By Your Side
Prompt: “I wasn’t prepared for this.” “For what?” “You.” - @challengingwords
Pairing: Shownu x reader
A/N: Happy Valentine’s Day from my part of the world! Be sure to celebrate by showing yourself how much you love you. I figured it’s a perfect day to post this story. It’s a long one (at least for me) and I apologize if that’s not you’re cup of tea. Warning: major fluff lies beyond this line. Enjoy <3
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You entered the code into the keypad to your best friend’s place and entered in with your daughter, Rosie.
“Ma! We’re here!” you announced from the doorway as you took your shoes off.
“Grandma!” Rosie exclaimed as she quickly took her shoes off and put her house slippers on to run to the woman who was basically her second grandmother.
A woman came out of the kitchen and opened her arms to the little girl.
“My baby!” her adoptive grandmother greeted with a big hug.
“Hi, ma,” you greeted as you carried in two heavy grocery bags. “Is everything ready?”
“I just finished the last of the side dishes,” your second mom answered as she sighed, “I wish Hyunwoo would stop falling for the wrong woman.” You followed her back into the kitchen to finish prepping.
Now that you were fully in the house, you could clearly hear Hyunwoo’s breakup playlist playing from his room.
“Rosie, go check on your godfather while me and grandma finish in the kitchen,” you instructed. The little girl did as she was told and quietly went to the room of the man she grew up to recognize as her adopted father.
She quietly knocked on the door before turning the knob. “Daddy, can I come in?” she whispered, then proceeded to walk in.
“What happened this time?” you asked while unpacking packages of meat from your bags.
“Same as usual,” Hyunwoo’s mom answered as she plated the fresh kimchi, “He put his trust and heart in the wrong girl and she betrayed him for God knows why.”
“Ugh,” you sighed, “I knew that Yura was no good the moment I saw her. Too much makeup and not enough clothes. But I get it. Hyunwoo’s weakness is the same as every man’s, I guess.”
“Tsk, why can’t he find someone like you?” Hyunwoo’s mom commented.
“Someone like me?” you scoffed, “What? A single mom that has barely enough time to put on eyeliner and do her hair because she has to take care of a little one by herself? Ma, I’m no one’s ideal type.”
“You’re so much more than that, Y/N,” Hyunwoo’s mom reminded you as you started to bring the side dishes to the table, “You’re beautiful without the help of makeup. On top of that, you're independent and hardworking and loving and respectful and you know how to take care of him and understand him.”
“I only understand him because we’ve been friends for so long,” You pointed out as you turned on the grill his mom set up on the table, “And you only know that because you’re my mom’s best friend.”
“Which is why it would be perfect for you to be my daughter-in-law,” Hyunwoo’s mom countered, “Because you’re practically already my daughter.”
“I love you,” you said and hugged Hyunwoo’s mom. “But it’s up to Hyunwoo who he falls in love with.”
“So you’re just going to wait?” Hyunwoo’s mom backs up to face you and raises an eyebrow.
“I’m not waiting for anything,” you answered as you turned your focus back to the grill, “I’m his best friend. I will always be here for him.”
“I wish he saw how much you love him,” Hyunwoo’s mom sighed and brought out the last of the side dishes.
“I love him because he is my friend,” you clarified.
“Are you sure about that, Y/N?” Hyunwoo’s mom challenged, “I see the way you look at him sometimes. Especially when he’s with Rosie.”
“Ma,” you blushed and nervously giggled, “I think you’re blinded by how much you want me to be your daughter-in-law.” Hyunwoo’s mom shrugged it off and closed the topic, but mothers always know their children’s hearts and she knew that you two have been fighting and hiding what you truly feel for each other for much too long.
You realized that Hyunwoo’s mom was too observant. You thought you were careful with keeping your feelings in check when they were all around, but apparently not careful enough. The heart of the truth is that you’ve loved Hyunwoo since you were first introduced as kids. It was as if your heart had found its other half. But as you both grew up and entered the dating arena, Hyunwoo started dating other girls. You took the hint and accepted the fact you will be nothing but a friend in his eyes. You were there for every heartbreak he endured. And when you made the mistake of having that one night stand with Rosie's dad, Hyunwoo was there to support you through everything.
“Rosie!” Hyunwoo’s mom called out, “Let’s go for ice cream!”
“Grandma! Wait for me!” the little girl’s voice was heard from behind the door before it was opened. Hyunwoo’s mom and Rosie went to the doorway and started putting on their shoes.
“Baby,” you called to her as you approached them, “How is he?”
“You know the usual, mommy,” Rosie rolled her eyes as if she was used to this drill, “He holds me while we listen to his music and tells me that me, you and grandma and me are the only women he can trust in this world.”
“You’re a good goddaughter, Rosie,” you praised her and smoothed out her hair before giving her a kiss on her forehead. “Enjoy ice cream with grandma while I take care of Daddy,” you said as you escorted them out the door.
You closed the door behind them and headed back to the grill and placed the fresh meat on it to cook. It took only a few minutes for the smell to start filling the room and shortly after, a disheveled Hyunwoo, complete with bedhead and days old sweats, came out to follow the source of the smell. You gave him one look without saying a word or giving any sort of expression. You turned your attention back to the meat that was cooking as he walked closer and took a seat next to you.
Keeping up with tradition of dealing with Hyunwoo’s heartache, you both sat there staring at the meat in silence just watching it cook. Then, you would cut it up into pieces and plate the cooked ones for Hyunwoo to help himself to. As you tended to the grill, Hyunwoo would feed you a piece and you’d do the same in return in between flipping the meat.
Hyunwoo then leaned against the back of his chair with a full belly and sighed. “Y/N, what’s wrong with me?” he asked.
"You're dumb," you teased while chewing on a piece of meat.
Hyunwoo sighed. "Not gonna try to make me feel better?"
"I didn't buy all this meat for my health," you gestured at the spread in front of you.
"Thank you," he said and gave an effort to smile, "I do feel a little better."
You nodded. "But you really are stupid," you continued, "Women like her can smell you coming a mile away. The good hearted, easy to take advantage of, handsome oppa," Hyunwoo pouted. You brought a piece of meat to his mouth and he accepted it despite being full. "You know how they tell me 'you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince'?" you asked him.
He laughed. "Yeah, but you kissed a huge, fat toad."
"My disastrous love life is not in question here, Hyunwoo," you deadpanned and stuffed another piece of meat in his mouth. "My point is, it's the same for you. You gotta kiss a few frogs, too, before you find your princess," you concluded. Hyunwoo sighed. "Besides, if I didn't kiss that fat toad, we wouldn't have Rosie," You pointed out.
Hyunwoo nodded. "The only girl out there that will love me for me," he smiled at the thought, "Other than my mom, of course."
"Right, OK," you said through your teeth and started stacking the empty dishes loudly and stomped off to the kitchen sink. "Last time I'm buying all this meat to cheer him up," you mumbled under your breath.
Hyunwoo heard you and smiled knowing he was pushing your buttons. You had always been so easy to tease. He then walked over to the kitchen and sat on the countertop watching you do the dishes.
“Y/N, why didn’t we start dating each other back then?” Hyunwoo then asked.
You faltered and almost dropped a dish at the question. “Why are you asking that so suddenly for?” you replied, not meeting his eye.
“I don’t know,” Hyunwoo answered, “I guess cause everyone always asks me about it after something like this happens.”
You continued with your task as you replied, “You don’t have to listen to everyone, Hyunwoo. It’s your heart, it’s your life. You do what you want to do.”
“What if it is something I want?” Hyunwoo asked, “What if it’s something I’ve wanted for a long time, but was scared to do?”
You put the dish in your hands down as your heartbeat picked up its pace. “I wasn’t prepared for this,” you stated and walked back to clear the table and busy yourself as you continued to try not to look at him.
“For what?” he asked.
“You,” you answered, “For you to talk like this. I mean...it’s understandable to be scared. There’s a lot to consider if you did that.”
“Like what?” Hyunwoo inquired.
“Rosie, most importantly. Our friendship, secondly,” you began to list out and then paused to think of more, but was stuck when you felt the heat of a blush rising.
“That doesn’t sound like a lot,” Hyunwoo commented.
“You’re right. It’s not, but the weight of them is pretty heavy,” you explained.
“I’ve been with Rosie since birth. She doesn’t know any other father other than myself,” Hyunwoo expanded and quietly approached behind you, “They say a good foundation for love is friendship. We’ve been friends forever and I have loved you since then.”
“You’ve what?” you asked in shock as you spun around only to be met with Hyunwoo’s close proximity.
“I’ve hidden it for so long,” Hyunwoo began to confess, “thinking you’d only see me as a friend and nothing more. And you know how slow I am when it comes to realizing things like this, but I don’t think I can endure anymore broken hearts from other girls.”
“And you’d allow me to break it?” you asked as you stared into his eyes.
Hyunwoo shook his head and took your hand in his, “You’re the only girl in this world that I trust would never break it because you have always been the glue that kept it from falling apart.” Your eyes began to well up with tears. “Please tell me I can stop searching and you’ll be with me,” Hyunwoo pleaded.
“Hyunwoo,” you said and smiled as you caressed his cheek, “You never had to search far. I’ve always been and will always be by your side.”
Hyunwoo smiled and leaned down to give you a kiss that has been long overdue.
“Yay! Mommy and Daddy love each other!” a little voice exclaimed and surprised you both. Rosie then ran over to you with ice cream all over her face. Hyunwoo picked her up into his arms.
“Eonnie,” Hyunwoo’s mom yelled over the phone talking to your mom, “The kids finally got together! Why don’t you guys come over for dinner to celebrate?”
Hyunwoo and you smiled at her lovingly. Rosie placed an ice cream kiss on her dad’s cheek and made you giggle as you wet a napkin to wipe the stickiness off both their faces.
“I love you, honey,” Hyunwoo said.
“I love you, too,” you replied and gave him a kiss on the cheek at the same time Rosie placed another on his opposite cheek.
Hyunwoo felt the love he truly deserved and looked forward to many more happy days with his little family.