includes :: [ nine screenshots ] boyfriend!mark x reader ( typically gender neutral ). mark from the dreamies pov ! i love mark lee. nickname: angel. i always feel like i butcher him in fics tbh . . . i always feel like i butcher ALL of them sfhds smh. i like to think i’m funny. i also like to think u and mark have the most meaningless conversations ever <3 all mistakes are unintentional !
authors note, kind of a req lol ! anyway i hope you enjoy lovelies 💛 it’s . . it’s kinda bad though so.
synopsis: you loved jaemin for eight long years. long enough to learn how to keep him in your life in the name of love. loving him meant accepting the faults even when it isn’t yours, changing every part of yourself to be a part of his narrative, wondering when will you ever become someone easier to love. every fight circled the same ache—him telling you who you should be, you apologising and promising that you’ll change. at jaemin’s first photography exhibition, muse, you realised that in a room filled with photos full of faces he chose to remember and hold onto, you were not part of it. and for the first time, you ask the question you’ve been avoiding all along, how much of yourself can you give before there’s nothing left to be seen?
a/n: alas, it's been so long since i've uploaded a new chapter and my sincere apologies that it took!!!! this!!! long!!!! thank you guys so much for being the most patient bunch, honestly writing had been a little tough for me with everything that is ongoing and me preparing for my move to seoul but i figured i just had to finish the story one way or another😤😤 i'm deeply in love with the song, "TURiSTA" by bad bunny (yessss benito!!!!) and in love with its lyrics that i dedicate this chapter to that very song. highly recommended listening to this while reading!!! feel free to drop in my inbox~ see you guys in the next chapter! 🩵
˚꩜｡ chapter song: TURiSTA - bad bunny
˚꩜｡ m.list | previous | next chapter
you had never questioned jaemin's faithfulness. not once in the eight years you had been together for you believed wholeheartedly that jaemin loved you. that no matter how cold he could be, no matter how harsh his words sometimes landed, he would never do anything deliberately to hurt you or jeopardise what you two had built together. you always told yourself that you could take the distance, the misunderstandings, the arguments that always seemed to circle back to all your insecurities.
you thought you could take it all.
but this time it felt different and what made it worse was the voice in your head that kept whispering doubt — maybe you're overreacting. maybe they really were just two old friends catching up. two people with shared memories grabbing bread and laughing about something insignificant. maybe the way he learned towards her meant nothing. maybe the ease between them was simply familiarity.
but another part of you refused to accept that. that undeniable sting of betrayal pressing into your chest because standing there watching them across the street had shifted something inside you in a way that you couldn't undo or comprehend.
more frustratedly, even though jaemin had been rightfully yours from the start, you still felt like the other woman watching the man she loved walk beside the person he truly belonged with.
the thought made your stomach churn.
was this how tinkerbell felt when peter pan chose wendy over her? was this what heartbreak felt like? the endless dropping sensation in your gut, the nausea that crept up your throat, the way your chest tightened until breathing felt like hard-work? heartbreak felt like your body was rejecting something it had trusted for far too long.
you turned back to mark, who had gone quiet beside you with a look of concern. “sorry,” you said softly, your voice thinner than you intended. “i should…i should probably head home.”
you tried to keep your composure, but the tears gathering in your eyes blurred the streetlights into soft halos. your hands trembled as you adjusted the strap of your bag, hoping he wouldn’t notice.
of course he did.
mark had only known you for less than twenty-four hours but even then he could see it—the way your hands were balled into fists, the way your gaze refused to return to the street behind you.
“are you okay?” he asked gently.
you nodded too quickly, looking away to hide your clearly red face.
“do you… need company?” he added, reaching out hesitantly, his fingers brushing your arm like he wasn’t sure if the gesture would be welcomed.
“i’m okay,” you forced a small smile, though the words didn’t feel true. “really.”
he studied your face for a moment longer, clearly unconvinced, but he didn’t push. “alright,” he said quietly.
"have a safe trip!" you nodded once more, offering him a polite tight lipped goodbye before turning away.
mark remained where he was, watching as you walked off down the street—your steps unsteady, shoulders slightly hunched, like you were trying to hold yourself together piece by piece.
he didn’t know the full story.
but even from a distance, he could tell something inside you had just broken apart.
you went straight back to the shared apartment you had with jaemin, shutting the door behind you as you slid down against it, finally allowing your tears to fall. the feeling only grew worse now that you were in the very space where you once imagined starting a family with the love of your life.
you should've known. you should've caught the signs whenever jaemin tried to steer you towards the possibility of leaving this relationship. because no one who truly claims to love you would ever make leaving an option. leaving was never an option to you.
but it was clear as day that jaemin no longer valued the relationship the same way you did.
and perhaps that was why jaemin always dodged your questions about marriage. often saying, “that’s still far away,” or simply humming and laughing it off whenever your friends asked him when he was going to propose. of course, you never minded that jaemin was taking his time. you always believed marriage would be the natural end point for the two of you.
now it finally made sense why he was never keen on entertaining any of your thoughts about it.
that day, you sat on your shared bed hugging your legs tightly for a long time, staring into nothing but the emptiness slowly eating you away while time continue to pass painfully slow with no sign of jaemin.
you thought about what you would say when he came home. whether it was even worth the pain and exhaustion of fighting someone who would probably only defend himself, someone who might not even care about how deeply this situation had hurt you.
and in that moment, you realised something.
you had given up.
you were raising the white flag.
you couldn't do this anymore. your heart couldn't endure a hurt that never seemed to end, that this was the kind of wound that will never stop bleeding.
with half a heart, you pulled your luggage out from beneath the bed, the same one you had used on countless trips with jaemin and began packing your things one by one. you decided you were going to travel to rome to see it for yourself.
to see what was so special about rome that took jaemin’s heart away from you.
how long will you be gone for?
you didn’t know.
but you knew you had to leave this place.
away from jaemin.
away from this country that held far too many memories of him.
you were almost done packing when you heard the front door shut followed by the familiar sound of footsteps moving down the hallway that were unmistakably jaemin's.
you didn't turn around. instead, you continued folding the sweater in your hands, placing it carefully into the suitcase already half-filled on the bed. the zipper teeth glinted under the room's soft light, your belongings arranged in neat rows like you were trying to impose order on something that had completely unraveled.
it was then finally the door swung open slowly and there he was, jaemin standing int he doorway, one hand still resting on the knob. his presence filled the space so naturally it almost felt wrong that he looked like a stranger standing there.
your eyes met immediately and for a brief second, neither of you spoke. then his gaze dropped, travelling from your face to the bed, to the open suitcase and to the clothes stacked neatly inside. the movement was slow and deliberate like his brain was trying to process something it hadn't expected to see. which explains the confusion that was flashed across his features. and perhaps maybe, just for a split second, something close to panic though you could be entirely imagining it.
“what… are you doing?” he asked finally as he slowly stepped into to the room carefully, as if sudden gestures might make the situation worse. you kept your hands busy, folding another shirt even though you’d already folded it once. “i'm leaving,” you said simply, refusing to look at him in the eye.
the words hung in the air.
jaemin frowned, like the sentence didn’t quite register.
“…leaving?” he repeated.
you nodded, still not looking directly at him.
“what for?” he asked, confusion edging into his voice now. “where are you even going?”
you finally lifted your head. “i'm going to rome.” you answered honestly.
jaemin couldn’t believe his ears. a scoff slipped out of him immediately as he looked away, shaking his head in disbelief. “are you out of your mind?” he said, the laugh that followed sharp and incredulous. “i thought we agreed last night that nobody’s going to Rome.”
“i didn’t agree to it,” you replied with a small shrug. “you decided that on your own.”
“wow.” jaemin bit the inside of his cheek, his jaw tightening as he looked at you again. the coldness in your voice was unfamiliar, almost jarring and he wasn’t used to hearing it from you.
you were usually the one softening first. the one stepping back before things escalated. and something about the way you stood there now—calm and unmoving, irritated him more than he wanted to admit. for the first time, it sounded like you were talking to him without the fear of losing him.
“is this about saeron again?” he asked, pushing himself off the bed. he began pacing the room, hands shoved into his pockets like he was trying to contain the frustration building in his chest. “why can’t you just believe there’s nothing between us?”
when you didn’t answer, he dragged a hand through his hair and turned away, walking towards your cupboard as if the movement might shake off the tension in the room.
you grabbed another sweater from the hanger and folded it carefully before placing it into the suitcase. “didn’t seem like it earlier,” you muttered under your breath.
jaemin heard you. he stopped mid-step, running another hand through his hair, frustration bleeding into his voice. “god, we were just catching up, that’s all. you’re over-exaggerating it in your head again!” he threw his hands up in the air.
and suddenly—
you laughed.
the sound startled both of you.
it was the kind of laugh that wasn't in amusement but rather a hollow sharp sound like something inside you had finally snapped loose.
jaemin stared at you in surprise.
you shook your head slowly, the laughter fading as quickly as it came.“yeah,” you said, nodding. “i’m over-exaggerating this whole thing in my head again.” you turned to look at him fully now, meeting his gaze without hesitation.
“i’m the crazy one.” you admitted sarcastically.
“pardon me for being upset that my partner of eight years hid the existence of another woman from me for years.” jaemin opened his mouth, but you didn’t let him interrupt.
“pardon me for being upset that the love of my life had an entire exhibition about the things and people he loves…” your voice wavered just slightly, but you pushed through it. “…and somehow i’m not in it.”
the room fell quiet. “but one trip with that woman,” you finished softly, your eyes still locked on his, “and that makes it onto the wall.”
“so i just wanna understand,” you said, your voice quieter now but no less steady, “what about rome that is so damn great that it’s better than the relationship we have together?”
the question seemed to fall flat between the two of you, with you wide-eyed and glaring him down, breathing hard as jaemin took a step back to distance himself from you. a part of you winced at the space he had put between the two of you.
“i thought it was already clear enough that i love you.” Jaemin sighed. “i didn’t think you’d be the insecure type, but i guess that was wrong of my judgement.” he shook his head in disappointment as he calmly removed the watch from his wrist.
“i’ll admit… during that trip, i thought i didn’t want this relationship with you anymore,” he said, and a part of you broke from the honesty of it. “i needed that space to come back to you because you were suffocating me. i needed to be away, to meet different people… and saeron just happened to be there at the right time.”
jaemin’s words struck you like a massive slap to the face, a punch to the gut. everything you wished you weren’t was exactly what jaemin saw in you, and you began to wonder if he had only tolerated you all these years because you were always readily available for him.
did he pity you?
was he doing it out of kindness?
without saying a word, you walked over to your drawer and pulled out a small velvet blue box. you paused for a moment, staring at it before turning back to jaemin. inside the box was the very watch jaemin had been eyeing for years — the IWC portugieser perpetual calendar in a shade of deep blue.
you had bought it a year ago. you had skipped meals, passed on vacations, and quietly saved up for months just to afford it. it was meant to be an engagement piece for him. you wanted to propose to him with it. but arguments after arguments with jaemin had made you delay it, convincing yourself to wait until the right time.
but there wasn’t a right time.
and maybe there would never be one with jaemin.
“now that you said it…” you looked at him, your hand tightening around the velvet box. “have you ever seen a future with me?”
“wha—”
“do you ever see yourself being married to me?” you asked, your heart pounding painfully in your chest. whatever the answer was, you knew you had to ask it. you had already reached the point of no return and there was no going back now.
jaemin rubbed his face in frustration. “is marriage really that important to you?”
“if you never once saw yourself being married to me, then what are we even doing here in this relationship jaems?” you bit your lip, tears welling in your eyes as you looked at him desperately.
“i just don’t think it’s that big of a deal, that’s all,” he shrugged, his voice raising slightly in frustration.
and just like that, the words landed. it was enough to pull you back into reality. all these years, you had been in this relationship believing jaemin would be your forever person, your home. but he didn’t see it the same way.
you stared at him with glassy eyes, the hurt and disappointment clear on your face as his words slowly tore through you.
na Jaemin was indeed your greatest heartbreak.
you shook your head slowly before zipping up your luggage and lifting it off the shared bed. “i guess i must’ve mistaken our relationship all this while,” you said with a sad chuckle before grabbing his hand and placing the velvet box into his palm.
“i always thought that someday we would’ve been married,” you continued quietly. “i’m sorry i had a different idea of how we would’ve spent the rest of our lives together.” you turned and began walking away.
“c'mon y/n, you’re overreacting,” Jaemin said quickly, reaching out to grab your arm and you shrugged him off immediately.
“does it all have to end in marriage? is that your issue now?” he asked, frustration creeping into his voice.
“yes!” you raised your voice, startling even him with the force of it.
“i thought if two people were in love, they would want to spend the rest of their lives together, and that’s what marriage means to me!” you said, your chest heaving.
“and if you didn’t want that, then why are we even together?” you paused, the words finally spilling out. “if you lost feelings for me along the way, why couldn’t you have told me?” your voice cracked. “i would’ve rather you told me years ago before I gave you all these years of my commitment and effort than to be standing here at this age, stupidly waiting for something that was never going to happen.”
“all of this because of a ring?” jaemin scoffed.
“i told you already,” he continued, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “marriage isn’t that big of a deal to me. you’re the one turning it into some kind of ultimatum.”
“it’s not an ultimatum,” you shook your head, “it’s eight years of my life.”
“yeah, and i gave you eight years too!” jaemin shot back immediately.
you flinched slightly at the sharpness in his voice, but he didn’t stop “you act like i wasted your time,” he went on, pacing once across the room. “like i forced you to stay with me. no one asked you to wait around for some proposal you built up in your own head.”
the words landed heavier than he probably realised, but it was all too late to take it back now the moment it left his lips. he was on a roll to destroy you completely. “you created this whole future by yourself,” he added, his tone flat now. “that’s not on me.”
your fingers tightened around the handle of your suitcase until your knuckles turned white.
so that was it.
eight years together, reduced to a misunderstanding. you've always known that your relationship with jaemin wasn't by far any perfect. there were many times when being a good partner simply felt like it wasn't enough but you've come to loved the good and the bad that comes with the title of being someone's partner. and somewhere along the way, you failed to see the pieces of yourself being stripped away by na jaemin all these years all because you believed in a future with him.
you let out a quiet breath, nodding slowly as if accepting something you had been resisting for a long time. “okay,” you said.
jaemin frowned slightly, not expecting that response. you walked past him toward the door, pulling your luggage behind you, the wheels dragging softly against the wooden floor.
“you're seriously leaving for rome?” he asked, irritation creeping back into his voice but this time, you didn’t stop walking. “anywhere that isn’t here is good enough”
he scoffed again behind you. “fine, do whatever you want.”
you paused for a second at the doorway, your hand resting lightly against the frame before shutting the door behind you.
jaemin didn’t follow you afterwards.
neither did he call your name.
and somehow, that hurt more than anything he had said that night.
“i can’t believe you left for rome and didn’t even bother to text me about it!” donghyuck exclaimed through your phone speakers, his eyes wide in disbelief on the screen.
after thirteen hours of flying all the way to rome, you had finally arrived at the city that captured jaemin’s heart. and throughout the entire flight, all you could think about were jaemin’s words. you wished this was all just a bad dream. that by the time you woke up, jaemin would be beside you again—much less grumpy than usual.
you had forgotten when was the last time the two of you went a full week without arguing.
but there was a time when jaemin had been completely head over heels for you. he used to stop by after your classes just to walk you home. no matter the distance or time, jaemin always showed up, simply because he wanted to be around you.
there was a time when he was so careful with your heart that he swore never to bring up the idea of breaking up—because to him, even mentioning it meant opening the door to that possibility.
there were times when all jaemin could talk about was marrying you someday. about the life the two of you would build. the family you might start together.
and all of those things—
they were just words that never lasted as long as you hoped they would.
“i’m sorry, hyuck,” you said quietly, offering your best friend a small smile through the screen. “everything happened so quickly… i just didn’t have the capacity to reach out to anyone.”
“well, that’s fine. at least you’re alive,” he laughed, his expression softening slightly. “but does this mean it’s officially over?” he asked carefully. “you and jaemin?”
the two of you had never explicitly said the words break up. but after everything that happened, you weren’t even sure if jaemin still wanted anything to do with you.
not until you received a text from him earlier in the morning—sent in the quiet hours before sunrise.
jaems♡ : have you arrived safely in rome?
“i don’t know,” you admitted after a pause. “he texted me earlier this morning… asking if i arrived.” donghyuck immediately clasped his hands together, his eyes widening in horror. “please tell me you didn’t reply,” he pleaded. “oh my god.”
you sighed, shaking your head. “rest assured,” you said tiredly, “i did not.”
“thank god,” he breathed, slumping back in relief. then he pointed a finger toward the screen, his tone turning serious. “you better be sending me messages every hour okay? and call me,” donghyuck said firmly, though his voice softened at the end. “don’t go missing in action on me, yeah?” you nodded, feeling a small warmth settle in your chest despite everything. oh how lucky are you to still be surrounded by people who genuinely love you for who you are? “i won’t.”
rome was indeed as beautiful as jaemin had described. the cobblestone streets stretched endlessly beneath your feet, uneven and worn from centuries of footsteps that had come long before yours. every turn seemed to open into another narrow street lined with warm terracotta buildings, their shutters half open as morning light spilled gently into the city. the scent of freshly brewed coffee and buttery pastries drifting through the air from the cafés that dotted every corner. small round tables spilled out onto the sidewalks, locals lingering over tiny cups of espresso as if time moved slower here.
it was a breath of fresh air from home.
history was everywhere you looked. ancient stone walls stood beside modern storefronts like time had simply decided to coexist rather than move forward. crumbling ruins appeared casually between apartment buildings, their arches and pillars still standing proudly against the sky as if they had been watching the city grow for thousands of years.
truly, it was breathtaking. gorgeous in a way that almost felt unreal.
and yet, as beautiful as rome was, you couldn’t help but think about the countless times jaemin had spoken about this place, how his eyes used to light up whenever he described it.
how he once told you that rome was a city you had to experience at least once in your life but standing here now, surrounded by the beauty he had once painted so vividly for you, you realised something bittersweet settling quietly in your chest, the aching truth that you're never going to experience rome with jaemin in this lifetime.
you’ve been mostly going out and about, taking in the scenery you never seemed to have the time to stop for back in seoul.
today was no different and you decided to visit the trevi fountain in an attempt to tick off all the must see tourist spots as claimed by jaemin.
the sound of rushing water filled the piazza, louder than the chatter of the crowd gathered around it. sunlight bounced off the pale marble sculptures, making the entire fountain glow under the roman sky. tourists lined the edge of the fountain, some leaning over the railing for photos while others tossed coins over their shoulders, making quiet wishes before the coins disappeared into the clear water below.
you slowed to a stop, taking it in.
you had heard about this place countless times, seen it in movies and photographs, but standing here felt entirely different. the sculptures were grander than you imagined, the water brighter, the atmosphere almost theatrical.
for a moment, you simply stood there watching, letting yourself exist somewhere that wasn’t filled with memories of jaemin.
you reached into your pocket, pulling out a small coin the hotel receptionist had handed you earlier that morning.
make a wish, she had said with a cute smile. you turned slightly, preparing to toss the coin behind you the way you had seen everyone else do—
and walked straight into someone.
“oh—sorry!”
the coin slipped from your fingers, clinking softly against the stone before rolling to a stop near your shoe.
“it’s okay—”
the voice stopped abruptly as you stood frozen in place, eyes glued to floor before looking up.
the man in front of you blinked in what seemed like trying to piece something together, the two of you staring back at each other in disbelief . “…mark?” you said slowly.
his brows lifted in surprise before a familiar grin spread across his face, “well if it isn’t the girl with the terrible memory for names.”
you let out a breathless laugh, still a little stunned. “what are you doing here?” you asked. “i thought you were in florence!”
“i was,” mark said, glancing briefly at the fountain behind you before looking back at you. “came down to rome this morning.”
“for work?”
“not really,” he shook his head. “more like for a vacation,” you stared at him for a second longer before shaking your head in disbelief. “you’ve got to be kidding me.”
“what?”mark chuckled.
“out of all the places in this world…” you gestured vaguely around the crowded piazza, “… who would've known we'd run into each other again?”
he shrugged lightly, the corner of his mouth tilting upward. “guess the universe really wants us to remember each other’s names.”
you rolled your eyes, bending down to pick up the coin you had dropped earlier. mark watched you for a moment before nodding toward the fountain. “were you about to make a wish?”
“…i think so.” you straightened, the small coin resting in your palm.
“well,” he said, stepping slightly to the side to give you space, “don’t let me ruin it.”
for a brief moment, the noise of the crowd faded into the background again. you turned toward the fountain, tossing the coin over your shoulder. it disappeared into the water with a soft splash.
“what did you wish for?” mark asked curiously, already digging into his pocket as he pulled out a coin of his own.
“nuh-uh,” you pursed your lips, shaking your head. “i can’t tell you. it won’t come true if i do.”
mark huffed out a small laugh. “fair enough,” he said, stepping forward toward the edge of the fountain. “my turn.” he paused for a second, glancing down at the coin resting between his fingers as if actually considering it. then, with a small shrug, he tossed it over his shoulder.
the coin arced briefly through the air before disappearing into the water.
you tilted your head. “that's a great throw,”
“aw thanks, i learnt it from all the nba matches i was forced to watch with my friend chen le back in university,” he replied immediately.
“interesting,” you hummed in response. for a moment, the two of you simply stood there, watching the water rush endlessly over the marble sculptures.
mark glanced at you again, more curious now. “so… are you here alone?” he asked.
“yeah, unfortunately,” you chuckled.
“nothing unfortunate about that,” mark said with a small grin. “how long are you staying?”
“i’m not really sure yet,” you admitted. “i’ve been here for almost three days now. it was honestly a pretty spontaneous trip, and i haven’t even bought a return ticket yet… even though i should probably get one soon just to give my boss an answer.” you scratched the back of your head sheepishly.
mark hummed thoughtfully. “same here,” he said. “well—not the spontaneous trip part. but i’m alone too.”
“ah—you came alone?” you raised a brow. come to think of it, you didn’t actually know much about mark at all. you didn’t know if he had a partner waiting for him somewhere, or if someone back home expected daily calls and updates from him the way donghyuck did from you.
“yeah,” mark replied, squinting his eyes slightly as a sheepish smile spread across his face. “that’s pretty much how most of my trips go.”
you hummed softly, nodding. there was a brief pause between the two of you.
not uncomfortable exactly.
just maybe uncertain? the kind of pause where neither of you were quite sure what the next step in the conversation should be.
mark rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly looking a little less confident than before. the easy smile he’d been wearing faltered for a moment as he glanced towards the fountain, then back at you.
“uh—this might sound weird,” he started, glancing at you before quickly looking away again. “but since we keep running into each other…”
you waited, tilting your head slightly. “do you maybe wanna… join me?” he finished awkwardly. “like—just touring around. not in a weird way or anything,” he added quickly, a nervous laugh slipping out of him. “i just figured it might be less awkward than wandering around alone.”
he scratched lightly at the side of his neck, clearly aware of how it sounded. “you can absolutely say no, by the way,” he continued, lifting his hands slightly in surrender. “i promise i won’t take it personally.”
you looked at him for a moment, studying the hopeful expression he was trying so hard to hide. of all the people you expected to run into halfway across the world— mark had somehow become the only familiar face in the city.
and strangely, it didn’t feel uncomfortable.
if anything, it felt a little comforting.
“well,” you said slowly, glancing around the crowded piazza before looking back at him, “since the universe keeps throwing us into each other…”
mark looked at you again, the hope slipping through his expression despite his attempt to stay casual. “…i guess i could join you.”
“really?” his face immediately lit up.
you nodded, a small laugh escaping you.
“yeah. but if this turns out to be a scam and you’re secretly a terrible tour guide, i’m leaving.”
mark placed a hand over his chest in mock offense. “wow,” he said. “you wound me.” but the grin on his face gave him away.
just between you and the gods, you wished that one day, the world would feel like yours again and that the love you had given so freely for eight years hadn’t been meaningless but actually mean something even if not longer belonged to the future you had imagined.
and perhaps, this encounter was god's way of letting you know that they're listening.
a/n: who else crying over chenle rn :/ inspired by this fic by the lovely @blue-jisungs <33 which is cutest thing ever :((
MARK
the first time you suddenly grab his face or smother him, he jumps. full startled laugh, eyes wide like, “oh...oh...- okay,” energy. but the moment he realizes it’s just you, that this was how your affection spiked, he’s done for. from then on, he just lets it happen. whatever you want. squish, bite, cling, he’s smiling softly, hands hovering like he doesn’t want to interrupt the moment.
he'll notice the way you stare a little too long, the way your hands flex like you’re holding yourself back. sometimes he’ll quietly step closer, lowering his head just enough for you to reach. when you squish his cheeks or press kisses everywhere, he just melts into it. he doesn’t interrupt. doesn’t tease. he just lets you love him. your affection genuinely feeds his own for you.
RENJUN
he's startled? yes. offended? also yes (performative men sighh)
you baby him, squish his cheeks, and he’s immediately like,“why are you doing this to me?” in his whiny voice :( but he never actually moves away. ever. your fingers in his hair, your hands warm against his cheeks, he pretends it’s annoying, he pretends to hate it, pretends you’re being ridiculous, but his hands relax, his shoulders drop, and his voice softens despite himself. he enjoys your touch deeply, he just refused to give you the satisfaction of knowing.
JENO
surprised puppy^^
the first few times, he’s stunned, eyes blinking, like he didn’t know he’d like being adored this openly. he wasn't used to this kind of affection.
but then he starts recognizing the signs fast. the way you inhale before acting. the tiny pause before you pounce. and he'd give you that soft, moon-eyed smile :(( right before you pounce almost like encouragement sobbing
he doesn’t stop you. just lets it happen and adores it. to him it's like your constant reminder that he's loved. and only you get this version of him <//3
HAECHAN
absolutely insufferable.
he never lets you forget he knows what he’s doing to you. the second you get grabby, he’s running his mouth, “wow, you love me that much?”, “what are you gonna do without me, huh?”
that smug little grin of his never leaves but his hands always find you. pulling you closer. keeping you there. he'll get pouty and exaggerate every reaction because he knows it makes you worse, and he wants you worse. he thrives on your attention, your affection, your inability to resist him. but like mark, this genuinely fuels his own affection for you <3
he's dramatic about you and he loves how obvious you are about him. later, when you’re calm again, he’s softer. quieter. though still smug. he feels chosen. and he loves that feeling more than he’ll ever admit.
JAEMIN
he lived for this.
you touch him and he’s already smiling, already leaning in. he knows he causes this reaction in you and he’s so fondly proud of it and knows exactly how to make it worse.
you squish his face? he squishes himself closer. you bite his cheek? he makes a noise dramatic enough for you to do it again.
will absolutely switch on his soft tone, that sweet voice, fully encouraging your cuteness aggression because he loves you loving him. (he's absolutely shameless with it). he just adores you so much genuinely gets cuteness aggression from the way how you get all fuzzy over him :(( he thinks it's the cutest thing ever and after a point it'll be you who's getting squished by him ^^
CHENLE
did not see it coming the first time.
you squish him once and he bursts into laughter, startled but bright, like joy just spilled out of him ☹️
he'll try to act unfazed later though, tries to act cool, but you read him too easily. but now, he gets giddy when you focus on him. tries to act casual, but the second your attention shifts away for too long, he gets a little sulky (rarely an issue) not angry, just needy in that soft, obvious way. he wants your eyes on him. your hands on him. he never doubts your love. he feels it constantly. and he returns it just as openly <3
JISUNG
shy baby :(((
total short-circuit, red ears, brain offline the first time it happened. he’s more used to it now, can even sense when you’re about to do it, but he never stops being shy about it.
he stays shy, always. hands hovering awkwardly, eyes darting away, but he never refuses you. when you smother him with affection, he leans in quietly. and while you’re busy squishing his cheeks or pulling at him, he’s thinking you’re the cutest thing he’s ever seen. quietly hopes you'll do it again soon <//3
⤷ a flurry of emotions passes over his face in very quick succession as you appear in front of him. all small smiles and soft hands, “you’re so pretty, mark.” takes your actions as a challenge, rolling his eyes and grumbling like he’s not flushed, before pulling you into him with a smirk. chest to chest, he drags his nose across your cheek, grumbling a stiff, “y'know you’re prettier, baby.” hates that you caught him off guard, so makes it his goal to fluster you throughout the day- doesn’t matter who’s around, his pride is on the line here.
「 renjun. 」
⤷ his face his blank, the small heavy-lidded expression, but the feeling of your hands on his cheekbones quickly changes that. eyes narrowing in suspicion, corner of his lips down-turning. for a moment, you think he’ll simply pull away- so you explain, “just wanted to show you how pretty you are.” renjun’s eyebrow quirks minutely. admitting defeat, you move to pull away. he releases a short huff, hands encasing your own and pressing them back flat against his cheeks. you decide it’s better not to comment on the slight flush, allowing him to “inconspicuously” lean into your touch.
「 jeno. 」
⤷ pauses, blinks, and tilts his head before quickly breaking out into a wide, toothy grin, cheeks rivaling his hair. leans into your touch, nuzzling into your palms, enjoying the warmth and feel of your thumbs against his cheeks. he’s caught off guard, in the best way, when you begin to kiss along his forehead and the bridge of his nose. this, however, is also quickly remedied as he crushes you against him, nosing against your hair. “love you,” he breathes, adoration dripping from his tone, “so much.”
「 haechan. 」
⤷ immediately grins and laughs, ignoring his flushed cheeks and the trembling in his chest. he doesn’t quite meet your eyes, staring barely above them, in an attempt to calm his raging heart. falls back into faux confidence, returning the gesture and smirking widely, “if you wanted affection, you only had to ask, y/n.” extremely annoying, but you lean into him anyway, quieting his cockiness with your lips.
「 jaemin. 」
⤷ doesn’t shy away from the touch for even a moment, bright red, beaming, and giggling. such a completely love-struck and cheesy smile on his face. he looks dazed, hands finding yours in an attempt to get you even closer, “keep doing this,” his voice is so soft, you’re forced to lean in just to hear him. his bravado slowly melts the longer he’s in your grasp, melting in a puddle between your palms and eyes slipping closed. he cracks an eye open a little later to keep looking at your own love-struck expression.
「 chenle. 」
⤷ the moment you’re even in front of him, he’s already flustered, so when you take his face between your palms, pressing a compliment into the corner of his lips, he turns so red, you’re worried he’ll pass out. when he does manage to calm down, a tiny smile on his lips, he takes one of your hands to his lips, pulling you into him so he can bury his face in your neck. lavishes kisses across the skin as you laugh, mumbling a small, “thank you lele.”
「 jisung. 」
⤷ he’s immediately confused, eyes widening and eyebrows disappearing behind his bangs. he doesn’t pull away or complain though, quick to melt into the touch, a soft smile on his features. a contented sigh passes cutely through his lips as his own hands frame your cheeks. your thumbs brush the soft skin under his eyes, which seems to spur him into action, beginning to lavish over your face.
Warnings: suggestive!! implications of a complicated, casual, sexual relationship. slight angst. i don’t usually write suggestive stuff but there isn’t any vivid or explicit descriptions of sex. read at your own discretion!
Notes: hi loveys! here’s another post… this is supposed to be “morning after” thoughts. i wanted to write about 7dream being conflicted, confused yearners in a situationship, so here it is! HAPPY COMEBACK DAY!! i hope you enjoy this one, sending lots of love <3
Mark:
Mark lay beside you, both of you half tangled in the sheets. his eyes were fixed on the ceiling, expression soft but tense, arms resting at his sides. the warmth of your body pressed faintly into his left arm, enough to ignore if he wanted to, but impossible to forget. his mind raced in quiet loops. last night had been too much. too intimate, too gentle, too slow in the ways that mattered. too lingering in the places that left marks he kept tracing with his thoughts. he could still feel the press of your palm against his chest, the way you had leaned into him like you were memorizing the shape of him. he swallowed slowly, chest tightening as his thoughts pulled him deeper. Mark turned his head toward you without meaning to. watched as you slept on your side, facing him. your hair splayed across the pillow, lips soft and relaxed. he felt himself freeze. seeing you peaceful like that made the weight of the situation double in size. Mark lifted a hand, let it hover over your shoulder. he did not touch because the softness would break him. the cycle would pull him deeper, boundaries would blur until he forgot they existed. he pulled his hand back to his chest, fingers curling into a fist. he wanted to pull you into him and forget all the reasons he should not. but he knew he could not ask for something he had no right to demand. he stared at your face for a long moment, the quiet longing like needles in his throat. so he looked back at the ceiling, eyes fluttering shut, hoping sleep could help him escape the ache in his chest.
Renjun:
Renjun sat beside you with his back against the headboard, blanket pooled around his waist. you slept curled toward him, cheek pressed into the pillow, hair messy and soft. he tried not to stare, but his gaze kept drifting back to the curve of your lips, the faint mark he had left on your collarbone, the rise and fall of your chest. his heart swelled painfully, remembering every second from the night before with startling clarity, each touch, each quiet inhale, each moment your body pressed into his. it had felt too intimate to be casual, too careful to be meaningless fun. he told himself to calm down, to keep his head level, but your sleeping form looked too peaceful, so trusting, and it made his chest ache. he brushed a strand of hair away from your face, fingers trembling as he let the lock fall gently against your cheek again. he immediately regretted touching you, terrified he had crossed some line, yet the ache inside him urged him closer. Renjun wanted to slip under the blanket and pull you against him, wanted to memorise the weight of your body curled into his. watching you sleep was worse than the night itself. now there were no distractions to hide behind. mere silence, and the slow realization that he was too deep already. he wondered how he was supposed to go back to being just a friend when he woke up to this; to you pressed into his sheets like you belonged there. he knew he could not keep doing this, but he also knew he would say yes again if you reached for him.
Jeno:
your head rested on Jeno’s chest, hair spilling across his skin in soft waves. his strong arm was wrapped around your waist, holding you close in a way that felt instinctual, too natural for what you both promised this was. he inhaled slowly, the sweet scent of your shampoo, the warmth of your breath against his skin. every tiny shift of your body sent sharp reminders through him of everything that had happened just hours ago. he tried to think about anything else, to steady the pounding in his chest, but your leg slid gently across his and all thoughts scattered. his hand rested on your hip, but his fingers kept flexing as if fighting the urge to pull you closer. he remembered the closeness from earlier, the way your body had fit perfectly against his, the quiet moments where neither of you spoke. yet everything felt deeply understood. the more he held you, the more his restraint crumbled. for a split second, he entertained the thought of waking up with you tangled against him every day, but he could not let that thought linger. not when this was supposed to be temporary. when the label both of you agreed on was casual. it hurt more than he expected when he remembered that he had no right to want more. he allow his thumb brush your waist, soft and barely there, hoping you would not notice him trembling. his thoughts tangled with the warmth of your skin, the memory of last night still imprinted into the sheets. he wondered how many more times he could fall into this without falling completely. wondered how long he could pretend that holding you like this did not mean something bigger. Jeno pulls you in a little tighter anyway.
Haechan:
Haechan lay on his side, one hand propping his cheek as he watched the rise and fall of your back. his room was still warm, carrying traces of laughter and teasing from a few hours earlier. he had been bold then, full of mischief, tugging you closer, cracking jokes between kisses, provoking you with playful touches just to watch your reaction. he had made it light. playful. but the quiet after always ruined him, threaten to crack him. your breathing was soft now, body turned away but still close enough that he could feel the faint heat of your skin on his. his hand hovered inches from your waist, fingers curling and uncurling like they could not decide between restraint and desire. he hated how sentimental was in moments like this. how the thrill of last night settled into something fragile and aching. it almost disgusted him. the way your head had rested against his shoulder earlier replayed in his mind like a stolen memory he was not supposed to keep. he closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing the sudden tightness in his chest. this was casual. nothing serious. he had repeated those words to himself so many times he had almost believed them. seeing you asleep beside him now, hair messy, lips relaxed, skin still carrying the marks he left, made something inside him twist uncomfortably. it was nauseating how much he wanted you. he reached out before he could stop himself, fingertips brushing lightly down your upper arm. the contact sent a surge of emotion through him so strong he had to pull away, pretending he had not done it at all. Haechan rolled onto his back, trying to shake off the softness settling over him. he was losing control of the narrative he wrote so carefully for himself.
Jaemin:
Jaemin sat up slightly, leaning on his elbow as he leaned over you. you were asleep faced toward him, hair mussed, skin soft with leftover warmth from the night before. the sheets were tangled around your legs where he had pulled you closer hours ago. he always said he loved seeing you flustered, watching you react to his stupid, flirtatious antics. but mornings like this always chipped away at that bravado. his calloused hand hovered just above your arm, palm warm but not touching. he traced the air over your skin, remembering exactly how you had felt beneath him, how your breath had hitched, how your fingers had curled into his toned back with quiet need. the memory softened his expression instantly, brows arched as his gaze lingered on your face. he wanted to touch you again, but not in the way he had last night. Jaemin wanted to run his fingers through your hair, wanted to hold your hand under the blanket. He wanted to lie down and pull you into him slowly and quietly, without any teasing this time. he hated that these thoughts felt dangerous. Jaemin let out a slow breath, almost silent, afraid to disturb your peaceful slumber. he studied your face with too much care for someone who was supposed to treat this lightly. he traced the subtle mark near your shoulder that he had left, feeling a strange pull in his chest. last night had been intense, playful, consuming. this morning was worse because it was tender. he’s done this many times before and tenderness was the one thing he was never supposed to feel in something casual. he brushed your arm lightly with the back of his hand, barely grazing your soft skin. the smallest contact sent a wave of longing through him. he knew he could flirt with you a hundred more times, have you tangled in his sheets again and again. but mornings like these were the ones that might break him.
Chenle:
Chenle lay on his stomach, cheek pressed into the pillow, hair still messy from your hands pulling through it earlier. his arm rested over your waist, not quite holding you but not quite letting go either. the room still held echoes of laughter from last night, tiny bits of warmth that clung to the air like static. he had always made things between you two feel fun. light and playful, the mask of young, senseless, casual fun. he teased you until you rolled your eyes, until the tension broke. until the two of you find yourselves tangled up in something too warm to be meaningless yet too undefined to be anything more. in the morning, the playfulness always dissolved. confusion settles in its place, when Chenle finds himself always waking up before you do. his fingers brushed your side without thinking, a small, instinctive touch. the softness beneath his fingertips made him inhale sharply. he remembered how you had sounded earlier, the way you had laughed into his shoulder, the way you had whispered his name between breaths. it made something inside him twist with a feeling he did not want to name. Chenle shut his eyes, face scrunching, as if he could force the thoughts away. this was supposed to be easy. he was good at keeping things fun, meaningless. he always had been. so why did it feel heavier today? why did every brush of your skin feel like a question he did not know how to answer? why did the fading warmth of last night feel like a weight settling into his chest? he inched his hand away from your waist, then froze when you shifted, pressing lightly into him in your sleep. he bit his lip, unsure if he wanted to pull away or pull you closer. this was getting harder to pretend his way through it.
Jisung:
Jisung sat on the floor with his back against the bed, knees pulled to his chest. his hair was still messy, his breathing uneven as he tried to ground himself. your sleeping form was half covered by the blanket, one leg peeking out, your breathing slow and peaceful after everything that happened. his mind was a blur. the night had been overwhelming, to say the least. skin to skin, your warmth, the way you had said his name. he felt a connection so intense that it terrified him. the moment it ended and he was sure you fell asleep, he had slipped away from the bed. he needed space; distance to think. he pressed his palms to his face, tight against his eyes. trying to steady his thoughts, but the images from earlier refused to fade. the weight of your body against his, your fingers gripping at his shoulders, the softness of your breath against his ear. It felt too real. intimate. he looked back at you, still sleeping, your hair spread across the pillow like a quiet invitation to come back to bed. his chest tightened painfully. he knew if he stayed any longer, he would crawl back under the covers, beside you. he would wrap an arm around your waist, hold you, pretend it meant something deeper. pretend it was allowed. instead, he stood up slowly, careful not to shake the frame or disturb you. he grabbed his shirt from the floor and slipped it on quietly. one last glance, one that lingered on your pretty face. he swallowed hard and forced himself to step away. pausing at the door, staring at the soft silhouette of your sleeping form illuminated by the faint dawn light. Jisung left before he could talk himself out of it.
Mark and Hyuck have been best friends since childhood, despite being complete opposites, they have always stuck together. But after a heated argument, they wake up to find out they switched bodies. Now they’re stuck surviving each other’s life’s. But living in the wrong skin, they start to realize how much they never really knew about each other, or themselves.
pairing — mark lee x fem!reader x lee haechan
genre — rom-com, fluff, smut, angst (slightly)
wc — ongoing
warnings — +18 mdi, cursing, mentions of alcohol, sexual content, explicit smut, boys saying&doing shit, slight angst (?), mentions of cheating, poor vocab :p (english isn't my first language, sorry for any misunderstood), if i forget smt let me know <3
a.n. — hii everyone ♡ im cher and this is my first fic, one i’ve been carrying around in my head for a very long time. it’s inspired by freaky friday the movie and probably a little longer than i originally planned 🫣 english isn’t my first language, so please be patient with me and let me know if anything feels confusing. i hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as i enjoyed creating it ♡ (edited)
taglist — if anyone is interested, i would love to know you’re reading my work ♡
1. the days before
2. the day
3. the teams' party
4. the third wheel
5. out of touch
6. ITAABTE?
7. late afternoons
8. temporary fix
// to be added //
𐙚⋆°｡⋆ likes, reblogs, asks, comments are very much appreciated :).
