٠࣪⭑ c. yufan x reader
&&. fluff. pre-relationship. mutual pining. clingy + loverboy james. fem implied reader. cortis 6th member reader. masterlist.
all content is purely fictional !
even though you aren’t quite as bad as five teenage boys, you still don’t exactly smell like roses after a full day of nonstop dance practices.
just when you’re about to collapse and give up for good, martin finally calls it off and it’s not an exaggeration to say that you sprint to the bathroom for the reprieve of a long, hot shower.
and for a second, surprisingly — despite the loudness of keonho and seonghyeon arguing, the beep of the microwave from whatever juhoon was heating up, and the instagram reels playing from martin’s phone at full volume — the dorm feels too quiet for james.
he was always to first to notice your absence. it was like he had a radar, some secret kind of sixth sense for you. what you were feeling, where you had gone, what you needed, and exactly when you didn’t feel like being bothered.
so naturally, he wanders into the hallway past the bathroom you’re currently showering the day off in.
even over the running water and the music playing out of your phone’s speaker, you hear the soft knock.
“yeah?” you call, exasperated. was it impossible to get a second of peace for yourself?
“you in there?”
you want to laugh. if it were anyone besides james, you would have.
“obviously.” you’re glad he can’t see the way you’re smiling when you answer.
a moment of thoughtful silence passes before he speaks again. “you almost done?”
“james, i just got in here five minutes ago.”
“this dorm only has one bathroom! and what takes you longer than five minutes?”
you hear his playful scoff and snort. “my hair is a little longer than yours, in case you haven’t noticed. takes a minute to wash.”
james heaves a dramatic sigh. “you’re going to use up all the hot water.”
“if you keep pestering me then yes i will!”
another lapse of silence falls, the sound of water droplets hitting the ground filling the bathroom once more. it doesn’t fool you.
“james? are you still there?”
“…no.”
“james!”
“what?”
“leave me alone!” you try not to let the laugh into your voice. “go sit in the living room and wait for your turn like a normal person.”
“aw, why?”
“because i don’t enjoy having conversations through the door while i’m trying to shower?”
another dramatic sigh. “fine, fine, whatever. but if you take any longer i’m going to use your fancy shampoo.”
“james!”
“going!” his melodic laugh fades as he disappears down the hall. it makes you feel warm, and not just from the hot water.
with james gone, you finish up your wash in peace and finally cease the shower to your juniors, who are about ready to fist-fight for the next in line to the bathroom. you laugh and bid them goodnight before heading into your room to wind down.
it quiets down after everyone’s showered and turned in for the night. the hallway light is dim, bleeding into your room lit only by your bedside lamp. you were fortunate enough to have landed your own room this time around, which of course meant that your peace was precious but momentary.
you’re leaned over in the middle of drying your hair when you spot james leaning against the frame of your door.
“i used your shampoo.”
“james!” you raise your hand and pretend to swat at him. he laughs, coming to plop down at the foot of your bed.
“i’m kidding! i totally would have though. it smells nice.”
you blame the way your cheeks heat up on the stuffiness of the room. you hang up your towel to dry and sit on your bed, kicking your feet up on top of james’ legs. you nudge him with your knee. “so what now? come to bother me again?”
he grins. “maybe. so what if i did?”
you smile at him from under your lashes, just a little bashful as you pull your knees up to your chest. “you know, if you want to hang out you can just say that.”
james sneaks an amused glance at you. “well, since you say…”
“oh, boy.”
you sigh dramatically as he scoots up closer, kicking his way under the covers as he settles down next to you. “juhoon and martin are being annoying, so i’m bunking with you tonight.”
you already know there’s no use protesting even if you wanted to, so you just sigh again and lean back against the pillows. beside you, james’ eyes are already fluttering closed where he’s laying just far enough to be respectful but close enough that you can still feel his warmth. you’re glad he can’t see the smile you can’t stop when you turn out the lights.
james clearly isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. and you know what? you don’t mind. not one bit.
more pining loverboy james <33 hope this finds the anon who requested more of this genre!!
ᯓ zhao yufan x gn!reader
ᯓ synopsis: just a lighthearted conversation between you and your boyfriend about moving in together
ᯓ word count: 0.8k
ᯓ warnings: james hating your plushies lol
ᯓ authors note: i kinda hate this but i wanted to write something i guess.... sorry if this is buns which i'm pretty sure it is
“I think we should move in together.”
You blink, looking up at James who seemed to have stopped scrolling to gaze at the ceiling, the look in his eyes contemplative. He had one hand around your shoulders, keeping you close to his chest and the other on his chin.
The position made you want to giggle. He looked just like the thinking emoji.
You cuddle closer to him, your chin, tucked into the divot between his arm and his chest. “Where is this coming from?”
James hums, playing with the ends of your hair as he drops his hand from his chin. “I don’t know. I mean we already live at each other's apartments anyway.”
You shake your head quickly, looking up at him. “That’s not true.”
His brows lift slightly as his head moves down to meet your eyes. “It is though.”
“It absolutely is not,” you insist, moving to sit up. “You just invade my space and then refuse to leave.” You point vaguely between the two of you like that somehow strengthens your argument.
“Excuse me? I do not invade your space?”
“Uhh, you literally do? You eat all of my snacks, finish my entire strawberry moisturiser, use my shampoo and conditioner instead of bringing your own, and you’ve invaded my side of the bed.”
James blinks, lips pressed together in an effort to not burst out laughing to keep this conversation serious. “Well, when you put it that way it seems like you notice everything I do at your place. You sure you’re not keeping track of my habits for when we move in together?”
Your look at him, face blank. “That is not the key takeaway from what I just said.”
He leans back slightly, arms moving down to your waist. “Are you sureee?” He says, stretching the ‘sure’ just enough to be irritating.
James laughs as you hit his chest, cheeks puffing out in annoyance. “It’s not! The key takeaway is that you’re a serial snack stealer and you do not ask for permission before eating all my food!”
“Why do I need permission?” He says, seemingly offended. “We’re in a relationship.”
Before you could argue he swiftly places a hand over your mouth and continues.
“Yes, I know what you’re going to say, that’s not how consent works,” he says quickly, eyes narrowing like he’s pre-empting your entire speech. “But you eat my snacks just as much as I eat yours!”
You pull his hand off of your mouth and part your lips to protest, pause, then close them again.
He wasn’t wrong…
You clear your throat, wanting to change the topic in an attempt to salvage your dignity. “Okay, back to the point of this conversation. If we are going to seriously consider moving in together—”
“Which we are,” he interrupts smoothly.
“—we need to establish boundaries.”
“Go on,” he says, like he’s humoring you, but his eyes give him away. They look much too enthusiastic.
You narrow your eyes at him. “First rule: no more finishing my skincare.” James nods, looking as if he’s hanging on to your every word.
You sigh. “Second rule: you cannot take my side of the bed.”
“I already don’t,” he says immediately but the look you sent his way had him shutting his mouth to let you finish speaking.
“Third rule: my plushies are coming with me.”
That rule seems to be the one that breaks James. He groans and covers his face with his hands as he shakes his head back and forth.
“Well then you don’t need to worry about me taking your side of the bed cause those plushies will do it for you!”
“Babyyy,” you begin, lips pushed into a pout as you blink up at him. “I have to have them with me! They’re everything to me! They’re the reason why the world spins, the reason the sun shines, the reason that brownies were invented, the reason—”
The disbelieving expression on his face ebbs and fades as he lets out a resigned sigh.
“Should I be worried that you’re this passionate over a couple of stuffed animals?”
His train of thought gets cut off by the happy giggle from you as you throw yourself further into his arms, digging your face into the warm material of his hoodie.
“Oof—” He groans, as your chin collides with his chest. “I don’t know if I’m winning or losing here,” he mutters, though there’s clear amusement in his voice.
You stick your tongue out at him in response.
The next few minutes are quiet and easy, your eyes closed as you relax into him. James looks down at you with a fond expression that makes his earlier teasing feel a million miles away.
Then—
“Wait hold on! Does that mean you agree to moving in with me!?”
a/n. this is my first attempt at trying to write about these boys with the little knowledge we have on them. (pls be nice)
james-
you finish smoothing out the foundation on his skin "and base is done" you chirped, now picking up the bronzer stick.
he squints suspiciously "so... we're not done?"
"not even close" you tease. the moment you're about to bring the stick of bronzer to his face he perks up. "wait- did you hear that"
you pause mid-step "hear what?"
"the noise. something in the halls i think" he insists, standing up from the chair like he's on high alert. you narrow your eyes, unconvinced "there was nothing.. your making this up so i don't finish your makeup"
"no, no, i swear! it was like footsteps or something." he threw his hands up in fake seriousness. you just replied with a 'mhmm' crossing your arms. instead of admitting to making everything up he quickly wanders to your bed and flops down with a dramatic sigh. "i think its much safer here"
martin -
You grab the mascara and hold it up. “Okay, look up for me,” you tell him gently.
Instead of just moving his eyes, he tilts his whole head so far back that he’s practically staring at the ceiling.
You laugh, lowering the wand. “no! not your whole head. just your eyes.”
He smirks, still holding the pose. “Well, you didn’t specify.”
Rolling your eyes, you nudge his chin back down. shifting his gaze upward the right way. “Much better,” you murmur, leaning in close to coat his lashes. The closeness makes him blink a little too much, but you manage to get it on.
When you’re done, you pick up the lip gloss. “Okay, pucker up.”
He leans forward a little, lips pressed tight together, clearly holding back laughter. But before you can swipe the gloss on, he tilts his head and kisses you quickly.
juhoon -
you hold the mascara wand steady, the other hand resting under his chin to keep him from moving. "okay, now look up" his eyes lift and land on your.
instead of coating his lashes with product you caught his gaze for a second too long and he parts his lips ready to say something but doesn't.
he flinches back slightly and throws a hand over his face "stop looking at me like that" he mumbles, his voice low and embarrassed.
you laugh pulling back "where else am i supposed to look" you just sit back and wait because you can't exactly do mascara on someone who has their face covered.
"can i start now?"
seonghyeon -
you were straddling his lap "im gonna do concealer first" you dab it under his eye, gently blending with your sponge. he scrunches he nose a bit but doesn't move.
when you finish dabbing it in he holds your wrists, stopping you from doing the next step "let me see it first"
you hand him a mini mirror from your makeup bag, he tilts his head from side to side; making different faces. "i like it"
the small appreciation brought a smile to your lips. "i didn't even finish"
"i still like it" he reassures placing the mirror back into your makeup bag
you get your blush brush grazing it over the product, tapping the excess, against the container.
when done applying to both sides he asked again to look in the mirror clearly enjoying this way to much and taking time to admire each step.
keohno -
the second you leaned in to apply eyeshadow, he leaned back.
"babe, what're you doing..?" you question. going in again he leans back giving you a playful grin. "keohno hold still." you warn.
"i am holding still" he advised, the grin still on display.
you skip eye shadow and just try and do a simple step like bronzer and blush. but not even for that would he stay still.
keohno was looking down at his phone so when you tried to grab his chin and tilt his head upwards he held your hand continuing to look at his phone mumbling along the lines of "wait"
you dropped the brush on the vanity and took your hand from his soft grasp. "forget it. I'm not doing this if you can't even keep still for five seconds."
he cut his phone off. his playfulness faltering "wait no- don't quit. "
"it's too late" you grumble, making your way to your bed, getting on your phone completely over the whole thing.
James potter would be the one who when you wake you see him just laying on ur stomach with his arms wrapped around your waist
I definitely see this happening when he is really tired after a full moon with Remus or after a Quidditch match. But no one can convince me this man doesn't wake up before the sun, he's such an early riser that even when he doesn't have anything to do (he usually goes to work out), he is up and out the door before 7:30.
But when you start staying over, he gets to wake up to your sleepy face on his pillow and he doesn't have the heart to move you to get up, especially if he has nothing going on so he just stays in bed with you, cuddled under the blankets. And when you wake up, the first thing you see is his goofy smile, his big brown eyes that look at you like you're the most precious thing in the whole world. And his hands are pushing your hair out of your eyes while in a soft, gravelly voice he says "morning, gorgeous." And the rest of the morning is spent cuddling and kissing, and when you finally get up to have some breakfast around 10, and that is the latest James Potter has ever woken up.
wordcount: 490
warnings: none, just a lil bit of fluff
The bowl of steaming soup was warm in your hands as you pushed open the door to your and James’ shared rooms with a foot, careful not to jostle the bowl and spill any of its contents as you squeezed your way into the room.
James cracked open one eye as you walked carefully over to the bed that he was snuggled up in, a pile of pillows propping his head up slightly and a damp cloth laid across his forehead. Miss Evers had been fussing over him a few hours prior, much to James’ dismay, insisting that “it works wonders” and scolding James each time he tried to remove the cloth.
“I have soup.” You announced, happy to see that James’ face was looking considerably less pale that it had been that morning. James groaned but stirred, shifting to push himself up against the headboard as you placed the bowl onto his bedside table.
“I know you’re not hungry but please.” You said, anticipating his refusal.
James smiled softly, leaning over to reach for the bowl of soup. Batting his hands away, you helped him sit up a bit further before perching on the edge of the bed. James scowled as you took up the bowl in your own hands, stirring the spoon around slightly before lifting it to his face.
With a huff, James turned his head to the side slightly, reaching to push your hand away.
“Dearest, I appreciate your concern but please, I can feed myself.”
You couldn’t help but smile a little at his stubbornness.
Bringing the spoon closer to his lips, you responded: “Relax. You always take care of me. Let me take care of you.”
“It’s just a migraine.” James sighed. “I’m feeling fine now.” You raised an eyebrow, surveying his face. Yes, he did look considerably better than he did that morning, but the dark purple smudges under his eyes and the mess of his usually well-kept hair told you otherwise.
“Just let me help.” You insisted, resting the spoon on James’ lower lip.
With another scowl, his lips parted, allowing you to push the spoon into his mouth.
You smiled triumphantly when you withdrew the spoon, James swallowing as you gathered up another mouthful of soup.
“Try not to look too pleased.” He grumbled, taking the next spoonful that you offered him.
“Why? This is cute.” James sputtered, almost choking on his mouthful at your words.
“Cute?” He exclaimed. You brought the back of your hand that clutched the spoon to your mouth in a vain attempt to stifle your laugh at his indignation.
“Dearest, I am many things. Cute most certainly isn’t one of them.”
You pressed your lips together, nodding as you scooped up more soup and brought it to his lips.
“Of course. Big, scary James Patrick March could never be considered as cute.” You assured him sarcastically, the pink hue staining his pale cheeks at your proposal telling you otherwise.
James huffed, settling himself further into his pile of pillows before accepting the next spoonful of soup from you.
taglist: @kitwalker02 @three-eyed-snail @forevercountess @kitwalkerangel @milly-louise @thecountessesglove @undeadcortez @kitwalker64 (if you wanna be added or removed, just let me know <3)
A/N: Okie dokie, ngl, I’m not super proud of this fic cause I tried writing in a different POV but I don’t think it worked out to well. Also... the beginning of this fic takes place BEFORE the events of part 1, just in James perspective. Hopefully it should be easy enough to follow along but, like I said, not super proud of this fic so I apologise if it isn’t. Other than that, hope you enjoy :)
Previous Parts: Part 1
****
*****JAMES' PERSPECTIVE*****
James Potter knew everyone. At least, he thought he did. For several years he roamed about the halls of Hogwarts, every single student smiling at him admirably. And for several years, he had somehow remained completely oblivious to the existence of a quiet and extremely pretty Ravenclaw. You.
The first time he saw you, he was in the library. Remus had dragged him, Sirius and Peter to study, though the three of them were doing nothing of the sort. Then, he heard a soft giggle that somehow made him feel lighter and he caught himself smiling subconsciously at the sound.
"I'll be back in a second, lads," he said, clearly distracted by something, though the rest of them said nothing. He searched row after row in between bookcases, and though in the back of his mind, he knew it was a ridiculous thing to be doing, looking for someone because of their laugh, he was growing more and more curious and for the life of him, he couldn't bring himself to care.
As he turned the corner, he saw you, sat with none other than Lily Evans. Merlin, you were beautiful. How had he not seen you with Lily before now? He was almost mad at himself for concentrating on people as pathetic as Snivellus, when instead, he could've been talking to you.
And it always seemed such a simple thing to do for James; talking. But when he went up to you, your eyes staring up at him, almost piercing through his very soul, he couldn't even bring himself to speak one word. He just awkwardly stuttered and rushed away, ignoring the glare Lily was giving him.
Walking back to his friends, James began to feel the effects of rejection. He felt it completely pointless to even try and hope you would talk to him now. But, the effects soon wore off, and he could think logically again.
"Where've you been then?" Remus asks, his tone interested, though his attention never once left the book in front of him.
"Kissing some girl probably, hey James?" Sirius laughs.
James goes wide-eyed in shock, fumbling for an explanation. "Wha- I, no. I just... went to get a book for studying."
"Oh yeah?" Remus questions, a small smirk showing on his face.
"Yeah," James replies, confident with his reply now he had come up with a half-way decent excuse for why he had been gone so long.
Remus looks up at him, still smirking, before returning back to his book. James thinks he's got away with it but a few seconds later Remus asks, "Where's the book then?"
"Oh shi-"
"HA!" Sirius exclaimed, "So, our boy Prongs has been snogging someone then! Who was it?" He ponders for a while, disregarding James' objections to the whole idea. "Wait, was it-?"
But Sirius didn't get the chance to finish his question, as a furious Madame Pince came stomping towards them, herding them out of the library.
"Hmph... brilliant guys. Really, just fantastic." Remus rolls his eyes, seemingly annoyed though he had almost done studying anyway. He'd finish the rest in the common room.
"Oh shove off Moony, we all know you'll get full marks on every test anyway," Sirius jests. "It's Wormtail that should be worrying."
James chuckles as the smaller boy jogs to keep up with them. He waits for him and teasingly ruffles his hair. He had hoped that the mystery of where he had gone in the library had been forgotten, but for the rest of the journey to the Gryffindor Tower, Sirius, Remus and even Peter listed almost all the girls (and some boys) in Hogwarts, all of which James had responded with an exasperated "no."
When they got back to the common room and his friends finally shut up about who he had supposedly kissed, they made their way over to the fireplace, sitting down on the couches around it. Though at first, he remained debating about their next big prank, he soon became disengaged from the conversation and instead his mind drifted to think of ideas on how to talk to you.
Obviously, the best way to do that was to ask Lily, who was clearly one of your close friends. The only problem with that was that barely two hours passed by without her calling him an "arrogant toerag" or anything of that variation. No, his best bet would to be ask around the Ravenclaws and maybe some of the other houses to see what he could find out about you. Maybe then, he could ask you about your interests. So, that's what he planned to do. The four Marauders went up to the boy's dormitories shortly after, minds buzzing at the genius of the plan they had just come up with (James would have to ask Sirius to go over it again at breakfast) and soon, they fell asleep.
The next morning, James woke up earlier than everyone else and got ready to go down to breakfast in the Great Hall. Before he left, he placed an enchantment on the door to his dormitory so it only opened after a certain amount of time had passed. He couldn't have any of them interrogating about why he didn’t sit with them. Breakfast only lasted an hour anyway and he would be sure to save some food for Sirius, Remus and Peter for after.
When he went down, there were only a few people. Most of them were Slytherins in the older years, so he didn't bother going over to them. Instead, he sat beside some Hufflepuffs in the same year. However, much to his annoyance, even after asking them multiple questions, they seemed to have no idea who you were. It didn't help that he didn't have much to go on either. After fifty minutes of asking around at all the house tables about you, he had gained absolutely no information about you at all. It was infuriating. Your name must have been said in your classes at least once, but it appeared that no one could place the face to a name. So, after an hour of questions, he resided himself once again to the idea that he would never know you as much as he wanted to. He had half-convinced himself to just talk to you, but he knew he wouldn't be able to do it without stuttering again. Defeated at least for now, he heads over to the kitchens. Ensuring no one is watching, he tickles the pear and opens the door. He asks one of the house elves to bring up breakfast to the Gryffindor common room, thanks them and heads back up to the tower, already formulating another plan.
Throughout the week, James could be seen in complete concentration, often zoning out or banging his head against the wall, probably in a vain attempt to have an idea. But, to his frustration, the only conclusion James could come up with is to talk to Lily. It would be difficult, especially since whenever he would teasingly call out to her, she would glare at him and walk away in the opposite direction. He'd just have to get her to listen to him somehow.
Over the following days, that's what he did. It was only after the both of them got told by Professor Slughorn to stay behind after potions that he finally got his chance to talk to her.
They had been brewing the Draught of Living Death and it was the perfect opportunity for James to talk to Lily... if only Sirius wasn't sat in-between them. Every time James would lean to talk to Lily, Sirius would lean in the same direction, blocking any possible form of quiet communication. Fed up, James shouted Lily's name, unaware of how loud he had actually been just as the room went completely silent. Professor Slughorn's attention turned towards the source of the noise, and when he saw where it came from, he said, "Mr Potter and Miss Evans?" He waited until the two of them nodded in acknowledgement. "See me after lesson, please."
The potions teacher shut the ingredients cupboard unintentionally harshly, before addressing the two students before him. "Now, I do hate doing this, especially as you're both two of my most promising students... but you must pay attention during lessons." Lily looked down at her shoes, almost looking as though she was apologetic for her behaviour, but James could tell she was half fighting with herself on whether or not to say something back to Slughorn. James felt a sudden urge of guilt washing over him; it was his fault she was in here when she hadn't even done anything wrong. Only half listening to the lecture, James waited until Slughorn dismissed them both. He was planning on having to run and catch up to Lily, though he was surprised when, as soon as they were out of sight from any onlookers, Lily grabbed him by the robes and forcefully dragged him to the edge of the wall.
"It's one thing, Potter, for you to try and make my life a living hell, but if you get me into trouble one more time, I'll-"
"I'm sorry, okay?" His voice remorseful.
"Well-" Lily paused for a moment, processing what he had said. This wasn't James' normal behaviour, around her at least. "Well, erm... Good," she mumbled. She turned to leave, but James called her back.
"Wait!" Stopping in her tracks, the red-haired girl turned back towards him. "I need your help with something," he continued. Thinking for a moment, he hurriedly added, "please."
"What could you possibly need my help for?" She asked, incredulous.
"Well," he scratched the back of his neck, "Merlin, don't take this the wrong way, Evans... I want to get to know your friend."
"I have quite a few of those, Potter," she says impatiently, rolling her eyes. "Which one?"
"I don't know her name, that's half the problem actually," he admits. "She's in Ravenclaw, I know that much, and she was with you in the library."
"Y/N?"
"I guess. I hadn’t even seen her before until a few days ago," he shrugs.
Lily looks at him, for a moment, shocked. Then, she remembers she's talking to James Potter and suddenly, anger spurs inside her. "Definitely not, Potter. She's not some... thing for you to win over."
"Lily I swear I don't mean it like that!" Lily seems to hesitate so James uses the advantage while he has it. He tells her in detail about the day in the library, at which she nods in recollection, and how he had tried to talk to her but always found himself tripping over his words.
"...Then, at breakfast I asked everyone about her, but no one knows enough about her so, here I am." He finishes.
Lily stares at him, trying to stifle a laugh. "I can't believe you actually did that," she says. Ultimately, what he had just told her was what had convinced Lily that James was genuine. No one put that much effort into one girl, not just for a prank, as she first expected it to be. "I can understand why you couldn't find anything out about her though. She's very quiet and reserved around other people and I think she prefers not having everyone know everything about her."
"So... this means you'll help me?" James asked.
"Yes James, this means I'll help you. But if you upset her in any way, I will hex you."
They started walking back together, but when they separated (Lily going to dinner and James back to the dormitory to find his friends), he couldn't help but repeat your name aloud. He liked the way it rolled off his tongue and he was now more anxious than ever to talk to you.
Later that night, James was awoken from his nap by a sudden weight on the couch he was laying on. Drowsily opening his eyes, he saw a blur of red hair and immediately became more awake.
Lily giggled. "Right, before I help you, you need to promise me something."
James waited a while before he realised Lily was waiting for him to say something. "Okay."
"If I help you, you can't hex Severus anymore."
"Aww, Lils," he pleads. "He deserves it, hanging round with those Slytherins. You know who they are right?"
She huffs and stands up. "Of course I do, I'm not stupid. I told him I don't like it before he- well... Before he called me a Mudblood." James can see Lily getting aggravated by the memory, but he doesn't point it out. "But, if you can't stop it, then the deal's off."
"Fine... I'll stop hexing him, unless he does something first."
"I'm not going to get any better than that, am I?" She asks, sitting back down. James shakes his head, grinning. "Then I suppose that'll have to do," she sighs. "Now, here's the plan..."
Apparently, you were in James' Transfiguration class and yet again, he found himself wondering why he had never seen you before. Lily even said that you usually sat at the Gryffindor house table in the mornings. He did give himself a pass on that, though, as until recently, Lily stayed as far away as possible from him. As he had Transfiguration next, he made a point of getting there early so he could ask McGonagall if he could move seats. He was sure she'd agree. After all, as good as he was at the subject, he wouldn't mess around as much if he wasn't sat next to Sirius. Knocking on the door, he waited until he heard her tell him to come in.
"Hiya Professor!" He smiled. Minnie always was his favourite teacher, even if she was strict.
"Oh, it's you Potter. What’s the matter?"
"I was going to ask if I could move seats this lesson? Maybe towards the back of the room," he suggested.
McGonagall eyed him suspiciously, but went along with it anyway. "Will the seat next to Miss Y/L/N do?"
James couldn't believe it. He supposed this is how it would feel if he drank Felix Felicis. Then again, there weren't really many possiblities of where he could've sat at the back, but he chooses to ignore this piece of information and take it as a sign of good fortune. "Um- yes, actually," he nodded, hoping his voice wouldn't give away his excitement.
"Well, I suppose you won't be disrupting my lesson sat next to her. I am right in saying it’s only for today?"
"I think so, yes," replied James.
"Very well Mr Potter. I will inform Marlene when she arrives about the change."
As James leaves the room, he shouts back to McGonagall. "Thanks Minnie!"
When Marlene saw James sat in her seat, she was close to dragging him out of it. Fortunately, James had told Sirius about the situation, who quickly pulled Marlene to the front of the classroom. The moment you entered the classroom, you're obviously confused, but you don't say a word about it and go to sit down in your seat like normal.
James waited until McGonagall finished demonstrating how to perform transfiguration on animals before he spoke to you. "You're Y/N, right?" You nod but he can tell you're shy, so he tries to make things easier for you. "I'm James," he grins, and to his delight, you laughed.
"I know who you are. You're one of the most popular people in the entire school."
James smiles, but waits to reply as McGonagall was handing out rabbits to each student. There were several 'Aww's' from the rest of the girls in the class who were fawning over the creatures. Even James could admit they were cute. When she had passed their table, he spoke again. "Only one of the most popular? Who's more popular than me?" He jokes, shooting you a wink. "I'll have to catch up with them." To James' dismay, went back to focusing on transfiguring your rabbit into a hare; avoiding any eye contact with him, though not before he caught a glimpse of your blush. But this time, he wasn't going to give up talking to you. This lesson was important for Lily's plan to get you to talk to him more.
"So, who are you rooting for next week?" He asks after you both had spent thirty minutes in silence. He had decided it would be better to let you get on with your work for a while.
"I assume you're talking about Quidditch?" James nods in response to your question, watching as you look back at him. "Well, seeing as my house isn't playing, I guess I'm rooting for whoever wins," you say, playfully, knowing he would want most people to be supporting his house.
"I'll lend you my Gryffindor banner, then," his cocky smirk making you laugh again.
"Lily always told me you were egotistical," you joke. "How can you know you'll win?"
"Hey! I'm not saying I'll win the match by myself! I'm saying my team will."
"Well I suppose we'll find out next week then, won't we?"
Smiling, he stands up, the lesson now over. With the way seemed to be going, Lily's idea was going to work in no time. "I'm sure we will."
As he predicted, Gryffindor won the match against Hufflepuff and as soon as the match had ended, James announced a party held in the Gryffindor common room. When they discussed it the week before, Lily told him she would be sure to get you to come.
On his way back from the pitch, he spotted you walking back with another Ravenclaw girl, almost at the castle's entrance. "Y/N!" He shouted, running to catch up you as you had stopped to wait for him. "To think you doubted me," he panted, slightly out of breath.
"Never doubted you, James," you say matter-of-factly, motioning towards the red and gold scarf around your neck.
Even after you left, he couldn't wipe the grin off his face.
Most of the people were already at the party, but he wasn't sure if you were as he was with Sirius getting food from the kitchens. It would probably take you a while to walk from Ravenclaw Tower anyway. When his and Sirius' arms were filled with food, they returned back to the party.
As soon as he steps through the portrait of the Fat Lady, he sees you and Lily, both drinking Firewhiskey. However, if he wasn't already looking for you, he would've missed you completely; you were practically hidden in one of the far corners of the room. Putting the food down on a nearby table, he makes his way over to the two of you. "Hey Lily." He nods at you, hoping to not make you feel uncomfortable. "Y/N."
Deciding to quickly talk to Lily first, he drags her slightly to one side, though not far from you. "Thanks for getting her to come here. It's brilliant."
"I can tell," she laughs, her words slightly slurred due to the alcohol. "You've been smiling like an idiot since you've seen her."
James laughs nervously, about to say bye to Lily and go to talk to you, when he notices you've gone. At first, he presumes you just went to get food or something, but after five minutes of looking around with no sight of you, he faced the truth that you had left. Trying to tell himself that it was probably just because you didn't usually like parties (according to Lily), he joins the party to distract himself.
The next morning, he, Sirius, Remus, Peter and Lily head down to breakfast earlier than usual, all extremely hungry after the previous night. To his surprise, Lily stays with them and sit next to James. Not only was it incredibly funny to see the bitter look on Snape's face as he saw (something he pointed out to Sirius who proceeded to break out into a fit of uncontrollable laughter), but he was also happy that the one person who truly seemed to hate him was now becoming his friend.
"So, I wonder where Y/N went last night," James said, hinting for Lily to answer.
Thankfully, she realised in the questioning and very slightly anxious tone in his voice that he needed her to confirm you didn't leave because of him. "James, she probably had some homework to do," she jokes. With Sirius, Remus and Peter close beside them, she lowers her voice so they don't overhear her next words, "don't worry too much."
Despite Lily's attempt to be quiet, Remus still heard what she said, though he hadn't been paying attention to the first part of their conversation. "Worry about what?"
Quick thinker that he was, James began to laugh. "Padfoot, obviously," he scoffs. Sirius turns around at the mention of his name. "Did you not see him and Marlene last night?"
Lily gives a genuine laugh when she sees the shocked expression on her friend's face. "You were both hilarious," she agrees. She goes to mock Sirius and Marlene by cuddling up to James, though she struggled to keep a straight face while doing so. However, at that moment, Peter coughed and looked towards the doors of the Great Hall. James and the rest of them turned around to see you, looking as though you were on the verge of tears. None of them were subtle about the way they watch you walking straight past them to the Ravenclaw table.
"Doesn't she usually sit with Lily?" Peter asks.
"Yeah. She does," Lily says.
You were talking to the same Ravenclaw girl James saw you with after the Quidditch match and it was only when you glanced back at them all that they stopped staring at you. Soon, you rose from the table and left the hall with your friend, laughing and looking a lot more cheerful than you had done when you had entered it. James had to resist the urge to bury his face in his hands. It figured his luck would turn after he finally started to think he stood a chance with you. Even Lily was worried. He knew this because as soon as you had left, she had run after you, probably curious as to why you had acted so strangely. Soon, he began questioning himself. He was James Potter for Merlin's sake, and it was certainly no secret that most of the girls in his year would gladly go out with him. So why did he have to fall so hard for the girl that didn't love him back? Aggressively pushing his plate away from him, he too stands to leave the hall, ignoring the shouts of Remus and Sirius. He remained oblivious and otherwise uncaring of all the eyes that followed him, simply allowing his feet to carry him away.
Over the next week, James tried to talk to you at every opportunity he got. But the only way he could ever get close to you was when he was with Lily, and even then, you completely ignored his existence. After he settled on the decision and told Lily, she suggested inviting a few people and then talking to her there. Reluctantly, he agreed and prepared himself for an anxious wait during the next few days.
Sirius was helping James pull a prank on Filch after Defense Against the Dark Arts. They had told both Peter and Remus to meet them in the Great Hall for dinner and went to retrieve the dungbombs and several other items from their dormitory. Once they had retrieved them, they split up; James was to create a diversion whilst Sirius actually carried out the prank. However, he became distracted when he saw Remus, of all people, talking to you and laughing. A wave of anger and jealousy surged through him, clenching his fists until they turned white until he remembered. He hadn't told anyone but Lily on how he felt about you, so it was unfair of him to get mad at Remus. He shakes his head, clearing the thoughts from his mind for now, and continues on his search for Filch.
Later that day, in Potions, he dragged Lily to the seat next to him, earning several puzzled looks from both his friends and the other students. "Y/N would tell you if she liked someone, right?"
"I'd hope so. She is my best friend," Lily answers.
"Well, has she said anything about Remus?"
Lily looked towards him and saw straight away that he was worried. "Why, what happened?"
"Nothing, really. I just see them spending a lot of time together, that's all." He tried to make it seem as though he wouldn't care if you did, but in reality, inside he felt the jealousy clawing back again, almost like a monster desperate to escape.
"No, she would've told me if she liked him," she said.
The jealousy in James calmed down at the confidence of her words and he nodded. Partially to Lily, and partly to himself. "Okay," he breathed. "Thanks, Lily."
It was the day of the 'small party', as Lily had put it and everyone except you had turned up. This had led to him drinking nearly three whole bottles of Firewhiskey and a small glass of Daisyroot Draught he had managed to get from the Hog's Head from his last visit to Hogsmeade. The whole time, he was nervously biting down on his bottom lip and he kept messing with his hair. It was fair to say that by the time you did arrive, James was very clearly drunk. Lily was the first to greet you when you came in, getting up and stumbling over to hug you. "Y/N! I thought you weren't going to come."
James laughs, "well, she would've been missing out on all the fun, right Evans?" When he catches you looking and smiling at him, he felt giddy and was about to ask you to sit next to him, when you went to sit next to Remus instead. From that point on, James was only vaguely aware of the conversations around him. Insisting to himself that he wasn't bothered by your choice to not sit next to him, he started messing and levitating certain objects around the room until Lily took his wand off him, claiming he was too drunk to be messing with magic. She was probably right.
"Spin the bottle anyone?" For James, your voice was much clearer than the rest, and he soon found himself sobering up slightly.
Lily had gone over to sit next to you, leaving James sat in-between Marlene and Peter. When he looked over, he saw you whispering to each other.
"So, I take it you like James then." Y/N asked.
Even in her drunken state, Lily realised this was her chance to see if she could find out how you felt about him. "I don't know," she shrugged. "He is great though, isn't he?" She prompted. Lily waited for your answer, hoping you would confess you liked him. But you only replied with an exasperated, "I guess so."
James hadn't heard this conversation, but Lily planned on telling him in the morning when they could actually talk coherently.
Peter grabbed the attention of everyone by giving a loud cough, and they began the game.
So far, James had only kissed Sirius due to the fact that he was last in the order they were going in and somehow, you had managed to have one of his turns. He had no idea how it had got muddled up, he could only say he wasn't very happy about it. You had kissed two out of three of his best friends, Moony and Padfoot, and he was almost certain they had been flirting with you all night. Finally, it was his turn again and he reached forward to spin the bottle. Time seemed to go on for an eternity as the glass rotated, at least for James. He was hoping it would land on you, so he would finally be able to kiss you. Instead, it landed on Lily, who was now going over to James. Honestly, he shouldn't have expected any different. The world had a way of giving him the exact opposite of whatever he wanted. Hoping they could quickly get the kiss over with, the two pressed their lips together, several cheers coming from the rest of them. He knew why. Almost everyone thought he had a crush on Lily. She was pretty and smart and just the type of girl James Potter would go for. How badly he wanted to correct them all. But he thought if he did, you would definitely hate him, and that was something he wasn't willing to risk. The kiss went on for longer than he intended, both his and Lily's minds clouded, unable to focus on the time or the people around them. Pulling apart after what had felt like hours, though in reality was only a minute, he found for the second time, that both you and Remus had gone. Cursing himself for his actions, he wondered if he would ever get used to your frequent disappearances.
*****Y/N'S PERSPECTIVE*****
Part of you felt guilty for leaving Remus alone when he was the only one to come after you, but you didn't want to be bothered by James anymore. You would just have to face the truth and accept it. You could've tried to cut him out of your life entirely, but that would mean losing Lily too and she was your best friend. Instead, you chose the alternative option; just be friends with him. Stop avoiding him and just pretend like you didn't care. So, that's what you did. During the next two weeks, you made an effort to talk to him again, even occasionally sitting next to him in Transfiguration whenever Marlene wanted to sit with Sirius. Some days, doubts weaved their way into your thoughts, convincing you that you were making a mistake; that you were only going to end up hurt. Rumours were going around about you, because how could a quiet, once barely known Ravenclaw girl become friends with one of the most popular people in Hogwarts. They couldn't really say much worse than that however, and so you learned to pay them no mind.
What you weren't expecting, was that James would begin to flirt with you. At first, you refused to let yourself believe it. You were just being a stupid girl with a crush and you were too childish to move on. But soon, it became apparent enough to even Remus. On the way down to Defense Against the Dark Arts was when he first mentioned it.
"You and James seem to be getting on okay."
You hummed, relishing in the warmth coming from the open archways of the castle. He seemed content enough with your silent answer, and usually you would've left it that way but for some reason, you felt the need to talk to someone about it. "I don't know. I still think he likes Lily."
Remus frowned. James was his best friend, but so were you and he hated when you were upset. "Prongs doesn't understand the implications of his actions sometimes, Y/N/N. I know I'm going to seem like a complete git when I say this, but just don't take everything he does seriously."
You were about to respond, telling him you had been telling yourself that already, when someone stepped in the middle of you and Remus, wrapping one arm around your shoulder. "You called?" Sirius said, attempting to impersonate a posh voice.
"No, we didn't Padfoot," Remus said, pushing his friends arm from around his shoulder as you did the same.
"You did. I heard my name," he defended, causing both you and Remus to laugh.
"Some variation of it, maybe," you said.
Sirius sighed, going around to walk next to Remus. You reached the classroom, the Professor already inviting the students inside. Remus was about to say goodbye to you, when he saw James, already sat with Lily. "I'll erm, see you after class, yeah Pads?"
Sirius looked slightly confused as he and Remus were usually partners in this class, but he knew Remus wouldn't do something without a reason. "Yeah, see you later Moony."
You of course, had noticed James with your best friend the moment you had entered the room. Perhaps that's what made it worse. The fact that James still talked to Lily, and as each day passed by, he appeared to be getting increasingly happier. For this, you were very thankful to Remus for staying with you. However, you knew he would try and talk to you about it and that was something you weren't really in the mood for. You started a new topic, hoping he would get the hint.
"Are you still going out with Rachel?"
"Yes," he answered. "Actually, I think we're going to the last Hogsmeade weekend together."
"Well, I'll be sure to keep Sirius well away from you this time," you chuckled, remembering when Remus told you about the first date he went on with her. Sirius had followed them and ended up causing a huge, albeit hilarious, disaster. Luckily, Rachel had taken it rather well and the Marauders had decided she was a keeper.
"Please do," he laughed.
At that moment, the Professor called on you, and when you weren't able to answer the question correctly, the two of you mutually agreed to remain in silence and instead focus on the remainder of the lesson.
*****JAMES' PERSPECTIVE*****
Remus was usually a peaceful person who avoided conflict wherever possible. At least, that's what James always thought about him, anyway. Point was, it took a lot to get him to confront someone. That's why when he entered the room, scowling and in a similar mood to that of which he had on the days prior to the full moon, James became instantly concerned for himself. It didn't help that it was late, either. Remus had obviously made himself stay up so he could have a conversation with him without anyone interrupting.
"Prongs, I need to talk to you," he said abrasively.
Inside, he felt more nervous than he had in a long time, though when he raised his head to look at his scarred friend, he ensured there was no trace of anxiousness in his words. "Sure, what is it?"
Remus squints, as though frustrated by the fact that James seemed to be so uncaring of what he was about to say. "It's about Lily and Y/N."
Well. James freezes. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't that. Remus must've found out about his feelings for you. And that one thought was able to unhinge James in seconds. What if Remus hated him for liking the girl he also liked? It wouldn't be unreasonable; Remus often thought that aside from his friends, there was nothing really that great about his life. And now, once Remus had finally found someone who would accept him for everything he was, James Potter was about to take it all away from him. For the first time in his life, James felt disgusted at himself. Who was he to destroy his best friend's happiness?
There was another worry in the back of his mind as well. What if you and Remus were already going out, and this was Remus telling him to stay away from you. Something that in that moment, felt virtually impossible.
But, it was none of those things. In fact, James might've said it was worse.
"You need to stop messing around with her," Remus said, his words harsh but also conveying a slight amount of remorse, though James was fairly confident that it wasn't for him. "Both of them, in fact."
James, however, was confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean stop making her think she's got a chance, James!" Remus said, his voice raised. "Surely you must know she loves you? She is one of my best friends, and it's not nice seeing her being unnecessarily hurt." It's clear you like Lily, so quit flirting with Y/N and acting like you don't."
It took a while for James to process everything his friend was saying, but he eventually understood. "Moony, mate. I don't like Lily like that."
"I don't care, James-." Remus hesitated. "Wait, what?"
James laughed. "I mean, she's a great friend and all, especially helping me talk to Y/N, but I haven't liked her like that since third year."
Remus paused for a moment, trying to remember the last time James had discussed his plan to get Lily to like him. But the problem was, he couldn't. Meanwhile, James was replaying the conversation over in his head, realisation dawning on him from something Remus had said. "Hang on.... Did you say Y/N loves me?"
"Obviously. Prongs you'd have to be blind to not see-. Oh fuck." Remus began to panic, quickly noticing his mistake. "Mate, please forget I said that," he pleaded.
But James was feeling too excited, his heart racing and finally feeling as though things were going his way. He cut Remus of mid-sentence. "What's the problem? You don't like her, do you?"
"No. No, of course not. She's just my friend," Remus assured him.
"Well, in case you hadn't noticed from this conversation, I like her and apparently she likes me back."
"Well, yes but-"
"Then shouldn't I just go find her and tell her?"
Remus considered everything for a moment. He didn't like you in that way, so James was right; there was no problem with that. As for you, well, you definitely liked James. According to what James had said, Lily would be happy for the both of them, not hurt like Remus had thought she would be. So, what was left to stop him?
"Just don't tell her I told you, okay?"
James simply nodded and ran out of the common room to find you.
*****Y/N'S PERSPECTIVE*****
Not for the first time, you woke up in the library, surrounded by piles of books and the light from the moon shining inside through the window. This usually happened whenever you were studying or stressed about one thing or another, but you couldn't help but wish Madame Pince would at least check the library was empty before leaving. Now your arms and neck ached from laying in an uncomfortable position. Groggily, you got up and began putting everything away, tripping over several things whilst doing it. You were too tired even, to hear the fast-approaching footsteps, gradually becoming louder and louder. As you placed the last book on the bookshelf, you turned around and bumped into someone. It was dark and your eyes were still half closed, but you could tell from the reflection from the glasses and the fluffy, unkept hair that the 'someone' you had collided with was none other than James himself.
The attempt to just stay friends with him and nothing more wasn't exactly working out in your favour. If anything, you would've said it only lead to you liking him even more. But you couldn't bring yourself to care anymore. Especially now, when he was grinning down at you like the adorable dork he was.
"Well, well. If it isn't my favourite eagle girl," he teased. "How unexpected it is to see you here."
"Some days I think you call me everything but my name because you've forgotten it," you mused.
"Have not!" He asserted.
You giggled, glad that it was dark enough so he wouldn't be able to see the blood rising to your cheeks.
"Who could forget a name as pretty as... wait, what's your name again?"
"You're a complete arsehole, James." You attempt to convey a serious tone but your attempt to hold back the smile threatening to break onto your face doesn't work for long.
"I know you love me really, Y/N," he smirks, stepping back so he could see your face more clearly.
You stumbled over your words, not sure if he was joking or not. Despite the smirk, it didn't feel like a playful comment. "Wha- who? I mean, yes but-"
He placed a finger on your lips, causing your breath to hitch and subsequently you fell silent. "A little birdie told me," he whispered.
Immediately, your face fell, and you wanted to curl up into yourself. You nodded, confirming his statement and preparing yourself for the rejection that was sure to come any second now.
"I love you too," he confesses.
Your eyes snap up to his hazel eyes, and you started wishing it was daytime. The only comparison you could think of for James' eyes was looking up between the trees and seeing the flecks of gold, green and brown. You had always found it to be very freeing. But even in the limited light you had at that moment, you're able to see they're sparkling with mischief but at the same time he's staring at you like no one has ever looked at you before. As though you were the center of his attention completely. It was such an overwhelming and pleasant feeling, but you couldn't help the disbelief that followed his words.
"But, you love Lily. Everyone knows that James."
He shakes his head, and proceeds to explain everything that had happened since he first saw you in the library with Lily. How the parties were just an excuse to talk to you, and that Lily was only telling him how to talk to you without making you feel uncomfortable. He apologised for the kiss with Lily, promising to never drink as much as he did that night ever again. All the way through his explanation, you listened intently, things slowly starting to make sense for you.
"And now we're here," he shrugged, finishing his story. "Kind of fitting it's in the place we first properly met."
"And you're sure this isn't some joke?" You ask.
"Two hundred percent."
"That's not a- never mind." He smiles at you and you can't help but smile back. His happiness was contagious to everyone around him.
"So. You love me." It's more of a statement than a question, but you nod anyway. "And I love you," he continues.
"Yeah?" You couldn’t help but ask. You doubted you would ever get bored of hearing James say those words to you.
"Yeah."
He leans in towards you, his hands wrapped around the small of your back and your foreheads resting against each other. You can feel the warmth of his breath and feel every blink, his eyelashes lightly brushing against yours. Somehow, you manage to form words, though they only come out in a whisper. "What're you doing?"
His lips brush against yours, and when he pulls away, you try to follow but James holds you back, chuckling. "Think of it as making up for lost time."
You smile. Finally, the boy you had liked was here with you, about to show you how much he liked you back.
Humming, you pull him back closer to you. "I think I can live with that."
OR . . . 5 TIMES EVERYONE THOUGHT JAMES WAS YOUR BOYFRIEND & THE ONE TIME YOU DIDN’T BOTHER TO CORRECT THEM
❤︎ c. yufan x reader
&&. friends to lovers. yearner bsf!james. non-idol au. mentions of parties + alcohol. brief mentions of violence + jealousy. fem-implied reader. can be read as a standalone fic, but is a continuation of hopelessly devoted requested by anonymous <3 all content is purely fictional !
-ˋˏ ✄┈ ONE
JAMES IS LATE. james was never late, not once since you’d known him. he was always five minutes early, annoyingly punctual even when you wish he wouldn’t be.
but today, james is late. and he’s not answering his phone, which is unlike him, so you finally get up from your chair and go downstairs to search the beyond-packed library for him.
when you come back up after the fruitless search, your friends have finally arrived. they’re mid laugh, sipping on some exorbitantly-colored boba drink, eyes widening when they see you come up the stairs.
megan nudges your shoulder, offering you a sip from her cup. “hey, tell your boyfriend thanks for the drinks!”
“my boyfriend?” you blink, blindly taking the drink she shoves into your hand. several of the others echo the thanks, but you’re stuck on the ‘boyfriend’ part another minute before james comes bustling in, balancing a pastry bag on top of a drink carrier full of the same beverage that’s currently in your hand.
he grins when he sees you, taking his wired headphones off his shoulder as he sets everything down. “hey! sorry i’m late, i saw your messages but my hands were kinda full.”
normally you’d crack a joke or tease him about his uncharacteristic tardiness, but you’re still thrown off by megan’s comment.
“i picked up that new drink they have at the cafe by my place, the one you said you wanted to try?” he continues, effortlessly passing around the drinks and pastries to your friends while he talks. “figured it’d be good study fuel, especially since you have all those exams coming up.”
“right, thanks!” you manage, your laugh coming out with a nervous tinge that makes you wince internally. james doesn’t seem to notice, tearing off a piece of his croissant for you to try. he holds the piece of bread to your mouth with that same easy smile, and you feel your cheeks heat up as you lean forward to bite it.
boyfriend…
“it’s good, right?” james insists, laughing at your mouth-full nod. as you sit back down, your eyes trace the lines of his whisker-dimples, the way his eyes close when he laughs. you keep staring from behind your laptop screen as he sets up his things, completely unaware of your unwavering gaze.
your boyfriend… what a concept.
-ˋˏ ✄┈ TWO
YOUR PHONE IS RINGING. you wince when you see your mother’s contact light up the screen. it’s been way too long since you called her, but exam season has you going absolutely insane.
“heeeyyy,” you greet, trying not to sound as guilty as you feel. (it’s not working).
“she’s alive!” your mother jokes, and you sigh as you fall back into the pillows on your bed.
“i’m so sorry, i promise i meant to call! it’s just with exams, i haven’t had any free time between studying and test prep, ugh, i feel like i’m losing my mind.”
“remember to keep taking care of yourself,” she chides, “don’t neglect your health just for some grades!”
“it’s not just grades, it’s my entire future.”
she clicks her tongue. “you’re too young to be worrying about your future. wait until your greys start to come in.”
“i’m going to put you on with my guidance counselors and see what they have to say about that.”
when she laughs, you do too.
“well,” she says, static crackling in your speaker, “how’s everything else? are you remembering to have fun and not just study? are you still seeing that guy?”
your nose wrinkles in confusion. “what guy?”
“the one you’re always talking about!”
“mom, the only guy i ever hang out with is james.”
“james! yes, that was it. you’re still together?”
“james and i are not dating,” you snort. “he’s my best friend.”
“you talk about him all the time. he drives you around, gets you coffee, takes you out to eat, he’s in every picture you send us!”
“that doesn’t mean we’re together,” you insist, rolling over on your side. true to your mother’s words, nearly every picture on the wall beside your bed is of you and james.
she gives a low hum, full of that motherly-knowing. “whatever you say, dear.”
she switches topics after that, but your mind lingers on her words from before, and your gaze on the photo wall.
-ˋˏ ✄┈ THREE
THE BIG ONE IS DONE. your ill-fated chemistry exam, the one you’d been studying for the entire last month, was finally over. you didn’t know how it turned out, but your chest felt lighter just getting the damn thing turned in.
you’d raced to james’ apartment, bypassing the knock and instead fumbling for the spare key he’d given you a few months back as you let yourself in.
“it’s over!” you yell, barging in after throwing the door open and tossing your book bag to the ground. “i’m free!”
an empty living room greets you. your lips pull into a pout. where was james for the celebratory hug and scream-cheering session? where was your sweet reward matcha latte and k-drama binge night?
you walk over to the calendar he keeps near the kitchen, every aspect of his schedule planned out in detail, complete with little spider-man doodles and positive manifestations.
hockey practice, tuesday 6pm.
great. you check the clock. 6:24 pm. he’d be gone at least another hour and a half if not more.
your mood sours just a little, but you move on to plan b. you go into james’ room, slide into whatever hoodie he’d left on his desk chair, and climb into his bed where you promptly fall asleep.
─────
james unlocks his door and heaves a great sigh, stretching his sore limbs after dropping his gym bag.
juhoon looks up from the couch, his eyes going wide at the volume of the subsequent groan james lets out.
“dude, you didn’t tell me your girlfriend was crashing here! keep it down, you’ll wake her.”
“girlfriend?”
juhoon gestures to where the door to james’ room is still open. you’re still fast asleep under his comforter, in his university hoodie, mouth open and snoring.
james covers his mouth to keep from laughing. when he drops it, a fond smile has taken over his face. juhoon gives him a knowing look.
“are you ever gonna ask her out?”
james shushes him immediately, shooing the younger boy off as he goes in the bedroom and closes the door behind him.
he approaches the bed, where you’ve shifted to curl up in the corner, one pillow clutched in your arms. he perches on the mattress beside you, and your stir at the movement.
your eyes open to find his smile, so wide his eyes are nearly closed. “good morning.”
you punch his arm weakly, speaking through a yawn. “i waited for you.”
“clearly,” he replies, scooting back on the bed to lean against the wall. “so how was the big exam?”
you shrug, sitting up a little. “won’t know until next week, but i’m just glad that thing is over.”
he laughs. “i’m sure you did great.”
“how was practice?” you ask, cheek smushed against the pillow.
“boring. coach made us run drills almost the entire time ‘cause some guys were late.”
his fingers idly brush the hair from your face. the touch is so casual, nothing different than normal, but it makes your heart leap in your chest.
you burrow deeper into the covers, tugging on his sleeve. “come nap with me.”
“you won’t sleep tonight,” james chides, but he’s still smiling.
“i can sleep for ten days after that exam,” you retort, continuously tugging at his sleeve. “come on.”
james lets you pull him down beside you, laughing when his back hits the mattress.
“you smell good.” you cuddle closer, ditching the pillow to clutch his arm to your chest instead.
“i showered at the gym.”
you hum, falling into comfortable silence, feeling the residual energy of his strong heartbeat so close to you.
“goodnight, jjami.”
“goodnight,” he answers, grabbing for his phone with his free hand. your eyes are already closed, so you don’t see the text from juhoon that james opens.
girl + friend = girlfriend
-ˋˏ ✄┈ FOUR
THE BEACH WAS PACKED. it had been full-house all day, the waves crashing and sun beating down even though it was barely a few weeks into spring.
your friend group had decided on a bonfire once the sun set, and you and james had run out to pick up s’mores supplies — except that when you returned, there was almost no place for you to sit.
your hair was still damp from the water, smelling of sunscreen and tanning oil, and you were in cutoff jean shorts and james’ hockey team hoodie. you’d just finished unloading the snacks and look up to him with a questioning glance.
your friends are caught up in the fire and the food, not a care in the world for your little seating issue. you could just sit in the sand, but then it was already getting cold and you’d have to worry about the embers flying in your eyes and such.
you stand around for a while, but nobody gets up. and then james, ever the gentleman, gestures for you to sit first on the tiny sliver of log that wasn’t taken. you grin, grabbing him by the shoulders and plopping him down before settling comfortably on his lap, legs thrown over his without a care.
his cheeks are warm, either from the proximity or the fire, but his hands are strong and steady around you.
the firelight glints off his copper eyes. “you okay?”
you nod, gaze returning to the fire. you squeeze his hands, locked around your middle to keep you in place against him. “never better.”
the laughter and conversation keeps coming, and so do the toasted marshmallows.
some especially toasty, in your case.
“holy shit!”
you blow frantically on the squishy thing to extinguish the flame, to no avail. you nearly tumble off james’ lap in all the commotion, but he takes the skewer from you with a smirk and blows it out in one breath.
you make playful cutting eyes at him, but he’s redeemed as he holds the stick steady while you assemble the s’more around the burnt confection.
james laughs when you present it to him proudly and obediently takes a bite.
“it’s good,” he says through a mouthful of graham cracker, and you snort as you take a bite yourself.
you’re so caught up with the smoky taste of the treat that you don’t notice the way james is looking at you.
what you do notice, however, is that across the circle your friends and pointing and whispering and giggling. you can tell it’s all in good nature, that they’re probably on about “how cute you and james are” like they have been for weeks now, but it doesn’t bother you even one bit.
they could think what they want. you were just happy to be there with james.
-ˋˏ ✄┈ FIVE
THE PARTY WAS IN FULL SWING. it was one of the few times you’d managed to drag james out of his apartment on a friday night, and you were enjoying every second of it — until he ran off.
(an exaggeration. he’d only wandered off to get you another drink, but he was taking longer than normal and you were starting to miss him).
you’re too busy wallflower-ing to notice the guy that comes up to you until he begins to speak, leaning in to be heard over the music.
“you look a little lonely.”
he’s handsome, tall, good smile. not james, but still handsome.
“just waiting for a drink,” you reply coyly, nearly shouting as well. he holds up his cup, but you shake your head. “no thanks.”
“suit yourself,” he winks, taking another swig. “so, you having fun?”
“music could be better,” you admit. “but it’s a good time. you?”
he starts to answer but trails off when a pair of strong arms encircle your waist. you feel the familiar warmth and steadiness of james’ chest against your back, the sharp line of his chin settling on your shoulder.
the guy — the poor guy who hadn’t even gotten the chance to introduce himself — starts to back away.
“my bad,” he says, lifting his drink in salute. “didn’t know you were taken.”
james doesn’t say anything, just stares with that stone-cold gaze, and you’re too flustered to speak up either. the guy turns and leaves without another word, and you finally get up the bearings to pull away and shove james in the chest.
“you’re always scaring guys off from me!” you complain.
he barely budges from your actions, his eyes still fixed on the other guy’s retreating back. “i didn’t like the way he was looking at you.”
“he didn’t even get a chance to look at me!”
“he wasn’t good enough,” james insists, leaning back against the wall.
you roll your eyes. “you say that about every guy.”
“it’s true about every guy,” he shrugs. he offers the can to you, taking it upon himself to fix up the little details in your outfit as you take a sip. he fixes a stray strand of hair, adjusts the strap on your top, tugs down at your skirt to ensure full coverage. he’s like a helicopter-best-friend. “and what was that with the drink? that’s dangerous.”
“i didn’t take it,” you huff. “i can look after myself.”
“i know you can,” he says. “but what’s wrong with letting someone help out?”
you huff again, but you don’t say anything else. you don’t want to ruin the night arguing, especially when you know he has the best intentions and went out of his way to come with you tonight.
“let’s just…enjoy the party, okay?”
james gives a resolute nod. “i can do that. you want to dance?”
that gets a smile out of you. “let’s do it!”
─────
it’s not like james to leave you alone, especially anywhere as crowded as this party. but the car was parked far down the dark street, and it was getting later and colder, and you insisted you’d be fine waiting on the porch while he went to go get it.
he shouldn’t have left you.
because when he pulls up to the driveway, ready to get out and walk you back to the car, there’s somebody in his place by your side.
it’s a different guy this time. bigger, stupider, and clearly not backing off.
you’re against a corner, smile stretched uncomfortably tight. your knuckles are paling around the can in your hand.
then the guy leans in, way too close for comfort, and you smile drops completely.
james sees the way your pupils dilate with panic, the way you try to duck away from the contact, and he explodes like a firecracker out of the car, keys still swinging from the ignition.
you yelp when the douchebag in front of you is yanked backwards, hands clapping over your mouth when you see james appear behind him and then—
WHAM!
his fist cracks against the guy’s jaw with scary precision.
shouts erupt from the partygoers who’d spilled outside, watching the fight break out.
you watch in horror as james shakes out his hand, easily ducking the retaliation punch the other guy swings out of instinct.
“what the fuck is your problem?!” the guy yells, advancing, but james is too quick. he shoves him again, eyes burning with rage, but a group of frat guys gets between them before things escalate even more.
“stay the fuck away from her!” he yells as the partygoers push him back towards the car.
james almost never curses. he never gets in fights. and he certainly doesn’t get into fights over you.
“what the hell were you thinking?!” you demand, anger rising in your voice. the fury vanishes from his eyes as soon as james looks at you, his gaze softening but eyes still wide with shock when you shove him in the chest too.
“i— i was—”
“are you insane?! you could’ve gotten hurt!”
your clenched hands fall weakly against him, your arms having begun to shake already. your vision is going blurry with tears and your resolve gives out, anger giving way to the fear and panic from before.
when you collapse forward into his arms, you’ve already started to cry. your arms clutch tight to his back, fists balled into his jacket as your shoulders shake.
“i’m sorry,” james murmurs quickly, one hand cradling the back of your head and the other tight around your waist. “i won’t do it again. i just didn’t want you to get hurt, and i was worried, and i saw him lean in like that and i just lost it—”
“thank you,” you whisper, and he falls silent. his arms wrap around you even tighter, and it’s like he’s the only thing holding you together when it feels like you’re falling apart.
the party rages on behind you, the fight long forgotten, but james keeps you wrapped up in his arms as he leads you back to the car.
he may not be your boyfriend, not exactly, but he sure as hell won’t let anything happen to you. not while he’s around. not on his life.
-ˋˏ ✄┈ THE ONE
SHE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING. not really, anyway.
it wasn’t a crime to sit too close, or to touch his arm while apologizing for nearly spilling her drink on him (even though the cup was miles from touching him), or to sneak less-than-subtle glances out of the corner of her eye.
she wasn’t the first one, and something told you she wouldn’t be the last. and that wouldn’t have bothered you normally, but this time you can’t escape the deep ache in your gut.
because it’s james. your james — sweet, oblivious james who had no idea he was being hit on and subsequently no idea why you were absolutely pissed.
except he’s not yours, which you had to remind yourself of, and had only served to further sour your mood.
that, james noticed.
what he didn’t notice was when he went to get his jacket after you told him with flushed cheeks and a delicate scowl, that you wanted to go — was that the girl apologized to you for not realizing he was your boyfriend. and you didn’t say one word to the contrary.
he just took your hand as you walked out like nothing had happened.
the fresh air feels good on your face, hot from anger and embarrassment and some guilt you were trying hard to push down.
“is everything okay?” james asks, ever thoughtful, ever patient. his pace matches yours, though with his longer legs it takes him half the effort — whereas you’re walking like you’re trying to run away from something.
“i’m fine,” you reply unconvincingly, arms crossed over your chest as your shoes knock against the pavement. you don’t look at him when you speak. you can’t. he’d see right through you.
james doesn’t press the issue. he just drapes his jacket over your shoulders, opens the car door for you, and takes you home.
when you get in the door, he stops you in the entryway. “you sure you’re okay?” his hands find your cheeks, hot under his touch as he smoothes the hair back from your face. “you didn’t have too much to drink? you’re all flushed.”
there’s no malice or judgement in his tone. just warm concern, and a hint of exasperated fondness underneath it. it does nothing to help your state.
“i told you i’m fine!” you insist, pulling back even though your body yearns for his touch. it’s true, your burning jealousy hadn’t allowed for much drinking. you weren’t exactly in a festive mood, then or now.
you go to the kitchen to get a glass of water, hoping for some reprieve to this ugly feeling. a soft quiet settles, the tension bleeding from the room as the frenzy subsides.
james sinks into the couch, just as home at your place as his.
you walk over slowly, dreading the question before it even leaves your mouth.
“james, can i ask you something?”
not jjami. uh oh, it’s serious.
he sits up straighter. “yeah, of course.”
“what are we?”
the questions hangs in the air a while before he can muster the breath to reply. “what do you mean?”
“i mean…you act like my boyfriend. everyone around us is convinced we’re madly in love. and…you look at me like…” you trail off, unsure of how to continue. “like that,” you reply helplessly, gesturing to his face. to his brown eyes, soft like melting copper in that way he only ever looks at you.
“so…so what are we?”
james swallows hard. “whatever you want us to be.”
“what do you want?”
his response is breathless, immediate. “you.”
that surprises you. it shouldn’t, but it does. by now, his fingers have laced into yours and you’re having trouble focusing.
“you…what?”
“i was scared it was obvious.”
“i…” it was. to everyone else, and maybe even to you too. but you were too scared to put your eggs in one basket, to let yourself think it was anything more than it was. “i don’t know.”
it’s too much. too many possibilities, too much change. you’d never been good at change. the only reason you could ever stand it was with james by your side. but now it’s different. now, the change is between you.
“that’s okay,” he says, quickly, softly. “you don’t have to know anything. we can pretend nothing happened. it’s still me.”
“it’s not that,” you whisper back. “it’s just…”
you’re flustered again, almost too embarrassed to bring it up. too late now.
“just what?” he asks gently. his hands are still warm in yours.
“those girls!” you burst out before you can stop yourself. you fight the urge to clap your hands over your mouth, mortified by the outburst.
james blinks. “what girls?”
you drag your hands over your face, your cheeks warm under the touch. “james, you can’t possibly be that blind.”
“from the party?”
“yes, from the party! they couldn’t have been more obvious!”
his only answer is a puzzled glance. you’d be infuriated if he wasn’t so beautiful.
“and it’s not just them, james,” you sigh, pressure building behind your eyes. “it’s every girl that passes you by, the baristas that put hearts on your cups, the gym receptionist that giggles when you say ‘good morning’, it’s everyone!”
“are you…you’re jealous?”
like it’s just dawning on him.
your face burns. “maybe.”
it takes a moment for him to reply — and to wipe the tiny smile off his face and get serious.
“i don’t see other girls. i mean, i see them with my eyes, but not…not with my heart.” he’s pulling you in with every word, like you were made to be in his arms. “you’re the only one i feel when i’m around you. my heart only beats for you.”
god, you could die. your heart thumps pathetically against your ribs like it’s about to combust. you wouldn’t be surprised if it did.
“you’re going to kill me,” you whisper, close enough now that your nose is practically touching his.
“not before i get a chance to kiss you,” he murmurs back, the ghost of a laugh escaping him as he pulls you in, in, in even closer, until you’re practically in his lap.
you could die. your hands are squeezing his shoulders for purchase so tight you’re sure it’s painful, but there’s nothing in his eyes but bliss.
“so…can i?”
his thumbs are tracing circles around the skin exposed on your waist where he’s shirt’s ridden up. you’re having trouble even following his words. “what?”
“kiss you,” he replies, like it’s the simplest thing in the world.
it’s all you can do to nod shakily, and then you can’t even think at all.
it’s like fireworks exploding. it’s the kind of kiss where if you were in a movie, some grand piano and strings theme would be playing, and the audience would be cheering, and the screen would turn pink and red with flower petals.
but it’s more than a blown-out fantasy. because it’s james, which means that it’s real.
the warmth of his body under you is real. the smoothness of his skin, the soft hair on the back of his neck beneath your fingers is real. his lips on yours, the way his lashes flutter against his cheeks when he kisses you — it’s all real.
and it’s better than you ever imagined. because it’s james. your james.
then, now, and probably forever.
💭 — i really hope the anon who requested this finds it!! <3 thank you so much for the ideas and inspo, 100% of the cred belongs to ur beautiful brain. i think it really came together and i hope you enjoy reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it!!
pushed my love aside, ooh, hopelessly devoted (to you)
˙✦ z. yufan x f!reader
alternatively titled: “life of a party girl.”
&&. where you are a bit sick from alcohol and james is a lot sick from love <3 fluff. intoxicated reader. yearner best friend!james. pre-relationship. college au. continuation
all content is purely fictional !
james was never really one to go out. he’d make an appearance at the occasional party — mostly when you dragged him out — but for the most part he was content to spend his friday nights getting dinner with friends and then turning in semi-early to watch k-dramas with his family when he was home for the weekend or read a book in the peace and quiet of his dorm on campus — which was exactly what he was doing when his doorbell rang about two minutes ago.
now, he’s standing at the door watching your friends giggle and hold each other up. you’re at the center, like always, and barely able to stand on your own two feet or wipe that grin off your face.
his arms open immediately without a second thought when they gently nudge you forward, wrapping around you with careful but firm strength as he props you up against his body.
“couldn’t get her home,” they manage through drunken giggles, “she didn’t wanna go ‘nywhere else.”
your friends begin to imitate the way you’d drunkenly chirped his name earlier, their giggles escalate to raucous laughter that has james feeling sympathy for his neighbors who surely hate him right about now.
“thanks for bringing her back safe,” he says, ever the gentleman even if he’s cringing a bit internally at the interactions that are sure to await him tomorrow. still, even at his neighbors’ expense, it’s better you’re here safe than waking up alone in your dorm extremely hungover.
your friends linger another moment and james stands there, waiting with you in his arms. his eyebrows raise in the slightest, but they just giggle some more and smile at him knowingly without saying a word. he’s sure there’s some reason for it, but at that exact moment you begin to lean forward against him as your legs start to falter from exhaustion. as much as he’d love to find out what the big secret was, he has bigger things to worry about — like keeping you from falling over.
james flashes an apologetic smile. “ah, sorry, i gotta get her to bed. you guys get home safe, okay?”
he waits another moment, just until they’re safely on their way, to close the door and half-lead, half-carry you to his bedroom.
he listens to you yap on about your night while he sits you down on the bed to remove your makeup and clean up your face. he waits patiently with his back turned to let you change haphazardly into the pajamas he’d lent you so many times before (his old, faded blur shirt and sweatpants he’d outgrown). and by then your eyes are barely open and your yawns are stretching your flushed face and the entire time he has to bite his lip to keep from beaming at how, even falling-over-drunk, you are definitively the most adorable person he’s ever known.
you’re already laying back against his plush pillows when he turns back around after you’re done. james huffs out a fond laugh as he leans over you to tuck the duvet up to cover you.
“went a little overboard, huh?”
you shake your head, nuzzling your face further into the pillow.
“mm-mm.”
“no?” he teases. “you couldn’t even get home.”
“didn’t wanna. missed you the whole time i was out.”
you yawn again and james thinks he could die from how cute you are. he settles in on your other side, leaning back against the headboard. you gravitate to him like a magnet, burrowing into his side with your head practically in his lap. he sweeps the hair from your eyes, touch lingering on your face. your skin is warm under his fingers.
your eyes are closed now. james thinks you’ve fallen asleep until you murmur the softest, barely-there, “love you, jjami.”
god, if only you knew.
james is your best friend. james has also been in love with you for probably the majority of the time he’s been your best friend. but for now, he’s content to sit by you and brush his fingers through your hair while you fall asleep in his lap, having you safe here in his bed resting easy beside him.
he’ll tell you another time. (perhaps one when you weren’t half-asleep and too many drinks in). right now, this is enough. you are enough for him, always.
tumblr user mytwinsung try not to post james chao every day challenge level impossible 🌝 <3
