Don’t Get Too Close — a Jackson Wang Fanfic
Episode 35: “In This Together”
They were curled up on the studio couch, a playlist humming low and her latest painting drying just a few feet away.
Jackson glanced down at her, her cheek pressed against his chest, fingers absentmindedly tracing shapes on his arm.
“So… are we going to keep pretending we’re not something?”
Her head lifted slowly, eyes narrowing just enough.
“Define something.”
He gave her that crooked smile. “You know what I mean.”
She sat up, legs crossed now, eyes searching his. The hesitation that used to live in her chest — the part that kept waiting for the catch — felt quieter today.
“Okay,” she said. “We’re something.”
“More than something.”
“A couple?” she offered, slightly smug.
He leaned in, brushing her lips once. “That.”
That night, he posted a carousel. Just a few slides.
1. A shot of his camera roll — blurry concert lights.
2. A selfie with Mark and some of the guys.
3. A flick of her hand reaching for a paintbrush — just her hand.
4. A photo of a table for two, a hoodie draped over her chair.
5. A candid of her painting, back to the camera.
6. The last slide: a mirror shot. Her in the background, slightly out of focus, smiling at something off-camera.
No tag.
No caption.
Just: “Life lately.”
Her post came hours later.
1. A photo of her paint-streaked sneakers.
2. A glass of wine balanced on a sketchbook.
3. A cropped photo — just the corner of his face and his shoulder.
4. Her exhibit flyer on a bulletin board.
5. A hoodie over her chair — again.
6. And finally, a blurry photo of them both in a mirror — hers this time, both of them laughing.
Her caption?
“Feels like a soft launch.”
The internet clocked it immediately.
Fans noticed the overlaps. The matching hoodies. The soft smiles.
The comments? Unhinged. Delighted. Some cautious.
And them? They laughed reading them — curled up again, this time in her bed.
“Guess this is happening,” she whispered.
He kissed her shoulder. “It’s been happening.”
——
It didn’t take long.
Within hours of their soft-soft launch, fan edits were circulating. A video showing side-by-sides: her hoodie in both posts, the matching paint-smeared sneakers he wore two weeks ago, the same café corner from his and her Story.
“Jackson Wang dating an artist?”
“Who’s the mystery girl with the brushstroke smile?”
“The couple we didn’t know we needed.”
No one had confirmed anything. No statement. No tag. Just vibes.
But the public?
They’d put the pieces together.
Her DMs filled up with new followers, curious eyes. Some sweet. Some weird. Some too deep in her business.
His feed? A circus. Nothing he wasn’t used to.
What she wasn’t used to, though, was the endless Reddit threads dissecting her art like it held all the answers.
“Is this one about him?”
“She’s way too cool for him tbh.”
“He looks at her like she hung the damn moon.”
Back in their world, they stayed chill.
Jackson didn’t flinch. He texted her mid-shoot:
“You good?”
She responded with a screenshot of a thirsty comment on his photo.
“I’m fine. But why is someone offering to bear your children under my painting?”
He sent back a voice note.
Low laughter, then:
“Tell them to get in line.”
By the time they met up that night — her exhibit’s closing drinks, semi-private — things had settled.
The Bebe girls showed up first, teasing but protective.
Bada gave her a look.
“So, hard-launch adjacent?”
MC shrugged, feigned innocence.
“If the shoe fits…”
Lusher leaned in, smirking.
“He’s lucky. Just don’t let the noise get to you.”
And when Jackson arrived — simple, casual, but unmistakably comfortable in her world — it was easy. He greeted her friends, exchanged inside jokes with Mark, even carried her leftover canvases out at the end of the night.
When a fan outside snapped a pic — her tucked under his arm, both laughing at something dumb — they didn’t flinch.
They didn’t pose either.
Just kept walking.
———
End of episode 35 & series
a/n: Thank you so much to everyone who read this story. When I started writing it, I honestly didn’t expect it to get the attention it did. If I’m being real, this was originally just something I wrote for myself — a place to keep the story somewhere I could easily find and come back to whenever I felt like writing.
Seeing people enjoy it and follow along with the characters was such a nice surprise, and I’m really grateful to anyone who took the time to read it.
As much as I wanted to keep going, I’ve been feeling a little uninspired with this story lately and have found myself wanting to explore completely different characters and ideas. Rather than forcing it, I think it’s best to end it here.
Thank you again to everyone who read, liked, or just quietly followed along. I really appreciate it more than you know. 🤍