daeyeol smells something burning the moment he walks into the apartment... and then he sees something burning as you try to wave smoke out of the kitchen window. "honey?"
"no! no, no, no--get out! don't look!"
his eyes widen a little, and he does the exact opposite as he rushes further into the apartment. there's a smoking pan of something burnt to a crisp, and he pulls open the doors to the balcony to help air out the smell. he almost gags a little, but by the time things are a little more under control, you're crying. it's not hard to connect the dots when he sees supplies to decorate a cake on the counter.
he's gentle though when he takes your hands in his, looking them over carefully. "did you burn yourself?"
you shake your head, wiping furiously at your face. "i... i forgot to take the cake out. i made dinner and--and it went well, but... the cake..."
"did you hurt yourself...?" he doesn't seem to notice as he looks you over carefully. "no?" and when you shake your head, he breathes a sigh of relief. "good." he leans in to kiss your forehead gently. "i was worried..."
"daeyeol--" you wipe your eyes again. "i ruined your birthday."
"we still have dinner," he says. "i don't need a cake to enjoy my night in with you." he pulls you into his arms. "work was hard today. thank you for the birthday dinner."
you wrap your arms around him and squeeze gently. "your welcome. but... if you want dessert... we could order it for delivery?"
he smiles as he kisses the side of your head again. "i'd like that."
Pairing(s): Reader & Daeyeol, as well as Reader & Sungyoon (Golden Child)
Words: 2.0k
Warnings: blood, angst (yes that's a warning)
From the universe of Hold Me; Heal Me
In a world where a soulmate’s touch can heal any wound, Daeyeol knows his own soulmate can only heal so much.
•
Daeyeol used to wish for little.
He has an okay apartment -- not luxurious by any means, but comfortable and in a relatively safe neighbourhood. He has a steady job -- journalism isn't exactly revered, especially in these times, but he likes what he does. He didn't mind not having met his soulmate nearing his late twenties -- most people never meet their soulmate, if they have one, and even then, it's not like everyone meets The One in high school or college. Life is never like the movies.
Shifting awkwardly from foot to foot, Daeyeol hovers his hand over the number pad next to the apartment building's gate. He can't just stand here for much longer when it's already dark out; he'll look like a creep. The numbers past his fingers look so intimidating, though. He remembers which ones he needs to press, (he has since the first time,) he just can't bring himself to... press them.
But he does, because he can't bring himself to not, either.
Daeyeol presses his pinky knuckle into the number pad so he doesn't smear his own blood on it. Your voice comes crackly and broken through the speaker indented in the pylon next to the gate.
"Did you forget your key again?" you ask teasingly -- not for him.
Daeyeol simply says, "It's me."
"Oh." Something rustles through the speaker, and your voice grows concerned. "Are you okay? Hold on, I'm buzzing you in."
The lock on the gate clicks open, and a low beep sounds when the connection up to your apartment cuts off. Daeyeol, sighs, uses his shoulder to push the gate open, and heads towards the staircase. Even though his sore muscles protest the extra exercise, his mind automatically chooses the stairs over the elevator. That would bring him to you faster. He doesn't want that.
Or, he doesn't want to want that.
He's tired, though, when he reaches your floor, too exhausted to remember what he wants and doesn't want when he raps his knuckles on your door. You open up immediately, a concerned frown marring your face as your eyes look Daeyeol up and down.
"Cripes, Daeyeol, what'd you do?"
His right cheek is all scraped up, still caked with a thin layer of blood and gravel from when he tumbled to the ground just an hour ago. His hands suffered a similar fate along with his right elbow, which he sacrificed to save his precious camera.
He shows you a weak smile. "I almost got them this time."
The tension in your shoulders deflates at his albeit misplaced nonchalance, and you roll your eyes, your signature smile returning to your lips. "Seriously? You're still trying to catch Red?"
"Not catch." Daeyeol lifts his camera in one hand, snapping a candid picture of you. "Capture."
"Daeyeol!" you whine, putting a hand up in front of your face much too late for it to matter. "Just get in here, you nerd." Putting your hand on his arm, you pull Daeyeol into your apartment and shut the door behind him. He feels the connection wash over him immediately. It flows to his hands, then his elbow, then his cheek, an indescribable warmth that begins to make him feel dizzy. Or maybe that's just the effect you have on him. "Take a seat, take a seat. You look seriously banged up."
A groan slips out of him as he sits down on a chair you pulled out from where it was tucked under the kitchen table. "This is nothing. I'm pretty sure Red got shot tonight."
"Whoa." You sit across from him, your brows furrowing, which Daeyeol doesn't pay as much attention to as the way you keep holding his hand on top of the table. You must feel the connection too, right? "You weren't all up in that action, were you?"
"Don't worry." Please keep worrying. "This all happened when I was trying to catch up to them after it all went down." Daeyeol puts his camera down on the table and removes the lanyard from around his neck, gesturing at himself with his newly freed hand. "Stumbled over my own feet like usual."
You snort. "You couldn't catch up to Red even though they were shot? You never cease to amaze me, Daeyeol."
"In a good way, right?"
"Believe what you want to believe," you tease, shrugging cartoonishly. The way your thumb rubs the back of Daeyeol's hand has to be subconscious. He knows you would stop if you were aware. "I don't know if I've ever met someone as clumsy--"
The door to your apartment opens.
"Babe, you'll never believe what Jangjun--" Sungyoon's voice cuts off as soon as his eyes land on Daeyeol, his hand still on the doorknob. He immediately takes in the sight; the dirt and dust on Daeyeol's shins, the scratches all over Daeyeol's face, the way his hand is held lightly in yours. He sighs. Closing the door, he slips his bag off his shoulder and toes off his shoes. He walks over the table without a word, puts one hand lightly on your wrist and the other on Daeyeol's, then pulls you two apart. Daeyeol feels the loss of the soulmate connection like a splash of cold water, like all the oxygen has been sucked out of him in a millisecond, but he doesn't react -- tries not to, at least. You look up at Sungyoon, about to say something when he sighs again. "What'd we say about healing before cleaning?"
Eyes widening, you look at Daeyeol's cheek, where his skin had started healing with bits of dirt and gravel still digging into the open wound. "Oh shit." You put both your hands up in the air even though you'd already stopped healing Daeyeol with your touch, then turn back to Sungyoon with a sad pout. "How do I always manage to forget?"
With a little chuckle, Sungyoon smiles endearingly down at you and lightly flicks your forehead. "It's empty up here sometimes."
You scowl and shoo away his hand, pouting further at the way Sungyoon laughs louder. It's so effortless for him. Daeyeol already knew this.
Sungyoon flicks your forehead again, not nearly hard enough to warrant the way you rub where he hit and the glare you shoot into the back of his head as he turns to address Daeyeol. "Let's get you cleaned up, bud," he says casually with a nod towards the kitchen sink.
Daeyeol follows him without saying anything. Pulling out the well-used first aid kit from under the sink, Sungyoon goes through the motions with practised efficiency. As a pediatric nurse, and the partner to a very clumsy you, Sungyoon hasn't flinched at the sight of blood in many years. He picks out the gravel from Daeyeol's cheek and hands, cleans his wounds with a damp cloth, and leaves the bandages in the kit. They aren't necessary for Daeyeol with you around.
As Sungyoon starts putting everything left unused back into the kit, he smiles at Daeyeol and gestures back to you at the table. Daeyeol doesn't let himself resent the way he knows that smile is genuine. He returns to you at the table, sitting down in the same chair and watching you purse your lips out and pick at the skin around your fingernails.
"Sorry for being dumb..." you mutter.
"It's okay." Please reach out first. "I forgot too."
Huffing out a sigh, you meet his eyes and show off a cute, close-lipped smile. "Yeah, well... still sorry. Can I...?"
You reach both your hands across the table, palms up, and Daeyeol feels the soulmate connection even before he places his hands on yours. It washes over him like ripples of flowing, sinking sand.
Daeyeol lets himself get lost in the feeling only until Sungyoon returns from the kitchen counter and sits next to you, scooting his chair closer to yours and slinging an arm over your shoulders. You turn your head his way and smile, muttering quietly, "Thanks for making up for my dumbness." Just as you finish speaking, you press a small, sweet kiss against Sungyoon's lips.
Daeyeol's hands stay still in yours.
Sungyoon smiles as soon as you pull away from each other, his eyes filled with something Daeyeol has only ever observed. "Always," he whispers.
Daeyeol swallows the feelings that threaten to rise up his throat like bile. He simply looks down at your joined hands, feeling guilty for being here during this moment between you and Sungyoon -- two people so... comfortable together. And when even just looking at your hands becomes too much, Daeyeol focuses his eyes on the table between his elbows, counting the striations in the wood.
The connection works quickly on such superficial wounds.
It's a testament to the...
Daeyeol shuts his eyes and opens them again.
...love shared between you and Sungyoon that even with Daeyeol, your irrefutably proven soulmate, in your apartment, Sungyoon doesn't act the slightest bit jealous, the slightest bit threatened. He doesn't question you letting Daeyeol in while he wasn't home; he doesn't ask why Daeyeol felt the need to come to you for something as small as a few cuts and scrapes and bruises. Why he keeps coming back. He holds you close as you heal Daeyeol with your touch, letting you lean your head in the crook between his shoulder and neck, and smiles over at Daeyeol.
Genuinely.
"Feeling better?" he asks without a drip of malice in his voice.
Daeyeol nods. Physically, it's the truth. In his heart, though, he knows he feels much, much worse than when he arrived.
You manoeuvre your hands to flip his over, a satisfied smile spreading over your lips when you see them perfectly healed, as if he never fell in the first place. "Would you look at that!" You lean forward off Sungyoon's shoulder and lift Daeyeol's hands to show them off. "Looks like you're not the only doctor in this house."
Sungyoon scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Yeah, if only you could heal yourself every time you get scraped up, you klutz."
Daeyeol could heal you every time. He says nothing.
You bump Sungyoon's shoulder with yours, laughing along with him.
Unable to bear you letting go first, Daeyeol stands and slips his hands out of yours. The soulmate connection fades away like the trill of a faraway train. He thanks you both with a small bow and an awkward smile, distracting his hands by hanging his camera back around his neck, then walks towards the door even though his heart screams at him to stay.
You follow him to the door like the good host you always strive to be, and as he steps out and pulls on his shoes, you stand in the open doorway, Sungyoon directly behind you with his arms wrapped around your middle and his chin propped on your shoulder. It's too cute to look at.
"Try not to get hurt out there again, Daeyeol," you say with a smile. Sungyoon nods beside you. "I know you've gotta do what you gotta do to get pictures of Red, but you're no vigilante."
"I know." Daeyeol puts both his hands in his pockets. They can't reach for you from in there. He turns his feet to point down the hallway to the elevator. "Goodnight." Please linger. "Sungyoon." He nods at the man clinging onto you like a koala.
"G'night, Daeyeol." You stay where you are in the doorway, one hand holding Sungyoon's over your stomach, the other waving at Daeyeol.
Is it better that you linger or does it only hurt him more?
He presses the 'down' button on the wall, and only seconds pass before the elevator arrives and opens. He enters, takes a breath, and turns around to face the hallway.
Daeyeol didn't used to wish for much.
He had a nice place. He had a nice job. He didn't know if he had a soulmate or not.
You linger in the doorway. In Sungyoon's arms.
You wave again as the elevator door closes.
Daeyeol makes many requests of the universe now. Please keep worrying. Please reach out first. Please don't let go.
He doesn't wish he'd never met his soulmate. He can't bring himself to wish that.
But it's impossible not to wonder what his life would be like if he met you when you weren't already in love with someone else.
Warnings: this is just fiction and just a fic from my point of view so some of the scenarios described in here might not be what you expect it to be. This is just for fun ❤
With all of this being said, I hope you enjoy it ❤❤
THE PICS OF THIS POST ARE NOT MINE, CREDITS TO THE RIGHT OWNERS ❤
Taglist -> @staysstrays @ailoveyuta (let me know if you want to be added!)
🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Daeyeol
I don't really know why but I see Daeyeol as a very simple guy.
Of course he wants your first date to be special but he doesn't want something too extravagant
Will insist a lot on picking you up from home or class or from wherever you were at the moment
Kind of spontaneous the way he asked you out on your first date though
He's simple but the boi also likes to make random plans at the moment so it feels more exciting
If you are busy and tell him that you can't go on that date, he will try his best to convince you to leave whatever you're doing and go with him because he just misses you that much.
Will convince you when he lets you know he'll take you to your favorite cafe
That one you have been mentioning ever since you met him
All smiles as soon as his eyes land on you
I bet you have never in your life seen someone as happy as he was when he saw you
Makes sure to make you feel all the love he has for you
Caresses the back of your hand softly as you both share an iced coffee
Will complain a little if the ice melted too fast making the coffee taste a bit weird.
"I bet this date is much funnier than whatever you had to do today. After all I'm your favorite man, right?"
Sungyoon (Y)
The boy is a well grown up man with a big stomach
Needs to be fed loads of food to be happy
So what a better first date than paying a visit to his favorite restaurant?
Not like you would complain though
I mean, you love food as much as he does and to be honest there's nobody else on this world you would rather spend a day more than with him
Doesn't want to eat breakfast so he can eat more food
You lowkey scold him but end up doing the exact same thing just because you also want to eat a lot
Just to be called hypocrite, but what you gonna do about it? 🤷♀️
The waiter will look at you both with wide eyes when you ordered all the food
While Sungyoon looked all proud for all the food he just ordered
You couldn't help smiling at the view of his happy face as soon as the waiter started to bring the food
Get ready to get your heart melted by a happy bunny
Will get really excited about the date he won't be able to choose where he could start
Wants to feed you because he says he has seen it in movies and seems to be really romantic
And after a few minutes of trying to convince you, you finally give in knowing that discussion was going nowhere
"You look like a hamster, you're so cute!" / "Said the bunny boy 🙄."
Jangjun
Oh boi
We all know how random Jangjun can be
And we all know how extra this kid can get
But to be honest I feel like he would be really nervous and shy for the first date
Yes I'm a simp for shy Jangjun, don't mind me 💀
He had tons of ideas for your first date but in his opinion, all of them were a bit too much for the first date
He wanted to give you a good image before showing you how random and extra he could be
So after a long time of thinking, he came to the conclusion of inviting you over for a sleepover was the best option
Chill and a relaxing Netflix session with you between his arms sounded so good
Wearing his clothes are a must, doesn't matter if you have brought your own pyjamas
The boy needs to see you wearing something from his wardrobe so he can believe you're his s/o
You would be a little shy in the very beginning to be honest
But he would be his goofy self as soon as you arrived, making you feel like you were home
Lots of jokes and laughs were filling his room
He would even throw a few pick up lines from time to time
Ends up being his random and extra self halfway of the date, making you laugh uncontrollably and love him even more
Because who are we trying to lie? He can be all the random and extra shit as he wants that we will love him quite a lot
Best moment of the night would definitely be you both wearing sheet face masks
You a normal one and he a panda one
"You look like a pillow with that thing on your face."
Youngtaek (Tag)
Nervous af
I don't really know why but Yougntaek gives me that kind of vibe of shy boy when it comes to dating someone
He would want everything to be perfect and struggles a lot to find a good option for your perfect first date
Will be very oblivious when he asks you what would be your perfect first date like
So far, he has learnt that you like nature quite a lot and walking so he has decided that could be a pretty cool first date
Just like Daeyeol, he would insist a lot on picking you up from wherever you were
If you just got out of class or you had to drag some bags or something, he would also insist on being him the one carrying them
Such a gentleman
Would hesitate a lot to grab your hand in his though he tried multiple times to give you the hint to grab his hand
Unfortunately, you were too busy admiring the surroundings to notice his small and insignificant hints
And he'll have to end up asking you if he could grab your hand while walking
His cheeks and ears turning into a light red the moment his skin entered in contact with yours
Would end up calming down a bit when he saw you were completely comfortable with his hand on yours and would finally be the Youngtaek we are all used to see
Will complain a lot about the bugs
But ends up with a happy smile whenever he saw how much you loved your first date
"You know what? Forget all the complaints, this is worth enough if I get to see you this happy."
Seungmin
Oh boi 2.0
Your first date with Seungmin wasn't even supposed to be a date in the very beginning
He just asked you to go with him to the studio because he was scared
Remember that VLive in which he was singing a Sam Kim's song and the computer broke? Exactly, after that day nothing was the same for him
He swore he wasn't scared of it and that he knew there wasn't any ghosts taking over the computer to fool him
But even though he claimed to be so brave and cool with it, he wouldn't let go of your hand in the entire day
You tried to open Spotify a few times to make the atmosphere a bit more romantic with some music while you both shared a delicious meal
But he stopped you from doing so every single time
The boi has a trauma for the rest of his life, please protect him 🤧
Doesn't even let you go alone to the bathroom because you leaving alone means him staying alone in that room and that was definitely a big no no for him
Will walk with you wherever you had to go so he didn't have to stay alone in that room with that computer
Lowkey you want to prank him but you know he can end up with a heart attaack or hating you for the rest of his life if you did so
You can't help laughing at his frightened figure, making him whine quite a lot
"I said I'm not scared! I swear I'm not a coward, it's just I want to be with you as much as I can because I love you so much."
excuses
Jaehyun
A normal and beautiful first date
It all started when you got out of class before you thought you would and asked him if he was down for a coffee during his break time
None of you tohught about it as a first date since you were best friends before you started dating
It really felt like any other day you both went to grab some coffee together and shared some gossip
But this time, unlike the rest of the times you have done that, his hand was grabbing yours and drawing random patrons on the back of your hand as he told you some new drama from the company
His husky voice was a plus that made you feel even better
Yes I'm a simp for Jaehyun's husky voice, don't mind me 💀
To be honest, it was a pretty short date because of his schedule
BUT he would stay in there with you until the last second, probably arriving late because he couldn't let go of your hand that easily
Tells you to pick him up in 3h to go get dinner together once he was done with practice
Make sure to keep it as a secret if you don't want the rest of the boys to tag along
"I swear I will kill them if they decide to tag along, I just want to have some time alone with you."
Jibeom
Autumn dates are a must for this kid
He would say he just loves the chilly weather more than the hot weather
But that was just a stupid excuse to just grab your hands in his to make them warmer
Also loves to walk around for hours with you
Just enjoying each other's presence
Will make you laugh a lot, specially if you feel down for any reason
Feels shy about doing Jaehyun's aegyo impression and the plastic chicken thing
Doesn't even know how could you know about those useless talents at all
Will kill whoever told you about them but not before doing both of them just to see you laugh
He claims your laugh to be music to his ears
The boy loves you so damn much 🤧
If you're wearing a sweater or a jersey, he would pull the paws of it down just for you to wear soft sweater paws
Literally an angel and the softest fluffball you will ever see
"You look so cute with the sweater paws. I could get used to this."
Donghyun
Secret dinner date at the one and only restaurant the boys don't know about
Not because he is ashamed of dating you or because he wants to hide your relationship
Actually he really loves showing off the two of you in front of the boys
But he doesn't want them interrupting your first date
He wants everything to be perfect and having other 9 crackheads around doesn't make it perfect
You were a bit worried about going to a brand new restaurant, having no idea if it would have good food or not
You both struggle a bit on deciding what you would order, both of you wanting to eat completely different things
Though he ends up giving in and ordering what you wanted just because he wanted to share the dinner with you and have a good excuse to feed you like in movies
You were having a great time together, laughing at random stories he told you about the boys and random stories you told him about your school years
But suddenly a familiar loud voice changed Donghyun's face expressions
You guys don't know how but Jangjun passed by the restaurant and saw you
"Did he put a gps on my phone or something?"
Joochan
To be honest, I love this date
You were a Youtuber or simply liked to film random videos about what you did every day
Joochan loving to see you doing whatever that made you happy, just because he was able to admire your happiness
A day off for both of you after ages, making the perfect excuse to have your first date
Doesn't it sound great?
He wanted it to be very simple, like Jibeom, just wanting to feel each other's presence while walking around some park or just the beautiful streets of the city
You wanted to film some parts of the date, just so you could have image evidence of the beautiful memory that date would leave in your brains
Defintely will offer himself for being the cameraman, wanting to take different shoots of you just enjoying the day
Will be a bit hesitant when you ask him to appear on the video as well
But will end up giving in after you asked him a few times
The boi can't say no to you 🤧
Will definitely treat you some ice-cream or street food you could find around the place you were visiting right then
And just like Sungyoon and Donghyun, would want to feed you
The only difference was that Sungyoon and Donghyun actually fed you like normal people do and this kid put some ice-cream on your nose and cheeks to lick it clean right after making you extremely annoyed
"Come on, I'm your boyfriend now! How can you say me licking your face is disgusting??"
Bomin
ROOFTOP DATES
Would prefer if they were at evening so you two could watch the sunset
Really romantic in the very beginning
The boy has even gone to the nearest convenience store to buy some of your favorite drinks
Will LOVE to see you enjoying your drink and will love it even more if you let him know you loved the company you had
A bit bratty in the beginning but will get soft when you get bratty as well
A little bit shy whenever you compliment him and he compliments you back
You find really cute the way his ears turn red even tohugh he denies being shy 🤧
A giant baby that needs to be protected
If the roof was the company building roof, he would lock the door so nobody could interrupt you
And will probably get scolded by Daeyeol right after the date for locking you two in there without asking for permission to the manager
He just nods and ignores the leader words though
"Just ignore him, he's just jealous he doesn't have someone as amazing as you."
Put Your Arms Around Me (I’ll Be Warm For Days) - DAEYEOL
so I once swore I'd never write a vampire fic yet here I am breaking that promise because I saw this post explaining that once you rescind your welcome to a vampire they are obligated to leave and then this just happened
god I already feel embarrassed just queuing this I'm so sorry
Pairing: Daeyeol x gender neutral!reader
Genre: fluff, vampire!au
Triggers: mentions of biting like once? it never gets described
Word Count: 3k
In your arms, Daeyeol feels just a little more human.
Golden Child Masterlist
Spinning in the pouring rain, dreary gray clouds lining the sky with not a hint of sky in between, your laughter rings radiant in the air as Daeyeol watches from under the apartment overhang, umbrella closed by his side. A small smile lifts the corners of his lips, a smile that he no longer tries to hide – you know how feels. And though you haven’t given him a reply just yet, it’s a blessing nonetheless not to have to hide the love in his expression whenever he sees you free, happy, alive.
“Daeyeol!” You come running up, shoes squelching through streets already covered in a layer of water. Even as cold rain splashes and hits his skin, his smile widens as your wet face appears in his line of vision. “Come on, you stupid baby – just for a few minutes!”
“You’re calling me a stupid baby?” He scoffs in mock indignity, pulling you out of the rain. “I’m several centuries older than you, thank you very much, and I have more degrees than you will ever earn in your life –”
A wet hand hits his arm and your laughter rings again, music in Daeyeol’s ears. “And yet you’re still afraid of a little rain,” you tease, hand wrapping around his wrist. “How is it that you’re the immortal who’ll never get sick or tired but you’re also the one waiting out the downpour?”
“How is it that you’re the human who’ll definitely get sick and sniffly but you’re also the one dancing out in said downpour?” Daeyeol counters, shrugging off his coat. The chill strikes his bare arms but he ignores it, placing it over your shoulders. “You need a hot shower or you’re going to be sick all day tomorrow.”
“Hey, just a few minutes.” You beam at him, pulling the coat around you more securely. “Come on, please?”
He can’t say no. He never could, not when faced with you. Even though Daeyeol is a centuries old vampire and has seen enough of the world to make him lose faith in humanity multiple times (once quite recently), the sparkle in your eyes never fails to remind him that there’s still kindness, there’s still good, there’s still love in the world that might just prevail over all the bad. So he follows you into the rain and watches you spin under the showering droplets, arms held out wide (his coat is definitely going to need a long wash), and even as the cold air begins to seep into his already cold skin, he finds warmth in your laugh, warmth in your smile, warmth even in your chilly hand as it wraps around his fingers and forces him to spin around once too.
What wouldn’t he give to pull you closer, to bring your body right up against his so he can press a kiss to your rainy forehead, staring into your eyes as you gaze back with the same love that he holds for you? What wouldn’t he give to sway you gently in the downpour, water soaking your clothes as he wraps his arms around your waist and rests his head on your shoulder and simply stays there, soaking in the love of someone he cares for with all that is left of his heart?
But with no reciprocation must come restraint, and after centuries of life (or death, depending on how he thinks of it), he’s well-versed in the skill. Daeyeol loves you and you know this, but he’s also made it clear that he will never pressure you into an answer, will never force himself onto you no matter how long he must wait. He’s lived for centuries. He can wait a little longer for a reply to his confession, be it favorable or unfavorable, as long as you allow him to stay by your side.
You twirl around, eyes squinted nearly shut with laughter. A few feet away from Daeyeol, you stop and turn back to him with a look simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar, unfamiliar in that he hasn’t seen it on your face, but familiar in that he has seen it on his when Joochan drew that portrait of him staring at an off-canvas you, the softest glint of love in his eyes.
Love.
Real love.
But this time in your eyes, not his.
Daeyeol’s breath stutters in his throat. Hope rises in his chest, makes him feel an artificial warmth in his cold face and if he were still human his heart would be fluttering, pounding, racing as he returns your gaze –
But the look disappears in a second, replaced by a much more familiar expression of simple joy and laughter as you tromp through the puddles to brush a wet clump of hair out of Daeyeol’s face. Your fingers, though cold, send warm tingles up his spine. “It’s not fun if you just stand there and let the rain pour all over you, you know,” you reproach, eyes sparkling.
Cold disappointment eats through the previous warmth in his chest but Daeyeol swallows it down. He was probably seeing things, probably projecting his feelings onto you in a way that wasn’t real. And even if he wasn’t, just because you feel similarly doesn’t mean you’re ready to say it just yet. No sense in hoping or probing.
Daeyeol allows his lips to tilt in a little pout. “I just don’t want you to get sick,” he says, braving a hand to uselessly wipe rain off your face. “Come on, it’s been a few minutes. You need a shower and I need to cook dinner.”
You grumble a little but the reminder of warm food convinces you to escape the rain. Daeyeol lingers behind slightly as you head into the apartment lobby, gazing wistfully at your back.
No. He shakes his head. This is enough. All of it is enough. It is enough that you allow him to stay, enough that you welcome him into your apartment every day even if you rescind the invitation at night. It is enough that you accept his feelings even if you need more time for an answer, treasuring the heart he’s entrusted you even if you’re not yet ready to offer your own. Because even though you’re the only one for him, the only one who’s made him wish his heart could beat not just for life but for love since he was turned so many centuries ago, the only thing that matters to Daeyeol is your comfort and your happiness.
For as long as a genuine smile remains etched on your face, Daeyeol can find peace in your joy.
. . . . .
His hair is still slightly damp from the shower when the clock strikes midnight several hours later and Daeyeol looks up from his perch on the couch, frowning over his glasses at the two clock hands that signal his time to leave.
You look up too, squinting over your laptop at the clock. Daeyeol takes the moment to focus on the way your eyes still shine through the tiredness on your face. It’s a far cry from the rainy exuberance you wore a few hours ago, but it’s just as beautiful in a quieter, softer way.
A smile spreads over his lips, wide but a little sad, too. With this stolen moment of silent admiration comes the knowledge that it’s time for you to rescind your welcome, for him to make the lonely walk up one floor to his own apartment, for him to slide between cold sheets that won’t grow warm because his blood doesn’t flow and attempt to sleep while imagining you in his embrace. The next day will come sooner the faster he falls asleep, Daeyeol knows, and the sooner the next day comes the sooner he gets to see you, but that doesn’t seem to compute when all he wants is to feel your warmth by his side.
“I should go,” he says quietly, closing his literature textbook as he stands.
You nod, yawning. The urge to walk over and kiss your forehead is almost overwhelming but Daeyeol resists, only reaching out to pat your head softly as he passes by. “Mm, it’s late.”
Do you lean into his touch? Daeyeol doesn’t know. You’re always careful with your actions, careful in a way Daeyeol wishes you weren’t however much he understands, but this time when Daeyeol touches your face, he can’t help but hope you might have leaned in slightly, just slightly, even if it was unintentional.
“Goodnight, then.” He stops at the door to put on his shoes.
“Goodnight, Daeyeol.” You smile, though your eyes glint with a little something that looks like a mix of worry and… excitement? “Sweet dreams.”
He lingers a moment longer, debating whether or not to ask you if something’s wrong. Worry isn’t exactly characteristic in your expression, and even less so is the mixture of anxious excitement burning softly in your eyes. But he stops himself. It’s late, after all, and if you still look the same way in the morning, he can ask then when you aren’t so tired. His other shoe goes on and he swings open the door, glancing back one last time as you wave from the table.
One foot out the door, then the other. Daeyeol begins to close the door.
Then his eyes widen and he swings it back open before he can even comprehend his brief thought.
You don’t look surprised when he stumbles back into the apartment, clutching the doorknob so hard he knows it’ll break between his fingers if he doesn’t loosen his grip soon. If anything, a little smile curves your lips, shy and anticipating but gleeful, too, excited and glinting with a warmth that Daeyeol recognizes from Joochan’s portrait –
“You didn’t rescind your invitation," he breathes. “Did you –” he swallows, not wanting to consider the painful possibility but forcing it through his mouth even as hope blooms vibrant and full in his chest – “did you forget?”
The second it takes for you to open your mouth is excruciating, but his patience is rewarded when shake your head and smile. “No,” you reply, standing up. Daeyeol can barely breathe as you step forward, closer, eyes sparkling. “I didn’t.”
You’re close, so close that Daeyeol would barely need to move to slide an arm around you, to pull you into his chest and bury his face in your shoulder the way he wanted to so badly in the rain. He could lift his head, press soft kisses to your neck and jaw and cheek, moving towards your forehead and nose and then your lips –
Two warm arms wrap around his waist and Daeyeol stops breathing for real. Your body presses into his and Daeyeol winces slightly, wondering how you’ll react when you feel the distinct lack of a heartbeat beneath his shirt. But you don’t so much as flinch, only look up with a slightly uncertain expression when Daeyeol goes rigid beneath your touch. “Is this okay?” you ask, eyebrows furrowed.
“Yes,” Daeyeol replies, voice slightly choked for breath. “Yes, it’s everything I’ve – just –” He swallows. “Is this what you want? It’s not… not just because of how I feel, is it?”
At that, your expression relaxes, worry melting into exasperated affection. “Of course not,” you murmur, arms tightening around his body. Daeyeol almost gasps at the muted warmth that seeps through his shirt, rushing up his skin. “I trust you. I should’ve trusted you a long time ago, really. You’ve only ever treated me with love and care. You’ve never done anything remotely threatening to me and…” You lift your head from his skin and look at him with shining eyes. “I don’t believe you ever will.”
He moves, then, arms curving around your waist with maybe a bit too much strength but he grants himself a brief reprieve from years of constant restraint, allows himself to bring you close, close, closer as he tucks himself into your warmth, closing his eyes in bliss as your breath tickles his skin. “You had every right not to trust me,” he corrects you, murmuring into your ear. “I don’t blame you. When a vampire shows up in your life and you catch him feeding, of all things…”
“Still, Daeyeol.” His name takes a new nuance, spoken from your lips with love. “You’ve never done anything to me or anyone, really, not on purpose. You’ve only been loving and gentle and kind, and I trust you enough to give you my love.”
To give you my love. Besides his name from your voice and your laugh, Daeyeol has never heard anything lovelier to his ears. “I’ll treasure it,” he promises, pressing a soft kiss to your neck. He delights in the little shiver that races up your spine. “Forever.”
“As I treasure yours.” You pull back, smiling wide. “Do you want to stay the night?”
. . . . .
Somehow, Daeyeol ends up in your room, sitting on the bed uncertainly as he waits for you to come out of the bathroom. He doesn’t really know what to do – actually, what will you be okay with him doing? Will you allow him to curl into your warmth the way he yearns to, or will you want to maintain some space?
Your voice startles him out of his thoughts. “Daeyeol, I’m not going to bite,” you say, looking slightly amused as you reach around him to pull open the blankets. “That’s your job. Come on, get in or I’ll make you get up to turn off the lights instead.”
Like a child, Daeyeol slides between the sheets, letting you drop them back over him before switching off the lights. The room descends into darkness lit only by a sliver of the moon through the window as you settle into bed next to him, pulling the blankets over you both.
An arm slips under him and Daeyeol almost forgets how to breathe again when you bring yourself closer under the blankets, resting your head against his chest. “Is this okay?” you whisper, voice tickling his skin.
It’s okay. More than okay. Much more than okay. So Daeyeol just nods, pushing away the urge to take off his shirt and feel your warmth directly on his skin rather than through his clothes. It’s your first night in the same bed. You’d probably be uncomfortable. “Yes.”
“Liar.” You shift in the bed, the moon illuminating your face just enough that Daeyeol can see the eyebrow you’ve raised. “Am I making you uncomfortable? I can stop if you want.”
Daeyeol shakes his head as best he can. “No, no. I just…”
“Hm?”
To hell with it. Daeyeol swallows. “When I’m not around you, I feel cold,” he says. For heaven’s sake, if he was a human, his cheeks would be burning. “But when I am, I finally feel warm. And I…” He sighs. “I’d rather feel your warmth directly, rather than through my clothes.”
“… So you want to take off your shirt.”
His ears would also be red. “Yes. But if you’re uncomfortable –”
“No, it’s fine.” Your eyes look a little shy but it’s too dark for Daeyeol to really tell. “Come on, make yourself comfortable. I’m fine with it.”
“Are you sure? I –”
“Daeyeol.” You look up to face him fully as you smile wide. “Yes. I’m sure.”
The shirt falls to the floor and you pull yourself close once more. Daeyeol sighs as your warmth seeps through his skin, sending pleasant tingles all throughout his body as he curls into you, closing his eyes in delight. “Thank you,” he murmurs against your neck.
“Of course.” You shift slightly and Daeyeol blinks, ready to adjust to whatever position you find yourself in, but you only level your face with his, smiling brighter than the stars peeking through the window. “Do you mind…?”
It takes Daeyeol a moment to understand what you’re asking but when he does, he doesn’t bother giving you a verbal answer in favor of kissing you, eyes fluttering shut in bliss as you press back. His arm falls to your waist, curving over your body and bringing you closer as his other hand rises to caress your cheek. You sigh into his lips, your own fingers reaching up to tangle softly through his hair.
You break away for air, then kiss once, twice, three times more before it feels okay to stop. Daeyeol blinks slowly when you pull away the last time. His hand is still on your cheek and he rubs absentminded circles on your skin, soaking in the way you lean into his touch, and in that moment, he knows he could spend centuries waiting for your lips if it meant he would feel them, warm against his own, just once in a millennium.
“I love you,” you whisper, breath soft against his bare skin. Your eyes are fluttering shut but you keep them open, barely, just enough for Daeyeol to see the loveliness of your gaze before you close them fully for sleep.
He curls in closer to press a quiet kiss to your forehead. You don’t flinch from his cold touch, only sigh briefly before allowing your lips to curve sweetly, gently, as your eyes close. “I love you too,” he murmurs, kissing you softly one last time before settling into your touch.
Your skin bleeds heat into his, makes him feel a little more whole, a little more full, a little less like a blank, immortal vessel for the first time in centuries. It makes him feel as though his heart could beat again, could pump blood through his dead veins and turn him human once more. But even then, even if it can’t, it’s okay. As long as Daeyeol has you, as long as he can love you fully and feel the warmth of your affection in return, he’ll be happy, happier than he ever thought possible since the day he was turned.
Daeyeol smiles, pulling the blankets more securely around you as your breath evens into sleep.
He already feels warmer.
If you enjoyed, please don’t forget to reblog and leave a comment to tell me what you thought! Thank you for reading and have a lovely day <3
(1 reblog = 1 prayer for Daeyeol to keep this warmth :D he deserves it)
Genre: idol reader x Daeyeol, fluff and cute little actions
Requested: yes
A/n: thanks to the anon for send in this request, hope everyone enjoys it!
This was not how you were expecting your day to go. When your manager had told you and Seokyung, a member of your group Eclipse, that the two of you were going to be guests on the show Running Man, you had imagined you guys running around doing ridiculous missions; and yes, that’s exactly what you did that day, except you didn’t imagine yourself being teased the whole entire day. All because of a certain person.
In actuality, you couldn’t even shift the blame onto Daeyeol. It’s not his fault that HaHa, a senior that you happened to be close with, assumed that something was going between the two of you, which led to the other members and even Bomin and Seokyung to tease the two of you the whole day.
It started during the introduction of the show, when your respective groups were introduced. You and Daeyeol were standing next to one another when HaHa had made a passing comment about the two of you looking good together. “Y/n & Daeyeol, you two look good next to each other.” The two of you make eye contact with one another and look away, feeling embarrassed.
“HaHa, you can’t just say that.” Jaeseok scolded him.
“But look at them,” he says motioning to the two of you, “You can’t say that I’m wrong.” From your side, you feel Seokyung playfully elbow you, causing you to bump into Daeyeol. He does nothing but give you a warm smile. “Look! Did you guys see that? Ey, is there something going on between the two of you?”
Quickly, you shake your head, “No, this is the first time we’ve talked to each other, aside from greeting each other at music shows.”
Squinting his eyes at you, suspicious of the two of you, HaHa says, “I’m watching you two.”
When the 12 of you traveled to your second destination, the others had forced you to sit next to Daeyeol because you had been the last one on the bus and the seat next to him was the only one open. Once the bus had broken out into playful banter, you had pulled out some candy jellies that you had brought with you. Noticing Daeyeol’s stare on the candies in your hand, you offer him one. This action doesn’t go unnoticed by Jaeseok, who says aloud to the others, “Yah, it’s like these two are on an elementary date.” Of course, his comment has the two of your smiling from embarrassment.
“Daeyeol, Y/n or Somin?” HaHa randomly asks him. It was common for the members to asks these types of questions, truly wanting to know who people would pick.
“Y/n.” Response causes for the bus to erupt into cheers. You find their reactions ridiculous, but you can’t say they you didn’t like his response. “Okay, now Jihyo or Y/n? 1, 2, 3!” This time he says your name again. From behind him, Jongkook starts playfully shaking him around, “Yah, is Y/n the only thing in your mind?”
“Okay, okay,” Jaeseok starts, “Y/n, it’s your turn, Kwangsoo or Daeyeol?”
“Yah! How could you put me up against him?” says Kwangsoo.
Before they even do a countdown, you respond, “Daeyeol,” and of course this causes for more cheers. “You guys, I think this is going to be the first time a couple was created here on Running Man!”
From beside you, you thought you heard Daeyeol mumble under his breath, “Hopefully,” but you weren’t sure if you were just hearing things, so you chose to stay silent.
After the final mission of the day, it was time to announce those who were receiving the penalty. It ended up being you, Seokyung, and Somin. Before the three of you could be drenched with water, Daeyeol had stepped up and said, “Wait, I’ll take the penalty for Y/n.” His words shocked you, but made the others go crazy. “Yah, Y/n! If you don’t date him, I will!” HaHa screamed. You try to tell Daeyeol that he didn’t need to step in, but he refused to listen to you. Stepping up to take your punishment, Daeyeol braces himself to get splashed by the water cannon. When the water comes down on them, you instantly run up to Daeyeol and hand him a towel, which he gladly takes.
Not being able to say anything else to him, you guys close out the show, and once filming had ended, you had told your manager and Seokyung to wait for you. Walking up to Daeyeol, you thank him for earlier, “Thank you, but you really didn’t need to do that for me.”
“It’s fine, I needed to cool down anyways,” Daeyeol says, giving you a smile that leaves your heart fluttering.
Before you could stop yourself, you blurt out, “Let me make it up to you at least.”
“I think I know a way you can make it up to me.” You look at him curiously, waiting for his response, “You could give me your number, at least if you want to of course. I’m not trying to force you to do something you don’t want to.”
Smiling at his directness, you respond, “I think I can do that.”
Rolling his eyes, Daeyeol rounds the corner of the alley you disappeared into. He’s just trying to find the so-advertised seer in this seedy part of town — for you, he might add — but you keep getting distracted and veering off course. Granted, the seer is supposed to help him get rid of you, but that’s neither here nor there.
He finds you crouched down, your arms crossed over your knees, your head tilted as you look at a little ginger cat. It looks back at you, more keen in the eye than any mere human.
Daeyeol understands why you asked for him now, slightly more attuned to you than when you first appeared out of thin air three weeks ago. Your phantasmal form can’t touch anything in this world unless he’s within a foot or two of you, for whatever reason. As soon as he crouches down next to you, you reach out your translucent hand and curl your finger under the cat’s chin. It purrs in response.
“Didn’t know ghosts liked cats,” he mutters.
“I’m dead, Daeyeol.” Your casual tone sinks in his chest. “Not a monster.”
Ever thought about what it would be like if Golden Child asked/were asked to just mack it up? Well it's all I've been thinking about for three and a half days so here we go.
warnings: alcohol
Daeyeol - is our relationship close to the line or far from it
Turns out that binging a trashy Netflix show that neither you nor Daeyeol really care about isn't the best, most exciting way to spend a Friday night, but neither is the dumb party Jangjun invited you to, so here you are.
Since you ran out of tolerance for the main characters not even halfway into episode one, you have no idea what business you have still watching it now, on episode nine.
You turn to Daeyeol, who sits next to you on his bed with a glazed-over look in his eyes, leaned back against the headboard. He lazily follows the plot of the show, though you have no idea how he manages that considering the absurdity of it all.
"Hey," you say quietly. He turns his head slightly to meet your eyes. "Wanna make out?"
Your words take ten too many seconds to sink in, but when they do, Daeyeol effectively snaps out of his daze.
"Wanna— I," he stutters. "Do I want to— make... What?!"
You shrug. "I'm bored."
"I hate how calm you are about this."
You shrug again, trying not to smirk at his flustered expression. The show drones on, and you focus your eyes back on it. "We don't have to, if you don't—"
Daeyeol snaps his laptop shut and picks it up to place it on his bedside table, reaching over you to do so. Normally he'd pull away from you as soon as possible like you're made of nuclear waste, but this time, he stays leaned on one elbow, hovering over you.
"No..." he says under his breath, searching your eyes for any sign that you were bluffing. "It's... cool. That show was boring anyways."
You let yourself smile now and bring a hand up to the back of his neck, your fingers slightly threading into his hair. “Couldn’t agree more.”
Sungyoon - let me introduce you to some new things
Sungyoon doesn't know why he's at this party.
Okay, wait, that's a lie. He does know why he's here — Jangjun invited him. What he doesn't know is what he's still doing here when he hasn't known how to act for the last hour. People keep coming and going, and he smiles at them over his drink, maybe says a few short nothings, then they move along. Sungyoon's basically been standing against this wall doing nothing but be awkward for an entire hour.
Why can't life advice ever ask extroverts to go into their shells for once? He doesn't feel like breaking out of his.
Sungyoon's eyes roam over Jangjun's apartment, and relief flows through him when he sees no one on the tiny balcony attached to it. He makes his way over, weaving through the crowd with little apologies and niceties. Cool air greets him when he slides open the glass door. Stepping onto the balcony, Sungyoon feels like he can finally breathe again — who knew parties could get so stuffy?
"Too suffocating?"
Sungyoon jumps at the sound of your voice, and he turns to see you tucked away in a corner of the balcony where it extends past the glass door, hidden from sight to anyone inside. Stupidly, he looks around for anyone else you could've been speaking to even though he's the only other person there.
“Uh...”
He notices now that you’re sitting there on the balcony floor with a Nintendo 3DS in hand, a smile — the kind used on strangers — on your lips. “Well tough luck,” you say. “This is my hiding spot.”
Not knowing how to respond, Sungyoon turns to open the glass door again, and he only pauses when you laugh. He looks at you again.
You hide your smile behind your DS, but your eyes give you away. “I’m kidding. Come, sit.”
Sungyoon glances at your hand, which pats the floor next to you. Normally, he wouldn’t sit so close to a stranger so quickly, but there’s something about you.
“Not much of a party person?” you ask while he squeezes himself between you and the balcony railing.
He looks at you, slightly nervous with how close your face is.
“Not really... You?”
“Normally I like them,” you say. Jerking your thumb towards the apartment, you let out a little laugh. “Exceptions apply, of course, when they’re held at my place without telling me ahead of time.”
Sungyoon’s eyes widen a fraction. “You live here?”
Your hand comes up in front of you, held out for him to shake. “You’re Jangjun’s friend, right? I’m his roommate.”
In the back of his mind, Sungyoon remembers Jangjun talking about his new roommate, freshly moved in just three weeks ago or so. He said something about how he was surprised they weren’t scared away yet. Go figure.
He shakes your hand, awfully aware of how clammy he gets. “Why aren’t you, um.” He clears his throat. “Why aren’t you hiding out in your room?”
You sigh. “Too late for that, I’m afraid. Some unholy shit is definitely going on in there.” Your DS snaps shut as you shift fully into the conversation. “Normal party stuff; I just wish Jangjun warned me.”
“Normal?”
“Sure.” You shrug. “Happens every time. Two people meet. They hit it off. Boom.”
“I’ve never...” Sungyoon doesn’t know why he feels compelled to tell you anything. Still, he continues. “I’ve never done anything like that. At a party.”
You meet his eyes, voice low. “Yeah?”
“...Yeah.”
“Wanna try?”
Sungyoon’s breath hitches. The moonlight bounces off you in rays that sear right through his skin. “Try what?”
“Do you want to kiss me?”
He nods.
Jangjun - you’re sexy I’m sexy
Jangjun has two drinks in his hands, straight from the DIY minibar filled with the essentials — kool-aid, two total limes that guests can slice themselves if they want, and vodka — so he can’t really do anything when you wrap your arms around his neck.
(Not that he would do anything, though.)
“Hey, Jangjun.”
He’s not surprised that you know his name. You’ve shared a class or five over the years, and he’s always the loudest one in the room. It’s just a little jarring since you’ve never talked one on one before.
(Not that he didn’t want to, he just never got the opportunity.)
“Hey,” he returns. Behind your back, he puts one drink on the counter, then transfers the second drink into his free hand and puts that one down as well. “What’s, uh...”
He gestures his hands at your arms around his neck.
“My ex is here and I thought this would be the best way to avoid him.”
Jangjun didn’t even know you had a boyfriend, but that doesn’t really matter. The keyword here is had. He smiles.
“That’s so cliché.”
You roll your eyes. “Just act natural, please.”
(Gladly.)
Jangjun puts his arms around you, carefully gauging your reaction so he doesn’t cross any boundaries. Since you don’t seem to react, eyes just flitting around the room, he relaxes. He sways to the beat of the music and leans in to whisper, “Which one is he?”
You return your gaze to Jangjun for a moment and jerk your head towards the crowd. “The only asshole wearing sunglasses inside.”
Jangjun snorts. “You really know how to pick ‘em.”
“Shut up.” You give him a look. “No matter what that guy says, it was not a serious relationship.”
Hopefully you don’t notice how much wider Jangjun’s smile gets at that. He makes a show of looking around — not that he really cares if you see through it or not. “Damn, my ex is here too.”
(That’s a blatant lie.)
One of your eyebrows rises. “You invited your ex to your own party?”
“Things get out of hand sometimes,” he says with a shrug. Before you can argue against that, he twists around so his back faces the crowd and bobs his head to block you from looking at anything but himself. “You know what we should do?”
Your hands shift behind his neck. “What?”
“Make them jealous.”
You scoff, a sarcastic smile rising on your lips. “Now who’s being cliché?”
“I never said I don’t like clichés,” Jangjun clarifies. “In fact, I encourage them.”
“So, what? You’re saying we should kiss or something?”
“I’m asking if you wanna make out.”
You smile. “Only if you’re up to it, of course.”
“Of course.”
“Great.”
“Great.”
There’s a small pause where Jangjun just smiles at you, because while you’ve agreed more readily than he expected, you hesitate. He twists slightly and glances to the crowd, where an asshole wearing sunglasses is making his way over. “Your ex found you.”
“Oh, fuck’s sake.”
You put your hands on Jangjun’s cheeks and pull him in.
Youngtaek - can you tell me how to love
“No!”
“Oh, come on, Youngtaek.” You cross your arms. “I’m not asking for much.”
He frowns. “Seriously?!”
“Yes, seriously! All I’m asking is for you to make out with me a little,” you explain for the second time. “You don’t even have to use tongue.”
“Tongue—” Youngtaek lets out a laugh of disbelief. “Do you even hear yourself right now?”
“Uh, yeah.”
Youngtaek can’t believe this is happening. Certainly, when he agreed to hang out at your place for the night, he wasn’t expecting you to ask him to kiss you.
“I’m your best friend.” (He tries not to let those words sting.) “Best friends don’t just...”
He can’t say make out. It’s not as easy as you make it seem.
“Best friends help each other,” you argue. “How am I supposed to go on this Tinder date if I don’t even know how to mack?”
Youngtaek splutters. “Tinder? Since when do you have Tinder?”
“Since Jangjun told me I’m going to die alone. Now will you teach me how to kiss or not?”
Youngtaek will get Jangjun back for that later.
“No.”
You groan. “God, what’s it gonna take!”
He hates how much you want this.
This. Not him.
“Money?” you continue. “Food? I can do your homework if you want. I mean, I don’t know shit about art history, but if it comes down to it—”
Youngtaek reaches you in two strides, and your words cut off when he puts his hands on your cheeks. He’s so close to you that he can hear the way your breath hitches.
“If I kiss you,” he says quietly, “it won’t be meaningless. I won’t... I won’t teach you how to kiss just to lose you.”
His heartbeat picks up when he realizes the weight of his words, but he doesn’t let go.
You breathe out.
“Then kiss me.”
Seungmin - I like it better after midnight
Seungmin opens his door with a smile, but you're definitely not in the mood to give him one in return.
"I can't believe you forgot about a test tomorrow," you say as you brush past him into his dorm room. "I don't even know how much I can help you when it's—" You check your phone. "—one fifteen in the morning."
Chuckling under his breath, Seungmin shuts the door and walks over to where you're already setting up study materials on his desk, his hands in his pockets.
"I can't believe you answered my texts so late."
You roll your eyes. "Trust me, it's not like I want to be awake right now. My neighbor keeps playing goddamn first person shooters until ass o'clock every night."
"No headphones?" Seungmin finds that hard to believe.
"Oh, he has headphones. You know what he doesn't have?"
He shakes his head.
“The ability to shut his mouth.”
While Seungmin laughs quietly at your misfortune, you pull out the chair at his desk and point at it, silently asking him to sit. “You’re lucky. Not everyone’s tutor has asshole neighbours keeping them up all night.”
He takes his seat, not really interested in the material in front of him with you standing right there. “I’ll count you as a blessing, then.”
At that, you roll your eyes. Ever since you started tutoring Seungmin, he’s been flirting in that sort of unashamed, non-subtle way handsome guys who know they’re handsome do. You don’t really mind. By now, you’re used to it from him.
“Yeah, yeah. Now do you want help studying for this test, or not?”
He does — this isn’t his strongest subject, and having a test in less than twelve hours isn’t ideal. Seungmin works diligently while you guide him over his shoulder. Eventually you end up sitting on his desk, too tired to stand next to him anymore. It’s a bit uncomfortable to twist your upper body, but Seungmin silently pushes stuff out of the way to let you sit cross-legged, so you don’t have to worry about that for long.
After a while of silence where Seungmin is supposed to be figuring out a specific concept, you feel a tap at your knee. You look up from your phone to see Seungmin’s pen resting against your leg, his eyes focused on that rather than on you.
“Do you have a question?” you ask, voice quieter now knowing how late it is.
Seungmin taps his pen on you again, and he leans back in his chair, a lazy smile on his face.
“Why haven’t you fallen for me yet?”
You scoff. “What? You want me to?”
“I was hoping you’d notice on your own,” he says. “But now I can blame my impatience on late-night delirium.”
“So all those cheesy lines... you were serious?” The thought of it brings bubbling laughter to your lips.
Seungmin sits up and leans closer. “You think I tell those to just anyone?”
“That was my line of thought, yes.”
“How do I prove you wrong?”
Letting a smile spread across your face, you prop your elbow on your knee and your chin in your palm. Your face is awfully close to his now. “Depends. Do you kiss just anyone with those lips?”
His nose brushes yours.
“Not just anyone,” he whispers. You can feel the words on your skin.
“I’ll worry about proving that later.” You’re starting to feel pins and needles in your leg. “For now, just kiss me.”
[take your time] You slip your phone back into your pocket and walk up to Daeyeol, who’s serving some customers subpar coffee. (It’s okay, they’re mostly here for the puppies, not the food and drink.)
“Donghyun says he’s going to be a bit late bringing Dadi,” you tell him.
Daeyeol looks around at the pop-up café, surveilling everything with a careful eye. “We’ll be okay,” he confirms after a second with a small smile. “There are enough pups to go around right now.”
He puts a reassuring hand on your arm, and something unsettling lodges itself in your throat.
Sangyeop calls your name and Daeyeol’s. “You two can go on break now. Be back in half an hour.”
“You got it boss,” Daeyeol jokes, and Sangyeop rolls his eyes, chuckling.
Daeyeol starts taking off his apron and walks to the back exit of the booth, but before he can fully escape, you stop him.
“We need to talk,” you say.
By some miracle, you find a bench outside the festival with barely anyone around. Daeyeol sits next to you with his hands braced on the edge of the bench, waiting for you to start.
“I...” You sigh, unsure of how exactly to say what you need to say. “It’s probably just me, but I feel like you’ve been acting weird, Daeyeol.”
You try to look at him, but he’s just staring at his shoes.
“I don’t know if it’s that you’ve changed, or if I just finally started noticing, but... I feel like you treat me differently from other people. Not bad different. Just... I don’t know.” Careful of your next words, you look up at the sky. “I’m probably wrong, but I just want to ask if there’s... something.”
Daeyeol doesn’t say anything, and you’re starting to lose the courage you had right at the beginning.
“You keep giving these looks, and you keep touching me, and it’s not like I don’t like it, I just--” You sigh. “I don’t know what to think when that happens.”
Looking at him once again, you wish silently that he’ll look at you, too.
“If there is something, Daeyeol. I want you to tell me.”
Nothing. He says nothing.
“It’s fine if there isn’t. This doesn’t have to be weird. You can just forget what I said--”
“There is something.”
Daeyeol finally looks at you, and you see a seriousness in his eyes that you’ve only encountered so many times since you’ve known him.
“There’s something,” he repeats. “I like you.”
Your heart stops in your chest for a moment, and you have to remember to breathe.
Is this a good feeling? Or a warning sign?
“Oh...”
Now you’re the one who looks away. You don’t know what to think or feel.
“I know you don’t feel the same,” he says, and you can hear the tired smile on his face. “Not exactly, anyways. It’s okay.”
Daeyeol stands from the bench. He moves in front of you, and you’re drawn to looking up at him even though you feel like you shouldn’t.
His smile makes it a little better.
“You don’t have to say anything now. Take your time.”
