“Yes! The spirits are guiding me towards the tiramisus.”
Pairing -> Fake Psychic!Xiao Dejun x Childhood Bestfriend!Na Jaemin ft You!Female Reader.
Genre -> Crime-Solving. Lighthearted. Psych au.
Synopsis -> Based off the show Psych! Xiaojun, a hyper-observant individual, poses as a psychic and finds clues to solve crime in the good old retirement center, and absolutely drags his childhood best friend, Jaemin, along with him!
Word Count -> 13k
Author’s Note: My curse as a fangirl is that im never into government ships so here I am writing my favourite pairing even though they rarely interact. Sm, pls put them together! Also! This was meant to be written because I was struck with inspiration to write a psych fanfic with nct members while rewatching the show and chose Xiaojun and Jaemin as my muses. When I went to search up pictures on Pinterest to make my banner, the exact two members I was thinking about showed up, side by side, so I had to go through with it 😆.
divider by @devilcherri
"Pesto or no pesto? Jaemin asked Xiaojun, from their shared kitchen apartment, who was preoccupied with watching the news on the tv.
The suspect of the hit-and-run murder is currently under the police's custody.
"Xiaojun," Jaemin patiently called him out again.
"Huh, what? Pesto." Xiaojun replied without a beat as his focus was still on the news; the hit-and-run where a car hit a motorcyclist in the darkness of a countryside where there were no witnesses and cameras and instead of reporting the incident to the police, the driver had fled the scene, leaving the injured victim to die on the side of the road. Xiaojun scrutinised the image that the media had shown - the motorbike that fell on the side of the road and the car that the driver abandoned. There were slight stains of alcohol and the way the seats were adjusted suggested that there were two people in the car but the police had only arrested one - the whole angle was off. It wasn't something he talked about at all but Xiaojun had a knack, an innate ability, to observe and infer his surroundings beyond the average person because his childhood was a series of tests that his dad, a former detective, had construed and constantly trained him to see beyond what meets the eye. "They caught the wrong person," Xiaojun frowned his eyebrows at the police reports.
“Well, hopefully they figure that out soon because what are you going to do? Go to the police station?” Jaemin monotonously suggested as he plated their breakfast on the table and finished it off with some garnish.
Xiaojun tilted his head at Jaemin's suggestion, surely he can't let an innocent man go to prison. "You genius bastard, that's not a bad idea at all. Let's go." He snatched Jaemin's hand and dragged him out of their shared apartment, "to the blueberry!"
"What? My breakfast!" Jaemin grumbled and quickly shoved a Mars chocolate bar in his pocket before he let himself be dragged by Xiaojun to his eco-friendly, blue Prius.
"Too late. Can't let them lock up the wrong guy," Xiaojun started Jaemin's car and drove off to the police station.
"This is a terrible plan." Jaemin whispered harshly in Xiaojun's ear; the police station was filled with quiet chatter, a lingering scent of black coffee, monotonous keyboard sounds, and several scattered footsteps going in and out of the place - no one paid attention to them. "They're going to ask you how you know he's not the murderer you know so let's go back."
"Eh, we'll cross the bridge when we get there," Xiaojun strolled around the station, as Jaemin followed right behind him, and scanned around the room looking for a specific individual who looked like he commanded squad. It was an open floor plan so all the police officers and detective all had their desks out and there were several with desks with stacks of documents on top of each table. Xiaojun crossed the boundary even further by stepping into the desks area and snooped around each one since no one was around. One particular table caught his eyes because of the search bar, what wedding gift should I get for my younger brother? and how to get closer to your future sister in law reddit.
"Can I help you gentleman?" A junior police officer, Hong Seunghan, startled Xiaojun and Jaemin out of nowhere. Xiaojun gave him a quick once over: the smallest crumbs on the corner of his lips, a faint smell of coffee and donuts, a small hidden half star necklace, and his bright eyes compared to the lifeless ones of other officers he passed by.
"Ah yes," Xiaojun gave him an easy smile, "where can we get breakfast around around here? I'm feeling peckish because we had to skip breakfast."
"And whose fault was that?" Jaemin rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, still annoyed that he hadn't eaten any breakfast yet.
Seunghan tilted his head to the side, "um, this is a police station not a bed and breakfast."
"Ok, but surely you guys have some cinnamon rolls and donuts somewhere in the back, right?" Xiaojun winked at him.
"I- we do have extras," Seunghan was still uneased at this interaction, "can I help you gentleman with something?"
"I'm here to report a crime," Xiaojun said. "And maybe those cinnamon rolls and donuts sounds quite nice."
"Don't be stingy with the frosting." Jaemin piped up.
Seunghan glanced at Xiaojun and Jaemin back and forth with his mouth slightly opened, "Let's settle on the report first, shall we?" He walked over to his desk and switched on his laptop as Xiaojun and Jaemin followed suit.
"So no breakkie?" Xiaojun asked while Seunghan's phone lit up with the message, "can't wait till u come home babe <3."
"I'll hook you up if we have extras." Seunghan calmly replied. "So, what happened?"
"You know the hit-and-run case that everyone is talking about right now?" Xiaojun quirked one eyebrow up, "you guys caught the wrong guy - or at least not all of them."
"What evidence do you have to support your claim?"
Huh, the bridge was closer than he thought. Even without looking at the person beside him, Jaemin, he could tell Jaemin wore a "I told you" expression on his face. Xiaojun couldn't just say, "oh, you guys missed a simple yet important detail in the vehicle and I know it because I saw it on the news." That would kill his credibility and the murderer would walk away free. "I'm a psychic."
"Excuse me?" Seunghan leaned closer to them as if he misheard what Xiaojun said; even Jaemin's eyes widened in surprised at Xiaojun's random lie. "Did you say you're a psychic?" Seunghan blinked his eyes in confirmation.
"Why yes Officer Hong Seunghan." Xiaojun cracked his head to the side as if Seunghan was the one who came up with a lie out of his ass. "The universe has gifted me with more than what meets the eye."
Xiaojun moaned in despair and cranked his neck against the chair and stared at the ceiling with his eyes wide open. He screamed and screamed, "don't go, don't go, don't go, don't go," he chanted over and over again.
In a panic, Seunghan rose from his seat with such cautiousness, unsure of how to help the gentleman in front of him. "What's happening?"
Xiaojun stared right at the ceiling without blinking his eyes, so Jaemin played along to Xiaojun's charades. "He's having a vision, the spirits are telling him something." Jaemin replied to Seunghan in an assured tone.
"What is it?" Seunghan grew curious at the sight in front of him - Xiaojun looked like his soul was transcended into another universe.
"Don't go, don't go, don't go," Xiaojun's reached out his arm in desperation and took out a Mars chocolate bar from Jaemin's pocket, pretended to examined the package and finally blinked himself out of trance. "Mars and Venus - you're in a long distance relationship with your lover and your new in this town but you will be meeting with your lover soon."
Seunghan slow-clapped at Xiaojun's impressive performance. "You are a psychic! I've always thought those things were a myth."
"Pshah," Xiaojun gushed, "it's part of my work with the universe," while Jaemin secretly snickered, incredulous that the act pulled worked on an innocent man.
Just then, heavy footsteps thumped the concrete ground, Xiaojun's and Jaemin's attention naturally shifted to the commanding individual; he cracked his neck to the side as he loosened his tie and placed it down on the desk - the desk with the search bar open. "Officer Hong, contact a lawyer for the suspect of the hit-and-run. He's refusing to speak and has the autopsy report arrived?"
"On it Detective Lee," Seunghan saluted with a straight back, "the autopsy report is on your desk, sir."
"I'm going to send this bastard behind bars." He went behind his desk and lifted the autopsy report with a pursed lips and his eyebrows furrowed.
"Stop!" Xiaojun's voice boomed in the police station. "You caught the wrong guy," he blurted out.
"Excuse me?" He looked up from the report with a confused look hidden beneath his fearless eyes and focused his attention on the individuals in front of him.
The electrifying look of this average-sized man yet buff man with a buzz cut and sun-kissed skin, sent shivers down Xiaojun's. "You caught the wrong guy." Xiaojun upheld his statement.
Detective Lee Taeyong crossed his arms and shifted his weight to the other foot. "Were you a witness to the crime?"
"No." Xiaojun replied.
"Were you an accessory to the crime?"
"No."
"Then how do you know we caught the wrong guy?"
"I'm a psychic, Xiao Dejun," Xiaojun spun around as if he was showing off his outfit, "and this is my partner, Nana, the Super Sniffer."
"Hello," Jaemin waved a bright smile.
“Name's actually Na Jaemin - pharmaceuticals rep for Neo City Central," and handed a business card to Taeyong only to be met with the same stone-cold face.
"A psychic and a super sniffer? Get him out of here. So best you buzz away while I'm telling you nicely or I'll arrest you for obstructing police work." Taeyong diverted his attention back to the autopsy report but only for a split second.
Seunghan was more than ready to escort Jaemin and Xiaojun out of the station but Xiaojun's leg started furiously shaking. "I'm having a vision. Ah, ah, ah," he moaned and shook his other leg instead.
"What's happening?" Taeyong asked.
"He's having a psychic vision," Jaemin responded instead and Taeyong rolled his eyes at the act in front of him.
"Help me, help me." Xiaojun pleaded as his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
"I got you buddy, I got you buddy," Jaemin rushed in and hugged Xiaojun from the back. "You're ok, you're here with me," Jaemin whispered in Xiaojun's ears and Xiaojun's leg spasm gradually decreased but his pupils were still at the back of his head.
Silence.
Then, Xiaojun hummed a wedding bell sound, "I'm seeing white, I'm seeing a dress, I'm seeing a groom." Xiaojun snapped his eyes opened. "But not you, not anyone in this room. But someone like you. Who's someone like him?"
"A sibling?" Jaemin suggested as his eyes widened. "A brother!"
"Yes! A brother!" Xiaojun snapped his fingers and freed himself from Jaemin's embrace. "Your brother is getting married and you're looking for a wedding gift." He massaged the sides of his temples as if such revelation caused muscle contraction, "that was quite a revelation and might I suggest a bouncy house?"
"That's a ridiculous wedding gift idea," Jaemin disagreed with disgust, "maybe a BB gun - a great start to a great marriage."
Seunghan gawked at another great revealation by Xiaojun and slow clapped but stopped when Taeyong sent warning glares at him. "I don't know how you posers know about it but there's no such thing as a psychic - you could be hyper observant."
"Possibly. Maybe. But it’s the spirits who guide me. I can’t help that it’s a gift bestowed upon me - not everyone has it. I also happen to know you had an awkward start with your future sister-in-law. Perhaps a little misunderstanding that went a bit far?" Xiaojun wiggled his eyebrows and winked at Taeyong only to be met with an impassive face by the latter.
Jaemin sniffed the air, slow and loud, "a little champagne spilling, perhaps?"
Taeyong sighed and rolled his eyes, "escort them out Officer Hong," and sat down in his chair to read the autopsy report.
"Well, you should know that he's not the one you're looking for! There was another person that day and he's covering up for that person! The real culprit was drunk and that's why he's covering up for the person! Check the seats again! Check the seats!" Xiaojun yelled out loud as Seunghan dragged him and Jaemin out of the police station and kicked them out to the streets.
"Sorry guys, I have to follow his orders," Seunghan apologised with an apologetic expression and went back inside the police station. "Have a safe day!"
"Man, we didn't even get the donuts and cinnamon rolls," Jaemin kicked the tiny pebbles of the asphalt road.
"Let's go home and have your pasta buddy," Xiaojun patted Jaemin on the back and drove back home. "We should stop by for some donuts and cinnamon rolls."
Breaking News: the previous suspect of the hit-and-run murder case has officially been released from custody. It has been reported that the previous suspect was covering up for the culprit because he was drunk driving and escaped when collided with the victim.
"Did you hear that?" Xiaojun jumped in glee.
"Yeah, you were right all along," both of them jumped up and down in celebration.
"It feels so exhilarating, so uhm," Xiaojun punched the air to prove his point. "The urge to solve another case is tingling in me right now." He exasperated, his body was high off adrenaline. "This calls for a celebration," Xiaojun snapped his fingers at Jaemin, "let's go!"
"Man, I have to catch up on my work." Jaemin frowned his face and shook his face.
"Oh come on, please Jaemin," Xiaojun begged, "we were killing it out there yesterday! And don't tell me you didn't enjoy acting a bit insane too! We could get that delicious burrito that we like," Xiaojun enticed Jaemin with such offer, "on me on your card."
Jaemin mulled over the enticing offer and couldn't resist the thought of all those delicious fillings wrapped in a juicy tortilla. "Damn it man," a defeated sighed came out of him, "don't steal my guac this time!"
"I never steal your guac! You just leave it there!"
"Because I'm not done eating!"
A stop by the mouth-inducing burrito restaurant left Xiaojun and Jaemin feeling so stuffed to the brim and sleepy that they parked the car near a local retirement center on their way back home. "Maybe we should go back after a nap," Xiaojun yawned and stretched his arms till it reached the car's ceiling.
"I wanna disagree with you," Jaemin yawned out loud, "but a nap sounds so good right now." His eyelids slowly grew heavy with his mouth opened.
Two pairs of heavy eyelids shut themselves into a food-induced coma nap and a calm silence overtook the car. The commotion of footsteps and countless chatter had awoken Xiaojun. He blinked a couple of times and rubbed his eyes; two police squad cars were parked in front of them and there were police officers scattered around the retirement center. The Xiaojun squinted his eyes further and noticed the detective from yesterday, Lee Taeyong, was there talking to someone as well.
"Hm?" Jaemin cracked an annoyed eye opened, "what's going on?" He blinked his eyes opened and sat up straight.
"We are at a crime scene!" Xiaojun said with such ecstasy. "Come on, let's go!" Xiaojun unlocked the door and rushed out.
"What? I thought this was a one-time thing!" Jaemin yelled but Xiaojun was already gone. "Damn it," Jaemin cursed as he followed Xiaojun out the car, "wait up!"
Xiaojun and Jaemin slipped passed the police officers and entered the retirement center; a one-storey building but it was big yet homey and the foyer was decorated with comfortable furnitures. However, Xiaojun noticed how some parts of the ceilings were chipping off and the small leakage of water from the ceiling that hadn't been fixed yet.
There were people scattered around; police officers, including Officer Hong, interviewing the residents and staffs around, and Detective Lee with hands on his hips and a stout face talking to a man in a suit - Xiaojun deduced that he was the manager of the place from the way he was the only one wearing a suit. While the manager was talking to Detective Lee, he kept on stealing nervous glances at a particular individual who was talking to Officer Hong; she was wearing a white fit from top to bottom with a badge hooked on her front pockets and her hair was neatly tucked into a bun - Xiaojun deduced that was she was most likely a nurse or a caretaker for the residents. Her eyes were locked on Officer Hong but there was a fleeting moment where she gazed at the manager across from her as she shifted her weight from one foot to another.
"What are you posers doing here?" Taeyong furrowed his eyebrows and clicked his tongue against his cheek when Xiaojun and Jaemin approached them. "Officer Hong, escort them out of the premise." Taeyong commanded and Seunghan came running to them.
Xiaojun flashed a smile that irked Taeyong, "the spirits guided me here. I can't help it if this is where it leads me. Among my many many other skills, I can also sense time," he gestured his watch.
Taeyong pulled an incredulous face at this nonsense. “What even is sensing time?” He scoffed.
“Ask me for the time.” Xiaojun asked Jaemin.
“What time is it?” Jaemin asked without hesitation.
“I feel it in my body," he wriggled all ten of his fingers, "it’s 10.17 am.”
“It’s 10.23 am.” Taeyong glanced at his watch.
“Exactly.” Xiaojun snapped his fingers. "Sensing time," he tapped two fingers against his temple as if to prove a point.
Taeyong pursed his lips at his ridiculous act, "Officer Hong, out," and turned around to resume his investigation.
Seunghan was more than ready to escort Xiaojun and Jaemin out of the premise but Xiaojun resisted, "what happened to thanking us for yesterday? My revelation helped you!"
"Yeah! It was us who led you to the right person!" Jaemin added on in Xiaojun's defense. "So, you can suck it," Jaemin sang the last two words in a melodious manner.
"Suck it hmmmmm," Xiaojun joined in a harmonised with Jaemin.
"That was really good," Jaemin complimented themselves once they were done harmonising.
Taeyong ticked his jaw as his patience was wearing thin with their act, "maybe, maybe not." He shrugged.
"But Detective Lee, we did follow up on his revelation and that was how we were able to catch the right cul-" Seunghan spoke up but the death glares sent by Taeyong instantly made him shut up.
Taeyong closed his eyes and took a breath before he spoke up,"yes, your revelation may have led us to the right culprit but it was us who did the heavy lifting. So, thank you for yesterday but we don't need you and unless you can solve this case, buzz off psychic boy," Taeyong brushed passed Xiaojun and Jaemin, "and smeller boy. Follow me Officer Hong."
"It's sniffer boy." Jaemin sassed back but Taeyong was already walking down the hallway without caring about them.
Once there was no one within their earshot, Xiaojun whispered excitedly to Jaemin, "you heard what he said, we have to solve this case."
"No Xiaojun, I heard him telling us to screw off, which we should be doing. We have no business being here." Jaemin disagreed yet he had an inkling feeling on his skin that the opposite was going to happen.
"Exactly! We have to solve the case before they do." Xiaojun ignored Jaemin.
"You can do that," Jaemin sighed and headed towards the door, "I have reports and emails to catch up on and I can't procrastinate on that."
"Come on, please," Xiaojun begged Jaemin with his two hands tightly held together, "we start solving cases one by one and they'll have no choice but to start paying us because of how good we are." He attempted to convince Jaemin.
Just then, you walked in through the door with a soft smile on your face and your scent left a lingering trail. They both stopped and stared in awe at you, Jaemin even sniffed in the scent you left behind. "Or, I can help you solve the case." Jaemin's eyes wondered over to you.
"That's my boy" Xiaojun grinned. "Dibs!" He called out.
"You can't call dibs on a girl." Jaemin tsked.
"Shut up, you're just jealous I called it first." Xiaojun rolled his eyes knowing that Jaemin would've acted exactly the same way as he did.
"Not if I talk to her first." Jaemin childishly retorted as he sped up to you but Xiaojun was able to catch up.
"No, no," their hushed argument carried on till they reached right in front of you, “I’m Xiao Dejun but you can call me Xiaojun - psychic.” Haha! Xiaojun beat Jaemin to it! He then pointed at Jaemin. “This is my partner, Han Daegang, professional motorbike racer.”
“Vroom vroom,” Jaemin winked at you, "I can take you on the wildest ride of your life," he said in a smooth buttery voice.
You giggled at their childish ways but was amused and greeted them with a bus shine smile. "Hi! I'm yn," you extended your hand for a handshake and they eagerly shook your soft hands. "So, psychic, huh? Can you read me?" You asked hopefully.
"Sorry sweets, that's not how it works," Xiaojun inhaled a hissed, "the media really has ruined the way us psychics are perceived."
The sight of you frowning in disappointment tugged Jaemin's heart. "But surely you can get a reading of this sweet girl," Jaemin sent Xiaojun a discreet, knowing look. "Right?"
Xiaojun hummed a thought, "let me try and get a little something but we do need to hold hands for this to work, my vision doesn't activate like that." All three of you were in a circle, your right hand was holding onto Xiaojun's hand while your left hand was holding onto Jaemin's hand. "Now, close your eyes and go to your happy place. No speaking or we'll disturb the spirits!"
Once your eyes were shut and it looked like you were in a trance, Xiaojun cracked an eye opened and examined you: dangling earrings, dressed in jeans and comfy blouse, old paint stains splattered on certain parts of your jeans, and your digital watch flashed with a message, "sorry, finished ur milk yesterday, ill replace it 2day."
Ok, this was more than enough for Xiaojun to go off on. He hummed a melodious sound, "I'm seeing green, purple, yellow, wait! It's a rainbow!" Xiaojun exclaimed. "There's something else I'm seeing."
"What is it?" You whispered.
"Shh, we let the spirits speak," Xiaojun stated. "Yes, yes, it's definitely a rainbow but there's something or someone." Xiaojun snapped his eyes opened. "You're an art volunteer and you're upset that your housemate is constantly finishing up food," and exhaled a sighed of relief.
Your mouth dropped and your eyes widened. "Wow! You are a psychic!" And jumped a little in place at the accurate vision of you. "Yeah, I come in a couple times a week and make art with our lovely seniors.
"It's all on the days work," Xiaojun shrugged smugly.
"How about you? Do you also see visions besides professionally riding your motorbike?" Your eyes sparkled as you asked Jaemin.
"I make other people see visions," Jaemin's voice dropped sultry and Xiaojun secretly gagged at his flirtatious line, which actually worked because you grew shyer at his words.
"Anyways, what kind of art volunteering do you do with the senior residents here?" Xiaojun diverted the conversation instead of watching Jaemin drop another flirty line - gag him already.
"I can show you guys and you can even join if you want to! I'm sure the manager won't mind - he's a bit absent minded nowadays." You whispered it like a secret to them. You walked down the hallway with them until you reached the rec room, took out your access card and tapped it against the black device beside the door, and entered the room; it was set up like a classroom with multiple tables and chairs. "It's kinda like school where we focus on a particular medium of art like pottery, painting, drawing, crochet, etc. for a couple of sessions and then switch it up." You explained to them while you set up the furnitures in its place as they helped you, "we're currently focused on painting."
"Ah, feeding the creative soul," Jaemin commented, "I too dabble in the art of photography."
Xiaojun snickered, "yeah, picsarts."
Jaemin slapped Xiaojun in the chest in retaliation, "I don't use picsart - not anymore," he whispered the last part.
You chuckled at their antics, "nothing wrong with picsarts, to be free is to be cringe." You warmly assured Jaemin.
"Good morning dear, sorry for coming in early but you know how I like to sit in the front," a senior resident with permed grey hair entered inside the room with an access card.
"Good morning!" You greeted her cheerfully, "of course, you know how much I love having you sit in the front," you pulled out a chair for the grandma who graciously accepted your kind gesture and sat down as she placed her knick knacks and access card on the table in front of her.
"And who are these handsome fellows?" The grandma asked Xiaojun and Jaemin. You turned around to continue setting up the rest equipment for today's session.
"I'm Xiaojun and this is Shazamalkezam," Xiaojun introduced himself and then pointed to Jaemin who waved and smiled at the grandma.
"Greetings," Jaemin greeted.
"What wonderful young men you are," the grandma complimented them, "you boys can call me Gam-Gam."
"So, Gam-Gam, what masterpieces have you created?"
Gam-Gam chuckled, "oh dear, just a little painting here and there."
"Oh come on, you must have created the next Mona Lisa," Jaemin complimented as well.
"Oh, you boys are too sweet. If I had a granddaughter, I would love to introduce you both to her - too bad I only have a grandson who's a workaholic," Gam-Gam placed her hand on her heart and it jingled because of her medical bracelet.
Heart Arrhythmia, Room 47, Xiaojun noted the medical bracelet. "At least you're surrounded with other people. Seems fun to live here."
"Not until recently because of all the thefts. It's so scary because you think you it won't affect you and then out of nowhere you lose your family's jewelry heirloom." Gam-Gam sighed. "Luckily, this one's a sweetheart because she made a replica of my ring when mine was stolen," she showed off a gold-played ring that looked identical to a real gold ring, "she's so talented with her hands."
"Is the room set up or do I have to die first?" A cranky senior resident walked into the room followed by other senior residents who were walking behind her.
"Everything is set up," you cheerfully replied despite the crankiness of the elderly and even helped her out - probably used to the grumpiness and impatience of an elderly.
"That's my next door neighbour and her things were stolen. She owns the place and her grandson is the manager here - the apple doesn't fall far from the tree because they're so uptight."
"Oh really?" Xiaojun grew intrigued at Gam-Gam's gossip. "What was stolen?"
"The walls are a bit thin so I thought I heard some rustling last night thinking it was just her getting up in the middle of the night or an animal near the window but she was getting robbed!" Gam-Gam went on, "I don't know what was stolen because this no good old lady won't say a peep about anything but to the police."
"Oh my!" Xiaojun gasped and clutched his shirt.
"My, my!" Jaemin covered his opened mouth with both hands.
As more senior residents settled into their places and everything had been set up, you turned on your teaching voice to gather everyone's attention, "good morning everyone! Today we will be working on painting!"
"Oops, class is starting!" Gam-Gam gushed giddily. "You boys should stay and paint!"
Xiaojun steathlity covered the Gam-Gam's access card that was freely on the table with his hand and slithered it away without notice. "We would love to but unfortunately this one has to leave for his prostate exam and I have to be there for support," his facial expressions feigned sadness.
"Come on man," Jaemin clicked his tongue against his cheek, "who was the one who cried getting their injection shots during the pandemic?" He sassed back.
"Come on man," Xiaojun mocked Jaemin.
"Who are these unauthorised gentlemen here? I don't remember hiring you both." The mean grandma spoke directly to Xiaojun and Jaemin.
"I'm a psychic and I'm here to read the vibes of this place." Xiaojun coolly replied.
"What utter nonsense is this?" The mean grandma held the back of her neck in a painful manner, "where's that useless girl with my medication? Nayong!" She pressed a beep on her wrist and the same nurse who was talking to Seunghan came running in with sweat dripping on the side of her temples. "Where's my medicine Nayong? You should be keeping track of it not me." She shamed the nurse with her finger.
"It's Nayeon, ma'am," her hands shook as she gave the pills to the mean grandma. In the middle of this commotion, Xiaojun and Jaemin sneaked each other knowing looks and slipped out of the room quietly, but not without Jaemin throwing a wink at you.
"So people are just rude no matter the age?" Jaemin commented as they walked down the hallway.
"Poor girl was about to cry and she was grilled by the police earlier," Xiaojun added on and turned to the hallway where all the residents resided and searched for Gam-Gam's room. It was further down the hallways until they reached Room 47 and next door on the left was Room 48, the mean grandma's room. Xiaojun looked up and saw there was a security camera in the corner but one thing that stood out was how "black" the lenses were - no doubt it was spray painted on. Xiaojun was a bit baffled at how every room needed an access card entry but this one was an obvious tell of the lack of care of security. "One thing is for sure, this was an inside job because look how we have to access every single room with a card. This is a senior residence for god sakes! Don't choose this for our retirement home." Xiaojun tapped the access card to Gam-Gam's room and entered the room; it was designed like a suite hotel with the small kitchen on the side of the door and there was an open-concept living room, a bedroom in the left side of the living room, and the bathroom on the right side of the living room with the view of the swimming pool.
"Smells like old person smell in here," Jaemin sniffed the air as he roamed around the place - looking for nothing in particular yet anything in particular.
"Geez, I wonder why," Xiaojun sarcastically remarked while he snooped through the mails, mainly addressed from the bank, which was left on the kitchen counter. Nope, nothing interesting nor did anything stood out to him. "Let's go next door, there's nothing here besides this awful candy," Xiaojun popped in a sour looking candy that was sitting on the kitchen countertop.
"That's a raisin," Jaemin pointed out the obvious looking dried skin. "Also, how are we going to sneak in next door?"
"The window! Old people always leave their windows open because they wanna breathe in that oxygen." Xiaojun snapped. He cracked the window of the living room up and crawled out the window first and then Jaemin crawled out the window; Jaemin made sure to pull down the window and disguise their tracks.
"Ok, you go in," Xiaojun said.
"No, I don't want to be the first person to break-in, you go do that." Jaemin shook his head.
"Oh come on, don't be a pussy," Xiaojun pushed Jaemin through the cracked window after he opened it.
The mean grandma's unit was identical to Gam-Gam's so they felt familiar with snooping around the place. The place was decorated with expensive paintings and ornaments - an upscaled look. Xiaojun took a closer look at the painting and inspected it; he wasn't much of an artist but the brushstrokes looked like it was freshly painted.
"Jaemin, is this an original work or you think the mean grandma made it?" Xiaojun inquired Jaemin.
Jaemin took out his phone and identified the painting via camera, "it's an original art work by Chittapon and he only sold ten of these."
"Chittapon? Is it the same Ten Chittapon who directed a movie with Park Jisung in it?"
"Yup, the same one."
Xiaojun scrutinised the painting even more, "but do you think it's an original or a replica?"
Jaemin shrugged, "beats me."
There wasn't much to see in the living room so Xiaojun sneaked into the bedroom where there was a vanity table across from the bed and it was decorated with makeup, skincare, pills, and jewelry boxes. There wear pearls and gold jewellery in the boxes and he picked one gold ring up which looked liked it was chipping off. "We need to know exactly what was stolen from here - we need the list." Xiaojun commented.
"Yeah, yeah, but do you smell that?" Jaemin sniffed, "it's like lavender coffee a very, very, very faint scent but I can definitely tell when there's a waft of lavender coffee."
Xiaojun hissed in a sniff, "I don't smell anything."
Jaemin inhaled the air some more, "nope, yeah, it's lavender coffee for sure. It doesn't smell like old powder like in Gam-Gam's room."
"Huh," Xiaojun clicked his tongue. Jaemin's sniffing identifying skills were always highly accurate so if he was confident that there was a lingering scent of lavender coffee, then there was definitely lavender coffee. "How do you think that happens? Wouldn't the scent disappear?"
"Probably, unless they accidentally spilled it on themselves." Jaemin said.
"It could also just be the staffs who come in and out of the room." Xiaojun pondered over knowing that senior residence usually have immense amount of assistance. "Do you know which nearby coffee place sells lavender coffee? It seems like a specialty drink.
"I know the perfect place," Jaemin replied. "It's at the-," there were faint footsteps and voices outside the door and both Xiaojun and Jaemin exchanged panicked looks as their eyes widened. "Hide!" They said at the same time. Jaemin shoved himself under the bed and Xiaojun forced himself underneath it as well, "why are you taking my hiding place? Go somewhere else." Jaemin complained.
"Shhh, there's no time," Xiaojun placed one hand on Jaemin's mouth and the other was on his own as he heard the door unlocked and footsteps approaching.
"Doyoie, what if we do tell them what we did? Maybe they will forgive us." A familiar female voice asked Doyoung.
"No, we can't babe." He sighed as he walked around the room to grab certain items. "It's going to look bad and we're going to get blamed for it."
"But Doyoie," she pleaded.
"Sometime soon but not now babe, I'm sorry. This is for our own good," and they both walked out of the room. "Let's go and get ready before the police comes back again."
The air was still and the only loud thing was the dust thag speckled in the air; Xiaojun and Jaemin waited for a couple of minutes until they were sure that those people weren't coming back. Xiaojun was certain that the man was Doyoung, the manager, but was uncertain of the female who had a seemingly affectionate relationship. "Let's get the hell out of here," Jaemin muttered, he felt suffocated from the tight space.
"Thought they wouldn't leave," Xiaojun crawled out underneath the bed and dusted his pants off. "Her voice sounded so familiar," Xiaojun tsked as he tried to recall the voice.
"Probably but we need to get out of here before anyone comes back or we're going to get framed for a crime we didn't do!" Slight sweat ran down Jaemin's temple as the adrenaline was still so high for him.
"Oh relax Jaemin," Xiaojun patted Jaemin's back, "I'll visit you in jail," he snickered and crawled out of the same window.
"You don't think I'm not taking you down with me?!" Jaemin whispered-shouted at Xiaojun as he crawled out of the same window. "We're going to rot in jail together as promised!"
"Only if I get the bottom bunk," Xiaojun said.
Jaemin rolled his eyes, "fine then but I am not peeing in front of the guards," he dusted off the invisible dirt off his clothes and crossed his arms.
"Excuse me, did you guys just crawled out of the window here?" A male individual dressed in white polo shirt tucked into his matching white pants with a small metal nametag, Yushi. His brown hair was swooped back neatly but Xiaojun couldn't helped but noticed how Yushi wore two different shades of grey socks but his and his watch that rested on his left wrist was big and flashy for someone working at a retirement home.
"We did not," Xiaojun replied, "I'm Xiaojun, and I'm here to scout the place for my dear dad. How can I know if this is a safe place if all I hear is all these robbery cases? My poor daddy deserved the best after…" he purposely trailed off and feigned a traumatic expression. "And this is my partner, Jaeman because he is the man."
Jaemin shook Yushi's hands, "how you doing?"
Yushi shakingly accepted Jaemin's handshake despite the fact he was perplexed, "hi, I'm Yushi - I work the pool here."
Jaemin withdrew his handshake, "the pool here is huge," he referred to the Olympic sized pool which was currently empty.
"It's great because there's an incredible set of activities." Yushi informed, "I'm sure your dad would love it here and it generally is a safe space besides all the recent cases."
"Oh really?" Xiaojun quirked curiously. "I just want the absolute best for my dad, don't want them stealing his antique watch collection."
"Oh that's neat," Yushi's eyebrows raised in surprised, "what kind does he collect? I'm a watch man myself."
Xiaojun let out a thoughtful hummed, "oh you know, the usual like vintage Rolex that was gifted to him by the Saudian Prince."
"Oh wow, that's incredible!" Yushi exclaimed. "It would be so cool to see that watch in person one day." He geeked.
"Eh, maybe," Xiaojun shrugged, "say that's a pretty fancy watch," he gestured to Yushi's left wrist.
"Ah gee thanks," Yushi displayed the expensive ornament on his wrist to Xiaojun and Jaemin, "saved up for a very long time to get this baby."
"That is fancy shmancy," Jaemin whistled, "put it away or people will think you're the one who's been stealing!" Jaemin joked and they all laughed and Xiaojun couldn't helped but noticed the waver and tension in that boy's eyes.
Who was the thief? What was Doyoung and the mysterious woman that he was with hiding? He knew it was an inside job and people stealing from their own family and community was a common occurrence. Or was it Yushi, the nervous looking boy who wore around an expensive watch? Or was it someone he hasn't met yet? A billion thoughts swirled in Xiaojun's head while they made their way to the coffee shop, B E A N T H E R E, and he had hoped that this would be the key clue to closing in on their suspect. As soon as entered the coffee shop, he could smell the strong coffee beans that wafted in the air.
There were a few customers that sat around the coffee shop, some were chatting while others were by themselves. Meanwhile, all four baristas had a nametag attached to them and they chilled at the drink counter and register since there were no new customers: the tall one who was incessantly chewing on gum, Jungwoo, had a nicotine patch stuck behind his ear. The one with the floppy hair, Chenle, was grinning ear to ear while his eyes turned red as he scrolled on his phone. Then there was a barista, Jisung, who was busy pretending to wash dishes as his body leaned further to the right side - trying to catch glimpses of the customer's conversation. The fourth barista, Hendery, kept on glancing between the clock on the wall and the clipboard in front of him.
"Hmmm," Jaemin inhaled the enclosed premise as if he was transported to his own personal paradise, "smell that powerful bean juice. This is definitely the place where the thief ordered the drink - it's the closest coffee shop to the retirement center."
"Hi, what would you like to order?" Hendery asked.
"Hey, do you guys sell lavender coffee here?" Xiaojun went straight to the point.
Hendery nodded, "yes, would you like one?" He was ready to key-in the order.
"Do you know who ordered a lavender coffee yesterday?" Xiaojun inquired
Hendery hissed disapprovingly, "sorry, we don't give out confidential information like that - we respect our customer's privacy." With that, Jisung stopped leaning his weight to the right, stood up straight, and awkwardly coughed.
"What do you need it for?" Chenle asked him suspiciously.
“I’m Xiaojun, psychic, soon to be head psychic of the police department.” Xiaojun introduced himself as usual.
"No way!" Jisung turned around in excitement.
"Psychic? Really?" Jungwoo grew curious.
“Shhhh," Xiaojun placed a finger on his lips, "and this is my taster, Kwon Taehee, a retired amateur baseball player, he would've gone professional if only he hadn't gotten his knee sprained in the ninth grade."
“How you doing?” Jaemin bowed a grand gesture.
“Read my fortune.” Jungwoo begged.
“Gentleman, gentleman, unfortunately, it does not work that way. I let the spirits guide me. I do a little bit of this and that, not your conventional psychic.” He waved weird hand motions in front of them.
“Yeah, sure," Hendery said with suspicions.
"Bullshit," Chenle called out on the absurdity.
"He really is a psychic," Jaemin backed his friend up. "Watch this."
Xiaojun loosened his shoulders and twisted his neck from side to side, "you," he pointed at Jungwoo, "don't worry, relapsing is normal and there's nothing to be ashamed of it. You can quit smoking."
"Huh," Jungwoo gasped in shocked.
Xiaojun then turned to Chenle, "a lover's paradise, huh?" He winked at Chenle as if they both shared a secret with each other and Chenle felt as if he was exposed.
Xiaojun gestured to Jisung to come closer and so he did, "you gotta do it discreetly if you want the 101 goss," he whispered in Jisung's ear which left Jisung flustered and red that he was caught by a stranger.
Then finally, he turned to Hendery, "just make sure to keep the rats away and you're good. You're an awesome assistant manager." Xiaojun said to Hendery.
All four of them had their jaws dropped to the floor and they all clapped at his insightful revelation. "This shit's real!" Chenle shouted.
"Do me more!" Jungwoo jumped in excitement.
"Gentlemen, thank you but I really do need to know who ordered a lavender coffee yesterday." Xiaojun feigned a regretful sighed.
"I think we can take a look at the system and-" Hendery helpfully stated but was disrupted by Xiaojun.
"Hmmmm," Xiaojun hummed with his eyes closed and hands perpendicular to the floor, "one maca, two maca, three macarena," and moved his hips side to side.
"What's happening?" Jisung asked.
"Shhh," Jaemin gestured him to quiet down even though it was Xiaojun who was making all the noise; there were even some onlookers from the customers but they all decided to ignore the performance in front of them, "he's in a trance right now, the spirits are telling him something."
"One maca, two maca, three macarena," Xiaojun swayed his hips back and forth, "maca, maca, maca, mascar," he chanted over and over again.
"Mascarpone?!" Jaemin suggested which took Xiaojun out of his trance and his eyes were opened again, his chest heaved up and down.
"Yes, mascarpone." Xiaojun snapped his fingers, "what has mascarpone?"
"Tiramisu!" Chenle blurted out in excitement.
“Yes! The spirits are guiding me towards the tiramisus." Xiaojun clapped his hands. "I need tiramisus right now to feel things, to see things, to see the vision," he said dramatically.
“The tiramisu sounds de-lish," Jaemin emphasized, "I hear the spirits are also saying we need club sandwiches, and a mango bingsu with coconut milk instead of condense milk."
"They said all that?" Jungwoo asked incredulously but Jisung bumped his elbow against him.
"Respect the work," Jisung muttered.
It had been 24 hours, more or less, since Xiaojun started his "psychic" journey and he swore it was already paying off: Chenle brought over the biggest piece of tiramisu, Hendery made the most bomb-ass club sandwich, Jungwoo's mango bingsu wears incredibly juicy, and Jisung made them one of the coffee shop's signature pistachio frappuccino. All the baristas sat on one of the larger tables with Xiaojun and Jaemin as they helped themselves to all the delectables.
"Oh!" Jaemin moaned at the juiciness of the mango bingsu, "mangooooo," he softly screamed in delight.
Xiaojun finished up the last bits of the tiramisu and club sandwich and licked the spoon clean, "I would get diabetes over this - hundred percent."
"So," Jaemin swallowed the last bits of the mango chunks, "do people often order lavender coffee around here?"
"Eh, depends on the day." Chenle shrugged.
"Do you remember any recent orders say from yesterday?" Xiaojun leaned back against the chair and loosened the buttons of his pants just a bit.
"Are we supposed to remember all our customers now?" Jungwoo asked rhetorically.
"Oh!" A memory clicked in Jisung's mind and he gasped out loud, "someone did order it yesterday because I remember making it but it was so busy so I have no idea who it was!"
"Ah! We can look at the timing of the receipt and look through the security cameras." Hendery brought out his tablet from behind the counter and looked up for yesterday's receipt. Meanwhile, Chenle brought out another device and looked through the security footage; they coordinated the time of the receipt with the security camera and it showed an individual with a hoodie and a cap ordering the lavender coffee and other drinks so they couldn't make out the face since it was covered. However, the expensive black dress shoes stood out to Xiaojun and took a mental note of it.
"Do you guys remember anything about the person's face?l
"Sorry no, it was a really busy hour so everyone was just in and out." Jungwoo explained.
"The receipt says it was ordered by "Riku"." Hendery showed it to them.
Xiaojun nodded and pursed his lips, this was all the clue that he was going to get from here. "Alright, thanks guys! Let's go to the blueberry, Jaemin." Xiaojun and Jaemin stood up from their chairs and headed out the door when a voice stopped them.
"Tip?" Jungwoo coughed extra hard to get their attention and raised the palm of his hand in their direction.
"Secret menu of the day," Xiaojun winked, "like a secret code for loyal customers."
"Or unique theme desserts for the week," Jaemin high-fived Jungwoo's palm and shot him a wink.
Then, Xiaojun and Jaemin shared a knowing look with each other and said, "open mic night," at the same time. "We'll be there to bust out some sweet karaoke moves, yeahhhhhmmmmm," and left the coffee shop.
All four baristas watched them leave with a happy skip in their steps. Hendery cracked his neck to the side when he realised something was missing, "so, they just left without paying for anything, huh.
The only logical conclusion that was discussed between Xiaojun and Jaemin was to go back to the retirement center and either find the staff record or find the Riku guy himself. If Xiaojun could find this Riku guy, then he would definitely be a step closer to solving the case - too the bad the police beat him to it.
"I'm Maeda Riku and I was framed for murder! Say my name till I'm free from charge! I'm Maeda Riku!" A sun-kissed male screamed hysterically in the corridors of the retirement center, catching the attention of other senior residents and staffs on the premise.
Taeyong pulled an impassive face, "you're not being framed for murder, you've been pulled in for questioning since it was recorded that your access card was the last one to enter the victim's room." He glanced at the file in his one last time. "I suggest you politely cooperate or I might have to charge you with obstruction of police work," his tone was serious and firm that it chilled over the entire atmosphere.
"Riku, go with the detective, let's try our best to cooperate with them," Doyoung said.
"Oh, ok," Riku blushed nervously as he followed Taeyong, Seunghan, and other police officers to Doyoung's, the Manager, office for questioning.
"Where's the break room?" Xiaojun asked Jaemin.
Jaemin inhaled a huge waft of the air and pointed to the right, "that way and a tteeobeokki is calling my name." Jaemin led the way down the hallway and as they walkedto the break room, Xiaojun didn't missed the way Doyoung quickly tucking in a lock of Nayeon's hair behind her ear before he awkwardly coughed - almost as if they were afraid that someone would catch them in the act.
Jaemin skipped over to the break room and took a bite out of the giant pot of lukewarm teobbokki, "needs more chilly but it's pretty good."
"Oh come on man, we're not here to steal another person's food," Xiaojun said as he grabbed a golden mango on the kitchen table, "let's go."
"I wasn't stealing! It was a snackccident!" Jaemin yelled and wanted to walked out of the break room when Yushi walked into the room.
"Hey guys, Xiaojun and Jaeman, right?" Yushi opened the fridge, took out a carton of milk with a sticky note "Riku" on the front, and poured a glass of milk for himself. "Are you guys still touring the place?"
"What sharp memory you have," Xiaojun laughed, "yeah, we're still touring this place and just asking around to make sure the vibes right for my dad."
"You should come by and check out the pool activities, we're going to start our session soon," Yushi picked an empty bowl and poured in the ttebeokki, "the staffs are all great." He took a bite of the chewy goodness and let out a satisfying hummed, "you guys should try it! Yn made it this morning and it's so good!" He shoved it down his throat and drank his milk to lessened the heat in his mouth.
Jaemin was about to sit down and devour the food with Yushi but Xiaojun beat him to it, "thanks buddy, but we gotta bounce and tour around some more," Xiaojun grabbed Jaemin's arm and walked out the door, "we'll drop by the pool though!" and headed straight to the manager's office.
"Darn it, of course they would've placed a police officer in front of the office," Xiaojun muttered. Luckily, it was Seunghan.
"Buddy, Seunghan!" Xiaojun hollered at Seunghan and dapped him up which he happily reciprocated. "They got you guarding like the important man you are."
"Yeah, that's right," Jaemin fistbumped Seunghan and he blushed at the compliment, feeling giddy and excited.
"So, what do we have here?" Xiaojun casually asked Seunghan.
"Detective Lee is interviewing a possible suspect." Seunghan informed but suddenly gasped and covered his mouth with his hands, "I shouldn't have told you that."
Xiaojun patted Seunghan on the back, "I would've known either way, remember, I'm a psychic," he pointed two fingers to his temple.
"Right!" Seunghan's eyes gleamed with excitement, "say, what's my fortune for today?" He cleared his throat trying to hide his chalant.
Xiaojun leaned in closer and whispered in his ear, "I think you're about to become a hero today."
Seunghan's pupils widened by an inch, "I'm going to be a hero?" He whispered-shouted the last word.
"Yeah, I'm sensing," Xiaojun snapped his eyes shut and rolled his head to the back, "splash, splash, splash."
"Splash, splash, splash," Jaemin sang along with Xiaojun.
"Nyeah," Xiaojun grunted, "something's definitely going to happen at the pool. I see something, not sure what it is but waves calling my name," and snapped his eyes opened.
"You should check it out and snoop around in advance." Jaemin tried to convinced Seunghan.
"I-I would love to but I was instructed to guard the post."
Xiaojun let out a disappointed sighed, "remember, psychic," he pointed to himself and then to Seunghan, "hero."
"He can see the future," Jaemin patted Seunghan's shoulder.
"Not the future per say but more on the vibes," Xiaojun corrected the statement. "You can save the day and everyone around you would be so impressed."
Seunghan's gaze turned into an iron-firm determination. "To save the people," and marched out to the pool.
They watched him till he disappeared down the hallway. "I feel bad for tricking that poor kid," Jaemin said.
"Don't worry, he's got a bright future." Xiaojun pressed his ear against hybe door and heard a muffled sound.
"I don't know how my access card ended up there! Detective Lee, I promised I didn't do it! I remember losing my access card near the pool area, it probably dropped from my pocket or something, and after that I had to get a replacement," Riku was begging and pleading with the authoritative figure in front of him.
A Xiaojun heard more than enough so he twisted the doorknob and entered the office. "The ceremony should definitely take here," he breezed into the place with Jaemin.
"Flowers would really brighten up the place you know," Jaemin wondered around the room.
Taeyong scowled and looked up at the two disruptive idiots, "what are you bozos doing here?" He stood up from his seat and placed his hands on his hips. "Officer Hong!" He shouted from the office.
"We're scouting the perfect location for your brother's wedding."
Taeyong huffed, "stay the hell out of my brother's wedding and," he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, "retirement center is not a place to get married."
"I disagree, it could be a wonderful comment on life." Jaemin hummed a thoughtful tune, "begin a life together in a place where you grow old together," his eyes sparkled at the genius mess of this phrase - trademark it.
"Awww, so we're not going to get an invitation?" Xiaojun pouted, "even after we brought you this mango," hero held the fruit up on display.
"Mangoooo," Jaemin emphasized.
"Get out," Taeyong's patience was wearing thin with all their shenanigans. "Out," and pointed towards the door.
"Oh come on, we just wanna talk to our buddy Riku," Xiaojun said, "wanna see what's the haps." He took the opportunity to scanned the notes and files that were opened on the table:
Maeda Riku (assistant administrator) - possible suspect
access card logged at 1.27 am
there were other instances of theft but it was never officially filed with the police until now
Maeda Riku's access card was used in all of the victims' room
Security footage shows that Maeda Riku was never on the premise when the card was used
Security footage not entirely reliable - who spray painted the camera?
Management lacklustre in keeping up with the facilities and the securities
Several possible blind spots and other access points that the culprit could've entered
Possibly a two-person job
Confirmed - Maeda Riku was not the one who stole last night's items - was in the hospital for stomach issues - security footage and doctor's notes checked out - alibi confirmed
Investigate if he was involved with the other thefts
Who are the other possible suspects?
Suspect is the one who spray painted the security camera
List of the Victim's Stolen Items:
Pearl necklace
Gold ring
Gold bracelet
Gold necklace
Gold bar
Pearl ring
Emerald necklace
Ruby ring
Sapphire ring
"Out!" Taeyong commanded.
"Detective Lee, is there anything I can help you out with?" Doyoung came in slightly panting, "I heard a slight commotion coming from here.
"Escort these civilians out of the premise before I arrest them," Taeyong teethed. "And where's Officer Hong?" He muttered.
"Yes, right away detective," Doyoung grabbed Xiaojun's and Jaemin's arms and dragged them out of the room but not without them yelling in protest.
"Come on, man! We're trying to help you!" Xiaojun shouted but Taeyong ignored him and shut the door in their faces.
"We even brought you mango." Jaemin yelled, "let me go, don't touch me," he shooed away Doyoung's hand that was gripping on his arm but this man had some grip on him!
"Who are you people?" Doyoung heaved as he hauled two grown man through the hallways until they reached the front entrance of the retirement center.
"I'm Xiaojun, psychic, and this is Na Jaemin, he does drugs." Xiaojun introduced himself after Doyoung released his grip on them.
"I'm a pharmaceutical sales rep, and really?" He slapped Xiaojun's arm, "now you decide to say my real name?" And tsked.
"Sorry dude! I saw your blueberry and that was all I could think of!" Xiaojun defended himself since Jaemin's car was parked right in front of the entrance.
Doyoung pressed his lips and furrowed his eyebrows, "just leave and don't ever come back," a slight migraine coming his way with everything that had been going on.
"Oh come on Mr.Manager," Xiaojun stomped his foot, "how can we go if we have very little gas left," he attempted to convince Doyoung to let them stay.
"We have more than enough-" Jaemin started his sentence but then shut his mouth when Doyoung pulled out his wallet with a reluctant sigh.
Doyoung pulled out some cash from his wallet but accidentally pulled out a card that looked like a sonogram and Xiaojun smirked on the inside. "Take these and leave this place," he slammed the cash against Xiaojun's chest and dashed back inside.
"Ooh," he fanned out the cash, "extra cash for a little snackity-snack."
"Let's just call it a day," Jaemin took out his car key and unlocked the car. "We can pick this up next time."
"Jaemin, we are so close to the truth!" Xiaojun stopped Jaemin from opening the car door. "Ok, so Riku is definitely not the culprit."
"How are you so sure?" Jaemin asked. "But I do feel like it's the Yushi boy - something is off about him."
"You can just tell when someone's telling the truth and he was panicking! Also, it's definitely the random fancy watch," Xiaojun agreed with him, "but it might be that manager Doyoung too. Him and Yushi wear the exact pair of black dress shoes as the person who ordered the lavender coffee."
"Yeah, wearing a dress shoe at the pool is just odd or are we not sophisticated enough?" Jaemin looked down at his and Xiaojun's black worn out sneakers.
"Let's go back inside through the pool." Xiaojun said, "I still have Gam-Gam's access card," he flashed a toothy grin.
Jaemin sucked in his teeth and shook his head, "we're going to get caught, he just kicked us out."
"Yn is still here." Xiaojun wiggled his eyebrows.
"The pool you say? Let's go," Xiaojun had never seen Jaemin walked with that much determination in his life. "I think I'm going to ask her out to dinner tonight."
"How are you so sure she doesn't have a boyfriend?" Xiaojun teased Jaemin.
"There was a connection - a moment so intense," Jaemin's eyes sparkled as he talked more and more about you and how he planned how the date would go and all his delusions.
By the time they reached the pool, they were greeted with seniors splashing around the pool, following the aerobic instructor in front of them. Including the mean grandma and Gam-Gam. Xiaojun took a moment and observed the scene that was unfolding in front of him: Yushi was ensuring that everyone was safely playing in the pool, Nayeon was on standby with medications on her being by the pool, Doyoung was installing new security cameras with the technicians, and you were relaxing by the pool reading a book with your sunglasses on.
Xiaojun and Jaemin walked carefully around the wet pool tiles when Seunghan came up to them like an excited puppy. "Hi guys!" He waved at them and they waved back.
"You guys, I followed your vision and investigated around the pool," Seunghan started off, "but everything seemed alright so I went around the back and look what I found behind the garbage container." He held up a used spray containers in a zip locked bag with his gloved hands and multiple used pregnancy tests in another zip locked bag. "We can get these tested and find the suspect!"
"Way to go Seunghan!" Jaemin beamed and patted Seunghan and then wiped it on jeans when he remembered where Seunghan went snooping.
"Hero! What did I say buddy?" Xiaojun gave him a nod of approval and a thumbs up. "Imagine if the pregnancy test belonged to one of the residents," Xiaojun joked.
Seunghan faked laughed but his face went pale. "That would be crazy."
"Officer Hong! Where have you been?" Taeyong came out to the pool and yelled for Seunghan.
"Yes, Detective Lee!" Seunghan straightened his stiff back, "I found a lead!"
"Adequate, log it." Taeyong barely offered a glanced to Seunghan and headed in Doyoung's direction. "Mr. Kim Doyoung, we need to have a chat." Taeyong said sternly as he held a piece of paper in his hand.
"Excuse me a minute," Doyoung excused himself from the technicians and followed Taeyong to a secluded area of the pool but Xiaojun and Jaemin subtly followed them and eavesdropped on their conversation.
"Why didn't you tell me you were the beneficiary to your grandmother's life insurance and this business was going to be passed down to you?" Taeyong asked curiously. Even though Xiaojun and Jaemin were at a distance, Xiaojun squinted his eyes and could make out the words Kim Doyoung, will, estate conditional, on the document.
"I-I didn't think it was relevant." Doyoung stuttered in a panic.
"We also found out that it was you who convinced the other residents who were robbed to not file for a police report." Taeyong crossed his arms and furrowed his eyebrows.
"Well, that was because because -" Doyoung struggled to find the right words as his lips went dry.
"Please follow me for further questioning and we require your utmost cooperation," Taeyong uttered, "Officer Hong!" Seunghan went running right beside Taeyong; they were going to walk back inside but Doyoung's grandma, the mean grandma aka Grandma Kim, spoke up from the pool.
"Officers, what's going on?" She shouted which caught everyone's attention. "Why are you taking my grandbaby again?"
Doyoung's face was flushed red from the private nickname she used in front of everybody.
Taeyong turned around and slightly bowed to her, "I apologise ma'am for the inconvenience but we need to further investigate this matter."
"You're not going anywhere without me," she tried to climb the ladder in the pool but was struggling due to her weight and bones, "help me Nayong! Don't just stand there uselessly," and Nayeon ran to help Grandma Kim out of the water until she was finally out. "It's so hard to find good help nowadays," she muttered, "grab be my towel."
Nayeon politely wrapped Grandma Kim in her towel and held her arm as she walked on the slippery tiles. Meanwhile, Doyoung watched this interaction with a helpless and apologetic expression on his face.
"Now, he's not going in there without me," she rudely remarked at Taeyong.
"Very well then, we needed to question you again either way." Taeyong shrugged and they all followed Grandma Kim's snail pace as Doyoung helped his grandmother as well. "Or we can do it right here, if you prefer it," Taeyong offered when he realised how slow the grandma was walking and his patience was wearing thin.
"Ugh, might as well," she sat down on one of those beach chairs and Doyoung sat beside his grandmother, while Nayeon stood on the side near Taeyong with her head down. "What are you doing here?" Grandma Kim eyed you who was still glued to your book and beach chair. "Scram, this is a private matter."
You pursed your lips into a thin line and got up from your chair with your book and bag to let them discuss in private and moved to the other side of the pool.
Xiaojun and Jaemin shared a look and joined you on the other side despite the fact Xiaojun wanted to eavesdrop some more on the conversation. "Well, that was something." Jaemin casually sat right next to you while Xiaojun took the other beach chair and leaned back against it; there unopened water bottles on the table beside him so he popped one opened. "It's always those who need help the most that belittle others," he reassured you.
"Yeah, it's been a long day with the police coming in and out of the place - most of the seniors were just gossiping in class today." You sympathised with the situation, "besides, no one's having a worse day than Grandma Kim who had just gotten her gold bar and sapphire ring stolen." You leaned back against the chair and Jaemin mirrored your action. "She's just been snappier than usual."
Xiaojun choked on his water bottle when a clicked went off in his brain. Jaemin ignored his friend almost dying from a water bottle and focused his attention on you. "Must've been a hard day for you." He cleared his throat and nervously sat up straight, "can I ask you a question?"
You smiled prettily at him, "of course, go ahead," and leaned closer to him.
"Do you wanna go out to dinner?" He finally asked the question that was stuck in his throat, "it doesn't have to be tonight, just anytime you're free."
"Of course! I can definitely do tonight!" You beamed brightly at him as you took his hands in yours. "I would love that!"
The coughing died down and Xiaojun placed his water bottle down. "Hey, I don't mean to ruin this happy moment but I need to talk to you."
"Later," Jaemin shook off Xiaojun.
"You should go, Xiaojun needs you," you said so sweetly that it melted Jaemin's heart.
"Ok," Jaemin said absentmindely and turned to Xiaojun with a scowl on his face.
"What?" His tone came out snappier than usual.
"I need to fall in the pool." Xiaojun said.
Jaemin rolled his eyes, "what? No! I didn't bring extra clothes," and crossed his arms.
"You have to!" Xiaojun whispered, "I need it for my psychic thingy."
"You can do that without pushing me in the pool," Jaemin retorted.
"Just fall in the pool man." Xiaojun tried convincing Jaemin.
"No," Jaemin stood up with his arms still crossed.
"Yes," Xiaojun stood up and matched Jaemin's energy even though he was shorter than him.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
Out of pettiness, Jaemin gave Xiaojun a little shove which made Xiaojun gasped. "You did just do that."
"Uh-huh," Jaemin mocked him.
"Nuh-huh," Xiaojun pushed back.
"You just pushed me!" Jaemin gasped so he pushed him back.
Xiaojun kitty fought him with his hands and Jaemin retaliated back with the exact same movements. Meanwhile, you silently laughed as you watched their silly fight as they slowly walked towards the pool without realising it. There was an inevitable fate that you knew was going to happen the moment their feet slipped and their bodies wobbled into the pool and it made a huge splash - disrupting the senior aerobics class and even Taeyong stopped his investigation to watch the foolish sight in front of him.
"What the hell is happening?" Taeyong muttered when Jaemin and Xiaojun tried to drown each other, each gasping for air.
"Somebody call 911!" Seunghan shouted as he dropped the ziplock bags in a panic, "oh wait, that's me!" He ran towards the pool but the aerobics swim instructor already beat him to it and separated the two, "oh, that works as well," he muttered solemnly.
"We're good?" Jaemin offered a handshake now that the aerobics swim instructor separated them and forced them out of the pool.
Xiaojun sat on the edge of the pool with his clothes heavy on his body, "we're good," and shook his hand. Then, he glanced around and leaned closer to Jaemin's ear, "I know who's the thief."
Jaemin widened his eyes in surprised, "who?" He whispered back, "it's Yushi, isn't it? He has that suspicious energy."
"Yes," Xiaojun nodded, "and someone else." There was an energised look that flickered in Xiaojun's eyes.
"Who?" Jaemin was intrigued at this revelation - no doubt that Xiaojun was confident and sure about the other culprit.
"Push me," Xiaojun whispered.
"What?" Jaemin was confused.
"Just push me," and so Xiaojun fell in the pool once again. He shook his entire body as if he was paralysed and floated to the top. "Water, splash, splash," Xiaojun said incoherently which grabbed everyone's attention at the pool again. "Ughhh!" Xiaojun screamed. "This is too strong for me! Help!"
"I got you buddy, I got you buddy," Jaemin dove into the pool and held onto Xiaojun. "I'm here now," Jaemin put on an exaggerated act.
"Minmin, help me," Xiaojun whined pathetically, "I think someone's watching me," he said as everyone's eyes were on him.
"People are watching you," Jaemin stated as everyone watched Xiaojun's next move.
"No, no, no," Xiaojun shouted as if he was possessed, "something else, it's pointing at me." His right arm raised and moved horizontally, "nyeah," he grunted, "I can't control it." He moved it back and forth until he pointed to the newly installed security camera. "That! That's watching me!"
Taeyong and everyone else followed to where Xiaojun was pointing. "It's a security camera," Taeyong deadpanned, "of course, it's watching you."
Xiaojun inelegantly slithered out of the pool and Jaemin followed right behind him. "Watch! Tiktoktiktoktiktok!" Xiaojun was drenched from top to bottom. "Do you guys hear it?" He placed a hand behind his ear.
Kaw, kaw.
"Stop this shenanigan again," Taeyong huffed, his blood pressure was rising with every silly act of Xiaojun and Jaemin's.
Xiaojun ignored Taeyong as usual and went on, "I hear the tiktok of a watch." Xiaojun went around the pool looking for people who were wearing a watch." He went up to Seunghan, "no." He went up to Taeyong, "no." He went up to Yushi, "ahhh, shiny shiny."
"The adjective, not the fantastic group." Jaemin piped in.
"Tikkity-kat," Xiaojun shuffled his feet and placed near his ear, "it's telling me something," he shushed everyone to complete silence.
Yushi was confused at what Xiaojun was doing with his watch, "it's telling me that it saw something," Xiaojun said, "it's seeing gold, diamonds, pearls and oh! Spray cans!"
"Wh-what?" Yushi stammered and snapped his watch back so fast
"Calm down buddy," Xiaojun patted as he chuckled at the nervous state of Yushi. "You you weren't behind those thefts." Yushi let out a calm sighed and relaxed his shoulders. "But you did abet in stealing them!"
Yushi's eyes gasped and denied Xiaojun's accusation, "n-no."
This time, Taeyong spoke up because an accusation was something he could not silently watch. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that he was the one who stole Riku's access card when he lost it and he was also the one who spray painted the security camera." Xiaojun explained.
"And where is all this coming from?" Taeyong asked. "You can't go around accusing people without evidence."
"But you do that all the time," Xiaojun retorted.
"What I do is police work with proper procedure and evidence." Taeyong remained firm on his stance. "Plus, there were no videos of anyone his figure exiting in and out of the place during those hours."
"That's because the master and the thief behind all of this," Xiaojun paused, "is her!" His finger pointed at you who was still sitting on the beach chair.
"Me?!" You were baffled at the accusation.
"Her?!" Taeyong and Seunghan asked at the same time.
"Her?!" Jaemin shrieked in shocked - disappointed and baffled he was attracted to a potential criminal.
"It was all part of their brilliant scheme and they could've gotten away with it but they got way too greedy," Xiaojun snapped his fingers, "like the little boy who flew to the sun uhm what was it?" He squinted his eyes trying to remember. "Ica-myca-no - what was it Jaemin?"
"I thought his name was Daegang," you muttered to yourself.
"I thought his name was Jaeman," Yushi whispered to himself.
"Icarus!" Jaemin helped Xiaojun out.
"Yes, Icarus! They were in cahoots! Cahoots I say!" Xiaojun gestured to you and Yushi.
"Cahoots with the big C, not the fantastic game with a K." Jaemin displayed the letter C in his hand for everyone to see.
Xiaojun began his monologue and explained his reasoning, "these two are roommates but no one knows because yn's only a part-time art volunteer." Xiaojun paced back and forth between you and Yushi. "You see, it was the perfect coverup; they both know the ins-and-outs of the place, the blind spots," Xiaojun dramatically paused, "and they certainly know all the residents and staffs." After walking back and forth, Xiaojun felt tired and sat down on the beach chair next to you. "Look around people, all of the residents' room overlooks the pool and there's a lack of security back here. And who manages the pool?" He asked the audience but only Jaemin answered Yushi! "Exactly! It was the perfect m.o. Leave the windows slightly cracked opened and all yn had to do was crawl through it and steal the precious jewelleries and might I even say," he leaned closer to you, "paintings - expensive paintings."
"I still have my paintings you foolish boy!" Grandma Kim shouted at Xiaojun.
Xiaojun simply shook his head, "you might think that but this girl is a very, very, talented artist and maybe," he shrugged, "what you all have is a replica of the original - your paintings, your jewelleries. Get it check out little pookies, am I right?" He teasingly elbowed you who was now scowling at him.
"Thank you for the flattery but it wasn't me, how could I steal from these sweet people?" You defended yourself and crossed your arms.
"She's a sweetheart, she wouldn't do that," Gam-Gam backed you up. "We just met you today!"
"Exactly! You sound ridiculous," the heat and pressure was getting to you, "why would I steal from them all this time and suddenly get caught?" You huffed, "that doesn't even make sense!"
"Exactly," Xiaojun smirked, "they've been doing this for a very long time and only got caught recently because," he placed a finger on his head as if there were spirits were telling him something, "I'm sensing there's been a recent friction between the two of you," he pointed to you and Yushi, "him finishing the milk was just the tip of the iceberg."
Yushi gasped at the revelation, "how'd you know?"
"Psychic," Xiaojun sent him a wink. "And it was even easier to pull off and fool everyone when the manager's not even paying attention."
All eyes were on Doyoung and he slumped his shoulders and bowed his head in embarrassment.
"Ah," Xiaojun screamed again, "my-my baby," Xiaojun stuttered. "My baby said," he slapped himself. "My baby she said she-" Xiaojun slapped himself again. "Baby! He's going to become a daddy soon but how are you going to do that when you don't even have the backbone to stand up to your grandmother?"
"Is this true Doyoie?" Grandma Kim turned around and asked her grandson, "I'm going to become a great-grandmother?" Doyoung nodded wordlessly.
"Ah, that explains the pregnancy tests," Seunghan talked to himself.
"With whom?" Grandma Kim asked.
Doyoung opened his mouth then quickly clammed it shut and licked his dry lips. "With, with, with,"
"Oh my god, it's with Nurse Nayeon! She's carrying his baby!" Xiaojun was the one who spat it out instead since he couldn't stand watching Doyoung struggle to find the words.
"Nayong?" Grandma Kim screamed and fanned herself as she felt her blood pressure rising.
"Grandma!" Doyoung panicked over his grandma and started fanning her.
"Anyways," Xiaojun leaned back on the beach chair and took off your sunglasses off your head,"I guarantee you will find the stolen items in their home or they already pawned some items off. Anyways, case closed."
Jaemin finally came out of the pool all wet with his clothes on, "I can't believe I was attracted to a criminal," he cried out of disbelief. “Book her, book her, you’re going straight to jail.” He told Taeyong who was making his way to arrest you.
“That’s not how it works," Taeyong went up to you with an intimidating stance "She’s going to have to go under investigation first. So, I suggest you cooperate peacefully or I will have to arrest you.” His tone scared you a bit despite the fact you were seething on the inside that you got caught. "Officer Hong, take in the other guy and don't let him out of your sight."
“Please don’t ruin this for me. I said straight to jail.” Jaemin sighed defeatedly as he watched Taeyong and Seunghan take you and Yushi away from the premise.“Shame on you.” He yelled out one last time and took a seat beside Xiaojun.
"I was attracted to a criminal," Jaemin exasperated, "and I was going to take her out to dinner."
"Oh cheer up buddy, you can take me out to dinner. On me on your card," Xiaojun joked in an attempt to lighten up the mood. "But look at us! We did it! Again! Maybe we can even set up a business and solve cases."
"Oooh," Jaemin perked up, "we could have a tagline or come up with our own theme song for the jingle like Make a Wish!"
"Oh!" Xiaojun sat up from the beach chair, "something like; girl, your energy it fills me up."
"No, that was a terrible line," Jaemin disagreed and the rest of the evening was filled with coming up with cheesy lines one after another for their upcoming business.
Hehe, first time getting arrested?
this was my first time writing a “mystery”/crime-solving piece so I hope the clues weren’t too on the nose nor was it it too vague and random. I really hope you all enjoyed and im always happy to hear ur thoughts :)!
this fic is exclusive to both tiers on my patreon, which you can access here! below is a tumblr preview
Jaemin thinks you’re the prettiest person he’s ever laid eyes on. You’re so sweet and gentle, so caring of other people, and so impossibly hard not to like.
He doesn’t know when his crush on you began to bloom. The first time Jisung introduced you, he was too starstruck by your beauty to make a decent first impression. You simply smiled and shook his hand, leaving his fingers tingling for hours afterwards.
He grilled into Jisung that night, asking him every question under the sun about you.
Jisung was thoroughly exasperated before finally stating, “She’s single, Jaemin. But she likes bad boys.”
Jaemin is floored by the revelation. Bad boys… with you? No, it’s not possible. You’re too kind, dipped in honey and sugar. Any man who considers himself a “bad boy” should not be allowed to come within six feet of you.
He observes you at Jisung’s birthday party, keeping an eye out to see which type of man you decide to approach.
You almost trip on your heels to run to Lee Jeno.
Jaemin’s shoulders deflate when you bat your eyelashes at him, grinning widely as you squeeze his upper arm. Jaemin considers Jeno to be a close friend, but at the moment, he would like nothing more than to strangle him and leave him for dead.
“Give it up,” Renjun scoffs at him, flicking his forehead as he walks past. Jaemin glares at him in return. “Unless you start bulking up and never leave your house, she won’t look at you twice.”
So that’s exactly what Jaemin does.
He’s in the gym for nearly three hours every single day, lifting weights like it’s his full-time job. He shifts from a lanky guy to a jacked up man, straining the sleeves of his sweaters whenever he flexes his muscles.
He hopes you’ll notice the difference, but you barely acknowledge him.
“Oh, hi, Jaemin,” you murmur at Donghyuck’s house party, dressed in the loveliest shade of pink. You smile at him as you pour yourself another glass of lemonade. “How are you?”
“I’ve been hitting the gym a lot lately,” he says, cutting straight to the point. You tilt your head, examining his new form. He begins to sweat underneath your scrutiny, praying that he’s embodied the type of guy you want him to be. “I was thinking about texting Jeno, actually. I wanted to see if he’d like to be gym buddies.”
You smile coyly at the mention of Jeno and it has Jaemin swirling with jealousy.
“I think he would love that! He’s always saying he only likes to go to his house and the gym. He’s so silly,” you mumble with flushed cheeks.
Jaemin’s hand tightens around his bottle of beer. Seriously, what has Jeno done to have you acting this way? Jaemin could be silly too, he could match whatever energy you desire.
He just has to make you see the possibility that Jeno isn’t the right guy for you.
He asks Jeno to hang out the next day under the guise of wanting to try a new restaurant across town. Jeno doesn’t put up any arguments, strolling into the place like he hasn’t unknowingly declared himself as Jaemin’s worst enemy.
They talk about small things initially, conversing about the updates in their work life.
Jaemin is the first one to bite. “Have you been seeing anyone?”
Jeno shrugs. “Not really. I’ve been hooking up with a few people but nothing serious. No one has caught my interest for the long-term, I guess.”
Jaemin loathes him. How can he say that when you’re clearly vying for his attention, dangling off his arm and begging for him to stay?
Ungrateful bastard.
Jaemin mentions your name, watching carefully for Jeno’s reaction. He doesn’t seem affected at all, only raising an eyebrow and waiting for Jaemin to continue.
“I was thinking we could go on a double date. You and her, me and Yoojung. What do you think?”
“Yoojung? I didn’t know you had a thing for her.”
Jaemin doesn’t really know Yoojung, but he knows she’s nice enough to partake in his plan. She’ll be a great actress too, definitely willing to oblige him for the sake of love. She’s always been a huge champion for matchmaking so he’s well aware that she won’t put up much of a fight.
“I think she’s cute,” he replies, lying through his teeth. Yoojung is nice, but in Jaemin’s eyes, she doesn’t hold a candle to you. “And I think she would feel more comfortable if we went on a double date first. You would be doing me a huge favor.”
Jeno nods. “Sure, man. I’m happy to help.”
Jaemin’s grin spreads from ear to ear.
want to read the rest? access both tiers on my patreon here!
genre: figure skating AU, fluff, childhood friends to lovers, PR relationship/fake dating, speed skater!Jaemin x figure skater!reader, female identifying reader
warnings: light partying, a lil suggestive
playlist: true romance (pinkpantheress) | the perfect pair (beabadoobee) | prague (jack harlow) | with me (0WAVE) | next to me (JUNNY) | sexier (nct jnjm)
summary:
In the midst of a career comeback following a major injury, a reckless night cements your fall from grace as the Nation’s Skating Sweetheart. As everything comes crashing down, an opportunity presents itself: your childhood crush, Jaemin, proposes a PR relationship to support both of your returns to the skating world.
As your fabricated relationship throws you further into the spotlight, you’re not sure which is harder – redeeming your reputation, or trying not to fall for Na Jaemin all over again.
disclaimer: be warned that I'm not a skater but I tried my best LOLL also the nationality/country is kept vague intentionally, however I am American so be aware that some aspects of that culture might bleed through - ty!
taglist: @honeybeehorizon
When you step onto the ice, you think it might really be over.
It’s Nationals, which means that this is your last chance to make it. To prove, to everyone in the figure skating community, that you still have what it takes.
The pressure is on, especially since your childhood friend, Sunghoon, is dubbed the favorite within the men's program. You surpassed all expectations and are coming off an incredibly strong short program, which makes you the last one to leave it all on the ice.
You cross one skate over the other, gliding toward center ice. You lift your arms as you hear your name announced over the speakers. Through your nerves, like you’ve done a hundred times before, you flash a bright smile at the crowd. The only face you somehow manage to catch is Sunghoon’s that’s nearly pressed up against the glass. The rest are a blur, but it gives you some comfort to know there’s at least one person still rooting for you out there.
The first half of your program is hands down your favorite, as it features enough technical difficulty while allowing you to lean into your artistry. You hit your jump combinations flawlessly and execute the elements just the way you want. For the first time in years, your competitive spirit is confident. Unhindered.
Your fire carries you through the first half, until you feel a familiar fatigue pulling at your right hip.
Leading up to this season, almost all skating forums, live commentators, and journalists always positioned your narrative over one central detail: the fact that this is your first season back on the ice after an almost career-ending hip tear.
That was enough reason for you to skip over articles and most social media commentary—reliving your surgery, post-op, and shaky comeback through the eyes of other spectators was too much. You remembered the heartache and depression that manifested when you were injured as an Olympic hopeful, and you’d be damned if you let skeptics drag you back into that mindset. You deserve to be here. You are here to prove that you deserve to move forward.
You grit your teeth, fighting through your spins and pushing into each jump. It’s working until you realize what’s next.
An element highly contested by yourself and your coach was your last jump combination: the double axel, double toe, single loop jump wedged into the second half of your program for maximum point potential. It’s something you’d struggled to execute in the past, but it was a stretch for your recovering body post-injury.
Your coach is probably off to the side praying that you opt for an easier version of this combination, but you decide to press on.
Watch me, you think as you take off. Your entire face scrunches with the effort, but it pays off. You hit the double axel, and the adrenaline rush carries your momentum to hit the double toe as well. As you’re continuing into the last jump, your hip muscles pinch in sharp pain. You flinch, and the falter causes you to underrotate the last jump completely and land on two feet. At this point, it’s a miracle that you don’t fully eat shit in the process.
The crowd gasps. You recover your bearings just enough to finish out the program with somewhat convincing artistry. Your hip burns at the scar site, the muscle underneath fatigued and tender. When the crowd applauds, you skate off to the kiss and cry, trying to keep a smile steady as you hug your coach.
“At least you left it all out there,” he says. That’s his way of saying Not perfect, but it might do.
You force a neutral expression on your face as the camera focuses on your reaction. It’ll be close, especially since a good amount of the women had skated clean. To podium, you need a score close to your season’s best, so the question is obvious: did your mistake ruin your chances?
You fidget with the pink bunny plush from your childhood in your usual kiss and cry tradition. The audience pauses in anticipation, and you feel like you’re going to vomit. Then, you hear your total score.
You’ve done it by two measly points. By the skin of your teeth, you’re making it to the podium. You cry in front of the cameras, too shocked to hold in the sobs heaving from your chest.
❅˚
In your daze and general shock at medaling, you’re hyped up into attending an afterparty before you even know it. It’s hosted by the main sponsor of today’s competition, and you typically never like to go to things like this. Of all people, it’s Sunghoon who ultimately convinces you to go.
“We should celebrate both of our comebacks,” he says with a smile. “Plus, only other skaters will be there.”
It’s enough to get you out the door in the black dress you’d managed to pack in your carry on just in case.
You’re regretting it an hour in as Sunghoon’s pulled into conversation after conversation. He’s always had the larger network between the two of you, which leaves you sipping your drink in the corner as you avoid dragging down his conversations.
You’re feeling buzzed when you feel a tap on your shoulder and hear a familiar voice speak your name.
Your jaw drops to the floor. “Jaemin?”
For the first time in a year, Na Jaemin stands in front of you. He wears a suit that’s a little too formal for this event, but it somehow makes him even more handsome than you remember.
“It’s me,” he laughs.
“I thought this was for skaters only.”
“Ouch,” he pretends to be hurt. “Are you saying I’m not a skater?”
You roll your eyes. “A skater that actually competed today, Jaemin.”
“I know some people. Come on,” he grins. “Are you really that unhappy to see me?”
Along with Sunghoon, you’d grown up attending the same rink as Jaemin. Your trio had been three peas in a pod throughout skating school; you’d even trained as an ice dance pair together for a year until Jaemin and his family decided to specialize him into speed skating. From then on, to your dismay, interactions with him had been few and far in between with your conflicting schedules. The distance only grew as you moved from juniors to then seniors in your respective disciplines.
If Sunghoon was like your brother, Jaemin was the schoolyard crush that never quite faded away. Sure, you’d dated some guys here and there over the years, but any whispers of Jaemin dating sent you scrolling on Instagram in full investigation mode. Considering that he was considered an athlete-turned-influencer with his own fan base, you saw these rumors often.
Even so, you try to play it cool by taking a long sip of your drink. “Of course I’m glad to see you, but when was the last time you even laced up your skates?”
“Ah,” Jaemin shoots you a bright smile, although you can see the nerves peek through his facade as he hesitates. “Well…last week?”
“Last week?” You raise an eyebrow. “As in…you’re thinking about coming back?”
“It’s a work in progress,” he says with a wink.
“Hmm.” Your heart beats wildly in your chest.
He seizes your sarcasm to change the subject. “You look like you’re fully back out there, though.”
“Something like that.”
“Well, you podiumed, which is more than something.” He pauses for a beat before adding, “you looked really good out there.”
The knowledge of Jaemin watching your near-disastrous free skate sends hot embarrassment crawling up your neck.
“My lead from the short program saved my ass. It would’ve looked better if this,” you point to your bad hip, “would behave the way I want it to.”
He frowns. “It’s not fully recovered?”
“It is, but it’s not. Since I spent so much time off, the muscles on my right are weaker than my left, which sucks since my right is my landing leg.” You force a smile. “The road to full-strength recovery is long.”
“As always, you need to be nicer to yourself,” he sighs. “At least you kept Mr. Hops to comfort you in the kiss and cry.”
Your face burns even hotter. “I didn’t think you would remember him.”
Mr. Hops had been Jaemin’s gift to you for your tenth birthday. You’d taken the pink plushie for your first serious competition as a junior, and you’d continued taking him well into adulthood as a good luck charm. Your hip tear had occurred during a competition where you’d left Mr. Hops sitting in your hotel room, which, in your eyes, verified your long-standing superstition.
“Of course I remember,” he smiles wide. “I’m just glad you’ve gotten a bunch of mileage out of him.”
If the earth could open under your feet and swallow you whole, now would be the time. Not only does your childhood crush remember your pink bunny’s name, but he also knows that you’ve been hauling it around everywhere for at least the past decade.
“Well,” you clear your throat. “I think Mr. Hops and his well-traveled wisdom at least reduces the odds of me having a full mental breakdown.”
“You really didn’t need to worry about anything,” he insists. “Out of everyone, I think you were the most bea–”
“Jaemin!” Sunghoon calls. His face is flushed and his breath carries the trace smell of alcohol. “Guys! Everyone wants to drink!!”
You look at Jaemin wildly for help, but he shrugs in a way that conveys what am I supposed to do about it?
You’re pulled into the main group of fellow skaters that are much too drunk; one look at the three of you together has them hollering and forcing drinks into your hands in the name of reunion. You’re not used to partying, and you’re sure as hell not used to being the center of attention among your peers. Even during your prime, you’d preferred to hang around only a couple close friends after any competition.
The spotlight puts you in a vulnerable position to accept any and all drinks. You stay much later than expected, even when Jaemin offers to help you make a quick exit. You’re the most drunk you’ve ever been, both on the physical drinks as well as the atmosphere. Once you're dancing on a table with someone who you think is Cha Jun-hwan, the night is long gone.
The next morning you wake up to banging on the door of your hotel room. Running to the entrance, you peek through the peephole first, which reveals the livid face of your PR manager, Mei.
“God!” Thunk. “Wake up, already!” Thunk thunk.
Mei isn’t the most level headed person, but, even for her, it’s way too early to be this aggressive. Whatever it is, it’s serious.
You take a deep breath, trying to will away the hangover pounding in your head as you swing the door open. “Hey, Mei–”
“Don’t hey me.” She growls. Mei stalks around your room, sticking her head into your bathroom and closet. She only hesitates when peeking around the corner toward your bed then exhales in relief.
“What on earth is going on?” You ask in bewilderment, and your gut twists. The first thing that crosses your mind is that there must be some sort of serious scandal—a failed test for a controlled substance, maybe. You don't know what else would warrant this level of panic.
“Did you have anyone over last night?”
The question catches you so off guard that you nearly trip over your own feet as you follow her erratic path around your room. “What? No!”
Mei searches behind the curtains and even bends down to look under your bed. “Just reminding you that, as your PR manager, it’s to both of our advantages if you’re forthright about any indiscretions…”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about!” You shriek. You didn’t need to hear this from someone who’s known you since your teen years.
Finally registering your genuine confusion, she squints at you. “...I thought you were ignoring me, but have you really not checked your phone at all today?”
Numbness cascades down your nerves. Your phone currently sits charging on your nightstand. “No?”
Your manager shakes her head and fishes out her laptop from her bag, placing it on the hotel dining table. The display immediately brightens into a gossip article published an hour ago.
ICE ROYALTY TO PARTY ANIMALS: A WILD NIGHT FOR THE NATION’S SWEETHEARTS
Your heart sinks low into your chest as you scroll through the contents of the article. It’s you, alright, down to last night’s little black dress while arm-in-arm with both Sunghoon and Jaemin. It’s you, leaving the car disheveled and dangerously close to a wardrobe malfunction. It’s unfortunately you, previous child prodigy, downing shots and dancing on the front page of one of the most popular gossip sites.
Shit, you think. Sunghoon must be freaking out. Jaemin, too.
While both men had gathered the nickname of Ice Prince, it was for entirely different reasons. Sunghoon carried the name for his public aloofness, while Jaemin's persona fulfilled the image of charismatic royalty.
While you’d long accepted the unfair scrutiny of being labeled a “controversial” female athlete, both Sunghoon and Jaemin ruled their private lives with an iron fist. Every post and press release was curated and picked through in order to protect their squeaky clean Ice Prince images–especially with the rising cult following of girls.
And you had messed it all up in one night.
“Was it worth it?” Mei snaps. “Did you have fun? Because it sure looks like it.”
Opening the full slideshow, almost every attendee from last night has been captured. However, the most prominent features are still yourself, Jaemin, and Sunghoon.
Wordlessly, Mei pulls up multiple social media sites, where all commentary centers on the three of you. Most old skating fans remember your friendship as a trio, but many new ones—particularly Jaemin’s new legion of followers—fixate on your presence.
did he fly out just to see her? they’re so together y’all
that picture of her on both of their arms makes me sick THAT SHOULD BE ME
embarrassing that her boyfriend had to witness such a mid program, she should retire already
You nudge the laptop so that you can no longer read the words on the screen. “I was not aware of this.”
“I see.” Mei thinks before gathering all of her things back into her bag. “Take some time to process this. Don’t make any statements to anyone yet. If you’re smart, you’ll turn off your social media notifications. We’ll talk.”
“Okay.” You’ve learned not to question her. She’s gotten you out of enough sticky situations. “I’m sorry, Mei.”
“This is just the beginning, kid,” Mei shoots you a pitying smile as she lets herself out. “Just get yourself ready for the storm that’s coming.”
❅˚
Mei gives you two days.
When she requests your presence at her office, you don’t protest. You get there ten minutes ahead of time and wait politely.
“I’m not going to yell at you,” she sighs when she sees your too-straight posture.
“Wouldn’t be unwarranted,” you mutter. “I shouldn’t have gotten swept up in the atmosphere.”
“As your manager, I agree.” Mei shoots you a look. “As someone who’s always telling you to enjoy your life—I’m glad you finally stopped punishing yourself.”
You tug with your sleeve without commenting.
Mei continues. “Obviously, you already posted the official statement that we sent over yesterday. Nothing else public on social media, aside from the official pictures we got from Nationals. After that—no posting for a while.”
You nod. It’s fair enough. You’d already gotten too many unsolicited comments from strangers. Notifications were decidedly turned off, and only the bravest of souls could field your direct messages.
“There’s been something else I’ve considered for this season,” Mei hesitates. “If you’re open to it.”
Alarm bells go off in your head. “Interviews? Variety content?”
“The ice show,” Mei says.
“Classics on Ice?” You frown. “Sunghoon and I were already planning on skating.”
“You’ll skate there, sure,” Mei says, “but now it’s more.”
“More as in…promotions? Volunteering?”
Your manager shakes her head. “Yes, benefit shows usually yield good coverage. It’s also an opportunity to showcase your relationships within the skating community. During and leading up to the event. Public perception and opinions are unavoidable, but I think if you’re seen out and about being friendly with respected athletes…”
You cringe at the implication: you are simply an athlete—not a respected one. “That’s a fine idea and all, but wouldn’t that harm those athletes? I’m friends with a lot of skaters, but those friendships are away from the cameras. Except Sunghoon.”
“Right. It would be out of the blue to suddenly hang out with skaters you’ve been training and competing against for years, especially with no public history.” She leans forward. “But if there was suddenly an old friend re-entering the community—maybe that would be believable?”
Your blood chills. You recall what Jaemin told you: it’s a work in progress.
“Jaemin?” You fight to push the words out. “Jaemin’s actually returning to skating?”
Mei nods. Her shoulders relax, perhaps relieved that she didn’t have to directly break the news. “His team is making the announcement at the end of the week.”
You’re happy for him—really, you are—but disappointment tugs at your gut. Why hadn’t he told you when you asked?
“So you want me to skate in this ice show and prove that I have at least two friends. Got it. I can do that.”
Mei’s expression twists. “One more thing.”
“Yes?”
“With Jaemin coming back into the skating world, and the rumors already circulating between the two of you…” Mei bites her lip. “His management reached out to discuss, and we came to the conclusion that showcasing a…closer relationship would likely be beneficial for both parties.”
It’s her pleading expression to not freak out that makes the last puzzle piece fall into place. “A PR romance? With Jaemin? How on earth would that benefit either of us? He’ll get angry fans, and I’ll get the angry fans’ death threats!”
“You don’t need to be over the top with it,” Mei’s waving both hands, which could be her attempt to calm you down or to enact a physical barrier from you. Maybe both. “Nothing crazy or formal—people already think you're dating! Just lean into the rumors. Hang out with or without Sunghoon. Jaemin is popular, but it’s common knowledge that you all were rink rats together. You’ll get some fan hate, but we see people overall getting really into it.”
You’re speechless. You run through the impending possibilities in your mind. Jaemin, back in your hometown. Seeing him in passing. Existing in the same sphere for the first time in years.
“I still don’t understand how that would benefit him,” you say.
Mei hums. “His team can explain it more.”
“His team?” Your stomach drops. “They’re coming here? Today?”
“Oh, no,” Mei says. “We’re grabbing lunch with them.”
–
Mei whisks you away in her car. You barely process that you're heading somewhere at all. When the car pulls up in front of the nicest restaurant in the city, you think, briefly, that you must be hallucinating this entire ordeal.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she scoffs as you stumble out of the passenger’s side.
You follow her lead, baffled at the long roman-style columns at the entrance and dim, ambient lighting. Inside, you can’t even tell that it’s daytime, let alone high noon.
You’ve walked through the interior for minutes before you make a sudden left turn into a more private section of the restaurant. There, at a table around the corner, sits Jaemin with his manager.
His manager rises to shake both your and Mei’s hands. “Jeff.”
“Nice to meet you,” you manage to say, although your throat scratches like sandpaper while speaking.
When Jaemin stands up to face you, your brain glitches on the protocol. Is it proper to shake hands with a childhood best friend, especially when you’re both portrayed on the front cover of tabloids together? When you just saw him a few nights ago, and he only hinted at a comeback? When his team is proposing a PR arrangement? Is a hug too casual for this heavy atmosphere?
“Hi.” You shoot him a pained smile and sit down to avoid confronting the issue entirely. Confusion flickers across his face, but he lowers back down into his seat.
Jeff immediately transitions into business. “Thank you for meeting us today. I hope Mei was able to explain our current situation, especially since the headlines have complicated things.”
Mei nods. “She’s aware. Obviously, we’ll have to be very intentional moving forward.”
Your gaze bounces between the two as they discuss details such as social media use and public outings. You try to catch Jaemin’s eye, but he pokes around at an appetizer on his plate.
You try to listen to their brainstorming of strategies, but you can only take so much before your curiosity gets the best of you. You blurt out to Jaemin directly. “What do you get out of this deal?”
Jaemin’s eyes widen, but he still jumps to speak, as if he’s been waiting for your permission to talk. “Well, I—”
“Jaemin wants to re-enter the skating world,” Jeff interjects. “This…relationship could renew interest in his previous success, since you’re very deeply linked with that time period.”
You frown, but you’re starting to get the picture. You’re sure that this morning’s article alone has most likely sent fans hunting for old skating footage. There’s even some old trio pictures still visible on both your and Sunghoon’s Instagram profiles.
You’ve also seen enough fragments of Jaemin’s fanbase online to know that a public girlfriend would likely alienate the most unhealthily attached fans.
Maybe that’s what someone like him needed to be taken seriously in the athletic world again, just like how you wish people would speak about your current skating and instead of the old.
“Anything else I should know? Any stipulations before I offer myself up as bait for one of the most viral athletes known for having crazy fans?”
Jaemin’s gaze shoots up at you in the corner of your eye. You ignore it as you glare down Mei and Jeff.
“There’s one thing our team is thinking of,” Jeff starts. He side eyes you as if you’re a wild animal ready to pounce. “The charity ice show you’re skating in.”
You raise an eyebrow. “What, they’re having a speed skating demo?”
Your sarcasm falls on deaf ears; if he picks up on it, Jeff doesn’t even flinch. “We’ve been told that both you and Jaemin trained together in ice dance before settling in your respective sports.”
Your jaw tightens. “No. I’m not committing to an ice dance routine. It’s way too late to be practicing for that.”
Mei says nothing, but she nods her head.
“As you wish.” Jeff seems unfazed. “We’ll find something else for Jaemin. If you change your mind, please let us know.”
“I won’t. I mean, I don’t foresee that changing, but we’ll let you know,” you hastily add after sensing Mei’s disapproval. “Thank you.”
Mei and Jeff dominate the discussion throughout lunch, and they’re still chatting as you all rise to leave your table. You find yourself in stride with Jaemin, who seems to be looking everywhere but you.
“So. You're moving back,” you say.
He turns towards you, surprised. “I am. I’m moving out of my old place next Monday.”
“So it was a work in progress, after all.” You try to keep your tone light, but it doesn’t prevent the sour edge in your voice from seeping through.
His expression twists with guilt. “I was going to tell you, but then things started moving too fast. I lost the opportunity. This relationship—PR situation—was not my idea.”
You don’t respond. Your ego stings; you’d asked him so many questions out of a genuine interest to catch up, and the whole while he'd held you at arm's length. Your teams concocted this plan, rather than talk it through first with you as a friend.
Jaemin searches your face. “What do you think of all of this?”
You think that you want to delete Instagram altogether, retire from skating, and tell everyone to stuff their clout-chasing proposals up their—
Really, you should calm down. You have to admit that you could benefit from this arrangement. Sure, there would be hate and an uptick in public interest in your private life, but Mei is right. After these headlines, you’re bound to receive more criticism anyway—maybe returning the focus to your oldest friends would remind the world of your younger self. Before all of the hardship. Nostalgia as a vehicle of empathy.
As for Jaemin, you’re not sure what to make of his sudden re-appearance in your life. Any giddiness is now tempered by the jaded realism of your position. Maybe knowing his true intentions is better for your working relationship, since, moving forward, you should be treating this as a professional arrangement.
“Let’s do it,” your laugh sounds harsh and flat. “What more do I have to lose, right?”
❅˚
Upon returning home, you’re allowed one day of sweet radio silence from any obligations. You mute almost all notifications and lose yourself in your favorite shows.
Then, Jaemin’s announcement drops, and all hell breaks loose.
The overall response shows widespread support for Jaemin’s return to speed skating. The speculation of his move, however, has everyone up in a flurry trying to figure out why. Technically, his city’s rink is superior in all of their facilities and amenities. His coach was based mainly in your rink, but he was so close to retirement and was open about only coaching Jaemin.
You’re not sure why he’s chosen to return here, either. From what you know, a large portion of speed skating training isn’t always in the rink, anyway.
Everyone online, however, is staunchly convinced that you must be the reason. You scroll past everything from pregnancy rumors to social media accounts posting threads surrounding the early “evidence” to prove the existence of this secret relationship. As far as your social media feed is concerned, you're practically married.
Half of it seems to be in good fun—a lot of supportive fans make jokes about finally glimpsing into Jaemin’s notoriously private life. The other half of it is not so fun, manifesting in hate comments and threatening direct messages that trigger you to crack down on your account privacy.
Hey, Jaemin texts you after you temporarily set your Instagram to private. You okay?
You don’t respond. Something stubborn and petty wants to double down . So what if you got photographed drinking with friends? Was society really so fucked up that you had to put in work to protect your peace while both of the ice princes got off scot-free?
When you pull your car into the rink parking lot to a couple of flashing cameras, you know that the answer is undoubtedly yes. You’d hoped for a serene first practice back, but you anticipate Jaemin’s presence before you even open the door.
In fact, he’s literally on the other side, sitting at one of the benches between the back entrance and the ice.
Jaemin stands when he sees you. “Hey, good morning—”
You cut to the chase. “What do you want, Jaem?”
“I just thought I’d say hi before your practice,” he says. He seems encouraged by your use of his old nickname; you make a mental note to avoid using it again.
“You got up at the ass crack of dawn to send me off to practice?”
“Uh—no?” Jaemin points over his shoulder. “I’m doing some strength training first in the gym, then I’ll take over the ice for some light stuff after you.”
“Alright then,” you say. You step past him and continue on. “See you.”
“Will I?”
You turn around. “Will you what?”
“Will I see you soon?” Jaemin studies you. “You’re not answering my texts.”
“There’s nothing in our contractthat requires me to text you back,” you point out. You’re all too familiar with the terms and conditions, as you reviewed and signed the paperwork in the days prior. “I can talk to Mei to put a staged outing on the calendar.”
“No.” He exhales and runs a hand through his hair. “I’m trying to say that we should actually do something together. No calendars, no managers. Definitely no cameras.”
You frown. “Why would we do that?”
“Because we’re friends?” There’s a slight gravel to Jaemin's voice. He’s losing his patience with you, and you’re relishing in it.
“We were friends,” you say. Your grip on your duffel bag tightens. “I thought we were still friends up until Nationals. Before you wanted to use our friendship for notoriety.”
“We can still be friends through this,” he says. “It’s not one or the other. And I told you, this wasn’t my idea.”
You sigh. If he’s going to be so persistent about this, you might as well be direct. “Let me be clear. I hate this arrangement. I’m only doing it because Mei thinks it’s a good idea, I trust her, and for once I’d love for people to stop betting against my skating. That’s it. I’m not doing this because we’re friends. That was pretty much ruined once the paperwork was signed.”
Jaemin opens his mouth to argue, but he’s cut off by a voice from the other side of the rink.
“Hey!” Your coach shouts. “That’s a whole lot of talking and not a lot of warming up.”
You give Jaemin your fakest smile. “You heard the man. Have a good work out, Jaemin.”
You put your all into practice to clear your mind. It’s hard, but the determination to stand on your words keeps your focus razor sharp.
When you’re wiping your blades down and stowing away your things, you think that’s the end of it. Then, you hear the sound of the doors to the ice shutting. You straighten your back and peek through the glass.
Jaemin’s already set up a series of small cones that you assume must be to simulate the short track path. He skates around in long, fluid circles.
Your throat catches. He’s always been so beautiful on the ice. Sure, speed and power were par for the course with speed skating, but his edge control and maneuvers are so finely tuned that you're impressed. Even after all these years, Jaemin still looks like a top athlete.
Jaemin’s skates scrape across the ice as he stops. As if he has a sixth sense for your presence, he turns his gaze towards you. He nods, then, after a moment, raises his hand in a wave.
You turn away and stuff your last remaining item into your duffel. You don’t look back as you leave.
Over the next few weeks, your encounters with Jaemin go more or less the same. He waits to greet you in the morning, and you shut him down every time. You’re not sure what he aims to achieve by waiting it out— you’ve made yourself quite clear—but nevertheless he seems to show up day after day, morning after morning.
Until one day, he doesn’t. When you march through the rink one morning, you’re not met with Jaemin but by an old man that you haven’t seen in a very long time.
You start and nearly drop your bag. “Coach Brown?”
Coach Brown’s smile lines spread over his entire face. While he’s gotten older, you haven’t forgotten the kindness that your childhood coach exudes. “I had to come by now that the three musketeers are back under this roof.”
You laugh, but it’s held taut by guilt. “It’s definitely an unexpected development.”
The old man’s eyes gleam with amusement. “Although the three of you are in a bit of a rut, aren’t you?”
Your palms sweat. “You saw Jaemin this morning?”
“Just ten minutes ago,” Coach Brown shrugs. Then, his expression darkens. “You know, the worst thing you could do is turn your back on your past.”
You blink. “Sorry? What did Jaemin—”
“Sunghoon,” he waves you off before continuing. “It’s been explained to me that you are…less than enthused about the situation, but you still should treat your peers with respect. Carving out a path for yourself doesn’t mean you need to block out the others.”
“Coach—” You can’t even fully process his sentence before he cuts you off again.
“You’ve always had the worst temper of the three,” Coach Brown wags his finger in your face. “Calm yourself down and face it like an adult.”
As fast as he came around, he marches away and disappears through the doors leading up to management’s office.
You stare after him long after the doors close, dazed. You feel twelve-years-old again, getting nagged at to be nice to the boys.
After your training ends a bit early, you happen to catch Jaemin as he puts on his skates. “Morning,” you say.
Jaemin’s head whips up so fast that he swings too far back and bumps his head against the back of the boards. “Oh shit—hey?”
“I saw Coach Brown this morning,” you say.
He brightens. “Me too. I hope I’m half as active as him when I’m that age.”
You don’t respond, instead searching his features and body language for any dishonesty. It’s a stare-off—you, chewing on your lip and Jaemin, confused and massaging the back of his head.
That’s it, you admit to yourself. He didn’t tell Coach Brown anything.
And admittedly—both from the open hope in Jaemin’s expression and your shame from being nagged at—perhaps the old man was right about some things, after all.
“Would you be free to grab lunch tomorrow?” You ask before you change your mind. “There’s a new ramen place that opened up last weekend—”
“Yes!” He answers before you’ve fully finished your sentence. “I know which one you’re talking about. I can pick you up?”
“Oh—uh—that’s okay, I think.”
Jaemin shakes his head. “You’re on the way, let me do it.”
Your jaw tightens, but you swallow your pride. “Sure. Noon?”
He nods without saying anything. The two of you stare at each other.
“Well,” you break the awkward silence first. “Have a good practice.”
“You too.” Jaemin cringes. “I mean, shit, have a good day. See you tomorrow.”
At that, you turn away.
Take that, Coach Brown, you think. Look whose temper is adequately controlled.
❅˚
Twenty minutes before noon, you nearly jump out of your skin when there’s a knock at the door.
You rake over your appearance in the mirror and make desperate last-minute touch-ups. Sure, it's just lunch, but you were never sure when a rogue camera might snap pictures of you in public. The paparazzi had ceased showing up outside of the rink after the first two days, but the initial onslaught had left you paranoid of any flash or loud chatter.
“You’re early,” you say as you open the door, a little breathless.
Sunghoon blinks back at you. “I am?”
It’s your turn to stare. “Sunghoon. Why are you here?”
Regardless of your confusion, you step aside to let him in. As always, Sunghoon makes himself comfortable on your living room couch. “I was bored. Wanna get lunch?”
“About that.” You cross your arms. “Jaemin is picking me up in fifteen minutes.”
Sunghoon’s eyebrows raise. “You finally decided to stop hating him?”
“I don’t hate him—” you fume. “I still disagree with how he went about things, but I might have just gotten a little too mad.”
Your friend snorts and mumbles something under his breath.
“What?” You punch his arm.
“Ow!” Sunghoon swats away your swings. “I said big surprise—clearly you’re the most hotheaded one out of all of us.
“Brown said the same thing,” you mutter.
Sunghoon pauses. “Isn’t it a little crazy that people are just letting him go right back to work? Right after his surgery, too.”
You shrug. “He seemed healthy enough to lecture me about Jaemin. He said I had the worst temper out of us three.”
He smirks. “Wow. The old man needed to get involved to get your head out of your ass.”
“And who tipped him off in the first place?”
“And who with the worst temper gave me this red mark on my arm just now?”
Touche. “Anyways,” you change the subject. “Wanna go with us?”
“Um,” Sunghoon grimaces. “Not if it’s going to be awkward.”
“It won’t be,” you insist. You shoot out a quick text to Jaemin: Sunghoon randomly showed up at my place. Mind if he comes?
Within thirty seconds, your phone vibrates again. Of course. The more the merrier, it says.
“See,” you hand your phone to him. “Jaemin doesn’t care.”
“He’s not in the position to object,” Sunghoon laughs. “From that wall of text? This is clearly the first time you’ve texted him in weeks. He’s probably just saying yes so that you don’t change your mind and run away.”
You roll your eyes. “So you’re not coming?”
“I didn’t say that,” Sunghoon says. "I'm hungry."
You would’ve been more nervous about merging the group if you’d known about Sunghoon’s intrusion beforehand, but it works out well for the car ride over. Jaemin and Sunghoon seem to pick up right where they put their friendship down.
Their conversation goes from topic to topic, but your mind is reeling. It’s too easy, riding as a passenger in Jaemin’s old car, to feel like you’re a teenager again.
The new ramen place is tucked away in a plaza constructed in the last two years. It’s still finding its niche—the only other businesses in the center are a pharmacy and a dollar store—and the ramen place is the most exciting thing to have happened to it.
“Oof,” Sunghoon says as you approach the shop. From the outside, you can see that there’s only a handful of people inside. “Is that too awkward?”
Jaemin steps forward. “It’s not empty.” He swings the door open before any of you can think about it further.
Jaemin and Sunghoon are full steam ahead with their conversations. You’re jealous, in a way. Both of them have so much natural charisma that it overflows into all their interactions. On the other hand, you feel like you always have to work for it.
You all end up ordering different things from the menu. You’re halfway through observing the interior decor when you realize the rest of the table has gone silent.
“So…” Jaemin says. He leans his head into his hand. “How’s it been?”
“How’s it been?” You repeat.
“Since Nationals,” Jaemin clarifies.
Sunghoon stiffens in the corner of your vision. You try to level your facial expression.
“I mean,” you can’t help the wry smile rising to your face. “I deleted social media from my phone. Mei’s posting for me so I don’t have to see the hate. I’m avoiding the news outlets for the same exact reason."
Jaemin swallows. “Right.”
“What about you?” It’s as much as a way to change the topic as it is genuine curiosity. “How are your fans taking the return announcement?”
“Mostly well,” he admits. “Older fans are excited. Younger fans are confused but trying to be supportive, which I appreciate.”
The elephant in the room goes unaddressed. You saw the comments before officially deciding to hand the reins over to Mei. You know for a fact that there were rumors on top of rumors swirling around your connection to both Jaemin and Sunghoon.
“I delete all of the hate comments,” Sunghoon says as if reading your mind. “Just for my own peace of mind, really. I can’t stand seeing that shit on my page.”
“You should try filtering words,” Jaemin suggests. “That’s helped diffuse some of it for me.”
You frown. While you can tell that both have good intentions, it doesn’t make you feel any better. In fact, it’s worse—you feel like a taboo to hide from the world, despite your status as a well-known figure in the skating world.
“You don’t have to delete or filter anything.” You feel a deep sense of resoluteness. “Let them talk.”
The guys exchange glances. “Sure, people will talk,” Jaemin says. “Doesn’t mean you need to entertain seeing it.”
You shrug, looking between the two as your bowls of ramen are placed in the table space in front of you. “Filtering out words won’t stop them. We’ll just give them something to talk about before they move on.”
Jaemin’s smile curls. A hint of his teeth pokes through. “What do you suggest we do to make them talk?”
You think for a moment before holding your phone in the air with a shake of your hand. “Pose for me?”
❅˚
After that first lunch, talking to Jaemin gets easier. You chat briefly whenever you run into each other at the rink, and sometimes you grab a post-practice coffee if your schedules line up. You don’t text, but Jaemin sends a few skating memes after you log back into Instagram—a cautious way to test the water.
“What’s your goal with coming back?” You ask during one brunch after training.
Jaemin’s eyebrows raise, but he doesn’t lose his easy smile. “My goal?”
“I mean—” you scramble to find the right words. Hell, you should think before speaking sometimes. “Why decide to come back now? You have so many opportunities outside of skating.”
Skaters who would kill for his following. Not many people would intentionally halt their own momentum, let alone actively endanger it with a fake relationship.
Jaemin leans back in his chair. “Why did you come back? After your injury?”
“Rude. I asked first.” Regardless, you think out loud. “No one’s actually asked me why. Everyone just assumed that I would try to come back after I was ready.”
“Would you have, even if they hadn’t assumed?” He asks.
“Yes,” you say without hesitating.
“Why?”
“It’s not what people would expect from me,” you start. “I knew it was going to be a long road to any sort of podium, and I didn’t even expect to get there at all. I came back…to see if I could, I guess. Skating has just been such a big part of my life; I wasn't ready to give it up.”
Jaemin’s smile brightens. “That’s my answer too.”
“Uh…” You bite your lip. “It’s not that I don’t admire you for coming back, but you weren’t injured. You left first.”
“I did.” Jaemin thinks for a moment. “When I quit, I genuinely thought that skating had nothing more to offer me. But the more time passed, the more I realized that something was missing.”
This is the most you’ve ever heard him talk about his choice to leave. He had never spoken about it outside of the initial press statement, and he’d all but disappeared from the community after. “What made you realize something was missing?”
“Ah, you know.” Jaemin scratches the back of his head. “Just intuition.”
You stare at him. “You came back after years based on some magical intuition? Right out of thin air?”
His cheeks turn pink. “What’s wrong with trusting your intuition?”
“Just seems too good to be true, I guess.” You take a long sip of your drink. “Ignore me. I’m a pessimist nowadays.”
Silence. Then, Jaemin speaks up again. “If you have to know, I saw some old footage. I got the urge to get on the ice, so I did. Casually skating didn’t feel like it was enough. I felt the pull to do everything—compete the right way, by coming home and reconnecting with everyone.”
It’s like his dark eyes are looking through you and your thoughts.
You think back to the months following your injury. In the darkest moments when you considered giving up skating for good, it always led to reminiscing via old videos. Everything from old competition footage to videos of you messing around with the other kids—sometimes it was your last anchor to hope. More than the nostalgia interwoven in the past, you craved to perform again.
“I know exactly what you mean,” you smile, then hesitate. “I’m glad you’re back.”
The seriousness melts away. He wiggles his eyebrows. “Mean it?”
You snort. “Forget it.”
“Too late,” Jaemin points to his temples. “It’s already saved here. No camera needed.”
❅˚
You push on your bike, fighting for your life to pedal to the music while trying to follow the spin instructor’s directions. Beads of sweat roll down your skin, and your throat feels dry.
You sneak a glance at Jaemin. The bastard looks like he’s barely breaking a sweat. In fact, if it he wasn't right next to you, anyone could easily mistake him as the instructor.
He leans toward your bike. “Are you doing okay?”
“I have decent cardio!” You pant over the bass-loaded music. “I’m fine!”
You sound so not fine that Jaemin throws his head back in laughter.
“You two in the back!” The instructor calls out. “Less talking, more pedaling!”
There were only so many cafes close to the rink to try, so working out together is your most recent attempt at activities together. Jaemin insisted that it’s valuable cross-training for your respective sports—you’re not sure that you agree with the sentiment for your discipline, but it’s a nice supplement to your training schedule.
“What did you think about that instructor?” Jaemin asks as he holds the door open for you.
You snort. “Too intense and too much bass boosting.”
Your phone vibrates with texts and phone calls. You don’t even flinch as you start blocking and reporting the unknown callers.
“Wow, you’re popular,” Jaemin jokes while he backs out of his parking spot.
You don’t say anything. There’s no use in dragging Jaemin into it; not when there’s nothing to be done. At the very least, you appreciate that Jaemin always offers to drive.
“Can I ask you something?” Jaemin asks as he pulls up to your place.
“No,” you laugh before registering the nervousness creeping in on his expression. “What’s wrong?”
“Well,” Jaemin clears his throat. “Remember when my team brought up performing an ice dance together at that benefit show?”
“I do.”
“I know that it wasn’t brought up in a very good way.” Jaemin’s eyes flit around your face. “But do you think there’s any part of you that would be open to reconsidering that decision?”
The question makes you freeze. “Why?”
“My team won’t let up about it. I keep telling them that there’s really no need for me to participate…”
He’s continuing into some sort of explanation, but you’re hung up on the first part of his sentence. Sure, Mei and Jeff had been the catalyst for your reunion, but something about the mention of my team douses you as a cold reminder. In the midst of early morning rides and deep conversations over brunch, you’d forgotten that this was all manufactured.
“Our agreement ends right after the ice show, right?” You ask.
He nods. “But it’s just the official clause—of course, I want to—”
“Can you please tell your team that I will not be entertaining this notion again?” You reach for the door.
“Wait, stop. What did I say?” Jaemin’s climbing out of the car too, and a high pitch beeps over and over as he abandons the driver’s seat.
“Maybe I’m just tired,” you huff. “I see you almost every day, and I’m still training. Am I supposed to be all happy-go-lucky all the time? It’s not like we’re friends.”
Jaemin physically recoils. “This again? We are friends.”
“I hadn’t talked to you in years before you decided to come back,” you state matter-of-factly. “We’re bound by a contract. We’re not friends, Jaemin. We’re coworkers.”
You turn on your heel and walk towards your place.
“So that’s how it’s going to be?” Jaemin calls after you. “You just get to say your piece and storm off?”
You face him. “Go on, then. What do you want to say?”
He stands there for a minute, and his face flashes through a chain of expressions. Jaemin opens his mouth to speak but then closes it again. He shakes his head before shutting himself back in his car. The tires squeak against the asphalt as he drives away.
You pace around your house in angry circles. You should feel better, but instead you generate new reasons to be mad at him. Aside from the contractual nature of your arrangement, didn’t he understand that interfering with your art was an entirely different matter? You could go on a million fake dates and post content on social media, but your time on the ice is the only thing that’s truly yours.
You’re halfway through rage-cleaning your kitchen when your screen lights up with Jaemin’s name. You ignore it, but then Sunghoon calls second, then Mei calls next.
You choose to call Sunghoon back, ready to defend your outburst, but your stomach plummets when you pick up the phone to Sunghoon sniffling.
All your anger dissipates into fear. “What happened?”
“Coach Brown collapsed today,” he rasps. “They're not sure if he's going to make it.”
❅˚
Mei and Jeff sit at the front of the conference room. Mei openly observes you and Jaemin. Jaemin sits scrolling on his phone with the hood of his jacket pulled over his head. You cross your arms and try to look anywhere else.
Mei and Jeff review the last month in social media posts and general media coverage. You nod to yourself without listening—they always say the same things anyway: good reception, decent reach, more posting if possible. Today’s presentation is much shorter than expected, with no concrete dates to post strategic content.
You take it as a sign to leave and grab your bag. Jaemin moves as well, putting his phone into his pocket.
“I’m sure you both are worried about Coach Brown,” Mei says suddenly.
You both freeze in place. Your eyes dart to Jaemin, to gauge his reaction, but he’s already looking at you.
You had thought about texting Jaemin a million times since the news broke. You’d checked in on Sunghoon, but he was the type of person to hold things in until later down the line. You didn’t want to push him too hard, since you’re sure that he’s hurting just as much as you.
Looking at the glassiness of Jaemin’s eyes, you’re certain that he’s thought about reaching out to you, too.
“He'll fight through it,” your voice croaks against the silence. “He was a great man.”
“The greatest,” Jaemin says without taking his eyes off of you.
“This may feel a little premature, but the foundation reached out,” Mei prefaces. “They’re having part of the ice show's proceeds go directly to Coach Brown’s family. They asked to confirm if both of you—and Sunghoon, of course—are still planning on participating?”
“Of course,” you answer.
“Are they sure they still want all of us?” Jaemin asks. “I’m not competing in figure skating or ice dance.”
Mei shrugs. “You were in talks before, but I’m guessing it’s because the three of you are his most prominent students. Of course, you went to speed skating eventually, but you were still under him for the entirety of your juniors career.”
Jaemin nods to himself. “It’s relatively short, right?”
Mei hesitates. “Well, I’m not quite sure of the hard details—”
Jaemin shakes his head. “It doesn’t really matter. I’m in. I’ll figure it out.”
“We can skate together.”
It’s like the entire room has forgotten about your attendance; all three heads snap toward you, eyes wide.
“You want to?” Mei’s eyebrows climb to her hairline. “Now?”
That’s not exactly a great vote of confidence, but you persist nonetheless. “It’s going to help Coach Brown and his family. It’s as simple as that.”
“Will that be okay to prepare for?” Jaemin blurts out. “While you’re training for everything else, I mean.”
You shrug. “Sunghoon’s also competing.”
“It’s just a lot to balance.”
You stare at him. You’re flush with irritation, but you manage to keep your voice level as you respond. “I’ll manage.”
“Well,” Jeff interjects. He clears his throat loudly and moves to disconnect his computer from the room's screen. “That should be more than enough for today. We’ll both be in touch for details on the exhibition, but our next meeting should be in two weeks as usual.”
“Thanks, Jeff,” you drone as you gather your bag and exit.
You’re not even halfway down the stairwell when a hand latches onto your elbow.
“Wait,” Jaemin rasps. “Talk to me. Five minutes. Please.”
He’s panting like he’s run a mile. You nod. “What is it?”
“You don’t need to say yes, you know.” Jaemin says. “I wouldn’t blame you if you just wanted to work on your own program right now.”
You bristle. “Are you going to ask Sunghoon the same question?”
Jaemin leans his weight against the stairwell railing. “One day we’re laughing and talking about anything and everything, and then the next day you’re telling me that we’re not friends. One day you draw the hard boundary that we will never perform together, and then now you’re willing to. Why are you so upset with me?”
“I’m willing only for the sake of Coach Brown.” Your restrained and rational side snaps. You talk a step forward into Jaemin’s personal space. “I’ve been mad, Jaem. I’ve been pissed since you made your stupid announcement to come back to our rink—some of your crazy fans have found my real phone number, did you know that?”
He's speechless.
You continue. “Ever since coming back from my injury, I can’t do anything right. If I talk about my mental health as an athlete, I’m seen as complaining. If I can’t land a jump? I’m washed up. If my makeup is looking a little off on competition day? My age is showing, and I should feel lucky that someone so old can still compete. People hate me so much that it’s my best PR strategy to become someone’s hated girlfriend, because the new hate is considered an improvement from my old hate.”
“I didn’t know you were being harassed on your personal number,” he mutters.
“And why would you?” You scoff. “It doesn’t matter that we used to know each other, okay? Even though everyone down to Coach Brown wants us to be so close—”
“Coach Brown said something to you before?” Jaemin leans in, which makes you take a step back.
“Well, kinda—”
“Please,” he begs. Desperation lines his eyes. “Tell me what you talked about. I could barely catch him here because of my odd hours, let alone talk to him. I regret that more than anything.”
Your anger wanes. You feel a flash of pity followed by a stark reminder of your surroundings—what were you doing, yelling at Jaemin in a stairwell?
You wrack your brain for a white lie, but nothing comes up on the spot. You’ve already exposed it anyway, so you might as well tell the truth. “He told me to control my temper and stop being mad at you for nothing.”
You expect something like a snarky comment, but Jaemin just looks surprised. “He knew it’s fake?”
You shrug. “I didn’t tell him anything. He either knows us too well or heard something through the grapevine. Or he heard me yelling at you and put two and two together.”
Jaemin snorts, but he doesn’t respond.
You shift uncomfortably. “That was pretty much it. He said the worst thing I could do was turn my back on my past.”
Jaemin pauses for a long time before speaking. “Can I say something to you? No Mei, no Jeff, no social media?”
Your heart feels stuck in your throat. You swallow thickly. “Yes.”
“I’m sorry.” His gaze burns through you. “I should’ve talked to you more during and after Nationals. I definitely should’ve warned you about the batshit plan our agents were making—I know that probably made you lose trust in me instantly.”
Jaemin glances at you, no doubt expecting some sort of correction or flash of emotion, but you remain silent. He continues: “I know it’s stupid, but they presented me with possible options for a PR relationship — it was going to happen regardless to acclimate the public to my return to skating. They suggested you last, but I think I agreed too fast. I should’ve talked to you before my team made contact with yours.”
Your mind swims with the new information. A laugh slips from your throat without realizing it. “I think I might’ve been the worst choice possible.”
He reddens. “Coach Brown gave me the idea, if I’m being honest.”
Your stomach drops. “What do you mean?”
“I ran into him here while practicing. Before everything, and before I officially planned to come back.” He admits. “I was venting to him about the concept of a PR relationship—I promise you I didn’t want to—and he started to rehash his past troubles with the media.”
“He got mad when Sunghoon got coverage about his real high school girlfriend,” you recall. “He would’ve lost his mind at a fake one.”
“He didn’t say anything weird,” Jaemin shrugs. “Just a hypothetical: ‘wouldn’t it be nice if someone you feel comfortable with could stand in, instead of doing something like that with a stranger.’”
What was it that Coach Brown had said to you? You should be grateful that he’s someone you feel comfortable around.
The edges of your mouth curl into a bittersweet smile. “That bastard.”
Jaemin smiles back, and your heart flips.
Coach Brown had essentially influenced this entire production. The realization causes tears to prick at the corners of your eyes. “Jaemin—”
“I should've talked to him more.” His eye grow misty. “I fucked up. I should’ve spent time with him, instead of focusing on all of the drama.”
You twitch forward, but you stop yourself short of hugging him. You pat his back in slow taps while holding back your own tears. “It’s not your fault. None of us knew that this would happen.”
He stiffens at your touch. “You don’t need to comfort me, you know. I know you hate me.”
Your stomach drops. “I never hated you, Jaemin. I was just hurt—it felt like you were using me.”
Once you speak it, you know it to be the truth. Try as you might, you could never hate Jaemin. Even if given away ten years ago, you know that he will always hold part of your heart.
“That was never my intention,” he whispers. “I know it’s hard to believe.”
“I see that now,” you acknowledge. “I’ve been an asshole, Jaem. I want to start over. ”
Jaemin sniffs back his remaining tears. He offers you a weak smile. “I’d like that.”
You reach towards him with your hand. “Friends?”
His hand closes over yours, only to pull you forward into a big hug. “Friends. Always.”
Your hands rise from your sides and travel up his back. You squeeze him tight. “Always. I’m sorry it took me so long to remember.”
“One, two, three, turn, two, three—” your choreographer, Maci, counts your steps with a patient tone.
You focus on your footwork. You’re still practicing without music; it’s just Maci’s voice mixed with your shoes squeaking against the floor. You extend your right arm behind you in a soft sweep, and you imagine it making a perfect line with your posture.
Instead, your tricep sticks against something soft yet clammy.
“Mmph—” Jaemin grunts behind you. “That’s my face.”
You stop and wipe your arm. “Sweaty.”
In sync, you both walk to the edge of the room to chug your water.
Practice for the ice show was truly underway, and you all had spent the last week learning choreography off ice. You and Sunghoon had quickly picked up on your routines for your individual portions. Sunghoon would do his routine completely by himself, as he would for any normal exhibition. You, however, would split yours into two: one minute by yourself, then one minute with Jaemin.
It wasn’t a complete disaster, but you were picking it up together slower than either of you anticipated. Jaemin struggled to lead, while you would misjudge your distance and step on his foot—or, in this case, slap him with your tricep.
“I might as well not be there,” Jaemin jokes with you during water breaks. “What happened to all of our training?”
“Our ice dance training from nearly ten years ago?”
“I think you legitimately forget that Jaemin is there if you don’t see him,” Sunghoon observes from the back. Although he almost always finishes before you, he tends to stick around. “You should skate with a rearview mirror.”
“Ha, ha.”
“Actually…” Maci looks lost in thought before nodding her head. “You have a point.”
You gape at her. “You think I need a rearview mirror?”
“Of course not,” she says. Noticeably, Sunghoon deflates slightly in his corner. “I just meant that he has a point…somewhere in there. You guys are taking up completely different spaces”
You both blink at her.
She rolls her eyes, then taps through her phone. A classic waltz plays over the small speakers overhead. “Dance in hold. Just a basic waltz, please.”
Jaemin grins and bows deeply. He extends a hand toward you. “May I have this dance?”
“Corny,” you groan while taking his hand with your right. You straighten your posture and bring your other hand to hold onto his bicep. Likewise, his right hand tucks over your shoulder blade. You’re both glistening with sweat, but you feel goosebumps raise where his hand glides over your skin.
The music continues to play overhead, but neither of you move. Jaemin waits another two measures before leading you across the floor. It’s a simple waltz, but you feel hyperaware of every movement, big and small. You swear Jaemin’s fingers tighten where your hands are clasped together.
“There you go!” Maci calls out.
Right when you’re thinking that’s a green light to call it, she shouts out again. “Now hold eye contact!”
You look up, ready to break the silence with a joke, but your smile drops when you see Jaemin's eyes. They’re dark and captivating—that much hasn’t changed—but there’s an undercurrent of something else that leaves you paralyzed. You nearly forget to breathe, as you have to focus all of your attention on matching his steps.
“How does this pace feel?” He asks while holding eye contact. There’s a ghost of a smirk.
Your heart races so fast that you can’t hear the music over your heartbeat pounding in your ears. “It’s a great pace. Feels good.”
You only realize the innuendo after it’s too late. Your face heats as he laughs at you.
“Alright!” Maci shouts out. “First run through of the partner section with the music! I’ll count you off.”
You start alone in the center of the floor with your arms extended, since that’ll be your position on the ice once your solo wraps up. Similar to how it will be on the ice, you don’t see Jaemin as he approaches; his hands rest on your waist first.
Your heartbeat instantly spikes; you’re unsure if it’s due to the contact or the adrenaline.
You brace your core as he lifts you and turns the two of you in a slight spin.
We’re really doing this, you realize as you extend through the lift. It’s a little wobbly—both of your faults, you think—but you get through it. Jaemin lowers you back onto your feet. Even though the landing is a little rough, a lift is a lift.
You turn out to face each other. Jaemin extends his arm toward you. His features are bright and confident, as if teasing you to come closer. For a split second, it reminds you of the easy stage presence he always carried as a performer.
You take his hand and continue with the rest of the routine. As this is an exhibition show and your dance together is an homage to Coach Brown, all of the elements within this showcase are mostly basic in nature. Sure, you both can tackle the various step sequences with a languid artistry not intuitive to non-skaters, but it’s nowhere close enough in difficulty to a competition program.
“You’re thinking too much,” Jaemin murmurs through a spin.
“I’m worried we’ll look silly,” you say as you part.
“No worrying when we’re dancing,” he says. “Just think about me.”
You do. You hold eye contact throughout the remainder of the step sequence, and all your thoughts revolve around him. His positioning—should you adjust a bit so you’re a little closer? You even focus on how your lines are extending towards him. Mostly technical things, but above all—Jaemin is like the sun, pulling everything towards him, and you can’t help but be swept into his orbit.
Your last element is a stationary lift where Jaemin anchors you by your waist and legs to hold you horizontally. Your entrance works, his hand grips your waist, but you flinch the second his other hand grabs your inner thigh.
“Oof—” your lower half drops to the ground, although Jaemin’s hold on your torso is enough to prevent full impact. “Thanks.”
For the first time, you glance around at your audience. Sunghoon looks away and scratches the back of his neck. Maci’s cheeks tinge with pink as she frantically reaches to stop the music.
“What’s wrong?” You ask with a frown as Jaemin pulls you to your feet. “Did it look bad?”
“No, uh—” Maci claps her hands together in light, awkward taps. She clears her throat. “It’s like you never left, Jaemin.”
“You guys are going to get questions about this routine for the rest of your lives,” Sunghoon snorts. “But it’ll get the donations going.”
Jaemin releases his hold on your hand. You flex it thoughtfully; you hadn’t realized that you hadn’t let go.
You look at your dance partner, but Jaemin’s expression tightens into something unreadable. “Yup, great for charity.”
Your day continues as usual—more individual runthroughs, a snack after practice, and mindless chats with your little group. But when you sleep that night, parsing through your day, you can’t shake the phantom feeling of his hand in yours.
❅˚
“I have to ask you a question,” Sunghoon says before you even have the chance to shut the passenger door.
You blink at him through sleepy eyes. “Right now? It’s 5am.”
Sunghoon puts the car into drive and heads in the direction of Jaemin’s apartment.
“So?” Your crankiness asks. “What’s your question—?”
“Do you have feelings for Jaemin?”
“Uh,” you’re genuinely at a loss for words. “Are we talking about currently, or when we were in middle school?”
He doesn’t respond. There’s not even any music playing in the car, so you squirm in your seat against the silence.
You clear your throat. “Why are you asking?”
“Because the two of you look like you’re ready to jump each other at any moment.”
“Ew, Hoon.”
"You're also acting different." Sunghoon gives you a look. “You would’ve already told me if it was anyone else.”
You break eye contact. Dancing with Jaemin again had asserted one thing: you could not deny your physical attraction to him. The chemistry overflowed, even when you watched practice footage back. Sure, he’s always been your type, but his face had grown more handsome and his body more chiseled into adulthood.
When it came to your emotional connection to him, however, your feelings are a big, jumbled mess. Becoming close again has been easy, but something in the air lingers between you two. It's difficult to differentiate the layers of physical attraction, nostalgia, and genuine fondness. How could you explain the complexities to Sunghoon when you barely understood them yourself?
“It’s just partner chemistry and the tone of our routine.” You groan. “Calm down.”
Sunghoon glares at you as he pulls into Jaemin’s apartment complex. He doesn’t respond, but his expression is crystal clear: I’m going to ask you about this again.
“Good morning,” Jaemin sings as he enters the car. “You guys are grumpier than usual.”
You and Sunghoon exchange a look; when he pointedly looks back at the road without a word, you figure he’s leaving any explanation to you.
You cross your arms. “You’re five minutes late.”
Jaemin snorts. “Touche.”
The rest of the drive is quiet. The heater in Sunghoon’s car fights against the cold air outside, but you pull your jacket around you nonetheless.
Starting today, the two of you are practicing your routine for the show on the actual ice. While the cast was just formally announced last week, the post had generated buzz almost immediately. All the marketing team had to do was put the list of names in their caption, and the internet did the rest. After all, what other opportunity would there be to watch the Na Jaemin skate outside of his discipline?
You’re happy that the show guaranteed to have a sold out audience and likely record breaking fundraising. It’s the whole reason why you both chose to participate in the first place, but you’d underestimated the pressure that came with it.
“You’ll finish your section with a spin,” Maci says as she walks you through the last of your solo steps. “And that is where Jaemin will come in.”
“Finally! I’m here!” Jaemin chimes in.
Both you and Sunghoon roll your eyes.
“Let’s see how many of the skills you remember,” you say as you catch your breath.
“I’ll tell the instructors to save a spot for you in Basic 1,” Sunghoon adds on. "You can learn how to skate with those new ice dance boots you bought."
Jaemin flips both of you off.
You step onto the bench while Sunghoon skates away to run through his third of the program.
You scroll through your phone as Sunghoon starts his routine. It’s not as if you don’t respect his skating; on the contrary, you never miss a performance. You just tune in for the big moments, which means that you don’t have to be as alert for these initial sessions.
While you’re nonchalant, Jaemin can’t tear his eyes away.
“If you told me ten years ago that he would be this graceful, I wouldn’t believe you,” the words fall out half under his breath.
You laugh. “Feed that line to the press.”
Jaemin’s eyes flit to yours. “You wouldn’t.”
You raise your hands into the air. “Kidding. I know exactly what you mean.”
From the beginning, Sunghoon had taken the most time to progress. All three of you had been considered advanced for your age group, but you and Jaemin had always been ahead of the curve.
Now, your friend was known for his focus on artistic elements; in many ways, you felt like he truly embodied the emotions of the characters he was portraying. You’d found that element of skating more difficult after your injury—you’d never been that good of an actor in the first place, and post-accident you didn’t find yourself that invested in pretending to be someone else.
“Do you ever regret not sticking with figure skating or ice dance?” You find yourself asking.
He shrugs. “Hard to say since we’ll never know my real potential. Although I did like the acting aspect of portraying a character.”
“So speed skating still has your heart,” you laugh. “Has it at least been worth diving back into it for a little bit? The theatrics of it all?”
Jaemin turns to you. He doesn’t smile at all, and his tone is dead serious. “It is. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world.”
Your body hums in response from your heart down to your stomach. “Why’s that?”
He pauses. Then, without breaking eye contact, he smiles and leans in toward you. “What do you think?”
Jaemin smells faintly of oranges. Your head spins at the proximity. You can’t come up with something witty, even if you wanted to. “I–”
At the same time, Sunghoon loses his footing and falls to the ice with an oof. Both of your heads whip towards your friend, who rises and wipes the ice off of his clothes.
“You good?” You half-shout toward your friend.
He shoots you a thumbs up in response before continuing.
Jaemin gazes at you, but you’ve lost your nerve.
“It’s nice to be here with both of you again,” you say as you unlock your phone and sit back down. “It’s as if you never left.”
“Me too,” Jaemin says softly. “It’s just like old times.”
❅˚
It’s three weeks before the show. You rush to the rink alone this time to fit a makeup practice into your and Jaemin’s busy schedules. You groan internally knowing that it falls on your rest day, but the practice is needed. Between both of your training schedules, you had to take the free moments when they come.
You pick up coffees on the way. It’s the first time you’ve driven to practice by yourself in a week, and your nerves rise as you drive closer and closer.
There shouldn’t be anything to be nervous about. Sure, you and Jaemin still have parts of your routine to work on, but progress has been smooth up to this point.
You’re unable to shake off the feeling as you arrive thirty minutes early. You turn off your car and linger in the driver’s seat. You have two options: scroll on your phone in the car or head in early. The latter wouldn’t make sense under normal circumstances—if Jaemin wasn’t practicing.
You glance at the two drinks sitting in your cupholders. Surely there’s no harm in peeking?
You exit the car, both drinks in hand, before you can change your mind. You enter the rink with a sheepish energy, although you’re doing absolutely nothing wrong.
Jaemin’s alternating through basic circle skills. His coach watches at the sideline with a stopwatch in one hand and a phone recording the drill in its entirety from a stand.
More than the difficulty of speed skating itself, you can’t believe that Jaemin has been balancing it alongside the training for the gala. Not only are the skates completely different, but the main mechanics require raw power and endurance. Much different from the slower, technical precision of ice dance.
Despite no spins or jumps, he makes it look graceful. You make a mental note to attend his first competition. You could watch him skate forever, regardless of discipline.
Jaemin’s coach calls him in, reviewing the footage and giving feedback. His expression is neutral, and Jaemin merely nods and repeats the drill each time. It goes on that way until the end of his practice time.
You wave as Jaemin exits off the ice and down the ramp toward you. He blinks, and his steps stutter for a moment before he continues.
“Morning,” you avoid eye contact as you hold out his iced coffee. He hadn’t noticed you during his practice, but you feel shy nonetheless. “Got here a little early.”
“Oh,” Jaemin grimaces. “So you saw all that?”
“What do you mean?” You ask. “I thought you looked great.”
He scoffs. He focuses on something distant over your shoulder. “I don’t know if I would describe it as great.”
You’re at a loss for words. The scenario feels familiar—hell, you’d gotten this way during practice for your solo exhibition—but you don’t have enough technical knowledge of speed skating to immediately understand what happened. Beyond that, it’s rare to see Jaemin so quiet.
Your expression must be comically transparent, because you watch his eyes lock to yours and register your wide stare.
“Sorry, you just caught me at a weird practice,” he clears his throat. “I’ll be ready in fifteen?”
The gesture does little to settle you, but you manage your own uneasy smile. “Take your time. I’ll warm up.”
You’ve never been more grateful for the familiarity of center ice. You run through a quick warmup routine and even squeeze in a couple rough rehearsals of your solo routine for the show.
“Looks good,” Jaemin says as he finally steps onto the ice. “I almost feel bad to make you split your program in half.”
“You’re not making me do anything.” You frown. After everything the two of you have been through to get to this point, his sudden minimization makes you worry.
“Well, you know,” he says, alternating between the inner and outer edges of his blades in small swizzles.
“No, I don’t know,” you shake your head stubbornly. You glide in front of him without breaking eye contact. “I’m doing this because I want to. I want to skate with you.”
It’s the most forward you’ve been, but his expression doesn’t budge. Instead, he just nods. “Shall we?”
The two of you run through the routine a few times, but it’s as though the last few weeks have been for nothing. No matter how many times you restart or run through the counts slowly, the two of you struggle to sync. Rather—you know you’re hitting your movements, but Jaemin merely seems to be going through the motions.
When his hold on you wobbles on the ending pose, you snap yourself out of his arms and huff. “Okay, seriously. We’re done for today. Let’s go.”
Of all things, that seems to wake Jaemin from his daze. He skates after you. “Wait, I’m just off today—”
You ignore him, stepping off of the ice and into your skate guards. You briefly turn around to catch his eye.
Jaemin’s hovering on the ice by the door, watching you. His eyes plead.
You wave your arm towards you in a come here gesture. His face brightens, and he hurriedly follows after you.
“I’m sorry,” he breathes out when he’s close to you.
You shake your head. “Wanna get lunch?”
-
You stare at each other from across the table.
“You first,” you point to Jaemin’s burger, which has arrived at your table first. “Don’t wait for me.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m excited to eat, but,” Jaemin crosses his arms. “Do you have to stare at me?”
You say nothing even as the server brings your own food over.
Jaemin sighs but starts eating nonetheless. “Happy?”
“Yes,” you say as you pick at your fries.
“If this is a way to make sure I’m eating, I don’t have issues with dieting while competing,” he mutters between bites. “Luckily.”
“Trust me, it’s not about that,” you laugh. “I know you can eat.”
He raises an eyebrow. “So then…?”
“You were just super out of it today,” you shrug. “You’ve been training pretty intensely this week, right?”
He frowns. “I have, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Compared to the work schedule I was doing before coming back to skating, it’s more or less the same.”
You point a fry at him accusingly. “There. That’s the issue.”
“That I work?”
“That you’re not taking time to not work.”
“No offense,” the words come out slowly, “but aren’t you, like, famously known for never taking breaks?”
You shake your head. “That was pre-injury me. Current me takes breaks. I have hobbies.”
“I have hobbies,” he insists.
“That you’ve invested in recently?” You ask. "Actively?"
He hesitates. “So what, burger eating is supposed to be my next hobby? I don’t struggle with diets, but that one might be hard.”
“Ha ha,” you say flatly. “I just wanted to get you away from training. You love burgers.”
Jaemin looks down at his burger, as if the sandwich itself has betrayed him. “I do,” he sighs. “You don’t need to baby me. I’m a grown man.”
“I know,” you say, looking away. “I just wanted to get your mind off of everything. You’re doing a lot.”
A small silence stretches between you. You can feel Jaemin’s gaze probing over your side profile, but you pretend to look around the restaurant.
“Do you still like bingsu?”
“I–” Jaemin’s smile is bright as day, and, more importantly, it’s genuine. You relax“I do.”
“Wanna go to the cafe near Sunghoon’s place?”
You exhale a relieved breath. “That sounds amazing.”
❅˚
“Quick break?” Jaemin pants after a full run through of your routine.
You simply nod, trying to catch your own breath. The two of you skate to the side without a word.
You pull out your phone. Mei’s sent you three images over text with a short question—Received all the photos for promo. You sure you’re okay with the team using these?
As a part of promotional material for the ice show, all three of you—Sunghoon, Jaemin, and yourself—had submitted throwback pictures to be posted by the official account.
Your picture depicted five-year-old you at your very first skating lesson—pink puffer and helmet in full display. It’s one of your favorites.
Sunghoon’s picture, to your surprise, has both of you in it. It must be from middle school, since you’re dressed in costuming from your first and final pairs competition together.
“What the hell?” Your jaw drops as you inspect the image. Jaemin glances over your shoulder, and you turn your phone to show him. “This is the last thing I would’ve expected him to send. I don’t think I even have any pictures of us from that era.”
Jaemin laughs. “Maybe since they asked Sunghoon for something from middle school? He was complaining about it. They asked me for elementary school pictures, so I had it easy.”
Sure enough, the last picture shows the three of you after a group private lesson together. Jaemin’s in the center smiling wide and bright. Sunghoon’s smile is reserved and slightly awkward to Jaemin’s right. You, on the opposite side, cling to Jaemin’s side in a big hug with an even bigger smile.
There it is. A wave of shyness. “I don’t think I have this one either.”
“It’s my favorite.”
“It feels like forever ago.” Your throat constricts as you speak.
“It’s certainly been a long time since then,” Jaemin says. His eyes are glued to the picture of the three of you. His lips soften into a smile.
“I can’t believe Sunghoon and I thought we could be partners,” you cough and wrinkle your nose. “I don’t think his arm strength would’ve kept up. And we would’ve killed each other.”
It’s as if Jaemin doesn’t hear you. “Do you wanna hear something funny?”
“Does it involve that one time Sunghoon dropped me on the ice, your mom took me to urgent care, and then that incident single-handedly made me quit pairs?”
“No, but that’s good.” Jaemin’s smile still floats on his face with a hint of mischievousness, like he’s keeping a secret.
“What is it, then?”
“I used to be so jealous of Sunghoon,” he laughs. “And look at us now, practicing the choreography for an exhibition performance as partners.”
Your mind goes blank. “Jealous? Why?”
He seems to snap out of his reverie at your question, expression growing a little shy. He shrugs “Well, you know.”
“Um, no, I don’t know.”
“Well, childhood crushes and all that,” he says quickly. He queues up the music on his phone. “So jealous over random things. Anyway, ready to practice the second half?”
He skates away to put his phone down on the ledge and start the music before you can respond. What he hasn’t calculated is that he will need to skate right back to you to practice the step sequence. Two can play at this game.
“Funny you say that,” you mutter as he takes your hand. “Considering my childhood self would’ve killed to be paired with you.”
He swallows thickly. You can tell he’s trying to tune into the music, but his steps are half a beat off. “Meaning?”
You’re not going to make it that easy for him. “Same thing that you meant.”
The step sequence is naturally push-and-pull as Jaemin leads you through each stroke and turn, but today it feels like something more: a balance of power.
“We were partners before,” he murmurs before his hands anchor on your hips to guide you into a synchronized spin.
“Briefly,” you say once you complete it. “But I was devastated when you quit altogether. I would’ve done anything to keep skating with you.”
You maintain eye contact through the remainder of this practice. There’s a charged feeling in every movement, every touch. Even when the steps call for distance, you feel the inevitable pull to come back together. In fact, it never feels close enough.
The two of you slide into a stop at the end of your choreography, but you keep staring at each other long after the song has ended. Jaemin’s brown eyes roam your features hungrily, until his gaze settles on your lips.
Jaemin's going to kiss you.
Time slows. The rink lights overhead make your eyes water, and your mind resurfaces into a complete blank. There's not much choice otherwise—not with his lips nearing yours.
You close your eyes, trembling from your head to your blades as your heart rattles against your ribcage.
Lips graze against your cheek. Gentle hands drift onto your cheeks after.
Your eyelids flutter open. Jaemin's face hovers in front of yours. His features flush in a soft pink, but his eyes seem to droop. The corners of his lips quiver up in a sad half-smile.
"Not now," he says, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. "Sorry."
You come to your senses as he skates away, blinking around at your surroundings, as if you've woken up from a long sleep.
No words are exchanged as you both grab your things and exit. It's hardly mumbles of goodbye before going your separate ways.
You slam the car door closed and exist in the silence.
Although it just occurred, you're already winding back the events and weighing what could've been done differently.
You should've demanded answers; pushed him away and left in a storm. Or, maybe, you should've done the opposite—allowed all of your real emotions to sweep and pull at your face.
In actuality, you have no real confidence in the efficacy of either. You just hate the way it ended: neutral, as if you're two strangers rather than friends pushing at something more—not that you had the faintest idea of what. Just…something.
Even later that night, the exact details blur together, feeling more like a hallucination more than a memory. Had you made it up in your head? No, Jaemin was definitely flirting with you. Again. But Jaemin flirted with everyone—well, no, it does feel different when Jaemin flirts with you. Tender.
The moment replays over and over again, trapped within your thoughts. You try to sleep, but your mind is too busy fixing itself on the minute details: how his hands felt around you, the soft brush of Jaemin's lips against your skin.
All of your previous confidence feels like it evaporated from your body. All that filled your mind at the time was the near-aching urge to unleash your pent-up feelings. There had been absolutely no regard for the meaning afterwards, not that it mattered—he pulled away anyway. A wisp of a rejection.
If it happened, would it have even meant anything? You muse to yourself as you trace the lines of your ceiling. It could totally have just been harmless flirting.
For yourself, you know there's only one answer. You're well beyond dismissing your behavior with Jaemin as remnants of an old crush. Still, you wonder when they turned into more, as you can't pinpoint when they intensified. It's as if these new feelings could consume the old ones in their entirety.
You wonder if this newfound hunger will ever be satiated. This is more time than you could've imagined spending with Na Jaemin, but it never feels like enough.
You wonder if Jaemin is thinking of you half as much as you're thinking of him right now.
The thought barely fades when, like a sick, cosmic joke, your phone vibrates on your nightstand. Na Jaemin flashes on the screen.
You lunge for it and straighten your posture, clearing your throat and sliding a finger across the screen to answer. "Hey. What's up?"
"Hey," Jaemin says. "Did you see the group chat? What do you think?"
"Uh, no. I didn't see it," you admit. "What's up?"
"Coach Brown's wife asked if we want to visit him. Since he was cleared to finish his recovery at home."
"Oh—yeah, of course." The words come out rushed. It's as if you're speaking with a mouth filled with cotton balls. "I'm down."
"Cool."
"Are…are we all going?" You ask, then immediately regret it.
"Yes, of course." A pause. "I can take you tomorrow. Since we'll be going after the team meeting."
"Team meeting—?" Ah. The meeting with Mei and Jeff. "Right—yeah, we can carpool. If you don't mind."
"I don't," he says. "I'll pick you up at 1:30?"
"Sounds good."
"About today," Jaemin blurts out. "I'm sorry."
You slouch and close your eyes. "Sorry for what exactly, Jaem?"
"Well—we almost—you know." It's the most you've ever heard him stumble over his words. You would kill to see what flustered looks like brushed over his face. "Right?"
"So you're sorry that we almost kissed." The words flatten as you speak.
"God—can we talk? After our meeting? Or after we visit Coach Brown?"
Stress laces through his tone. Your heart sinks. "Of course."
Jaemin waits for a beat, but you refuse to give in. You don't want to have this conversation over the phone either, and he already offered.
"Good night, Jaemin," you offer.
"…Good night," he murmurs. "Sleep well."
You toss your phone back on the nightstand and cover yourself with the blankets. After that, you're in for the most restless sleep of your life.
"Last alignment meeting," Jaemin says on the way in. "Ready to do this thing?"
You force a smile. Not only are you reeling after a grand total of four hours of sleep, but the car ride over had been little more than dull niceties. "Something along those lines."
He frowns, but you pick up your pace and barrel inside.
Jaemin ends up drifting towards Jeff, although he looks over his shoulder at you.
You shrug and sit at the other end of the table, waiting for Mei to arrive.
Jaemin and Jeff huddle at the front of the table, gesturing and whispering among themselves. They only snap to attention when Mei strides in and shuts the door closed with extra force.
"Good afternoon," Jeff greets with his usual professionalism.
Mei and Jeff jump into reviewing the analytics from the last month. It lives up to your expectations; ever since the ice show announcements and promos ran, it was like someone hit a switch. You—according to sources, since you still avoided social media like the plague—were showing up less in search inquiries. If you were, then content leaned more supportive.
Still, looking at the cold hard numbers, it's clear that Jaemin's growth is unstoppable. Your followers grew by nearly triple, sure, but his total follower count still runs laps around yours.
"I think fans are just grateful to see you so active," Mei explains.
You steal a glance at Jaemin. His face gives away nothing. He looks like a statue, his expression carved in fierce stoicism.
By all metrics, both of your social media profiles look healthier than ever. Buzz has calmed down, and, by some miracle, your "relationship" appears to be accepted by the general public.
"In my opinion—we'll wrap with the ice show, both parties can post the photos from the event, and I think the performance will speak for itself!" For someone so corporate, Jeff looks downright giddy.
You and Mei meet his enthusiasm with tempered applause. Jaemin doesn't even look up.
"Well, there is one matter we should discuss, now that we're at the tail end of things." Jeff's voice turns into the poised tone you're familiar with. "When to announce the breakup."
It shouldn't have this much of an effect on you—it's a fake relationship, after all!—but your body stiffens on its own. You cross your arms over your chest.
You expect Jeff to defer to Mei, but he clears his throat to continue.
"A development that we will not be officially announcing anytime soon…Jaemin is planning on moving back to his old rink."
Your eyes snap to Jaemin. He's already looking at you, assessing your every minute reaction.
"His current coach divulged that he's moving up his retirement timeline. Jaemin's going to add his new coach onto his official team as support for now, then he'll make the hard switch next season."
The same sad glimmer from yesterday shines in his eyes. You understand in an instant—he knew it, even then.
"We're thinking, to leverage the speed skating season, we'll have Jaemin withdraw significantly from posting on social media. That way, breakup rumors and potential fallout can be addressed outside of the season for both sports."
"So no official announcement," Mei muses. "Just a fizzle out."
Jeff nods. "Just a fizzle."
"We'll discuss." Mei glances at you in the corner of her eye, so quick you almost miss it. "For now, we'll just aim to keep social media normal following the show."
You don't want to discuss it. You want to eject yourself from this meeting and dash under the covers, but today is not an option. Not when you, Jaemin, and Sunghoon have a scheduled visit with Coach Brown.
"Ready?" Jaemin asks after the meeting wraps.
You nod without a word and follow him to his car.
"I know you're mad," Jaemin rushes through his words right when your door closes. "Let me explain."
"No need," you say while pulling the seatbelt tight across your torso. "I think Jeff gave us the appropriate context. You're switching coaches, so you already decided to leave."
He runs a hand through his hair. "It's really not my choice. I didn't expect this at all."
You shrug. "Things happen."
Jaemin glances at you, but you train your gaze ahead. "Are you mad because—"
You cut him off. "This isn't a guessing game. It's either you have something to say, or you say nothing."
Jaemin's temper is rarely put to the test, but today you come very close: clenched jaw, sharp brows.
"You know what?" He says. "We'll just talk after we see Coach Brown."
"Fine by me."
Jaemin starts the ignition and snaps the gears into reverse. As both of you have decided there's nothing to say, you spend the entire car ride in pointed silence.
"It's so sweet of you kids to come out here and visit him," Mrs. Brown leaves a bowl of fruit on the center of the table. Not even thirty seconds later, she's back with pretzels. Thirty seconds after that, cookies.
"That's all right, Cynthia," Coach Brown chuckles. "You're going to scare the poor things off."
You, Jaemin, and Sunghoon sit shoulder-to-shoulder on the coach with small smiles. Sunghoon, with his endless generosity, insisted that Jaemin sit in the middle. You initially wanted to strangle Sunghoon, but you also can't help but be hyperaware of Jaemin's muscles pressing into your own.
Despite the current weirdness between two-thirds of you, this was something that didn't need to be discussed at all. Although, sitting here, you and Sunghoon fiddle with your hands and squirm a little in the heavy atmosphere. In situations like this, it's difficult to know the right things to say.
Jaemin leans forward, stands up, and shuffles over to Coach Brown's bedside. "You gotta look at this, coach," he laughs.
While you and Sunghoon sit glued to the couch, the whispers of what you want to say lodged firmly in your throats, Jaemin chatters on like it's just another day.
You feel a flash of pride. Then hurt.
How was it so easy for him to go about and act as though nothing affected him?
You shake the thoughts from your head. This isn't about you.
The three of you relax more through the visit, although Mrs. Brown gently cuts it short to allow Coach Brown to rest.
You all wave goodbye and promise to come again, then you're standing in the parking lot, hovering by your cars.
You're about to ask Sunghoon to drive you when he speaks first. "Jaemin, you can take her back, right? I have something else after this that I already committed to."
The bastard is lying; you know for a fact he's playing nothing but video games tonight. He meets your eyes and grins.
Your welcome, he mouths, none the wiser.
You roll your eyes.
"Yeah, I was going to take her anyway," Jaemin says, shooting you a suspicious side glance.
The two of you say bye to Sunghoon and step back into Jaemin's car. Instead of saying anything, he turns the music up until the bass reverberates the entire car. You spend the drive listening to bass boosted music and wonder if he's lost his mind. Still, you tolerate it—until he takes a couple wrong turns.
"What the hell are you doing?" You try to shout, but the music drowns out your words.
He doesn't even glance at you. You realize, scanning the horizon, that he's driving you to the park nearest to your house. Jaemin pulls into a spot, turning to you when he turns off the engine.
"Want to go on a walk and talk?"
You've often driven past your local park on weekends, swarming with families and soccer games, but today, on a random weekend evening, it's peaceful. The sunset just barely kisses the horizon, blending shades of orange and pink across the sky.
Jaemin walks at your side in shorts and a gray sweatshirt. His hoodie's pulled up, and you're wearing one of his baseball caps over your head.
You walk side-by-side for a while, kicking rocks down the pavement.
After a while, he finally speaks first. "I'm sorry for not telling you directly about the move."
You stiffen. Your legs are still in motion, but your movements feel robotic. Yeah, you'd wanted him to figure it out on his own, but you weren't expecting him to actually know so fast.
Your surprise must show, because Jaemin then clicks his tongue and exhales. "Whew. That must've really pissed you off, if you're that surprised that I got it right."
You find your voice. "Yeah. I didn't love hearing about it through your team. Again."
He winces. "I know. I told him not to mention it, but he kinda went a little rogue there."
"No." You shake your head. "It's not just that aspect of it."
Confusion. "Then…?"
You shrug and throw your arms up. "I wish you told me yourself, Jaemin. No team. Not because you need to tell me in the name of the contract. I wanted you to tell me, face to face, friend to friend."
His jaw drops. "I—"
"I thought we've grown since the start." You hate how your voice trembles. "You knew how upset I was when this started, but you went ahead and did the same exact thing. No mention of these deliberations, even when I see you every day. It's like I mean nothing—"
A shadow crosses his face. "Don't finish that sentence," he snaps.
The two of you are stopped in the furthermost part of the path by a cluster of trees, hidden in the corner from the rest of the park-goers.
You poke a finger into his chest with each word. "I. Mean. Nothing. To—"
It all happens in one swift motion. Jaemin grabs your wrist before you can poke him again, then he tugs you wholly into his chest. His eyes flash before he crashes his lips onto yours.
Your first kiss with Jaemin is the opposite of your near-kiss; from the beginning, you collide, rough and wild, pushing against the other.
This is what you missed out on; it could've just been like this at the rink, too. The realization fuels another flash of irritation paired with a slight thrill. Kissing Jaemin gives you the same rush as competing. Pure adrenaline and dopamine override your senses.
All you can think about is his lips on yours. From the way he pulls you close, hands firmly placed on your back and hips, you know he's equally as lost.
More, you think. The urge completes the thought you've pushed back for months: regardless of the extensive time you've spent together, it will never feel like enough. Down to the level of comfort, the silent understanding, and now the physicality—in this moment, you never want to let Jaemin go.
Probing, you swipe your tongue across his lower lip. He hesitates, easing the pace into slow rhythms. It's not an outright denial—you try again, this time lightly nibbling.
"Alright," he pulls away and presses his forehead to yours as you both catch your breath. "That's enough."
"You started it," you huff with a laugh.
He laughs, then scans around your surroundings. It's not the smartest thing, but there's no one around now, at least.
You lean back in, but he shakes his head. "Can we just…talk?"
He sits down on the closest bench and gestures next to him. You follow.
"I'm sorry for not telling you. It was true though—I wanted you to hear it from me."
You bite your lip. "I believe you."
"I'm sorry for…doing that, too. Just now," he adds.
The relief evaporates immediately. "And you're sorry about…what, exactly?" You ask coolly.
He pales. "I—"
"No more beating around the bush, or going through our teams," you say. "Just tell me what you're thinking please. I think I deserve the truth."
Jaemin thinks for a minute, then grins. "I have feelings for you."
"Jesus, Jaem—" Your whole body feels like it's burning up and smoking into the evening sky.
"What?" He shrugs. "I wanted to just get that out in the open, before you start getting ideas that you don't mean anything to me."
He gives you a pointed look. You stick your tongue out at him.
"I'll say that too. You mean a lot to me."
"I get it," you grumble. His charm has completely disarmed you. "You mean a lot to me too."
His smile shines bright and blinding, even against dusk. "I'll be here for this season before moving, then I'll be three hours away. I still want to give us a try. We can try to make it work even through our schedules."
Even through the warmth of his confession, a cold dose of reality hits you when reminded of your own impending training. "Jaemin…that might get a little crazy, don't you think? Training schedules are one thing, but competition and travel are another."
"I want to go to your competitions," he declares. "At least a good amount of them. I want people to see me supporting you."
You should be happy—after all, Jaemin's discarding his notorious privacy—but the thought of the general public remaining permanent witnesses to your private life makes your stomach coil. Your mind leaps to the worst possibility—what if you flopped next season? Would you retire, disgraced? Would they talk about you online—Na Jaemin's girlfriend, a washed-up skater anchored to him by memories?
"Even if your girlfriend doesn't reach the same legend status?" You ask with a bitter smile.
Jaemin deflates. "You've had a great career."
There it is: had.
You sigh. "Can I think about it?"
"Why?" He demands.
"I just—I want to think about it Jaemin, jeez! One day you don't want to kiss me, the next day you're kissing me and telling me that you want to be together—it's a lot."
"You wanted me to be open and honest," he says quietly. "So I'm leaving it all out there."
He's right. You're being a massive hypocrite, and he's presenting everything that you've wanted right there.
Even with the perfect man offering you everything, you can't shake the rotten doubt that it's too good to be true. You'll ruin what you have, just like you've ruined everything else.
"I mean, I've said it before, but I still think that my image benefited from this arrangement more than yours."
"Come on," he says, hugging you from behind. "You know I don't care about that stuff. "
"I know." You lean back into his chest. It's almost easier to speak openly when you're not looking directly at him. "It's just…when I think about it—really try to think about it—I don't know how everything's supposed to fit together. Once we both go back to training full-time."
His hug on you loosens a little, although you feel his shoulders tighten. "Like…you don't know where I fit into your life after this?"
"No," you respond, then hesitate. "It's like…"
That was the thing—for all of the time you'd spent out of the other's orbit, it was now hard to picture your life without Jaemin's presence. You could see the possibilities laid out clearly: going to his competitions or watching them online if you were out of town. Calling him before your events to calm your nerves, then calling him again after to debrief.
Undoubtedly, Jaemin brought the levity into your life that had been missing for years. But when you tried to conjure your role in his life, your mind drew a big, looming blank.
"I just don't know how I'm going to fit in your life, Jaem," you admit, your voice low and quiet. "We're so different. You're a success that's able to just climb and climb, and I've been struggling for the past five years. I don't know if I belong in your world."
His voice drops. "It's the same world."
"You know I don't mean literally." You untangle your limbs and turn to face him.
Jaemin's lips tighten into a straight line that's neither a smile nor a frown. There's the slightest crease bending between his eyebrows.
Your chest constricts at the sight, and you struggle to breathe. More than the sadness pooling in his features, there's something worse under the surface: disappointment.
You open and close your mouth, forgetting your words, but Jaemin speaks first.
"Do you know you have a tell when you jump?" He says.
"I—excuse me?"
"It has nothing to do with your speed, or even your technique right as you load into it," his eyes turn fiery. "I can tell if you're going to land it based on your expression alone. When you're about to land it, you get this cute, determined scrunch across your whole face. When you're about to pop it or mess up the landing, you get this scared look in your eyes. Like you're about to cry, even before you take off."
"So what?" You manage to choke up. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"You're giving me the same face right now, babe." Jaemin looks tired. "You look like you don't believe in this at all."
"I just need time."
"Then you can have it."
Silence stretches and expands between you. You hate this. You want to grab his hand and tell him that everything is going to be okay, but you can't make promises that you're not sure you can keep. You're hurting both of you in the process, but you can't stop.
"I just need time," you repeat, a broken record. "After the show?"
"Okay. We'll talk about it then." You see it cross his face again. Disappointment, disappointment, disappointment. "Let me take you home."
You finish the final touches of your makeup. You take a deep breath.
You're wearing the same dress from your Nationals free program. The ice blue fabric clings to your torso before flowing down your legs in sweeping waves.
You'd selected this dress for the show shortly after Nationals concluded—it was one of your favorites, and you hadn't been in the mindset to pursue a new look on a tight timeline, anyway—but you feel a brief flash of regret.
Dressed like this, it's impossible to not think about the last time you wore this dress. What started as yet another sad stamp in your fractured career pivoted to so much more. Your near-catastrophic failure of a program turned comeback, followed by the return of Jaemin into your personal life.
You pick up your phone, thinking to text Jaemin your revelation, only to remember and put it back down again. You'd left for the rink without checking whether he'd extend an offer to carpool or, at minimum, reach out at all to clear the air. He didn't—now, your first time seeing him today would be within the next thirty minutes, right before your show together.
A deep urge digs at your gut. You want to march right into the room you're mostly sure Jaemin's getting ready in with Sunghoon, drag him out, and demand answers. That, despite everything, he hasn't given up on you.
It's just an instinct. You lean back in your chair and close your eyes. A deep breath.
As you are choosing to handle this maturely (which rules out marching into his dressing room), you brace yourself for what's bound to be your first encounter: your off-ice warm up.
You've shown up ten minutes early. You're cycling through your second round of dynamic movements—light jogs, lunges, leg swings—until the remaining skaters begin to turn the corner.
You hear the slight lapse in chatter, but you ignore it. You're only looking for one face in the crowd.
A hand grabs your bicep. Sunghoon. "Hey, what's going on?" He hisses low into your ear. "Jaemin's pissed."
You swallow. "How pissed?"
"Pissed." His eyes narrow. "You don't seem surprised."
"Well, I…" A familiar figure rises in your peripheral. You free yourself from Sunghoon's grip. "I'm handling it. Promise."
Worry crosses his face. "Is that…good timing right now? Right before everything?"
Your confidence droops a little, but you push through it. "The timing is shit, but it has to be now."
Sunghoon releases your arm. You step forward toward the corner of the space, where Jaemin warms up with a small group of skaters.
He's wearing full-length black trousers that elongate his legs. His long-sleeved top echoes yours in shades of white blending into ice blue. A perfect pair.
You haven't seen him in days. It's like observing him through the lens of a stranger as he enraptures the attention of all around him with endless charm.
For the first time, it occurs to you; if you truly step away, this could be your new reality. Rooting for him from a distance rather than working through each struggle together. Polite yet restrained smiles of acknowledgement that refuse to reopen old wounds. The thought makes you ache.
You know it, then. You can't bear the thought of becoming strangers to one another again. As much as it stings to face your fears, the possibility of losing Jaemin hurts you more.
Rationally, you know that you can only blame yourself for this current situation—after all, it was your insecurities that had pushed him away.
Time after time, Jaemin had proven his genuine feelings and intentions toward you. This time, it was your duty to do the same.
Despite your reassurance to Sunghoon, you're scared to confront him. You're scared, but you push through anyway. You know, deep down, that going on the ice with Jaemin without addressing anything first will crack something deep in your foundation. You don't know how he'll react, and you don't want to find out.
"Hi," you breathe out from a slight distance.
Jaemin steps away from the group. His expression controls itself in an even neutrality, but he scans over your costume and over the details of your makeup.
"Hi," he responds.
A pause. There's a million things you want to say—what you know you should say, but you have no idea where to start.
"Are you ready?" You ask weakly.
"Yes." Then, he adds. "You don't need to worry. We'll give them a good show."
A good show. They're innocent words by themselves, but the accompanied tone leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.
"Performance," you can't help but correct. "We'll give them a good genuine performance."
He raises an eyebrow. "Is that not what I just said?"
He's messing with you. The cold shoulder sends hot desperation down your spine.
"Please don't be like this," you plead with him. "Can we just talk?"
"We are talking." He doesn't even look up at you.
"Come on, Jaemin. You know what I mean."
He leans down to retie the laces on his skate. He pulls so tight that the fibers creak against the boot. "I have been talking to you. Ever since we crossed paths again—I think I've been more than clear about where I stand. You're the one that needs more time."
"I don't need any more time." You admit. Your throat is raw. "I don't."
He stops.
This is it, you think.
Except, it's the opposite. Jaemin finishes lacing up his skates in a flash of panic and darts away.
"Jaemin," you call after him. You double back, grabbing your bag before taking off after him.
He weaves past the other skaters, who look at the pair of you with either curiosity or confusion. You're sure that some sort of account of this will end up on some sort of gossip blog or forum later on.
It's not hard to catch up to Jaemin, given that he's hobbling on top of blades covered by blocky skate guards. You end up cornering him in his own dressing room.
"Are you done?" You ask, exasperated. "We don't have time for this. I'm on in fifteen, then you're on with me right after."
"Yeah," he mutters, eyes darting around the room to and fro. "Let's not do this now. Let's wait."
"No way." You're blocking the door now. "God, just—listen to me, Jaem."
Realization dawns on his face, and an uneasy smile stretches completely across his features. "I'm listening."
"Thank you," you cough. Your face feels hot enough to melt ice. "I messed up yesterday."
He nods and waits for you to continue.
"Ever since you came back into my life, it's just felt like everything spiraled out of my control. Having you back and supporting me wholeheartedly while I've been struggling for so many years…" You frown while trying to find the words. "I guess I didn't believe it. I didn't feel like me or any of the work I've done for the past few years was worth that sort of blind optimism."
"It's not blind," he offers.
You ignore him. "You're perfect in, like, everything you do. I had you up on this crazy high pedestal, and I thought I would never be able to actually meet you there."
You look at Jaemin. His gaze is soft.
"You show everyone the best sides of you, but I want to see all of it. Whether you're excited or irritated at how training went, if you're annoyed at your fanbase." You draw in a breath. "I want to see all of you. I want to be with you, after this. Away from the cameras, and just for us."
Jaemin's eyes roam over your face. Then, he exhales loudly and hangs his head on top of his thighs. His shoulders shake as he laughs to himself. "Good god…"
Everything burns. "What?"
He rises to his feet and stands above you. His hands cradle your chin, their touch cool yet gentle. "I shouldn't have lost my temper at you. I'm sorry."
Your throat is dry. "Then…?"
"I got carried away even letting myself think that an idea of us would be possible." Jaemin admits. "I wasn't thinking enough about how you felt."
You nod your head wordlessly, transfixed by his words.
"You don't give yourself enough credit. Your work ethic, your charisma…you don't have to prove anything to anyone." He pauses. "It's not like anyone's perception of us will change, since I guess we're already publicly dating, but I'm ready to love you out loud. Whenever you're ready."
"Love."Your head spins. "Jaemin—"
"Jaemin, you don't know that you love me. Wrong." he anticipates your words with a shit-eating grin. His thumbs caress your cheeks. "I didn't realize it at the time because I'm such a dumbass, but I think I've loved you my whole life."
You press the backs of your hands to your cheeks, which slightly overlaps with his hands lining the sides of your face. "You have?"
"Yup." He takes one of your hands in his and presses a soft kiss to your skin. "No pressure to say it back, though. Take your time."
You don't need time; you've always known it deep down. Regardless of location, age, or circumstances, Jaemin's always reserved a space within your heart.
"One minute," you murmur, reaching for your bag. A pink bunny plushie slides out, and you hand it into the hands of the original gift-giver.
"Mr. Hops?" Jaemin tilts his head.
"I don't compete without him," you lower your gaze shyly. "So I guess you'll be in charge of making sure I have it at competitions."
Jaemin hugs him tight. "I—"
"What I'm trying to say is," you take a step towards him. "I love you too."
Jaemin closes the gap between you. The kiss carries all of your conflicting emotions and promises that you're still a little scared to say out loud. All you know for sure are two things: first, you love Jaemin, and second, to love Jaemin, you're determined to be more comfortable with the unknown.
"Jaemin, I've been knocking, you're on—" Sunghoon lingers in the threshold, jaw dropped. "What the hell?"
The room falls into wide stares. You jump away with your arms raised in surrender, Jaemin squeezes Mr. Hops to his chest, and Sunghoon points a silent, accusatory finger around the room.
"I've been looking for you, Jaemin," his finger moves to you. "You're on in like, five minutes." Finally, it lands at Jaemin's arms. "Why is Mr. Hops here?"
"We can explain," you blurt out.
Sunghoon glares at you. "You're going to explain, you dirty liar. After. You guys have to get your asses out there first."
The corners of Jaemin's eyes crinkle as he looks at you. You feel a warm swell of affection in your chest.
There's so much more you want to say to him, but the show must go on. For now, you press a quick peck to his lips and interlace your fingers together. "Ready?"
Jaemin's smile is so wide that it looks like he might explode with happiness. "For you? Anytime."
Sunghoon fake gags but holds the door open for you.
You hold hands the entire way to the ice. The crowd loses it. You faintly perceive the screams and camera flashes, but all you focus on is the feeling of Jaemin's hand in yours.
When you step on the ice, you think, this time, that this is just the beginning.
synopsis: Na Jaemin is annoying as fuck, clingy, needy, nosy, loud, the walking nightmare of campus and definitely someone you wouldn't normally associate yourself with. You could call him every adjective under the sun, and still, it wouldn't be enough to get him off your back. But his eyes are so pretty, his lashes so long, and somewhere along the way of being forced to show him the ropes of bartending, ignoring him is not an option anymore.
pairing: student!Jaemin x student fem! reader
genre: strangers to coworkers to lovers? university!au, fluff, crack, smut!!, eventual angst (in pt2)
word count: 28k+
warnings: so much slow burn ahhhh, blatant flirting, terrible jokes, jaemin is obsessed and a lil tapped in the head but what's new, a lot of inner thoughts and confusion, forced proximity, worries about the future, sexual shame/guilt, oc is a very self-aware meanie who likes to torture jaemin :( but i like her so you should too, fuck buddy chenle (and i oop-), alcohol, smoking, brief mention of menstruation and blood, there's like one argument but it's not angsty, pet names: partner/wiggles or wigs (hers), jaem/loser (his), mdni +18: smooching with lots of tongue, brief penetrative sex (not with each other), voyeurism (jaemin's a perv sozz), manhandling, oral sex (both receiving), clitorical stimulation, fingering, forced orgasm, jaem jerks it <3, spitting, a lil choking, cum play (they're both for the streets), the piss story returns (iykyk), strong language blah blah blah… also jaemin isn't necessarily blonde in this, i just love that pic heh :)
The queue outside is longer than Jaemin expected. It curls down the pavement in a slow, restless line – people shifting from foot to foot, laughing too loudly, complaining about the cold like they didn’t choose to stand in it. The bass from inside leaks through the walls every time the door opens, warm light spilling onto the street for a second before snapping shut again.
Jaemin stands somewhere in the middle of it all, hands tucked into his jacket pockets, barely bothered.
Haechan is already annoyed. Jeno is quieter, standing close enough to his girlfriend that they might as well merge into one at this point. Jaemin glances at them once, then forward again.
Start of spring energy. Everyone trying to squeeze something out of the night before everything resets into exams and exhaustion. The line inches forward. Warm air hits in waves whenever the door opens. Music follows it – heavy, messy, familiar.
Then when Jaemin’s in, noise swallows everything. Every corner is packed. Full tables, standing clusters, people leaning into each other and still shouting. The bar is already packed, orders shouted over each other, glasses clinking nonstop.
Jaemin steps further inside and blinks once, already knowing who to look for.
Same girl he’s been obsessing over for god knows how long.
He’s seen you plenty of times. Sometimes with Jisung, sometimes not. Sometimes in the library, others in the social studies building. Mostly he sees you here. Always behind the bar, barely smiling at customers. Always half-elsewhere even when you’re physically there.
He never fails to notice you for some reason. Never able to look away as fast as he’d like. First your posture. Not slouched exactly, but weighted, or bored. Like your body has learned how to keep functioning even when you’re past your limit.
Then your hands. Short nails. Practical length. Old polish chipped at the edges, like you painted them on a day you had energy and haven’t had another day like it since. You don’t even seem aware of it. Or maybe you just don’t care.
Your fingers move fast anyway – pouring, counting, sliding drinks across the bar without hesitation. Not a single wasted motion as you laugh at something one of your colleagues whispers in your ear.
Then his eyes glance at your arm when you reach up for a wine glass. The small tattoo sits on the inside of your forearm – simple, dark ink. Not decorative in the way people show off. More like something chosen for yourself, placed somewhere only visible when you move a certain way.
An outline of a tiny daffodil that disappears again when your sleeve falls back.
Then your face. Makeup that was probably neat earlier in the day, now slightly worn down at the edges. A faint smudge near your eye, like you’ve wiped sweat or pushed hair away too many times without thinking.
Jaemin’s mouth tilts before he realises it. Why are you always so nice to look at yet so difficult to approach?
“Jaem, this round’s on you, right?” Haechan says beside him.
“Yeah,” He answers carelessly, already stepping forward.
He slips into a free space at the bar before anyone else can, close enough that he doesn’t need to raise his voice.
You still don’t look up.
“Hey,” He tries, already feeling like an idiot.
You glance up. There’s a flicker of recognition and his mind already thinks you’ve tagged him as someone familiar from somewhere mildly annoying. Then your expression resets into something neutral.
“Hi,” You greet, with a nod and something could resemble a smile if you didn’t look devastatingly bored. “What can I get you?”
Jaemin leans lightly on the bar. “Four beers, please.”
“What kind?” You’re already reaching for a pint glass.
He watches your hands again. “Whatever’s quick.”
You nod once, without further comment. Turn. Pour. Move. And Jaemin instantly thinks, damn, your manager must love you.
Behind him, Jeno laughs at something Haechan says. But Jaemin couldn’t be less curious. He’s still too busy watching you.
The full drinks land in front of him one after the other before he has enough time to admire you as much as he'd like.
“Cash or card?” You ask, reaching for the card machine on autopilot, like you already know his response.
“Card,” He says, tapping it. And before he can speak again or thank you, you’ve already migrated to the next customer, the dismissal so disappointingly quick it feels like a punch in the gut.
You work fast. Faster than most people in a place like this could reasonably manage. But there’s no flourish to it. Just survival through repetition. Someone calls your name and you respond immediately without looking away from what you’re doing, no distraction allowed to get in your way. And Jaemin internally pictures his compromised attention span laughing at him.
When you come back down the bar, he does something he never really had the intention of doing doing with you. He acts on instinct.
“Y/N, right?” He speaks a little too loud, miscalculating the decibels of the music, and immediately wishes he could ascend out of his body and slap himself. Maybe you'll do it for him instead.
You look at him a fraction of a second longer than before. There’s a faint twitch of your eyebrow, fatigue pressing closer to irritation, but still contained under professionalism. “Something wrong with your drinks?”
“You’re Jisung’s friend?” He doesn’t think he’s ever sounded this lame before.
Your eyes narrow slightly as you study him again. “…yeah,” you say. “Why?”
“I’ve seen you with him,” Jaemin says, his own voice irritating him already. “Around campus.”
Great, now he sounds like a stalker.
Something in your expression adjusts - subtle recalibration. Like you’re placing him properly now instead of just acknowledging him.
“Right,” You reaffirm. “You’re…?”
Do you really not remember him? He's introduced himself to you at least three times in the last few months. You've been to his house parties for crying out loud. And you still can't remember his name?
“Jaemin.” He smiles a little, hoping he looks a lot calmer than he feels. “I live with Ji.”
A small breath leaves you. Almost a laugh, but you don’t give it all the way.
“Okay,” You nod, like that settles it and you're in a rush to move on. “Anything else?”
There it is. The politeness. So fake that he wonders what you’d sound like if you screamed at him in anger.
Jaemin leans slightly against the bar, gaze drifting briefly past you and lands on the sign behind you he’s never seen before.
HELP WANTED
He nods toward it. “Does that still stand?”
You follow his gaze, then look back at him like you already know where this is going. “That I know of, yes.”
“And you’re hiring just anyone?”
You offer an indifferent shrug. “If they’re competent.”
“Slightly low bar, no?”
You huff a dismissive laugh, eyes rolling a little. “You’d be surprised.”
He studies you for a second longer. Your exhaustion is so evident, yet you’re holding this whole place together without letting it touch you more than necessary.
“You think I could apply?” A genuine question. The man studies biology, doesn’t know anything about bar tending.
“Honestly?” You say carefully, still polite, but focused on writing something on a small notepad in front of you. “Go for it, but you’d probably quit after one shift if you’ve never worked at a student bar before.”
Jaemin tilts his head slightly. You’re not judging him. You just don’t care whether you’re right or wrong. He still feels like you indirectly called him inexperienced, though.
“Alright,” he says. “Say I did apply.”
“You’d need to talk to the manager.” Again, so disinterested.
“Any warnings?”
You blink at him once. “About what?”
He gestures vaguely around him. “The job?”
You halt for just a second, then get back to pouring. “No, not really.” Then you shake your head. “You get what you see.”
And you’ve already moved to the other side of the bar, shouting about something he can’t quite decipher over the music. Maybe a missing cocktail pitcher?
A quiet laugh of disbelief slips out before he mumbles to himself. “Fair enough.”
“Well done.” Haechan drags him out of his thoughts as he grabs two of the four drinks. “You actually spoke to her and didn’t faint.”
“I was close.” Jaemin picks up the remaining two drinks and hesitantly retreats with a last glance towards you. He scans the crowd to find Jeno and his girlfriend have already secured a table in the furthest corner of the crowded space. Too far from the bar. At least for his liking.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
You shouldn’t have come outside.
It’s colder than you expected, the kind that settles in slowly, creeping through your sleeves, but at least it’s quiet out here and no one’s calling your name, no one’s waiting for you to pour their drink or fix something that isn’t your fault.
You lean back against the wall, cigarette between your fingers, letting your head rest for a second as you exhale. The noise from inside is muffled now, like it’s happening somewhere far away instead of just behind the door that you barely register opening again.
“Oh, hi.”
You glance over. Ugh.
You recognise him immediately – the one who always stares at you. The one you always actively ignore. Tonight you even went so far as pretending not to remember his name. Again. The one and only campus legend, Na Jaemin.
He looks very well put together tonight. Annoyingly so. Hoodie that’s a little too oversized, hair that looks effortless in a way that definitely isn’t, and a smile that comes too easily to be accidental. His teeth are ridiculously perfect.
You look at him for a second, then away again. You’re too tired to cover up the disinterest now. “Hi.”
He doesn’t take the hint.
“You look different out here,” He observes you skeptically.
You take a drag before answering, letting the smoke sit in your lungs for a second longer than necessary. “Less busy.”
He huffs a quiet laugh, even though you made no joke. Is he stupid?
“You shouldn’t smoke,” He nods towards your hand. You can tell he’s in the mood to tease.
You exhale slowly, turning your head just enough. “You shouldn’t drink. I still served you.”
“You’re not very friendly when you’re off.”
You glance at him briefly. “We’re not friends.”
There’s a glitch behind his eyes, as if he wasn’t expecting that to be the end of it. What an odd little fella.
“We could be–”
“Don’t even,” You cut in, immediately. “I’m already bored of this.”
He blinks once in shock, then lets out a very loud, almost crazy laugh. It’s drawn out on purpose. Like he’s testing how serious you are and deciding not to be.
“I’m sorry.” He pretends to be serious again. “That was funny.”
You eye him carefully this time. “Are you, like, super bored, or…?”
“No, not at all.” He responds with a shrug. “Do I need to be bored to talk to you?”
You tilt your head slightly. “No offence, I’m really not interested.”
That doesn't seem to do much other than pause him for maybe half a second. Then he nods like he’s processing a new problem.
“Okay,” he says slowly. “So…”
You straighten slightly, cigarette between your fingers, watching him. This is already getting old. “So I wouldn’t bother if I were you.”
He frowns a little. “Wouldn’t bother doing what?”
“Flirting, or whatever this qualifies as.”
“How do you know I’m flirting?”
It’s your turn to laugh this time. “The brick wall knows too. You’re not slick.”
His pout is too cute for a man his age. “So it’s not working then?”
Before you can even think of a response, a voice cuts in from behind him, saving you.
“Jaemin, hurry up. I’m going home.” His friend – half-annoyed, half-laughing – clearly has been watching this whole thing and can’t be bothered to intervene properly.
Jaemin turns slightly but doesn’t move away immediately.
“Give me a sec,” He calls back.
“Can he have your number?” His friend is looking at you now. “He’s actually not as annoying as he comes across and I would quite like to go cuddle my girlfriend.”
Jaemin glances back at you again in disbelief, like he’s weighing too many options. “Ignore him.”
You snort a laugh, slightly entertained by their weird dynamic. “So you don’t want my number.”
“Oh, I do.” He steps back a little, finally starting to retract. “But you won’t give it to me.”
You don’t react.
He nods to himself like he’s collected enough data. “See? I’m not that deluded.” Then, just before he fully turns away, he speaks again with a smile too pleased for someone who just got rejected. “Maybe I’ll try some other time.”
You struggle not to smile back. Then you look back at his friend, who’s still watching the strange interaction with fascination written all over his face.
“I wouldn’t,” You say flatly, internally battling whether you mean it or not. Would you want him to try again? He probably won’t anyway. He seems like the type to move on from these kinds of situations a little too easily. Maybe that’s good.
“Okay, I won’t then.” He just laughs again as he finally walks off. And annoyingly, it doesn’t sound like he’s serious at all.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
“Oh, shit–“ Jaemin whispers mid thrust, forcing his brain to tune out Nora’s loud moans. He focuses on his pending climax instead. So close. Right fucking there.
“Jaem, baby, cum for me.” She slurs, sounding too fucked out. Is she faking it? Jaemin swears he barely put any effort in making her cum tonight. He’s too distracted.
He buries his face in her neck, eyes clenching shut, ears blocking out her sounds, hips delivering sharp thrusts, still chasing a high that seems unreachable. The way she strokes his hair – gentle, sweet – seems to be working, and he thanks the universe that his dick finally gives up being stubborn. Not too long after, he finally releases in the condom with a defeated sigh.
It’s when Nora’s in the bathroom and he’s managed to regulate his breathing, that Jaemin finds himself in deep thought.
It wasn’t really her voice, or touch that pushed him over the edge, but his filthy imagination. Because for the first time in forever, Jaemin thought of someone else when he reached his high. His mind didn’t go blank. Nora’s naked body got replaced by the scandalous thought of you his brain chose to produce. You being in her spot. Under him, moaning a lot gentler than her, not faking anything, writhing in overstimulation but also begging him for more.
And for the first time in a long while, shame creeps in.
Not because he’s disrespected Nora. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. But because he barely knows you. Yet somehow, you’ve managed to lodge yourself in his head so deeply that his brain fills in the blanks without permission. Is this normal? Or is his conscience finally deciding to torture him?
You’re younger than him, he knows that much. If you’re Jisung’s age, you’re definitely two years below, which makes you a second-year student. And what business does he have entertaining thoughts about a girl at such a different stage of life?
Two years isn’t much. Not really. But it feels like more when he remembers who he was at that age - confused, broke, permanently overwhelmed. And he still is all of those things, but not for much longer hopefully. You’re probably still navigating uni life like a tourist in foreign land, meanwhile, he’s supposed to graduate in less than five months. To get out in the real world and get one of those big job things that everyone strives for. And Jaemin’s sure that if you were older than him, he wouldn’t even hesitate. But you’re not. And for some reason he cares.
Though, he will admit you did seem to have your wits about you. You have a job. You probably pay your own bills. You're responsible in ways he definitely isn't.
Maybe he really should apply for that vacancy. He'd been joking earlier, but now he’s seriously considering it. Especially after checking the remaining balance in his bank account.
“You staying?” Nora’s voice jolts him out of his spiral.
“Nah.” He offers an apologetic smile. “Got class early tomorrow.”
“Yikes.” She settles under the covers with a tired pout. “You seemed a little out of it tonight.”
Women and their weird intuition.
“Sorry.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Just tired, I think.”
She laughs softly. Like she’s caught the lie. She probably has. “Don’t worry, I’m not judging.”
Jaemin smirks knowingly, staring up at the ceiling. “You’re always judging.”
“True.” The answer comes so quickly it pulls a smile from him.
A second later she’s yawning into her pillow, and Jaemin takes it as his cue to get out of her space.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
“Heard you met Jaemin hyung the other night.” Jisung’s side eyes you as you two walk out of your final class of the day. The expression on his face betrays something you can’t quite pinpoint, and you don’t quite like that curiosity blooms in your mind.
“Yeah, he’s weird.” You opt for indifference.
Jisung chuckles at your disapproving tone. “Nice guy, though.”
“Awfully flirty.”
Another short laugh. “Yeah, he’s had a thing for you since last year, I think.”
You completely ignore your friend’s useless statement. “Wasn’t there a rumour going around about him?”
You remember laughing when you heard about it, but then when you rethought the situation, you felt bad for the girl.
“You mean–“
“The piss in the eye thing.” You lower your voice as you exit the main building, and you catch Jisung’s lips purse in thought.
“I think…” His expression changes into a concerned one. “The girl he was seeing at the time asked him to try it and then when he ended things, she kind of made the whole eye thing up.”
“Really?” Your head shoots up. “So he didn’t piss on her?”
You already know the answer when Jisung slightly cringes.
“Well, that part’s true.” He clearly struggles to not laugh at his friend’s antics. “He just didn’t get her eye.”
“Shit,” You raise your eyebrows in wonderment. “Some people really struggle with rejection I guess.”
“Yeah, well, in this case–” Jisung pauses, like his next revelation could ruin Jaemin’s career. “He kind of, unknowingly, slept with one of her friends and then ghosted her.”
“Ugh, what a prick.” You cringe, all of a sudden supportive of the girl’s pettiness. “And you’re friends with this person?”
“I mean, he’s nice to me.” Jisung shrugs, causing you to smile at the fondness he emits. You sometimes wonder why Jisung is still single. He’s most likely the nicest guy friend you have, always sweet, always polite, always warm. A girl’s dream. Not necessarily yours. But most girls would certainly kill for a boyfriend like him.
“You’re too sweet for your own good Ji.”
“Oh, c’mon, it’s not like you haven’t fucked people over.” He gives you pointed look, his hand instinctively wrapping around your elbow to halt you from crossing the street as the red light is still on for pedestrians. “You’ve made guys like Jaemin cry in the past.”
It’s your turn to shrug. “I'm just doing god's work.”
“Speaking of men,” Jisung tugs at your sleeve as he starts walking, practically dragging you with him, and you always have to hold back a laugh at the silly little habit. “How’s things with Chenle?”
“Mmm, not sure.” You pout in contemplation about the odd situation you’ve recently found yourself in. “He’s hella cute, don’t get me wrong, great sex too, but I think that’s just it.”
“That’s not necessarily bad, no?”
“No, it’s ideal, but I think he might be in love.”
“Eh–?”
“Chill, not with me.” You reassure Jisung quickly before he jumps to conclusions. “I have a feeling he’s hung up on someone else.”
“Oof.” Jisung sympathises with a scrunch of his nose.
“Yeah, as amazing as dick can be, it feels a bit weird when the other person can barely look at you, you know?”
The whole ordeal with Chenle started randomly and predictably where most similar situations start. A party. A lot of alcohol involved. A game of truth or dare. A kiss. And then suddenly you’re bent over a bathroom sink getting your back blown out.
He gave you exactly what you were looking for. A distraction. And so you both kept going back. For almost a year now. But the last few months, you’ve sensed the change in him. The hesitation before a kiss. The pauses between touches. The way his eyes seem focused somewhere else. You're not hurt by it. The sex is still good. But being cast in the role of someone else's stand-in isn't exactly appealing.
The problem is that ending things with Chenle would mean giving up convenient sex. Which, unfortunately, has become one of the highlights of your increasingly exhausting weeks. And it would likely mean going back to your old pink wand-shaped friend. Not the worst thing in the world, but also not as good as the real deal.
What really is the worst thing in the world is the fact that when you try to think of alternatives, your brain keeps landing on the same person. A person whose lifestyle, reputation, and entire approach to life go against everything you usually stand for.
Yet, you can’t help but wonder.
What is it about Na Jaemin that makes people go so feral? Apart from his ridiculously gorgeous face. And hair. And hands. And arms. Okay, yes, he’s insanely attractive. But attractive enough to get away with anything?
Even after that ridiculous rumour started going around, he seemed completely untouched by it, and so did everyone around him. He still drifted through parties like he owned them, collecting attention without even appearing to try, somehow maintaining his ‘pussy magnet’ status like nothing could ever tarnish it.
His erratic behaviour, paired with the endless stream of people drawn to him, had always felt like a mystery you weren’t remotely interested in solving. Until the other night.
One thing you’re sure of is that if his dick game is as weak as his flirting skills, then what a shame.
And what a waste of everyone’s time.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
“Well, hello partner.” The familiar but grating voice penetrates your distracted brain as you’re too busy looking in your bag for your work t-shirt.
“Huh?”
And there he is again, outside your workplace like he belongs. Perfect set of pearly whites on full display, blinding you. He looks like a more of a normal person compared to the other night. Like he’s just heading home after a long day of lectures, his backpack hanging off one shoulder.
Annoying.
“We must stop meeting like this.” He attempts to joke, letting the door of the main entrance slam shut behind him.
“I work here.” You point out, as though he doesn’t already know. “Why are you here? We’re not even open yet.”
“Well, as of tomorrow, I work here too.” He says a little too chirpily, like he didn’t just drop a bomb on you.
“Umm,“ You suspect you must look like a crazy person judging from his amused expression. “No you don’t.”
“I’m afraid I do.” He nods with the cockiest grin sporting his face.
“How–“
“Just had my interview with Johnny.” He points a thumb behind him. “So, I guess I’ll–“
“Do you even have bar experience?” You interrupt him a little too abruptly, the tone of your voice carries a surprise to both of you. A little too cold even for you.
His smirk doesn’t falter. “We all start from somewhere.”
“Yeah, in your case, rock bottom.” You don’t want to offend him. Don’t want to give him more of your energy to cling on to. Yet, it’s so difficult not to.
He dares to let a stupid laugh slip. “I’m just so lucky to have you as a mentor then.”
“I ain’t teaching you shit.” You scoff, tightening your grip on your bag strap. The nerve of this man.
“Well, I gotta learn somehow.” He pouts.
Fake.
“You’re welcome to sit in a corner and watch then.” You offer him a sweet smile with absolutely no warmth behind it before moving past him and towards the door. Another long-ass shift awaits.
You can still feel his eyes on you when he speaks again. “I’ll happily watch you. Just not sure I’ll learn much.”
Your hand stills on the handle.
The grin threatening your mouth is immediate as you catch the meaning tucked beneath his words. You refuse to give him the satisfaction of turning around. Instead, you push through the door and disappear inside.
Even then, you can still feel his gaze burning between your shoulder blades.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
Jaemin hates working with you. Not because you’re bossy. Not because you’re too fast. Not because you roll your eyes at him every time he makes a mistake. Not because you called him an imbecile earlier. Not because your jaw tenses whenever he flirts with a customer.
But because none of those things make him think about you less. Jaemin leaves every shift either irritated or turned on and definitely a little more obsessed with you.
His eyes threaten to roll to the back of his head each time you insult him. It’s like he lives to frustrate you nowadays. And he swears he almost let a moan slip when you grabbed him by the back of his collar yesterday as he was pouring what turned out to be a pint of Guinness like he would pour every other pint of lager. You have to let it sit half-way through apparently. Or whatever it was you snarled at him.
After a week of being shouted at and having enjoyed every single second of it, he’s finally starting to get the hang of things. And as much as he’s enjoyed torturing you, he's realised that he needs to lock in if he wants to keep his job. The manager seemed to trust your judgment, so he couldn’t really risk it for longer.
He liked the tiny comment of praise you gave him when he successfully closed the till at the end of the shift. But as much as the little ‘nice one’ you muttered excited him, nothing comes close to ‘I could so easily slap you right now’.
Yes, Jaemin has long accepted that he might be sick in the head. But he just can’t help it when it comes to you and your short temper.
What gets him the most, though, what really makes him weak in the knees, and rewires his brain every single time, is how you shift from mean to kind and back to mean in a matter of seconds. One moment you’re looking at him with eyes that scream murder and the next you’re smiling at a customer and offering water when they seem too intoxicated.
It’s almost three am when the last few customers slip out tonight. You’re already on your phone, your back pressed against the bar as you quickly type a response to something that made you almost smile.
“Boyfriend?” He tries, already knowing the answer, but needing to inspect further.
You surprise him by actually giving a somewhat satisfactory answer. “Not really, no.”
He nods, pretending to stay focused on the cleaning task in front of him. “Girlfriend then?”
He can’t help but giggle at the way you roll your eyes but still smirk at his nosy but teasing tone.
Jaemin is very much aware of your current situation. Turns out drunk little Jisung can’t keep a secret for the life of him. But even if it weren’t for his younger housemate, Jaemin has eyes. He’s seen you at parties, sneaking around with only one guy. A guy he only knows through other friends and Haechan’s girlfriend. He remembers sharing a vape with him once outside a club.
Chenle is someone he could only describe as likeable. He hasn’t ever heard a single bad thing about the guy. Always cracking jokes and hosting the best parties out of everyone in the circle of Jaemin's acquaintances. And it goes without saying that he’s insanely hot. As straight as Jaemin is, he can appreciate an attractive man. The younger boy’s cheekbones and jawline could slice him in half. So he can’t really blame you.
But he can and he will be secretly jealous.
Especially when his brain keeps taking him back to that night he walked out in the back garden of some stranger’s house for a piss, just because the bathroom was otherwise occupied. He wishes he had walked away the second he realised what was actually happening, but in the midst of his drunken state, Jaemin stalled. And he watched. For longer than he should have.
Because there you were, backed against a concealed corner, just a few feet away from the spot he chose to empty his full bladder, which was quickly forgotten the second he laid eyes on the sight in front of him. Your bent knee resting on Chenle’s hip, uncovered thigh concealing whatever the boy’s hand was doing between your legs.
It was when you broke the kiss with a low whine that Jaemin realised he needed to leave. He still didn’t, though. Not for a few seconds longer. Not until he heard you brokenly whisper ‘Think I’m gonna cum’. That’s when he bolted. Because it got too real. And as much as Jaemin hates to admit it, he really, truly, genuinely, passionately despised the way you sounded so sweet with another boy. A boy that wasn't him. A boy that couldn't possibly think about you as much as Jaemin does.
And when he got back home that night, Jaemin, shamefully, had the most intense jerking off experience ever. What was shameful about it wasn’t just the filthy imagery of you that occupied his sick little mind – mostly scenarios where you’d be on your knees for him – but how your name so easily rolled off his tongue when his load landed on the shower floor. And he couldn’t even blame his imagination anymore. Just his memory.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
“Hey, partner.” Jaemin’s now familiar greeting makes you look up from the drink you’re pouring yourself. Oddly, it’s not as aggravating now you’re not surrounded by kegs of beer and screaming customers.
“Hey, loser.” You greet back like you always do, this time a little more lightheartedly. Blame it on the alcohol coursing through your bloodstream. “Don’t tell me you’re here to ruin another one of my evenings with your nagging.”
His expected laugh rings through the loud music. He’s already leaning against the counter next to you as you mix cheap vodka with lemonade. “Nah, just spotted you and thought I’d say hi. Is that allowed?”
You glance over at him, pretending to think about your answer as you briefly take a sip to taste test the drink. “I suppose it is at this point.”
You don’t miss his gaze taking in your appearance when you turn around to lean your hip against the counter so you can properly look at him.
He hesitates a little before speaking again, his hand nervously swirling the content of his cup. “And what point is that?”
“Hmm,” You hold back a grin, enjoying his squirming a little too much. “I’m not sure yet. What point would you want it to be?”
You can practically see the wheels turning in his head before his signature grin appears. “Something tells me friendship point would be a no-no from your side.”
You can’t contain it this time. A chuckle lets loose, making you look away, his wide-eyed reaction a little too overwhelming for you and so is the entirety of his handsome face.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t go that far.” You say disapprovingly, and his exaggerated groan is less annoying than other nights.
He pauses to take a look at you, expression more serious than you’re used to, and it makes you feel almost shy. Almost.
“Who you here with then?” He breaks the silence with what could pass as the most casual question, but you can sense the hidden meaning behind it.
“My flatmate, Winter.” You search through the crowd that occupies the living room area and quickly spot her with Ningning and Chenle. “The blondie over there.”
“Ah,” Recognition appears on his features. “You close with Ning and Chenle too?”
“Mm.” You take a sip of your drink as you do your best to show nonchalance. “Not really.”
“Pff.” The scoff is difficult to ignore. He knows you’re lying. Of course he does.
“What?” You ask as innocently as possible.
“Nothing, just didn’t take you for a liar.” He challenges with a smirk, his fingers getting your attention as they tap on the counter surface.
“How am I a liar?” You mirror the tilt of his head with your own.
“I live with Jisung, Y/N.” He steps closer, voice lowering just a tad. “You probably know things about me you shouldn’t know.”
He's not wrong there. You might not be at a friendship point, but there’s definitely no secrets between you two with Jisung as a mutual friend. That fact doesn’t seem to bother you as much as it should, though. Not when all you can really focus on in the moment are Jaemin’s unfairly long eyelashes and his incredibly moisturised lips.
How can a man be this pretty?
“Do you think you’d take off if you blinked too fast?” Your unexpected question seems to baffle him, and to your amusement he expresses his confusion by blinking a little faster than normal.
“Oh my god… you’re drunk!” He brings a hand to his mouth, gasping dramatically.
You poke him in the chest, making him stumble back a little. “And you’re a pretty little girl.”
A shocked laugh erupts from him and before he can speak another word, you’re clumsily walking away. Fuck Na Jaemin and his stupidly flawless face.
It’s not too long after when you’re dragging Chenle upstairs, in need of a distraction, which proves to be impossible when Jaemin’s gaze finds yours through the crowd like it’s an instinct. You hold eye contact longer than necessary. Longer than you’d normally allow yourself.
You take pride in being a self-aware person. You know your limits and you can tell when you’ve crossed them. This is a case of the latter. Because looking into Na Jaemin’s eyes like you’re passing a silent invite while Chenle’s hand is in yours is definitely something that goes beyond your moral boundaries.
And you know what you’re doing when you leave the door ajar behind you as you crash your mouth into Chenle’s. And you definitely know what you’re doing when instead of the bed, you choose to walk back into the desk, where anyone walking past the room could take a peek at. The whole time, you’re perfectly aware of your actions and the repercussions they entail, but you’re also aware of Jaemin’s eyes on you when you bury your face in Chenle’s shoulder.
“Fuck, Y/N.” Chenle moans against your neck as he keeps thrusting into you. Hard. His hands harshly squeeze your ass, slightly lifting you off the desk, bouncing you just right, nudging the perfect spot inside you.
You can’t help but let your head roll back for a few seconds, allowing the pleasure to consume you. And just when you’re teetering close to the edge of your orgasm, you allow yourself to steal a glance at the door, the little crack allowing you to see the shadow of someone standing there.
You know it’s him.
You know he can see everything clearly, and that thought alone is enough to send you into total bliss.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
Jaemin hates you. He does. But most of all he hates himself and how down bad for you he is. He feels pathetic. And extremely turned on.
How dare you eye fuck him that hard when you’re guiding another man into a room clearly with intention of getting dicked down. And how dare you look in his direction while you’re getting railed into next week.
Do you know he's fucking insane?
You can’t possibly be able to see him, but he knows you know he’s there. He knows you know he’s watching. And he knows you like it. You invited him after all. It’s obvious you’re putting on a show for him. And even though he’s well hidden, your gaze keeps trailing towards the door. It’s filthy. And it’s obscene. And it’s new. Nothing he’s experienced before.
You’re right there, just a few feet away from him. Again. Getting touched by Chenle. Again. And Jaemin is watching. Again. Only this time, you’re aware of him.
By the time he let his intrigue take over his logic and decided to head upstairs, you're already moaning, thighs spread around the other boy’s waist as he pounds into you. And Jaemin will give it to Chenle. He seems like he knows what he’s doing with you. Like he knows what you need. And when your legs start shaking, Jaemin can’t bring himself to look away. He feels hot and flushed, his cheeks burning with shame and arousal, but he needs to keep looking. Needs to see you fall apart, even if it’s on another man’s cock.
And he does exactly that. He watches.
Your mouth hangs open in the cutest way, your expression blissed out, eyes unfocused, hands gripping onto Chenle’s shirt while you cum with the sweetest cry of desperation he’s ever heard.
And Jaemin’s dick is so hard it hurts. But what hurts more is his pride.
You’ve humiliated him without even trying. Just tossed a bait he so willingly grabbed onto like he was deprived and starved. He gave you all the power he could ever give someone. All for you to chew him up and spit him back out. And for him to love every second of it.
The next couple of weeks are, as expected, a torture. Him trying to get the image out of his head and you putting it right back into its wedged place whenever you look at him.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
“So, how's working with Jaem going?” Jisung points his drink toward your coworker, who’s currently belting out ‘She Will Be Loved’ to the karaoke mic in the middle of the living room, while half the people sitting down are hyping him up and the other half are booing. Except for Haechan who’s just filming with his phone like a proud mum.
You have to hide your smile behind the rim of your cup. Otherwise, it’s too obvious who the reason behind it is. “As well as it can go.”
“That could either be awful or amazing.”
“I’m not telling you shit. You can’t keep your mouth shut.” It comes as a joke, but you mean it.
“What? I’ve never–”
“Yes, you have.” You chuckle at your friend’s automatically defensive mode.
Jisung rolls his eyes in surrender. “He asked me!”
“And you said ‘oh, yeah she’s actually banging Chenle’?” You take a sideways glance at him but return your attention to Jaemin and his chaotic performance.
“Well...” Jisung pauses to think. “He already kind of knew. I think he asked Haechan as well.”
“See? That’s what I mean!” You laugh with a shake of your head. “You’ve just thrown your friend under the bus.”
Jisung groans in annoyance. “As if you don’t already know he’s into you.” He points at his housemate again, who’s now on his knees in front of Haechan finishing the song. “He’s been following you around like a lost puppy for at least a month now. It's not rocket science.”
You refuse to react to the statement, even though it’s a fact.
“And you like it.” Jisung concludes with a teasing grin.
Your tongue reflexively pokes into your cheek to contain another smile.
“Just fuck him.”
“Ji!” You whack him on the chest, the out-of-character and vulgar comment shocking you.
“What?” Jisung giggles at your reaction, arm coming up as a shield. “He’s graduating soon, so you might as well get it out the way before it’s too late.”
“Oh, do me a favour.” Your dismissal makes Jisung’s eyebrows raise in confusion. “That man doesn’t have the brain cells to pour a drink let alone graduate.”
“He’s actually on his way to a distinction.”
“Huh?” Your neck almost cramps from snapping your head to look at Jisung only to find his irritating smirk still in place.
“Surprise, he's clever!" Jisung mocks your shocked expression with a gasp. "Spanner in the works, huh?”
You click your teeth in annoyance, returning to your dismissive tone. “No works so no spanners.”
“Lie some more. I'm enjoying this.”
You tune out Jisung’s rant about how ‘you always deprive yourself of real connections because you’re scared of trusting men’ and take a meticulous look at Jaemin. He’s now sat on the sofa while someone else has taken his place on the mic. It’s something about the way he carefully listens to Jeno and nods that gets your thoughts rolling.
Yes, he’s undeniably handsome. Yes, he can be funny at times. Yes, his light-heartedness is what you look forward to during a rough shift sometimes. But it’s mostly his attention to detail and careful nature that intrigues you. It's how he can always read what mood you’re in without you even having to utter a single word. It’s how his eyebrows tense and he hums along in understanding when you complain about something random or explain work stuff to him. It’s how he’s never once fucked up at work, always completing tasks like a pro and even saving your from awkward situations with rude customers. And you realise that through the silliness and endless flirty comments, you’ve overlooked qualities that make him so much more desirable than he already looks.
You realise that you’re finally seeing through the persona he very obviously has built as a wall around himself.
And maybe that explains why later in the night, when Jaemin very openly follows your every movement as you walk in the sitting area of the party, you give in.
“Sit next to me?” No partner this time, no teasing lilt in his tone, just pure hope as he looks up at you from his spot on the already occupied sofa. Shiny lips parted slightly, eyes wide when you approach him, clearly taken aback by your newfound docility.
Jeno instantly slides further down to make space for you, smiling politely when you squeeze in between the two boys, and you can undoubtedly feel Jaemin’s eyes burning holes into your side profile.
“Stop staring.” You mutter with a grin you fail to hold back when you feel him sink back into the cushions again, legs spreading just a little. Just enough for his thigh to press against yours, the heat radiating off his jeans easy to feel on your bare skin.
“What you drinking?” He inches a little closer, chin just a few centimetres off your skin as he looks over your shoulder, warm breath littering the expanse of it with goosebumps. You don’t think he’s ever been this close before. Or maybe you just haven’t noticed.
You lift your cup closer to his face, offering a sip but only throw him a quick sideways glance. “Vodka cranberry.”
He takes it after balancing his own cup between his thighs. “Yum.” He smacks his lips after a big gulp, the tip of his tongue darting out to lick a stray droplet of translucent pink liquid. “You know, I read somewhere that if you share your drink with someone, they’re be able find out all your secrets.”
You snort at the ridiculous and probably made-up fact. “Good thing I’m an open book.”
“Mm,” He taps his index on the rim of your cup he’s still holding. For some reason your eyes keep drifting to his fingers. “That you are.” You can hear the mischief in his tone and you know what he’s referring to. You both do.
A thick drop of alcohol spills over the edge of your red cup when he passes it back, landing right on your bare thigh. You stare at it. He doesn’t apologise. Instead, his thumb brushes away the liquid on your skin before putting it in his mouth. Like it was never there. Goosebumps form instantaneously as you watch his lips in utter shock. The fuck did he just do?
“Everyone has secrets, though.” He brings your attention back to his eyes.
“Go ahead then.” You gesture, as though offering the floor for him to take, choosing to ignore the lewd act of him sucking on the thumb that just touched you. “What’s one of mine?”
He narrows his eyes as he thinks carefully, taking in your already judgmental expression. “You still listen to Paramore.”
A loud, abrupt laugh bubbles in your chest at the random guess. “That’s no fucking secret.”
“Yeah, I just uncovered it.” He gestures with both palms open, like it’s the most obvious thing in the whole world.
“You’re a clown.” You shake your head.
“Okay okay, I have a better one.” He sits up, straightening his back a little as he turns to face you better. You instinctively mirror him, brain now blocking out the rest of the commotion in the crowded living room. “You actually like mentoring me.”
Your eyebrows have a mind of their own as they inch closer to your hairline in surprise. “Interesting. Why d’you think that?”
He extends his arm along the back of the couch, his skin brushing yours, the same shoulder he was breathing on. You watch his mouth form a sceptical pout, eyes more serious than ever. “Because you enjoy bossing me around.”
“I’m just giving you what you want.” The words slip out before your brain has the chance to filter them, and you suddenly get the urge to slap a hand on your mouth. You don’t.
“Nice.” He nods in approval, proud smile on full blast. “And you haven’t even had a sip of my drink.”
“It’s no secret.”
“What?” He challenges. You hesitate. He presses. “Say it.”
His expressions are too tempting to finish the conversation here. “That you like being told what to do.”
He hums ponderingly. “Sounds to me like we’re–”
“A match made in heaven?” You humour him for what feels like the first time ever, imitating what he would’ve sounded like in your brain, whiny and irritating.
He smiles wide, pearly whites blinding you, fingers curling inwards against your shoulder, knuckles lightly tickling you. “Didn’t know you were cute like that.”
You tut your tongue at him, eyes rolling in feigned annoyance, all just to let him know that his flirty remarks still fail to affect you. Which has been a big fat lie since that first night you officially met him.
But he can’t see that. You hope.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
Next time you see Jaemin is not at work, but at the science building cafeteria. Chenle is going on about how happy he is that you’re not awkward with him now that you’ve stopped fucking around and how much he appreciates you as a friend. You think it’s funny that he’s so apologetic considering you’re the one who actually initiated the conversation last week. You thought it was about time. Especially after you found him drunk in a bathtub, crying his eyes out. He has a weird habit of getting in bathtubs when he’s at parties, but you know by now it’s just his way of escaping overwhelming crowds. And so you just nod away when he keeps yapping about how grateful he is that you’re so cool and respect his space.
You’ve just devoured a spoonful of rice when you hear it.
“Yo yo, partner!” You instantly know who it is, but you still raise your head from your plate, and you wonder if you look like a caricature with your cheeks protruding like you’ve been starved for days. Jaemin stands over you, his dumb smile intact like it’s never left since that party. It always makes you wonder what he’s like when he’s serious or upset about something. Is he the vocal or silent treatment type? Is he chill or intense? Or is he the kind that would shut you up and put you in your place? Nevermind.
“Oh lord, you got enough rice there?” He mocks, eyes widening to humour you. “You look like Patrick with a crabby patty.”
He somehow looks even brighter in daylight. Maybe it’s the pink jumper. Maybe it’s his unusually fluffy hair. Or maybe it’s the way he rocks back and forth on his heels like a child desperate for attention. What a sight.
You just blink.
Chenle folds in half laughing and points at you while you force yourself to chew.
“Well, take your time. I don’t really need you to speak.” Jaemin hands you a flyer. “I was gonna invite you to this photography exhibition. You’re both welcome.”
Both? He’s potentially seen the two of you going at it on a desk, blatantly flirted with you days after, and now is inviting you both to his photography exhibition. Like none of that is remotely weird.
Something stirs in you as you struggle to chew.
Jaemin has made it abundantly clear he’d be in your pants the second you gave him the green light. Yet he’s never been jealous. Never possessive. Never made things uncomfortable. If anything, his interest in you, day by day, seems to be inching closer to something that could only be described as genuine. Not just sexual. Not just competitive.
And your stomach feels weird. Because you like that.
Chenle smiles at the older boy while you still struggle to swallow down your food. “I thought you studied biomed?”
“Hobbies are a thing.” Jaemin drags the words teasingly, with no malice detected in his voice.
“We’ll be there.” Chenle agrees cheerfully without sparing you a glance.
“Umm–”
“Nice one!” Jaemin claps his hands and walks away before you can get a coherent word out.
“So, I see I’ve been replaced in no time.” Chenle attempts to joke but of course it doesn’t land. Like most of his jokes. Instead, it earns him a cube of mango in the face.
It’s not that you don’t want to go. You certainly do. You’re curious. But you’re also a tiny bit terrified. Because that invite, as ridiculously casual as it was made out to be, felt somewhat intimate.
And what has put ‘a spanner in the works’, like your dear friend Jisung said the other night, isn’t that Jaemin has a creative hobby. Or that he’s intelligent. Or that he doesn’t mind being the butt of every joke while half the university spreads ridiculous rumours about him.
It’s how interesting of a person he’s turning out to be. Not just smooth. Not just confident. But... charismatic.
And that’s something you would describe as an obstacle. Something disturbing.
Because it renders your efforts to ignore his advances useless.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
You could never really wrap your head around the fact that some women so easily go about their day while on their period. Meanwhile, you’re struggling to pour drinks and take card payments due to the agonising pain in your lower back and what could only be described as stabbing in your uterus. The only thing you can do is sip water every five minutes to reward your body for its endurance during this fuckass shift that will probably pay for less than a pack of tampons.
You’re putting on the best smile you can muster, but you can feel that client after client it keeps weakening, and so do your knees. The smell of alcohol isn’t helping either, with your stomach already being in bits since this morning. The loud laughter coming from all the tables around keeps piercing through your aching head and you’re pretty sure your back is dripping in sweat from your fluctuating body temperature.
“You look a little pale, you okay?” Jaemin asks quietly as he stands next to you behind the bar. It’s a busy Friday night, people coming in and out. Some looking to stay, some just pregaming for the rest of their long night out. And you’ll give it to Jaemin, he’s been a lot more productive tonight than you have. So much that you’re actually thankful you’re working with him tonight. Because he keeps taking the heat from all the demanding customers without questioning your distraction.
"Mm, just tired." You lean forward against the shelf beneath the bar, eyes shut as you try to breathe through another wave of pain. "Sorry for letting you take the lead tonight."
You hear him take another order. Something about a Sex on the Beach. A moment later comes the beep of the card machine, then warmth envelops your side - his chest. And a gentle hand settles on your lower back.
You're too exhausted to flinch.
"Seriously, do you need a minute?" he asks, genuine concern softening his voice. The heat of his palm lands exactly where it hurts. "I don't mind if you go downstairs for a bit–"
"No, I'm good." You shake your head quickly, resentment bubbling at being seen like this. You hate it enough that you could cry. Probably the insane hormones in your body working their magic.
“Y/N–”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not.” He presses, voice firmer than before but still laced with worry. His hand stays on your back, thumb tracing absent circles that might've been soothing if you weren't in so much pain. Then he shifts slightly, shielding you from the other bartenders. "Do you need painkillers? I've got ibuprofen in my bag."
Oh. So he definitely knows you’re bleeding out of your vagina. Great. And he’s attentive. Super great.
A sharp cramp twists in your tummy, forcing you to give in. So you nod. “Will you be good on your own for a few minutes? I might need to–”
"I'll be fine." He saves you from having to admit you need the bathroom to check whether you've leaked through your tampon.
The loss of his warmth is immediate, but a second later he's slipping a blister pack into your hand. His fingers linger for the briefest moment around your wrist before he pulls away as two new customers approach the bar.
"Take your time," he says quietly.
When you finally look up, he's already behind the till, already smiling at customers. Back to his usual chirpy self, as if he didn't just make you feel strangely safe.
By the end of what feels like the longest shift in human history, you've lost count of how many times Jaemin has checked if you're okay. Now he's practically forcing you into your jacket because he refuses to let you stay and close up. The painkillers have finally kicked in, and all you want is your bed and a hot water bottle. Still, you're oddly reluctant to leave without saying something.
“Thanks for earlier, by the way.” You catch Jaemin's baffled look as he tries to sort glasses onto the shelves.
“Why are you still here?” he scolds, disapproval written all over his face.
Despite yourself, you smile. “I’m going, I’m going.” You lift your hands in surrender, already wearing your jacket, bag hanging off one shoulder. “Just wanted to say thanks.”
He glances up briefly, shoulders lifting in a small shrug before his attention returns to the cocktail jar in his hands. “It’s what partners do, no?”
Now that you're standing on the customer side of the bar, you finally get to see what everyone else sees. A very pretty, smiley man you'd probably avoid if you were ordering.
“Well, goodnight, partner.”
His entire face lights up, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “I like it better when you say it.”
And then he's gone, disappearing into the back before you can think of a response.
The thudding in your chest leaves no coherent thoughts behind.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
It’s not that Jaemin is in love with you. Absolutely not. How could he be?
Everything he knows about you is what he’d know about any coworker. How you sound when you’re frustrated with him. How annoyed you get when he forgets to turn the dishwasher on. How pretty you look when you’re complaining about rude customers. How you always wear black tops to work but brighter colours around campus.
He’s also noticed that you answer his questions before he asks them. He never has to spend long looking for something behind the bar; you’re already pointing him in the right direction.
No, it’s not that he’s in love with you. That’s not the case at all. He just can’t seem to get you out of his head.
He’s not sure when it became a problem, but he noticed it after that night you were feeling unwell. He’d never seen your guard so low before, never seen you look like you needed someone to take care of you.
He wanted to text you after your shift. Make sure you got home okay.
He didn’t.
Partly because he chickened out, and partly because you strike him as the type to leave a man on read without a second thought. Probably because you can. Sensational women tend to get away with things like that.
Lying in bed that night, exhausted but unable to sleep, he couldn't stop thinking about comforting you.
Not sex. Not any of the filthy scenarios his brain usually specialises in.
Just you. Curled up in his arms beneath a blanket. A bouquet of flowers abandoned somewhere on the coffee table. Chocolate. Your favourite snacks. His fingers combing through your hair while you slowly drift off against his chest.
He’s fantasised about plenty of things before. Never this. Never about making someone's day easier.
With you, though…
He wonders if you’d ever want him in your space like that. If you’d trust him to hold you like that. And most of all, he wonders if you’ve thought about it too. But, to put it plainly, no. Jaemin is far from being in love with you.
He’s really struggling to focus tonight.
With you sitting beside him, the booth somehow feels both too small and too big. He can’t decide whether he wants more space between you or none at all.
It’s Jisung’s birthday drinks. Three weeks after his actual birthday, his younger housemate finally managed to gather everyone for a quiet night out. No clubbing. No chaos. Just a lively bar a little outside of campus.
Jisung claimed he was sick of seeing the same faces all the time, to which Jaemin had agreed. And yet here he is, distracted by your familiar face.
You’re tucked into the corner of the booth, practically shoulder-to-shoulder with him. Jeno sits on his other side. Beyond that, Jaemin couldn’t tell you who's sitting where.
Not because he’s drunk.
Because you smell too good.
Because your arm keeps brushing his whenever you reach for your drink.
And because your dress...
Fuck.
Your dress.
You always look pretty. But tonight you’re on a different level. Or maybe it’s just his silly little brain playing tricks on him. It’s only a black dress. Nothing he hasn’t seen on other girls before. Then again, Jaemin often thinks that no one can pull things off like you do.
“So what’s Jaemin like at work, Y/N?” Renjun chimes in curiously from the opposite side of the booth. Here we go.
“Hmm.” Jaemin feels your eyes on him before you answer. “Same as now, just less rigid.”
“Hey, I’m not rigid–”
“You are a little.” Renjun saves the day again, clearly in the mood to mock.
“He’s probably just annoyed he can’t escape my presence.” You lean over the table, as if sharing a secret with his friend.
Oh, so you’re playing that game. Cool cool cool. “Why would I wanna escape your presence? Being all up in your business is my new hobby.”
You shoot him the deadliest side-eye. So pretty. “Is it now?”
“Mhm.” He twirls his straw playfully before taking a sip of the very strong rum and coke he ordered not too long ago. “Honestly, it’s what gets me through the week.”
Your scoff says you don't believe him for a second. “You might as well just confess your undying love at this point.”
Yeah, he’s seriously thinking about it. “That would be highly unprofessional considering you’re, like, my boss.”
“Since when do you give a fuck about professionalism?”
“Um,” He raises a sassy finger. “I’m pretty sure you lack in that department more than I do.”
You blink at him in disbelief. “Excuse me?”
“I don’t spit in people’s drinks.”
“He made her pay for everything and kept staring at my tits!” you fire back.
Jaemin laughs at the memory of you ‘accidentally’ dribbling into some guy’s beer before handing it over with the sweetest smile imaginable.
“Nah, that was actually fire, I rate it.” He praises and leans more against the table, elbows on the surface as he rests his chin on his interlinked fingers, trying really hard not to stare at your tits, clearly no better than the man who, unknowingly, had the pleasure of tasting your spit. Maybe if Jaemin openly stares, you’ll spit in his drink too.
That’s not a normal thing to want, is it?
Renjun is already immersed in another conversation with Haechan and Jisung, and Jaemin realises that for the first time in what feels like an eon, he’s nervous. As though he’s all alone with you and doesn’t know how to handle it. Though, he doesn’t have to dig too deep in his brain for a topic of conversation before you strike him with a surprisingly serious question. “So, you excited to graduate?”
He feels like he needs hours to think about the right answer. You’ve definitely put him on the spot here, and no one’s even listening. “Yes and no.”
“That’s awfully vague.”
“It’s true.” He shrugs, eyes trained on your nails. Not chipped for the first time. He can almost picture you painting them with a serious but insanely adorable look of concentration all over your face. “I’m curious about life after uni, but also, I know this is probably the freest we’ll ever feel.”
“Yeah,” You take in his words, and he can almost visualise your brain processing them as you slowly nod. “I don’t think I’m cut out to have a big girl job.”
“I think you’re cut out to have anything you want.” His words don’t even click in his mind but your raised eyebrow makes him catch on. He’ll admit - though, not intended that way - that sounded like a line. “I’m serious.”
The corner of your mouth twitches. A hint of a smile. “Didn’t say you weren’t.”
“You didn’t have to.”
“Right, you know all my secrets. I forget.” It’s the first time you refer to that night you two spent hours talking on that dingy sofa.
“Nah, not all of them.” He deflects with a pout.
You tilt your head in question, cheek now resting on your palm as you give him your full attention. It’s strange. It should feel like a victory. Instead, it makes him feel exposed.
“No?” You ask teasingly.
He offers a nod and leans an inch closer. Enough for his arm to press against yours. Skin on skin. A rarity with you two. “I feel like I could know a lot more.”
“Anything specific?” You surprise him by not pulling back, if anything, you just hold eye contact. Like the rest of the group doesn’t even exist. “Feels like you’ve got a questionnaire prepared.”
Jaemin can’t fight the cheeky smile. This is his moment. It's either go big or go home. “Why did you leave the door ajar?”
It’s like your mouth parts in slow motion. Then shuts again. And repeat. You’re doing a good job at not showing much emotion at the outrageously daring question.
“Why did you come upstairs?” You predictably answer him with a question of your own, and he has to bite a grin back. Because, of course, you’d do that.
“Because you wanted me to.” His shoulders lift in a small shrug, like it’s self-explanatory. To him it is.
“And you’re so good at knowing what I want.”
“I’m definitely better at it than you are.”
“Oof...” You lean back and cross your arms, your dubious frown causing a turmoil in his chest. Did he go too far? “Do you even know what you want?”
“Mm, to be honest...” He leans in so he can whisper without risking getting heard by anyone else. “I rarely do, but–”
“Oh, do me a favour.” You roll your eyes like you’re already bored of what he’s about to say next.
He chuckles, so amused with your reactions. “You didn’t even let me finish.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.” The regret is so clearly faux, but still endearing, nonetheless. “Please, carry on.”
“No.” He leans back like you did, arms crossing stubbornly, sassily jutting his bottom lip out. “I don’t wanna say now.”
“Oh, no, please tell me.” You say with the most stoic look, still mocking him. “How can I go on without knowing?”
“Sarcasm will get you nowhere with me.” He disapproves with a determined smile, knowing he’s successfully getting under your skin.
“I don’t know,” You casually reach and take his drink out of his hand, the straw already between your thumb and index as you swirl the remaining liquid, condensation dripping on your thigh, and Jaemin gets deja vu. “I think you prefer it when I’m mean.”
Maybe you know him better than he thinks. Or maybe you’re just more observant than you let on. You certainly get a kick out of making his dick suffocate, though. Because as Jaemin watches you wrap your glossed lips around the straw he’s just had in his mouth, he feels appallingly turned on. And he really wants to wipe the drop off your thigh exactly like he did last time. He doesn’t. But he does let his deranged mind entertain the thought of using his tongue instead of his thumb. Maybe someday. Hopefully.
“Oh, so now I’ve got a humiliation kink?” He pretends to be offended, watching the movement in your throat as you swallow a gulp of his drink with a disapproving scrunch of your nose.
“You said it, not me.” You put down the drink with a disgusted cough. “Fuck, did you ask for battery acid?”
He giggles at your rapid blinking. “Ruined your flirty antics, did I?”
“Fuck off.” You laugh along, cheeks now rosier than before with the hint of embarrassment.
“Not too much with the bullying. I’ll get a boner.”
Your eyes widen in disbelief at his crudeness, and he feels like he’s thriving. You’re finally speechless. This is what success feels like.
“I could get you fired for that.”
Oh.
“Wait, what? I was just jo–”
“God, you’re such a guy.” You shake your head with mockery, mouth now around your own straw as you sip on what looks like something disgustingly fruity. “You talk like you ownthe biggest pair of balls on planet earth but the second a girl outdoes you, it’s all begging and wah wah wah–”
“Do you ever shut up?” He doesn’t know where the outburst came from, but your confused frown goes straight to his cock, and before he can apologise-
“You shut up.” You clap back with a childlike frown, your ankle nudging his under the table in retaliation, and Jaemin’s competitive nature comes forth.
You’re not winning this one. He refuses to let you. So instead of nudging you back, he hooks his ankle around yours. You don’t ease up - as expected - trying to shove him away with a hand on his knee, glancing around with exaggerated innocence. Your worry about being seen is almost endearing, especially because you’re clearly biting back a smile.
Which is exactly why, instead of letting you go, Jaemin catches your hand and laces his fingers through yours.
Your small, sharp inhale slips past you, unnoticed by everyone except him. Your fingers twitch against his grip, but it holds steady – anchoring you in place – and finally does what he hasn’t managed to do for weeks.
It quiets you.
And Jaemin feels, for once, like he’s won.
Especially when you stop resisting and sink back into your seat, his ankle still tangled with yours, your hand now folded into his.
All you give him is a side-eye sharp enough to pass as affection. And every time he drifts into conversation, he can feel you looking at him. He pretends not to notice, answering with a squeeze of your ankle or a slow stroke of his thumb across your knuckles.
He doesn’t let go when Haechan brings over birthday shots for Jisung. One hand around his glass. The other one still holding yours like it’s instinct.
At some point – quietly, maybe even without meaning to – you lean into his side.
If anyone’s noticed, they don’t say a word. Jaemin’s almost certain that’s because of you. Because if it were anyone else, his friends would’ve made it unbearable by now. But your presence doesn’t really allow for noise like that.
They’ve learned.
The illusion breaks the moment you lean in and whisper that you need the bathroom. And when you slip out of the booth, leaving him wedged between wall and friend, Jaemin can already feel the questions forming.
Still, the ghost of your hand in his makes it worth it.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
“Still here, Wiggles?”
You’re leaning against a lamppost waiting for your uber when Jaemin emerges from inside the bar. You really can’t escape this man. Not that you’re trying that hard anyway.
“I’d ask where ‘Wiggles’ came from but not so sure I wanna know.”
He takes his place in front of you, looking as effortless and unbothered as he always does. “You’re always trying to wiggle away from me.” He discloses with a performative pout, lips shining more than before. He must’ve applied lip balm after you exited.
“Right. And you won’t let me.” You squint your eyes as though emphasising a complaint. You’re sure he can see right through it anyway.
“I would hate to deprive you of the joy of my presence.” He flashes you a bunny-like smile with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. “You cold?” He asks with a sniffle as he catches the little shiver that cuts through you.
“Nah, I’m good.” You check your phone again. “My uber’s here in two mins anyway.”
He nods, but doesn’t move to head back inside, eyes remaining fixed on you. “Did you have fun?”
You want to tease, make a comment about his earlier antics, but his question sounds genuine, and you don’t think you'd want to go into that right now anyway. Not when there’s a time limit. “I did, yeah. You?”
“Oh, I had the most fun ever.” He drags the word, clearly not able to hold a serious conversation for more than four seconds.
“At least you keep yourself entertained.”
He hums mischievously, taking a step closer. The shadows from the streetlight and the bar lights make one side of his face glow in yellow and pink. “You never answered my question, you know.”
He’s standing close enough that you have to tilt your head slightly to look at him properly. “Which one?”
Before he can answer, a car engine roars, ending your conversation prematurely.
He’s grinning, but he almost looks disappointed, like an opportunity was snatched right out of his hands. “I’ll tell you another time.”
Your uber pulls up, and you nod at the driver with a smile, letting him know he’s got the right person. Before you can lift a hand, Jaemin’s opening the door to the backseat for you.
“Bed time for you, wiggles.” He steps aside to make space for you, hand still on the car door when you turn to look at him before getting in. “I’ll tell Sung you stayed until late.” He reassures, indicating that the birthday boy is at a level of intoxication that most likely will compromise his memory.
For a reason unbeknownst to you, there’s a feeling of hesitation sitting in your chest. You’re reluctant to leave. Not just because you’ve had such a fun night. It’s the boy in front of you that poses an obstacle, as always. It’s how he’s made you feel all night. It’s how he’s looking at you now. It’s how he’s also still glued to the ground, not making an effort to end the night either.
“Make sure he drinks some water.” You opt to say, and Jaemin’s twitching mouth catches your attention. You feel like he can read your unease through your body language. Like he can read your mind. “Right, well, good–”
It’s funny how you’ve always thought you had the upper hand in most situations in life. Jaemin was definitely one of those situations. Until now. Until he shut you up for the second time in one night. Only this time, with his mouth on yours. It's not searing, nor is it the kind of kiss that knocks the air out of your lungs. To your surprise, it’s soft. His lips are slow against yours, moving lazily, like he’s got all the time in the world, and you surprise yourself by finally giving in to the desire you’ve suppressed for what seems like too long. Your hand finds itself on his nape, pulling him in with more determination, but with a delicate swipe of his tongue across your bottom lip, he’s gone.
“Goodnight, partner.” The whisper feels hot against your tingly lips, his smile is something you can only describe as wicked, and with that, he squeezes your waist in a way that makes your skin prickle with goosebumps before stepping away. He’s walking back inside before you can utter a word or offer any type of reaction to what just occurred, something you should’ve expected by now. Because it’s Jaemin. And Jaemin is unpredictable.
What you also know is that a kiss that short shouldn’t have melted your brain the way it did.
When you’re settled in the back of the car, it finally dawns on you– if he hadn’t pulled away, you wouldn’t have either. If Na Jaemin had kept kissing you, it is highly likely that you would’ve dragged him in the backseat of this uber with you. And the faint heat between your thighs feels like a personal attack your body wasn’t prepared for. But what’s embarrassing is how willingly you would've let him take care of it. Or make more of a mess if he pleased.
Your hazy brain keeps blaming the alcohol you’ve consumed, but as you sit there drowning in your overflowing thoughts, driving through campus and trying not to rub your thighs together, your thudding heart is telling you otherwise.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
Since you started working with Jaemin, it’s become known to you that he’s a very punctual guy. Never late, and if not on time, then most likely early. So when you turn up for your first shift of the week on Monday – thankfully a quiet one – and Jaemin is nowhere to be found, the first thought that crosses your mind is that he’s quit. That he kissed you just because he’d had enough of your attitude and endless negativity. And now that he’s barely broken through those, he’s had enough of chasing after you.
You could ignore his absence and go about your day. It’s the wise option. But your phone is already in your hands and your thumbs are typing away.
You: why is your friend not at work?
Sung: why do you ask
You: ??
Sung: he’s off this week
Sung: smth about a lab project thing he needs to prepare for
You: 👍
Sung: he knew you were gonna ask me
You: lol
Sung: apparently you’re predictable 💀
Great. So now you’re being mocked by who used to be your sweet friend Jisung. Fuck your nosiness. Or neediness in this instance. Needy for Na Jaemin? You? No. No. No. Absolutely the fuck not.
But then why are you already dreading dealing with customers without his hushed teasing comments? Or the provocative wiggling of his eyebrows when someone asks for your number in addition to their drink. Or the way he somehow appears beside you whenever a customer starts being difficult. Or how he always makes sure to add straws to a drink when you forget, even though he’s worked there for far less than you have. Or...
You suddenly come to the realisation that Jaemin has somehow become such a big part of your weeks. Like a habit you would struggle getting rid of.
And what’s worse now is that since that night he randomly kissed you and made your brain short circuit, you’ve not been able to shake the thought of him. The memory of him. The feeling of him. Of his lips on yours, of his hand in yours, of his mouth curling around the word ‘partner’. A word you once were so indifferent to that has now acquired a completely different meaning to its actual one.
Jaemin has really become your partner at work. And generally, someone you look forward to seeing. Someone you seek but can’t seem to find in your other coworkers. Or anyone you know really.
And as ridiculous as it may seem. Later in the week, three shifts in without him, you can’t deny a fact that about two months ago wouldn’t have even crossed your mind.
You miss Na Jaemin and the vibrant colours that come with him.
Work without him is awfully blue.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
Jaemin’s never lacked initiative. Ever. Not as a kid, not as a teenager, not as an adult. He’s always been one to go for things he wanted. Whether it be a goal, a dream, a plan, a piece of clothing, a book, a video game. Anything. And when it comes to his love life, well let’s say he’s never lacked initiative in that department either. The only thing he’s lacking there is curiosity. Or intrigue. It’s always the same with every girl. No surprises. He knows what he wants, knows what he gets. And it’s not that he’s always been successful. He’s had girls reject him before. Or ghost him even. But he’s only cared until he’s found his next conquest, which doesn’t normally take more than a Saturday night and a few tequila shots.
He’s always viewed himself as someone who comes across as light-hearted. Harmless even. Certainly not intimidating. He knows that for a fact. People look at him and smile openly. They welcome him in. They embrace his quirkiness. They see him as someone who holds no weight. No depth. No substance. And he’s always been fine with that.
Until recently. Until he got a taste of what it’s like to be taken seriously. To be levelled with. To be challenged.
Until you.
Until he felt curious and genuinely intrigued.
Not in a poetic ‘she’s so different to everyone else’ type of way. Because you’re not. You blend in quite well with everyone around you. Yeah, maybe you’re more on the grumpy side most of the time, but who isn’t nowadays. You don’t make rooms light up. You’re not the centre of attention. You’re just... you. Sarcastic to the bone. Short-tempered. Like most girls he’s encountered these three and a half years he’s been a student. Yet, you sometimes look at him like you fear him. Like he’s someone you’re not allowed to let in. Like he’s someone that comes with consequences.
And once again, Jaemin knows what he wants. He just doesn’t know what he could get. He knows how to approach you. He knows there’s a way in. Just isn't sure if there’s a way out. And if there is... does that involve you and him both or just him? What if he finds his way in and then you kick him out? He knows that’s very much a possibility.
But.
She kissed me back. He keeps repeating the words in his head. The memory of it even more. The little sound of surprise you let out. Your hand touching his neck, inviting him in.
He’s deep in the reminiscing state when he’s jerked out abruptly, a soft hand tight around his wrist, dragging him towards god knows where. It doesn’t take him longer than two seconds to recognise the back of your head. Your shoulders squeezing through the crowd of the house party, not a single glance thrown behind you, just your fingers clinging onto his skin, making him feel like he’s still daydreaming.
He’s sure he’s not. But there’s no realistic scenario in his head in which you’d be taking him up the stairs of a house whose owner he barely knows.
A few steps and a door later, he’s in a bedroom. A very girly one. Plushies, fairy lights, candles, heavy perfume lingering in the air, name it. The same door you dragged him through is slammed shut and locked and Jaemin is shoved into the fluffiest blanket ever, the bed creaking slightly covering the yelp that escapes his lungs. His hands reflexively catch his upper body weight, propping him up. And after what seems like the longest walk in history, you’re looking straight at him. Staring down at him, or more accurately, peering into his soul, never having looked more intimidating, and before Jaemin can question any of your actions, you’re stepping closer, eyebrow raising in what he can only assume is frustration.
Oh shit. Oh fuck. Oh fucking shitting shit. He shouldn’t have kissed you.
“What the fuck is your game plan here?” You demand, sounding enraged, and Jaemin can’t think of the last time he had such a negative reaction to a kiss. He’s had girls tell him he’s a bad kisser, but they’ve still kissed him again after that. One girl even dodged him once, but she also pounced on him not longer than an hour later.
“I um–” He can feel his jaw twitching with nerves, refusing to slacken and give him the opportunity to give you a satisfactory response.
“You what?” You take a step forward, and even the tiniest movement from your side feels like a threat. “Why did you kiss me?”
Here we go. It’s out in the open.
“Do you even remember doing it?”
“Wha– yes.” Well, look at that. He can speak. Fucking well done, loser. “Of course, I remember.”
“Oh, congrats!” You give him a condescending smile, as though congratulating him for being able to utter a total of three words. “Do you remember why?”
He knows why. “I wanted to?”
You blink twice, nostrils flaring as you inhale deeply.
“I’m sorry if–”
“If what? You overstepped? Confused me? Do you understand that we work together? I’m not doing this work drama thing just so you can–”
“I confused you?” It’s the only part that matters out of all the things you listed. “How?”
Your features contort in bafflement, eyes narrowing slightly. “That’s what you care about?”
“Tell me.” He is close to pleading, butt moving to the edge of the bed, knees touching yours as he inches closer. “Please.”
“That’s not the point, Jaemin!” Your hands raise in exasperation, feet taking a step back, your warmth absent again as you turn around and walk toward the door. He’s already accepted the fact that you’re about to exit the room and the situation, but you halt instead. And all Jaemin can see is your back. Your shoulders moving in sync with your deep breathing have him captivated. He can’t look anywhere else.
“What is then?” The question slips without permission. It’s only when you turn around that he’s very aware of his mouth and how it’s moved on its own accord.
If looks could kill, Jaemin would be dead now. “The point is that you don’t think. You just do things.”
“I do think.” He doesn’t waste a second to defend himself. Because he knows he’s right, even if your scoff completely disregards his statement. Regardless of his calm nature, Jaemin’s jaw ticks at your reaction. And so does his brain. “I think about you an awful lot. And you know it.”
You slump against the door with a groan, face dropping into your hands, and Jaemin doesn’t understand why you’re so vexed. Is it really that much of a burden that he likes you?
“Why did you bring me here, if you’re just gonna insult me?” He’s on his feet before he completes the sentence, voice raising slightly, making you look up in subtle surprise quickly concealed by your anger. “Just say you’re not interested in me like that and–”
“Insult you?” You scowl, throwing the word right back at him like it disgusts you. “How am I possibly insulting you? By trying to understand what you want from me?”
“What about you, huh?” He steps closer, despite his effort to hold back. “What do you want?”
“Stop deflecting.” His eyes catch the clenching of your fists at your sides, and the thought of you fighting the urge to punch him, exhilarates him. Does he really get under your skin that much?
“I’m not–”
“The fuck you smiling at, you clown?” Is he? Oh shit. He hadn’t even clocked that. “There’s literally nothing funny about this.” The impact of your hands on his chest shocks him, shoving him back into his previous spot on the bed. Clearly you like him sat down. And it’s no secret to him that he doesn’t mind looking up at you. He’d happily get on his knees if you asked him.
He needs to control his thoughts. And if he’s going to do that, he can’t have you standing above him or he’s going to lose all sense. So he moves to get up again. Futilely. Because you shove him back down before he can even try. He refuses to lose the battle. He tries again. Fails. And this time you push him so hard he ends up on his back. Which snaps his compromised patience.
“Stop–” He grabs onto your wrists, jerking you forward. “Fucking–” Pulls again when you fight back. “Pushing me.” He manoeuvres you, not letting you crush him, and somehow, in all the mess of whining and grabbing and yanking, he’s got you on the bed with him.
You both somehow land on your backs, in an awkward position. Half your torso is on him, the other half on the mattress, one of his arms crushed under you as opposed to the one caging you and holding you hostage despite your incessant squirming and twisting.
“Stop it, you nutcase.” He can’t help but laugh, not on purpose. Not to piss you off. The situation is just too amusing for him to stay as serious as you want him to. He still tightens his hold around you, forearm, pressed against your collarbones, hand gripping your shoulder until you gradually still your crazy limbs. “You done?”
Your erratic breathing resembles his, making him feel less pathetic, and Jaemin can’t ignore the intense thrumming of your heart through your back. You can probably feel his; beating wilder than it ever has. He can feel it in his ears.
Your pliancy bemuses him, but he thanks all the forces above for it, and he sighs in relief when you let him roll you onto your side so he can get his arm back. Before you can escape, even though you make no such advance, he drapes his newly functional arm over the dip of your waist, keeping you in an almost spooning position but still leaving space between your back and his front.
“We can talk or we can keep scrapping like cats,” He speaks calmly again, and by the movement of your shoulders he knows you can hear him clearly. “Up to you.”
“You wanna talk now? Like this?” You ask in disbelief, already starting to get on his nerves again.
“Yes. Now.” He drags you closer, expecting some sort of protest when he leaves just a couple centimetres between your bodies, settling close enough for his face to bury in the citrusy combination of your perfume and shampoo. Or moisturiser. Or whatever it is that makes him feel all warm and fuzzy. Regardless,he tries his best to stay as focused as possible. “If you don’t mind, I’ll start.”
You try to turn around. “I do mind actually–”
“Don’t care. I’m talking.” The arm he’s got around your middle keeps you in place, and he feels your sharp exhale against the arm your head is resting on. “I feel like you’re either in denial or you just have no fucking clue what’s going on here, which would be impossible considering you’re one of the smartest people I know.”
Silence. Good, you’re finally listening to him.
“Which leaves us with the first option.” He lifts his head a little, the tip of his nose touching the end of your jawline. He adores the way you shrink away from him, face tucked even further into his elbow, the heat radiating off your cheek and onto his skin. “And that would be a shame, cause that means you’re missing out.”
He feels movement on his arm again. Maybe your lips pursing, maybe your nose scrunching, definitely something. “On what?”
He takes that as his cue to eliminate the tiny space left between you. Chest to back now, ass to crotch, his mouth brushing the shell of your ear. “Me. And you. Sitting in a tree. Kissing.”
The tiny shiver that runs through you is something that affects him more than it should. Something so minimal yet powerful enough to go straight to his head, shaking up whatever is left in there.
“You’re a fucking idiot.” You mutter stubbornly into his skin, a finger slowly tracing one of the veins on his extended arm, like you’re trying to distract yourself. “I’m not in denial. I’m perfectly aware of whatever weird vibe we have going on.”
Interesting. “Okay...?”
“I just don’t understand what you want from me.” Your index reaches his wrist, and when he expects you to withdraw, you trace further instead, onto the lines of his unclenched palm. It also mirrors what you’re doing beneath all of this. Trying to figure him out. So, he instinctively flexes his fingers, palm opening, giving you more space to explore.
He decides to tease. “You want a power point presentation or...?”
“No, I want you to tell me.” The joke clearly doesn’t land. Your tone doesn’t resemble the one your voice carries when you roll your eyes at him. It’s serious, like you’ve had enough of his shit.
He’s not ready to give in just yet, though. “Okay, I’m sensing your preferred type of love language is words of affirmation.”
“Be for real.” You lightly dig your nails into the skin of his palm in a quiet threat, which strangely, goes straight to his dick. That strips him of his playfulness, and he gives in with a sigh, forehead dropping against your shoulder.
“I don’t wanna say the wrong thing– like, I don’t know what you wanna hear. Or what you– like, what if I say something and then things get awkward and–
“Doesn’t matter what I wanna hear.” Your fingers stop tracing and you reach for his other hand this time, the one on your stomach, squeezing in something that feels like reassurance. “There’s no right answer. You already know what you want. You just need to tell me.”
Jaemin really does need to. He’s been dying to tell you. But now he’s actually getting the chance to, he feels slightly dizzy, like he’s experiencing an outer body experience. Like he’s looking at himself from across the room, warning himself, judging himself. He keeps hearing the words ‘watch what you say’, because what if he scares you away? What if you laugh in his face? Or worse, what if you don’t take him seriously?
“I want...”
You hum in anticipation, fingers slithering between his, your warm palm engulfing the top of his, exactly like he did to yours a few nights ago in that booth. Only this time it feels different. It feels like it matters. There’s nothing lighthearted about it. Just like the words he’s struggling to get out.
“I wanna know more about you.” He starts easy, buying himself time. “And I wanna spend time with you. Outside of work.” Your thumb playing with his distracts him from his deafening heartbeat, and he takes a second to swallow, but even that’s too loud. “Think that’s something we can do?”
You turn your head slightly, letting him nuzzle against your cheek. “That’s all?”
“No.” He wants to look at you, but he can’t bring himself to open his eyes. “I want... to make you laugh more.”
“Really?” You question in a tone so genuinely adorable that almost kills him.
“Mm.” He nods, eyes fluttering open when he feels you move his hand with yours a little further down.
“Do you… wanna take me on dates?”
“Yeah.” He nods again, ears focused on your words, but eyes glued to your intertwined hands and the journey the dangerous path they’re trailing down. “Wanna be good to you.”
“Good how?” Your lips graze his cheekbone, hand adamantly still guiding his, ass pushing back into him just a tiny bit, offering enough pressure to make his eyes shut for a second. “Nuh-uh.” You scold when his hand starts moving on its own, moving past the waistband of your skirt, and he immediately halts, letting you have the upper hand quite literally.
He exhales shakily, brain scrambled, struggling to put his thoughts into words. “I dunno, just… wanna do nice things for you and spoil you.”
“That’s sweet.” Your nose cutely nudges his cheek, and Jaemin starts questioning his sanity. “What else?”
“Wanna be able to kiss you whenever I want.” He admits openly, not having searched much in his brain for that one.
“How do you wanna kiss me?” Your locked hands are now just below the hem of your mini skirt, his fingertips brushing your inner thigh, and he can’t help but curl his impatient digits around the fabric. You don’t scold him this time.
Jaemin could easily show you how he wants to kiss you right now. He could so easily grab your face and shove his tongue down your throat. But that’s not what you're asking. You want words. And as much as he hates how obedient he’s become for you, it’s also turning him on. “How do you like to be kissed?”
“Hmm,” You ponder, clearly enjoying the torture you’re putting him through. “Slow. And a little wet.” Perfect. Exactly how he likes it too. Maybe more than just a little wet, but he’s sure you two can meet in the middle. He just needs to actually kiss you first. “Unless we’re fucking.”
He lets out an embarrassing moan at the obscene imagery his brain instantly creates, hips unintentionally grinding into your ass, hard cock now tucked between your cheeks, and he realises he’s got the pads of his fingers digging into the flesh of your inner thigh. So close to where he wants to be. “What about then?”
“Messy.” You mumble into his arm, sounding a little breathless yourself. “Want it really messy then.”
“Messy’s good. I like messy.” He finally cracks, not caring how desperate he sounds. He’s already given up on trying to win with you. He’s been losing ever since the first time he spoke to you. “Anything you want, I’ll fucking do it.”
Your resolve seems to be abandoned too this time, trembling hand leaving his momentarily to bunch up your skirt just enough for easier access. Just above your upper thighs, without revealing what’s underneath. He gulps in anticipation, not making a single move before your hand is back on his, not moving as slow this time, but dragging his fingers across your skin, over to the crease of your thigh and crotch, the seam of your panties moving a tiny bit from the light friction, but not out of the way.
“Shit.” He exhales in awe. “You’re so–”
“Shush.” You whine bashfully, dragging a weak laugh of disbelief out of him. He keeps his mouth shut by landing a long kiss on your shoulder. The first time he’s kissed your skin ever, and he wishes he could do it every day.
“Awh, are you turned on?” He coos, letting his middle finger drag over the fabric of your panties, feeling your wetness seeping through and coating his skin with your essence. It’s so slippery, and sticky, and just so perfect as the light pulse of your clit makes him slightly overflow with need. Your little nod against his arm makes him smile, his teeth sinking on his bottom lip in delight. “I’ll make it better, if you let me.”
“Mm, please.” It sounds more like an instruction than a polite request, and your fingers wrapping tightly around his wrist make it clear. You’re not begging him, you’re just demanding what you deserve. And he’s going to give it to you on a golden platter. He’ll give you anything you ask for. He’ll get on his knees for you if you say the word. As long as you keep letting him touch you. As long as you keep letting him please you.
“Fuck, I’m so into you.” He whispers needily, cock twitching in its confines, jeans suffocatingly tight as he tries to get some relief through subtle rolls of his hips, almost too worried he’ll accidentally start rutting into you like a dog in heat. Your drenched folds separating as he slips his finger between them, as much as your panties deem possible, don’t help him at all, especially when accompanied by the tiniest mewls you’re letting out each time he softly rubs over your already swollen nub. “Guide me again. Show me where you want me.”
Your fingers join his again, positioning his middle and ring fingers directly above your covered clit, panties still somehow clinging on even through all the slick that’s gathered at the seat of them. “Here, slow at first.” You urge him to stimulate the tender spot in small circles, fingers moving above his to show him how much pressure you like. Your deep sigh gives him all the confirmation he needs that he’s touching you just right.
Jaemin watches your reactions over your shoulder. The rise and fall of your chest with each shallow breath. The glimpse of cleavage beneath your crop top. The hem of your skirt hiding your joined hands and everything they're doing underneath.
Normally, he'd want a better view. Being a visual person, he would've found an excuse to hike your skirt higher or reposition you just enough to watch exactly what he was doing to your pussy, but right now, he couldn’t care less. Because somehow, this is hotter. Not seeing everything. Not having you bare beneath him. Just watching your body give him away, little by little. It doesn't compare to anything he's had before. And he has a feeling it never will.
Your hand comes into view when it leaves his, letting him take over, but it quickly takes its place around the back of his neck, fingers slowly sneaking through his hair, forcing his eyes shut at the soft feel of your touch. He keeps rubbing your clit just how you showed him, and lets you pull him close enough that his forehead brushes your temple, resting there for a moment, keeping his eyes closed and focusing on the sweet sounds he coaxes out of you and the slick that keeps accumulating beneath his fingers. He contemplates slipping his hand inside your panties to feel you properly. He’d be lying if he said he isn’t dying to. But you haven’t given him that green light yet, so he adds a little more pressure on your clit instead.
“Jaem–” Your hips buck into his hand, the needy reaction almost funny, but he contains his laugh with a bite on his lip and gently cups your pussy in his palm, preventing you from running away.
“Relax, Wiggles.” He says softly, landing a tiny kiss on your cheek before running his fingers over the expanse of your folds and then resuming the circular motions on your clit, a little faster than before but still gentle. Still giving you a lot less than he really wants to.
The harsh tug you give his hair makes him grunt in surprise, taking the gesture as a warning. He harshly grinds his cock into your ass in retaliation, earning a breathless laugh from you that brings a smile to his face, which spreads wider when you twist your neck to take a look at him, and he feels like it’s the first time you’re looking at him without a threatening edge in your eyes. He shuffles as close as he can, face hovering over yours as he takes in the pleasure littering your features like a canvas. He would kill to have his camera with him and snap a picture of it. His cock throbs with want as you slowly blink up at him, clearly taking him in too, and you’re not subtle when you let your eyes drift down to his lips momentarily.
“You wanna kiss me, don’t you?” He teases, already knowing the answer but enjoying the little crease of frustration between your eyebrows a little too much. You give him a small nod, letting your gaze drift down again. He still doesn’t budge, fingers slowing down too, on a mission to punish you a little for the painful hard-on he’s got going on because of you. “Say please.”
There’s a look on your face he’s positive he’s never had the delight of encountering before, one that obliterates any pride he’s got left. The puppy eyes you’ve put on are doing enough pleading. So much that you don’t even have to say it, and Jaemin instinctively lowers his face close enough to nuzzle his nose with yours, something he’s not sure he’s ever done with anyone before. He’s never felt the need to. He doesn’t even realise he’s doing it until you raise your head to initiate the so desired kiss, your lips brushing his lightly for half a second. He pulls back just a fraction, taking one last look at your flushed face, savouring the haze in your eyes just a little longer, but a particular stroke of his fingers makes your eyes shut in pleasure. And it’s the sweet whimper you let out that makes him finally close the gap, tongue already slipping past your parted lips.
He kisses you exactly how you said you liked to be kissed. Slow and wet. Not too sloppy, no teeth. Just his lips dragging against yours, head tilted enough for his tongue to sneak inside your mouth just a little, and you match his rhythm in no time. Your mouth parts to let him in, your taste just like he remembers it. A little sugary from the drinks you’ve had earlier, enough to make him sigh from the relief of finally being able to experience this. Just like he’s daydreamed for what feels like too long. Maybe even better.
You swiftly flop onto your back, the movement catching him off guard, but your hands engulfing his face in them get him back on track. He breaks the kiss for just a second, so that he can steal a glance at his hand working between your now spread legs.
“Don’t stop.” You whine needily, your hips arching off the bed, chasing for more as you bury a hand in his hair, bringing his mouth back to yours.
“Fuck, baby.” He moans all muffled, sounding completely wrecked even though it should be the other way around. Your tongue coaxes his lips open this time, forcing itself inside his eager mouth, and he can’t help but cheekily suck on it as his fingers move on their own accord, slipping down, teasing your entrance over the soaked fabric of your underwear. You’re so wet he can feel the outline of your pussy lips as if there’s no barrier, and god, he wishes his face was buried between your legs. Wishes he could smell you and taste you for hours. The thought of devouring your cunt while your legs shake and lock around his head, suffocating him, sends a fresh jolt of arousal straight to his cock. And it hurts. It’s painful not to thrust against your hip, seeking for any kind of relief, so he does, letting you swallow his low whines as you keep him close.
“Mmh– can you–”
“Mm, what?” He nods frantically, desperate to give you more.
“Just...” You keep kissing him, one hand gently caressing his jaw, while the other finds his again, and before he can question you, you’re dragging his hand up until it reaches the waistband of your panties. And then you’re urging him to slip inside. He internally celebrates and obliges without a word; tongue tangling deliciously with yours as he quickly dips two of his fingers between your folds with a deep groan, quickly finding your clit again, picking up where he left off, with tight circles on your cute nub. Fuck, it’s pulsing, and he wonders if your pussy would pulse just like that around his cock, swallowing him. “Faster.”
Again, he obeys, denying you anything never an option, and he instantly starts stroking your clit with three of his fingers, fast and hard, from side to side, and your mouth parts against his in a silent moan, the vibration getting a reaction that claims a place in his brain. “Good?”
“Yeah,” You nod desperately. “I’m close.”
He nods back. “Want my fingers inside?”
“No, no.” You plead, clearly too in the moment to care. “Just keep doing what you’re doing.”
His free hand wraps around the back of your neck, holding you in place as he gives you what you want. “You’re so wet.” He mumbles between frantic breaths. “Didn’t know you wanted me that bad.”
You whine in protest, your panting making it impossible for you to speak words other than a broken: “Oh my god.”
“Fuck, you’re shaking.” He whispers, in complete awe of your pleasure, admiring how your face contorts, how your eyes roll back, how your legs tremble. “Don’t hold it, let go.” He encourages gently, able to see right through your self-control, and eager to demolish it. Even now, even on the brink of an orgasm you clearly want to reach, you try to squirm away from his touch, your legs clamping around his hand stubbornly, preventing any movement.
“Don’t get me wrong, I love it when you’re being difficult, but right now is not the time.” He huffs in frustration, hand fidgeting, fingers now squished between the plush of your thighs, unintentionally coating your flesh in your arousal. “If you wanna cum before someone finds us in here, I suggest you spread those legs again.”
The hand still nudged in his hair pulls him closer again, but he resists, not in the mood to give into your wishes anymore. He recognises the distress and conflict in your eyes. You’re not being stubborn, you’re just embarrassed. What for, he’s not sure, but he likes it. Because it’s unlike you.
It does click in his head, though. “I’ll keep kissing you if you let me make you cum.”
And with that, the clenching of your thighs eases up a little. And Jaemin can’t fight the amused laugh that bubbles in his chest. Because bribery does work. And he’s finally connected the dots.
You only got shy when he stopped kissing you so he could watch you. And, suddenly, so much makes sense, but he chooses to lock that thought away in the back of his mind. For now. Because your legs are parting for him again.
“Yeah?” He coos, fingers now moving freely, momentarily dipping down, collecting slick arousal that’s trickled out of your entrance before returning to your clit. He nods along with you when you let your eyes shut in bliss. “That’s it. Good girl.”
He doesn’t let you react to the praise, mouth slotting with yours like he promised, silencing whatever protest was bubbling in your throat. He knows he was treading on thin ice with that, repeatedly having been made aware how you’re not about to let a man patronise you or degrade you. Ever. Your boundaries have always been clearer than water, the harsh tug on his hair proves that much. But Jaemin’s not backing down again. He’s had enough of your shit, and so he kisses you harder, sloppier.
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” You tug harder, making him grunt and rub you in quicker and firmer circles.
“Shut. Up.” He almost doesn’t recognise the harshness in his own voice, never having felt so annoyed at someone and wanting to please them at the same time. It’s usually one or the other. It seems you’ve proven him wrong once again. “Be grateful I’m not bending you over and fucking the shit out of you.”
He pulls on your hair too, his level of roughness not enough to match yours, but enough to have your teeth biting down on his bottom lip, and he’s pretty sure you’ve drawn blood.
“Fine.” He challenges, his limits already crossed. “Have it your way.”
His knees hit the floor before he can think, his hands grabbing on your thighs, dragging your body to the edge of the bed, and before you can let out more than a yelp, Jaemin’s pulling your panties to the side, revealing your dripping centre.
“What the–”
“So cute.” He mumbles as he watches his middle and ring fingers slip inside your clenching hole too easily, the wetness making everything nice and slippery for him, and when he curls them, your back arches. Too fucking pretty.
“Jaem, oh my god.” You whimper out weakly, clouding his already jumbled head.
“Fuck, I love that.” He whispers mindlessly, circling your visibly swollen nub with his tongue once. “You sound so sweet.”
He can tell it’s finally (thankfully) game over for you, when your legs open further for him, and he wastes no time. He soon finds a rhythm with his fingers that has your walls tensing, but he keeps hitting what he believes is the right spot. And when he angles a little more upwards, his doubts are instantly gone.
“Yes, yes, yes, fuck, right there.” You exclaim in despair, chest heaving, legs quaking just like before.
“I got you.” He mumbles against your folds, then engulfs your clit in his mouth, sucking gently while drawing slow circles with his tongue, finally able to enjoy your taste like he’s always wanted. A satisfied hum escapes him when your hands slip in his hair again, holding him in place as your pussy quivers around his digits. The tighter you get, the louder the squelching noises become, and when he fucks his fingers into you a little faster, he knows you’re finally climaxing.
“Shit, I’m cumming.” You exhale abruptly, like you’re caught off guard, legs closing in around his head, only this time, he doesn’t mind. Far from it. If he could suffocate between your thighs, he’d probably thank you.
Your little cries are more than gratifying. The kneading of your walls as he tries his best to drag out your high goes straight to his erection, his balls feeling so heavy and sore, and when your nails lightly scratch his scalp, he feels his abdominal muscles contract, pelvis involuntarily thrusting into nothing. It’s when his cock throbs painfully that he knows it’s inevitable, and before he can even pull away from your core, Jaemin is shamefully releasing in his pants. Untouched. Coating his boxers in his own cum.
He blames it on the edging and the fact that he's been sporting a hard-on for at least half an hour, but deep down he knows it’s just his unfiltered want for you. He knows it’s you. You and everything about you.
He can hear your overstimulated whines when the haze starts to dissipate, and he slowly slips his fingers out, realising that his mouth is just aimlessly parted against your folds, nose squished against your pubic bone as he tries to regain his breath.
“You okay?” He pants, sounding like he’s just ran a marathon instead of given head.
You let out a fucked-out laugh. “I feel like I should be asking you that.”
“Shut up.” He laughs with you, forehead defeatedly resting on your tummy as he tries to conceal his hot face. Fuck, he doesn’t think he’s ever felt embarrassed in front of a woman. It doesn’t help that he’s currently on his knees either. Your soft fingers carefully combing through his damp hair offer a little bit of calmness, however.
“Is that, like, a recurring theme or should I feel honoured?” You tease, the light heartedness in your tone making him smile like an idiot. He doesn’t think he’s ever heard you like this before.
“Keep testing me and you’ll find out.” He feigns annoyance, landing a light slap on your outer thigh before squeezing the flesh hard.
You whine in protest, and even though he can’t see your face, he can picture the frown you’re sporting. His imagination not being enough, he decides to lift his head so he can look at you properly, only to find that you’re already staring at him.
“Hi.” He lands a quick kiss just below your bellybutton, where your top doesn’t meet your skirt.
“Hi.” Your lips twitching in a half-smile urge him to kiss your skin again, and then once again until you’re giggling. “Stop.”
He hums against your skin in fake contemplation, already knowing he doesn’t want to, but then he glances down between your legs, drenched core still on display, puffy folds glistening from before, panties still messily pushed to the side, and when you attempt to shut your legs, he beats you to it, holding them in place, refusing to miss out on the pretty sight. So enticing.
“Can I clean it up?” He asks without a second thought, thumbs pulling the lips apart to reveal more of what a mess he’s made, your pretty clit still protruding a little from the attention it received earlier. He looks up at you, taking in your bemused eyes, and he chuckles at your cuteness. “It’s a subtle way of saying I wanna lick your–”
“I know what it means,” You cut him off with a pointed look, clearly disapproving of his crude choice of words. “I’ve just never had anyone ask that before.”
He clicks his teeth in judgment, internally laughing at the joke he’s about tο make. “Really? Chenle not that freaky then?”
“Ew!” You shriek adorably, gently kicking him on the shoulder. “Don’t talk about him when you’re between my legs.”
“Why not?” He wiggles his eyebrows provocatively, face already inching closer to where he wants to be.
“Because it’s weird?”
“You had no issue with me watching him rail you.” He blows air on your clit on purpose, watching you squirm in his hold, his hands firm on the backs of your thighs. “I gotta admit, though...” He catches your little hole clenching. “You weren’t as loud then as you were tonight.” He chuckles when your hands come up to cover your face with a pained groan. “Don’t be shy. I loved it.”
“Just fucking do it.” You huff in frustration and buck your hips towards his face.
He leaves a wet kiss on your inner thigh, sucking the supple flesh teasingly, before he darts his tongue out, licking a wide stripe between your folds, doing his best to gather as much of your essence as he can. He repeats the action again and again, clearly not doing a very good job as the more he laps you up, the more arousal keeps gathering at your opening and your whimpers get louder and louder.
“Such a sweet pussy.” He relishes in your taste and decides he needs to stop when he feels his dick starting to stir back to life in his pants, otherwise you’ll be stuck in this room for god knows how long. With a gentle kiss on your clit, he withdraws and pulls your underwear back into place before giving your thighs a gentle but condescending pat. “All done.”
Before you can sit up, he’s crawling up your body, caging you with his arms, and fuck his life, you look so good under him. So soft and pliant, legs on either side of his waist. Nothing like the girl he knows from work. He likes both versions equally, but this one he doesn’t think he could ever get used to.
“You’re hard again.” You wiggle your hips against his, cock flush against your thankfully covered centre.
“Yeah, and you’re still wet.” He responds with a subtle roll, cock sitting uncomfortably in his damp boxers, but nothing he can’t handle. “So, please can we go before I fuck you in some stranger’s bed?”
You snort, arms loosely wrapping around his neck, urging him closer, and he easily caves in. This kiss is soft, no tongue or urgency, just little sucks on your bottom lip, until he’s temporarily satiated his need for you.
“Come on, don’t want my friends thinking you’ve kidnapped me.” He leaves another chaste smooch on your lips and gets up with a dramatic groan, already missing your body heat against him.
A few minutes later, when he’s leaning against a wall next to the bathroom, waiting for you while pretending he’s aimlessly scrolling through his phone, Jaemin thinks back to how he ended up in this situation in the first place, and realises he still doesn’t really know where he stands with you. Yes, clearly, you’re both attracted to each other, and there’s no doubt in his mind that he likes you. But do you genuinely like him? Or do you just find him hot and fuckable? What if you’re just getting bored of whatever arrangement you have with Chenle and Jaemin’s just another distraction until you find someone you’re actually interested in?
“Thanks for waiting.” You interrupt his thoughts, ready to head for the stairs, but Jaemin feels like if he doesn’t clear this up now, he might lose the courage to do so later.
“Wait, hang on a sec.” He gently pulls you back by your hand, and you quickly face him, seeming clueless about his internal turmoil, eyes blinking up at him curiously.
“Is something wrong?” You ask carefully, worry laced with your tone, making Jaemin’s stomach do a little flip.
“No.” He shakes his head, and smiles when your shoulders drop in relief. “I guess I’m just still a little confused.”
“About?” You squeeze his hand, a tiny gesture of encouragement that makes him feel warm and fuzzy.
“Well...” He’s suddenly incapable of holding your gaze, your fingers posing as a distraction as observes your hand in his and how good they look like that. “I mean what I said. I want to, like, you know…”
“Be good to me?” You tease, referring to what he said earlier in the heat of the moment. Not that he didn’t mean it.
“Mm, that too,” Both hands are now playing with yours like it’s a fidget toy. “But also spend more time with you and go on dates and stuff. If you also want that. Obviously.” He lets out a nervous laugh. God, he sounds pathetic.
You step closer, leaving no space between your bodies, and Jaemin feels himself relax a little, finally able to look at you. You’ve got an adorable grin on your face, as though you can already see right through him. Like the idea of making his heart go crazy is so enticing to you. “I also want that.”
“Really?” He perks up, excitement already brewing in his chest at the thought of holding your hand in public.
“Mhm,” You nod, hand flexing in his, fingers extending like he’s just proposed to you and you’re waiting for the ring. Maybe he should start saving up for one at this point. “But–”
“But what? Why but?” The questions roll off his tongue without permission, and he hates how desperate he sounds.
“Relax, loser. I’m not rejecting you.” You laugh at his misery. It’s kind of hot. But he won’t admit that. At least not right now. “I was just gonna say, I’d rather we kept it low-key at work. If that’s okay with you.”
“I can do low-key.” He says quicker than he’d like to. “I’ll behave.”
“Okay, well, don’t behave too much.” You poke him in the chest with a smirk that makes him feel all tingly and giddy. He feels like a teenager speaking to their crush for the first time.
“Oh?” He pouts playfully, fluttering his eyelashes like he knows you hate, his arm loosely circling your waist, hand resting at the small of your back, slowly pulling you close, the proximity clearly something you’re both still getting used to. “Why? Would that be too sus?”
“It’s good you’re self-aware.” You say sarcastically, your free hand coming to squish his cheeks, surprising him. “Has anyone ever told you your eyelashes are, like, freakishly long?”
He laughs loudly at the random observation, remembering that time you said something about him flying if he blinked too fast. “Yeah, you.”
“Have I?” You tilt his face, evidently too busy inspecting his lashes to actually pay attention to what he’s saying. “When?”
“Right before you gave me the bedroom eyes and made me watch you–”
“Shhhhh.” You squeeze his cheeks harder, making it impossible for him to finish his sentence. “You’re pretty, but you talk too much.”
“Mmph–” He’s not able to complain, not due to your tight hold on his face, but mainly because you’re suddenly shutting him up with your mouth on his. You leave a loud smooch on his lips, and then a second one, and before you can pull away, he doesn’t even realise he’s got a hand in your hair, holding you in place.
Your hand trails from his face to his chest, resting there, allowing him to tilt his head so he can deepen the kiss. And just when he’s about to turn you around and pin you against the wall–
“Woah!” Jisung’s high pitched exclamation makes you both pull away in surprise. And when Jaemin looks up, there’s his younger friend, barely able to stand up due to the amount of alcohol he’s consumed, yet enough in touch with his surroundings to understand what you two are up to. “Ew, ew, ew, ew, absolutely not, stop it right now, that’s vile. Bye.” He slurs and abruptly sits down at the top of the stairs with his forehead resting on the wall.
Jaemin struggles not to burst out laughing when he takes in your comical expression, eyes wide, lips pursed tightly to contain your own snicker. And then he internally groans, realising that he’s probably Jisung’s saviour for tonight. “I think I’m gonna have to take him home.”
“Yeah, that’s all you.”
It’s maybe three or four quick kisses later that Jaemin, hesitantly of course, manages to find the will to pull away from you.
𓂃𓆩⠀⠀ ⊹𓈒⠀⠀ 🐰⠀⠀ 𓈒⊹ ⠀⠀𓆪𓂃
You’ve learnt to expect everything from Na Jaemin. At this point you could say you’ve mastered the art of not getting surprised at things he says or does, regardless of the outrageousness they sometimes carry. You were confident that his unfiltered and blunt way of navigating life didn’t really faze you much anymore.
Until last night.
Last night, you were surprised. Last night, you were fazed. Pleasantly so, but still. What you were expecting were vague answers, boyish excuses, charming batting of long eyelashes and maybe the distracting smile that always gets him out of trouble. What you were not expecting was your insufferable coworker getting on his knees for you and giving you one of the most mind-blowing orgasms you’ve ever experienced, right after admitting he wants to date you (to put it plainly). What you also didn’t expect was his neediness. And how weak it made you feel. So much that you left the party wondering what his cum tastes like.
Who in their right mind wonders that about someone? Clearly you. Because clearly, you’re not in your right mind. You can’t be. Since when can you not control your impulses? To the point where you allow yourself to drag a man into a stranger’s room only to ask for explanations you don’t really need anyway? Since when do men’s explanations matter to you? Na Jaemin’s out of all men’s thoughts should be something of low significance to you. So why were you so bothered? Yeah. He kissed you out of the blue. So what? Something so easy to ignore, yet it had been gnawing at your brain like a parasite. A stupid fucking kiss that tasted like rum and coke.
You're still in bed, staring at the ceiling when your phone starts going off, slightly startling you out of your snoozy state.
“Hello?” You pick up without properly checking the screen.
“You sound cute when you’re sleepy.” Before you can even finish processing him, Jaemin’s annoyingly chirpy voice blasts through the speaker, breaking through the quiet of your room. Of course he’s a morning person.
“How’d you get my number?” You grumble, still not entirely awake but oddly pleased to hear him.
He must be in the middle of typing as you hear the keyboard clicking in the background. “Work group chat, silly.”
“And you’re calling at eleven am on a Sunday because...?” You shuffle onto your front and place your phone on your pillow after putting Jaemin on speaker.
“Well...” He drags the word as though he enjoys the suspense. Knowing his dramatic ass, he probably does. “I got up early to finish a paper, and now I’m feeling clingy with no one to cling onto.”
You catch yourself smiling into the pillow like an idiot. He should not have this effect on you. “Don’t you live with a thousand other men.”
“Just four actually.” His chuckle echoes, and you can picture his bright teeth a little too easily. “And you’d be surprised at how busy they all are. Well, apart from Jiji. He’s just dead.”
You’re not surprised in the slightest Jisung is not up and about considering the state he was in last night. What a messy boy. “What could they possibly be doing on a Sunday morning?”
“Hmm,” You imagine him swivelling in his chair in deep thought. “Haechan and Jeno are out on a double brunch date with their females, and Renjun... I actually have no idea. He doesn’t like seeing me in the mornings.”
It’s your turn to laugh. It comes out all muffled but you’re sure he can hear you. “I can see why. Also, females?”
“Yeah, speaking of females, can I come see you after I submit this?” He asks, like it’s something he’s asked a thousand times before. The question itself doesn't surprise you. You could tell it was coming from miles away. It’s just his casual tone that leaves you slightly perplexed.
“You sound awfully comfortable asking to invade my personal space.” You flip onto your back again, phone now on your chest.
“You didn’t mind me invading your personal space last night.” How can someone be so quick witted? Damn his sexy brain.
“Consider yourself lucky you’re not in my space right now.”
“Nothing lucky about that.” He whines playfully. “C’monnnn, I’ll bring food, and sweeties, and we can watch a film. Or just talk. Or you can sleep and I’ll just watch you.” He pleads hopefully, and a little too adorable for you to hold your ground.
“Creep.” You mumble defeatedly, and it’s mostly meant for yourself, but he picks up on it judging from the little hum he lets out, like he agrees.
You wonder if this man has ever had anyone tell him no in the past. If so, you’d like to ask them for advice.
When you hear his knock, you have just about finished putting fresh clothes on after your shower, your hair is still wet, and the taste of toothpaste too strong in your mouth.
Ever so punctual, there he is, leaning against your doorframe when you swing the door open. He doesn’t look as fresh and bright as he sounded on the phone, the tiredness evident in his eyes, but somehow, he looks even more handsome like this. You notice you’re matching, both wearing hoodies with your university’s logo printed on them, his grey sweatpants mirroring yours.
“Well, this is uncanny.” He speaks first, amused eyes taking in your attire the same way you’re taking in his.
“Come in before I change my mind.” You step aside to let him inside, unable to fight your smile when he takes off his shoes without you having to ask.
“I’m here now, no need to be so aggy.” He says with a reassuring pout you never fail to question. Because how does a grown man so masculine act so feminine and cutesy without a care in the world.
“We can chill in here, Winter’s at her boyfriend’s for the day.” You dismiss his antics and lead the way towards the small living room space you and your flatmate share. “We’ve got Netflix and Disney plus.”
He gasps, making you turn to look at him. “So we can watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians?”
“Absolutely not.” You deadpan. You refuse to watch something that will most likely obliterate your already barely functioning brain cells.
“Blue planet then?” He drops the takeout bags on your coffee table and you can see there’s a huge bag of Skittles and a pack of fresh cookies on top of the boxes. You try not to laugh at the thought of him standing in a bakery waiting to buy overpriced treats. As funny as it is, you can’t help but find it incredibly endearing too.
“So it’s either brainrot or full-on intellectuality with you.” You nod in fake approval.
“If you have beef with sir David Attenborough, I’m afraid I can’t invest in this.” He protests but still plops down on your sofa and snatches the TV remote off the table like he owns the place.
“Invest in what exactly?” You narrow your eyes at the ballsy statement, and he side-eyes you in return, brows lifting like the answer is self-explanatory. “Also, I don’t think anyone has beef with David Attenborough.”
“Wise.” He keeps his attention on the screen as he scrolls through Netflix, and suddenly you feel like you’re intruding in your own home. “I knew you were wifey material.”
The eye-roll is inevitable when you head for the kitchen to get water. Not because his silly comment offended you. But because it should have.
It’s maybe halfway through the first episode that you and Jaemin both have devoured your bowls of pho noodles and he quickly reaches for the cookies.
He offers you the box with a sweet smile, as if saying ‘do the honours’.
You instantly shake your head. “I’m too full.”
He pouts stubbornly, like you’ve offended him and confused him at the same time. “Wanna share one?” He asks, eyes big and full of hope and so unfairly pretty. And you can’t find it in you to deny him a second time.
“Yeah, fine, I’ll do half.”
“Yay.”
You observe him as he tears the lid off, carefully picks a cookie like it’s an important decision, and then splits it in two. You notice how cautious he is not to drop any crumbs on the blanket you’re sharing, keeping his hands above the container that’s resting now on his lap. You only realise you’re smiling when he offers you the slightly bigger half, and if he's noticed, he doesn’t comment on it, just waits patiently for you to take a bite, whales and dolphins forgotten in the background.
When the second episode starts, you realise you and Jaemin have barely exchanged any words since he stepped foot in your apartment. The silence hasn’t felt awkward at any point, but you can’t deny it’s a slightly unusual dynamic.
His newfound restlessness makes up for it, however.
You don’t say anything when you feel him staring, but you also can’t hide the little twitch of your mouth. And you know he notices when he shuffles a tiny bit closer, not enough to close the distance between you, but enough for you to get a whiff of his clean boyish scent. A chuckle brews in your chest but only escapes when he gently tugs on the blanket, trying to get your attention in a way that doesn’t require words.
He’s yet to tear his persistent eyes off you, probably amused by the deeper shade of your burning cheeks, so you bring your knees up to your chest, along with the hem of the blanket, seeking for cover. Your hand blindly reaches over to his side, fingers poking into his cheek, forcing his attention back on the TV, at which he shamelessly giggles. You don’t manage to retrieve your arm as he swiftly but so gently takes hold of your wrist and tugs the same way he did with the blanket, a subtle request for you to move into his space.
It’s way too easy. Just like most things in his life it seems. And as easily as you give in, it doesn’t feel wrong. Not when you so comfortably allow yourself to curl into his side. Not when he wraps an arm around your shoulders and lets you snuggle closer. Not when your cheek squishes against his chest, ear right above his steady heartbeat. Not when you feel his nose nudge you on the forehead. And definitely not when you hear his little sigh of relief.
You could pretend it doesn’t mean anything. You could just blame it on the tiredness and the fact that you’re both slightly hungover from last night. You could just be two people who casually ended up cuddling on the sofa while watching a documentary about creatures of the ocean. But the way your heart speeds up defies that. Just as easily as you fell into his arms just now.
“You smell nice.” He murmurs, the contentment in his voice and body language difficult to not make you feel warm and fuzzy too.
“So do you.” You slip, not really meaning to admit that you’ve been having the same thought. “Hope you don’t use one of those three in one shampoos that could kill a Victorian child.”
His chest vibrates under you, his loud sneaker making you laugh along. He lets his weight sink further into the cushions, moving you with him. “That’s actually offensive. I take my skincare very seriously.” His fingers threading through your hair make you feel woozy, goosebumps prickling on your nape, accompanied by a little shiver, which unfortunately doesn’t go unnoticed by Jaemin. “Aww,” He coos, hand repeating the action, this time lightly scratching your scalp. “That’s so cute, you like head scratches.”
“I’m not a fucking dog.” You grumble, with no intention of pulling away from his soothing touch.
“Hmm, I don't know,” He trails sceptically, fingers now scratching at the crown of your head, coaxing you further into drowsiness. “You are kind of like a puppy at times. All bark no bite.”
You nuzzle deeper into his neck, allowing your eyes to shut. “I bite when necessary.”
“I’m in deep shit right now if you’re a vampire.”
You let out a lazy giggle, hand tugging on his hoodie to reveal more of his neck. “Yeah, I could so easily eat you.”
“Sexy.” He says in a playful tone. “Doubt I’ll taste as good as you did last night.”
You’re weak. So fucking weak.
What the fuck are you even meant to say to that? And why did the words make your toes curl? You’ve been trying so hard not to let your mind wander to last night’s events, and not because you’re ashamed or embarrassed. Quite the opposite.
It would be wise to swerve the subject. Hell, it would be easier to pretend you’re asleep. But where’s the fun in that? Why miss the opportunity to see him squirm a little?
“I mean...” You hook your fingers over his neckline teasingly, before letting them trail upwards, your knuckles grazing his skin; first his neck, then the opposite side of his jaw, where your palm settles. “We could’ve found out last night if you hadn’t jizzed in your pants like a teenager.”
Silence. Even his breathing stops. You’re almost starting to worry you’ve pushed too far. And maybe you have. But his hand in your hair tightening and then pulling, even though harsh, it reassures you he's fallen face first into your trap. And a breathless laugh slips out when he forces you to look at him. The wicked smile on his face does something to your tummy.
“We could find out now.” He suggests. So predictable.
“I thought you wanted to watch Blue Planet.” You pout just like he would if he had the upper hand. Just like he did last night. Condescendingly.
His hold on your hair loosens, giving you leeway to bring your face closer to his, hand still cradling his jaw when you give him a very quick kiss on the cheek. You sense the hesitancy in his actions, both hands hovering close, but not properly touching you anymore.
“You okay?” You ask with genuine concern, urging him to look at you, not used to this demeanour from him.
“Yeah,” He nods quickly, arm settling around your waist in no time. “I’m just– I don’t want you to think that I came over for…”
“I don't.” You hold his face with both your hands, thumbs stroking his soft cheeks, a little rosy now.
His tiny nod makes your stomach do a flip. “Okay, good.” He nods again, more to himself this time, like he’s fighting an internal conflict. “Like, I know you might’ve heard things, and you probably think I just wanna get in your pants, but I swear I don’t– I mean, obviously, I do, but not in that way, you know?” He swallows visibly, and you’re too taken by his sudden outburst to interrupt him again. “Like, I do want you and I’ll do anything with you, but I don’t want that to be the main thing. Like, yeah, sex is great and I’m sure it’ll be fire with you, but I swear I just wanted to hang out today–”
“Jaemin.”
“Hm?” He looks at you with big eyes, like you’ve startled him out of a trance. “Sorry, I’m rambling.”
“Breathe, please.” You lightly shake his head, in hope of knocking some sense into him and bringing him back from his spiral. “I don’t know what you think I’ve heard, but I couldn’t care less about idiotic rumours–”
“Not all of it is, though.”
“Okay, and?” You straddle him abruptly, suddenly annoyed at his uncertainty. He’s blinking up at you like he needs something he’s not sure of. Such pretty eyes. “It’s sweet that you worry about this stuff. It means you care and I like that. But I'm not one to judge people based on their past. Unless they're cheaters or misogynists.”
"I've only had one girlfriend in high school and I think women should get paid more than men." He quickly admits.
Your heart overflows with fondness at how he clutches the blanket that’s loosely scattered around your thighs, his fingers fidgeting in an anxious manner you’ve never seen from him before. Adorable.
“I know you like me, I’m not dense.” You give into your instincts and shuffle closer, overcome with the need to have some form of direct contact, to feel his warmth. “And I'm absolutely fine with you wanting to get in my pants. As long as it’s not all you want.” You smile at his mouth parting, expression changing into something that resembles awe and realisation, as though you’ve solved a puzzle he’s been getting tortured by.
“It’s not.” He shakes his head in denial, his hands now on your thighs, a comforting weight.
“Good.” You encourage him with an affirmative nod, the tip of your nose barely touching his. You take in his features as he shuts his eyes and inhales slowly, his chest touching yours momentarily before he exhales, and you feel the intense want to smother him in affection. “You’re so cute.” Your lips pucker against his cheek like it’s a reflex. Like kissing his skin would scratch a long-lasting itch. “Why are you so cute, huh?” Another smooch, a lingering one this time. “So annoying.”
“Why are you being sweet?” He whines, as though bothered and confused by the sudden turn in your attitude. “You’re scaring me.”
“I’m actually very clingy behind closed doors,” You trail more kisses down his jawline, letting your tongue make contact when you reach his neck. “So, you should be scared.”
He outright moans at the threat, or maybe at the way you’re lightly sucking on his pulse, his head tipping back to give you more space.
“Maybe you’re just bipolar.” He teases mindlessly, one hand sneaking into your hair, holding you in place, as the other drags up your thigh and stops at the small of your back, fingers ghosting over your ass, palm pressing you into him. You feel him growing under you, the subtle bulge poking you against the crease of your thigh, so you reposition your hips slightly, this time making sure you’re sitting directly on it.
“Yeah, I bet your freaky ass would love it if I had a mental disorder.” You tug on his hair, your mouth now on his left clavicle, teeth grazing his skin like a warning. “You’d probably wanna fix me.”
"Damn," He breathes out a fucked-out laugh, clearly entertained by your choice of words. “Am I that easy to read?”
“I just pay attention.” You say the words without much thought behind them, but the second they slip out, his mouth is on yours. And you give in quicker than you would’ve allowed if it were anyone else. His hand in your hair doesn’t give you much choice anyway, and neither does his tongue, swiping across your lips as he tilts your head gently. He tastes like candy and something familiar that has your mouth eagerly parting for more. The quietest of moans escaping your lungs reminds you of how much he weakens any restraint you always try to maintain.
Suddenly, ruining him seems more enticing than any other thought that occupies your mind in that moment. You could edge him enough to make him beg. He’d like that, right? He’d look so pretty crying.
You let him kiss you however he wants, without failing to notice how he tries to keep it languid and wet enough that it resembles the way he kissed you last night. Exactly how you told him you like to be kissed. Your tongue plays with his slowly, just like your hands slide from his neck to the zipper of his hoodie. It comes undone easily, and you can’t help but slip your hands underneath, nudging the fabric off his shoulders before you indulge in giving his uncovered arms a squeeze. He reciprocates with both his hands on your ass, kneading the full flesh and urging you to move your hips against his.
“Fuck,” He gasps against your mouth, his pelvis bucking off the sofa just a little, trying to get more friction when you keep your movements too slow.
“What do you need?” You break off the heated kiss, hands flat on his chest to hold him in place when he tries to trail after you. “I’ll do it, just want you to tell me.”
You know you’re being slightly selfish, but you also can’t pass on the opportunity to get him all putty and needy under you. He looks scrumptious with his cheeks all flushed, and his cute nipples poking through the white tank top he’s got under the hoodie that now hangs off his elbows. He looks so good that it feels wrong to touch him. Like you shouldn’t be allowed to, but he’s somehow letting you.
He’s fully erect now, his hard length resting a little too comfortably between your folds, proud and thick enough that you can feel the outline even through the layers of both your layers. He’s got a look of contemplation as he stares at your connected crotches, his legs spreading further, inevitably sliding you a little upwards, and his cock brushes against your clit just right, pulling a tiny whimper out of you.
“Anything I want?” He asks innocently, bunny teeth digging into his bottom lip as he bats his eyelashes up at you. There’s the devilish look you know.
“Mm, you gotta ask nicely first.” You match his tone, playing along whatever game he’s decided to start.
His eyes travel down, fingers slipping past your waist band just a tiny bit before letting it snap against your skin. “Just want these off.” He gestures at your bottoms.
“Panties too?” You climb off his lap to stand between his legs, already looking forward to feeling him with less layers in between.
“Up to you.” He shrugs, eyes now on your face as you slip the baggy garment down your legs, your intimate area covered by your long hoodie, that as opposed to his, is still zipped up. “Actually, yeah, those too.”
You instantly raise a challenging eyebrow, head tilting in warning.
“Pretty please?” He recovers quickly, sweet smile and obedient eyes making you feel giddy. He really does catch on quickly. Or maybe he just gets you too well.
The thin cotton tickles as it drags down your legs, some of your slick smearing on your knee as the seat of your underwear touches you directly. “Now, what?”
“Sit back down.” He doesn’t play as nice this time, and you don’t really need him to. You reclaim your seat, knees on either side of his hips, but you hover, too conscious of how wet you are and how easy to stain his gray sweats are.
“I’ll be real with you; those will get ruined if you keep them on.” You point your chin at his crotch, and he doesn’t say a word before pulling the unnecessary barrier down, letting it rest mid-thigh. His white boxers come into view, matching his tank top, making him look like he’s about to pose for an underwear ad, if you ignore the outrageous hard-on of course.
His hands feel hot on your thighs, the pads of his fingers sinking into your skin slightly. “Wigs? Please?”
“Wigs?” An unexpected giggle tumbles out of you at the somewhat new but cute nickname as you lower your bare centre onto the bulge beneath you, weight completely dropping on him. The throbbing between your legs intensifies when you witness his expression go from troubled to serene, the crease between his eyebrows disappearing, shoulders dropping. It’s like he’s just melted into the cushions, and you wish you could take a snapshot of his reaction with your brain.
“So wet.” He whispers, eyes fixated between your thighs even though he can’t see anything, and you shouldn’t, but you feel bad for him, all of a sudden wanting to give him anything he’s after.
“Wanna see?” You lean down, cupping his face in your palms, connecting your lips with his before he can speak. He moans against your mouth, the sound vibrating between your chests, your nipples pebbling at the needy sound. You kiss him harder in response, licking into his mouth like you need to quench an inexplicable thirst, and the more you keep kissing him, the louder he gets. One of his hands curls around the back of your neck, while the other one grabs onto your ass, forcing your hips to move.
“Don’t need to,” He mumbles, teeth biting onto your bottom lip, pulling at the skin before letting it snap back into place. “Can feel you just fine.”
For some reason, in your twisted mind, that sounds hotter than him begging to see the mess between your legs. What’s even hotter is the fact that you’ve barely done more than kiss him, barely shown any skin, yet he’s so responsive. His strained breathing goes straight to your mushy brain, his whimpers each time you grind on him sound sinful and soft at the same time. You're so lost in the heat that you’re not sure which pulse is more rigorous, the one in your chest or the one in your pussy.
“Ow!” You accidentally let out a loud whine when Jaemin’s hand pulls at your hair a little too hard.
“Sorry.” He laughs lightly, loosening his grip just a tad but still forcing your head back so he can start scattering kisses down your neck. The wet swipe of his hot tongue on your skin sends a shiver down your spine, hips accidentally rolling against him, exposed cunt dragging over his clothed cock, your mixed arousals seeping through the cotton, making everything slippery. Each time you grind down on him, he thrusts upwards, every movement turning into a push and pull game as his length slides between your folds just perfectly, the head nudging your clit just right.
“Shit, that’s so good.” He murmurs softly against your neck, both hands on your backside now, each one grabbing onto a cheek, guiding your rhythm whenever your hips stutter. His touch on your bare skin, tugging, squeezing, sends a bloom of fresh heat in your belly, more arousal dripping out of you and adding to the unholy mess.
“Aw, you gonna cum in your undies again?” You counter in a condescending tone, not quite settled with him thinking that he’s got the upper hand here.
“I will if you want me to.” He pants, no ounce of shame detected; his dignity clearly left somewhere behind.
You halt your movements, hands moving to his chest for support as you take in his perplexed expression. “Actually... Can you do something else for me?”
He nods without hesitation. “Mhm.” So sweet.
You scoot back on his lap, his hands dropping to his sides as he waits for your instructions. He looks like a lost puppy, staring up at you like you’ve got the solution to all his problems. And maybe you do. “Touch yourself.”
His eyebrows shoot up in surprise, lips parting, his cute two front teeth poking out a tiny bit. “Really? Right now?”
“Yeah.” You lean back with your hands on his knees. “Wanna see.”
“Fuck.” He exhales shakily. “Why are you doing this to me?”
You catch yourself biting back a smirk at his unexpectedly shy demeanour. And you feel your heart stutter at the incredibly cute way he lifts his bum off the sofa as he shoves his briefs down, just enough to reveal what’s hiding underneath. And holy fuck.
It’s not just the length or the girth; it’s more the way it lightly slaps on his stomach, the tip not too far from his belly button, cute, pink and angry, the shade matching his swollen lips. It looks heavy, and you can’t help but wonder how it would feel to have him inside you, stretching your snug walls more than anyone has before.
“Pretty.” You mutter in awe, the word sneaking out before you can contain it.
“Did you just call my dick pretty?” He breathes out a bemused laugh.
You laugh along, more in confusion at your strange outburst of honesty, your eyebrows tensing. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
You almost feel guilty for the objectifying thoughts that pollute your brain, but it’s not like there’s much of his decorum left to preserve anyway. And how are you meant to behave yourself when he looks like he’s been plucked straight out of some sort of anime universe. Now you understand why he walks and carries himself the way he does. No one with a dick this good looking should be humble.
He wraps his fist around his twitching length, slowly teasing the head first, while his free hand reaches to grab onto your thigh. It seems more like a grounding gesture than anything else, as if he needs to be touching you somehow to stay sane. He carries a baffled expression, like he can’t believe he’s actually enjoying this, but a quiet moan proves exactly that.
“Wigs?” He squeezes your thigh lightly just to get your attention, obviously not aware that you’re transfixed by his every move.
“Hm?” You dumbly nod, the view too precious to miss, but in the back of your mind you’re very aware of the wetness that leaks out of you and onto his bare thigh.
“Can you– shit–” He hisses as his thumb brushes over the glistening tip. “Um, can you get it wet for me please?”
You obediently lean closer, head tipping forward so you can aim, and just like he so nicely asked, you let a long string of saliva dribble from your lips. It lands on the underside of his cock and trickles down to his fingers where he’s tightly gripping the base. He lathers the added lubrication all over his length, making the glide smoother and louder.
“Better?” You scoot a little closer, letting your hands cradle his flushed face, and you can’t help but push his messy fringe back, his sweaty forehead coming into view, dark eyebrows pinched in pleasure as he sets a steady pace; not too fast, not too slow.
“Yeah.” He sighs, leaning into your touch, nuzzling into your wrist before leaving a sloppy kiss there, just above the ink on your skin. “I don’t think I’m gonna last long.”
“That’s okay.” You encourage him with small pecks on the exposed side of his face.
“Fuck, I want you.” He pants needily, shattering your heart a little.
“I’m here.” You tangle your fingers in his hair, messily kissing down his neck, comforting him through the pleasure. “Want you too.”
His head lolls back, resting against the back of the sofa, and when you feel the speeding up of his arm, you inevitably look down, drinking the sinful sight like a renaissance painting. The slit of his cockhead oozes more precum with each upward stroke, the skin is more flushed than before, veins more prominent. You study how he likes to be touched, how he focuses on the tip more, fist twisting slightly before he glides down again. A tiny spasm of his pelvis sends an intense throb to your cunt, and the accidental moan you let out seems to spur his hand into faster and less coordinated jerks.
“Gonna cum.” He announces urgently, nails digging into your thigh as he starts trembling. “Oh my– fuck fuck fuck.”
You manage to lift his tank top just below his chest right before the first spurt of release paints his abs, and the second his lips part in ecstasy, you don’t miss the chance to stick your tongue past them, swallowing his deep grunts with a loud and sloppy kiss. His mouth barely moves, tongue lazily poking out to lick against yours between laboured breaths, and you feel powerless not to smile at his free hand cupping your jaw weakly, even through the haze of his orgasm and his inability to kiss you back properly.
"I'm so fucked." He whines, sounding like he's in pain, and for some reason, you don't urge him to elaborate, ignoring the need to know the exact meaning behind his words as well as the heavy feeling in your stomach.
“Can I clean it up?” You mumble mid kiss, throwing his words from last night back into his face.
He kisses you harder in response, his pleased groan vibrating between you. “Yeah? You wanna get on your knees for me?”
“Behave.” You let your fingers wrap around his throat in a quiet threat, though it doesn’t seem to faze him in the slightest. His wicked smile only betrays enjoyment and makes you pulse around nothing, reminding you that you’ve most likely drenched his thigh.
“I gave you a full on show and you’re worried about me behaving?” He presses a lingering smooch on your chin, then one on your cheek. “I think we’ve established the power imbalance here, don’t worry.”
What an oblivious, silly little man. He clearly has no grasp on the effect he has on you, and it couldn’t get sweeter than that. What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, though, and you certainly wouldn’t want his head getting any bigger. “Whatever you say.”
“What–”
“Shush.” You shut him up with a light squeeze around his throat before swiftly sinking down to your knees between his spread legs, the carpeted floor slightly digging into your skin, but not enough to distract you. What does distract you is the mess he’s made. His fingers are now limp around the base of his softening cock, covered in his release that has somehow not reached his chest. You mentally give him points for decent aim, having experienced unwanted facials in the past. Nothing you would have minded in this case, though.
“This feels awfully scrutinising.” He points out with a playful tilt of his head, clearly unbothered by your staring but impatient enough to kick up a fuss. “It’ll dry if you– oh shit, okay.”
His reaction is almost laughable when you lick a stripe from his balls to his tip, lapping up as much of his cum on your tongue as you can in one go and swallowing the salty essence before diving in for seconds. You teasingly suckle onto one ball, before repeating the same with the other one while intentionally letting out a moan that earns you his praise. "Fuck, you're so filthy."
You slowly blink up at him as you provocatively flatten your tongue over his coated fingers, and he gets the hint with a lustful glint in his eyes. He so willingly slips three of his salty digits past your wet lips whimpering when you eagerly slurp everything up, sliding your tongue between them before sucking hard and maintaining eye contact. You drag your mouth off with another performative moan and focus on his cock again, now replacing his hand with yours and relishing in the way he feels in your palm. Heavy, warm and overwhelmingly thick like you predicted, the skin velvety soft and slippery with your spit. So fucking perfect.
"You tryna make me hard again or what?" He rasps in most likely warranted frustration, though, his clean hand on your nape says otherwise.
“As if you’d mind fucking my throat.” You whisper, scattering languid kisses up one side of his shaft, your lips dragging across the sensitive skin until you reach the bulbous head that almost begs for your attention.
“I wouldn’t. That’s the problem.” His thumb strokes along your jaw, soft as ever, making you swoon, goosebumps raising along your neck and arms, your thighs rubbing for some much-needed friction.
“How’s that a problem?” You ask innocently, glancing up at him before swirling the tip of your tongue agonisingly slowly around the shiny head, then letting your lips vacuum around it, welcoming his taste in your mouth straight from the source, like slurping on an ice lolly on the hottest day of summer.
“We’ll be here all fucking day.” He lazily laughs, wincing when you suck harder and take him a little deeper. “Easy you demon, it’s still sensitive.”
You decide to ease up on the torture and abandon his cock with one last kiss before moving onto his abs, slurping and shamelessly licking along his skin, making sure not to miss a drop of his cum. And when you’re satisfied with your work and he’s whining and squirming as you hoped, you finally resurface for air. You don’t get much of it, though. His mouth quickly finds yours in a filthy battle of tongue and teeth, and you feel helpless at the thought of him moaning at his own taste. You're pretty sure there's cum smeared on your nose and chin, but he doesn't seem to give a fuck.
“Bend over the table.” You feel the seriousness in his tone in your stomach, excitement, and uncertainty blooming.
“I thought we weren’t fucking today.”
“We’re not.” He confirms with a snap of his boxers back into place, covering your new favourite toy.
“So, why–”
“Bend the fuck over, Y/N.” It sounds more like a threat, and you can tell he’s very much done with your bullshit now the blood has travelled up to his brain again. You also don’t miss the lack of a cutesy nickname this time. And you’re positive your name has never sounded sexy in a man’s mouth before. And so, you hold back on the questions this time and do as you’re told, curious and eager to find out what his dominant side entails.
The yelp you let out when he manhandles you abruptly almost sounds animated. Your front is pressed against the wooden surface of the coffee table you remember purchasing from Ikea about a year ago, and your remaining layers are shoved up, now resting just below your tits as Jaemin hovers behind you on his knees.
"So pretty like this," He praises as he slots between your legs, easily probing them apart, and you suddenly feel incredibly exposed with your backside and pussy out in the open air. "Knew your ass would be a fuckin' dream."
“Jaem?” You call for him more desperately than you intend, arching your back a little to tempt him more.
“Yeah?” He whispers above you, running his hands over the dip of your waist and down to your hips. So gently you feel your eyes getting heavy. He's then gathering both your hands at the small of your back, hold loose around your wrists but it's enough to make a point. Enough to leave you aching and helpless.
“Please do something.” You try to sound serious, but the whiny edge in your voice slips through regardless as you waggle your hips in desperation. "My clit feels like it's about to explode."
“Awh,” He coos with a satisfied laugh, his chest now flush against your back, radiating warmth as his lips leave a trail of tiny kisses from your temple down to your ear. "Needy baby.
He gently sucks on the lobe before letting his tongue tease the shell and then your helix piercing, all while his free hand sneaks around you and down to the apex of your thighs. You’re so worked up and sensitive, even a light swipe of his fingers across your swollen nub makes you squirm, arms fighting his firm hold off fruitlessly.
“Shhh, be good.” He instructs, voice steady with a sultry edge to it, sending more sparks through your body. Your nipples are so erect and tingly against the hard surface, they almost hurt with need for attention.
Your pathetic mewl resembles a cry that sounds offending to your pride. So much that you manage to piss yourself off. “Stop playing games with me, you prick.”
You feel him falter for a second, and then he taps on your pussy lips in warning, halting any movement from your pelvis. “That’s rich coming from you.” His two middle fingers, the ones you earlier had your lips wrapped around, prod at your weeping entrance before he runs them up and down your slit, spreading your slick down to your clit where he focuses his attention after a couple more teasing strokes. “Been fucking with my head since day one.” He admits openly, the honesty sitting heavy in your guts, making your lungs malfunction as he slowly swirls his fingers around the bundle of nerves. Too delicately. So much that it feels like the wickedest game of edging. So much that your pussy contracts around emptiness.
“You’ve known for a while now, haven’t you?” He whispers against your neck, and you aimlessly try to suppress your cries when the circles on your clit become a little harsher than you can handle, the heat in your belly begging for a release that approaches shockingly fast. “That I’m obsessed with you.”
The feeling is euphoric, almost overwhelming in a way you can’t explain. You could swear it’s the infatuation his voice drips with that clouds your senses more than the intensity of the unexpected orgasm itself. “Oh my god, what the fuck.”
“You’re doing so good.” He murmurs, clearly affected as he releases your hands and brings a safe arm around you, grounding you through every little spasm of your muscles, the strokes on your pulsing nub still precise and relentless, even as your legs tremble with oversensitivity. “That’s it, baby.”
“Please, I can’t cum again.” You feel tears threatening to spill from the overwhelming pleasure. “I feel like–” You’re spluttering nonsense along with weak sobs as your cunt keeps clenching around nothing, dripping slick down your inner thighs. “Ah–!”
You’re pulled upright without warning, clearly losing a battle you’re not even fighting as you let Jaemin drag you with him on the floor, positioning you between his spread legs as he leans against the sofa with a strong arm slung across your torso like a seat belt.
“Legs up.” He instructs promptly, clearly not in the mood to hover, and the second your knees are bent and far apart, you don’t even have time to accommodate your body in the new position before two of his fingers find their way in your sopping hole this time, the stretch intense but somehow delightful.
“Shit, Jaem– wait!” You exclaim in utter shock at the unexpected intrusion, your walls fluttering around his nimble digits.
“Does it hurt?” His fingers stay hooked inside you, tickling a deep spot that only you can normally find this quickly, but he stops moving at your distress.
“No, just – just give me a sec.” You lean back in his embrace, melting against the warmth of his chest, head limply resting on his shoulder while he drapes his arm over your sternum, hand finding its way to your jaw, urging you to turn your head and meet his dark eyes, full of want and hues of brown you hadn't noticed before.
“You’re so pretty.” He mumbles sweetly, lips brushing against yours before delivering a soft peck that makes your stomach flutter along with your stuffed pussy. “You like it when I talk to you?”
You can sense the teasing lilt, but you nod anyway, not having the backbone to talk back when he’s got you spread out all to himself. And now you hope he knows there’s no point talking about power imbalance when just a few words of praise and a slow drag of his fingers against your walls have you suffocating. Your legs are already fighting to stay open when slow strokes gradually turn into short jabs against your g-spot, and gentle pecks turn into lazy open-mouthed kisses that leave you both breathless.
The fact that he's using the same hand he pleasured himself with to get you off, tickles your brain in ways you didn't think possible, making your insides feel funny. And you find yourself wanting to shake your next thought out of your lust-clouded head. I shouldn't have sucked his fingers clean. Are you really that twisted? Wishing a man would fuck his cum in you? Na Jaemin of all men?
“M’so close.” You pant into his mouth when you feel the tight bubble of tension in your tummy threatening to burst for the second time, only not as quick as before.
“Yeah?” He drags his hand to your neck, fingers tightening like a necklace over your pulse points. “Gonna cum for me?”
“Uh-huh.” You absentmindedly let your tongue brush against his bottom lip, and he eagerly sucks it in his mouth while the obscene squelching of his hand ruining your pussy echoes around the quiet room.
“Fuck, how are you so wet?” He moans, adding momentum in the motions of his wrist, fingers now pistoning in and out of you, palm faintly slapping against your folds. Just when you're about to say you need more, he buries his fingers deep and crooks them along the curve of your front wall, rubbing against your sweet spot and pulling an incoherent exclaim of astonishment from you. His thumb starts rapidly flicking up and down, stimulating your needy clit just the right amount, and when you glance down, catching a glimpse of the sinful sight – him pleasuring you like it's a mission – it’s game over for you.
“Shit, shit, shit I'm–” Your mouth parts in a silent squeak, head tilting back in eye-rolling pleasure that feels too good for your sanity to stay intact. You feel the thick arousal trickling down to your ass as Jaemin’s fingers keep pressing upwards through the constricting of your throbbing walls. Your hips uncontrollably stutter with the little aftershocks of pleasure that he forces out of you, and you realise how tightly your hands are clutching on his thighs, nails clawing onto the cotton of his sweats as you hang on by a thread.
“So fucking hot.” He mumbles against your temple, his breath warming your already heated face as he slowly drags his fingers out of your still lightly pulsating opening. He coos when you wince at the emptiness, his hot palm resting over your folds in a delicate and oddly comforting manner. “You good?”
You close your legs around his hand, trapping him there as you try to get your lungs to regain proper function. You manage to hum with a weak nod, already aware of the sweat dripping down the side of your face. “I feel like I need another shower.”
“Nuh-uh,” He keeps his free arm wrapped around your shoulders as he gently rocks you side to side, slowly bringing you back down from the clouds. "Wanna cuddle you.”
You let out a long sigh of contentment, already feeling too exhausted as you descend from cloud nine, and a little too smitten to deny him anything. "I suppose we can cuddle."
"It's so cute that you're still trying to act all mean." He giggles cutely before sucking onto the apple of your cheek, making you whine in disgust at the slobber he leaves on your skin.
"Ew! That's gross, you–"
He kisses you on the wet patch he just left, laughing at the way you try to swat him away. You can't help the giddiness that blossoms in your chest, hating how weak you feel for his odd ways of affection.
"Oh, no! We forgot about Blue Planet!" He exclaims in fake distress, finally ending the wet torture he was putting your cheek through.
A breathless laugh erupts from your chest when you glance at the forgotten TV, Netflix somehow aware of your distraction as the screen reads in big letters: Are you still watching?
The documentary has long since faded into the background. The snacks are half-finished. The blanket is messily draped on the floor.
Somewhere between pho, cookies, and whatever the hell just happened, the day has slipped away from you. And for the first time, the thought of Jaemin leaving feels a little unbearable.
Not just tonight. But eventually.
Because while you've spent the last few months trying not to think too hard about Na Jaemin, time hasn't exactly stopped moving.
You're only half a semester away from his graduation. From whatever big plans he's got for his future and from him becoming someone you'll no longer rely on to make shifts feel a little less monotonous and a little more chromatic.
Half a semester away from watching him walk out of your life just as easily as he barged into it.
Part two coming soon... <3
cookie's note: for the love of GAWD take my laptop away from me i almost went insane writing this 😀🔫 i hope it's what people wanted/hoped for and if not then don't tell me bc i will dead ass cry haha im so serious haha pls don't be mean like oc, i'm not like jaemin!! i will only accept loveeee!! part two is still in the wips but i'm hoping it won't take as long as part one (god forbid). as always pls pls pls share your thoughts with me!! i love interacting with ya'll and reading your reactions! ILY 🤎
👩❤️💋👩 i'd also like to give an honourary mention to my beloved wife @withlovemark who read this before i posted it and shared her honest thoughts with me when i was in desperate need of a helping hand (also guys, you didn't hear it from me but i think she likes jaemin a lil too much if you ask me.... not jel or anything... just saying...)💓
✨ ps. pls spare me some liquid love on kofi if you liked this story help a girlie out i'm so broke and i need to book a flight home 🧚🏼♂️
[in the shallows]. anywhere and everywhere, everyone has their own designated place.
their comfort zones. their habitats.
there’s upper management, for example, who live in their own little world in their private offices and han river view despite clocking in at lunchtime in their sweats, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.
there’s also the sales team and their caffeinated complaints in the breakroom at 9:00 a.m., weekly overtime forms, and a high-strung countenance that can only be ascribed to honey badgers in the wild.
and then there’s na jaemin, in his safe little beige hub at HR, photocopying resumes with a pleasant smile on his face and a coffee in hand, light music humming in the background because it’s the end of a work week, and all he needs to do today is update his trackers and enjoy the sunset before clocking out and heading home.
“jaemin-ssi! lunch!”
“coming.”
working in HR for the past year and a half, he’s talked to, engaged with, and done business with most of the departments at the company. he’s read through every employee’s name at least once (at least those during his tenure), yet there’s one group of people that he’s yet to mingle with.
a loud whir suddenly zooms past behind him and his team at the cafeteria.
from the corner of his eyes, he sees the brief flash of bright, electric blue bouncing along in loud conversations, cameras and tripods in tow, and every other employee steering clear from their general direction.
it’s the marketing team, he hums to himself with a sip of coffee. no interactions. no intersections. simply co-existence, and he’d prefer it no other way.
until, that same afternoon, in his muted, neutral toned office, he finds himself sitting in front of you.
you, in an electric blue and black spotted blazer. you, in ombre space buns and pitch black, rounded sunglasses staring straight into his soul all while preventing him from making polite eye contact as you press your gold bejewelled hands over his desk, leaning forward. you, who had just caused him to flinch back because he thought you were about to leap over and stick your tongue down his throat when you jutted your face closer to his to get a better look of him.
not that the image of it crossed his mind.
he can’t even see your damned eyes and how they’re staring him down right now.
focus, jaemin. focus.
“hi, you requested a meeting…?”
everything about your appearance is screaming at his instincts— warning. warning. do not approach. do not approach. danger. danger. but he’s cornered by his job description to address you and deal with, well, whatever your deal is.
“how may i help you?”
“wow. they were right.”
“i’m sorry?”
suddenly, you jerk yourself back, dropping down to the swivel chair you completely ignored upon first entering, and stick an arm out for a handshake as you tip down your shades with your other hand, revealing a pair of eager eyes.
“hi! i’m the new hire from social media team.” he tentatively eyes your outstretched arm. he just barely pushes his hand out when you immediately snatch it with a firm shake. “i look forward to working with you.”
jaemin gulps, feeling a long line of sweat crawling down the back of his neck. the skin of his hands is pressed down to the bone by the cold metal and chains adorning your fingers and knuckles.
“i’m producing a new content series to promote the company,” you start, and jaemin’s practiced smile stiffens almost immediately. “my supervisor told me that there’s someone from HR that would be perfect for the job.”
in na jaemin’s perfectly serene, perfectly beige office sits someone who sticks out like a sore thumb.
and he, who’s being helplessly yanked out of his comfort space into the shallows where he doesn’t belong.
this is a jaemin version of my original karina fic !! .✦ ݁˖
dividers by @suupersonic !!
Jaemin is a hard worker, an over-doer if anything.
The kind of man who doesn't know what to do with his hands when they're of no use to anybody else, most people severely underestimate how control-starved Jaemin can get. Desperate to touch and demand, grip and tell directions, sometimes he's so hungry for it that whenever the very taste of the control he craves so badly touches the tip of his tongue, it makes him nauseous.
That mindset of his applies to his job perfectly, the center of the group, the spotlight who's responsible for fluttering fan's hearts… but it also applies during sex — and at this very moment of fragility and wet smacking sounds, you knew it better than anyone else.
"Yeah, I know- oh… you're drooling all over my arms, pretty thing," Jaemin sweetly reminded in a deep tone, making your stomach turn in all sorts of directions when you felt the ghost of his cocky smile touch your earlobe.
That small taunt, though it came from a place of pure adoration of your dumb self, felt so awakening and humiliating that it was enough to make you clench around his thick shaft, stuffed snug and belonging in your sticky hole, your arousal leaking down your damp thighs like honey.
"Hmp- mhh… Nana, N-Nana…" You could only pathetically whine as your eyes closed by pure reflection from how hard they were stinging, hot tears refusing to stop pouring down, you push your pelvis back into his despite your trembling legs, rolling your hips dumbly on top of his lap as he held your neck pretty and stiff in a tight headlock.
His big, angry cock pumping in and out of your messy warmth at a disgusting pace was all that you could hear, if it wasn't for the vulnerable position he kept you in, you're sure that your body would be trashing at all kind of angles from his rapid movements which somehow only felt faster as you came around his length again and again. Forced to sit there shaking on top of his strong body, pressed hard against the voluminous mass of his chest and convulsing against his torso as your back involuntarily bent into another painful arch from overstimulation, drooling all over your chin and his forearms until it's reaching your boobs — a mess, just the way he liked you.
Jaemin's built muscles flexed against your neck again, he could feel every pulse and gag of your throat, you could hear his airy giggle whenever it matched the flutter of your abused walls, rewarding your slutty tendencies with a tighter hold of your breathing, just enough to make you struggle a little bit.
"You love it, don't you, doll? When… hmp- When I hold you like this?" he bites your earlobe and the disaster you had going on in your throat only worsens, choking on your own drool, stuck in a incoherent mess as Jaemin left you cock-drunk and whining. His forearm pressed against your pulse one more time, you gasped as your eyes rolled to the back of your head and words just spurted out of your mouth with no business of making any sense.
"Lo-Love you… I love you, Jaem… mhp, mhhh- Love you, Jaemin…" You tried sucking in more air, your brain begging for some sort of oxygen that lasted for more than one or two of your loud moans and never ending whining. Satisfied with your answer, he presses his arm just right to push your head back on his shoulder, hips never slowing down their pace at ruining your creamy warmth as his palm brushes against your puffy clit with every stroke, he kisses your cheek gently then. A mean reminder of how carefully he can love you when you behave.
The way his big body could cover yours with no issue whatsoever was doing wonders to making you dizzy with desire, fluttering in the way he held you as if it wasn't hard at all because for him, it really wasn't.
He could always make you feel so deliciously small, sat pretty and destroyed at his lap which was completely sticky from your juices, his leaking length only filling you deeper, fingers teasing and prodding on that spot in your clit just right to make your head spin, keeping you basically bouncing on his lap from his hard thrusts.
His gasps and groans alongside the sounds wet splashes of skin slapping were reminding you of the most beautiful melody you've ever heard, slamming into your weeping womanhood while you trembled like a weak little thing, walls flexing aggressively around his rough ministrations, you were almost there, could feel the relief you needed so badly at the tip of your fingertips, just out of reach.
Your nails clawed helplessly at the skin of his forearms, holding onto a small hope that he'd be done soon to convince yourself of not turning your head to the right and biting onto the beefy, delicious meat of his bicep. An uselessly broken sound rips from your throat and he catches it at the perfect time, swallowing your whimpers with a messy kiss full of teeth and tongue.
Every time he pressed onto that gummy spot, you felt like crying even harder, body convulsing harshly against his like you were being electrocuted by an entire thunderstorm and he didn't flinch even once. Used to the way his little toy moves around beneath his power, kissing the side of your face every time you gasped for air, smiled at your cheek every time he could hear every bit of your sweet struggle.
Finally, you came again, thighs shaking aggressively and quickly betraying the tears streaming down your face with a loud show of just how much you truly loved his brutal demonstrations of love, you can slowly but surely feel all of that ugly, persistent tension leave your frail body.
That's when you hear it.
"Want me to stop, baby? Wanna cum again?" Jaemin's voice in your head — all too warm, dripping with the thinnest of sugars.
Elysium | Ch. 3 | Greek God AU [NCT DREAM x Reader]
Summary: What do you get when demigods are sent to the mortal realm as punishment for wreaking havoc on Olympus? Chaos. And a whole lot of trouble the mundane world is probably not ready to face, ever.
Worse, what if you find out that monsters and vengeful titans are the least of your problems? When emotions rise and clash, you a demigod yourself, is forced to choose between your mortal side and the allure of the gods.
Characters: Half-blood reader, Mark as Son of Zeus, Haechan as son of Athena, Jaemin as Son of Aphrodite, Renjun as son of Ares. Yangyang + other NCT ensemble to be revealed throughout the story.
Prologue | CHAPTER 1 | CHAPTER 2 | Jeno Special Chapter | Jaemin Special Chapter
Vivid dreams were no stranger to you. Most of the time, they make zero sense—Pegasus walking over to a local coffee shop and complaining about not having any oat milk in his latte, giants playing hide and seek and having a pillow fight after... They were usually on crack, disconnected enough for you to even bother dwelling over.
Tonight was very different.
You found yourself standing in the middle of a shadowed hall, its ceilings so far up that you could not see where it ends. There was only enough light to help you see a couple of meters beyond and when you tried to look around, the place looked so dead that it felt like even your own breath—which now came in foggy wisps—was an unwelcome visitor to the place.
The floor you stood on looked wet, but when you tried to take a step, the ground felt solid and cold. Obsidian, you thought, black and well-used by whoever dwells in this stoic hall.
For a moment, you just stood there, waiting. You were aware that you were in a dream, and yet there was a part of your consciousness that was also telling you to listen closely.
Observe. Look. Watch. You were placed here to look for a clue. But what it was, you had no idea.
You didn't have to wonder for too long though. It came in the form of a small wooden box just a moment after, as if your own thoughts summoned it from thin air. Curiously, you took careful steps towards it, taking it in with your eyes alone.
It’s about a foot in length and half in width, made with what looked like polished oak. Aged bronze bands crossed it vertically and where a lock should have been, sat a small rectangular gold plate. There was something etched on it—a collection of random shapes and symbols that didn't make any sense to you.
“Well? Open it.”
A bodiless voice called out from out of nowhere, sounding close enough for it to be coming directly beside you. Oddly, you weren’t panicked by it. You leaned your head slightly to the side, considering its words.
“Why?”
“Because it’s time you know the truth.”
That made you look up. Your breath fogged in front of you like the wandering ghosts from the underworld.
“The truth,” you repeated. The bodiless voice just hummed its assent.
Slowly, as if you were giving the box the chance to disappear if it wanted to, you bent over to pick it up. It wasn’t heavy at all, and when you cradled it in one of your arms, its wood felt warm like it was left close to an active hearth before it was brought here. Stiffly, you reached out to lift its lid. It opened easily under your touch, revealing something glittering nestled upon its velvety lining inside.
The sparkle of the golden blade slightly blinded you before everything turned dim again.
*******
You were nudged awake by a slight forward jolt. Something soft was cradling your cheek and there was a slight tinge of pain that you could feel down the length of the other side of your neck. Blearily, you opened your eyes to the subdued glow of sunlight filtering through the dark tinted windows of the car. There was the rhythmic and soft sound of breathing coming from your left while your right was pressed against something warm but soft. Blinking away your sleep, you lifted your head slightly only to realize who the source of heat was.
Jaemin was snoozing on your side, his head propped against the car window. His silver hair caught the muted rays of the sun and gave them a slightly greyish tinge. You’ve been leaning against his shoulder and his arm closest to you was thrown over the car seat, fingers slightly grazing your left shoulder. The realization hit you like a freight truck and in a second, you sat up straight, hair still tousled from sleep.
A slight grunt of complaint came from your other side as you moved. Looking down, you realized that Haechan was also leaning against you, his head drooping now as you moved away. Eyes still closed, he only turned to the other side and tucked his head against the door.
“We’re here.”
Mark’s voice came from the head of the car before you could take in the rest of your surroundings. He and Jeno were already removing their seatbelts, both still looking very much alert despite having to stay up the whole night. Renjun and Yangyang were just stirring up from their own slumbers in the row in front of you.
With a quick swooping glance, you turned to look at where you are. You didn’t have any idea what time it was, but from what you could see on the sliver of view beyond Jaemin’s side, you were currently parked by what looks like a dock. You could see a slice of the sea beyond, its gentle waves glittering under the now high sun.
“Where are we?” You asked, voice still a little scratchy from sleep. Beside you, Jaemin had also started to wake up. You turned to Haechan then and slightly gave him a push.
“Hey, get up.” The boy didn't budge and just mumbled something under his breath.
“We’re at the South Port already?” Renjun leaned forward a little between the front seats and squinted at the view. “Where are they?”
“They’re coming. We need to unload all our bags. We can’t be late."
“Wait, how about the car?” Yangyang asked, this time looking a little bit more awake. Jeno was the one who answered as he killed off the engine.
“We’re leaving it here.”
“We’re leaving it—What do you mean? Are we just leaving it here like, permanently?”
The boy looked at him as if he asked an odd question.
“Yes. It has already served its purpose.”
You watched as your best friend opened his mouth to argue, before closing it again. Yangyang, unfortunately, is not the biggest fan of water-based activities.
“Who are we waiting for? Do you have a friend who has a boat?” you asked now.
“Sort of,” Jaemin said from beside you. He sounded casual, and for a moment you wondered if he was aware that you’ve slept on him. If he did, he was at least doing a great job not making a big deal about it. The thought made you feel a little hot around the ears. He threw a quick look at his watch. “They’re late though.”
Before you could ask again who he was talking about, a sudden flash of light came from outside. It was brief and blinding and from the way it left a slight shimmer outside, you could tell it wasn’t anything that’s close to a natural phenomenon. In fact, it reminded you very much of the same flash of light you saw in Rosewood’s grounds just a few weeks ago. The very same light that brought the five boys with you. Which only means…
Renjun gave a sigh from where he sat. He was looking at the small jutting part of the port just a few meters from where you were parked where two figures are now standing, highlighted starkly against the horizon.
“They’re here.”
*******
You all lumbered out of the car with your heavy packs and met the newcomers under the heat of the midday sun. Now fully awake, the first thing that you did was to silently study the two boys who were waiting patiently for you by the dock.
They both look close in age, maybe just a few years younger than the rest of you. One has pale skin; he almost looked like he was glowing, with shocking orange hair that only made his complexion stand out even more. He was grinning from ear to ear when you finally reached them, his eyes crinkled playfully into half moons as he accounted for all of you. His brows rose slightly as his gaze landed on you and Yangyang, though he didn’t say anything else.
The other boy was tall—taller actually than the rest of the boys now that you noticed. He has jet-black hair that fell over his eyes which now all looked at you with what looked like a tinge of hesitance. He was the complete opposite of his companion with the way he carried himself, despite how lean and strong he looked with his wide shoulders and steady stance.
“You’re late,” Haechan said in the middle of his yawn. "You should have gotten here earlier than us. Uncle gave you a hard time?”
The orange-haired boy rolled his eyes and motioned to the boy beside him. “You mean Jisung gave me a hard time. Didn’t really need to do much with mine to get kicked out, but mister goody shoes here had to take a moment to finally piss off his dad.”
The one called Jisung turned and scowled at his friend. “I told you stealing his hammer won’t cut it. You just weren’t listening.”
Jaemin looked interested as he looked from one to another. “What did you do then?”
For a moment, Jisung looked hesitant to answer. His friend was the one who did with a casual shrug.
“We had to hack one of his iron maidens. When I tell you, I haven’t seen uncle Hephaestus that mad.”
The mention of the name made you start. You looked at the two now, wide-eyed, something Haechan noticed beside you.
“Oh, yeah. This is Chenle, Hermes’ son. And this is Jisung, heir of Hephaestus. They weren’t exiled like the rest of us so they only came now,” he said casually. Chenle grinned at you and offered a hand. You took it hesitantly and he shook it enthusiastically. Jisung only gave you a small nod.
“Why are you two here?” you eyed both suspiciously. Chenle shrugged, his eyes glinting with mischief.
“I was bored. There’s no way I’m staying there while everyone gets to have fun. Plus, everyone here sucks when it comes to navigation. Now Jisung here, I wouldn’t say he came just as willingly,” he threw his head toward the other who gave a slight wince.
Right. Hermes, God of Travel, Trade, and Navigation. If there is anyone who can be of most use to your odd little group at the moment, it would be his son. The son of Hephaestus though… that’s a whole different thing. Before Jisung could even make a comeback, Mark stepped up and gave him a squeeze on the shoulder. He smiled, a gesture that seemed to at least have calmed the boy down a bit.
“Thank you for coming, Jisung. I know it’s a big ask. We can’t do all of this without you though, so this really means a lot.”
Yangyang made the connection almost the same time that you did. Your best friend turned to the youngest, his eyes round.
“Wait, are you here because…”
“Because how else are we going to take care of the sickle once we get all the parts? Obviously, we can’t ask uncle Hephaestus or any of the giants. Jisung supposedly is the one to forge them together. Now the plan’s changed, and we still need him to pulverize the splinters,” he said as if this is the most logical thing on earth. He reached out for something from his bag then and thrust it into Chenle's hands. It was the map he took from Rosewood with the indecipherable symbols.
“Here. You think this is good enough?”
The boy unfurled it and gave it one quick look.
“Looks good enough. This is one of the most ancient copies, but I can read it no problem.”
“We need to get to Aiaia first. They say one of the splinters might be there. How long do you think it will take?” Jeno asked. Chenle gave him a quick look.
“Are you guys sure you want to go there first though?" He asked, and you thought there was a tinge of hesitance in his tone. "It’s not really the most welcoming island, you know. We can do a roundabout to the other islands first.”
“Perfect reason why we need to get there first though,” Mark answered. “If the traitors are looking for the other pieces, they will probably put that place last.”
The boy sighed. “Fine. I think two days will be enough. We can take some shortcuts.”
“So where’s the boat?” Yangyang asked again, looking furtively around the sea’s horizon. The waters looked calm and undisturbed in the twinkling sunlight.
“Boat? What boat?” Haechan asked him blankly.
“The boat that we will need to get to the island?” Yangyang repeated just as blankly. Both stared at each other for a bit until realisation finally dawned on your best friend’s face. If the situation wasn’t worrying for you as well, you would have laughed at the look of horror on his face.
“No. Nope. No fucking way—”
Chenle looked on calmly before squinting at the horizon.
“Well, I hope you all bought swimsuits.”
*******
There was good news and bad news for you.
The good news was that Chenle was bluffing. You didn’t really need any swimming attire for what you were about to do.
The bad news: you still do not have any fucking idea how you’re going to get from one place to another. You looked on now to the others who, except for Yangyang who seemed to be in the middle of having a meltdown beside you, all looked pretty calm. You turned to your best friend now and sighed.
“Breathe, squirt. You’re going to make yourself faint.”
He turned to you as if he just remembered you were there.
“Do you think we’ll swim there?”
You frowned. “Of course not. That’s impossible,” you said, though you didn’t sound convincing even to your own ears. To be honest, you felt queasy in the stomach too, and it wasn’t helping that the rest looked way too relaxed for your liking. Your gaze landed on Jeno and Jaemin then who were standing closest to you, both locked in a serious conversation. You couldn’t hear what they were talking about, but their hushed tones gave you a clue of what its gravity was. With a quick glance at Yangyang, you finally decided to come over to the two.
Jaemin was the first one to look up. The moment his eyes landed on you, they crinkled to the sides as he matched the gesture with a smile. As someone who was a half-blood yourself, his pull on you was considerably weaker than if he aimed the same intensity to mortals. Still, you have to admit that his beauty can still be disarming, especially if you don’t give yourself enough prep time to brace for it. Thankfully, you did for this moment, and you simply blinked to push back his effect on you. He fully turned to you now just as you stopped in front of them. Jeno remained quiet beside him as his gaze now also moved to you.
“Hey, Princess. Everything good?”
“We're not going to swim to the island won’t we?”
Your question sounded stupid, even to your own ears, but none of the two flinched at its absurdity. You wondered if that was good or bad news.
Jaemin took a quick look at his watch before addressing you again. “No. Of course not. We’re just waiting for something. It’ll be here in about a minute actually.”
Still not entirely sold, you made a quick sweep of your surroundings again. The port still looked deserted as it was when you first arrived, and there was not a single boat in the water that seemed to be coming your way no less. The sea’s horizon looked undisturbed, with not even some faraway birds in sight. Hesitantly, you looked up. Is there someone who is going to fall from the sky again?
Jeno was the one who finally gave you your answer. The boy was staring directly at the water in front of you which, now upon closer look, had started to stir as if some great creature underneath it was moving. Jaemin noticed and simply smiled before walking towards it.
“Just in time.”
He stopped closest to where the low jutting dock could afford to hold him, the tips of his shoes greeting the edge. There was a light wind rippling through the bay and it swept his platinum hair around his head like a halo. He reached out then to his pocket where he pulled a small glass vial. A dark purple liquid sifted inside it as he held it up to the light.
“What is that?”
Jeno, who was still standing beside you, replied. “Wine. For offering.”
For offering to whom, you didn’t need to wonder too long about. As Jaemin uncorked the vial and poured all its contents into the water, the bubbling intensified until they transformed and turned into small waves. He called out then, his voice ringing clear in the open bay.
“Lords of the Seas, Aphros and Bythos, heed our call. Allow our humble voices to reach you, give us time to listen to our appeal.”
Your eyes rounded at the mention of the names.
Aphros and Bythos are two of the lords of the sea, Ichthyocentaurs, they are specifically called. You haven’t seen one ever in your life, but you knew from your studies that they are the faraway brothers of the centaurs who had dominion over the land. You watched now, mouth slightly open, as the ripples of the water in front of Jaemin intensified until the waves finally broke. Two towering figures slowly rose from them.
The first one had a mane of long dark hair that ran along his back wildly. He had a matte of thick bushy brows, and his skin looked dark blue, as deep and rich as the unexplored parts of the sea. Two horns crowned his head, except that they were not entirely horns, but what looked like claws of lobsters. He was looking down at your lot with his intense dark eyes the color of the blackest of coal. Behind him, where a horse’s tail should have been, was a fish tail, strong and muscular. It whipped around him and disturbed the water in undulating movements.
The second was the complete opposite of the other. He looked younger, and his long hair was the color of kelp, held back in a braid that was so long it disappeared into the water behind him. His skin was pale, reminiscent of the white belly of sharks as they moved silently underwater. He also had a crown of lobster tails and his eyes gleamed yellow, as if they were never meant to see above water. His fish tail, though just as strong, ended with silver fins behind him.
You didn’t know how to react. You have only ever seen centaurs a few times in your life when your father would give you the rare chance to accompany him in his meetings with them back in the Rosewood grounds, but this is different. The aura alone of the two had pinned you on your spot, though it seemed like you were the only one impressed by it.
Around you, the rest of the boys have started to gather. They all looked on respectfully and gave a unified bow which you mimicked quietly.
“Jaemin. It has been a while,” the pale brother called out in a voice that made you think of the cold, lightless deep. Other than its sound, however, his intonation seemed kind. Mildly amused even.
“Uncle Bythos. Thank you for answering our call. We will not be taking much of your time,” Jaemin pleasantly said, his smile wide and genuine. For a moment, you wondered about the familiarity that he seemed to share with them, but then you remembered a lore you’ve once read a long, long time ago.
When the goddess Aphrodite was born in her clamshell, it was the twin sea centaurs who charioted her to the shores. According to legend, both brothers raised her during her early years. For their service and duty, the two have been delegated to take honor with the stars, forever immortalized and talked about even by mortals. Thus, the constellation Pisces was born.
The other one you could assume was Aphros looked less impressed by the situation.
“I have heard the news from your mother. I did not expect you to call out too soon. Must you younglings always stir trouble?”
At this, Jaemin looked genuinely guilty. “Ah… that is why we need your help. We’re trying to fix things. We need to get to the Island of Aiaia as soon as we can and we were hoping you could guide us to it.”
Bythos looked on curiously at your odd little group. You could only see half of his body from where you stood, but his tail twitched here and there as he surveyed each face. When he finally got to you, you froze. He looked on at you longer than the others and you tried to give him a polite bow of your head again.
“To whose daughter are you, My lady?”
You drew a blank. In the face of two deities like this, the question of your blood made your stomach feel a little heavy. You were just about to answer when Jeno replied calmly for you.
“She is the daughter of the keeper of Rosewood, halls of the demigods here. She had come with us as a guide to the mortal realm, but is a half-blood herself.”
You felt like a rock was removed from blocking your throat. Surreptitiously, you threw a quick glance at him as a quiet form of thanks. Jeno was still looking straight ahead though his profile told you that he got the message clear.
Bythos gave a little turn of his head as he looked on to you again. “Rosewood. The Academy of the demigods. I see. An interesting choice of companion.” He said before trailing off quietly. Finally, he smiled and turned to Yangyang who you didn’t realize had not moved from where you left him earlier. He was still standing a few feet away from the rest of you, his face now unreadable. Unlike with you, however, Bythos only smiled at him. His teeth were the same color of black pearls.
“Hello, boy.”
“If you need our help, you know how it goes,” Aphros spoke again, his voice steady but commanding. “Bythos has dominion over most of the help you seek, but an offering is needed for the both of us. Our answer lies in our satisfaction.”
Jaemin nodded as if he was already expecting this. He turned to give Haechan a look now, who took that as a signal to pull out something from one of their heavy knapsacks. It was a small wooden vessel, polished smooth and varnished a deep brown. Upon closer look, intricate carvings ran down its circular body, delicate etchings of scenarios of what looked like grand adventures in the sea. The symbols were all lined with gold and gave the container the illusion as if it was glowing as its sides hit different slants of the sun. And yet that was not the grandest part of it.
As Haechan walked over to hand the gift to Jaemin, you caught sight of its contents. There were not that many, but the value of each compensated for their size. There was a bottle of deep red wine that you could only imagine must have come from Dionysius’ stores itself, a block of cheese and some fruits. Tucked right in the middle of everything, nestled in a smaller circular open top container are a variety of jewels glinting in rainbow colors and a number of silver coins.
“A gift, taken and collected from different parts of the world and Olympus itself. An offering for Aphros, the great and brave god of the Sea Foam,” Jaemin said now as he held up the vessel in front of him. Aphros moved closer to the dock and surveyed the offering with great scrutiny. Everyone seemed to have held their breath as he eyed it. Finally, he reared back, a look closest to what would be satisfaction on his face.
“Very well,” he answered with his deep gravelly voice. A wave, acting more like a watery arm rose beside him and gently took the gift from Jaemin’s hand. The boy smiled as he watched it land on the waves and gently float off.
“And for Bythos? I expect nothing less.”
“Of course. Jeno, if you may please?”
Jeno moved to stand just beside him then. Wordlessly, he pulled something from his pocket, a small velvet pouch the color of midnight. It was small and held closed by a golden string. When he unfurled it, he pulled the edges of the container just enough to show the top of its contents which caught in the light. Golden coins glittered there in their glory.
“Obols, gathered from Charon’s stores. The payment of souls to cross the river of the Underworld. A gift fitting for Bythos, Lord of the Sea Depths.”
Bythos' green-tinted brows rose with interest. He gave a nod, before gesturing an arm towards the sea.
“A wonderful offering. If you may?”
Jeno nodded and tied the velvety pouch again. Then, he reached out his hand and let it fall straight to the sea. The waves swallowed it into the deep.
“A good exchange. Now, we fulfill our end of the bargain,” Aphros said. He looked on to his brother, then once again towards your group. “I shall meet you at the right spot before the sun goes down to the sea.” Without another word, he turned and dove into the depths again. The end of his tail did one strong sweep before disappearing behind him.
Bythos, now alone, looked on pleasantly at the rest of you. “I will be ready for you when you are. You know how it goes already, yes?”
Jaemin nodded. You, on the other hand, looked at him in plain confusion. The Sea Lord noticed and gave a chuckle. “Well, it will be best to prepare your new friends about it. The travel can be… disorienting for first timers.”
You didn’t like hearing that at all. Now with panic, you watched as the sea centaur also dove into the water without another look back to the rest of you. The waves where he and his brother both came from earlier looked calm as soon as he disappeared, as if everything that happened was just an illusion.
“That went better than expected,” Chenle said now as he also stepped over close to the dock. He peered down at the waves quickly before stretching back up again. “Everyone ready? It’s best if we do this now so we can reach there before sundown.”
“Ready to do what, exactly?” Your voice rose a bit in pitch now as you turned to the rest. Nobody looked confused, and the fact only made your hesitation solidify more in your chest. The boy merely looked back at you casually. A part of you already knew that his answer was not something you would like to hear, but it still didn’t stop your stomach from dropping entirely once you did.
“What else? Jump into the water, of course.”
******
A/N: Surprise, I guess? I know I said I will only be posting Elysium in AO3 and update will come in a month, but the draft was done and people seem to be interested so here it goes. As usual, comments will always be appreciated. Enjoy!