of round two, his opponents breaths were ragged, hands dropping an inch lower with every failed attempt to touch jake again.
but he didn’t let him recover.
he slammed a brutal body shot right under the ribs - the kind that stole air and dignity. the crowd instantly exploded and then came the combination with smooth, practiced ease that made the crowd scream even louder.
right hook, left jab, cross.
the other fighter staggered back with wobbly legs. coach min’s voice cut through the noise, “finish it!”
jake didnt hesitate. he stepped in and delivered a clean, merciless uppercut, the perfect hit that made the guy drop to the canvas like a felled tree.
the ref didn’t even bother counting. it was clear jake had won as the arena erupted with gleeful cheers and waves and the match concluded itself. jake didn’t hear any of it as he waved back at everyone with heaving breaths and weak shoulders.
he instantly climbed out of the ring, pulling his mouthguard out, sweat sliding down his jaw and his hair clinging to his skin. his chest rose and fell quickly and his heart was banging in his ears but it wasn’t exhaustion tightening his breath - it was jealousy.
hot. sharp. still humming beneath his skin like a live wire.
and that - more than the win - was what pushed him down the steps and toward the hallway where he knew he’d see his girlfriend soon enough.
-
y/n caught him the moment he stepped out of the locker room with flushed cheeks and hair damp from the shower he rushed through. jake was rolling his shoulders out, still buzzing with leftover adrenaline and still littered with slow, growing bruises on his jaw and abdomen.
she didn’t even wait for him to notice her. she practically threw herself into his space, hands going straight to his shoulders with hurried excitement.
“there you are.” she breathed, eyes shining with pride and jake felt himself soften, “babe, you were amazing!”
before he could respond, she lifted her sleeve and gently wiped a few drops of water from his jawline, fingers trailing a second longer than necessary. it was a quick, mindless action but it had jake freezing in his spot, his hand on her waist stilling.
she was soft. warm. too close.
he hadn’t even cooled down from the fight and she was starting an entirely new one inside him.
jake caught her wrist lightly before she could pull away, “who was that guy?”
his voice was low, slightly rough, still carrying the edge he fought with. his dark eyes bore down into hers as he leaned down ever so slightly. his breath mingled with hers and despite it all, y/n only blinked up at him.
“what guy?”
“the one sitting next to you.” his jaw tensed, “the one laughing at everything you said.”
“oh.” she realised slowly. she let out a soft, airy laugh that fell straight into jake’s heart, “him? he was just being polite. i don’t even know his name, i barely talked.”
but jake wasn’t buying it. he leaned in closer, just enough that she had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes. close enough that she could feel his breath skim her cheek.
“he kept leaning toward you.”
his voice wasn’t raised, or angry, or mean. just possessive in a way that hit straight through her ribs.
y/n’s lips twitched in amusement. she knew what was happening, of course she did when he was making it so obvious. just to rile him up further, she slowly, deliberately let her hands glide from his shoulders to his hard chest. she trailed her fingers over the fabric of his dark hoodie, brushing the hem before drifting back up and letting her touch linger.
just enough to make him melt.
“jake.” she murmured, warm and teasing, “were you jealous, baby?”
he didn’t even try to hide his reaction - it was instant. the flush of his cheeks, the flicker of his eyes.
“no.”
y/n raised her brows. his jaw clenched and he looked away, almost shyly, “…okay, yes.”
her smile spread, slow and irresistible, like she was savoring the moment her sweet, quiet boyfriend finally cracked. like she was seeing an entirely different side to his usual tough exterior.
she stepped fully into him, chest pressed against his and slid both hands up to loop behind his neck.
“you fought better because of it.” she brushed her thumbs against his skin lightly.
he made a small, low sound - somewhere between a scoff and a groan - and looked off to the side, almost embarrassed.
“didn’t like him looking at you like that.”
y/n tugged gently on the chain around his neck and innocently pulled him closer until their noses nearly touched. the tension sparked between them, sharp and warm as she let her breath linger between them.
“well, i only look at you.”
jake cursed under his breath - a soft, low sound with her name tangled somewhere inside it. his hands slid to her waist with a certain firmness it made her heart race when he dragged her flush against him like the idea of even a millimetre of space was unbearable.
she laughed against his lips, “baby, you’re so easy to tease.”
jake rested his forehead against hers, breath ghosting over her mouth, “keep teasing. see what happens.”
a shiver rippled down her spine, one she couldn’t even hide.
and she didn’t.
y/n rose slowly onto her toes, fingertips delicately brushing the back of his neck as she leaned in. her lips ghosted along the sharp line of his tense jaw, against his warm, gentle bruises and she planted a kiss that wasn’t meant to be sweet at all.
it was deliberate. purposeful. a bit dangerous since they were stood in an empty hallway that anyone could walk into any second.
but she didn’t care. she savoured the way his breath hitched and her chest tightened and she only continued - her lips pressed another kiss right beneath his ear, the spot she knew he could never stay calm through. his inhale came sharp and uneven and his rough hands clamped down on her waist automatically, like a reflex he couldn’t control.
jake didn’t bother pretending he wasn’t affected. didn’t bother hiding the way his fingers dug in. didn’t bother keeping a moan out of his voice when he whispered her name.
and then he kissed her. not hesitantly or carefully.
he kissed her like he’d been holding everything in - the jealousy, the adrenaline, the way she always knew exactly how to undo him - all packed into one moment.
it was deep and hungry and the kind of kiss that made her back arch slightly and the hallways feel too small to hold them. his hands slid up her back, all warm and strong, dragging her closer until she could feel every breath he took, every beat of his heart against her chest. he held her like he’d been waiting all night, all week, maybe forever, just for her to touch him like that.
the jealousy that had sparked everything melted away and was replaced by something hotter. something steadier. something that wrapped around her like heat and gravity.
devotion. want.
and something that felt dangerously close to worship.
she was his - not because he said it, but because of the way he touched her and breathed her in like she grounded him.
and jake? he was absolutely, undeniably hers. every heartbeat, every sharp inhale, every look that said she was the only one he ever saw.
summary. before the polished salon, before the fame, before the professional teams and packed scedhules, there was a dorm bathroom, a cheap curling wand and hyunjin sitting patiently while she learned. even years later, hyunjin never trusts anyone with his hair but his girlfriend as he walks into her salon one evening, begging for a touch-up from her skilled hands. pairing. idol bf!hyunjin x hairdresser gf!reader. mentions. fluff, mentions of melting hair lol, honestly my fav fic i’ve written so far this was too cute 🥲 also, shoutout to all the girlies (or guys) in the beauty industry, ur all amazing!!
y/n always joked that her relationship with hyunjin wasn’t built on trust - it was built on him handing her a pair of scissors when they were eighteen and saying with the most casual shrug in the world: “if you mess it up, i’ll just pretend it’s a concept.”
back then, she was only a fashion-school student who had somehow became the unofficial hairdresser of her entire dorm building.
her ‘salon’ was nothing more than the cramped bathroom connected to her bedroom - the counters cluttered with bobby pins, drugstore gels, half-dead blow dryers that overheated every two minutes and combs whose teeth mysteriously kept disappearing - but she made it work, and made her unofficial ‘clients’ happy.
every day she would have someone in her building messaging her, emailing her, even sending notes through the small gap in her front door asking when she was free to do their hair for events or even just a regular touch up. looking back at it, y/n found it funny - she was only a student, she didn’t have professional tools or a big space or much experience.
but somehow the people in her building loved her talent, loved her kindness, loved the way she never truly declined but offered to make space in her scedhule for them. and for y/n, it was her passion but it was also like a side job - it was her way of making some money whilst simultaneously juggling the struggles in uni.
and hyunjin… he was on his own path of skyrocketing his career, debuting with his group and fulfilling his dreams of being a professional dancer and singer. y/n always supported him from the comfort of her own dorm, from the sidelines, from their secret meet-ups and late night facetime calls.
and he would always come to her when he needed a trim, a touch-up, a quick dye for a show. anything at all, he would show up to her door with a bag of snacks, a happy smile and the same ridiculous line:
“i trust you and only you with my hair.”
he trusted her even when she absolutely should not have been trusted.
like the summer before her first year of fashion-school where she botched his fringe so badly he had to wear a beanie for three days. or the time she accidentally dyed his hair a suspicious pale green because she misread the ratio on the box.
or the time - the worst time - she melted a tiny piece of his hair because she misunderstood the heat settings on a curling wand.
she panicked every single time.
he didn’t. he would just laugh, kiss her forehead, tug her gently into his chest and say in that low warm voice that always calmed her: “it’s okay, you’ll get better. you’re still learning, you’ll improve. i trust you.”
and he meant it.
six years later, everything had changed - except those three words.
now, she owned her own salon. a real one. it was calm and quietly beautiful, the kind of place people walked into and immediately felt their shoulders and jaws drop. the lighting was gentle, never harsh, casting a soft glow across the concrete-textured walls.
in the corner sat a darker, fancier wash area with matte black sinks and deep leather chairs and a few paintings on the walls that hyunjin himself had lovingly painted and framed for her. everything felt intentional. minimalist, but cozy. modern, but lived-in.
it smelled faintly like eucalyptus, clean hair products, and a hint of something fresh, warm and comforting - like the kind of place built not just for beauty, but for breathing out, relaxing and starting afresh. it was the complete opposite of her tiny bathroom at uni that had a singular mirror, a harsh bulb overhead and too many tangled wires to sort.
her staff adored her, her regular clients left smiling, and she had appointments practically booked out in advance.
everything was stylish, professional, and completely hers.
•••
nothing, absolutely nothing, could’ve prepared anyone in that salon for what happened on a random tuesday afternoon.
because hyunjin walked in.
not in disguise, or through the back door after hours, not quietly. he walked in like he always did with her - head held high, a black cap sitting on his head, mask pushed down to his chin and looking around with that familiar sparkle in his eyes that said he was up to something.
it was about an hour till closing time - that soft, sleepy part of the evening when the salon lights dimmed just slightly, the playlist shifted to mellow acoustic songs and the whole place felt like it exhaled.
y/n stood near the back. her hands were steady and practiced as she painted the final strokes of caramel balayage onto her clients hair. foils rustled softly each time she adjusted them, small words filtered through her work as she casually chatted with the client whenever they looked up from their phone.
she was focused - brows slightly furrowed, lip caught between her teeth - completely in her element. the door chimed but she didn’t look.
mira, the front desk manager who was entirely calm, collected and immune to chaos, looked up and suddenly went rigid. the ipad in her usually confident hands slightly slipped down her palm which she scrambled to catch and ended up clutching it like some shield.
hana, the quiet stylist and one of y/n’s old friends, peeked out from behind the wall separating the washing area from the actual salon, and her eyes were as round as saucers when she realised who had walked in.
sora, sweeping up in the corner, froze mid-sweep. the broom hovered in the air like she was posing for some movie still and her eyes widened, shimmering with disbelief.
“oh my God.” she whispered, “oh my God, oh my God, no freaking way-”
then came the hushed warning from mira.
“…y/n. your boyfriend is here.”
y/n blinked, still with her brows furrowed, still holding a section of hair in her gloved hands. her brain, stuck entirely in customer-mode, responded randomly without thinking.
“which one?”
mira didn’t answer and only nodded towards the door and that’s when she finally turned. her heartbeat tripped.
hyunjin stood just past the doorway, soft golden salon lighting washing over him. he wore a tight black t-shirt, a khaki jacket slung over one shoulder and a dark cap shadowing his eyes. his hair, slightly overgrown and falling into his lashes, looked effortlessly gorgeous even in it’s lazy, un-styled state.
but it was his eyes that got her. his eyes always got her.
they lit up the moment she met them. they crinkled sweetly at the corners, warm and familiar and so full of affection she forgot, for a moment, that she was holding a brush full of dye.
he lifted a hand in that cute little wave he always did.
“hi, baby.” he said softly.
the entire salon went dead silent, even the air seemed to still.
sora put the broom down, hana turned off the water and stopped cleaning as she was before and mira was completely frozen in her seat. even y/n’s client twisted in the chair just to catch a glimpse of the unexpected idol-size surprise.
y/n’s lips parted in shock, “hyun? what’re you doing here?”
hyunjin began walking over to her, slow and unhurried, like he wasn’t stepping into a room full of stunned employees and two clients who might spontaneously combust at any moment.
“i have a flight soon.” he spoke to her once he was right beside her, voice warm and affectionate, “and i need my hair retouched before the ceremony tomorrow.”
he leaned down just slightly so their faces were level and she caught sight of his playful, gleaming eyes, “i didn’t want anyone else to do it.”
of course he didn’t.
even after having a whole professional team at work, a manager who said they could organise him getting his hair done on the plane there, even felix who was willing to quickly box-dye his hair for him before their flight.
he declined it all. and only came to her.
behind y/n, sora let out a noise that was definitely a whisper-scream, accidentally dropping the broom against the wall. mira slapped a hand over her mouth and y/n could only feel her cheeks heating with a slow, shy flush.
“oh.” she said, struggling to sound normal, “you should’ve told me earlier. i would’ve stayed late for you.”
“i know.” he murmured but when he leaned into kiss her forehead, her client actually gasped. out loud. his lips lingered for a second before he pulled back and let his hand rest on her back.
“but i wanted to see you during the day.” he continued, “and if i came after hours, you’d go home late. you’re probably already tired and my flight is soon, too.”
she nudged him lightly in the chest with the back of her hand, trying not to smile too widely while she subtly glanced at the forty-something year old client in the chair - but they looked just as star-struck, clearly not bothered and that made y/n blush even more.
“hyun, people are watching.”
he shrugged lightly, “people always watch.”
then with that same, professional idol charm, he turned to her coworkers and lifted his hand in a polite, gentle wave. a kind smile graced his lips along with the shiny, happy glint in his eyes and they all seemed to stop breathing.
“hello.” he greeted, sweetly, “i’m hyunjin.”
mira bowed so deeply she nearly bonked her head on the desk, “we know.” she squeaked and y/n had to hold her laugh in.
sora covered her entire face with both hands and hana backed into the shampoo shelf like she was trying to merge into it.
hyunjin only laughed it off - loud and warm, that honey-like sound y/n always heard through the phone on long nights and through the dorm bathroom years ago when she insisted she had ‘definitely not ruined his fringe’.
now it filled her whole salon. everyone melted and it instantly brightened the mood, making a sting of pride run through y/n’s spine.
the moment it did, her brain finally clicked back into responsible-stylist mode and she glanced at her half-finished client, still sitting patiently with foils neatly folded across her head and eyes lingering on hyunjin in awe.
“hana.” y/n turned to her friend and coworker with a gentle, playful smile on her lips, “can you finish toning and rinsing for me?”
she glanced at her boyfriend, “i need to handle this one.”
hana nodded so fast she nearly tripped over her own two feet, “yes! of course. i’ll take over.”
the girl mouthed a grateful thank you to her before turning to her boyfriend, who was calmly glancing around the place with a tiny, proud smile on his lips and hands folded behind his back.
“come on then.” she guided him over to a spare chair in the corner like it was the most natural thing in the world. he sat down smoothly, crossing his legs with casual elegance and then removed his cap and jacket, placing them in his lap.
the moment she caught sight of him, she groaned quietly.
“jinnie.” she stared at his hair, “your roots.”
hyunjin grinned, proud, like he was waiting for her dramatic reaction.
“that’s why i’m here.” he said and shrugged like it was something obvious.
she flicked his temple, “you’re lucky you’re cute.”
“i know.”
while y/n set up the dye bowls and scooped the colour with the precision only years of practice could give her, hyunjin watched her through the mirror with a look that was equal parts fondness and nostalgia.
the way she moved, the way she pulled on her gloves, the way she tied her apron a little tighter, it all pulled him back instantly.
back to when they were merely nineteen, sitting in the middle of her bathroom on a stool surrounded by the scent of cheap conditioner and vanilla candles.
when she’d mix dye in old plastic tubs she got from a random convenience store. or when she’d say, “i’m not sure if this will work properly,” and he’d shrug and tell her “go for it,” without a single ounce of fear.
he’d let her do anything back then, all because he loved her and trusted her and watching her now, it made his chest ache. his chin rested in his palm as he continued staring at her, the corners of his eyes softening and his lips upturning.
“you look pretty when you’re working.”
y/n didn’t even glance up, “stop flirting with me, i’ve got dye gloves on.”
“i can flirt anytime.” he said lightly, “and you can’t stop me.”
she rolled her eyes but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her. it was practically impossible not to smile at him, especially when he looked at her like that.
y/n moved behind him and instantly started combing gently through his slightly overgrown hair, and hyunjin melted into the touch. his shoulders relaxed, head tilting just a bit - like muscle memory, like years of letting her hands guide him.
“don’t fall asleep while i’m bleaching you.” she chuckled.
“i won’t.” he said, already sounding half asleep, “but if i do… just let me nap a little.”
she smacked his shoulder lightly, “oh my God- hyunjin, no.”
he giggled. actually giggled - the same way he did when she cut his hair way too much he had to go bald. when she cried afterwards because all of his hair was gone and it was all her fault but he only encouraged her to dye his buzzcut blonde and let him surprise his fans at their next show.
a stylist walked past and bowed politely. hyunjin instantly straightened up, offering a respectful smile, idol mode without losing that gentle warmth. he felt comfortable in her space; no one tried to sneak a photo, no one hovered. and y/n felt her heart squeeze with appreciation.
when she reached for the comb or the scissors, hyunjin’s eyes tracked her the whole time. when she moved around him to the front, he let the tips of his fingers graze her wrist, then her waist, then up to her elbow.
tiny touches. soft, curious yet so familiar. they sent heat creeping up her neck.
“hyunjin.” she whisper, pretending to focus on parting his hair, “stop. i’m at work.”
“but you’re my girlfriend.” he blinked up at her with innocent eyes that were anything but innocent.
“right now i’m not. i’m your hairstylist and i’m bleaching your hair.” she said firmly, “if you move, you’re getting patchy roots.”
“okay.” he sat up straighter like a scolded schoolboy, “i’ll behave.”
y/n smirked, victorious, “good boy.”
his ears instantly burned red and his lips curled to hide his shy smile.
“why would you say that while i’m stuck in this chair…” he mumbled, sulking dramatically.
y/n laughed at his antics and leaned down to press a kiss to his temple, giving him the small bit of affection he was wanting. his eyes fluttered shut at the touch lovingly.
“just sit still and let me make you pretty.”
•••
when the bleach had fully processed and she was satisfied, she tugged on hyunjin’s sleeve, “okay, come on pretty boy. shampoo time.”
he followed her without zero hesitation, and settled into the reclining chair like he had many times before. he let out a sigh that sounded borderline heavenly.
“this is my favourite part.” he said, already melting into the chair.
“you say that everytime.”
“because it’s true.” his eyes shut like he was about to ascend to another plane and y/n shook her head.
she applied shampoo and threaded her fingers through his hair with practiced ease, massaging along his scalp the way she knew made him sigh. she always took her time with him - maybe she didn’t want to admit it, but this was her favourite part too.
the closeness, the trust, the way he became putty in her hands in a way he didn’t show to the rest of the world. she loved it all.
“y/n.” his breath hitched as he folded his hands above his stomach, saying her name like it was something precious.
“hm?”
“you’re too good at this…”
she rolled her eyes, “you just like being pampered.”
“by you.” he correctly quickly, without a second of thought, “only by you.”
warmth shot up her neck and settled in her cheeks. she was very, very grateful he was reclined in that moment, and that she turned towards the shelves so he couldn’t see her blushing like a teenager with a crush.
“you’re supposed to relax, not flirt.”
“i am relaxed! and i’m multitasking.” his tone dropped with nothing but smug satisfaction.
y/n dug her fingertips a little deeper - not enough to hurt him but just enough to make him inhale sharply.
“okay, okay. i’ll behave!” he laughed, but he didn’t really stop. he didn’t need words for it but the faint smile ghosting his lips was enough. she watched him for a moment and even without speaking, she could tell he was happy.
really happy.
the kind of quiet, deep happiness only she could understand from him. and she felt it too… it was overwhelmingly warm, full, sinking into her chest with every slow stroke of her hands through his hair and the rich, lingering smell of the shampoo.
•••
about thirty minutes later, hyunjin was rinsed, conditioned, towel-dried and his hair was properly blown out.
for the next ten minutes or so, he watched her with a calm tenderness as she clipped sections of his hair, trimming the ends with gentle precision.
she styled it the way she knew suited him best: effortless, natural, a little undone but still polished. the kind of style that looked like it grew out of him. he never had to explicitly tell her what he wanted, she always somehow knew.
soon enough, she finally set her comb down and took a step back to look at him the way he stands back to examine his own paintings.
“you look perfect.” she said, proudly. hyunjin tilted his head in the mirror as his golden-brown hair shifted in the light. the subtle layers framed his jawline, brushing his cheekbones and making his already soft eyes look even gentler.
he reached up to ruffle it - a habit that made her want to smack his hand away every single time - but she let him, just this once, because she could tell he was admiring it.
their eyes met in the mirror and he grinned.
“no.” he shook his head like he couldn’t believe she even suggested otherwise, “you made me look perfect.”
her heart did an extremely dangerous flip and just to hide it, she gave his shoulder a light shove.
“stop being sweet, i’m still working.”
hyunjin then stood up from the chair and turned towards her - too close, always too close - and leaned in just enough for his breath to ghost across her ear. his voice dropped to a low, velvety tone, one he only used when he wanted to melt her into a puddle.
“i like it when you work on me.” he whispered.
her knees nearly buckled, breath caught, stomach curling with butterflies.
he pulled back slightly but still close enough that she could see the crinkle at the corner of his eyes and the smug curve of his plump lips - the look he got when he knew exactly what he was doing to her. the look he only ever gave her when he knew she wanted him but couldn’t have him currently.
“you okay?” he softly teased.
y/n cleared her throat, straightened her posture and pretended she wasn’t seconds away from collapsing like a victorian woman in a corset.
“i’m fine. totally fine.”
but hyunjin already knew.
he always knew. he could read her better than the back of his hand.
•••
y/n walked him to the front desk, which mira had abandoned to help out with a customer in the corner. she tapped his service details into their system as if she didn’t already know them by heart. the programme listed every cut, colour and treatment by name but she could’ve even typed it blindfolded - his appointments had been hers since they were teenagers.
the screen lit up with the total like it always did. she glanced at him from over the monitor and instantly covered the screen, shaking her head.
“no. i’m not charging you. you’re my boyfriend.”
hyunjin, already halfway to grabbing his wallet, changed his expression so fast it was almost comical. his brows shot up, jaw tightening as a look of dramatic betrayal took over his face like some shakespearean actor.
“no.” he said, dead serious, “i don’t want favoritism.”
“hyunjin.” her tone turned strict, the way it did when she scolded him at home, “i’ve been doing your hair for years. even if you weren’t my boyfriend, i still wouldn’t charge you.”
“i don’t care. i’m still paying.”
“hyunjin-”
“baby.” he said it in that same immovable tone he used when he insisted on practicing a choreo ‘just one more time’ at midnight. it was final. practically carved in stone.
before she could say another word or even cancel the payment, he swooped in and swiped his card. and when the options to tip came up, he typed in a huge number as if it didn’t even matter to him. the number made the screen flash instantly, a number that could fund her entire salon’s coffee supply for two months.
“hyunjin!” she stared at him wide-eyed, “what is wrong with you?”
he just smiled. a devastating, smug, sunshine-soft smile that he knew would break through her angry façade straight away.
“supportive boyfriend.”
“that’s not supportive.” she sputtered, trying to keep her voice low and just between them, “that’s robbery- you just robbed yourself.”
he leaned in and braced one hand against the counter. he was instantly invading her personal space with all the confidence of a man who’s been in her personal space for years. without hesitation, without checking if anyone was watching, he pecked her lips quickly.
it was brief, tender but fueled completely by his love for her. when he pulled back after pecking her lips another time, he stayed close enough that she could feel his breath and his smile through his words.
“bye, baby. i’ll text you when i land.”
her heart did a full on gymnastics routine at this point.
just like that, hyunjin was stepping back and giving her three coworkers a polite smile - the same smile people paid real money to see - and walked out after giving her another glance and cheeky grin. he just left like he hadn’t just detonated her entire workplace.
y/n stood there motionless. she was practically glowing, both with the buzzing love in her heart and the heat flushing her skin. her hands flew to her cheeks to cool them down a bit and she exhaled shakily.
ten seconds passed. only ten before she was bombarded.
“that was hyunjin!!”
“he called you baby- we heard it! we heard ALL of it!”
“oh my- he kissed you in front of us.”
“he’s so much more handsome in real life!”
“i HAVE to sit down, y/n, you’ve killed us-”
the whole place erupted.
y/n’s coworkers were holding onto eachother like they’d just survived a natural disaster. someone was fanning themselves with a poster. mira sat on one of the chairs looking like she’d just ascended. sora was beaming so bright - y/n just dropped behind the counter, crouching to the floor like a wounded animal.
“i hate him.” she whispered into her hands.
of course, that translated to: i love him too much and he knows it and purposely tried to sabotage me today.
“he. said. baby.” one of the stylists repeated for the twentieth time, pacing like a detective who’d just cracked a case. the others squealed along and threw happy, cheerful but teasing glances towards their embarrassed manager.
she let out a long, miserable groan. she was definitely going to kill him when he returned.
summary. a few instances where sunghoon, completely introverted, loves teasing his equally shy girlfriend. pairing. bf!sunghoon x shy!reader. mentions. established relationship, slightly suggestive, fluff, ts got me cheesing omfg
happy 23rd bday to our favourite loud introvert 🥳🫶🏼
y/n and sunghoon were, in the simplest terms, two introverts who had accidentally wandered into each other’s lives and never actually managed to walk back out. they fit together strangely well, like matching puzzle pieces carved from the same material but shaped in different ways.
y/n was the careful kind of quiet - the soft, gentle, ‘think twice before speaking, then think ten more times afterwards’ kind of quiet. she was an observer by nature, the person who listened more than she talked, who felt deeply but expressed delicately. she wasn’t shy because she lacked things to say, but she simply just lived in a world where she didn’t like being too loud for others.
sunghoon, on the other hand, was quiet in an entirely different font.
around strangers, he was polite and reserved, his expressions subtle and his voice normal - almost cold to people who didn’t know him. but the moment someone cracked open the smallest door of comfort, he walked straight through it with no restraint. he became the loudest introvert known to man; the ridiculously, overly confident type.
he had that duality only close friends ever saw… and somehow, y/n saw most of it, as his girlfriend. because inexplicably, from the very beginning when they were just young teenagers in school, he was the loudest with her. the most expressive. the most himself.
they were a pair of introverts who had found comfort in each other’s silence… and unintentional chaos in each other’s presence. sunghoon, once he grew comfortable, and once he fell hopelessly in love, was dangerously playful. and y/n, equally in love but painfully shy, had absolutely no defence against him.
maybe that’s why he loved teasing her so much.
•••
y/n was chopping vegetables for her ramen with the kind of concentration that made the rest of the world fade out. the kitchen was quiet except for the simmering sound of water bubbling on the stove and the knife against the cutting board. it was peaceful - her favourite kind of evening, tucked away in her own little bubble of calm.
until the front door clicked open.
she paused mid-slice at the unmistakeable thud of shoes being kicked off, followed by slow, heavy footsteps dragging across the hardwood floor.
she didn’t even have to turn to know who it was - only one person had the code to her apartment, only one person showed up randomly, throwing himself in the comfort he called his second home; sunghoon had a very specific way of sounding both exhausted and dramatic at the same time.
the moment he stepped into the kitchen, his arms slid around her waist from behind, pulling her flush against his damp, sweat-warm chest.
“hoon- you’re sweaty.” she protested, scrunching her nose as his damp hair brushed her cheek.
“i know.” he mumbled right into the sensitive curve of her neck, sounding absolutely pitiful and somehow proud of it at the same time. his breath was warm against her skin when he added, “let me die here.”
y/n groaned softly, twisting weakly in his hold but he only tightened his arms stubbornly - almost desperately - like one of those oversized koalas that latched onto a tree and refused to let go. his forehead dropped against her shoulder, a heavy, warm weight, and he began rocking her side to side in slow, sleepy motions.
“hoon.” she warned softly, eyebrows knitting together, “you’re going to make me cut my fingers off.”
sunghoon replied with a lazy, deep hum. his head lifted only enough to glance at her hands from over her shoulder and then, with the smooth, practiced reflexes of someone deeply in love and deeply whipped, he plucked the knife out of her grip. he placed it on the counter where she could no longer reach it while trapped in his embrace.
she watched him, stunned, and couldn’t even reply before he was tightening his hold on her once again.
soft, lazy pecks pressed along her cheek. then her jaw, then the sensitive, delicate spot right below her ear that had her mind spiralling and her heart stuttering just the right way.
“i’m trying to cook, baby-” her entire body jolted the second he started sucking lightly on her earlobe.
“that’s exactly why i’m doing this.” he insisted, like it made perfect sense. with gentle hands, he spun her around so she was fully facing him.
he looked wrecked - hair damp, jawline sharp with exhaustion, hoodie sticking to him in places - but his smile was the kind that made her chest tighten. like he had finally reached the place he’d been craving all day.
“you always look the cutest when you’re focused.” he murmured and leaned forward enough for her perfume to invade his senses - the same, sweet yet sultry scent that made him lose his mind and his breath hitch whenever he caught even a glimpse of it.
at his bold words, y/n’s eyes immediately dropped to the floor with heat pooling at the base of her neck. she looked up to his chest, which was rising and falling with slow, tired breaths and she quickly looked away again, flustered beyond help.
sunghoon chuckles because he just loved when she got like this: all quiet and soft under him. he cradled her face in his hands and his smile widened in pure delight.
“you’re blushing again.” he teased, “i was gone for three hours. did you miss me that much?”
“stop.” she whispered, voice so small it barely counted as sound.
“no.” he leaned closer, brushing her nose with his in the softest, most intimate way, “i’m needy. let me love you for a minute.”
y/n’s heart was practically pulsing in her ears now as she let sunghoon press kisses all over her cheeks. her hands floated up like she wanted to push him off, but instead she ended up tugging lightly at the sleeve of his hoodie. she pulled him closer uncontrollably, the way she always did when she got overwhelmed.
sunghoon’s fond expression melted instantly.
he couldn’t help himself from kissing her, which is exactly what he did as his lips travelled from the apples of her cheeks to her sweet mouth. it was a slow, lingering kiss, velvety in the way that reminded him how much he truly loved her.
his lips parted just enough to brush against hers with the tip of his tongue, teasing, coaxing a shiver from her. it was a kiss that made his shoulders relax, his heartbeat steady, his entire exhaustion dissolve for just a moment.
y/n exhaled shakily against his mouth, letting him smile into her mouth and sigh in relaxation. when he finally pulled back, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, gentler than anything he’d done tonight.
“cutest person alive.” he whispered affectionately, “my reward for surviving practice.”
and y/n turned into such a trembling, flustered mess, she had to hide herself in his chest whilst he laughed at her reaction.
•••
meeting her family was terrifying enough on its own. meeting her extended family with sunghoon by her side made it somehow worse, and somehow safer at the same time.
he held her hand the entire time, rubbing gentle, reassuring circles into her palm whenever she felt herself stiffen. he’d whisper small jokes into her ear to keep her from shutting down or feeling overwhelmed with how crowded her family home was.
and honestly, for y/n, the real problem came later on. when everyone had retreated outside to drink and grill food and she was left alone in the living room with her newborn nephew and her boyfriend, who suddenly had the audacity to look at her like that.
like she was glowing.
she had her nephew in her arms, his tiny body laying against her chest as she gently rocked him to sleep in the same way she’d seen all the other adults do. sunghoon, breath completely lost, was sitting beside her, watching her with an intensity that made her heartbeat thump louder than the baby’s soft breaths.
“you’re good with him.” his voice was unusually soft, reverent.
she blinked at him, a little flustered, “i’m just holding him.”
“mm, and looking extremely cute while doing so.”
her stomach flipped but she ignored it.
her eyes drifted back down to the baby in her grasp and continued to tap against his back, trying to hide her expression simultaneously. sunghoon didn’t give up and leaned closer anyway - he rested his cheek against her shoulder and brushed a strand of hair from her face.
“you look really natural like this, you know?” he mumbled, looking at how content she looked. like she was enjoying it, basking in the quiet bundle of calm in her arms, and he just knew her heart was melting - he could tell by the way her lips slightly pouted and her eyes lit up.
“natural… how?” she asked carefully, heart stuttering as she looked down to his face that was so close to hers.
sunghoon didn’t answer immediately. instead, one of his hands slid slowly along her back. he circled his hand gently, while his eyes remained on the small baby cradled against her chest.
his favourite girl, his beautiful girl, holding a baby? it was doing things to his heart that were way too embarrassing to admit.
“like someone who’ll be a great mom some day.” he replied, the tinge of ache in his tone betraying just how much the scene infront of him affected him too.
y/n’s breath caught and she didn’t even have time to reply or process his words before he was speaking again - this time with a much more bolder tone, more teasing in that usual sunghoon way she couldn’t help but love.
“i’m just saying… if you ever wanted kids, i’d volunteer. gladly.”
she choked on nothing at all.
“sunghoon!” she whisper-yelled, watching as her boyfriend smugly grinned up at her like he hadn’t just put the most obscene images in her head for a few seconds.
she practically froze for a few seconds all while he giggled beside her.
his thumb brushed along her cheek in a gesture so gentle it made butterflies erupt in her stomach and she suddenly wanted nothing more than to reach forward and attack him in kisses.
“your family already loves me. might as well secure my place, right?”
“you’re actually crazy.” she giggled in return and even though he’d just risked waking the baby up, whispered the most inappropriate suggestion into her ear, he couldn’t deny that the smile on her pretty lips and the love in her eyes was worth it.
•••
y/n stood in front of the bedroom mirror, frowning slightly as she rummaged through her jewellery box for the necklace sunghoon had given her; the one she always saved for special nights. the black dress she had on hugged her body in exactly the way she feared it would - too well.
she was already embarrassed at the thought of sunghoon seeing her in it.
what she didn’t realise was that he had already been in the room for the last five minutes, leaning casually against the drawer with his arms closed. he was watching her with that lazy, half-lidded gaze he reserved only for her yet she was too absorbed in finding the delicate chain to notice him standing there, all silent and smug.
when she finally lifted the necklace out of the box, sunghoon stepped forward before she could reach for the clasp herself.
“here, let me.” he said softly and took it from her fingers.
y/n froze completely, both from the steady brush of his hand against hers but also from the thought he’d been stood there the whole time and she didn’t even realise. she watched with parted lips and wide eyes and a heart thumping in her ears as he fastened the clasp behind her neck
his fingers lingered a few seconds longer than necessary and she felt that similar shiver run up her spine.
“there.” he murmured, tilting her chin up slightly with the back of his hand so he could see it properly, “perfect.”
her eyes ran over the pretty piece of jewellery in the mirror and before she could even react, sunghoon’s arms wrapped around her waist and he was pulling her impossibly closer. she could feel the warmth of his chest pressing against her back, his hands sliding along the sides of her body in a way that made her knees instantly weaken.
she would’ve fallen to the floor if he wasn’t standing right behind her, supporting her with his arms.
“sunghoon.” she squeaked and tried (and failed) to twist her body free but he only tightened his grip and rested his chin lightly on her shoulder.
“hmm, you look too good.” he whispered into her ear and she could only helplessly watch him in the mirror. his right hand shamelessly ran along the front of her stomach whilst his left one circled her waist, dangerously low.
“how am i supposed to let you leave the house looking like this?” his own breath hitched when he let both of his hands warmly, teasingly travel higher and when they brushed the underside of her breasts, y/n swore she completely lost her mind.
her stomach turned with butterflies, and she genuinely couldn’t stop her face from burning a bright red under the blush she’d already applied to her cheeks.
“sunghoon-” she gasped and instantly grabbed at his hands that were way too close to cupping her through her dress.
she slapped one hand against his shoulder and her other hand flew to cover her mouth, stifling something between a squeal and a gasp. it did nothing to hide the way her body instantly responded to his touch, though.
sunghoon laughed. his smile was mischievous and shameless, pressing his body closer so that every subtle movement of his hands had her pulse racing and he could practically feel her heart bumping against her rib cage.
he knew exactly what affect he had on her, and he basked in it, despite the fact his own cheeks were heating up at just the sight of her.
“what?” he kissed her cheek, “i’m just appreciating.”
“appreciating?” she squeaked and almost fell over if she hadn’t grabbed at his arm.
“you look so perfect, i can’t help myself.” his head nuzzled into the side of her neck, right into the spot she had sprayed her perfume and sunghoon swore his own knees buckled at the smell he loved so much. it was so her, in the most perfect way possible, his mind was short-circuiting as he tightened his arms around her and kissed her neck gently.
y/n was a complete mess under him - heart hammering, face flushed, lips parted like she wanted to form words but couldn’t.
“every time you blush,” he added softly, leaning up to look at her crumbling, flushed expression through the mirror, “my brain just… shuts off.”
she covered her face with both hands despite what he had just told her. her hands were trembling slightly and he could see the curve of her smile from where he stood behind her. he found it cute, completely adorable and he chuckled, low and steady.
sunghoon pulled her hands down gently and with another tiny kiss to her cheek, he whispered, “don’t hide. i like seeing all of it.”
•••
they were both sitting on the couch, supposedly watching a drama late one evening. well, y/n was watching. sunghoon was too busy watching her.
he had his head propped up on his arm, brown eyes completely droned in on his pretty girl beside him, the same girl he got to call his. his eyes were soft but teasing and he let a slow grin spread across his face naturally.
“you know what i love about you?” he asked randomly.
y/n turned her head and instantly furrowed her brows, but there was a knowing glint in her eye, “no- no, i don’t want to know.”
he just smirked like he’d just scored a point.
“how you pretend you’re not clingy.”
her eyes widened and she tugged the blanket closer to her neck as if that could stop the heat from overflowing into her cheeks once again, “i’m not clingy-”
“mmhm.” he nudged her ankle gently with his foot, smirking, “that’s why your foot is touching my leg.”
her stomach did a little flip and she retracted her foot instantly. she didn’t even realise half her body was practically sprawled over half of his, it was just a natural instinct whenever they sat down together.
“and why you keep glancing at me every five minutes to make sure i’m still here.”
“i do not.”
he deliberately shifted closer, pressing, or rather trapping, her gently but firmly against the armrest. for him, it was just mindless teasing, a chance for him to see her blushing and smiling under him like he did even in his dreams. for y/n, the couch suddenly felt too small, too warm and too intimate.
“you do.” he murmured, face just close enough for her to feel the affection in his teasing tone, “and it’s my favourite thing in the whole world.”
she was suddenly unable to even look at him. sunghoon, happily basking in the moment, reached up to brush a strand of her hair behind her ear. he purposely let his fingers linger against her cheek, thumb grazing softly and his voice dropped down to a velvety whisper.
“you don’t even realise how adorable you are. and i get to be the only one who sees it.”
she tried to hide her face in her hands, cheeks blazing, but his hands were faster - warm, careful and firm as they pulled hers away. his lips found her forehead first, lingering just long enough to make her knees weak, then down the bridge of her nose and then her cheek.
anywhere he could reach, he kissed her, teasing and tender all at once.
“don’t hide.” he kissed the corner of her mouth, “i told you, i like seeing you get shy because of me.”
and then, just to drive her completely insane, sunghoon slid his larger fingers between hers in a secure embrace. he rested their joined hands against his chest and she could instantly feel his steady heartbeat under her palm.
just like that, her body softened and she his herself in his shoulder, smiling shyly like a teenager in love.
“see? clingy.” he smirked.
“you’re evil.” y/n let out a breathy laugh, half embarrassed, half helpless as her fingers twined deeper with his.
summary. when they realise they’re in love. pairing. enhypen ot7 x reader. mentions. fluff, bit of angst/jealousy in jay’s, talk about injury in sunghoon’s, they’re not all established relationships (bsf!heeseung and childhood bsf!ni-ki)
heeseung
he doesn’t realise it in a dramatic way.
there’s no sudden clarity, no lightning-bolt moment where everything snaps into place and the world fades around them. no, it happens quietly, in the in-between hours when the dorm has finally settled and the night feels like it’s holding its breath.
it’s late. the kind of late where the tv is more habit than entertainment, the glow dim and bluish. heeseung had been stretched out on one end of the couch, half-watching the tv while y/n sat at the other end, scrolling through her phone - both of them were entirely in their own worlds, basking in some quiet, alone time.
at some point, her movements slowed.
he hadn’t noticed right away. he only realised when the room felt different. quieter. he glanced over and saw her curled slightly on her side, knees tucked in, head tilting awkwardly toward the armrest.
instantly, he frowned softly.
“she’s going to wake up with a stiff neck.” heeseung muttered under his breath as he leaned toward her, meaning to nudge her gently awake.
just to tell her to go to bed properly. his mouth even opened, her name dangling on his tongue but he paused. froze.
her breathing had evened out, slow and steady. the faint crease that usually sat between her brows - something she got when she was either concentrating or tired - had smoothed away. her lashes rested against her cheeks, a completely unguarded expression settling in a way she rarely allowed herself to be.
peaceful.
and insanely beautiful.
heeseung stayed still, caught mid-reach.
for a long moment, he just watched her. mesmerised. dazed. his eyes ran over the slow rise and fall of her chest, the way her fingers had curled loosely into her hoodie, like she’d been holding onto something even in sleep.
“…okay.” he whispered, barely audible, “sleep, then.”
heeseung instantly lowered the volume of the tv until it was just a faint murmur, before deciding that was still too loud for her and just turned it off entirely. the sudden quiet felt intimate. delicate. like any wrong movement might shatter it, and wake her up.
he stood up from his seat slowly and tiptoed across the room, grabbing a blanket from the back of a chair in the corner. when he returned, he moved with exaggerated care as he draped the fluffy material over her shoulders and tucked it around her legs.
his hands knew what to do without thinking.
he adjusted the blanket just enough so it wouldn’t slip, but not so tightly that it would wake her. he made sure it didn’t brush her face - he knew she hated that. his fingers lingered for half a second longer than necessary against her bare wrist, adorned in their matching bracelets. he felt the heat there, grounding himself in it as his heart uncontrollably fluttered at the tiny touch.
y/n shifted slightly. he froze completely as she let out a soft sigh, her eyes barely open.
“…heeseung?”
“i’m here.” his deep voice replied, lowly as he kneeled beside her, “go back to sleep.”
her eyes fluttered but didn’t open, “don’t let me sleep here all night…”
a faint smile tugged at his lips, “i won’t.”
just the warmth in his tone seemed to satisfy her. her breathing evened out again and her grip on the hoodie loosened.
heeseung exhaled slowly.
instead of reclaiming his spot on the couch, he sank down to the floor beside her as his back came to rest against it. he set his phone beside him, screen dark and forgotten and pulled his knees up to his chest loosely.
and that’s when it happens.
not all at once - but heavy, undeniable.
the thought slips into his mind uninvited: what if something happened to her?
it’s not dramatic. it doesn’t come with images or scenarios, but rather a dull, sudden ache in his chest - like pressure building where his lungs should be. the idea of her not being here tomorrow, or the couch being empty, the dorm being too quiet without her usual pretty laughter and dumb jokes filtering in. it all made his stomach twist sharply.
heeseung swallows.
his mind betrays him with details he didn’t realise he’d memorised. the rhythm of her breathing. the raspiness that enters her voice when she’s tired. the tiny nose scrunch when she’s exhausted. the exact pressure his hands need when tucking her in so she won’t wake.
hell, he even knew the exact length of her hair. now, why did he know that or need to know that in any way? he didn’t know but he liked the random knowledge. the random facts about her. the beautiful, relaxed side of her she didn’t show many people.
his heart starts racing, loud in his ears, and he stares down at the floor. somewhere along the line, caring about her had turned into something that could hurt him. something that already did, just as he thought about losing it.
“idiot.” heeseung murmurs to himself, shaking his head.
he presses his thumb into his palm, grounding himself. he’s crossed a line without noticing, he’s stepped into something he can’t pretend is safe or casual anymore.
behind him, she shifts again.
“seung?” y/n murmurs a lot softer this time. more trusting. like it’s the most natural thing in the world to call his name when she’s not even awake.
his chest tightens painfully.
heeseung turns to look at her over his shoulder. the blanket is still tucked around her, face relaxed, completely unaware of the war quietly waging in his chest.
meanwhile he’s completely unaware of the dreams she has of him, of the softness in her eyes when she looks at him, the smile that tugs at her lips when someone mentions him, the tightness in her chest when they hang out and she has to pretend just his presence doesn’t short-circuit her mind.
but in this quiet moment… in the late night softness of this moment, he knows.
there’s no going back from this. no un-feeling it. no pretending it’s just comfort or care or coincidence. heeseung stays there on the floor for a long time, keeping watch, occasionally brushing his fingers over her knuckles, his heart steady but certain in a way that frightens him.
and when morning comes - whenever it comes, he doesn’t really notice - he knows one thing with absolute clarity:
he’s already fallen for her. hard.
jay
jay realises it when he gets angry.
not the kind of anger that explodes outward, loud and reckless. it’s more of a quieter anger, more sharper. it lodges itself beneath his sternum and burns slowly, persistently, like a spark that refuses to die out.
both him and y/n are at a small gathering. music hums throughout the room at a low volume, most people talking and laughing loudly along. the air smells faintly of something sweet and artificial, mixed with the warmth of too many bodies sharing the same space.
jay is standing near the back with an untouched drink in his hand, shoulders squared out of habit. his eyes were moving constantly as he tracked the room the way he always does, almost cataloguing details in his brain without conscious effort.
that’s when he sees her.
y/n is near the centre of the room, her posture relaxed, expression open. beside her, someone is laughing too close. leaning too far in. invading space that doesn’t belong to him.
the guy’s shoulder brushes hers when he laughs, all casual and familiar and way too comfortable.
it shouldn’t matter to jay - she’s his girlfriend. she’s his, all his, officially. there’s no ambiguity or grey area and he knows that. he trusts her and what they have.
yet the irritation still slams into him - fast, hot and uninvited.
his jaw tightens, his teeth pressing together as his gaze sharpens even more. he watches the way she tilts her head politely, smiling because that’s who she is - kind, accommodating, unwilling to make things awkward even when she has every right to. jay’s fingers curl slowly around his glass. the condensation sticks against his palm but it doesn’t seem to help.
relax, he tells himself. she’s fine, you’re fine.
he doesn’t move or interrupt. he just goes quiet - the kind of quiet that settles angrily into his bones. his shoulders stiffen and his expression flattens as something dark simmers beneath the surface. this feeling doesn’t fade the way irritation usually does when he reasons through it.
it deepens, for some reason.
“jay?”
he blinks, pulled abruptly through his thoughts. sunghoon is standing beside him now, studying his sharpened face with open curiosity.
“you good?” sunghoon asks, slowly as if not to rattle his friend even further than he already looked.
“i’m fine.” he replies automatically, voice clipped and snappy and way too quick. sunghoon follows his line of sight naturally and recognition dawns on him immediately as he sees what exactly he’s looking at.
or rather throwing daggers at.
“ah.” he hums.
jay shoots him a warning look, knowing what the smirk on his lips meant, “don’t.”
“i didn’t say anything.”
“you were about to.”
sunghoon shrugs, unbothered, lips twitching, “just saying… you look like you’re two seconds away from committing a crime.”
jay exhales sharply through his nose. his eyes land back on his girl across the room and he replies without thinking, “i’m not jealous.”
“that wasn’t the denial i was expecting.” sunghoon raises his brows.
jay doesn’t answer. there’s really nothing he can say anymore without lying.
across the room, y/n finally excuses herself, offering a polite smile to the guy before stepping away. jay sees him physically deflate, lips curling in a snarl at the sudden ending of his pathetic attempt of flirting, but he doesn’t stare too long. he watches his girlfriend weave though the crowd easily, unaware of the way his chest eases with every step she takes towards open space.
later - long after the irritation should have burned out - jay finds her sitting alone near the edge of the room. the noise is a lot more dull over here, like the world had softened around her. she’s curled slightly into herself, phone balanced loosely in her hands as she scrolls without focus.
jay slows as he approaches and she looks up, her eyes instantly lighting up when she spots her boyfriend.
there it is, he thinks as his eyes scan her, that smile.
unfiltered. warm. pretty, as always. the kind of relaxed smile that makes his heart rate spike in a way he can’t explain.
“hey.” she says softly, “you disappeared.”
jay slips his hands into his pockets, “you were busy.”
“with who?” she tilts her head, studying him as she sets her phone down. jay hesitates - just barely as he fiddles with his fingers in his pockets, but it’s enough for her to notice. of course she does, she can read him like the back of her hand.
“doesn’t matter.” he mutters and y/n’s brows instantly furrow in concern. she stands up without thinking and closes the distance between them, standing in front of him with soft eyes that made him want to drop to his knees then and there and confide in her.
“jay… baby, are you okay?”
just the sound of his name in her voice, all warm and tender, cracks something in him. not the anger, or the jealousy but the truth beneath it.
standing there with her looking at him like that - completely open - he realises it was never about control. never about ownership. he doesn’t want to dictate her choices or cage her with his feelings.
he wants to protect her.
choose her.
be chosen back, without hesitation or doubt.
that realisation knots his stomach - love feels dangerous to him. like a weakness or a vulnerability that could be exploited if he isn’t careful. he’s spent years building up walls and caging his feelings enough for no one to break through.
and yet-
“i didn’t like the way he was looking at you.”
y/n’s eyes widen slightly, “oh.”
“i know you can handle yourself.” he adds on quickly before she could misunderstand, tension threading through every word as his eyes drone in on her questioning expression, “i’m not saying you did anything wrong. i just-”
he stops mid-sentence as the frustration seems to catch up, tightening his jaw and stealing his words. y/n reaches out, her fingers brushing his wrist, light but intentional. enough to ground him, to pull him back into his body.
“jay, you don’t have to explain.” she says gently, “but don’t shut me out.”
he looks down at her hand, then back at her face. the concern there hasn’t faded - if anything, it’s softened, turned patient, curling around her beautiful features and his breath hitches in his throat.
“i don’t like feeling this way.” he admits quietly, just between them, “it makes me weak.”
the vulnerability in his tone seeps through her heart. y/n’s eyes search his face, thoughtful and worrying, “because you care?”
jay exhales slowly, his breath leaving him like a surrender. a confession. dangerous and inevitable all at once.
“because i love you.”
silence settles between them both instantly, thick but steady. y/n’s expression softens, something tender unfolding in her eyes.
“jay…” she whispers and her fingers tighten around his wrist, “you don’t lose anything by loving me.”
his throat tightens.
“i know.” he says after a moment of thought, “i just realised i’d lose everything if i didn’t.”
y/n smiles then. she leans forward until her forehead rests against his chest and jays arms come around her without thought, pulling her body closer to his - protective, steady, unyielding without being possessive. he presses a tiny kiss to her head and she tightens her hold around him lovingly.
in that moment, he knows.
the fear is still there. the risk is real but the thought of losing her hurts far worse than the fear of loving her ever could.
jake
it’s just an ordinary day when jake realises it and that’s what makes it unbearable.
he was on a morning scedhule today so he was mostly done by 1pm. the apartment was quiet when he got home - not the peaceful kind, but just empty. he drops his bag by the door, kicks off his shoes and listens to the soft thud echo throughout the space. everything is exactly as it should be.
except y/n’s not here.
he tells himself it’s okay. she’d told him this morning - when he was clingy in bed, kissing all over her and whining about having to go to work - that she would be going out later with her sister. he knew she needed a day to herself since work had been hectic lately and he’d been with her all week, laughing, cooking together, spending time whenever they had the tiniest bit of an opportunity.
still, the quiet pressed in on him. selfishly.
he checks his phone while walking to the kitchen, his thumb moving on instinct. there’s no new messages from her but he scrolls anyway, rereading the last one like it might change from when she sent it this morning.
y/n: i’m leaving now, i’ll be back later baby 🤍
the heart made it worse.
jake exhales slowly and sets his phone down as if it was burning his hand.
“get a grip.” he mutters to himself, shaking his head. he decides to distract himself so he changes into his workout clothes, turning up the music on their speakers louder than usual. the rhythm thumps throughout their living room as he starts his usual at home routine; push-ups, sit-ups, anything to keep his body busy enough that his mind can’t wander.
it doesn’t work.
between reps, his thoughts drift back to her - how she’d usually be sitting on the couch by now with her legs tucked under herself, scrolling through her phone or reading a book, occasionally glancing up to tease him for pushing himself too hard.
after about an hour, he finishes all sweaty and breathless, heart pounding for the completely wrong reason.
he showers next. the water runs hot, his eyes closed as the steam starts sticking to the walls and his skin starts pruning. he stays there longer than necessary, hoping the boiling sensation would drown out the ache curling in his chest and keep the silence in his life at bay for a bit.
it doesn’t.
when he steps back into the living room, the silence is still there. waiting. haunting.
that’s when he decides to join a game online with the members. for a second, familiar laughter fills his headphones as soon as he joins. the usual banter and their bubbly voices help - at first.
“jake, focus!” jay laughs as they all watch his character on their screens, “you’re throwing.”
“i am focused!” he says, missing another easy move, causing ni-ki to start screaming at him through his headset. they tease him, call him distracted and he just laughs it off, but it feels hollow. his eyes keep flicking toward his phone resting dark and unmoving on the table, waiting, begging for anything - even just a notification to say she’s posted something.
eventually, he makes an excuse and logs off early.
the quiet rushes back in like a heavy wave. jake sinks onto the couch with a heaved sigh. he clasps his hands behind his head, leaning back with tense shoulders and a chest that felt way too full, tight, like something was pressing from the inside.
that’s when it finally hits him, as he stares up at the plain ceiling.
this isn’t restlessness. or boredom.
it was her.
the space she left behind is too loud. too noticeable. he realises he’s been orienting his days around her without ever meaning to or naming it - he would wait for her voice, her presence, her laughs, everyday.
just at the thought of her, his heart starts to beat faster and warmth crawls up his neck, followed by something sharper.
yearning.
he wants her here - not for anything big. not for conversation or affection or reassurance. just… here. in the same room. existing. letting him breathe easier.
“shit.” he whispers under his breath, running a hand over his face.
he doesn’t just want her. he needs her.
the thought should scare him but instead, it feels painfully right.
he wants to tell her everything the moment it happens. he wants to cook with her, sit beside her, argue about nothing, fall asleep on the couch with her legs pressed against his. he wants the ordinary moments to stretch on forever.
love settles into his chest, heavy and undeniable.
later that night, the lock to the front door clicks open and jake, who was still lounging lazily on the couch, lifts his head toward the noise. y/n steps inside with a deep breath, shrugging off her jacket as the door shuts behind her. the familiar sound of her keys and shoes being kicked off feels louder than it should.
oddly, it grounds jake.
“hey.” she greets her boyfriend softly when she notices his eyes on her, “sorry, i didn’t mean to be out so long.”
the moment he sees her, relief crashes through him so hard he actually feels his body fall into place and his shoulders relax. it’s sudden and overwhelming, like his body had been deprived of her presence and her voice without even realising. he exhales slowly, calmly, full of relief.
“it’s okay.” jake’s voice replies lowly as he pushes himself up without thinking. his movements are automatic, drawn towards her, “i was just… here. how was your day?”
he stands infront of her and wraps his arms around her waist as if on instinct. y/n chuckles and wraps her arms around him too, the two of them just standing together halfway through their entryway, “it was good. you look tired.”
“yeah.” he huffs a quiet laugh into the crook of her shoulder, and then softer, more honest and vulnerable, he whispers “i missed you.”
the words hang in the air between them both.
y/n blinks, caught off guard but then her expression melts into something gentle, full of adoration, “i wasn’t gone that long, jake.”
“i know. that’s the problem.”
y/n laughs quietly before nudging him to move toward the couch. her bag drops onto the floor somewhere along the way, but she doesn’t pay it any mind as her body, still tangled within jake’s arms, drops down onto the couch. they both fit together easily, sitting so close together that their knees brush and their limbs entangle together.
the room feels different immediately. softer. fuller. and for jake, it feels like he can finally breathe again.
the tension in his chest eases as his heartbeat starts to slow. he leans back and his eyes drift shut for a moment, letting the warmth of her presence settle in through his spiralling thoughts. y/n, without questioning, grabs the remote and settles back beside him, his arm unconsciously wrapping around her back.
as the comforting silence begins to engulf them both, that is when jake realises this feeling.
this quiet fullness in his chest. the way his world suddenly feels right again just because she’s here.
this is love.
not loud or dramatic, but rather deep, aching and present. it’s painfully real and for the first time, he doesn’t try to fight it. he lets himself be surrounded by it, by the feel of her, the thought that he genuinely could not live without her.
he lets himself want her. keep her. just the two of them.
full of love.
sunghoon
sunghoon realises it when she gets hurt.
it’s really not that serious - just a wrong step on the way back to the dorms. y/n’s ankle rolls slightly on the uneven pavement and she instantly sucks in a sharp breath, a small hiss that she fails to swallow in time. she tries to straighten up like nothing happened, but her foot protests, sending a quick spike of pain up her leg.
sunghoon instantly freezes as his hand tugs on hers from where she stopped walking. the sound barely leaves her mouth, but his heart is already slamming against his ribs like he was waiting for the impact. panic hits him instantly, sudden and overwhelming, washing through his chest so fast he doesn’t have time to think.
“hey- hey.” he says, already moving, looking from her eyes to her foot, “what happened?”
“nothing, i’m fine.” she starts but her voice tightens when she puts weight on her foot again.
he is at her side immediately. one hand grips her arm, the other hovering near her waist, unsure where to steady her without making the pain any worse. his hands are subtly shaking and he’s painfully aware of how fast he’s breathing.
y/n blinks up at him for a second - he looks way too cautious, hands splayed out around her as if he suddenly didn’t know where to touch her. his brows were furrowed in concern and she couldn’t help but let out a little laugh, “baby, relax-”
“just sit.” he repeats, quieter, guiding her to the low wall nearby.
y/n complies, mostly because he looks like he might actually pass out if she didn’t. without a second thought, sunghoon kneels down in front of her on one knee, not caring about his jeans against the wet concrete. his fingers move to pull her trousers up just a bit to expose her ankle and the swelling was already faintly visible, her sock tugged askew.
his chest tightens.
“it’s just a sprain.” she says quickly like she could read his thoughts, “i stepped wrong. that’s it.”
“a sprain still hurts, y/n.” he mutters, still not taking his eyes off her ankle as he pulls his fingers back, “does it hurt a lot?”
“a little.” she admits and when he snaps his head up to look at her with his big eyes, creased in disbelief, she sighs, “okay, maybe more than a little.”
he exhales sharply and runs a hand through his hair. his heart is racing so fast it makes his hands feel numb. y/n watches him for a second and despite the tense moment, a helpless grin splits out on her lips, “you’re freaking out.”
“i’m not.”
“you absolutely are.” her tone is rather amused, “look at you, baby. you look like i just told you i broke my leg.”
sunghoon opens his mouth to argue but closes it straight away. his jaw tightens. all he can think about is the sound she made when she slipped. the way her hand tightened in his before she could fully fall on the icy pavement. how easily something could have gone wrong.
“i just don’t like seeing you hurt.” he says quietly and instantly, the teasing fades from her expression just a little.
“i’m okay.” her cold fingers reach out to squeeze his hands before he could fidget any more, “i promise.”
he nods but it doesn’t ease the tight feeling in his chest. relief only comes slowly, settling in layers as he watches y/n move her ankle carefully, testing the waters. she twists it in a weak circle and winces before relaxing helplessly.
and god… sunghoon just watches as if she was practically breaking her bones right in front of him.
this fear isn’t normal.
just the idea of her in pain makes him feel sick. the thought of him being unable to help her - of not being there when she needs him - it all makes his chest ache in a way he can’t ignore. he shakes off any random thoughts and quickly stands up, his arms wrapping around her back to help her up carefully.
one arm is around her waist, tight, and the other is grabbing her hand to steady her as she tests her weight again.
“you’re carrying me.”
“i am not carrying you.”
“you’re already doing it.” y/n points out, laughing as he tightens his grip anyway, “how am i supposed to test my weight if you’re literally carrying all of me on your arm right now?”
“just in case.” he mutters and she sees the tiny pout on his lips, the crease in his brows. he genuinely cares and her heart tugs in adoration.
“you’re so dramatic.”
“yeah.” he huffs out, “sorry for being dramatic about my girlfriend being in life-threatening pain.”
she laughs at that, loud, and her fingers squeeze his, “i’ll be fine! you’re so protective too, gosh-”
that night, sunghoon wraps y/n’s ankle properly and reminds her, once again, to keep it elevated - as if the doctor hadn’t already emphasised it to her two times. she teases him non-stop, grinning down at his focused face, his messy hair, the glasses he put on as if this was some final exam that would cost his life if he didn’t do it properly.
“if i get a paper cut next, are you calling an ambulance?”
he doesn’t answer right away. his eyes are droned in on her ankle as his gentle hands tend to the swelling. he’d already spread a gel onto it before wrapping it snug but not too tight to hurt her.
“maybe.” he finally replies, “depends how bad it is.”
y/n laughs at that but sunghoon just smiles to himself. he sits there, tidying up the wraps and equipment but y/n can’t help it when she leans in to kiss his cheek. once. twice, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him closer to kiss all over his face.
“you’re so ridiculous.” she mutters as she plants a lingering kiss on the corner of his mouth, “but thank you for taking care of me.”
maybe he is ridiculous. but as he quietly settles beside her and she rests her leg across his lap, ankle safe and supported, sunghoon feels the truth settle quietly in his heart.
he’s not scared because she got hurt.
he’s scared because he loves her.
and if she’s in pain - even just a little - his world tilts off balance. he’s never loved loudly but he certainly loves deeply, and he was so deeply in love with her.
sunoo
sunoo realises it on one of his bad days.
the kind he never really talks about. the kind where smiling feels heavy, like he has to hold it in place with effort. his replies are still polite, his tone is still gentle but the brightness people expect from him costs more than he has to give.
by the time he gets to his girlfriend’s apartment, his cheeks ache and his chest feels heavy, like he’s been carrying something all day without setting it down. he doesn’t mention it when he walks in, either.
he just slips his shoes off quietly, dropping his bag by the door and exhaling, loud and slow in the familiar entryway of her apartment. the area is warm, dimly lit, peaceful in a way that immediately makes his shoulders sag in relaxation.
y/n is on the couch, wrapped in a blanket as a random movie plays on the tv. when she hears him, she glances over.
“hey.” her voice calls out to her boyfriend softly, “you’re back.”
“mm.” he hums, forcing a small smile, “yeah. long day.”
y/n doesn’t comment on the way his voice sounded lower than usual. she doesn’t ask what happened or tell him tomorrow will be better. she just shifts over slightly on the couch and lifts the edge of the blanket, a silent, warm invitation for him to join her.
sunoo pauses for a second, then walks over and settles beside her. the couch dips under his weight. without a word, she drapes the blanket around his shoulders too, tucking it in like it belongs there, like he belongs there, right next to her.
the quiet settles easily between them.
sunoo stares at the floor, fingers rubbing together absentmindedly. his body slowly unwinds now that he doesn’t have to be on, his breathing evens out, the thick and tight feeling in his chest loosening just a little.
after a long moment of silence, y/n speaks again, “you don’t have to talk.” she says gently, “but you can, if you want.”
he swallows, “i don’t even know what i’d say.”
“that’s okay.” she replies, “you don’t need to explain yourself to me.”
something warm spreads though him at that. y/n leans into him slightly, her shoulder brushing his arm. it’s a small touch, but it’s enough to ground him. his head tips back against the couch, eyes closing as he lets out a slow breath he’s been holding on for way too long.
“you’re not… disappointed?” he mumbles quietly.
y/n turns to face him, brows knitting together, “why would i be?”
he shrugs, “i’m not very fun today.”
“you don’t have to be fun all the time, sunoo.” she lets out a small huff of a laugh and it soothes him - her words, the way she softly says his name - it makes his heart ache and the tips of his ears turn red in the best way.
he opens his eyes. turns to look at her. she’s not watching him like she’s waiting for him to light up again, she’s not trying to fix anything. she’s just here, comforting and warm and caring.
“i really like that you’re here.” he says before he can stop himself.
she smiles, gentle and easy, “me too.”
that’s when it settles fully.
he loves her because she doesn’t need him to perform. because she doesn’t disappear when he’s quiet. because she treats his worst days with the same care and love as his best ones.
he realises that loving her doesn’t feel loud or overwhelming. it feels like rest, like a breath of fresh air, like a cool breeze that allows him to exhale.
sunoo shifts closer and rests his head against his girlfriends shoulder, and she instinctively adjusts the blanket so that it covers both of them properly. her hand then finds his under the cover, her delicate fingers intertwining with his and squeezing lightly.
“thank you.” sunoo murmurs into her shoulder.
“for what?”
“for letting me be like this.”
a smile breaks out on y/n’s lips. her heart warms at the relaxed pace that surrounded them in that moment, the calm understanding that swallowed them whole.
“anytime.” she whispered back, pressing a kiss to his hair.
the tv continued to play softly in the background, forgotten as the two of them wrapped themselves up on the couch, the weight of the day finally melting away. sunoo realises in that moment - with warm, steady, absolute certainty - that this is love.
this is what he wants for the rest of his life, what he needs.
just her.
jungwon
for jungwon, he realises it when he decides to choose her over his work. over the group. over the high demands and meetings and endless instructions being thrown at him everyday.
jungwon is the first to wake up. the pale morning light slips itself through the curtains, settling gently over the quiet room. y/n is pressed close to him, still wrapped in sleep, one arm draped securely against his chest as if it belongs there. her hair is a little messy, strands brushing his jaw, and the slow rhythm of her heartbeat feels grounding beneath his palm.
he doesn’t move right away. instead, he just watches her, memorising this version of her - unguarded, peaceful and real. there’s something deeply settling about it, something that makes his chest ache in the quietest way, full of awe.
“morning.” he murmurs, voice low, careful not to wake her too suddenly as he leans in closer to kiss her temple, lingering there as if he has nowhere else he needs to be.
when she shifts, he follows the movement, brushing another kiss to her hair.
“mmm… morning.” y/n mumbles, still half-asleep, face turning instinctively up towards him.
jungwon’s hand moves up and down her clothed back in unhurried, slow patterns, his touch so gentle she felt like slipping back into sleep, “you slept okay?” he asks softly.
she nods against him, eyes still closed, “yeah. with you.”
his chest warms at that.
he leans down again, this time kissing her cheek, then the corner of her mouth - gentle, familiar and reassuring. she responds without opening her eyes as her lips meet his in a soft, unspoken exchange. there no rush, no hunger in it - just comfort, warmth and the quiet promise of staying.
both of them stay tangled together like that for a long while. sometimes he presses kisses along her hair, sometimes she shifts closer and tucks herself more securely against him, sometimes she kisses his jaw, his neck, his shoulder; anywhere she can lazily reach.
“you’re warm.” she would whisper against the curve of his jaw before pressing a feather light kiss there.
“i’m surprised i am, since you were hogging all the blankets last night.” he would tease back, relishing in the way she breathily chuckled.
“i did not.”
the world outside the bed feels distant and unimportant. every small touch between them feels intentional - jungwon’s arm tightening around her, her fingers curling against his chest, the quiet sighs sharing between kisses.
eventually, jungwon exhales deeply and brushes his thumb under her eye, “we should get up now.” he says gently but doesn’t really mean it, even after an hour and a half of laying around.
y/n lets out a soft groan but doesn’t pull away, instead, she hides her face deeper between his neck and shoulder.
jungwon smiles to himself, “baby… we can’t stay in bed forever.”
she just hums in protest and he knows what that means. his chin rests on her head, knowing he can’t say no - he decides to stay in bed for just a few more minutes.
later on, the kitchen is quiet and slow; the kind of morning that doesn’t demand much from either of them.
jungwon moves easily beside his girlfriend, close enough that their shoulders brush and every so often, he would press kisses to her hair, her cheek, her shoulder, each one wordless and grounding. y/n would respond in kind - resting her head briefly against his broad shoulder and squeezing his hand whenever it found her own.
“taste test.” jungwon grabbed a freshly cut strawberry from the chopping board infront of him and popped it into her mouth as she stood with her arms wrapped around him.
“mmm, so good!” y/n’s eyes lit up and he laughed before returning to the fruit.
by the time breakfast is ready, the two of them were already sitting close together, sharing the space and the silence and the comfort. jungwon watches her - the way she relaxes without thinking, the way she happily reaches up to feed him bites, the way she looks at him like this is exactly where they’re meant to be.
it settles in him then, quietly but certainly. it’s something steady and undeniable.
this is it.
he would choose this everytime. choose her. without a doubt. she’s his home, his warmth, his comfort, his happiness. it’s the way the idea of choosing her doesn’t feel like a decision at all, but it rather feels like instinct.
because he loves her.
jungwon pulls her closer then as that feeling starts to overwhelm him in the best way possible. he wraps an arm around her waist and that’s when he leans in to kiss her - slowly, affectionately, deeply. a kiss that lingers more than words ever could.
ni-ki
riki realises it too late.
for a long time, he doesn’t notice anything wrong and that’s the problem.
he and y/n have known each other forever - since they were kids with scraped knees and oversized hoodies, meeting everyday at the same dance academy. back then, teasing was how they communicated. they would mess around, see how far they could go before the other snapped and laughed it off.
it became habit. it grew into inside jokes and shared laughs. it was comfortable, safe and wholly theirs.
she’s always stayed so riki never really thought twice about it.
even now, years later, after long days of practice under hybe with different schedules and their own respective groups, the dynamic feels the same to him. he jokes too much, pushes just past the line because he knows her - he knows her reactions, the eye rolls, the fake glares, the way she never really leaves.
one afternoon, riki walks into the break room after a heavy session of practicing the upcoming choreo with his group. he finds y/n there, also sweating and heaving shallow breaths, looking like she’d also just gone through the same thing.
“wow.” he smirks when he catches her struggling with a stubborn water bottle lid, “do you need help or should i film this for future entertainment?”
she huffs, twisting harder until it finally pops open, “you’re so annoying.”
he grins instantly and leans against the counter beside her, also reaching for a water bottle, “yeah, but you love me.”
there’s a pause. just a beat too long.
“yeah.” she replies, not looking at him, “sure.”
her smile is there but it’s thinner than he remembers. it doesn’t reach her eyes like it used to when they were kids sitting on the studio floor after hours with aching legs, sharing snacks, talking about random anime or dreams about debuting together someday.
riki doesn’t catch it. not really. he’s already moving on, already assuming everything’s the same as he starts looking through the rows of snacks they could quickly share before they had to return to their own scedhules.
days pass like that.
nothing dramatic changes. they both still train in the same building. still cross paths in hallways. y/n still sits beside him when their scedhules overlap and they get a break together, their knees almost touching like they always have.
but she’s a lot quieter.
she doesn’t lean into him anymore when they’re hanging out. she doesn’t shove his arm when he teases her. when he cracks jokes, she smiles but it’s polite now. careful. thought out. like she’s choosing to be kind instead of being herself. like she’s deciding how to react before she can actually process what’s been said.
one evening, late after dinner and after many of the groups have been dismissed, riki finds y/n practicing by herself in one of the practice rooms. her group’s new song is still lowly playing in the back, and she’s stretching on the floor when riki sits beside her.
the mirrors reflect them both like they always have - except now a lot older, a lot sharper, more tired.
“hey.” he says lightly after a moment of silence and nudges her foot with his own, “did i do something?”
y/n shakes her head too quickly, “no, everything’s fine.”
the answer sounds practiced, like she’s said it enough times to convince herself. riki just laughs, even though something tightens in his chest at how her eyes don’t meet his, at how she tries to focus on her stretching but he can tell she’s thinking about something else, like she’s trying to distract herself mentally.
“okay, just checking.”
he tells himself he’s imagining things. that she’s just tired. that growing up means people change and not everything has to be a big deal.
but then the distance keeps growing. their bond, their friendship, starts to falter.
y/n stops waiting for him after joint scedhules like she used to when they were kids, or rookies, walking home together even when their legs barely worked. she stopped texting first. when he pulled jokes, she’d change the subject instead of firing back.
and one day, without thinking, riki reaches for her hand as they walked down one of the many hallways. it’s muscle memory - something he’s done a thousand times before when they were kids walking home.
his hand moves before his brain can think and his fingers lightly brush hers. the contact is brief but his heart jumps hard in his chest anyway. he can feel the warmth of her skin, the familiar shape of her hand - and then she hesitates.
just for a second but he feels it.
his steps falter. his palm grows warm, slightly steady and too aware of itself. his pulse thuds loudly in his ears as she ever so slowly curls her fingers around his - carefully, like she’s unsure whether she should. the touch is lighter than it used to be, it’s less certain.
and then, just as quickly, she lets go, pulling her hand back like it didn’t mean anything. like it wasn’t instinct. like it wasn’t history.
that’s when the panic hits him.
it spread through riki’s chest fast and sharp, squeezing so tight it almost hurts. his breathing stutters and his heartbeat races, loud enough he’s sure she can hear it from beside him.
swallowing hard, he watches her look down to the floor, then away from him, her jaw tightening slightly.
like she’s bracing herself. like she’s protecting something.
it’s not nothing to him, though.
“hey.” his voice comes out quieter than he means it to be, “what’s going on?”
y/n stops walking and turns to look at him with surprise fluttering across her features, “what do you mean?”
“you’re… different. quieter.” he swallows hard, his throat suddenly feeling dry, “did something happen? did… i do something?”
his hands curl into fists at his sides as if he’s bracing for her answer, as if he’s deeply affected by how quiet she is, how innocently she stares up at him like there isn’t a whole storm brewing behind her eyes.
she opens her mouth to answer but instantly closes it, fighting against her words.
for a moment, riki hopes she’d just laugh. that she’d brush it off like she used to - like when they were kids and nothing ever felt permanent, like the two of them were unbreakable.
but she doesn’t do any of that.
“i just needed some space, riki.” she replies softly, “that’s all.”
space.
the word hits him straight in the chest.
“oh.” he forces a small laugh that sounds wrong even to his own ears. thin. hollow. “okay, yeah. sure.”
but inside, everything twists painfully.
because suddenly, the idea of losing her feels real. not distant or hypothetical. real - like he’s already standing at the edge of something he can’t come back from. his stomach knots, his chest aches in a way he doesn’t know how to ignore.
he doesn’t want to lose her. not like this.
not after growing up together.
not after years of shared dance practices, meet-ups in the park, late night snacks at sleepovers, whispered dreams about performing.
that night, riki lies awake staring at his ceiling. the room is too quiet and his heart refuses to slow or accommodate to that silence, thudding hard against his ribs. sweat clings to his skin even as the room is cool.
he thinks about the dance academy. about y/n.
love wasn’t something he planned for… it crept in slowly, disguised as familiarity, as habit, as something he thought would always be there, with her.
he loved her, obviously, she was his best and oldest friend.
but now that love was hurting. it was sharp and real and scary. it was growing on their memories together, tangling itself within their friendship, as if begging for something more. yearning for it.
he understood now what was at stake.
the next day, riki finds y/n sitting alone in one of the practice rooms, scrolling on her phone. he knew she was supposed to be done hours ago as she was only on a morning scedhule today, but dancing seemed to distract her.
distract her from him, from her feelings, from her endless thoughts about them.
“can we talk?” he asks with his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his sweatpants, fingers curled tight like he was holding himself together.
y/n sees the purse of his lips, the crease between his brows and riki watches the way she drags her eyes over him, only hoping she couldn’t also hear the pounding of his heart.
she nods. he opens his mouth, then closes it. his chest feels tight. his palms are warm.
he doesn’t know how to say it yet, doesn’t know how to explain all the things he should’ve realised sooner - but he knows one thing with painful, absolute clarity. the one thing he realised after a whole night of thinking and understanding.
he loves her. he’s in love with her, just as much as she is.
just as deeply. just as crazily. just as unexpectantly.
and he wasn’t going to pretend he wasn’t this time.
