seokmin’s world tour ends and you go on vacation with him for your anniversary. from showers to midnights laying in bed together, summer gets hotter every time you’re near bare skin and affection.
pairing : lee seokmin x gn!reader / word count : 1.7k words
genre / tags : fluff, idol!au, established relationship, suggestive, touchstarved losers
warnings : not proofread, shirtless seokmin, nudity, skin-to-skin contact, they can’t take their hands off each other, kissing, description of sweat
mellow's notes : i had a dream…and the dream was this, imagine hugging shirtless dk, it’s sooo scandalous!! it’s almost summer time, so i hope this is a fun read! let me know what you guys think <33
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⤷ see also on : ao3 | wattpad
Taking a break after being on a long tour singing around the world, Lee Seokmin decided to book both of you a flight to a famous beach where the skies always leave a set vibrant hues of pink and purple, and grains of sand never leave your skin.
Spending even just a few days with you is something he wants to make exciting. He made sure that no one would know where you two would be going, except, of course, some staff that he needed to tell, along the lines of, “Some alone time with my partner for our anniversary, and maybe to cool off.”
Eventually, word spread as his close friends eyed him up and down before cooing that, “Something is gonna change when you two get back to Korea.” Of course, he tries to debunk those ideas that now began running through his head, trying to attempt to ignore those playful looks on their faces as they began to poke him around.
“Take photos, maybe look for nice stuff near the shore? I want to see you collect seashells.” Some people thought differently as to how you two would spend your vacation together. Seokmin’s mother was one of those people; her voice bloomed roses as he called her up to let her know where he was going to take you.
“I will, I will.” His smile is evident when he looks up to you, packing your stuff in a suitcase. He notices your swimwear, the one that was placed on top of your nice top that was on theme with the one he had already set in his suitcase.
“Do you want me to bring you a souvenir?” Seokmin asked his mother, suddenly getting up and giving you the phone, you look at him, confused as to what he was doing, “They could buy you something, they know which ones are the best.”
“Hey! You’re the one who’s supposed to give something to your own parent.” When you hear the laughter that erupted from the speaker on his phone, you couldn’t help but smile awkwardly. You quietly take the phone as you have a conversation about souvenirs with Seokmin’s mother.
When you two landed, the first thing he felt was the temperature difference, as if there was a heatwave that slammed on his face even when it was already dark. Cold nights seem not to have existed in the area.
The two of you couldn't take the time to look around at how coastal towns spend their nights, as you found yourself jet lagged and sweating already, plopping onto the bed with your boyfriend. Did you two bother to unpack? No, this is part of the healing moments.
But not without prepping yourself for bed. You look at the time, it was already midnight, and Seokmin turns to look at you, propping his arm to support his head.
“Do you want to change?” He asked you, the hem of your top slowly being lifted as the dampness of your sweat just didn’t want to let go of it. Seokmin was getting eager.
You shake your head, you didn’t want to stick into fresh clothes.
“Shower first?”
You only hummed in response, not wanting to move at all, yet Seokmin dragged you into the bathroom to take a shower with him, the new soaps that you two had bought for this occasion finally being put to the test.
The feeling of his hands is gentle, and the look of joy on Seokmin’s face as you clean his face. There were still soap suds to the point of covering his whole face, but you wanted to kiss him at that moment as he washed your hair carefully, just the way you like it.
Seokmin liked how much you did everything you could to hug him, even in the shower as the two of you let the water run on your skin, falling on your back as the bathroom began to smell of sweet florals and his natural scent.
Shaaa…
And as you wrap up with your arms around the still-warm Seokmin in bed. Your face breathed onto his bare neck, not wanting to kiss away the lotion and many other skincare products that touched his face.
Seokmin had the smell of the fancy bar soap sticking in his skin and jasmine, and you wanted to wrap yourself around the smell of his favorite detergent scent that lingered on his clothes. You leave kisses on his neck.
You didn’t think mornings would be this soft, the white bed and dark blue covers, you always find Seokmin on the same side as you, not wanting to leave your side; it’s something you’re still getting used to.
Even when you two started dating, work had always found time to take him further and further away from you, with more promotions leading to more frequent video calls. Honestly, there were moments when he was on the other side, and you stayed up to listen to him rant about his days.
Now that you’re on the same page, it’s nice to wake up next to a still sleeping Seokmin. He was wearing his pajamas, a special pair, as he matched yours. Similar patterns of puzzle pieces.
The window that Seokmin left open for the cold air to enter blows the curtains gently as the cool morning breeze hits your face.
“Do you mind closing the window?” Seokmin suddenly said, turning away from the breeze, moving himself closer to you as he wraps an arm around you.
“You’re closer to the window,” you say, pushing him away as you turn your back on him. Of course, the “cold shoulder” never worked on Seokmin, with how quickly he immediately tackled you. Fluttering your face with kisses and marks of affection.
“Come on, you gotta close the window…”
“Seokmin, you’re so close you just need a finger—mmph!” You were interrupted with a warm kiss on Seokmin's lips. You sometimes forget how his lips always find their way to yours.
Seokmin loved summer and how it brought him every moment to be closer to you.
He remembers how you two first met. By the beach, you struck up a conversation with him, and he was ready to dive deep into the ocean for you.
He really was, his lips leaving pecks on your shoulder as you look at yourself in the mirror before getting ready to leave. He always loved how you wore sleeveless tops just for him.
Seokmin’s hat was snug around your head, pulling it up so that you could see his face. You instantly pulled it further away as you got a good look at him, even when the sun blazed through your face.
And just like the waves that hit the soles of your feet, the sun shines on Seokmin’s face just right. And you are absolutely floored.
“You’re not wearing the top?”
Of course, he wasn’t. It was the perfect weather for a good tan, though Seokmin looks at you confused when you ask him, holding out the shirt, he tilts his head.
“No, you don’t need to put it back on,” you say nothing else as you take the shirt away from him, the material felt loose when you put it over your shoulder.
It’s not like you haven’t seen him without his shirt on; you literally showered with him yesterday. Yet, seeing him smile at you, the more you realize the most unforgettable thing about him.
There was always a way he looked at you.
As you look at his empty hand, before grabbing it, the way it felt different compared to yours, and how you had always seen it through hand gestures in his dances, or the way he used the microphone. Feeling it holding on, you look back at Seokmin, who just so happened to be already looking at you.
“Wanna swim?” Seokmin asked, wearing his usual stupid grin, and with that usual smile, gave you a quiet kiss on the cheek.
Your body felt warm, but you knew it wasn’t because of the sun. Grabbing a palm full of the ocean, you splash it on Seokmin as he immediately lets go of your hand.
“You did not just—” You didn’t let him finish speaking as you splash him another one, really getting it into his face.
You immediately made a run for it, “You can’t get me!”
Seokmin wasn’t ready to lose by a measly splash of water. Trying to find ground, his feet sunk onto the sand before he sprinted to get to you. It wasn’t long before you could hear his loud voice yelling for you to get back.
You decide to make a turn in another direction, but Seokmin was just a little faster than you. Picking up speed, he corners you near the waves of the ocean. You were much closer to your doom than ever
Splash! Splash! Splash!
You’re downright soaked, even more than whatever kind of damage you gave to Seokmin, yet you weren’t ready to lose, still.
You splash more ocean water on Seokmin, spinning your arms like a propeller. Seokmin tries to do the same thing as whatever you did, but you were almost drowning him a little too quickly, moving closer and closer to his figure.
“Okay—please—ugh—stop!” Seokmin cries out through each water, almost hitting his eyes. He puts his hands in a surrender position, turning his back on you and from any other water that was about to come for him.
Seokmin does attempt to turn back, though flinching a bit when he sees you palming a small cup of water.
“I think that’s enough water for today.” You say.
“Yeah. We should probably get back, I’ve got another thing coming.” Seokmin said, grabbing his shirt that was now in your hand and using it as a towel.
“Is it more water?”
Seokmin thought about it. It would be much more fun if it were. But, as you two walk over to where you had placed your blanket, what he unloads from his bag is a small box. And as he hands you the box, he kisses you on the cheek before letting you open it.
“Happy anniversary, Baby.” Seokmin looks at the way you smile, pulling out a stringed necklace, the center of the blue shell shimmered white. You couldn’t let go of him as he hugged you.
Something did happen when you two returned to Korea. Seokmin had an obvious tan and many memories to talk to his friends about.
Other than stories, you wore the necklace and fell in love with Seokmin even more.
thank you for reading bear ( bare ) hug
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⤷ find me on : ao3 (mellow_wishes) | wattpad (mellow-wishes)
mellow's notes : does this show how much i need lee seokmin ….? because damn i really do
genre: fluff, domestic life, family, slice of life, humor
word count: 710
minnie's note: based on the true story 😛✌🏻
The apartment was unusually quiet when Dokyeom stepped inside.
He kicked off his shoes, stretching his sore shoulders after a long day of schedules and recording. Usually the moment he opened the door he’d hear tiny running footsteps or your voice calling from the kitchen.
But today—
silence.
Then he heard it, a tiny squeak, followed by a soft giggle coming from the kitchen
He walked slowly down the hallway, curiosity creeping in as the sound got clearer.
Little hands slapping something, a puff and more giggle
When he reached the kitchen doorway, he froze.
“…Oh.”
There was flour everywhere.
On the counters, on the floor, on the cabinets.
Even on the little stool your daughter used to reach the sink.
And in the middle of it all sat your daughter, happily patting piles of flour like it was sand at the beach. Her cheeks were dusted white, her hair looked like it had snow in it, and every clap of her hands sent a soft cloud into the air.
“Pff!” she giggled.
Dokyeom blinked slowly.
Then his eyes moved to the corner of the kitchen.
You were sitting on the floor, back resting against the cabinet, legs stretched out in front of you. Your hair was messy, there was flour on your shirt, and you looked completely drained.
You weren’t stopping her.
You were just watching.
Like you had accepted defeat.
When you noticed him standing there, you sighed softly.
“Oh… you’re home.”
Dokyeom gestured to the entire kitchen.
“…What happened?”
Before you could answer,
Your daughter spotted him.
Her eyes lit up.
“Appa!”
She scrambled to her feet and ran toward him, leaving tiny flour footprints on the floor. Halfway there she slipped and landed on her butt with a soft puff.
A cloud of flour rose around her.
Dokyeom tried to hold it in.
He really did.
But the sight of his tiny daughter looking like a powdered donut broke him.
He burst out laughing.
“Oh my god—”
Your daughter giggled along with him, completely proud of herself.
You closed your eyes briefly.
“She found the flour cabinet.”
Dokyeom glanced at the open cabinet.
Then the disaster zone.
“…When?”
You stared at the ceiling.
“Thirty minutes ago.”
“Thirty minutes?”
“I tried stopping her.”
A pause.
“She cried.”
Another pause.
“So now we have a flour playground.”
Dokyeom laughed again, crouching down to pick up your daughter.
The moment he lifted her, she grabbed his cheeks with flour-covered hands.
Now he had flour on his face.
“Appa play!” she demanded.
You watched the scene with half-lidded tired eyes.
“Don’t encourage her.”
Dokyeom looked between you and the flour-covered floor.
Then he slowly rolled up his sleeves.
You immediately narrowed your eyes.
“Seokmin.”
He crouched down and grabbed a handful of flour.
“Seokmin.”
He tossed it lightly above your daughter’s head.
“SEOKMIN—”
Your daughter shrieked with laughter.
“Snow!”
You dropped your head against the cabinet.
“I’m raising two children.”
Dokyeom sat down on the floor beside you, still holding your daughter. Flour puffed up around him when he landed.
He wrapped one arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer.
“You look tired,” he murmured softly.
You leaned your head against him instantly.
“I am tired.”
He kissed the top of your head gently.
“Thank you for taking care of her all day.”
Your daughter started patting his hair with flour like she was decorating him.
“Appa white!”
Dokyeom chuckled.
You watched them quietly for a moment — the messy kitchen, your giggling child, your husband willingly turning into a flour-covered mess just to make her laugh.
synopsis: seokmin and hansol shared everything, their birthdays included. now their shared crush on you may come to a head as their birthday festivities lead to an unexpected night.
note: happy (late) birthday to our 218 bros <33 now this is the greed they talk about in the bible. this is also my official introduction of seokmin into my bias line (spamming the yassss button) cus 5 member bias line isn't crazy right???? anyways this may be the product of listening to jealous type on loop …. you're welcome :)
dividers by @cafekitsune!!! special shoutout to @jakedustry for betaing this so quick, you’re amazing <3
For the entirety of Vernon and Seokmin's friendship, they have grown fond to sharing everything.
Whether it be a delicious drink, a jacket they both looked great in, hell— even their birthdays, they were never picky.
However, one thing the duo never expected to share?
Their years long crush on you, a dear and close friend of theirs.
Vernon has never been a competitive man. He simply had no desire for it unless it was truly necessary. His friend however, was the polar opposite when it came to that.
Despite this, Seokmin didn't feel a need to compete with Vernon. He could never come between his long-time friendship for a simple glance in his direction, or the soft smile of yours that plagued his thoughts.
The two couldn't feel a jealous bone in their body for the other— there simply was no need.
Even when it came to you and your affection, they didn't try to one up the other, despite how much the duo wanted you.
As another year began, the duo geared up for their joint birthday party, something that had become a tradition over a decade ago.
"Maybe this year we should do something chill? Can we really afford another hole in the wall?" Vernon questioned as he scrolled on his phone, tik tok showing him different themes for birthday parties.
On the floor next to him, Seokmin had his laptop opened up, a google spreadsheet and his perfectly curated pinterest board on standby.
"To be fair, Chan dared Soonyoung to do that flip…"
Vernon met Seokmin's gaze with an unamused expression, a single eyebrow raising.
"He's so lucky I was blacked out in the bathroom. If I had seen that in real time…" Vernon shaked his head at the memory of last year's party, Soonyoung drunk out of his mind and causing a scene.
"At least you had Y/N tending to you.." Vernon could hear the pout in Seokmin's tone, despite the older boy now facing away from him.
"Not like I remember anything. I can't look at soju ever again." He sighed, dragging a hand down his face.
The two had been bouncing ideas off each other for a party theme this year. After a decade of birthdays together, they had started to run out of ideas.
"Would it be crazy if I say… what if we don't throw a party this year?" Vernon suggested, watching the way Seokmin whipped around instantly.
"No way! 218's not throwing a party? Who would we be?" Seokmin waved his hands animatedly, clearly flabbergasted at entertaining the idea.
"Hear me out. We can do a big dinner, rent out a place and have all our friends show up. Those who want to do something after can just come by for some chill vibes." Vernon offered, casually shrugging his shoulders. Seokmin was in deep thought, weighing the option.
"I'm following…" Seokmin scratched his chin, thinking about the fatigue he always felt while planning the annual event.
"I don't know about you, Min, but I don't remember in the past four or five years not having to call a repairman, or go to Home Depot the next day to fix our place." They happened to have a large friend group— a group that tended to do stupid things when intoxicated.
"Right, no yeah that's a valid point, Vernon." Seokmin agreed, wincing at the thought of the hole last year and the quote the repairman had given them. He shared a look with Vernon and the two decided to cover it up with a painting instead— a cheaper route.
"Our ages are starting to sound a little too serious.. Maybe we should tone it back a bit."
"God, don't remind me please." Seokmin groaned as Vernon laughed behind him. "Okay fine, but dirty thirty we gotta do something big."
"Dirty thirty..? You know what, okay." Vernon scoffed, shaking his head as Seokmin shifted his focus to finding a good restaurant to book.
They settled on a fancy restaurant with a private dining room for big parties. Feeling satisfied with their choice, Seokmin finished up the final touches of the invite, ready to send to all their friends.
"You know who's going to be the most surprised there's no 218 party?" Seokmin turned to look at his friend, whose face shifted to one of confusion.
"No? Who?"
They both shared a look before it clicked for Vernon, the two men saying your name in sync.
"Of course, she's always been there to help us every time… I don't know, maybe she'll have something up her sleeve this year?"
"We are her 'favorite boys' after all." Seokmin smiled, reminiscing on the time you told the duo that.
"Stop being delusional." Vernon was thinking the same thing, but he would never voice it the way Seokmin did.
"Hansollie! You know how hard it is for me!" He buried his face in his hands, Vernon reaching down to lightly pat his head.
The two sent out their invites by the end of the night, the group chat liking the message and questions about the change, but respecting it.
You personally texted Vernon, wondering if only a dinner would be happening. He replied quickly, telling you to come over after for a 'lowkey hang out.'
You and Seungkwan were out for drinks when you got the invite, the two of you instantly agreeing to put your hands into planning the after party as Seungkwan had an extra key to their apartment from when he had to take care of Vernon's cat recently.
The two of you cooked up a plan, enlisting help from Chan and Minghao to keep the boys distracted for an hour after dinner. You and Seungkwan were to sneak off early, hastily decorating the place and gathering all of their close friends directly after dinner.
On the day of, you couldn't miss the puppy-like pout on Seokmin's face, and the wide-eyed, confused look across Vernon's as you announced yours and Seungkwan's early departure from dinner. You promised the birthday boys you would be at their place later, hugging them to reduce their distress.
You sped over to their apartment, you and Seungkwan working quick to bring the decorations together. A big silver '218' balloon was stationary against the plain wall in the living room, individual balloons littering the floor and streamers dangling from the ceiling. A large cake was placed on the kitten counter, small bowls of snacks staggered around it.
You took a step back, admiring the final product as Seungkwan finished setting up the bar area, plastic champagne glasses settled next to bottles of alcohol. He joined you, giving a loud high five as you both complimented each other's work.
The door bell rung, startling you as Seungkwan went over to open the door, peeking through the peep hole first. The door swung open to reveal Seungcheol, Joshua, Jihoon, Mingyu and Jun; the boys greeting the two of you cheerfully.
"Thank god you two are finished, Vernon's getting suspicious and told Minghao he wants to head home to finish straightening up before anyone's over. We rushed here and the other guys are close behind, but we got like five minutes max." Seungcheol states, setting his gift upon the counter by the bar.
You and Seungkwan shared a panicked look, ordering the boys to hide as you handed them party hats and horns. The doorbell buzzed one last time with Jeonghan, Soonyoung and Wonwoo rushing inside.
"They were pulling in at the same time as us! Everyone hide!" Jeonghan shared, grabbing a plastic party horn from you with a smile.
You got a text from Minghao at the same time, a simple: "Pulling up now, hope you're ready." You shoot him a quick thumbs up and grab your own blow horn, the plastic dangling from your lips.
Everyone got in their positions as you cut the lights, hiding behind the fridge as well as you could. A minute later, you recognized Seokmin's voice and Chan's laugh outside the door as the lock began to jiggle.
The door opened and their voices wafted in from the entryway. As soon as they stepped in, you hit the lights as everyone jumped out yelling "surprise!" in unison, blowing the plastic horns. Seokmin jumped, his hands flying over his mouth as Vernon took a second to blink before a wide grin spread across his face. Chan and Minghao were recording behind them with smiles on their own faces, capturing the special moment.
"No way! You guys didn't have to!" Seokmin's eyes cut across everyone's face before landing on you. You were smiling softly at the two, your hands clasped together.
"Was this you?" He said your name, taking a step closer with a playful gleam in his eye.
"Well, Seungkwan and I. Couldn't have done it without his spare key." You shrugged nonchalantly, playing it cool. He pulled you and Seungkwan into a hug with a laugh, Vernon coming behind to wrap his arms around the three of you. He pulled away, his eyes warm and glowing back down at you.
"Thank you, for always being there for us. You're so awesome." Your face heats up as Vernon reached over to ruffle your co-host's hair, Seokmin attached to his back with a tight grip.
You took in the sight, a calm smile on your lips as you watched your friends.
The rest of the night was filled with laughter as Chan proposed new drinking games every five minutes, with Seokmin and Seungkwan having a karaoke battle, dragging anyone they could along with them. Towards the end of the night, everyone stood around Seokmin and Vernon, singing happy birthday loudly to the boys who smiled back at their friends. You snapped a quick polaroid of the two, as you had been doing all night, their grins wide as they held their shared cake.
By the time everyone was saying goodbye and leaving, it was nearly three am, and everyone was still tipsy. You offered to help stay after and clean up, waving goodbye to Seungkwan as he waddled out, thanking you and swearing he was about to pass out.
As the door shut behind you, you turned back around and glanced at the birthday boys, spread out on their couch with a glossy look in their eyes. They hadn't bothered to move a muscle, their giggles and sluggish movements showing how intoxicated they were.
You weren't too far behind them as you tried to go toe to toe with Seungcheol, who kept challenging you to shots all night. You were planning on crashing on the boy's couch for the night, as you've done many times before.
You walk over to them and squeeze yourself between the pair, tossing their long limbs off to make room for yourself. You immediately feel Seokmin cozy up to your right side, while Vernon shifts his whole body to face towards you, his knee bumping into yours.
"We had so much fun, really. Seokmin and I can't thank you enough." Vernon started, a soft smile on his lips as he rested a hand across your knee. Next to you, Seokmin wrapped his arms around your waist, snuggling closer to you with a hum. You ran a hand through the older boy's hair as you smiled back at Vernon, nudging him with your other elbow.
"I'd do anything when it comes to you two, seriously." You stated, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Vernon felt his heartbeat race from your words, swallowing hard as his mind wandered. Seokmin, on the other side of you, whined out before he spoke, "And we'd do anything for you, cutie."
You giggled at that, loving the attention in your drunken state. Vernon reached to twist a strand of your hair, his gaze fleeting across your face as you looked back, wide eyed.
"You have no idea how much you mean to us." His voice came out softly, with Seokmin humming in agreement next to you.
"You guys mean so much to me, it goes both ways here." You hummed as Seokmin's breath fanned against your neck and Vernon's palm moved to rest against your cheek.
"No it's not the same, you're our entire world. We would- we would do anything to make you ours." He breathed your name out after, the hand cupping your cheek suddenly feeling warmer. Your stomach flipped at his words, catching the heavy implication behind them. You didn't know whether it was the alcohol pumping in your systems, or the sudden intimate atmosphere that caused the confession, but your mind spun trying to figure it out.
"I thought it was obvious after all these years how much we love you?" Seokmin mumbled into your shoulder, loud enough for the two of you to catch him still.
"I mean, I know that you guys love me-"
"He meant to say we are in love with you." Vernon cut in, catching you off guard.
Your mouth dropped open as you whipped your head to look back and forth between the two boys. You had never seen both of them so open before. Seokmin tended to become shy when it came to his own emotions, and Vernon typically remained quiet.
"Both of you?" You questioned, turning to Seokmin this time, who finally had removed his head from the crook of your neck. He nodded once, a faint smile on his lips.
You huffed out a laugh as it felt ridiculous for even one of them to harbor feelings for you, better yet both of them.
"You two share everything in your lives, your birthday's, apartment, food, clothes. You're telling me you're so connected, you have a crush on the same girl too?" You were feeling delirious, suddenly hyper aware of how close they were.
"Yeah, we don't mind though." Vernon said casually with a shrug.
You didn't know what to say as your mind raced. Two of your closest friends were in love with you and they didn't mind the other male having feelings as well. Their gazes on you felt heavy now as they examined you carefully.
"Would it be crazy to say I'm kinda… into this?" You picked at your nails, unable to meet either of them in the eye. Vernon's hand lingering on your knee squeezed harder as Seokmin began trailing his finger along your forearm.
"No, not at all," Seokmin started, "Would it be crazier to say we've thought about this for a while?"
You turned to meet his gaze, his look only describe-able as quiet lust, his tongue quickly darting out to lick his lips. You shifted to Vernon, his face nearly expressionless other than the clear twinkle in his eye, a hint of a smirk upon his lips.
"No, not at all." You finally breathed out, watching Vernon's face change like a switch flipped. His pupils were blown wide, his gaze falling upon your lips before traveling back up towards your eyes.
"Can I?" He asked softly, his grip on your knee staying strong as you squeak out an airy 'yes.'
He wasted no time, leaning down to capture your lips against his own, groaning against you once he finally does. Beside you, you felt Seokmin's hand plant itself along your thigh, gently squeezing the flesh there. You registered the quiet whimper to leave Seokmin upon the sight of you and Vernon as he patiently waited, caressing you delicately.
Vernon had waited for this day for years, and was going to show it. He kissed you with a ferocity you never expected the calm man to have, sucking on your bottom lip as you shivered against him.
When he finally pulled away, you were in a daze, lips slightly parted as he ran his thumb along your lip. The smirk on his lips was undeniable as he tilted his head to his friend beside you.
"Hyung, you've been so patient." His words caught your attention as you turned towards Seokmin, who gazed at you wide eyed.
You decided to take matters into your own hands, cupping your hand on his soft cheek as you brought your lips down onto his own. Seokmin took a second for his brain to catch up, finally moving his lips in tandem with yours, his large palm sliding farther up your thigh.
Your kiss with Seokmin felt different than Vernon's as you were guiding this more than him. You broke away momentarily, your lungs searching for air, before Seokmin pulled you back towards him. He was eager, all tongue and teeth clashing with unmasked hunger.
His years of pent up tension finally was coming to a head as his other hand made purchase within your hair, keeping you in place as he devoured you whole.
You were on cloud nine, deeply enjoying the attention from the duo that you had never expected to happen. You were focused on Seokmin, feeling the ends of his hair prickle against your face, his tongue fighting against your own as your every thought was just him.
Until you felt the couch shift behind you, Vernon's presence becoming aware again as his rough palm dragged along your body, a gentle reminder he was there as well.
You detached from Seokmin, both of your chests heaving from the intense make out that left your core tingling. His stare was intense, like he was preparing to dive right back into you.
"That was so hot." Vernon delivered monotonously, though his eyes showed another message. The way he shifted in his sweatpants, he was embarrassingly hard from the scene that had unfolded in front of him. Seokmin was no better, his dick twitching painfully in his pants, still reeling from the affects you had on him.
You looked back and forth between the two while they stared at you, wondering what the next step was going to be. You couldn't fight the smirk that formed on your lips as you hopped off the couch, looking down at the males.
"We should move somewhere more.. comfortable." You suggested, tilting your head as the two shared a brief glance. They were on their feet seconds later, ready to follow you wherever you wanted. You slipped a hand into both boy's grip, motioning with your head for Seokmin to lead the way. He smiled sheepishly before dragging you down the hallway towards his bedroom. He had the bigger bed of the two anyways, might as well put it to use.
By the time Vernon had closed the door behind him, your lips were on Seokmin's again, urging him to lead you to the bed. Still connected, he gently pushed you down, climbing on top. His mouth moved feverishly, and you were pleasantly surprised to feel him pushing against you, his hard length prodding your inner thigh. The bed next to you dipped, signaling Vernon joining you, his body heat radiating close to you.
Seokmin pulled away to trail kisses down your neck, earning a groan from you as Vernon brushed your hair out of the way.
"You're stunning, so perfect for us. Isn't she so perfect, Hansol?" Seokmin was busy shifting you up, urging you to lift your arms as him and Vernon worked your top over your head. Vernon let out a hum, agreeing softly as Seokmin's jaw went slack, not expecting you to be bare under the dressy top. Vernon scooted you close to his back, and his large palms found a home squeezing your breasts as you threw your head back onto his shoulder with a moan.
"Sound so pretty hmm?" Seokmin muttered —almost to himself— as he slid your skirt and underwear down swiftly. His hands were blazing as he slowly spread you open for him, groaning at the sight of your slick folds.
Your body was turning to mush as Vernon continued his assault on your boobs, pinching the sensitive nipples there. His mouth was close to your ear as he whispered praises — you were absolutely losing your mind. Seokmin's breath fanned right above your center as you whined out, desperate to have him where you desired most.
"Are you going to be our birthday gift?" Seokmin asked, gazing up at you with a smug look from in between your legs.
The implications behind his question had you clenching around nothing, watching how he glared up at you from your thighs. You nodded your head frantically, nearly pushing your hips up if not for his hand mounting you to the bed.
"Yes, yes, anything for you, Minnie. Unwrap me however you want." You were so clouded with desire, babbling anything to be touched. You probably would've cringed at your own words, but you were too far gone now to care.
Vernon's chest rumbled behind you with a chuckle as you cried out loudly from Seokmin finally sinking down on you, licking a stripe along your clit.
"Poor thing, you're so far gone already." Vernon's words barely registered as you gripped Seokmin's hair, bucking your hips against his face.
You were already close, worked up from the two already. You had never done anything like this before, and it was turning you on. This was clear from how you leaked all over Seokmin's face, who was groaning below you. His tongue was alternating from your leaking hole and your swollen clit, flicking the muscle along your perfectly.
He continued to work you with his mouth, before slowly pushing a long finger inside of you to curl into that spongy spot. You were gushing all over him, your cries getting swallowed with Vernon's mouth, who eagerly kissed you. His hands roamed all along your upper half, caressing you gently. His hands were a contrast to his mouth that worked to leave you trembling in his hold.
You felt the build up in your lower belly, the familiar sensation of your orgasm approaching. Seokmin's slurping was obscenely filling the room, his wide eyes glowing up at you for approval.
You couldn't keep your eyes open as you were filled with overwhelming pleasure, Seokmin's plush tongue causing your downfall.
He picked up his pace, pumping two long fingers in you as he swirled his tongue around your clit. You threw your head back on Vernon, who had detached from you again, moaning that you were about to come.
"There you go, come for us." His deep voice in your ear pushed you over the edge with a sharp cry. Your climax hit like a truck as you trashed around in his arms, Seokmin's strong grip on your hip keeping you in place while he helped you ride out your high.
You eventually floated back down to earth, your limbs feeling like jelly as Seokmin pulled away from you, his smile wide. He cleaned his face, licking up the traces of you left behind, humming in approval.
"I've thought about that for so long now, god, you taste better than I imagined." He sighed out, sucking his finger with a lazy grin. You watched breathlessly, a matching expression as you admired him. Behind you, Vernon began shifting, his hard length poking against your back with a groan.
"Hansol, why don't you show her what she does to you?" Seokmin grinned, moving to switch spots with his friend.
Vernon came into your line of vision now, smiling softly down at you. He leaned down to press a kiss on your lips once again, clearly unable to get enough of you.
"Are you ready for me?" He asked sweetly, grazing his fingers along your stomach.
"Please, Nonie. I want you so bad." You whined, reaching for the waistband of his sweatpants. He clicked his tongue, stepping back to pull them down himself.
"So eager." He chuckled, as you stared, glossy eyed at his long, hard cock. Your mouth watered at the sight, already excited to feel him.
The bed dipped as he settled on the edge, tapping your thighs. "Go ahead and turn around, babe."
You couldn't help the airy laugh from leaving you as you flipped over, positioning yourself with your back arched towards him. "Had a feeling you were an ass man." You joked.
It was Vernon's turn to laugh while he lined himself up, trailing his hands along your ass.
"Hey, I won't deny that I know what I like." The three of you laugh at him as he kneaded the plump flesh behind you.
You casted a glance up at Seokmin, who already had his cock out, lightly stroking himself. You smiled up at him and reached for the length, wrapping your hand around him as he closed his eyes, groaning.
You felt Vernon's cock rubbing along your folds as he gathered the slick there. Moaning, you pushed back at him, eager to feel him inside of you. You were about to tell him hurry up when he finally pushed into your leaking cunt, knocking the wind out of you. Your movements on Seokmin's length halted as you struggled to take Vernon's full length, clenching around him as he bottomed out.
He paused momentarily, closing his eyes as you throbbed painfully around him. He was about to explode, and was fighting from nutting in 30 seconds.
Seokmin watched from above you, sliding a hand through your hair to get the strands out of your eyes. You started slowly moving your hips, desperate for friction before Vernon's hand came down on your ass with a yelp; the smack stinging more than you expected.
"Stop that, be patient." He huffed, keeping you torturously still. You whined out again, squeezing around him hard, making him moan loudly, his hips stuttering slightly.
"Take him in your mouth." He spoke lowly, causing you to glance back at him.
"Are you bossing me around?" You teased, clenching down on his sensitive cock once more. You were met with a smack on your ass again, jolting you into Seokmin from the impact.
"You're being a brat now. Seokmin, keep her quiet." You could hear the tease in his voice as you opened your mouth to protest. You were cut short from the first rough snap of Vernon's hips, his cock dragging along your walls perfectly.
You shook as Vernon started pounding into you, your ass clapping against him with every thrust. Your moans filled the room as you cried out, gripping anything around you to keep yourself steady. His length was almost too much for you as you felt the tears prickle in your eyes.
His shaky breaths and the wet sounds of your pussy taking him were all you could hear before you felt the bed shift and Seokmin moved closer towards you. His cock caught your full attention, ready for your mouth as you grab at his base, taking a kitten lick.
Seokmin moaned, his body twitching as his tip tapped against your lips. You took him fully into your mouth, both of you moaning from the action.
You felt completely consumed by both of the guys, your every thought filled with Seokmin and Vernon.
You did your best to keep both satisfied as you swirled your tongue along the head of Seokmin's cock, his hips jerking with every lewd noise and action made. You tried meeting Vernon's thrusts, throwing your ass back on him as he kept a steady pace behind you.
"Look at you, being split open by both of us like you were made for us." Seokmin mumbled, his eyes closed and fighting from ramming his cock in your month as you gargled around his thickness.
Vernon was setting a ruthless pace, your cunt squelching with each thrust while you were a babbling mess under him. He pressed down on your back more, making you arch into him and creating a better angle.
Seokmin's hands made purchase within your hair, gently guiding you down his length as you bobbed your head, his every groan like music to your ears.
"S-shit…I'm so close." He grumbled above you as you gave a choked out acknowledgment, working to get him to his peak quickly. You nearly screamed when you felt Vernon reach behind you, rubbing his pointer finger along your clit as you clenched harder on him, a deep groan ripping from his mouth.
"Fuck, I'll come if you keep squeezing me like that." He breathed out. His finger swirling your clit combined with the rough snap of his hips had you squeezing him again, causing his hips to stutter.
Seokmin was moaning above you, his mouth hanging open as you did your best to focus on the head, despite the intense pleasure you were feeling from all sides. He guided you down his cock as you hollowed your cheeks out, pools of saliva spilling out your mouth and all down his length. It was so messy, and Seokmin was right at the edge because of it.
His thighs began to shake as his drags got sloppy. He moaned out, giving a final thrust into your mouth before he came, thick hot ropes down your throat. He pulled back just enough to not choke you, but you continued to suck him, gathering every last drop while he shook above you. His hand detached from your hair after a moment, allowing you to slide off him with a wet pop.
"Holy… that was so insane." He spoke your name softly as he settled next to you, stroking your face as your moans were at full volume now that Seokmin was out of your mouth.
Vernon was not too far behind, desperate to get you to cum so he could as well. You were shaking under him, his strong grip on your hips unwavering as Seokmin snaked his hand under you, tweaking with your clit.
You were so overwhelmed with the feeling of them, you didn't even notice how close your climax was.
"Nonie, I.." You barely could choke out before your peak hit you suddenly. You cried out his name, spasming under him as your vision blacked out momentarily. You were gushing around him and squeezing so tightly, he knew he had mere seconds before he was cumming.
"Shit, I'm right there." He moaned out, his hips snapping roughly as he watched the view of his cock disappearing between your cunt and your ass slapping against him.
"Nonie, don't pull out." You mumbled weakly while Seokmin pinched your nipples as you whined out, still sensitive.
Your words sent him over the edge as he buried his cock deep one last time before he spilled inside of you, your name flying off his tongue like a prayer.
You stayed like that for a while, the heavy breathing from everyone filling the room. Vernon eventually pulled his softening cock out of you, watching the way his cum slid out and down your thighs. He suffered at the sight, motioning for Seokmin to peek as well. The two watched in awe for a moment, Seokmin's dick nearly jumping to life again at the thought of fucking you right after Vernon.
"I know what you're both thinking, perverts." You mumbled, teasingly as the two laughed at you. Vernon moved to get everyone cleaned up while Seokmin flopped back down on the bed, cuddling up into your side.
"We really mean it when we say you're our everything, you know?" Seokmin nuzzled into your neck, softly running his hand down the side of your body. You hummed in acknowledgment, too tired to truly think about the repercussions of what just occurred.
Vernon came back with two warm cloths, dragging one along your body where the two had marked you up, gently cleaning you. Once he finished, the grabbed the second one and worked it along Seokmin's body, the two sharing eye contact throughout the intimate moment. You were unable to tear your gaze away as Vernon's hand sprawled across Seokmin's stomach, wiping his soiled cock gently, Seokmin's eyes fluttering shut momentarily. They swapped roles, Seokmin flipping the towel before he cleaned Vernon up, repeating the actions the younger male did before. He turned his palm over, kissing along the back of Vernon's hand as he finished cleaning him up. The two eventually settled between you, tangling themselves up within you. You had some questions about what you just saw, but it would have to wait till the morning. Your brain was fried in the post-orgasm bliss, not processing anything fully.
"So, do you think you could be our gift again?" Vernon questioned from your left.
"As in, every year?" Seokmin finished, his eyes glowing back at you.
You couldn't help the giggle from escaping as you laid between them, your tiredness leaving you delirious. You would have to contemplate it more, and discuss what they truly meant when everyone was in a more sober-like headspace.
ᯓwho☆: 𝒱ernon x reader, 𝒟ino x reader, 𝒟okyeom x reader (angst, half fluff)
ᯓwhat☆: 3 boys and 3 parts of your life, the past, the present, and the future.
ᯓwc☆: 527
ᯓa/n☆: so like im back.... ciao...... and HAPPY BELATED BDAY TO MY FEB BOYSS
past – vernon
vernon was your first love, the one you never saw coming. he swept into your life like sunlight, like fire, and you fell so fast you forgot to breathe. every laugh, every touch, every stolen glance felt like it was only ever meant for you. but first love has a way of being reckless. you broke up because he was unpredictable, because he left as easily as he entered, because love with him felt like holding water in your hands—beautiful but impossible to keep. your heart ached when you left, and it ached even more when he walked away, leaving only shadows behind.
sometimes, late at night, you catch yourself remembering the way he looked at you, the sound of his laugh echoing in empty streets. vernon is gone, and yet not gone enough. he carved the first lines into your heart, the ones that made you ache, the ones that made you afraid love could ever be safe.
present – dino
then came dino. he was nothing like vernon—he was steady, patient, healing. he held you when the past tried to claw back in, whispered words that made the ache dull, made the scars feel like they might one day fade. you trusted him in ways you never thought you could again. love with him felt like safety, like finally being home.
but now… now it’s different. the cracks are forming, slowly, quietly, like shadows at the edges of a room. dino, the one who healed you from all heartbreak, is now slowly breaking your heart, bit by bit, in ways you didn’t know were possible. he’s distant sometimes, lost in thought, letting arguments linger longer than they should. and it terrifies you because you’ve seen this before—vernon left, and now dino is leaving marks in ways eerily similar. he doesn’t hurt you on purpose, but it still hurts, and you feel helpless, watching the boy who saved you from the past become the one who could break you in the present.
every time he falters, every time you fight, it’s a reminder: love can heal, but love can also betray, even the gentlest of hearts.
future – dokyeom
and then there’s dokyeom. you’re certain he’s your future. he’s always been there—silently, patiently—right after every fight you and dino had, right when your chest felt like it would collapse, right when you thought your heart couldn’t survive another heartbreak. he doesn’t push. he doesn’t demand. he simply holds the pieces of you together when you feel like you’re falling apart.
you don’t have to explain the scars, the past, the present, the messiness of it all—he sees it, and he stays. with him, love isn’t frightening. it isn’t fragile. it isn’t a slow unraveling. it’s steady, steady, steady—the kind of love you didn’t know you were searching for until he was there. the kind of love that makes all the chaos with vernon and dino feel like a prelude to something more real, more enduring, more yours.
you realize, finally, that the past was a lesson, the present a warning, and the future—dokyeom—is the home your heart has been aching for all along.
check out my ℳasterlist, The TATE Archives and it's masterlist <3
⊹˚. ♡ "Shake away all these uneasy thoughts/I've waited solely for this moment/Just you wait, I'll show you." ⊹˚. ☽
pairing: college student!seokmin x college student!reader (fem)
word count: ~6.6k
genre: all the fluff ever!! and a healthy dose of humor. indulging your inner child. innocent campus crush. a good ole friends to lovers college romance. they are so stinking cute, i cannot.
summary: seokmin has been home schooled his whole life. so when the time finally comes and he's able to enroll at a public university, making friends turns out to be harder than he anticipates. thankfully, there's a girl in his class who's pretty and kind... and he decides that there's no one else he'd rather spend his birthday with.
warnings: there's really nothing explicit or scandalous going on here. there's just one small reference to marijuana (reader calls someone else a stoner).
author's note: happy dk day!! i think this idea is just so cute for our sunshine boy, so i was really happy to play around with it. dk really is cemented in my head as this pure-hearted, innocent human being who is full of so much love, so i felt like i had to write something extra cute for him. special thanks to my @sunshinedokey for brainstorming with me and helping me iron out some details, you were such a big help. this one's for you (as are all my other dokey fics). ♡
"Syngman Rhee was a U.S.-backed dictator who was not only in power during the Korean War but also in the years following. Having received degrees from American universities, his politics were characterized by staunch pro-American and anti-Communist views." You looked up briefly at the screen behind Professor Jeong, then back at your notes. "However, it is important to know that he was also the first and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea from 1919 to his impeachment in 1925; and from 1947 to 1948, when he was elected the first president of the Republic of Korea by the National Assembly. He was in office until 1960, when police shot protestors in the student-led April Revolution in Masan, after which he resigned."
You glanced at Seokmin out of the corner of your eye, but he was listening to your professor intently, his fingers flying over his keyboard as he took his own notes. The sleeves of his denim button-up were rolled up nearly to his elbows, a single beaded bracelet that you had made for him as a good luck charm before finals last semester on his left wrist.
"South Korea's history as a developed nation post-war has been riddled with efforts to maintain U.S. control through the planting of pro-American authoritarianism and military presence throughout the country," Professor Jeong continued, the slide changing behind her. "Time and time again, the South Korean people have proven that they cannot allow such threats to their democracy go unchecked, as demonstrated most recently by the protests following former president Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law in December 2024 and his subsequent impeachment by the National Assembly, which the Constitutional Court voted unanimously to uphold in April 2025."
You had first met Seokmin in your Intro to East Asia class the previous semester, a mandatory class for your specific concentration within your major, as you were studying history. On the surface he was polite and well-mannered, although it often clashed with a lingering awkwardness that you mostly found endearing.
Okay, so you always found it endearing. So what.
After a few more classes of sitting next to each other, he revealed that he and his older sister had been home schooled their entire lives; and this was his first experience with public school and interacting with people his own age on such a large scale. Having always been shy as a kid, you found yourself easily sympathizing with him; and as the semester continued, you discovered a truly kind and effervescent personality underneath that topmost layer of clumsiness.
"That concludes today's lecture." Professor Jeong pressed the button on her clicker, switching to the next slide. "I want you all to pick a former South Korean president with known ties to the U.S. and tell me how their administration shaped the country. I want fifteen hundred words, double-spaced, due two weeks from today. Assignment details will also be posted on Canvas. Class dismissed."
"Oh, that'll be fun," you commented, closing your laptop. "Want to make a stop at The Grind?"
"Sure, I feel like I could use the caffeine," Seokmin agreed, stowing his laptop away safely in his messenger bag and slinging the strap over his shoulder.
"If you decided to write your paper on Yoon Suk Yeol, I bet you could ask your sister about it," you said as you left the lecture hall together. "Wasn't she protesting, like, every day?"
"She was, it made my mom sick with worry." Seokmin shook his head. "She's so reckless."
Taking advantage of an enormous opportunity to experience freedom for the first time, Seokmin's sister had applied and been accepted to Seoul National University, where—according to her Instagram profile—she had developed a blossoming social life and a taste for political activism.
"But you're proud of her," you guessed as he held open the door to The Grind for you.
"Of course, but I'm not going to tell her that."
You grinned, inhaling the perfect aroma of freshly ground coffee beans. The Grind, as it was appropriately named, was a hot spot for sleep-deprived students on campus, and was never not packed at any given time of the day.
"I got it," Seokmin said, tapping the reader with his debit card before you could say anything.
"Dude, you really need to stop doing that," you protested. "You can't support my caffeine habit all by yourself."
"No, but I can try." He grinned, the expression lasting for a moment before it turned serious. "I actually have something to ask you."
You raised an eyebrow at him, leaning against the counter where finished drinks just magically appeared out of thin air.
"Well, you know it's been really hard for me to make friends," he began, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "I have a couple from my other classes, but you're the only one I hang out with regularly like this, so..." He cleared his throat. "Um... well, it's my birthday tomorrow and—"
You straightened up immediately, smacking him in the arm.
"You're just telling me this now?"
"I wasn't sure how to bring it up," he said hastily. "I just... I know we don't have classes tomorrow, so I was wondering if... you would maybe want to spend the day with me."
"Iced Americano for Seokmin!"
He reached for his drink automatically, grabbing a straw and tearing off the paper before stabbing it through the hole in the plastic lid as he waited for your response.
If you were being honest with yourself, Seokmin was also the person you spent the most time with. Aside from having some of your classes together thanks to the overlap in requirements for your respective majors, you did things like get coffee at The Grind pretty often, but you also had meals together in the freshman dining hall and even went over to each other's dorms to study.
You heard your name being called as a steaming flat white slid across the counter towards you.
So maybe he was your best friend. Best friends hung out on each other's birthdays, right? Didn't hurt that he was cute, either. Or kind, he was also ridiculously kind...
"Are you kidding? I'd love to spend your birthday with you," you told him, picking up your drink and placing your hand where the cupsleeve was. "I wish you would've told me sooner, though. I would've planned something."
Seokmin smiled sheepishly.
"It's okay, I actually already have a plan," he said, holding the door open for you again so you could exit The Grind first.
"And?" You shot a sideways glance at him. "Are you going to tell me what it is?"
He shook his head, grinning.
"You'll see."
seokmin 🍕: please wear comfortable shoes.
seokmin 🍕: and a jacket.
you: that's all you're going to tell me???
you: ...we live in the midwest.
you: it's february.
you: OF COURSE I NEED A JACKET AND COMFORTABLE SHOES.
you: as a matter of fact, you've basically told me nothing.
seokmin 🍕: yep. 😊
you: 🙄
You shoved your hands in the pockets of your coat, shivering slightly.
It was colder than it usually was around this time of year. Even though you had lived in a town that got snow every winter your entire life, you were still wearing fleece leggings under your jeans, which you never did.
Man-made climate change, you thought sarcastically. Gotta love it.
If It weren't for the fact that it was Seokmin's birthday, you probably wouldn't be outside today. You would be in your dorm, curled up in bed under your warmest blanket. But he had asked you to meet him at the local park... and he was late.
You frowned, checking the time on your phone.
He was normally very punctual, always on time for everything, always the one to save you a seat in class because he had arrived ten minutes early.
"Come on, Seokmin," you muttered, stamping your feet on the ground in an effort to stay warm. "It's cold."
"Sorry, the line at 17th Street was long."
You looked up from inspecting the toes of your sturdiest sneakers, his breath coming out in visible plumes as he jogged towards you, two steaming cups in his gloved hands.
You accepted the offering gratefully, taking a tentative sip.
"So why are we at the park at eight A.M.?" you asked him dryly, clutching your drink in both hands and wishing you had also thought to wear gloves.
"Because this one has the best playground," he replied cheerfully.
"And that matters because...?"
Seokmin turned to face the playground, his expression thoughtful.
"It's not that my mom never let me play with the other kids in our neighborhood, it's more that... because I didn't go to school with them, I didn't know how to... I don't know? Ask them to play with me?" He shrugged. "So there are a lot of things I didn't get to do, partly because of that but partly because I felt like I couldn't do those things alone. People always look at you like they're sorry for you when they see you doing things like that by yourself."
You turned around so that you were also facing the playground, your heart aching for him.
"You never went to the park to play?"
"Nope." He popped the P emphatically. "So that's what we're going to do."
You nodded.
"Okay." You suddenly grinned, setting your cup down on a nearby bench. "I'll race you. One, two, three, go!"
"Hey! That's cheating!" he yelled, quickly overtaking you thanks to his longer legs. "Cheaters never prosper!"
You laughed as you climbed up the rope ladder, watching as he went up the steps on the other side of the playhouse before going down the corkscrew slide.
You couldn't remember the last time you had gone to a playground to actually play, but you and Seokmin interacted with every single piece of equipment available. You did your best to push the merry-go-around with him on it, his unhinged cackling echoing throughout the park. You thought you might have broken the seesaw that was meant for three-year-olds, and you reached the top of the jungle gym before him thanks to a childhood spent climbing every tree in sight.
"I bet I can get higher," you challenged him as you each sat down in a swing.
"I don't think you're going to win that bet," he shot back. "I have longer legs."
"But are they stronger?"
"You take that back!"
"Never!"
You pumped your legs, determined to swing higher than him, even though you should've been a good friend and let him win on his birthday.
"This is so tiring," he panted.
"Now you jump," you told him, grinning.
"Jump?" he repeated, shooting you a dubious look, his eyes wide.
"Yes, jump." You swung back and forth a few times before letting go of the chains and jumping off, stumbling slightly. "See? Easy. Now you do it."
"I don't think that's a good idea," he disagreed.
"Come on," you coaxed. "Everyone jumps off a swing at least once. Consider it a part of the childhood experience."
"I think I can skip this one."
"Seokmin, I won't let anything happen to you," you insisted. "You'll be fine."
"You promise?"
"I promise." You nodded solemnly. "Now jump."
You watched him take a deep breath, swinging back and forth before finally letting go of the chains and jumping off the seat. You darted forward, ready to catch him, his legs tangling with yours as you both went down.
"See?" You huffed, trying to catch your breath. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
He pushed himself up onto his forearms, his body hovering just over yours as he looked down at you.
"No," he said slowly. "Not so bad at all."
Face warm, you rolled out from underneath him, brushing dirt and wood chips off of yourself as you got to your feet.
"So," you said, glad to hear your voice come out steady, "what else is on your list for today?"
"You want to get kicked out of Benny's?"
"Not for anything too bad," Seokmin said quickly. "Just for playing with the large bouncy balls or riding the tricycles around the store."
You just stared at him.
"What? Haven't you been kicked out of Benny's?" he demanded.
"Well, yeah! When I was nine!"
"Just add ten years to that and we're good." He shrugged. "Come on, it's not like we ever have to go back after today."
You sighed, looking up at the sign above the building that read BENNY'S TOY BOX, spelled out in children's alphabet blocks.
You didn't want to admit it to Seokmin, but the real reason why you were hesitant to go along with this particular item on his bucket list was because you were pretty sure that Benny would take one look at you and remember who you were and exactly what you did to get yourself kicked out ten years ago. The man didn't need to put up signs or ban you from his store. His mind was like a steel trap—he remembered everything.
"Fine," you grumbled, shoving past him through the automatic doors. "Let's get this over with."
"What did you do to get kicked out of Benny's anyway?" he asked you as he followed you in.
"You don't want to know."
"Oh, I do want to know. I think it's you who doesn't want me to know," he said, nudging you with his elbow.
You ignored him as you made your way towards where you remembered the large mesh cage filled with large bouncy balls being ten years ago—and they were exactly where you had last seen them.
Benny wasn't really much for change.
You reached in with both hands, pulling out a bright yellow ball that you couldn't even see over the top of.
"Catch."
"What—oof!"
Seokmin stumbled backwards as the ball hit him in the chest, knocking him off balance.
"I said catch."
"Yeah, sure," he grumbled, dribbling the ball awkwardly, the sound of each bounce against the cheap linoleum floor echoing around you. "Actually, I might want one of these—"
"What do you kids think you're doing?"
"Run!" you hissed, grabbing onto his sleeve as you dragged him down the aisle, the yellow ball hitting the floor and rolling away.
You made a beeline for the back of the store, where you remembered the tricycles being kept. You squatted down, seating yourself on the vehicle that was meant for children and started pedaling.
"You're the one who wanted to do this!" you yelled at Seokmin, who was still standing there watching you pedal away from him. "Get on a trike and move!"
Giving his head a slight shake as if he had forgotten your objective, he picked a tricycle at random and started pedaling after you, his legs bent at such an extreme angle that you felt yourself wince.
You turned to look at him over your shoulder as you maneuvered around a corner.
"This way!" you called.
"Not so fast!"
You faced forward just in time to see a boot come up and land on your front tire, stopping you in your tracks. Gulping, you looked up slowly.
Benny hadn't changed much in the last ten years. His face, still wrinkled like old leather, was full of stern displeasure, his arms crossed over his chest as he glared down at you much in the same way he had ten years ago.
"You!" he snarled, the single syllable ripping through the air like it was something derogatory.
Suddenly, you were nine years old again.
"Oh..."
Seokmin's tricycle scooted to a stop behind you, but Benny didn't so much as spare him a glance.
"What did I tell you about coming back here?" he growled, pointing at you and shaking his finger.
"Benny, listen—"
"I told you never to show your face here again!" he interrupted you. "Did you think that just because I'm an old man I would forget?"
"It's my fault, sir," Seokmin cut in quickly, standing up and taking a step forward. "I've actually never been in here before today, but it's my birthday, and I just wanted to know what it's like to get kicked out of Benny's."
Benny finally looked at him, eyebrows furrowing.
"You've definitely never been in here before," he muttered, nodding. "So you mean to tell me that you think this is some sort of rite of passage for unruly teenagers?"
Seokmin nodded rapidly.
"Yes. Exactly, sir."
Benny stared at him for a moment before he pointed at you again and asked him, "Do you know why she was kicked out of Benny's Toy Box?"
You felt absolute mortification take over your entire being as Seokmin tried not to look like he was dying to hear the story.
"No, sir."
You covered your face with your hands, unable to stand having to hear the tale told again after all of this time trying to pretend it had never happened.
"Ten years ago, we got a shipment of Hug Time Poppy dolls," Benny began.
"Hug Time Poppy...?"
"From the Trolls movie," you supplied helpfully, your voice miserable.
"My wife had arranged them in a beautiful display," Benny went on. "It was a work of art. A vision. A masterpiece! And she—" He shook his finger at you again. "—came running through my store, shoelaces untied—"
"Oh, I see where this is going," Seokmin said gleefully.
"—and crashed backwards into the display of Hug Time Poppy dolls that my wife had worked so hard on!" Benny thundered. "I don't know how she even managed that! I would've been impressed if not for the fact that not a single box was standing when it was over!"
"I understand, sir," Seokmin said respectfully, trying to keep a straight face. "And she should've been kicked out, absolutely. But she's only here today because she wanted to help me check this experience off my list. So please don't be too upset with her. We won't come back ever again."
Benny glared at him for what felt to you like an eternity.
He's going to call the police, you panicked. He's going to call the police and then they're going to call my parents and they will never let me go back to school—
"I'd better never see either of you in my store again," he said finally, now glaring at you. "Get off that trike now."
"Yes, Benny, of course."
You scrambled to your feet, your head bowed as you scurried past him, Seokmin behind you. Neither of you said a word until you stepped out into the parking lot, the automatic doors slid shut behind you.
You turned your head slowly to look at Seokmin, who was desperately trying to hold in what you were sure was the biggest bout of laughter that his body could manage. He was shaking so hard that you were sure the birds in the trees could hear it, one hand over his mouth.
"Don't you dare," you threatened him.
As you headed towards your car, you could hear the laughter spilling out of him helplessly, his guffaws echoing around the parking lot as he doubled over, hands on his knees.
You got into your car, glaring at him in your rear-view mirror as he continued to laugh until he started wheezing, still uncaring of the fact that he was in the middle of a public parking lot outside Benny's Toy Box.
Maybe he wasn't that cute after all.
The rest of Seokmin's list turned out to be a lot easier—and less dangerous—than getting kicked out of Benny's.
After the humiliating incident at the toy store, you went to get a cream soda from the corner store before taking some ridiculous pictures in a shitty mall photobooth with a curtain that didn't even close all the way. You tried not to blush as you tucked the photostrip into your bag, placing it securely between the pages of the book you carried with you. Afterwards, you got a shitty mall food court corn dog and split a soft pretzel that had too much salt, then abandoned the mall altogether for the nicer plaza on the other side of town.
"Hopper Roo?" You stared at Seokmin in disbelief. "Really? Seokmin, this is nightmare fuel."
"Okay, to be fair, I have been here before," he admitted. "But I've never been with friends, and I've always wanted to have a birthday party here like all the other kids in the neighborhood."
You eyed the cartoon kangaroo perched on top of the building warily, its tongue lolling out and its eyes crossed
"What do you have against Hopper Roo?" he asked you, watching the emotions play out on your face.
"He's creepy, does there need to be any other reason?" you replied defensively, looking away from the character.
"What, did he drop your birthday cake one year or something?"
"I've actually never been inside," you muttered, defeated.
"What?" Seokmin twisted around in his seat, reaching out and shaking your shoulder with one hand. "Now we have to go in. This is just as important for you as it is for me."
"It's not important to me at all," you said quickly. "I'd actually like to not go in."
"Hopper Roo can't hurt you," he tried to placate you. "We're just going to have some pizza, maybe some cake, and play a few games. It'll be fun." He paused, studying your expression closely. "Please? For me?" He leaned in closer, the very embodiment of puppy eyes as he stared at you. "It's my birthday, you know."
"Yes, I know," you snapped, embarrassed as you released your seat belt. "But if he tries to come to our table, I'm leaving."
"Fair. Totally fair."
Seokmin got out of the passenger's side, jogging ahead of you so that he could open the door to Hopper Roo for you. You tried not to look disgusted as you glanced around at the cheesy nineties arcade-inspired decor, a cacophony of beeps, bells, and other sounds filling the air. You pointedly ignored the party area on one side of the space, several animatronics on display on either side of the stage, their eyes closed.
"Welcome to Hopper Roo, how can I help you this evening?" the bored teenager at the register drawled.
"Hi, I didn't make a reservation because you guys have a guest minimum, but I was wondering if we could do the Hopper Roo Hopfest?" Seokmin asked.
The cashier looked between him and you, frowning.
"You want a Hopfest... for the two of you?"
"Yes," Seokmin confirmed.
"That's not really something we do—"
"Right, I know," he said quickly. "But you guys aren't very busy right now, and it's my birthday. I can show you my ID if you want."
He was right; the place was practically empty, except for a family of four that was sitting at a table in the party area waiting for the next show to start. The two toddlers both had faces that were smeared with tomato sauce and ranch, while the parents looked as though they had long since been resigned to their fate.
"Fine," the teenager grumbled, punching in the order on the register. "Toppings?"
"Pepperoni?" Seokmin checked with you. "Pepperoni," he told them.
"And the cake?"
"Chocolate."
They handed over a plastic cup full of tokens, two drink cups, two plastic plates, and two forks for the salad bar. You nudged Seokmin out of the way, the birthday boy yelping in protest as you paid for the experience that you were sure was going to give you nightmares for a week.
"The next show starts in about ten minutes," the cashier informed you.
"Thanks," Seokmin said, tugging you towards the salad bar. "Hurry up and fill your plate with pasta salad. I know that's the only thing you're interested in here."
"That's not true," you protested. "I also like cucumbers."
Impatient, he took the metal serving tongs out of your hand and piled your plate with sad, wilted-looking cucumber slices before taking the plate out of your hands altogether and adding several scoops of pasta salad.
"Here," he said, shoving the plate back into your hands. "Now let's go get a table."
"Seokmin, I really don't want to watch the show," you whined as he power walked over to the party area.
"They're animatronics," he threw over his shoulder. "They can't leave the stage." He slid into a booth positioned close to the front. "Come on, you can sit next to me. I won't let anything happen to you." He got out of the booth. "You can even sit on the inside."
Reluctantly, you slid into the booth first, setting your plate of pasta salad and cucumbers on the table.
There were four other characters besides Hopper Roo, although he was the only one who was actually on stage. On the left-hand side was Chrissy Crocford, a crocodile with ridiculous fake eyelashes and an enormous pink handbag and matching pink dress and shoes. Next to Chrissy was Danny Dingodon, who was dressed in some cheap imitation of Steve Irwin. It would've been funny if he didn't look so... unsettling. On the right-hand side was Kerry the Koala, who looked like he might have been smoking a eucalyptus branch while decked out in a tie-dye shirt; and the creature mononymously known as Taz, whose shtick you could not discern for the life of you.
You dug your nails into your jeans as the lights dimmed and music started playing, the animatronics coming to life. Their heads swiveled from side to side in time with the song that was playing much too loudly for your liking; and you realized belatedly that each character was holding an instrument.
Why do kids even like this? you wondered.
You didn't even notice that your pizza had been dropped off until Seokmin nudged you, gesturing towards it. You grabbed a slice and started chewing on it immediately, trying to distract yourself from the nightmare that was playing out on stage.
"See? Not scary at all," Seokmin said in your ear.
You quickly scanned the room for the family you had seen earlier, one of the toddlers now screaming at the top of their lungs, eyes screwed shut like their life depended on it.
"That kid would beg to differ!" you shouted back.
"Whoo! I'm getting fired up!" Danny said when the song came to an end. "How about you, Roo?"
"I feel the same way, Danny!" Hopper Roo's eyes crossed and you tried not to shudder. "I hear we got some birthdays in the house! Is that right?"
"If it's your birthday, let me hear you!" Taz prompted.
You slid lower in your seat as Seokmin whooped, the only other response the sound of screams from the traumatized toddler.
"We've got a special song for you today!" Chrissy said, fluttering her fake eyelashes. "Maybe you know it."
"Let's get right into it!" Kerry suggested, still chewing suspiciously on the eucalyptus branch.
You covered your face as what was an attempt at a rock version of the "Happy Birthday" song started playing, a disco ball dropping from the ceiling above the stage and spinning, casting light around the room. You could faintly hear Seokmin clapping his hands next to you, clearly delighted with the entire spectacle.
You watched him out of the corner of your eye.
He looked genuinely happy to be there, taking in every corny, cringe-y thing that came his way. Maybe this wasn't really what you wanted to be doing on your day off from classes, but he was having a good time, so you should try to also have a good time for his sake.
"Do you want to go play some games?" he offered, the lights having come back on and the animatronics' eyes now closed again.
"Yeah, sure. Foosball?"
You slid out of the booth after him, following him through the maze of arcade games.
"Loser has to take a picture with Hopper Roo when he comes out," he told you, sticking a token into the Foosball machine. "I'll play blue."
"Fine," you agreed, gripping the handles.
There was no way you were going to stand next to that demented kangaroo and pose for a picture, you decided. Seokmin would have to lose with grace and dignity.
"Best out of three?" he suggested when you scored the final goal of the game, beating him spectacularly.
You shrugged.
"Sure, but I'm not losing. There's too much on the line."
"It's just a photo with Hopper Roo," he said, sticking another token in the machine to start a new game. "It's not like I'm asking you to give him a hug or something."
"I want to stay six feet away from Hopper Roo at all times," you told him flatly, getting into position.
Fueled by your all-consuming desire to not have to come into contact with Hopper Roo, you beat Seokmin in the next game.
"Best three out of five?"
"Why do you want to see me take a photo with Hopper Roo so badly?" you asked him, frowning.
"Because I think it'll be funny," he replied at once. "But also because I think that once you do it, you'll realize that you don't have to be scared."
You squinted at him, sensing a hidden meaning underneath what he was saying. He stared back at you, an eyebrow raised as he tried to figure out why you were looking at him like that.
"Best three out of five," you said finally.
It ended up not making a difference, as either Seokmin was amazingly bad at Foosball or you were just that determined to not have to pose for a picture with Hopper Roo. He accepted his multiple losses with good grace, the two of you moving on to Skee-Ball, followed by basketball, air hockey, and a handful of other random games that made no sense. You realized that you were both extremely competitive, the two of you racking up ribbons of tickets that would make you the envy of any five-year-old trying to take home a prize.
"That kid definitely doesn't want to be here," you said, nodding at the toddler who had been screaming earlier, their face scrunched up in agony again as Hopper Roo came closer to the family's table. "Time to get ready to take your photo, Min."
You returned to the party area, where you deposited your tickets on the table and waited for Hopper Roo to finish up with the family and their screaming toddler. You grabbed another slice of pizza in the meantime, dipping it into the ranch on your plate as you watched the parents try to soothe their child, Hopper Roo having backed away from their table, the party attendant apologizing profusely.
"Uh-oh, here they come," you muttered, dropping your half-eaten pizza onto your plate and quickly wiping your fingers on a napkin before pulling out your phone.
If the party attendant looked surprised to see two college students finishing up the remains of a Hopfest that was meant for at least six people and waiting to get their picture taken with Hopper Roo, they didn't show it.
"It's his birthday," you said, gesturing with your thumb at Seokmin. "He wants a photo with Hopper Roo."
"Alright!" the party attendant said cheerfully.
Seokmin slid out of the booth, standing next to Hopper Roo and holding up two fingers in a peace sign, the character mimicking him as you held up your phone to take the picture.
"One, two, three—"
Click.
"And one more..."
Click.
You looked at the photos, swiping back and forth between them. Hopper Roo might have looked like a more deranged version of your average sleep paralysis demon, but Seokmin looked happy. Cute.
You smiled fondly as you continued to look at the photos.
"Did they come out okay?" he asked you.
"What? Oh, yeah, they did," you said quickly. "I'll send them to you."
Seokmin nodded, then turned to Hopper Roo and the party attendant.
"Thank you."
"Happy birthday!"
Hopper Roo waved as they walked away, the party attendant still smiling with all of their teeth as they climbed up onto the stage and vanished behind the curtain.
"What are you going to get with your tickets?" you asked Seokmin.
"Hmm... what if we combine our tickets and get something big for both of us?" he offered.
"I'm okay with that," you said honestly. "It's your birthday anyway."
He turned around, trying to make out the prizes on the wall next to where you had ordered your food earlier. He gathered up all your tickets in his hand.
"Trust me?"
You stared at him, his eyes sparkling under the cheap neon lights.
"Yeah."
"You want us to share that?"
You were sure your eyes had just about bugged out of your head when Seokmin had returned to your table staggering under the weight of a giant stuffed Kerry the Koala.
"Honestly, Min, you can have him," you said, looking the plush doll up and down warily.
"I thought he was the least offensive-looking," Seokmin insisted, setting Kerry down on the floor. "I didn't think you would be happy with a Hopper Roo."
"No," you agreed, "but I'm not sure this is any better."
"Kerry's kind of cute." Seokmin looked down at the koala, patting his head. "In an eccentric, off-beat kind of way."
"He's literally a stoner," you deadpanned.
"Everyone's got their thing." He paused. "Do you think he'll fit in your car?"
"Maybe if we squish him down a little." You gestured towards the cake on the table. "They brought the cake, we should have some." You frowned, realizing. "We should've brought candles. They didn't give us any."
"That's okay." Seokmin took the plastic knife and started cutting through the cake messily. "Hopper Roo and his friends already sang to me. We don't need to do it again."
You rolled your eyes but said nothing as he cut two slices, passing one to you. For a crappy kids' arcade, the cake wasn't bad. You'd had better, but you had definitely also had much worse. A win was a win. The frosting was a little too sweet, the cake a little too dry, but as you watched Seokmin devour his entire slice, you thought that maybe it was perfect.
After getting a plastic to-go container for the rest of the uneaten cake, the two of you looked down at the enormous Kerry the Koala still sitting on the floor where Seokmin had left him.
You looked up at Seokmin.
"How do you want to do this?"
"Maybe we each take one... hand? Paw?" he suggested. "They look more like hands. Here, I'll take the cake..."
Holding the cake box in one hand, he reached for one of Kerry's hands. Sighing, you took the other, the two of you heading for the main entrance with the koala swinging between you.
"This must be what being a parent feels like," you muttered as you pushed open the door.
"Does that make Kerry our kid?"
You looked at Seokmin out of the corner of your eye.
"I guess, if we're co-parenting," you said carefully. "He might be more like a child of divorce, since he'll have to go back and forth between our dorms."
You rummaged through your bag with one hand, looking for your car keys.
"I think he should stay with you." He watched as you continued to dig through your bag. "That way I have an excuse to see you more often."
You looked up, your keys forgotten.
"What do you mean? We already spend so much time together. Not that that's a bad thing," you added quickly. "But... you know... you see me all the time."
He stared at you for a moment, looking like he was thinking about whether or not he should say what was on his mind.
"What?" you asked, feeling self-conscious.
"I didn't only ask you to spend my birthday with me because you're the person I spend the most time with," he said, his tone serious as he set the cake box down on the roof of your car. "I asked you because you're the kindest person I know. You never make me feel bad for not knowing how to talk to people or pick up on social cues... or for having never played in a park playground."
You could feel the blush creeping its way up your neck.
"Oh. Well, I—"
"You risked going back to Benny's even though you did something so heinous that he'll never forgive you for it," he continued, smiling. "Just because I asked you to. You went to Hopper Roo and sat through an awful animatronics show even though you were scared... because I asked you to."
You looked away, having skipped past embarrassed and gone straight to mortified beyond belief.
"It's your birthday, it's not like I could say no—"
"You're also the prettiest person I know," he interrupted you, tugging Kerry away from you and setting him down on the asphalt so that he could move closer to you. "Not just because of your looks—although there's definitely that, too—but because your kindness makes you even prettier in my eyes."
"So what are you saying?" you asked him, your voice small.
"I'm saying that I have a crush on you." He laughed. "It sounds so childish but I've never had a crush on anyone before. I'm glad it's you, though." He reached into your bag, pulling out your car keys and dangling them in front of you. "I wanted you to take a photo with Hopper Roo because I was absolutely terrified to ask you to spend my birthday with me. But I did it, and I had the best day of my life." He gave your keys a little shake. "So what do you say?"
You stared at him for a moment, then took your keys from him, unlocking the car. You opened the door closest to you, shoving Kerry the Koala headfirst into the backseat, then stood on tiptoe to get the cake box from the roof of your car so you could put it on the floor behind the passenger's seat.
"Let's go," you said, slamming the door shut and locking your car again.
"Where are we going?" he asked, confused.
"Back to Hopper Roo."
You grabbed his hand, dragging him back in through the front doors and up to the same bored-looking teenager who had taken your order earlier.
"We need to see Hopper Roo," you told them.
"He's not coming out again," they informed you dully. "He's done meeting guests for the day."
You scowled, then tugged Seokmin towards the party area, marching straight towards the stage and stepping up onto the platform. You let go of his hand so that you could give him your phone.
"It's not as good as the real Hopper Roo, but it'll have to do."
He smiled as you made the iconic Kevin from Home Alone face while looking at the animatronic, holding your phone up as he snapped photo after photo.
"Okay, come here."
You beckoned him over then took your phone back, switching to the front camera. He leaned in, his cheek touching yours as you held the phone up, Hopper Roo still visible behind you.
"By the way," you said casually before pressing the shutter button. "I have a crush on you, too."
[A phone lock screen.
The image is a selfie of a girl and a guy in the middle of their first kiss. The girl looks taken by surprise, her eyes wide open. The guy looks insufferably pleased, his eyes closed.
An animatronic of Hopper Roo, the mascot of a local kids' party franchise, is visible in the background.]
Pairings: theatre actor!seokmin x café owner!reader.
Summary: Sometimes, the most unexpected encounters leave the deepest impressions. Between shared laughter, everyday chaos, and moments that feel almost cinematic, two lives begin to intertwine in ways neither of them planned. And as the rain falls one ordinary evening, they might finally realize that some connections have been quietly growing all along.
Warnings: none. (1 curse word)
Genre: rom-com, friends to lovers, fluff, slice of life.
Au: Non idol au, small town au, theatre actor x business owner au.
Wc: 1.4k (it was supposed to be under 500 words.)
A/n: I wrote this last night while fighting my sleep because I really wanted to write something for our dopamine's birthday. So if you see any mistakes, please bare with me. I am 'MOM SORRY'. HAPPY DOKYEOM DAYYY
It was chilly that evening. Wind blowing, grey clouds approaching, everything that checked the list for “yeah, it’s raining today.” You were a small business owner in town, known for the hard work you poured into your business to make it flourish. And Seokmin? He just existed.
Don’t get it wrong he was successful in his own field too, theatre. But he could never be as dedicated and passionate about something the way you were.
Maybe that was the reason he started liking you in the first place.
It was a summer morning when you both met. You were heading to your respective workplaces when you bumped into each other. Very romantic, very Hollywood, but no, it was actually the opposite. You were both walking near a drainage line in opposite directions when a motorbike sped past you. You lost your balance, and guess what? You slammed into Seokmin with so much force that he fell straight into the drain.
Not very Hollywood now, is it?
When you realized what had happened, embarrassment washed over you. Why would you throw someone into a drain? And how were you even strong enough to knock over this hunk? But you stopped spiraling the moment he climbed out, soaked and dirty from the drain water. He looked like he was about to teach you a lesson, but when he saw you, it felt like his surroundings froze. You looked so gentle and sweet that he didn’t have the courage to say anything. Instead, he stood up and tried to head home because how on earth was he supposed to go to the theatre like this?
As soon as you saw him standing, you knew you had to do something. You had literally thrown him into a drain. Apologies started spilling out of your mouth without a break. No commas, no full stops, just exclamation marks and question marks in your repeated, “Are you okay?”
“Oh my god, I am so, so sorry. I swear it was an accident. You’re fine, right?” you started.
“Oh yeah, I’m fine. Just a few scratches here and there, I guess. Nothing that isn’t curable,” Seokmin replied with a polite smile. But his heart was pounding, and he had no idea why.
“No, I should have been more careful. I feel so bad. Oh my god, should I pay for your hospital fees?” you asked sincerely.
“Eh? Hospital fees? Wait, no, it’s really not that serious. My home’s first-aid kit will be enough for this. Trust me,” Seokmin ended with a giggle.
Seeing him giggle calmed you a little, but the guilt lingered. “Do you want me to pay for your dry cleaning then?”
Seokmin looked at you. Really looked at you and said, “It seems like you’re very rich. Why are you so insistent on paying me?” he chuckled.
“Huh? No, it’s just that I feel so bad for what happened. It’s clearly my fault,” you replied, forming an unconscious pout.
Seokmin found it adorable but didn’t point it out. Too awkward. He sighed and said, “Okay then, if you really want to do something, how about you buy me a coffee from the café at the end of the street? Heard it’s actually very good.”
“You mean BOMG Café?” you asked.
“Yeah, that’s the name, I guess.”
You smiled. “Yeah, sure. Tell me when.”
Seokmin fiddled with his fingers but blurted out, “We should exchange phone numbers.” He turned red immediately. “No, no, no. That’s not what I meant! I mean, if you’re buying me coffee, we have to confirm the date, right? I swear I was not trying to hit on you,” he rambled.
“Hey, hey, I know. That’s fine. I know you’re not hitting on me. Here, take my number.” You handed him your business card. “So bye! I’ll meet you on… whenever we decide. I’m actually late for work. If I don’t leave now, my workers are going to scold me. Bye…”
“Seokmin. And yeah go boss around your workers. Love it when women are the ones giving orders and being the boss.” He gave you a smile so warm it outshone every light around you.
You couldn’t help but smile back. “Yeah. Bye-bye, Seokmin.” You waved with the biggest smile that morning and left for work.
He waved back just as enthusiastically, then glanced at the card you’d given him. His eyes widened when he saw the name of the place you worked at.
“BOMG Café?”
And that’s how it all started.
After that day, you instantly became friends. As if you were the missing pieces in each other’s lives. Bickering over the silliest things. Doing weird stuff in the name of memories. Attending each other’s achievement ceremonies as if they were your own. You just fit.
It was so easy for Seokmin to start liking you. It felt like second nature, taking care of you without being asked, carrying extra tissues in case you forgot yours again, always having headache medicine just in case you needed it. It felt too easy for him to be by your side, to call you his. But he couldn’t afford to say it out loud. He didn’t want to mess up the friendship you shared, so he suppressed his feelings for its sake.
He was startled back to reality when you smacked the back of his head. He almost screamed from the impact but kept his cool. Standing in a public bus station and screaming because a girl hit him? Not cool.
“What ya thinking, man?” you asked, throwing hand signs like you were the one who taught Eminem to rap.
He chuckled and imitated you, getting so into it that he accidentally pushed a boy waiting for the bus beside you.
“Mom, sorry,” Seokmin apologized. The boy looked disgusted and moved away. You laughed so hard you almost forgot to breathe. Seeing you laugh filled Seokmin with a strange relief.
It’s me who’s making her laugh, he thought, before laughing along with you.
After the laughter died down, you both stared at the rain falling.
“Have you noticed that people only dance in the rain in movies? Not in real life. Fake marketing,” you said.
Seokmin looked at you. “What do you feel about dancing in the rain?”
You met his gaze. “Umm… I would love to, actually.”
Seokmin grinned and dropped his bag. He stepped onto the road, holding out his hands, inviting you into the rain.
“Let’s dance, then.”
You were shocked. Did he just go into the rain for you?
“Hey!! You’ll catch a cold. Come back!” you shouted.
“No. Why would I? Do you want to dance or not?”
You opened your mouth to protest, but it was too tempting. So you let yourself go and joined him in the rain.
As you both stood there, drenched, you felt an unexpected peace settle inside you. When you looked at Seokmin, he was smiling so brightly that it warmed you despite the cold rain. It reminded you of the first time you met.
You started dancing. Ridiculous dancing. No music, no choreography. Just laughter and pure fun. You nearly slipped a few times, but neither of you cared. In that moment, the world narrowed down to just the two of you.
People at the bus stop began singing and playing songs for you to dance to. You kept going until your legs ached and your lungs begged for air.
A few minutes later, the bus arrived, and you decided to hop on.
After taking your seats, you tried to dry yourselves, unsuccessfully. All you managed to do was laugh and giggle even more.
“When life gives you a movie moment, you don’t waste it,” Seokmin quoted.
“Bro, what? Your brain is rotted, you know that,” you laughed.
“It might be rotted, but it’s for you,” he muttered under his breath.
Poor thing, you heard it.
“Huh??”
His eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you heard that.” He hid his face in his hands.
“Oh my god, yes. Now tell me. Do you like me?” you asked.
“Umm… yes. A lot. I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.”
“Oh, finally.” You leaned in and kissed him straight away.
He was shocked but kissed you back with the same love.
“Finally. It was so painful watching you be so oblivious about my feelings,” you said.
He chuckled softly. “So… you like me too?”
“Seriously, Seokmin?”
He giggled and kissed you again.
Outside, the rain slowly began to fade, but somehow, it felt like your story was only just beginning.
pair: nonidol!dokyeom x f!reader
wc: 1.6k+synopsis: seokmin never tried to do yoga because he found himself not flexible enough to do some poses but because his sister cannot come to her best friend newly opened yoga studio, she sends seokmin instead.
a/n: this idea came out right after i fell while doing headstand on my last yoga sesh lol. thankfully i didn't kick someone in the head. this could be the end of the fic or if i have more time and idea, i'll probably upload another part.
dividers by @cafekitsune
Seokmin sat nervously on the top of his mat—it's not his yoga mat, it was the studio's yoga mat. Seokmin came exactly ten minutes before the first ever class started, he even came to her sister best friend first to congratulate her for opening a wellness center. His sister was out of town for work, so she sent Seokmin instead to give support for her best friend. Well, Seokmin also knew her since he was a kid.
People started to swarm in the class. Some took another yoga props like blocks or strap, some laid out their own yoga mat, and Seokmin sat still. People who laid out their mat near Seokmin threw him a polite smile and of course, Seokmin gave them his best polite smile too.
"Afternoon everyone!" Seokmin locked his phone instantly, put it beside his bottle.
"Thank you for coming to my very first class in my studio, I really appreciate everyone who spare their weekend to come here." Seokmin listened to his sister best friend said a short speech before finally she started the class.
Seokmin gulped down nervously when everyone started to shift on their mat. He followed them, crossing his leg.
"Lets close our eyes and start our intention for today's practice." Seokmin closed his eyes but then he opened it again, he squinted his eyes to make it less obvious that he didn't close his eyes entirely. He looked to the side, to the back— everyone had their eyes close. Just as Seokmin closed his eyes again, the teacher asked everyone to opened their eyes.
"Let's warm up and get into a table top position." Seokmin didn't know what's going to come in this 75 minutes vinyasa class.
It was forty five minutes into the class and Seokmin was a sweating mess. He even removed his running tanks because what the fuck was this? he kept doing the thing like push up but not exactly a push up. He get corrected several times by his sister best friend and even stopped in the middle just to catch a breath. He was back into a position called down dog and then he looked to his side when instructed to put their arm down to a dolphin. The clueless Seokmin followed.
"And for those who can, in your next exhale, get into head stand and those who can't—I'm going to helped you if you want to try." People start to get into their head stand and seokmin was confused. He dropped down from his dolphin and sat down, looking around at everyone who effortlessly get into a head stand until Seokmin felt a big pang on his head.
The woman behind him accidentally kicked Seokmin in the head. Seokmin was shocked but when he looked back and found the woman fell on her back, Seokmin rushed to help her.
"Oh my— Are you okay?" Seokmin asked quietly.
"I am, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" The woman asked Seokmin back because she realized, she kicked Seokmin in the head. She was attempting to get into head stand without support because it was always safe and she never kicked someone in the head before.
"I am, just a little shock here."
"I am really sorry." She apologized again and Seokmin dismissed her apology with a very big smile.
"What's going on? everyone okay? Seokmin are you okay?" After the teacher made sure everyone okay, the class started again and if you asked what Seokmin loved the most through out the class, his answer will be the last position. Everyone was lying down with eyes closed.
"Thank you, everyone!" Seokmin followed everyone who started to wipe down their mat and rolled his mat.
"Hello," The woman from earlier who kicked his head came to him.
"Oh, hello! are your back okay?" Seokmin asked her.
"Yes, it happens a lot but this is the very first time I kicked someone in the head. I'm really sorry. Are you sure, you are okay?" She asked him, Seokmin can feel how concerned she was with him.
"Yes, I am totally fine and you don't need to apologize again." Seokmin gave her an assuring smile.
"Are you new to yoga?" She asked Seokmin.
"Yes, the teacher slash the owner is my sister's best friend. I knew her all my life, so I came to support her. Well, my sister the one who asked me to."
"Oh, by the way my name is Seokmin. Lee Seokmin." Seokmin offered hand shake to her.
"My name is Y/N." You took Seokmin hand shake.
The class ended and everyone started to make their way out. Some went straight to go and some queued to take a shower. That's what you did. You went straight to the women's room after the photo session ended, grabbed a fresh folded towel and entered the shower. You still feel guilty about what happened earlier, Seokmin didn't even get angry, he even more concerned about your back.
After shower, you dried your hair and decided to go back home. When you opened the women's room you met with Seokmin. His hair still damped from the shower.
"Oh! We meet again!" Seokmin threw a big smile to you.
"Are you busy after this?" You asked. You didn't know where that courage came from.
"Oh?" Seokmin quite taken aback because no woman ever asked him out like that.
"If you are not busy and if you want to, of course. I want to buy you a coffee." Oh you were so screwed because you were talking too much and everything that came out from your mind. You and your m
"Are you asking me out?" Seokmin asked innocently. His eyes blinked repeatedly.
"Yes?" Your answered sound more like a question.
"Oh?" Seokmin also surprised with your straight forward answer.
"I'm sorry." You bowed quickly and ran away, leaving Seokmin speechless before he gained his senses back and started to chase after you but when he arrived at the front, you were nowhere to be seen.
Seokmin was running on a jogging track by the river, he focused on running until he spotted someone familiar. He stopped on his track and ran backward. Seokmin squinted his eyes and a smile grew on his face. He spotted you were sitting on a garden bench with eyes closed and air pods on.
Seokmin wanted to wake you up because he noticed how dangerous it was for you to sleep on a bench by the river and it's already past eight in the evening. So, Seokmin jogged back to back not too far from the bench you slept on just to make sure that you were under his radar. Seokmin looked at his smart watch and when he reached his 5k run, he stopped. He walked slowly to cool off before finally sitting down on the grass not too far from you who still sleep soundly.
Seokmin turned his head to you and saw you twitching before finally opened your eyes. Seokmin was smiling when he noticed the confused look on your face and when you realized Seokmin was there, the sleepiness inside you gone instantly. Seokmin chuckled when he saw your surprised face, he pushed himself up to stood on his feet before walked towards you.
"Did you sleep well?" Seokmin joked but you greet him with a bowed.
"Are your head okay?" You asked Seokmin. You still thought about him time to time, you and your overthinking self were afraid that something bad happened to him especially after you kicked him hard on the head.
"I am—If not, I won't be here running my 5k run." Seokmin chuckled and you feel relieved after hearing it.
"So you walk here everyday?"
"Most of the time if I'm still far from my daily 10k steps and you run here everyday?" You asked back. You were started to walk slowly and he followed right beside you.
"Most of the time, yes. My apartment is not too far from here, it's very convenience for me to run here after work." Seokmin explained and you only nodded in response. The two of you walk in silence, nobody said anything, nobody started any topic, just the two of you enjoying night walk by the river, the only sounds that filled the silence was sound of people running or chatting while walking.
"Why did you run that day?" Seokmin decided to break the long silence.
"I was embarrassed with myself, I'm sorry." You apologized again.
"I think, you should stop saying sorry to me and to everyone else if you do the same to them, because you have zero mistake except when you kicked my head but you apologized already and I accepted it."
"But on the bright side of you ran away, I could be the man now. Are you busy tomorrow night? I want to ask you out for dinner." You stopped at your track, looking at Seokmin with wide eye, closing your eyes for a moment to recall what he just said in case you heard wrong.
"Did I hear correctly? or?" You made sure to Seokmin who was standing a feet away from you. He was looking at you with pure adoration, because he thought you look cute when you are flustered.
"You heard correctly and I'm asking you out—well, no pressure tho. We just met twice but I want to get to know you more." Seokmin said confidently.
"But I kick you in the head?"
"Maybe the kick bring the love out of me?" Seokmin chuckled.
"Tomorrow, 7pm, meet me in that bench." You said quickly and Seokmin smile grew on his face. Seokmin walked towards you but you stopped him when he took his first step.
"Don't!" You stretched your arm to the front, gestured him to stop.
"See you tomorrow!" You shouted before turned back and ran away from Seokmin who surprised seeing you ran away again and this time he knew why he couldn't catch you last time, you ran super fast.
Seokmin smile grew wider, he can't wait for tomorrow and everything that will unfold after the date night.
