Welcome to the Show 🍀 Happy 🍀 The Power of Love 🍀 Get the Hell Out 🍀 Sad Ending 🍀 Let Me Love You 🍀 Didn't Know
I'm so moved by the stage
That I won't be alone any longer
Among all of the possibilities
Thank you for choosing me
The future that you're welcoming with me might be risky
But there might also be tear-filled impassion
Dowoon let out a shaky exhale as he anxiously tapped one drumstick against his thigh. His gaze flitted around, and seeing all of the familiar bookshelves and cozy chairs actually did a lot to calm his nerves. The only other thing that could help would be seeing you, but if he so much as peeked around the curtain next to the small stage in the back of the bookstore, he would see everyone else in the audience, too. And that would most decidedly not help.
It had taken him years to get to this point, and chickening out now would disappoint not only himself but you, too. You wouldn't tell him you were disappointed, but he knew you would be deep down.
Suddenly (or maybe not so suddenly), the urge to see you was almost overwhelming. He knew you were out in the audience, probably not even ten feet away from him at this very moment -- the bookstore wasn't a huge place, after all. All he really wanted was to say 'thank you.' Up until tonight, Dowoon had been too scared to even think about drumming in front of other people, but you had gently pushed him to share his talent. He didn't have to ever go on stage again, not even at the bookstore's Open Mic night; just once would be enough.
And, eventually, Dowoon had fallen so deeply for you that he agreed. The smile on your lips and the squeal his acquiescence had elicited from you had warmed his heart and quelled his nerves.
So, if he could only see you for just a minute right now, just to say 'thank you for believing in me' and wrap you in a quick but tight embrace, he knew he would be able to get up on that stage without a care in the world.
Even so, if you won't let go of my hand
If so (If so)
Then let's go (Let's go)
Welcome to the show
I promise you this much
I'm going to give my all
So, the look in your eyes won't be shaken
I'll be standing and looking towards you
Alas, just as Dowoon was reaching into his pocket to send you a text, the emcee for the Open Mic night (the manager of the bookstore) announced the next act -- Dowoon's band.
Technically, it wasn't his band. It was a local band he'd joined a couple of months ago after their drummer moved away. But still.
"And some of you may recognize the drummer," the manager said, her grin apparent in her voice. "He's been working here at The Pagemaster for almost four years -- our very own Dowoon!"
Dowoon's stomach dropped down to his feet. His cheeks almost instantly flamed. He should've known this was coming since his manager, Hanna, had been delighted when she'd heard the news.
But, still? Had it been necessary to point him out like that?!
Somehow, Dowoon followed his bandmates out onto the small stage, though he kept his eyes glued to his shoes rather than look out in the audience. When he sat down behind his drum set, though, he kind of had no choice but to face the audience, so he swiftly found you -- the only person in this bookstore right now (and maybe in the world?) around whom he didn't feel nervous. His anchor, his rock, his home.
A wide, radiant grin appeared on your lips the second your gazes met, and Dowoon imagined the feeling of your hand in his. He imagined you standing right in front of him, blocking out every other person so it seemed as if he were only playing to you.
As the band's frontman was introducing their first song, you discreetly formed a heart with your fingers and mouthed 'I believe in you.'
Honestly, that was all he needed. As soon as the guitarist turned around to give Dowoon the signal, he lifted his drumsticks into the air and counted them off to begin.
Let's go.
I know your decision was not easy
It's my part to make you not regret it
If you're willing to go to the end together
Still holding onto your hand
Even on the day that the curtains come down
So that we can say to each other
That I was happy because it was you
You were so proud of Dowoon that you almost started crying tears of joy. But you could still see the anxiety on his face, and if he saw you crying, it certainly wouldn't help things.
So, to distract your mind, you began thinking of how you and Dowoon met all those months ago...
You had just moved to town not even a week before you walked through the doors of The Pagemaster, a locally-owned bookstore about a five-minute walk from your new place. The stress of moving and unpacking had gotten to you, and you'd decided to notch out some time to unwind with a new book -- escapism and retail therapy. What better ways to cope, am I right?
It hadn't been one of those meet-cutes where you'd seen Dowoon across the room and were pulled by the Universe to go speak with him. You had interacted with him on that first visit, yes, but things had happened gradually. In fact, it had taken you about two months to realize you were visiting The Pagemaster at least once a week not fully to buy or browse new books, but more to see a certain dark-haired, soft-spoken employee.
And then, on your first date a few weeks later, Dowoon had mentioned that he played the drums.
"Wait, how did I not know this already?" you'd gasped, your brow furrowed. "Are you playing at Open Mic Night next weekend?"
Dowoon had immediately shaken his head and murmured, "No, it's just a hobby."
"So? Open Mic Night isn't just for professionals. Actually, that's the whole point! You should sign up and play something!" you'd assured him, reaching out to rest a gentle hand on his arm.
"Nah... I don't think so."
It had taken a bit of delicate prodding to find out Dowoon had just been scared to play in front of people. A classic case of Stage Fright!
So, you'd made it your mission to find a local band in need of a drummer so he wouldn't have to be on the stage by himself.
And now here you were! Many, many dates later, and you were finally watching your boyfriend play drums at Open Mic Night. You were doing your best to catch his eye as often as possible so you could smile encouragingly and quietly clap for him -- he had been nervous for at least a week, and you didn't want him to regret doing this. Even if he never did it again, you wanted him to be glad he'd done it at least once.
Honestly, though, you would absolutely be disappointed if he decided to never drum again after tonight because boy did he look cute doing it!
I promise you this much
I'm going to give my all
So, the look in your eyes won't be shaken
I'll be standing and looking towards you
At first, when Dowoon had seen you stand from your chair and politely squeeze by the people sitting in your row, he'd panicked. The final song was almost over, but he had a drum solo near the end, and he didn't think he'd be able to get through it if you weren't in the audience!
But then he realized you were simply making your way to the side of the stage so you could be there to greet him when the band's set was done.
Thank goodness.
Your closeness gave Dowoon that extra boost of courage, and when his drum solo came around, he really gave it all he had. He clamped his eyes shut so he could just feel the music.
And when the bookstore filled with applause before he was even finished, his eyes flew open and landed on you. He could see from here that there were tears in your eyes, but you were smiling so widely and clapping so enthusiastically that he knew they were tears of joy. Or maybe... pride?
He was certainly proud of himself for overcoming his stage fright, and if he was being honest, if the roles were reversed, he would probably be overflowing with emotion, too.
The applause was still going strong as the band's frontman thanked everyone and then turned to leave the stage. Dowoon swiftly stood, slid his drumsticks into his back pocket, and practically leaped over his cymbal stand to get to you.
"You were amazing!" you whisper-shouted the second he reached you, flinging your arms around his neck.
A shy smile tugged at Dowoon's lips as he hugged you back. He could hear you sniffling above the noise of the crowd and his manager introducing the next act, so he discreetly reached up to take your arm and began to lead you back to the corner of the store where the cozy mystery section was.
"You were so so amazing," you repeated softly once Dowoon had turned to face you again.
He lifted his hands to delicate cradle your face, using one of his thumbs to wipe away a stray tear.
"I'm so proud of you," you whispered as you moved to press your forehead to his.
"I wouldn't have done it if it weren't for you," he reminded you. "So... thank you."
You let out a soft chuckle before kissing him chastely. "You're welcome."
Dowoon searched your face -- your absolutely beautiful, beaming, slightly tear-stained face -- and maybe it was the adrenaline rush from performing on stage or maybe it was your overwhelming emotions transferring to him or maybe... it was just his true, honest feelings coming to the surface, but he felt the words bubbling up and couldn't do anything to stop them.
"I love you."
Your eyebrows raised slightly, but that was the only indication you gave that he'd surprised you. You didn't hesitate even for a second before saying "I love you, too."
He pulled you into his arms then, wrapping them firmly around you as he buried his face in your sweetly scented hair.
No matter what happened from here on out -- if he never performed in front of people ever again or if he joined the band in earnest and became a full-blow musician. If he quit working at The Pagemaster tomorrow or if he worked here for the rest of his life. Dowoon wasn't worried or anxious or afraid about any of it because he knew you would be by his side, and he would be by yours.
Mosquito Bite | Dowoon | fluff, college!au | 900 words
requested
Laptop in one hand, you walked over to the couch, where Dowoon was splayed out, his focus on the shooting game he was playing on his phone. Sensing you, he sat up, making space for you to sit before putting his head on your lap. His eyes were fixated on his screen and yet the way he just naturally found his place to lay his head in your lap was endearing to you.
You awkwardly balanced your laptop over his head, before putting it on the couch armrest, slightly leaning to the side.
“What time are you leaving?” you asked, typing away.
Dowoon pouted, creases on his forehead forming from concentration and slight frustration at the prospect of having to leave you, “In an hour or so.”
He exited his game, opting to bury his face in your shirt, “I wish you could come to the party.”
“I could. Let’s switch places, you do my assignments and I go party.”
“Ha. ha.” He sat up, pecking you on the cheek.
You sighed, “I really wish I could go though.”
Now Dowoon started to feel bad, and a slight panic. He didn’t mean to make you feel sad, and he definitely had no idea how to help you out of your situation. So he did the one thing he knew would make you feel better, leaning in, he took your face in his hands and pressed a kiss to your lips.
Your eyes fluttered close, enjoying the way his lips felt on yours, as you kissed him back softly. He pulled back for a moment, to catch his breath and adjust your positions, pushing you down onto the couch, his face inches above you.
You ran your index finger over his slightly blushing cheeks, noticing his even redder ears, “You’re so pretty.”
Dowoon let out a “Hmm..” bringing his lips down, attaching them to your neck. You giggled, it was a classic Dowoon move, avoiding eye contact when he was flustered. But your amusement didn’t last long as you felt his teeth grazing your skin.
His kisses were subtle but progressed dangerously and you found yourself grabbing his shirt for something to hold on to. You sucked in a breath, holding it in, only for the moment to be interrupted by his phone ringtone blaring through the silence.
Both of you sighed, Dowoon muttering a meek “Sorry.” as he clambered off of you, picking up the call and fixing his hair and jacket.
He leaned over to give you one last kiss and you narrowed your eyes at him, “You said an hour.”
He gave you his signature sheepish smile, “Or so.” Quickly pecking you on the lips he ran out.
Your eyes followed him, a soft smile tugging on your lips before you shook your own head, bringing yourself back to reality and focusing on your tasks at hand.
Two hours later, neck sore and joints stiff, you stretched, stifling a yawn. Your phone vibrated, and you craned your neck to look at the caller.
Brian Kang is calling...
You picked up the call and was greeted by an overly enthusiastic Younghyun, “Hellooo sister in law..., come pick up your man, he’s drunk as shit!”
There was a muffled shuffling noise as the phone exchanged hands, “Jae here! Come get Dowoon kthanksbye!”
You chuckled, standing up to get your keys, “Will be on my way~”
You arrived, seeing Jae and Younghyun practically scruffing Dowoon by the neck and dragging him into the passenger seat of your car, Jae howling a “Have fun!” before leaving back to the party.
You went into the driver’s seat and leaned over to put his seatbelt on. Seeing you coming closer towards him, Dowoon puckered up his lips. And when you didn’t kiss him he took your face in his hands, squishing your cheeks together, forcing you to look at him.
You stared at him, waiting for him to say anything, just to see if he was capable of saying anything in his drunken state.
Dowoon looked you in the eyes, alcohol buzzing in his system. He squinted, struggling to form sentences, “You.... Why didn’t you...,” His eyes travelled down your face to your neck, where he saw an angry red mark, “Oh no, mosquito bite!”
You gave him a confused look, you couldn’t lie, you were entertained by the state he was in.
He ran his hand over the mark, “Which mosquito did this to you...”
You flitted your gaze downwards, looking at the fresh hickey he left a couple hours ago, “You did it.”
“I’m, I’m gonna- wait... me?”
Now it was your turn to look him in the eyes, “Yes you. This isn’t a mosquito bite. This is a hickey.”
“O..Oh...” he laughed, “That makes sense...” He took your face, holding it between his hands again, “You know...it makes so much sense...”
You nodded, stifling a laugh. “Yes Dowoon, it does.”
He went on like a broken record, “It make sense...you see...” He tilted your head slightly to look at him, “I.., I looove fucking you.”
You pushed him away gently, inserting your keys in the ignition and starting the car, “I think you meant to say ‘I fucking love you’, but I’ll take it.”
Thank you to everyone who supported Band Sessions.
Index: Jae | Sungjin | Young K | Wonpil | Dowoon
It was the biggest scoop thus far for you to take on as a reporter for the campus newspaper. You had only transferred to this university at the start of the semester, and since the roles in the editing room had been well established before you came along, you had been lucky enough to be writing a weekly column as it was. Still, there was only so much of your journalism skills you could exercise in the highlights reel you had been assigned to.
So when a seasoned writer for the paper, Maggie, had fallen over skiing in the weekend, well, you had been worried for her, of course.
And secretly grateful for the opportunity to snag some of her workload.
“This is a big deal, Y/N. Day6 won another band competition on Friday night and we need someone to interview the members and write about their growing population on and off campus as a band.”
“I can do it,” you assured your editor-in-chief with a confident nod.
Gerrie sighed and looked around at the rest of the hustle in the office and then back at your face. You could tell he was hoping he could rely on someone else, perhaps someone who had already proven their talent in his eyes.
But this was going to be your moment. You had been accepted onto the newspaper team because of the stellar recommendations from your past university. There, you had usually held the third most important story of each edition. You had even saved the dying campus cafeteria after writing about their surprising culinary art.
So writing about a campus band would be a piece of cake.
“Alright, you have four days to interview them and present your article to me. It’s running in our next release.”
“I’ll get it to you on time, Gerrie,” you confirmed and picked up your notebook you had been scribbling in, shifting up out of the chair in front of the senior.
“Y/N,” he called out and you stopped to look back at Gerrie. His gaze pierced yours. “Don’t mess this up, I’m counting on you.”
“I won’t let you down, boss.”
Returning to your desk, you let an elated smile cross over your lips momentarily. You were wired up, excited to finally let your reporting prowess shine. Glancing down at the name written in the middle of the page of your notebook, you picked up your pen and circled Day6 a couple of times.
Oh yes, this would be amazing.
Once you found out who Day6 even was, that is.
Thankfully, it was never all that hard to research anything and your lack of knowledge about the five member band had been replaced with notes on all of their current accolades, how many gigs they had played this year, a fansite address, and most importantly, where their studio was located. You had even contacted the band over their official Instagram account and arranged an interview for the following evening. On your way over, you hummed along to one of their songs, Better Better, playing on Spotify through your phone, feeling more than ready to meet the band now known as regional finalists.
You could tell upon the studio door opening that this title was a big deal for them.
Sungjin, their leader, laughed heartily after greeting you, clasping his hands together and looking towards his members as he gestured for you to take a seat. “I never thought we’d be interviewed by the school paper.”
“Given you were interviewed by the local news station, it can’t be all that bad to have me here today.”
Having memorised all the members’ names, you smiled at Wonpil when he bashfully smiled, waving his hands around to dismiss the notion. “No, we’re really happy. Thank you for thinking of us!”
“Dude, you’re shaking, are you really happy?” Jae teased and leaned forward in his chair. He attention then switched to you. “You’re not taking a photo of us tonight, right?”
“No, I can use a photo from your latest gig, if you’d prefer. Your manager has sent me more than enough photos to pick from,” you offered and he somewhat relaxed, a lazy smile crossing his lips. You smiled knowingly, he definitely had a relationship with their manager as you suspected from her glowing conversation about the lead guitarist in particular.
Clearing your throat, you launched into your prepared questions after confirming it was alright to record the interview. It didn’t take long for Brian and Jae to take over, answering what you needed to know with relative ease. You picked up that whilst Sungjin was the leader, answering questions on the spot was more Brian’s forte. Still, the former was present, throwing in some witty remarks and making sure his younger members did participate.
You noticed that every time Dowoon talked, his ears would turn pink and he’d chuckle a lot. It was rather endearing, and you wondered just how many of their fans liked his shy persona. You could almost guarantee he was the type to get embarrassed being stopped on campus for a signature or photo.
“Oh yeah, he’s totally the type,” Jae confirmed with a laugh at the expense of the drummer. And then he nodded. “But Dowoon is the dark horse of our team.”
“Without a drummer keeping you all on time, how can you effectively work together,” you agreed, smiling brightly at the student now almost as red as Wonpil’s shirt. “How do you feel about the term Jae mentioned?”
Dowoon rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly and then grinned. “Well, uh, I guess I’m kind of important.”
“Kind of?” Brian echoed with a laugh. “You’re definitely important.”
“Shall we go as far as to dub you the most important member?” you offered with an encouraging smile and Dowoon shook his head. “Come on now, if you don’t keep the time, then how can you play together as in sync as you do?”
“I guess that makes sense.”
You clapped your hands together and beamed at the rest of the group. “Thank you so much for your time today. I’m looking forward to your future achievements. And the show this weekend, as well.”
“Oh, you’re coming?” Sungjin asked and you nodded.
“Sweet, if your article goes well, you can come to the after-party,” Jae offered and shrugged when Wonpil gaped at him for suggesting it on those terms.
You merely chuckled. “Well I’ll consider myself invited since you all made it easy for me to write this up, I can tell.”
You thanked them all again for their time and then headed towards the door to the studio, smiling back at everyone before stepping out.
You felt relieved. Not only had the interview gone well, but you already felt inspired to draft up your first copy of the piece. Hurrying towards the elevator, you only hoped that your hands could keep up typing the thoughts now swirling around in your mind.
“Well, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m super impressed,” Gerrie announced when you handed in your article for submission. You beamed with his compliment, watching as he tried not to smile at you when he looked up. “I guess the highlights reel was not the right place to put you.”
“No, I think it humbled me.”
“Well, I’ll have to do some rearranging of the team. We’ll definitely need more of your articles running in the paper, Y/N.”
Thanking him repeatedly, you waited until you were out of the office before you began to celebrate. Pumping your hand up into the air, you let out a cheer, did a little dance on the spot and then patted your own shoulder.
When you were done singing your praises, you looked up and found someone watching you. Instead of feeling embarrassed, you grinned happily and approached the tall man whose ears were now the same colour as your blouse. “Destiny called you here, right?”
“Who’s Destiny?” Dowoon wondered and then eyed you carefully. “Are you alright, Y/N?”
“Never been better.”
“You ran around in a circle,” he pointed out with a small smirk. So he had enjoyed the performance you had just put on.
Nudging him playfully, you couldn’t contain your happiness. “My scoop on Day6 was a hit. I was complimented by the steely Gerrie Moore. That is not an easy feat and it’s all thanks to you.”
“Really?” he genuinely enthused and grinned. “Let me buy you a celebratory coffee then!”
“Only if you allow me to buy you a piece of cake to say thanks for helping me out,” you compromised and Dowoon laughed, nodding once.
“Are you free now?”
“Didn’t you see me just run around in a circle? Do you think I could possibly be up to anything more productive?” you mentioned with a laugh and Dowoon chuckled.
“Well then, coffee and cake it is.”
You had believed that conversation with Dowoon would be hard to achieve. Admittedly, at first, he had seemed shy. But he persisted through in asking you how you had been and you easily steered the conversation towards your hobbies and interests.
“You know, I’ve always wanted to learn the drums,” you mentioned and Dowoon’s eyebrows arched curiously.
“Really?”
You nodded. “Of course. How cool would it be to vent your annoyance by banging something?”
“There’s more to drumming than just banging at the instrument, Y/N. It takes a lot of skill.”
“Of course there is,” you agreed and then leaned over the table towards him. Dowoon eyed you cautiously. “Reckon you could show me sometime?”
“You… you want to learn?”
Nodding eagerly, you pointed to the exit. “Are you free now?”
“You just do everything on a whim, don’t you?” he asked with a laugh and you shrugged.
“When I have an idea, I want to follow it through. So, can you teach me?”
“I bet after thirty minutes you’ll never want to drum again,” he proclaimed and you gaped at Dowoon, rolling up your sleeves as if you were preparing yourself to prove him wrong.
You smirked. “I’m competitive.”
“I can tell.”
“Come on then, let’s go so I can prove you wrong!”
You did in fact, last longer than thirty minutes. But you had to admit, it was a whole lot harder than you expected. Most of the time, Dowoon had you simply kicking the bass drum in a stable rhythm. That was relatively easy until your leg tired.
Dowoon smirked. “It’s not easy, is it?”
“I can do it,” you corrected, heaving in a deep breath and trying to regain your tempo. When you had it, you smiled smugly and gestured for what was next.
“Y/N, most people learn the basics for weeks on end. You need to build up your leg muscles on the kick drum first.”
“No I want to try and incorporate my hands too!” you bit back, looking at the drum kit before you. Pointing at a part of it, you looked over at Dowoon. “This is the floor Tom, right?”
“You know your parts,” he replied with a surprised smile.
“When I research something I have an interest in, I like to know all the facts,” you commented, heaving in another breath.
Maintaining this beat was a lot harder than you wanted to let on.
“Oh yeah, is that how you knew stuff about us?”
“Of course. A reporter’s job is to find the facts and bring the story to life with them.”
“So you know about us?” he repeated and you glanced in Dowoon’s direction, your focus narrowing as he rubbed at the back of his neck. “I bet you know a lot about Jae and Brian. They’re popular with the fans.”
“Your favourite colour is red, you have a dog and a cat, you love most types of meals with meat in them and you strangely like green tea ice cream.”
Dowoon blinked, and his ears turned red. “You know all that?”
“What, that’s just after a simple search from your fansites. Kind of crazy to think you have fans compiling lists like this, huh?”
“I’m grateful,” he mumbled and you nodded.
“I thought you would be.”
“Do you know anything else?” he wondered, his hand mindlessly playing with the cymbals. You examined his motion for a moment before giving up on kick pedal, collapsing over the snare drum.
“I know that my leg is about to fall off,” you heaved and Dowoon chuckled. Looking up at him, you smiled. “And that you have a nice talking voice. Your laugh is really cute too. And when you smile, I almost forget what I’m talking about. At the interview, you were the one I wanted to hear from the most.”
“Really?” Dowoon tried not to grin but it spread across his lips all the same. “You like talking to me?”
“I do. And admittedly, you were right. I don’t think I’m cut out for drumming. You’re super talented, Dowoon. I just wanted to spend more time with you.”
“Why would you want to do that?”
You chewed on your lip with hesitation. However, you were known to be bold with all your thoughts. It was how you were an excellent reporter. Sometimes, the risks you took were worth a moment of feeling out of your depth.
“Well, I saw what your ideal type was listed as and hoped I matched up well enough for you to want to spend time with me. And maybe go out on a date?”
For a moment, Dowoon was frozen. You weren’t even sure he was breathing still and you watched carefully to ensure he wasn’t going to collapse or anything. And then he seemed to come back alive again, unable to control his emotions. His eyes were bright and he swapped between chuckling and grinning giddily. His ears were pink, as was his neck too. He seemed to be overheating.
Reaching out for his hand, you squeezed it, hoping he would calm down a little. It seemed to work, even though Dowoon had rested against the wall to hold himself up. “You’re bold.”
“I told you, when I show an interest in something, I need to know all the facts. There’s no point in me trying to play coy with you when I like you. But, if you don’t feel the same-”
“No, I definitely do. I just… you really do match my ideal type. I’m kind of surprised that you actually exist.”
It was your turn to blush finally and Dowoon seemed to like this a little too much. “Hey, about that after-party this weekend…”
“Want to come as my date?” Dowoon asked before you could suggest anything and you nodded happily, swinging your still linked hands back and forth gently.
“I’d really like that.”
“Can I request something though?”
“What?”
Dowoon grinned. “I don’t know nearly as much as you do. Reckon you could write up a facts list like the one you found on me? That way I can learn about you too.”
“Don’t you want to find out slowly like how most people do whilst dating?”
Dowoon shook his head. “If you’re going to know all you do about me first, I want to level out the playing field.”
“I’ll have it to you by tomorrow then,” you answered, standing up from the drum kit. You weren’t prepared for how weak your leg was, and stumbled, Dowoon reaching out to catch you. Your hands went to his middle and your eyes snapped up to his.
“Oh,” you commented, blinking slowly. “I guess that’s true too.”
“What is?”
“That drummers tend to have really good bodies.”
“Y/N!” Dowoon spluttered and then laughed. “Maybe you know too much.”
“It’s my job to know a lot about things,” you countered and Dowoon nodded. You then slipped your arms around his waist, nestling into his body. You waited to see what his reaction would be but he didn’t pull away, his arms gingerly sliding up to pat you gently.
“Let me catch up. I want to know a lot of things about you too.”
Inspired by @noona-clock‘s “Day6 in Hogwarts Houses”
Pairing: Yoon Dowoon x You
Genre: AU, Fluff
Word Count: 1.1k
Warnings: Lots of science talk
Masterlist
The universe. An ever expanding, ever changing force full of all existing matter and space considered as a whole. It’s believed to be at least ten billion light years in diameter and contains an infinite number of galaxies. Each galaxy full of stars begging to be explored.
Night cloaked Hogwarts as you and Dowoon crept silently towards the Astrology Tower. You clutched your notebook, holding it to your chest while Dowoon carried his telescope behind you. You both scurried through the corridors, trying to avoid perfects, teachers, and Peeves. The hallways were eerily silent, save the snores coming from the paintings. A mysterious wind blew through the hallways, making you shiver.
“Why is it so cold?” Dowoon inquired. Before you could answer, a loud cackle rattled your bones. “Scratch that.”
“My my, looky what we have here! Students out of bed!” Peeves cackled.
“Quiet down, Peeves!” you hissed. He laughed, floating above you and Dowoon.
“Why would I do that?” he asked grinning. You thought for a moment, turning to Dowoon. He shrugged, glancing up at the mischievous poltergeist.
“Hm, I don’t know. I thought it was more entertaining for you to bother Nearly Headless Nick, or Moaning Myrtle. The worst punishment we’ll get is a warning, considering we’re both perfect students and are out of our dorms to conduct scientific experiments,” you explained, waltzing past him and towards the tower.
“You’re no fun,” Peeves complained. You shrugged, motioning for Dowoon to follow you.
“You know,” Dowoon started after you both were out of Peeves’ ear shot, “when you suggested we go stargazing, this was not what I thought you meant.”
“No, I told you I was going stargazing, and you begged me to let you come,” you corrected him. He huffed and you shrugged. You guys clambered up the stairs of the Astrology Tower, slowly reaching the top. You went to the large opening, staring up at the thousands of twinkling stars. You waited as patiently as possible while Dowoon set his telescope up, eager to continue your studies.
“Why couldn’t this wait until class?” Dowoon inquired. You moved around him, maneuvering the telescope to angle it to the correct coordinates.
“Because science does not wait for class and neither do I. I would also prefer not to have Professor Sinistra breathing down my neck. Great teacher, slightly annoying though,” you told him. “I’m on the verge of a possible astronomical phenomena.” You bent down, making sure you could see what you needed to. Dowoon hoisted himself onto the railing, gripping it tightly.
“What kind of phenomena?” Dowoon inquired, swinging his feet back and forth.
“Astronomical,” you replied simply, turning to the telescope.
“Specifically?” You turned to face him, chuckling and smiling. He was leaning his head in his hand, arm resting on his knee. He was too darn cute for words sometimes.
“Something is happening to Antares,” you told him. He quirked an eyebrow.
“Antares?”
“It’s the fifteenth brightest star in the night sky and the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius,” you explained, pulling out a pen. You turned back to the telescope. “It’s been acting extremely strange, and I want to document it.”
“Why don’t you use a quill?” he asked.
“Pen’s more convenient.” He laughed. “What?”
“You go to a school for witches and wizards, yet you use muggle items. You’re fascinating, you know.” It was your turn to laugh.
“The only thing that’s fascinating is how strange Antares is acting,” you said, jotting something down in your notebook.
“What qualifies as ‘extremely strange’?” You giggled, stepping back from the scope.
“Dowoon, Dove, we have the same astrology class. You know what qualifies as ‘extremely strange’,” you reminded him. He nodded, his eyes gazing into yours lovingly. He grinned, hoping off the rail. The wind whipped through the room, spreading goosebumps across your arms. He pulled his robe off, wrapping it securely around you.
“I know, but I like listening to your voice,” he confessed, wrapping his arms around your waist. You hummed, resting your arms on his shoulders.
“I usually talk when I make observations,” you said. “If you’re quiet, then you can hear me talk.”
“But I like it when you talk to me.”
“Then let me work.” You gently pushed him away, turning to face the telescope. He sighed, stepping back. You bent down, watching as Antares flared at inflated levels. “Amazing! Dowoon, come look at this.” You stepped aside, waving Dowoon to step closer. He bent down to the telescope.
“Okay, so you see these pulsing spots on the star?” He hummed. “That’s a solar flare; it’s a rise in energy in a certain spot. Now it’s not an unusual occurrence, but the rate at which they’re happening and the nature of these solar flares are amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“So you could say it’s actually twinkling,” he told you grinning. You giggled picking up your journal. “Tell me more about this scorpior constellation.”
“Constellation Scorpius,” you corrected. “It’s a zodiac constellation. The arrangement of stars form a head and a long curving tail. In Greek Mythology, it represents the scorpion that was sent to kill Orion as punishment for his disrespect towards the Greek goddess Artemis.
“After the scorpion completed his task, he was placed in the sky, on the opposite side from Orion, as a reward of sorts. It was s’posed to be a reminder to humans to be wary of their arrogance and pride. As the Hunter set in the west, thus rises the Scorpion from the east.
“It’s actually one of the oldest constellations, dating back at least five thousand years. It was seen in Babylon and, going back to the Greeks, the constellation used to be bigger. The Romans in the first century took its claws to form the constellation Libra.” You glanced up quickly but did a double take when you saw Dowoon staring at you fondly. “What?”
“Did you know your eyes sparkle when you’re excited?” You opened your mouth but closed it again, multiple times. You dropped your gaze, cheeks hot. “It’s really cute.”
He cupped your face, meeting your eyes. He leant in, pressing his lips against yours. You closed your eyes, moving your mouth against his. You gripped his robes, pulling him closer. His lips were soft against yours, and they tasted like pumpkin juice. You could get lost in the feeling of his lips on yours. You pulled away after awhile, heart hammering in your chest. You smiled up at your loving boyfriend smiling.
“What was that for?”
“Because I love you,” he giggled, ears turning bright red.
Dowoon rested in your living room with a stuffed dog toy laying on his chest. The fake fur tickled his chin when he sat up slightly to look at you. “We should get a dog.” Dowoon said out loud with a child like grin on his face. Not even blinking twice you nonchalantly replied in agreement and that set Dowoon with stars in his eyes. “Really?” He exclaimed more excited than ever. The look of excitement on his face with his shining eyes and beautiful smile would have teared your heart to say no so before you knew it the two of you were headed to the nearest pet store.
hello! could you do a piece about the boys reacting to meeting you for the first time?
SUNGJIN.
Despite thefact that he’d probably act weird in some moments he’d try to make you feelintegrated in the conversation after meeting you for the first time, askingabout your likes or some simple things that might lead the conversation to somecommon interests or points of view.
DOWOON.
At first hewould be a little bit shy but anyway he’d pop up with some funny comments fromtime to time in the middle of the conversation letting you chat with the restof the members cause he’s much of a listener most of the time.
WONPIL.
Acting asthe shy boy he is, he’d introduce himself with all of is aegyo, making you fallfor his inner cuteness, probably talking about shenanigans, but making thefirst conversation interesting for you.
JAE.
He’d surelyjoke with or against you, but always trying to be friendly, probably prankingWonpil to make you laugh and give a good impression of him as the funny boy heis. Also using English expressions toact cool and calling Youngk Brian causeyes, that’s funny too.
YOUNGK.
He wouldtry to act cool, playing it funny while trying to control (a bit, not much) his meme expressions. He’d be tryingto find some common interests just like Sungjin, probably asking you about your music likes to start a conversation from there.
