Title: Requited
Summary: A series of events lead to you having the worst day, and it doesn't help that it's Valentines Day. Your ex, who also happens to be your best friend even after your breakup showing up doesn't help the emotional turmoil inside of you.
Word Count: 2271
Pairing: Ex!BFF!Seonghwa x F!Reader
Trope: Exes to lovers/Fluff/Angst
Rating- T for teen/16+
Warnings: Vulgarity, some angsty thoughts and crying, allusion to previous intimacy as well as possibly bathing together, nothing explicit.
A/N: Well since Hwa is my ex bias, this seemed like a fun idea-thank you to @sanjoongie for suffering with me in regards to Seonghwa. You really helped me bring this to life for Valentines 🤍
Much love to @pars-ley for the GORGEOUS banner and you did it last minute (I told her last night and she delivered perfection!)
As always, so much love to @cafekitsune for the dividers, always supporting us writers 💜
“Ugh, why is this all here?!”
You yank out the box from the back of the closet, letting out a frustrated sigh as you turn to set it down on the floor.
Your sleeve catches on a hanger and the small box tumbles from your arms, spilling everything inside.
“Goddamnit…” you huff, running your palm over your forehead to push back the errant hairs sticking out everywhere.
You close your eyes for a moment, trying to calm yourself before kneeling to start picking up the mess.
It has been a long ass week and all you really wanted to do was guzzle down a bottle of wine and soak in a long, hot bath.
Ahh…a bubble bath, you think, then curse as intrusive thoughts fill your mind.
It’s been over half a year since you and your ex broke up, but it has been amicable.
The positives of dating your best friend and roommate, you think.
Well….ex boyfriend AND ex roommate.
Luckily, best friend was still ongoing.
Unfortunately, today was Valentine's day and you can’t stop yourself from the memory of last year with Seonghwa.
Today the loss of your relationship seems to be creeping in to taunt you from every angle.
“Get out of my head, Stupid Seonghwa.” you mutter, finally stuffing the last of his random shit into the box.
Of course it was a box he’d forgotten to take when he’d left.
Maybe he was having a great Valentine’s, not even remembering the romantic evening you’d planned for him last year.
Why am I even thinking about him?
Your break up had been mutual, yes, but you’d held back the little twinge of doubt about it.
Could you both have worked it out?
You’d both expressed the fear of losing each other completely after a series of arguments that neither of you were willing to compromise on.
Looking back, you can’t even remember what the arguments were over…
Laundry soap?
How to fold socks?
Leaving a towel on the floor?
The best brand of kimchi?
Who the hell knows.
“Whatever.” you grumble, pushing off your knees to get up, grabbing up the box with you to take to the door.
He can come get it when-
A sharp, stinging pain rips through the arch of your foot and right through the rest of your body, causing you to let out the most offensive curse words your exhausted brain can conjure up.
The box you’ve just picked up drops, and luckily it doesn’t spill its insides this time.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” you hiss out, moving your foot to look down at the villainous object that lit up all of your pain receptors like a christmas tree.
You freeze momentarily, then lean over to pick up the object that just destroyed your mood completely.
Of course it’s a fucking LEGO.
Park mother fucking Seonghwa-
Right at that moment, your doorbell rings and you just bite back even more expletives as you snatch up the horrid little plastic piece before making your way to the door.
“Coming!” You call out as someone begins to knock.
As if he was summoned, Seonghwa stands before you with a bright smile.
Instead of putting you into a good mood, his presence only makes you more irritated.
“Ugh…” you grunt at him, turning and walking away without another word.
“Nice to see you too,” he quips, coming inside even though he wasn’t invited.
“I’m trying to clean, Hwa, why are you here?”
“Can’t I come by and say hello?” he asks, and you let out a slow breath.
You turn to look at him, as he sets down a small plant on your counter.
“What’s that?” You ask, narrowing your eyes at what appears to be a flower.
He looks at it, then turns a sheepish smile on you.
Fucking hate how gorgeous he is, you grumble inwardly.
“I saw it and thought of you...why are you so grumpy today?” he asks, leaving the gift to walk over to you.
You run your hand over your face, shaking your head at him.
“I don’t know, just a long ass week, and I haven’t slept much, and….” you clench your other hand, the edges of the plastic Lego piece biting into your skin.
“-and then I stepped on your stupid Lego!” you thrust your hand out at him, palm up to present the disrespectful object.
“Ouch…sorry…” he says, walking over to take it from your hand.
He lights up, turning it over in his fingers, “It’s the missing piece I’ve been looking for!”
His brilliant grin has your insides crumbling and you hate that you’re feeling so emotional right now.
Why did he have to come by today of all-
“Are you crying? Did it hurt that badly? Let me see your foot-” he is suddenly ushering you to sit on the couch as you try to process his words.
Crying? You’re not-
You swipe at your face and let out a frustrated sigh at the moisture running down your cheeks.
Before you can protest, he’s kneeling before you, lifting first your right, then left foot to survey any damage done.
“I’m fine, Seonghwa-” you complain, but he just gives you a stern look before returning to his inspection.
“Just a few little red marks…” he hums, rubbing his thumb gently over the spot where you’d stepped down on it.
You cross your arms over your chest, swallowing back the urge to kick him in his pretty face.
God, what’s wrong with me today?
“I didn’t think you’d be home, honestly. Glad I took the chance.” He hums, looking up at you with those big brown doe eyes.
“Why? Cause now you have your Lego back?” you snap at him, then regret it as a momentary look of hurt crosses his face.
He lets out a patient sigh, standing only to settle himself down next to you on the couch.
“No...I just…” he shrugs, suddenly looking around at anything but you as he chews his bottom lip.
You glance at him from the corner of your eyes, noting how the long strands of his dark hair tease at his cheeks.
Before you can stop yourself, you unfold your arms and reach out to brush them back, startling him enough to stare at you in shock.
“Sorry…it’s gotten long.” you mumble, retracting your hand before you give in to the urge to trace your fingertips over his skin.
He holds your gaze, tugging on a strand and nodding in agreement.
“Do you…like it?” he asks softly, his eyes studying you.
“It’s…nice…”
“Just nice?” He asks, a little teasing smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
“What is it you came for, Hwa?” you ask, redirecting the conversation.
He takes in a deep breath, then lets it out slowly before answering.
“Just...I thought because it’s Valentine’s and maybe you …” he looks down at his fingers, suddenly interested in the state of his nails.
“Maybe I what? Am a pathetic mess because I’m single?” You bite out, hating how your voice wavers.
His head snaps up, brows drawing together.
“No. Why would I ever think that? Seriously?” he retorts and then he’s turning towards you, reaching out to grasp your hands in his.
“We’re friends, best friends…I’ve never once thought you were pathetic. What the hell even makes you think such a thing?”
Friends.
For some reason, that cuts deep.
It’s been months since you’d both agreed to not be together.
To preserve the friendship.
He’d even moved out to make it easier on both of you; you’d both given in to the physical aspect far too much even after things ended.
Yet here you are, ready to hiss and spit at that term.
“I don’t want to be friends.”
You freeze as you realize the words have slipped out unintentionally.
“What?” he asks, looking crestfallen.
“Hwa…no…I mean…fuck-” you stutter, angry at how your eyes sting from fresh tears welling up.
He lets go of your hands, cupping your cheeks to brush away the errant tears starting to spill down your face.
“Don’t-” you try to swat him away, but he slaps at your hands, slipping an arm around you to pull you into a tight hug.
“What’s wrong?” he asks softly, tucking your face into his neck as he pets your hair.
All of the internal struggles, the pressures of work, the sleepless nights…everything just seems to bubble up and you finally just feel the dam break.
Your hands fist into his soft sweater as you open your mouth and your heart just spills out.
“I feel so lonely, and sometimes it’s too much. I miss you, I miss the stupid shit you do, I miss the way you get angry over how I leave my shoes or how I don’t dry things before putting them away. It’s stupid Valentine’s and I was thinking about last year and all I want to do is just drown myself in wine and a bubble bath but I thought about you-”
His body tenses in your arm, his hand halts, resting on the crown of your head before he’s slowly pulling you back to look at you.
“Shut up, I know it’s stupid, I know we agreed to be friends and I fucking thought I was fine-”
The rush of words are cut off as his lips find yours.
Stunned, you freeze as the familiar sensation of his tongue prods at the seam of your lips, then you melt into his arms, opening up to allow him access.
His scent surrounds you, a small gasp escaping your parted lips before he’s planting kisses over and over on your mouth.
“I was going to tell you-” he says, breaking away for a moment before he closes the distance again.
“That I missed you too-”
“That I was stupid, I was wrong-”
“I don’t even remember why we-”
You grasp his face, halting him before he can go on.
“I don’t either, why did we stop?”
His eyes flick back and forth between yours, and he shakes his head.
That dark silky hair teases at his face and you feel the entire world fall into place.
Your lips quiver as your eyes fill once more, but this time it’s not painful.
It’s not in agony.
He blinks rapidly as he smiles as you, yanking you back to return his mouth to yours.
Time seems to stop, and bleed away as you cling to one another, basking in one anothers embrace before he’s breaking away from you.
“Hey…shhh…” he hums, pulling you into a gentle hug.
You nuzzle at his neck but he shakes his head as you brush your lips over that one place you know gets him going.
“Wait..” he protests, and you pull back to give him a pout.
“Don’t do that…you’re killing me here.” he chastises you, and your stomach flips as he gets a stern look on his face.
Fuck you’ve missed this.
He halts you once more as you go in for another kiss, taking your hands in his.
Confused, you tilt your head at him, about to ask him what’s wrong.
Before you can, he leans in to brush his plush lips over your forehead.
“Shh…I know how quickly things can escalate between us. While I want that…I want you…I think rushing back into sex isn’t the way I want to begin again.”
Your heart stutters in your chest, and while the ache between your legs argues against his logic, your mind and heart are in complete harmony about that sentiment.
Still, you give him yet another overdramatic pout.
He lets out a soft laugh, reaching up to flick his fingertip over your lip.
“Temptress.” he teases, and you can only grin as he tugs you back in to cuddle you.
Your entire body liquifies in his arms, and you run your hands over his shoulders, his back, his arms.
“Have you been working out?” you ask him, your voice muffled by his shirt as you rub your face into his chest.
He chuckles, his chin rubbing against your cheek.
“If you still feel the same way tomorrow, maybe I’ll show you.” he offers.
“Mmm…promise?”
“I promise.” he answers, pulling away a little to look at you.
You hold one another’s gaze for a moment, then he stands and turns towards your kitchen.
“What are you doing?” you ask, watching as he rummages around, pulling out a stemmed glass, then finding a familiar cupboard.
“You said you wanted wine and a bath. I’m going to give you exactly what you want, angel.” he hums.
Your heart thumps in your chest; firstly because he’s always been so caring and sweet, but also because of the use of his pet name for you.
“I love you, Seonghwa.” you blurt out, knowing you should feel embarrassed but the sudden admission but unable to find it in you to feel anything but relief at the confession.
He smiles softly as he pours the glass, walking back over to hand it to you before placing a kiss on your head.
“I know, angel…I never stopped loving you.”
His words linger in the air as he wanders off, tossing you a peeking glance before he disappears into the bathroom to start running your bath.
The familiar scent of your bubble bath fills the air as you take a sip of the velvety wine.
There’s still a lot to talk about, alot to discuss but tonight…
You stand, glass in hand and try to figure out how you’re going to get him to join you in your tub.
