"hey... you know jangjun's been flirting with you this entire trip, right?"
joochan has settled onto the steps next to you, half-leaned forward as he tries to keep this between the two of you. you look at him over the rim of your sunglasses, glancing for just a second to where jangjun is getting ready to chop firewood. you realize way too quickly that joochan is entirely serious.
"what? no." you look at jangjun again, watching the over-exaggerated way he stretches, only to drop the act immediately when he sees he's caught your eye. he waves, you wave back, and your eyes meets the very unimpressed ones of joochan. "he's just being jangjun."
"really." his voice is flat and slightly annoyed. "he's been making a fool of himself all week."
"isn't that just jangjun?" you can't hide your smile, though: you like jangjun and how funny he is. but jangjun? flirting with you? you can't see it.
"he literally dedicated our meal to you last night--"
whatever joochan says next, you don't hear because you've caught the sight of jangjun with an axe in hand. with a swift swing, he splits the wood all too easily, and your heart leaps into your throat. joochan looks between the two of you for a moment, noticing that proud smile on jangjun's face that says he's succeeded in what he set out to do.
this is hopeless. you're both idiots. joochan gets up to leave you, and barely seconds later he can hear jangjun flirting with you again ("hey... you come here often?" "jangjun, we're literally on vacation together..."), and he fights the urge to roll his eyes. it'll take locking you two idiots in a room together for you to realize anything.
(maybe that'll be his next move. jangjun just did the fake "yawn and stretch and put-arm-around-other-person" trick and you're eating it up without a second thought. he'd rather you two be insufferable together than as oblivious idiots.)
✧ Golden Child Jangjun x gn!reader
✧ words: ~2.1k
✧ genre: fluff, a bit of angst, mutual pining, coffeeshop AU
✧ warnings: none
Desc.: You’ve been falling for your coworker Jangjun ever since you started working at the same coffee shop as him, thinking he feels the same about you. However, when one day you finally notice how he’s flirtatious around everyone he talks to, all your hopes are crushed to the ground.
You were naive. When you thought for a second that maybe the way he talked to you meant he was interested in you, you were simply naive.
“He’s like that with everyone,” your coworker’s words are still ringing in your ears as you watch him talk to a couple of customers, two young women who are very much flustered and charmed by his smile, “a lot of customers come here just to see him.” He’s the type of guy who’s naturally flirty, they say. You’ve heard that he hasn’t had a partner in a long while, though, and even though he seems to regularly have both girls and guys alike asking him out on dates, he’s somehow turned down all of them. Maybe he has a policy not to cross that line with a customer of the coffee shop where you both work, or maybe he’s simply not interested in a relationship.
Either way, that piercing feeling in your chest just won’t go away everytime you see him now. Probably due to you not realizing at first that he flirts like this with everyone, you felt your heart beating faster whenever you saw him. Now that reality has hit, your heart still won’t calm down. Instead, there is another layer of emotion accompanying what can only be the budding of a new crush: rejection.
You tear yourself out of your thoughts that seem to always return to him in the end, and you straighten your back, ready to redirect your focus on work as you see a young couple walking into the shop. They’re holding hands and the way they both smile shyly as they quickly discuss what to order makes you think they haven’t been dating for long.
And it also makes you jealous. Another glance over at Jangjun, who’s returning from a table to the far left of the shop, and you can’t stop yourself from wondering what it would feel like to hold his hand like that.
“An Oreo-frappuccino, please,” the guy who’s not much taller than his girlfriend says. “And for me a pumpkin latte.”
“We’re all out of that today, sorry,” you say, adding for clarification, “the pumpkin latte.”
“Oh.” The guy thinks for a short while, then he says, “Then the same as her, please.”
“Two Oreo-frappuccinos, coming right up.” You watch as they pay for their beverages, noticing a bunch of customers entering the coffee shop and approaching you. Just as you think to yourself that you’ll have to hurry up with making the drinks, you find that Jangjun has already started preparing them for you. You raise your eyebrows at him, when he smiles at you and your heart involuntarily skips a beat.
“I’m on it,” he says. “You can leave the drinks to me.” And so you simply nod, because words fail you while you’re trying to suppress all the conflicting feelings about to overwhelm you, and you return to the counter to take the next customer’s order.
Your afternoons and evenings working at the shop pass just like that. You’re always simultaneously a little too close and a little too far away from him, while he always remains his usual cheerful, helpful self. Sometimes when you have a few minutes to yourself, you catch yourself observing him from afar - you can’t help but marvel at the way he has seemingly any customer wrapped around his finger in no time. The way he smiles, teeth showing and creases appearing next to his eyes, staying polite but still charming enough to have all eyes in the room drawn to him. You too can barely peel your gaze off of him, even though you know you shouldn’t be out here, pining over your coworker this obviously. But he doesn’t seem to notice, because even when he does catch you staring, he simply shoots you yet another one of those smiles that have burned themselves into your mind and keep you awake at night with a fast beating heart, and then he moves on with his work.
“Y/N!” you hear his voice calling out to you just as you’re about to leave the shop in order to return home late at night. Your shift finally being over, you look forward to a hot shower and some food, but his words make you stop in your tracks immediately anyway. You throw him a look over your shoulder, feeling nervous as it’s just the two of you left in here, and he quickly comes running towards you. “I’m sorry to ask this of you, but… can you help me lock up today?” You raise your eyebrows at him questioningly - usually there’s not much to do except for sweeping the floors and making sure everything’s clean and prepared for the morning shift, and normally Jangjun does all that work by himself. However, you decide not to question it, and instead you’re simply thankful that you get to spend a few more minutes with him.
“Sure,” you say, and he lets out a breath of relief.
“You’re a lifesaver, really,” he says, reaching for your hand without thinking and squeezing it tightly in his. “One of the boxes got messed up during delivery, and now there’s kind of a mess everywhere…” You walk to the back of the shop together, and when you see the puddle of syrup on the floor, you sigh. The sticky liquid has spilled under one of the shelves in the storage, and there’s no way to figure out where it’s coming from by just looking at the cardboard boxes once.
“So we have to open and check all of these?” you ask and he nods.
“I’m afraid so…” He runs his fingers through his hair in frustration once, before adding, “And I thought I’d be home early for once.” Hearing his words, you feel the need to find the culprit quickly, not wanting this to keep him here for longer than necessary.
“Let’s start by taking all of them out,” you say. “If we check the bottom of the boxes, we’ll probably find the one with the broken bottle quickly.”
“You’re right,” he agrees, and he’s already reaching for the first heavy-looking box. Fetching a cutter knife from around the corner real quick, you open every box that has a stain of the sticky syrup, until eventually you find the right one. Carefully taking out the broken plastic bottle, you dispose of it together. Now all that’s left to do is cleaning up the sticky mess on the floor, and sorting the wares from the stained boxes into the shelf.
When you’re done, it’s almost an hour later, and a look at the clock hanging above the entrance to the storage room makes you sigh.
“Sorry for taking so long,” you apologize - though you know it couldn’t have been helped.
“No, no,” Jangjun immediately cuts you off, and he looks away as he continues, “We were a lot faster thanks to you, so… thank you for staying behind with me.”
“Of course,” you answer, and then you add with a laugh, “I couldn’t have left you here all by yourself.” He looks up, his surprised gaze almost piercing through you, and you let out a gasp you hope he doesn’t notice.
“Y/N,” he then calls out your name again, and you gulp at the way the feelings rush through you.
“What?” Jangjun comes closer, until there’s only an arm’s length of distance between you. At this point you’re starting to panic - what if he’s finally going to call you out on the way you always have your eyes glued to him? What if he’s gonna tell you to just give up on him? You know how stupid you are for having feelings for him, and if you knew how to stop them, you would.
You hold your breath for a few seconds as he sighs, his gaze wandering from you to the floor, as if he was searching for the right words to say.
“Why did you give up?”
“Huh?”
“I mean…” he clears his throat, letting out a tense laugh as he realizes how dramatic he must’ve sounded just now. “I mean, why are you keeping your distance from me? Did I do something to upset you?”
“I-” You’re still speechless, and so you’re glad when Jangjun immediately keeps talking,
“I just-… Please forget about this if I’m wrong, but… I thought you liked me.” Your heart is racing at this point, and from the way his expression has grown serious, you’re not sure if you should be happy about the fact that he’s bringing this up or not.
“I… I do…” you eventually admit, telling yourself that maybe if you confess and get rejected properly, you would find a way to move on. However, the guy in front of you seems to have no such plans.
“Then why are you suddenly avoiding me?”
“What…?”
“I mean, you used to talk to me a lot, and then suddenly all I get are stares from across the room,” he says, and it makes you feel embarrassed. “What’s that about? I thought we were on the same page.”
“On the…?” You attempt to collect yourself as you take a deep breath. Should you really tell him the truth?
“I like you, Y/N,” he continues talking, laying bare his feelings as if he had not a single fear of getting hurt in the process, and you’d have to be lying if you said it didn’t make you admire him.
“You… like me?” you repeat, and Jangjun lets out an exasperated laugh.
“Yes! I thought I made that obvious…”
“But… but you flirt with everyone like that…”
“Huh?” There’s a surprised expression on his face now. Was he not aware of the way he talks to people?
“Someone said you talk to everyone like that, so I thought… I was just imagining things and I felt really stupid about it…” you admit, feeling ashamed of how naive you were.
“Y/N, look at me.” You do as he says, and when you find nothing but sincerity behind his eyes, you’re suddenly starting to feel like maybe you weren’t naive at all. “I like talking to people. I like making them laugh and making them happy. And yes, maybe it all comes across as me flirting, but… I swear to you, I’ve never looked at any of those people the way I look at you. And I haven’t felt about anyone the way I feel about you in a long while either.”
“That means…?”
“I like you, Y/N,” he says. “That’s what it means.” You stare at him blankly for a moment, while his sudden confession is still sinking in, and then you start smiling. You reach out to wrap your fingers around his hands, and when you look up again, you can see that his ears have turned a deep shade of red. Suddenly there’s a big grin creeping onto your lips, and you feel both stupid for not having noticed the way you affect him sooner, but also happy that you finally know.
“Jangjun,” you say his name, and he gulps. Despite him being the nervous one now, he does his best to seem calm.
“What?”
“Can I kiss you?” You understand that your request could come off as too bold and out of the blue, but the idea that he could refuse doesn’t even cross your mind. And instead of waiting for you to take the initiative, he’s quick to wrap his arms around your waist, stumbling forward a few steps with you in his embrace until your shoulders hit the nearest wall, and before you can realize what’s happening, you already feel his lips on yours. Warmth spreads in your chest as he kisses you, and you’re overwhelmed by the way he moves his lips against yours with need - as if he couldn’t have lived another day without it. Your hands find their way to his back, where you grab onto the fabric of his shirt, tugging at it as you give yourself up to his kiss.
You don’t expect him to run his tongue across your lips, eventually deepening the kiss - especially not considering that this is your first kiss with him. But somehow you don’t mind, because as much as he’s rushing into this with you, his every touch is still careful in a way, and you feel yourself melting against him.
When you part, both of you need some time to catch your breath. And now that you’re standing right in front of him, his arms still wrapped around your body, and your hands still holding onto him, you can see it clearly. The way he looks at you is different from how you’ve seen him look at everyone else, and though thinking about how you haven’t noticed it until now leaves a bitter aftertaste in your mouth, it gets washed away with sweetness as soon as your lips connect again.
henlo my beloved ursa!! i hope ur doing well 💕 if you still wanna do the first kiss prompt: baby blue and jangjun golcha? he is. admittedly in my thoughts too often nowadays 😳 (get him out of there)
[the antithesis of tranquility] Lee Jangjun is talking.
Lee Jangjun is always talking.
And it's no surprise to you, of course, not after all these years in which you've known him as the guy who never stops talking.
It's weird, though. Seungmin -- after Jangjun introduced you to his friends and then fucked off to do something stupid with Joochan while the rest of you watched -- helpfully informed you that, yes, Jangjun talks a lot...
...but only when you're around.
Sure, he's the life of the party in any social situation -- you can't remember the last time you had to put yourself out there without Jangjun by your side loudly proclaiming every good thing about you to anyone who'd bother to listen. (You hate when he does that, but you also take pride in his sincere compliments. He'd never say them straight to your face, so you've never told him to shut up, even though, in the moment, you often feel like burning yourself at the stake.) Any sort of situation in which he's around people he doesn't know, he'll know them soon enough. You're pretty sure everyone you've met since forcefully osmosis-ing yourself into their friend group has gone, "Oh, Lee Jangjun? I know that guy."
Except the thing is: Seungmin says Jangjun is actually a rather quiet dude.
You think it's bonkers, really, to want to live with nine other guys in the same house. Jangjun says the rent is killer (positive) when they all split it up, but you seriously can't believe the idea of two and a half bathrooms working between all of them. Not to mention the Watermelon Rind Incident of August 2022, in which only you sided with your newly proclaimed favourite of the house, Donghyun.
(Jangjun whined for three whole hours until you told him that, fine, he's tied for first place.)
Anyhow, despite living with a bunch of guys who are shockingly (and yet you're surprisingly unsurprised) capable of keeping up with Jangjun in terms of the volume you've borne witness to, Seungmin assures you that Jangjun tends to zip those lips of his whenever he's alone.
Seungmin actually said whenever he's not around you, but you don't think that makes much sense.
"You make him nervous," Seungmin teased one day, while you watched Jangjun laugh at Jaehyun, who was chasing Jibeom down the street for unknown reasons.
"Nervous about what?" you asked, but Seungmin just shrugged and smiled. He's annoying that way.
But now, while Jangjun rambles on and on in the space just outside of your front door, you think you get it.
He came running to your place on one of the grossest days of the year (it rained but it's also unbearably hot, which is so messed up, by the way) to make sure he caught you before you left for your blind date. He hasn't said a word (aside from hundreds of dumb, unrelated ones) about why he'd try to catch you before leaving, but that's not the problem.
You're not going on a date. You're headed out to watch your favourite guilty-pleasure feel-good movie at the old Selenite theatre, the one with only two showings rooms and unaffordable popcorn. Sure, you might call it a treat-yo-self date, but whatever this blind date shit he's spewing at you is so wrong you don't even know what to say as your brain shifts the puzzle into completion like an all-green rubiks cube.
Jangjun ran to your place through the hell-combination of rainstorm and heatwave because some shit-stirrer in his house (you suspect someone born in 1999...) told him you were bringing a date to your one-person party.
In other words;
Jangjun likes you.
"--and, I'm just saying, what about Saturday crossword competition day! We haven't done that in forever and you promised we could do it this weekend, I, uh-- I'm pretty sure!" He's grasping at straws, straight up gaslighting you into thinking you made plans for today when you know you were planning on kicking his ass at crosswords tomorrow, when the big bad Sunday edition comes out. "I haven't done the past week of crosswords just so we could do them together." You're pretty sure he doesn't do crosswords unless you're there, anyway. "And-- and Sungyoon made his famous cookies last night! You want them to just go to waste? All his hard work? You'd break his little ol' fragile ol' heart, shatter it into a million pieces. You want to ditch Sungyoon's cookies -- ditch our crossword coliseum? Oh! Oh! Jail for you! Jail for you for one thousand--!"
So you do the only thing you can think of to shut him up. You plant your lips on his, and smile at the sweet sweet sensation of utter silence.
(You suppose his lips pressing eagerly back onto yours is nice too. And his hands on your cheeks. And the fact that he's stupid crazy in love with you.)
((Later, when you drag Jangjun to the theatre you assure him you were planning on going to alone, you accidentally glance at his phone, where he's sent twenty or so frantic messages to Sungyoon. He needs him to make some cookies ASAP.))
hiii happy 5 year anniversary!! can i request golcha jangjun w like… idk how to explain it other than farm boy jangjun au? hes so outdoorsy i just think about farm boy jangjun working on his family’s farm and falling for city person reader lol hallmark movie-esque if tht makes sense?? if not, then no biggie! have a good day 💕
hey anon!! this is a really cute idea but unfortunately I haven't watched many hallmark movies in my lifetime so I hope this still does your idea justice? thanks for the request, and have a good day too!
5 year anniversary drabble game: send me a Stray Kids/TXT/Golden Child/Ateez/The Boyz member + a prompt (check out the post for ideas) and I’ll write a drabble for you!
REQUESTS OPEN!!
~
Title: Reminiscence
Pairing: Jangjun x gender neutral!reader
Word count: 1.1k
Warnings: cursing
~
“Oh my god.”
Jangjun turns around as you lift up your foot, staring at the brown stuff you can now see smushed across the bottom of your shoe. “Jangjun, this is cow shit.”
“... And?”
“This is cow shit,” you repeat like that’ll make the reality any better. It won't and you know that but there is cow shit on your shoe and maybe, just maybe, saying it enough times will erase it. “Cow shit, Jangjun.”
“And we’re in the country,” Jangjun retorts, his grin as wide as ever. For all you agreed to visit home with him, you really have to fight the urge to punch him in the nose and start wrestling with him like when you were children. “Come on, Y/N, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your roots so quickly.”
“Yeah, well, there were reasons I decided I wanted to pull up my fucking roots and leave,” you grumble, dragging the bottom of your shoe through the grass. Maybe that’ll get some of it off. “Like cow shit.”
Among a host of other things, but there’s no need to get into more of that right now.
Jangjun snorts, mocking the way you’re scrubbing your shoe along the ground. “Don’t tell me you’ve gotten too used to your pretty little cities and immaculate clean buildings to return to the old grassy countryside.”
You fix him with a gimlet eye. “You want me to show you just how much wrestling I remember from the old days?”
“But you’ll get unholy cow shit all over your clothes.” Jangjun pouts exaggeratedly and this time, you don’t stop yourself from punching him in the arm. “Ow!”
“Deserved,” you snap, even as a smile grows on your face. “Now hurry up and show me what you wanted me to see. If I don’t get to scrub my shoe off soon, I’m going to wipe it on your shirt.”
. . . . .
Jangjun leads you into the woods behind his house, chattering about everything and nothing all at once as he smiles his wide smile and drags you along the beaten path. You respond in kind, snickering at his jokes and punching him where appropriate, at least until you notice you’ve been off the path for quite some while.
“Hey, what the fuck? We’re not following the path anymore?” you ask, stopping short. “Where are you taking me?”
He rolls his eyes. “Relax, Y/N. Trust me, I’m not going to murder you in the forest, that’s too cliche.”
“You’re not helping your case at all,” you grumble. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see!” When you don’t move, he turns the pout on. “Oh, come on, it won’t be a surprise if I tell you now.”
Warily, you look at the trees, at Jangjun, then back in the direction of the path you left behind. After so many years in the city, you don’t trust your footing here, but Jangjun’s been at home a lot longer than you have. And they’re his woods.
He doesn’t really strike you as having turned into a serial killing maniac over the past few years either, which is helpful in your ultimate decision.
With a loud sigh, you tromp through grass and leaves to meet him. “Fine,” you say, pinching his arm. His loud screech makes you laugh. “Lead the way, stupid.”
It almost feels like you’re children again, wandering the woods behind each other’s houses, playing explorers as you march through the trees. Your hushed words and laughs echo in the still air glimmering with the afternoon sun, light dappling through the leaves onto the grassy forest floor. As Jangjun takes you deeper into the trees, you find yourself holding his hand the way you did when you were kids and then teenagers, letting him pull you along on this latest adventure.
(And when you register that your fingers have been intertwined for a while, the realization doesn’t feel as weird as you thought it would.)
Eventually, Janjun leads you to a small clearing, trees ringing a patch of soft, green grass. “Remember when we got lost that one time?” he asks.
You snort. “How could I forget?” You were out here for hours, playing and laughing, before realizing you had no idea how to get home. Eventually you’d managed to find your way back, but not before worrying your parents to high heaven. “God, the yelling we got was brutal.”
“Yeah,” Jangjun agrees, wincing. “But do you remember we carved something into one of the trees?”
Slowly, you nod, the memory resurfacing. “Yeah. But we couldn’t find it again after that.”
“Well, I did some exploring when I came back here for the holidays.” Jangjun’s smile widens. “Look.”
Stepping closer, you watch as Jangjun brushes some dirt off of a nearby tree trunk. There, now barely visible, you can read the faint markings of your initials carved lightly into the bark.
“Holy shit,” you murmur, one finger reaching out to trace your childish handwriting. “You actually found it.”
“Yeah.” Jangjun sounds breathless, almost, as he agrees. “Can you believe it?”
You shake your head in disbelief, turning around to say something. But the words disappear from your mind when you see Jangjun looking at you.
Which isn’t weird, in and of itself. Jangjun looks at you a lot. You look at him a lot. But what is weird is the expression on his face, a mix of emotions you can’t fully decipher. Yearning, remembrance, fondness...
Silence falls in the clearing. You become acutely aware of the way your heart is beating a little too loudly in your chest. “Jangjun?” you ask, voice coming out more cracked than you would’ve liked.
“Huh?” He cocks his head and the strange expression disappears. His wide smile returns to his lips and his eyes and you blink once, twice, trying to figure out if what you just saw on his face was actually real. “What’s up?”
“Oh. Nothing.” You flounder for a moment - did you just imagine that look on his face? Were you hallucinating? “Um, this was really cool.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Jangjun laughs, sounding completely normal. “And now that I know the way, we can keep coming back to see it. Are you hungry?” he asks, completely oblivious to the whiplash you’re getting from the change in topic. “We should go back. It’s getting dark, and my mom’s making dinner tonight.”
You glance at the tiny, faint initials in the bark. They seem to glow in the afternoon turning evening light, teasing you, taunting you with something you don’t know.
“Sure,” you say, shrugging off the warm, unsettling feeling of the initials, of Jangjun’s microsecond expression that seemed to say far too much that you couldn’t understand. “Let’s go eat Mama Lee’s cooking.” You grin, and it probably doesn’t look that strange. “I bet her food’s much better than yours.”
Request: Hello may i request a fluff with Jangjun where you have very heavy period pains and he tries his best to comfort you and distract you? Ty in advance 🥺
Masterlist💕
You were watching a video when you felt it happen. It’s that time of the month again. Yep your period started. You went to the toilet to check if it actually happened and yes. Luckily you didn’t have any plans today. You knew that the cramps would start soon. So you prepared a hot chocolate for yourself and you went to sit on the couch. Your boyfriend wouldn’t be coming home for an hour so you had to entertain yourself. You decided on watching a k-drama.
You heard the door open and Jangjun walked in. “hey babe.” You just mumbled a respons and he looked shocked at you. “not even an hello, what’s wrong.” And he sat down besides you. “I got my period today.” You told him and as if you pushed a button in his brain he stood up. He walked to the kitchen and after a while he came back with an ice tub and two spoons.
You smiled at him. And he started talking about stupid stuff he did today. He filmed a new episode of Jangstar and he had some members as guests. Seeing him talk about his day cheered you up but you still had cramps. “hey can you get me a hot pack.” You asked jangjun and he stood up like sonic and ran to the kitchen. Well he tried halfway on the way he slipped and fell. You bursted out laughing. He stood up and looked happy. “At least I made you happy.” And he walked to the kitchen and got you the hot pack. He sat down next to you and you were finally smiling.
“can we watch a movie.” He asked you. You nodded and he put both of yours favourite movie on. He put his arm around you and you rested on his chest. You couldn’t really focus much on the movie and were just thinking about how lucky you were with Jangjun as your boyfriend. You randomly kissed his cheek. “What was that for?” He laughed at you. “Just because I love you.” He stood up and started dancing. “Y/n loves me, Y/n loves me, Y/n loves me” You laughed at him. When he stopped dancing he said. “I love you too.” And kissed your cheek.
You stood up and started dancing like him. “Jangjun loves me, Jangjun loves me, Jangjun loves me.” He laughed and you both were dancing like crazy in the living room. He hugged you and you were engulfed by him. “Thanks for making me smile.” He looked down at you. “Im your boyfriend that’s what im supposed to do, you stupid” you looked at him and pushed him away. “your calling me stupid when you fell into the water twice even though the producers told you not to.”
He was thinking of his comeback but he didn’t have anything to say. “You have a point there.” And he started chasing you. You were running around. When you acted like you fell down. “baby are you okay.” And he picked you up and put you on the bed. “Awh how nice.” You said when you laid down. “Ya are you serious.” You laughed. He laid down next to you and after a while you fell asleep. Jangjun just kept staring at you.
He was very happy that he cheered you up and that he was able to make you laugh. He loved you more than anything in the world. He might seem like a crazy person sometimes but he would do anything for you. You accepted him as himself and that’s what he liked about you. He could be totally himself and so could you. He loved that sometimes you could be as crazy as him.
as an adult, one of your favorite past times was going out to drink with your friends. so many memories blessed your phone on these nights and made drinking alone during quarantine all the more sad. that’s why you gave jangjun a call.
he gave you a look and tilted his head, “drinking over facetime? that sounds so sad. lemme get the soju!”
you laughed as he raced to set up his own mini bar. he placed his shot glass on the table and plopped down in his chair. you both poured soju into your glasses and took your first shot of the night.
you talked for hours, throwing back shots after every other topic. it was amazing how in sync you guys were together, agreeing on almost everything. it was inevitable that you fell for him.
when you guys were together, the crackhead energy was potent. every place you went to echoed with your cackles and loud banter. there was never a dull or uncomfortable moment. over facetime was no different. you enjoyed each other’s company.
“hey— [y/n]?” he slurred, empty glass in hand. “i got something to tell you.”
you hummed with a flush adorning your face. your lashes fluttered as you looked at him. “yessir?”
“i think you’re stupid.”
your eyebrows furrowed together at the insult as you straightened your back. “excuse me?”
jangjun drowsily pointed his finger at you, “how could you not know that i’m in love with you? it’s been years!” a sheepish grin grew on his blushing face.
suddenly, you were sober. jangjun was in love with you? he has been for years?
“i wasn’t going to say anything— but, considering that we’re in quarantine, i think i’ll have enough time to process a rejection before we see each other again.”
your eyes widened as your lips parted. you grabbed your phone, “i think that’s enough drinking for night. i’m gonna go to sleep! i’ll see you in the morning!” you hurriedly ended the call and chucked your phone on your bed.
it’s the alcohol talking, you reassured yourself. your heart unfortunately didn’t believe it, skipping a beat at the thought of your feelings being returned.
morning came and so did a text from jangjun.
jangjun: that was fun! we should invite the guys!
you: invite the whole circus? of course haha
you fidgeted with your phone, your fingers begging to ask the question that was on your mind.
jangjun: remember what i said last night..?
your breath hitched. it was your chance to ask.
you: ya… did you mean it?
you were nervous for his response. a couple of minutes passed before your phone dinged again.
jangjun: yes.
you grinned and eagerly texted him back, your relationship starting a new chapter.
heads up! agent au. mentions of gunshot wounds and surgery and blood.
"they're awake, you know." daeyeol stands before jangjun in the hospital waiting room, hands tucked into his pants pockets. "and they asked about you."
technically, you've been awake for a while now. the surgery went fine, and you're alive (thankfully), and jangjun can't bring himself to leave this spot. his hands, which are carefully tucked away into his own pants pockets, still have your blood on them. his shirt is still stained with both his and your blood, and he hasn't left the hospital since the moment they brought you in, only ever budging when someone looked at his own wounds. daeyeol ends up pushing him ahead of him, following behind to make sure jangjun doesn't get any other ideas.
by the time he shows up to your room, it's empty aside from you. everyone else has likely heard the story by now, and he stops in the open doorway. it takes another shove (this time from joochan, he thinks--he doesn't get a glance before someone pulls the door shut behind him), and jangjun is within your field of vision.
you breathe in, long and quiet, and exhale. "you look like shit, lee."
he's already tearing up as he crosses the room, all but collapsing onto the space next to you as he takes your face in his hands. "don't do that again!" he says, voice harsh but wavering. "i could have taken a bullet--"
"you needed to be--"
"i know where i needed to be," he says. "just... don't do it again." his voice is softer now, and he can see it in your eyes. jangjun isn't like this. jangjun isn't deadly serious: that's your job. he's the social one who puts people at ease all too easily, you're the no-nonsense one who often has to pull him away before he can finish a bit. "okay?"
his eyes are red. he's been crying, but for how long? how long were you even out? everything's still a blur, and no one's answered your questions yet.
you smooth back his hair from his face, hand shaking slightly. "okay," you say, one of your hands warm and secure in his own. "i won't." a moment later, you flick the tip of his nose with your finger, a hint of a smile crossing your face. "but this is payback," you say, quiet enough that it stays between you both, "for last time."
and for the first time in what feels like an eternity, jangjun finds himself smiling a little, too. "fine," he says, softer this time as he leans forward to kiss your forehead. "i'm glad you're alive... partner."
it earns an eye roll from you, but you don't bite back like you usually do. you're sure everyone knows anyway. "same goes to you, partner." you scoot over, giving him ample room to sit next to you. "c'mere. you look like shit, lee. take a nap before i kick you out."
(he smiles and snuggles in. you aren't going to kick him out: that much he knows. but cuddling with you? that he can do.)
