"why do i have to open your doors?" he'd ask with a pout and those eyes. you'd knit your brows together in confusion, tilting your head slightly- "do you not like opening my doors?"
he'd quickly shake his head, "i do! i just...i like being spoiled too, y'know." he'd shrug, pretending to have not a clue that his boba-eyes are staring right into your soul.
"okay. i'll open your doors, sometimes." you shrug, it was only fair.
boyfriend leehan would… be the kind of boyfriend that shows up at your house without warning, with no real plans- he just missed you.
"leehan?" you'd grumble, checking the time on your phone. 3:35 am.
"hey!" he'd smile, as if it wasn't the dead of night. "what are you doing here?" your sleep-ridden voice would be laced with genuine concern as he brushed past you and flopped onto the couch.
"missed you, couldn't sleep. d'you wanna watch a movie?"
boyfriend leehan would... send you constant updates on "the kids"
"the kids are okay, thanks for asking." your ever-so-sassy boyfriend would text, followed by a picture of his tank.
you'd giggle, typing back a quick reply before going back to studying.
"thank god, i was so worried."
boyfriend leehan would... ramble to you on the phone.
"leehan-ah, i'm tired..." you'd groan, you had practically been forcing your eyes to stay open the entire time leehan rambled about his day.
the conversation started two hours ago, and you were barely on the topic of what he had for lunch.
"sorry...finish talking tomorrow?" he'd ask, giving you those eyes. the ones you couldn't say no too, no matter what the request was.
"of course, baby."
boyfriend leehan would... love to just...stare at you.
"baby, you're staring." you'd mumble, tone low as you scribble in your journal. leehan would blink a few times, coming back to reality by adjusting the way he's sitting.
it's not that you necessarily minded leehan's staring, his boba-like eyes weren't full of malice at all- or at least not when he was gazing at you. you just didn't want your boyfriend to forget to blink and end up with dry eyes...it had happened before.
"sorry," he'd apologize, a comfortable quiet falling over the room.
...until he decided he wanted your full attention. then he plucked your journal from hands- careful not to make you mess up whatever doodle or writing you were doing- and lay his head in your lap.
he won't ask you to play with his hair, but he will be pouting if you don't.
❪ 今日だけ ❫ hurt/comfort unestablished relationship leehan x f!reader 1586 cw ノ mention of work and financial stress, student debt, overworking, skipping meals, crying, reader is going through it™️, leehan is the most perfect boy, not proofread 〃 ♡ ⸝⸝⸝ i need him and i need him right nowwwww / 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄
Donghyun texts you as soon as you walk through the door, almost like he's already memorized the time it takes you to get from work to home by bus. It's the little things that he remembers that makes your chest feel warm. It tempts you to reconsider whether you might really have time to invest in dating.
But then your mind is always drawn back to how swamped you are right now. Not just with work, but other stresses too. Student debt, family drama, frustrations in your work—it's all been weighing down on you. You haven't told Donghyun about any of it. You don't want to bother him with more things when he's already been doing so much for you without expecting anything in return. If you had a choice in it, you wish the roles would reverse.
You want to be the one offering to take him out to dinner, to catch a movie after work, or surprise him with coffee in the mornings. You want to be the reason his day suddenly feels bright. You want to be the one reason he keeps pushing through the hard times. But, right now, you don't have the extra time to spare. You barely even have time to text him, but you allow yourself to check his messages as you're shoving off your shoes and coat.
fish man who asked me on a date (i think?)
make it through work okay? [7:12PM]
you've been busy lately, remember to drink enough water!! [7:12PM]
you
been crazy busy lately yeah lol [7:15PM]
i'm hanging in okay :') [7:15PM]
rain check on the dinner? [7:16PM]
You sigh, pushing down the disappoint that builds almost immediately at having to send the last message to him. You're already preparing your heart for the day you'll stop receiving texts like this after work. Nobody has enough patience to wait months for someone who might never have time for them—it's unreasonable. You know that eventually, Donghyun will give up this game of cat and mouse. Any sensible person would. The logical part of your brain wants him to move on quickly and stop holding himself back because of the one time you kissed him.
But your heart tells you a completely different story.
It makes you want to scream in frustration when you think about it. Curse God for allowing you to be stuck in this endless cycle of work and stress with no time for anything—not even for the one person that makes things feel a bit better. It's slowly breaking you. You know it is.
You turn on the shower and strip your clothes off. You'll allow yourself five minutes to decompress—maybe cry—before you figure out what to eat for dinner. You're barely even hungry, but you already skipped lunch today and you know its not sustainable. Donghyun always seems concerned when he notices your cycle of overworking and minimal self care. You have to at least try. For him.
You check your phone again after your shower. It consisted less of getting clean and more of letting the emotional dam you've let fester break in a place where you can't tell what's tears and what's shower water. Regardless, you feel a bit better after it. Donghyun has already replied to you.
fish man who asked me on a date (i think?)
i'm coming over with takeout [7:20PM]
no backing out of this one, okay? [7:20PM]
i know you don't like to cook after work [7:20PM]
i don't have to stay long, i just want to make sure you eat something [7:21PM]
i'll be there in ten [7:21PM]
You're not sure whether you want to cry in relief or guilt, but a tear escapes you either way. God, you're a wreck this evening. There's still more to get done. Rent and utility bills that are almost due, groceries to budget since you can't live off of canned beans forever, and a bit of tidying to do before Donghyun shows up.
You start with the tidying. Your coffee table is a mess of papers and forms from the last few weeks. They range from medical bills to random legal documents you really should store in a better place. You attempt to shove them all in random folders and drawers before you hear the knock on your door.
Donghyun looks as good as he always does. Soft brown hair pulled back in a small ponytail, glasses, and a bag of hot food that smells heavenly. Maybe you are hungry after all. He smiles at you, taking in your appearance. You wish he wouldn't. You know you probably look like a hot mess. You haven't even brushed your hair after your shower—just thrown it in a scrunchie and called it good. You feel unworthy to even stand so close to him.
"Rough day?" he asks, taking off his shoes and putting down the bag of food on your table. He's practiced and confident like he's done this dozens of times. Which… he might have at this point. You don't recall how many times he's taken you home drunk or you've invited him over for games and a movie; back when you still had time for those things.
"Yeah."
A small mumble is all you can muster under his stare. You feel the tears start to prick at your waterline again. Now that he's here right in front of you, the thoughts that have been swimming in your head for the past thirty minutes become even clearer. Logically, there's no reason why you deserve how he treats you. It's not like you have anything to give him—you can't even bring yourself to accept his offers for obvious dates. You know he wants to make it official. He's probably wanted to for four months now. And you've been running away from the idea as fast as you can, even though you want it so badly.
Donghyun kisses your forehead. It lingers for a bit longer than it should, but you wish he never pulled away at all. He's already disappeared into your kitchen by the time you come out of the daze of his lips. What the hell is wrong with you?
"Shit, sorry I had no time to do the dishes," you explain, embarrassed when you see him already washing two bowls and two forks. The sink is full of your dirty plates and silverware from the last week. You've been meaning to tackle the pile all week, but the exhaustion has defeated you every day.
"It's okay. I'll wash the rest after we eat, okay?" Donghyun smiles that easy smile that gets your heart to do a flip in your chest. It's been building up since he knocked on your door, but the second he says that, it overflows.
You're not sure what you've done to deserve him. For the year and a half you've known him, you've felt like nothing but a burden. Barely any time to hang out, constantly cancelling and rescheduling, only just keeping your head above water as you try to find gaps in your schedule to let him know that you do still care. Throughout it all, he's been more than understanding. He's stepped in without asking more times than you can count. You hate feeling indebted to people, so you've tried time and time again to pay him back (in any way that doesn't afford the time you can't give him). However, Donghyun is even more stubborn than you are, and he's never let you. It was frustrating at first before you learned to accept that his reality wasn't going to change. Now it just overwhelms you with gratitude.
When Donghyun notices you're crying he's quick to drop the dishes in his hands and turn off the faucet. His arms wrap around you, steady and sure. You sob more into his chest, bunching up his long sleeved shirt in your hands and accepting that as much as you wish he wasn't so unreasonably selfless, he wants to be with you, and there's nothing you can do to stop him.
"I know you don't want to tell me what's wrong. I get it. I won't ask. But you can't stop me from caring about you, or showing up," he whispers.
You nod in defeat and surrender.
"I just wish I had more time for you," you mumble into his chest. Your throat feels tight trying to even begin to explain it. Donghyun shushes you gently, his hand intently rubbing up and down your back. You're all choked up still when Donghyun leads you to sit down.
He's patient, finding tissues and still rubbing your back. It hurts to even let him see you like this, completely vulnerable. But his gaze doesn't judge. It's forbearing and gentle. It makes you feel safe and seen even though you're sure he doesn't know the half of it.
Eventually, you'll tell him. Maybe. Once you've sorted out the mess of emotions you feel towards him and learn how to allow yourself time for things you shouldn't be able to afford. Dating someone as good as Donghyun? You don't know how you'd ever get used to it.
You know it might not work out. With how you're going right now, you probably shouldn't even try. But you want to. As he pats your back until you've cried all the tears you have left in you, you want to.
when you and your boyfriend's friend groups hang out after such a long time , you never expected it to be your last . or maybe ... his last .
" taesan ! weren't you with leehan ? i swear he was right behind us . " i asked with worry in my voice as the said man suddenly appeared behind me with a bouquet of flowers . i giggled at his fond actions — he's still the sweetest even after five years of being together .
" oh cut it love birds ... now what do we do ?! " minju asked as we looked through the agenda of the day — we finished all that we wanted to do together and we still had time before sunsets ...
" isn't there a new movie that came out just yesterday ? " yunah brought up as we all hummed , unconsciously walking towards the cinema as we all talked about the movie .
half way through , i stopped talking and just listened to what the others were saying — and that's when leehan wrapped his arm around my shoulders as he took a sip of his drink , " are you okay , sweetheart ? you look stressed ... what's going on in that little pretty mind of yours , huh ? "
i looked up and smiled at him , gesturing to our group of friends bickering amongst themselves . " them . oh how i've missed times like these ... we barely hang out anymore because we're all grown up and look at us — laughing and screaming just like when we were teens . "
" you're so sentimental , sweets . what's the new movie anyway ? " he asked as he offered me a sip of his drink . i briefly explained what the new movie was about but i could tell he wasn't listening well — he was but he wasn't paying attention to anything else around him , but me .
" are you done flirting ? we're here . " woonhak rolled his eyes as leehan and i chuckled — his hand sliding down to my waist as we entered the cinema filled with people . the aroma of fresh popcorn hit my nostrils , followed by the scent of nachos .
as soon as we entered — everyone was split up . the girls and i were in charge of snacks while the guys were in charge of the tickets and seats . guys being guys — they chose the seat in the middle of the cinema . what's worse , you may ask ? they chose it to be in 3D ...
needless to say , we were all screaming at how real the movie felt — it was as if we were the main characters ! minju was gripping tightly onto taesan's arms which made taesan curse out loud as how long minju's nails were . woonhak was close to crying and yunah — she was so nonchalant . she didn't even care if she was being eaten alive by a zombie .
i was clinging onto leehan , of course ... his giggles made me calmer whenever he heard me scream and curl up onto his arm for protection . he even had his hand on my head to play with my hair just so i wouldn't get too scared .
soon the horror died down , the zombies were gone and the main character was still somehow alive despite being bitten . i could still hear screams in the cinema — " they're alive ! " and " everybody get out ! "
my first thought was — someone's obviously pranking us because we're all watching the same thing . but that wasn't until i heard heavy footsteps running across ... i took the headset off and immediately felt blood rush everywhere in my body — a sudden pang of adrenaline .
i screamed , taking off the headset for all of my friends as one by one they ran off . i saw leehan being dragged away by minju and taesan — leaving me with woonhak and yunah . despite the commotion , most of the people in the cinema were still unaware and got eaten alive ...
i panicked , was everyone gonna be okay ? was i gonna be okay ? too many thoughts were filling up my head to the point where i was the slowest amongst everyone else running . we couldnt make it to the exit because the zombies were all camping and the other entrances were blocked .
" ah , noona ! faster !! " woonhak yelled as tears brimmed in my eyes — i didn't expect our outing to be like this . i didn't want it to end this way . i was at fault for forcing and rushing them to meet up asap ... this was all ... my fault .
" yn !! " yunah yelled as she gripped on my wrist and pulled me towards the room woonhak was hiding in . we were on the second floor , just the three of us in one medium sized room filled with snacks .
i dropped myself on the bean bag nearby , crying to myself as woonhak tried to get in contact with the other three . yunah went up beside me , holding me close to her as she held her tears in , " let it all out , yn ... "
" this ... this is all my fault . i should've ... never forced all of you to hang out . i was selfish and i ... i just wanted to meet you guys again ... now i don't even know if we'll all make it out together ... " i mumbled through tears as yunah made me face her , hushing me as she wiped my tears away .
" yn .. no . we all agreed to go out together and we were the ones who suggested to see a movie . none of us expected it to turn out this way , none of us .. it's not your fault , dear . we'll ... we'll make it back alive . i know we will . " she consoled me — pulling me into a tight hug as she patted my back .
" hyung ?? hyung !! are you guys okay ?? where are you guys ?!? " woonhak suddenly yelled as he got in contact with taesan . " hyung ??? are you there ?? hello ?? "
" yes yes , we can hear you ... we just ... i don't know where we are but minju ... " i gasped and ran up to woonhak , snatching his phone away . " what happened to her ?! " i asked in a worried tone as taesan's sigh could be heard through the call .
" she's ... she got ... she got bitten . " i felt my heart drop to my stomach . my cries getting louder as yunah ran up to my side once more , passing woonhak his phone back as they discussed a meet up location — at our current ' base ' .
my knees gave up , i was now on the floor weeping as yunah held me close to her . i felt ... like everything i did went wrong . minju was one of my closest friends — we've been in a trio ever since high school and we were now in our twenties . she didn't deserve to die this early , i did .
" park minju !!! " i yelled out loud as i mourned . the tears were non stop , flowing like a waterfall as yunah and i hurled in a corner . soon a knock was heard on the door . woonhak opened the door to reveal taesan and leehan — who immediately ran in and closed the door behind them .
" lee ... leehan ... " i cried softly as he walked towards me , his arms wide open as his tears soaked my shoulders . " i'm so sorry .. i couldn't save minju ... it was our only duty ... and we failed . " i shook my head , crying in each others embrace as the other three sat at the table .
we joined them after a good half an hour — discussing our escape plans as leehan and i kept our fingers interlocked under the table . " we could ... go back to the cinema ? i know there's an exit there . " woonhak suggested as everyone agreed .
well not everyone .. i was still struck on what happened to minju . i didn't want to risk any more of my friends precious lives — but again , we can't stay here forever . leehan's thumb rubbed against mine for support with a short whisper , " we'll make it out alive . "
" we have to be extremely quiet ... do not attract any of them our way . keep your heads low and if they come close to you — do not panic . make noises a zombie would . " taesan reminded us as we all took a few deep breaths .
five minutes later , we were at the staircase . my hand still interlocked with leehan's as taesan led the way with woonhak giving him directions from behind . soon enough , we arrived at the movie theatre — the first one that was attacked .
sure there weren't that many zombies but we should never doubt the amount . i saw minju walking across the cinema , i swear i was about to break down when leehan covered my eyes — preventing me from maintaining eye contact for too long and to keep moving forward .
woonhak meddled with the lock on the door as yunah tried to pick the lock . as soon as it was opened , the loud noise of the lock dropped to the floor — gaining the attention of all zombies . one by one , everyone rushed out of the cinema .
woonhak , taesan , yunah and i were out except leehan . the zombies were chasing him as if their lives depended on it . i tried to go back in with tears in my eyes but taesan held me back — " no no please ! let me go in ! "
" it's too dangerous yn ! " taesan yelled back as i used up all my strength and reached out for leehan's arm . once i caught it , i tried to pull him out but he resisted — interlocking our fingers once more .
my eyes widened , shaking my head slowly as he fondly smiled at me . " i love you , yn . you've made me the happiest i've ever been in my entire life and this ... is the only way i can repay you . please don't forget me ... my sweetheart . "
" leehan , there's still time !! please , no no no !! i can't have you going , i need you , please ... " i begged endlessly as i pulled on his arm desperately . " take care of our fishies for me ... and i'll see you soon , my love . "
he pushed my arm back and closed the door on himself , sacrificing himself as i yelled out loud — banging on the theatre doors as i cried . " leehan no ! come back please ! we promised we would get married ... leehan ... please ... please leehan !!!! "
despite yunah , woonhak and taesan using all their strength to pull me away — i was still at the front door , hoping leehan would come out one way or another . tears fogged up my vision as i heard a faint voice ,
" i'll love you ... forever yn ... for eternity ... "
ꪆৎ hhs' notes (⸝⸝> ᴗ•⸝⸝) a little ... surprise ... felt like crying for a bit so i wrote a very short and simple drabble ... oh god i love leehan
SUMMARY: you readily accept your boyfriend's distraction—in the form of slow dancing—after a long day.
WARNINGS: Leehan referred to as Donghyun, reader gets picked up but it's nothing too crazy, mostly just palpably soft fluff.
NOTES: this is HIGHLY inspired by Leehan's outro in life is cool because that part is just sooo swaying music.
WC: 774
The room is barely lit, the only illumination coming from a few lit fish tanks with quietly gurgling water and the light of the computer you were so graciously taken away from, but soon that goes out too. The open window lets in a draft of brisk winter air, but the space heater is on and you don’t mind. It gives you an excuse for why your cheeks are so red. It would be a lie to say your absence from your work was involuntary or unceremonious. Rather, you more than welcomed the chance to fall victim to Donghyun's taking charms. He had put his phone down on a nondescript side table with a tentative smile that spread across his face and bent his plush lips. As he set down the phone, he pressed start on the beginning of an unnamed song that can only be described as ‘slow swaying music.’
Now, you find yourself slowly spun and swaying like those elderly slow dancers that always made you a little annoyed and a lot envious at the end of long weddings. You drape both arms around his neck and touch your forehead to his, your fingers linger at the hair you love so much that falls by the nape of his neck. This slow, tender version of your boyfriend is a far cry from his faculty for breakdancing and usual silliness. Not that you prefer either, but you savor these moments where all of your walls are down. No teasing, no flirting, no stakes. You’re instantly met with his gaze when your eyes flutter open, and you see the way the edges of his eyes wrinkle when your eyes find his.
“Spin?” You ask softly.
“Spin.” His smile confirms his words and you find yourself smiling back before you even think to do so. Releasing one hand from where it was rested on the small of your back, he trails it up your arm, cueing you to hold his. Lacing your fingers with his, he lifts your twined hands up as the music reaches its apogee. Your grip instinctively tightens on his fingers as you spin, the whole world blurry around you except for, somehow, his face. As you complete your second rotation, the friction between your soft socks and the floor isn’t enough and your left foot slips. You’re out of control for barely a second, you don’t even have enough time to react before his hand is steady on your back again, arm wrapped around you.
An even bigger smile chases away your short-lived face of worry, “they do that in real slow dancing.” You laugh, though it comes out more as a huff because of your low tone.
“We’re naturals.” He says softly as the song comes to a close, the ghost of the melody still hanging in the air. He keeps you stable as you return to your feet. He holds your shoulders at arm’s length, gaze flitting across your face like he’s trying to memorize you. You do the same, taking notice of the way his bangs fall across his forehead and the way your favorite mole of his is just visible below the tortoiseshell glasses that sit on the edge of his nose. When he pulls you to him, it’s less about being done looking at your face and more about not being able to stand being away from you any longer. He captures you between his arms, placing his hand on the back of your head, toying with your hair softly. “Come to bed, you were working for so long.” He buries his face in the crook of your neck as you wrap your arms around his back, however weakly because of his hold on you. His request is soft and his tone is understanding, if not nervous to be met with your refusal. His earnest ask makes you smile and your heart swell.
With your arms behind him, you gingerly thumb the material of his shirt in reassurance. “Only if you come with me.” Your quiet challenge inspires a content exhale from him that’s warm as it hits your neck.
“How could I ever say no to you?” He mumbles as if joining you wasn’t already his intention. He briefly releases you from his arms, but before you can initiate some sort of progress towards your bed, you find his arms back around you again. This time, he wraps himself around your lower torso, lifting you off the ground slightly, and begins to carry you towards your shared soft bed. Maybe sensing your confusion, he quiets you, “just let me, you’ve done so much today already.”
genre: idol!au, parents!au, fluff
summary: in which he surprises his family by cooking breakfast, leading to a heartfelt day of love, laughter, and of course playing prince with his daughters.
warnings: terms of endearment, established relationship, idealized family life, kissing, mentions sleep and eating
pairing: nonidol! leehan x fem!reader,
wc: 1.3k
a/n: HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEEHAN, also I absolutely love this req nugget! (apologies for taking so long, I would answer your req but the answer button has seemed to vanish into thin air 😅)
nets: @blossomnet @onedoornet @chrimatanet @k-labels @k-films
You wake up to an empty bed, blinking away the last remnants of sleep as you stretch. It's unusually quiet for this time in the morning, and the absence of Leehan by your side makes you frown in confusion. Your mind is still fuzzy from sleep when it hits you: it's Leehan's birthday.
"Of course," you whisper to yourself, a small smile tugging at your lips. You sit up and rub your eyes, already thinking of ways to spoil him.
But then you notice something: the unmistakable sound of clattering dishes coming from the kitchen. You get out of bed quickly, padding down the hallway in your pajamas. The scent of bacon wafts toward you, and as you turn the corner, you find Leehan standing at the stove, cooking breakfast.
"Leehan?" you ask, a bit incredulous. "What are you doing?"
He turns to you with a warm smile, flipping a pancake with practiced ease. "Morning! I'm just making breakfast. Thought I'd surprise you and the girls."
You walk closer, arms crossed, and give him a playful glare. "But it's your birthday! You shouldn't be the one cooking."
He shrugs, casual and calm as always. "I wanted to. It's no big deal. You go sit with the girls. I've got this."
You huff in protest, but he's already back to focusing on the food. "Leehan," you press, moving to his side. "Seriously, let me take over. I want to do something for you today. You deserve to relax."
He shakes his head, shooting you a quick smile. "I'm fine, really. I like doing this. Go sit down; spend some time with the kids."
You roll your eyes but don't push it further. There's something endearing about how he never lets you fuss over him, even on his birthday. "Fine," you grumble, throwing your hands up. "But you're going to let me spoil you later."
"We'll see," he replies with a chuckle.
You shake your head, making your way to the living room where your two little girls are already awake and playing with their toys on the floor. They light up when they see you.
"Mommy!" your oldest, Mina, calls out, abandoning her dolls to rush over to you. Her twin sister, Minji, follows close behind.
"Morning, sweethearts," you say, kneeling down to hug them both. "Did you say good morning to Daddy?"
Mina nods enthusiastically. "He's making pancakes!"
"I know, but it's Daddy's birthday. Don't you think Mommy should be the one cooking?"
They both shake their heads in unison, giggling.
"Daddy's pancakes are the best," Mina declares confidently.
You laugh and ruffle her hair. "Well, you're not wrong there."
A few minutes later, Leehan calls out from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready!"
You usher the girls to the table, where Leehan has laid out plates of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and fruit. It looks amazing, as always.
You sit down next to Mina while Minji climbs into the seat across from you. "Thanks, babe," you say, appreciating the spread.
"No problem," Leehan says, taking a seat. "Dig in."
The four of you start eating, the chatter between bites filling the room with warmth. The girls are old enough to feed themselves, though you keep an eye on them just in case. You take a moment to appreciate the scene: your little family sitting together, enjoying a simple breakfast. It feels... perfect.
After a while, you glance over at Leehan and ask, "So, birthday boy, what do you want to do today?"
He pauses, taking a sip of his coffee before answering. "I was thinking we could have a family day. I don't get much time with you all because of work, and I just want to relax with my girls today."
Your heart swells at his words, and you smile softly. "That sounds perfect."
Mina, always quick with suggestions, perks up. "We should watch a movie!"
Minji nods eagerly. "Yeah, a movie!"
You laugh, knowing exactly what's coming. "I bet I can guess which movie."
Mina grins, bouncing in her seat. "Frozen!"
Of course. You've seen it a million times, but you can't deny how much the girls love it.
"Well, it is Daddy's birthday," you remind them. "Maybe we should let him pick?"
But Leehan shakes his head, smiling. "Frozen sounds good to me."
The girls cheer in unison, and you chuckle, knowing you're in for yet another viewing of the animated classic. "Alright, Frozen it is."
Once everyone finishes eating, you all head to the living room. Mina and Minji race ahead, practically launching themselves onto the couch, while you and Leehan follow more slowly, hand in hand.
"I'm still going to do something for you today," you insist as you settle next to him on the couch.
He squeezes your hand, a soft smile playing on his lips. "Just being with you all is enough."
The movie starts, and before long, the familiar songs and scenes fill the room. You glance over at the girls, both of them completely captivated, and then at Leehan, who seems just as content watching them as the movie itself.
It doesn't take long for the soothing sounds of the movie to lull you into a doze. The comfort of the moment, the warmth of your family, it all pulls you under.
When you wake up, you blink groggily and realize the room is much quieter than it should be. Sitting up, you notice that the couch is empty. Mina, Minji, and Leehan are nowhere to be seen.
"Where'd they go?" you mumble to yourself, standing up and stretching. You wander through the house, checking the kitchen, the hallway, and finally making your way to the girls' room.
When you peek inside, the sight before you makes your heart melt. There, in the middle of the room, is Leehan, sitting on the floor with Mina and Minji. They've pulled out their dress-up clothes, and Leehan is fully participating in the game. He's wearing a plastic crown, a cape made of a pink blanket, and the girls are twirling around him in princess dresses.
You stifle a laugh, watching from the doorway as Mina adjusts the crown on Leehan's head.
"You're the prince, Daddy!" she declares proudly.
"And we're the princesses!" Minji adds, spinning in her gown.
Leehan looks at them both with pure adoration in his eyes. "Well, if I'm the prince, I guess I have to protect the princesses, right?"
Mina nods seriously. "Yes, from dragons!"
Leehan puts on a mock-serious face. "Dragons? Oh no! Where are they?"
The girls giggle, running around the room as if they're being chased by invisible dragons, while Leehan pretends to battle them off with a toy sword.
You lean against the doorframe, watching the three of them with a mix of amusement and affection. This is exactly why you love him so much. Even on his birthday, he's putting the girls first, making their day as magical as possible.
After a few more minutes of watching the playful scene unfold, you finally step into the room. "And what's going on in here?" you ask, grinning.
Minji runs over to you, grabbing your hand. "Mommy! Daddy's the prince, and we're playing princesses!"
You raise an eyebrow at Leehan, who just shrugs, still wearing the ridiculous crown. "I couldn't say no."
You laugh, kneeling down to join them. "Well, it looks like you're doing a great job as prince."
He grins, reaching out to pull you into the game. "Care to join us, my lady?"
You roll your eyes but play along, taking his hand. "Of course, your highness."
The rest of the day is spent in pure joy—playing, laughing, and enjoying the kind of simple, precious moments that make everything worth it.
Later, after the girls have been tucked into bed, you and Leehan sit together on the couch, exhausted but content. He wraps an arm around you, pulling you close.
"Today was perfect," you whisper, resting your head on his shoulder.
He kisses the top of your head softly. "It was, wasn't it?"
You smile to yourself, feeling incredibly lucky to have this little family, to have him. "Happy birthday, baby."
He squeezes your hand gently. "Thank you. For everything."
And in that quiet moment, as the house falls into peaceful silence, you realize that this is exactly how birthdays should be—filled with love, laughter, and the people who matter most.
⤷ 𝓦𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 ﹕ mentions of blood, reader is referred to as a “her”
⤷ 𝓖𝖾𝗇𝗋𝖾 ﹕ angst, fluff
⤷ 𝓦𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝓒𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍 ﹕ 886
⤷ 𝓐𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋’𝗌 𝓝𝗈𝗍𝖾 ﹕ this is my last post before i take a 2 week ish hiatus for school!!
⤷ 𝓢𝗒𝗇𝗈𝗉𝗌𝗂𝗌 ﹕ your day has gone horrible and you can’t help but feel upset. while trying to calm yourself, you end up hurting yourself in the process.
dearest darling, my universe.
during your lowest lows, leehan was always there for you. to catch you when you fall, to be the shoulder you cry on, to be the hand that wipes the tears that fall from your eyes.
he would always be there for you, never has he let you down whenever you needed him. he would drop everything just to come home and hold you in his arms to tell you that it’s okay. to him, you were his universe.
today was supposed to be no different, but it felt like a different type of low. work was infuriating, none of your co-workers appreciated what you did for the team. your family still hadn’t contacted you whatsoever for the holidays and you felt so isolated. you felt empty.
you arrive home, the apartment shared with leehan remaining dark as you switch on the lights with a heavy heart. right.. he was coming home late today.
˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
after a successful attempt of calming yourself down, you go over to your kitchen and open a cupboard to grab a cup, tip toeing. struggling to reach the cupboard, leehan was the one who’d usually grab the cups from the cupboards since they were out of your reach. you manage to grab a cup and gently set it on the counter to grab the ingredients you’d need to make a calming cup of tea.
in the process of making tea to relieve your stress and frustration, you clumsily knocked the cup off of the counter. the glass shattering on the ground, breaking into tiny glittery fragments as the pieces spread across the kitchen floor. fuck fuck fuck, you curse under your breath.
your frustration grew within you as you hear the glass shatter on the ground. could this day get any worse? you thought to yourself. you felt tears pool in your eyes, it was something as small as glass shattering.. yet it felt like your last straw.
you couldn’t help but feel tears spill out of your eyes before you kneel onto the ground and collect the glass shards on the ground. it didn’t even come across your mind that you were picking up sharp shards of glass with your bare hands.
your head was clouded with frustration to the point it had numbed out the feeling of small glass shards piercing into your skin and leaving scratches. you hadn’t even realized the glass was piercing through your skin.
in the midst of your panic, you hear the keys turn as a distinct voice exclaims. “jagiya, i’m home!” the chaos in both the kitchen and your mind had become dull as his voice was present. you just couldn’t hold back tears, your head hung low as you let the tears stain the floor.
with no response evident, leehan makes his way to the kitchen before feeling his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. the sight of his beloved kneeled on the kitchen floor with tears streaming down her face with her bloodstained hands from the shards of glass scarring her delicate skin. his heart aches at the sight before he rushes over to you. “hey hey hey.. what happened here..” he says in a worried tone all while pulling you into his warm embrace.
the feeling of comfort simply made you even more emotional, you can’t even start to believe that someone like leehan cares for you to this extent. to hold you at your lowest, to keep you safe in his arms.
“jagiya, your hands..” he says in a low tone as he hold your hands in his, he looks at you with a frown before grabbing a wet napkin and a first aid kit and starts to wipe off the bloodstains. “can’t have your pretty hands in pain, now can we?” he says, cleaning your hands along with bandaging them up to prevent further scarring. “i’ll clean this up now okay?” he states before grabbing a broom and sweeps up all the glass shards and throwing them in the trash.
he then turns back to you as he helps you up from your kneeling position to walk over to the couch. he gently sets you down as he sits right next to you. “do you want to talk about it?” he asks, his voice gentle and loving.
at this point, you were just a sniffling mess. you were calmer now that he was here. a few moments of silence pass by before you slowly started to speak. “i—i just had a bad day. my co-workers they—“ you didn’t get to finish you sentence before you broke into tears again. just the thought of your frustrating day made you feel a sense of gloominess. you hung your head low, wiping your tears.
leehan sees your head hung low before instinctively pulling you closer, letting your tears stain his sweater as he gently rubs your back. “it’s okay, let it all out.. i’m here for you..” his words reassuring, you feel somewhat better. his hands rubbing your back in a comforting manner, you continue to wonder just what you’ve done to deserve him.
“i love you. it’s okay to cry, but i love you.” he whispers in your ear affectionately, the words making you finally smile.
but i like you! | leehan x female reader , childhood friends to lovers, college au
── warnings: kissing, cursing | wc: 2.07k
words from wam 🗯️ first written !
back to masterlist
“So what’s with you and Leehan?” Minji didn’t even give you a chance to rebut before adding on “You know everyone thinks you two are dating.”
“Hello to you too Minji-” you sighed out before closing your phone to give your full attention to your friend “As I said, numerous times before- nothing is going on between us. We’re friends, I mean I knew the guy since I was 14, god forbid I have childhood friends..”
“So you two are nothing?” Minji asks, still prodding curiously for an answer from you only to be met with a sigh and an annoyed nod for the millionth time
“Soo you wouldn’t mind setting me up with him?” she inquires which immediately makes you turn to face her eyes staring up at you like a desperate little puppy
“If you wanted me to help you get with him you should’ve just started with that” you sigh out in a bit of a half chuckle. Taking a sip of your boba you glance over to see how she was still staring at you with those same pleading eyes, only to lead you to continue with “that’s a yes by the way.” which undoubtedly made her gleam on the spot
“It’s just, you know you two are like always together and half the campus think you guys are a thing so I just was making sure-” rambling on Minji feels the need to defend herself for even asking to have you play as faux cupid for her, but is only met with a hand on her shoulder and a reassuring nod from you before saying “Minji seriously, it’s fine. I mean Donghyun doesn’t really have too much going on in his life so, he kinda needs this.”
Minji wants to refute but instead is cut off by said conversation topic heading right your way
“Yah YN, give me back my hoodie, it's freezing in here!” Leehan shouts out despite being only a few feet away, leading you to strip off his hoodie from your body to throw it at his face before muttering “How can you be cold after practice, I can still see the sweat on your forehead.”
Only garnering an eye roll from Leehan before biting back with “The court is always cold.”
You were about to counter but then you remembered the task at hand, and matches weren’t going to be made themselves. “Hey Minji, do you want to come to lunch with us!” you ask before promptly turning around to be met with a very flustered face.
“Oh you sure I won’t be intruding? It’s totally fine if I am, I really don’t mind-”
“You’re not, trust.” you didn’t really give her nor Leehan time to answer before dragging the two of them to the dining hall making sure you subtly pushed Minji a bit to the side every so often so that her and Leehans hands could ‘coincidentally’ brush past each other. To your dismay, the dining hall seemed to be closer than you assumed, meaning you had moments to spare to find an excuse to dip.
“Oh hey I just realised, I have a class project due like super soon and I promised yeji I would meet up with her to do it!” honestly you weren’t really buying your own lame excuse but that didn’t really matter as you rushed off immediately before calling out “You two have fun!”
“You’re kidding” you couldn’t believe what you were hearing, I mean after your years of match making successes how was Kim Minji dropping this bomb on you right now “What do you mean it didn’t go well, I thought you guys started texting?”
“We did! But that doesn’t change the fact that he already likes someone” Minji sighed out before scooping a handful of chips into her mouth. In all honesty she didn’t seem too phased by this whole thing, which was more of a reason for you to be worried. Because Minji, your boy crazy and insanely delusional friend Minji, didn’t bat an eye to her crush rejecting her.
“Okay now why do I sound more upset than you are?” you pry, now being the one to shovel chips into your mouth
“Because,” Minji starts before promptly tying up the bag of chips and tossing it onto your nightstand “I could honestly see it coming from a mile away, I’m surprised you didn’t catch onto it.”
“No way, that dude’s a fucking liar. There is no plausible way Kim Donghyun likes someone and I don’t know about it”
“Well he’s not lying because he told me who it is, and to be honest it’s really obvious” she says with a smirk before wiping off calbee chip dust on her shorts and promptly packing away her things
What? How could he tell Minji and not you? Aren’t you guys supposed to be best friends, what’s so secretive about it that he can tell Minji and not his friend of years?
“Wait what? Who is it Minji? Please, I beg you. I mean the guy’s got like 7 friends. I'd probably guess it eventually so why don’t you just tell me now!” you follow her around the room like a puppy, begging for answers whilst she packs away her things not really giving you a second glance before responding with “Then I guess you’ve gotta keep guessing!”
“Minji please!” you cry out, watching her in hopelessness as she headed towards the door
“I’ve got class.” she replies, before flashing a mischievous grin and opening the door to walk out. And as if on cue, like a trade off, she greets Leehan with a polite smile before patting him on the back before he headed in.
“What was that all about?” he asked before plopping his bags down next to your bed and making himself comfortable on your couch
“You’re a fucking liar.”
“Oh good evening YN, it’s great to see you too! How was my day? Oh my day was great actually considering I absolutely aced my quiz. Donghyun one, physics zero-”
“Why did you lie to Minji” you cut in, now positioning yourself to face him with your arms crossed and eyes still squinting in annoyance
“I have no clue what you’re talking about” Leehan doesn’t even bat an eye before reaching over to your nightstand before grabbing the chips Minji had previously tucked away and wrapped up shut
“Why did you lie and say that you like someone?”
“It’s not a lie, because I do like someone” he replies, almost too nonchalantly which makes the words coming out of his mouth even more shocking
“What? How come I never knew?”
“Because, you don’t need to know? I wanna keep some things private” you almost can’t believe it when the words leave Leehan’s mouth. I mean you two told each other everything, you told him every one of your crushes, you couldn’t say it didn’t sting just a bit when he didn’t feel the same comfortability with you.
“Come on I could totally fix you up with her if you just told me! Do you want to die single or something? I’ve got a clean track record for playing cupid, ask any one of my friends!” you suggest, raising your tone up one octave to try and mask the fact that you were actually pretty upset by this
Still not sparing you a glance, Leehan only reaches into the bag of chips before quipping “Clean? Not so sure about that one…”
“Okay well that’s your fault. If we discount your anomaly then it’s squeaky clean!” you bite back, now snatching the chips from his hand to scoop them into your mouth, which only garners a snarky glare from him.
Sighing back and adjusting himself on the couch he hesitates before finally mumbling out “Well it’s fine because she doesn’t like me anyways” his voice low and hushed, and his gaze still averted from yours
“How do you know that, has she told you?”
“No it’s just,” Leehan pauses to finally glance up at you, but it’s only for a quick second before he drops his head down back to hands which were nervously picking at the loose threads on your couch “it’s just complicated okay?”
Complicated? How on earth could it be complicated? From your years of friendship you knew Leehan was quite the oddball at times but unlikeable? That’s far-fetched. In all honesty he was the furthest thing from it: he had good humor, was passionate in his interests, great company, a gentleman (to everyone but you), and you couldn’t deny that he was undoubtedly good looking.
“What’s so complicated about it?”
“She’s just-” sighing out Leehan leans back to rest his head on the wall before frustratingly running his hands through his hair “she’s her okay. She's loud, bubbly, outgoing- she’s got a personality. And I’m just Kim Donghyun, I don’t really stand a chance”
“Trust me one moment with me and she won’t think that. I can set any girl up with you trust, unless it’s me of course” you joke, waiting for Leehan to chuckle in response
But he doesn’t. And this is where Kim Donghyun screws up. He hesitated for just a minute too long, averted his gaze far too much for your liking, and paused just long enough for you to realise who this whole conversation is about.
Shit.
Coming to this realisation you can’t help but immediately move yourself down to the couch so that you can stare him dead set in the eyes before muttering out “Yah, Kim Donghyun. You’re not serious are you…”
And instead Leehan doesn’t laugh, he doesn’t smile, he doesn’t crack a joke, he doesn’t even look at you. Oh so he’s serious.
“This, this wasn’t how you were supposed to find out” he winces before finally sheepishly looking up at you; only to be met with your pupils slightly dilated, mouth agape, and a bright red hue flushing over your face. This is where Leehan screws up again.
“Listen I know you don’t like me back, it’s fine…can we just forget about this ever happening and just move on?” he rushes to say, hoping that you could magically forget about this whole conversation happening and things could go back to the way they were, but to his surprise…
“Are you going to answer yourself for me or am I allowed to talk?”
“What?” there’s no way he’s hearing this
“Well I don’t not like you.” you start, hoping Leehan could get the message from there to save yourself the embarrassment of having to explain yourself. But instead he just stares at you, a mirror image of how you were gazing at him earlier, except his eyes are much wider in shock, his mouth is absolutely hanging open, and his ears are burning a bright red.
“I just- you know for years it was just always you denying that we were ever a thing. And like I’ll be honest, in highschool I had a huge crush on you so hearing that over and over again I just kinda accepted that it wasn’t gonna happen, regardless of if I wanted it or not you know? And going into college I was still trying to accept that it was never gonna happe-”
“Why’d you set me up with Minji then?” Leehan cuts in to stop your rambling
“I guess, some stupid part of me thought it would be easier for me to get over you if you had someone already…does that make sense?” this time it’s your turn to avert his gaze. But instead of a reply you feel Leehan’s warm hands lacing between yours causing you to jolt up to face him, and the dopey grin on his face seemed to answer that question fully.
“Is it weird if I ask to kiss you right now?”
“I think it would be weirder if you didn’t Donghyu-” but Leehan doesn’t let you finish that sentence before pressing his lips against yours. At first you’re too surprised to even reciprocate, but with his hands snaking around the nape of your neck to pull you in closer you immediately melt. As if your lips are drawn to him with a string you return the kiss, running your fingers through his hair as you get lost in this touch.
Finally pulling away you can’t help but laugh before mumbling out “Guess my track record is pretty clean after all”
