where the introverts somehow find themselves in the middle of a dance floor
+ cw: drinking/alcohol, a sprinkle of angst in taehyun's, dissociation/derealization in hyuka's, a little suggestive if you use your imagination, idk we're just having a good ol' time
+ this is my first writing i'm sharing on tumblr, so be nice and i'll write more
+ mood: Love On The Floor - NCT 127, Upper Side Dreamin' - Enhypen, bOss - OnlyOneOf
Choi Soobin:
It definitely wasn't Soobin's idea to go out, but a few of your friends invited you to a new club that opened up not far from your apartment, and he just so happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time to get dragged along with.
Aside from being shy, the loud music and mass of people was intimidating, and it took more than his courage alone to bring him out onto the floor where you were already dancing. He wasn't entirely uncomfortable though. A lot of his enjoyment came from standing on the sidelines, watching you. Soobin had a few girls approach him with drinks, but he respectfully declined. As you two made eye contact and smiled at each other, he knew in his heart who he really only had eyes for.
"Soob, come on!" Though the place was loud already, your voice carried above everyone else's, and your hand was leading him to the friend group before he could even decline. But for you, he wouldn't put up much of a fight anyways.
Thanks to the alcohol in his system, Soobin was swaying to the music without much thought, and the two of you soon found yourselves paying much more attention to each other rather than the people in your surroundings. You both swore up and down that you're just friends, yet you knew the heat on your face wasn't just from dancing. Things carried on this way for a while, and the second that Soobin broke away from the group, your friends hounded you to make a move.
"Dude, are you even seeing how he's looking at you?" "He definitely likes you, just go for it!" "If you don't tell him how you feel, I will." A chorus of slurred words of encouragement pushed you to act only slightly out of character, and when Soobin returned to your posse, you once again grabbed his arm and led him to the dead center of the dance floor, catching a glimpse of your girls giving you thumbs ups and winks on you way there.
Soobin's eyes lit up with surprise at your sudden decision to abandon the group. "Will your friends be okay by themselves?" he questioned, leaning in close to your ear, but it would be a lie to say he wasn't just looking for an opportunity to get close to you. You two had been friends for a long time, and with the way his eyes grazed over every inch of your face, you could read his intentions easily. To know Soobin was to know his intent through what was unspoken, and those silent inclinations were what led you to wrap an arm around his neck and speak back to him, "I think we're the ones to be worried about," before mutually meeting each other's lips amidst the heat of the moment and the bodies moving around you to the intoxicating beats.
Choi Yeonjun:
Celebrating your two year anniversary was a highly anticipated event. Knowing your it boy boyfriend, Yeonjun would be dressed no less than to the nines, and because you loved to match his competitive spirit, it was only courtesy to try and outdo him. At the end of the day, however, you both spared no efforts in hyping each other up and letting you confidences shine.
"Damn, baby, you want me to spend all night keeping everyone off of you?" Staring would be too light of a word to describe the way you looked at him. He opted for a black ensemble to let his freshly dyed hair and accessories shine, and despite seeing him nearly every day, he always found new ways to leave you speechless.
He chuckled at your rhetorical question. "You're one to talk, look at you! Absolutely stunning," Yeonjun took every inch of you in as he bit his lip to hold back a subconscious smirk. He grabbed your hand and led you to the car, holding it open for you just to have the opportunity to leave a little tap on your butt. The ride to the private club wasn't long, but gave the two of you plenty of time to share the aux, sing together and steal quick kisses at red lights.
To celebrate your anniversary, Yeonjun opted to take you to an exclusive speakeasy-inspired club for a quiet dinner and a live jazz ensemble, which could be heard even from the outside as you pulled up to the valet. Lights were warm and low voices were buzzing around you as you were ushered to a table to dine on the most delectable cuisine. Being the two lovebirds that you are, you fed each other bites and took pictures, enjoying a tame evening. That is, until the wine started to kick in.
Yeonjun, of course, wanted to dance. The trumpet player by the bar was someone you both knew well, and your boyfriend was pursing his lips and swaying his hips to the music, grooving along with the melody coming from the horn. You were content standing off to the side cheering him on, but Yeonjun approached you before long with his hand reaching out to you. "May I have this dance, beautiful?" He asked humbly, raising an eyebrow and giving his best smolder look, a look you could never in a million years say no to. With a buzzed smile, you accepted his hand in yours and let him lead you to the open dance floor, giving the trumpet player a look.
With that, the tune changed. A gorgeous jazzy melody played, one you recognized as a rendition of one of your favorites. Yeonjun held you close, rocking you back and forth in a slow dance. His hands rested gently on your waist, letting the feel of the song and the wine in his system guide you around the dance floor. As he spun you around, your eyes caught glimpses of older couples dancing with you, and you couldn't help but think of how beautiful a long life together with your boyfriend would be. Two years down, with forever to go.
Choi Beomgyu:
"I have a funny idea... let's leave."
This was your first time meeting Beomgyu. You had heard plenty about him from mutual friends, who you suspected were trying to set you up, and now he was walking into the bar with two friends you both knew. The introductions were pleasant, and after a few drinks, you two hit it off extremely well. He had you laughing the entire time, and seemed to never run out of energy no matter how much your group was dancing.
"What? But it's my own birthday party," you questioned in between giggles. "Don't you think people will notice if I'm gone?" And though you were playing hesitant, in all honesty you were no where near opposed to getting out with him.
Beomgyu leaned closer, taking his plan far too seriously. "That's why we have to sneak out." He peeked his head up, eyeballing your friends who were still hanging by the bar while the two of you had naturally made your way close to the exit. "Look, we have a chance. Let's go!"
Before you had even fully agreed, his large hand was grasping yours, leading you into the night.
***
Driving with Beomgyu was different from drinking with him. He was still himself, but he was more relaxed. Content. You were taking turns picking songs, and though his music taste wasn't what you would normally listen to, you found plenty more songs to add to your playlists.
He was singing under his breath while you drove to a fast food place just outside of the city. You could faintly smell his cologne, and periodically peeked over at him while he scrolled through his phone and gently bopped his head along to the music and chatting with you. Despite his dark clothes he chose to wear to the bar for your birthday, he looked... soft.
Unbeknownst to you, he was catching glances at you, too.
"We're going through the drive thru, by the way. I don't feel like going inside," you stated, pulling to the side of the restaurant.
"But how am I gonna see the menu?" Beomgyu asked with a pout.
You shrugged. "Figure it out. This was your idea."
"Alright," was the only warning you got before you felt a sudden pain in your leg. His genius solution was to climb over you in the driver's seat to get a better view of his options, and to speak into the microphone to the worker. You wanted to push him off to alleviate the pressure from his elbow in your thigh, but decided not to cause a ruckus. At least, not while he was in the middle of ordering.
After he was done, Beomgyu offered an apology in the form of paying for both of your meals, and you sat in the parking lot talking and losing track of time. Eventually, your friends called, too drunk to be mad that you left your own birthday get together, and you drove your new friend home, making sure to tell that next time, he was driving.
Kang Taehyun:
You didn't know it at the time, but he had his eyes on you from the moment you set foot in the door.
It wasn't typical for you to go out by yourself, but getting over a nasty situationship led you to act in plenty of ways you normally wouldn't. You weren't out looking for love, or even much excitement, but striking up conversation with the bartender was far better than continuing your recent trend of rotting away on your couch.
Her brown eyes adorned a kind smile as she explained her favorite drink, her voice carrying over the music on the far end of the bar. You agreed to try the concoction she prepared, instructing her to put the bill on your tab.
With that, she left you with your drink, freeing up your attention to direct it towards someone across the room. Despite his relatively small frame and dark clothes, you could see the silhouette of arms and shoulders one could only attribute to working out, and a cutting-edge jawline to match. As you sipped your drink, you swear you catch him looking your way, but you knew better than to let yourself be hopeful. He leans over to a friend, spoke in his ear, and then walked out of sight.
You sat for a while longer, feeling the energy in the room and people watching. As you turned to set your now empty glass on the counter, you feel a presence next to you. It was an admittedly handsome man, but not the one you had your eye on from before.
"You out by yourself, gorgeous? Let me buy you something." You could smell the alcohol laced in his breath, and whatever it was was strong. "Ah, no thanks, I was just about to head out," you explained, already hearing a voice in the back of your head warning you he wasn't going to let you get away so easily, and you were proven right as he slipped an arm around your waist. "Don't be like that. One more drink won't kill you," he cooed at you with a patronizing tone, triggering a shiver from your brain, down your back, and to your hand that was instinctively grabbing for your keys for protection. This wasn't your first time with an unpleasant man, but never had you felt someone grab at you. It was sickening.
As you attempted to talk your way out of the situation, you hear a voice coming from behind the handsy guy. "Where are you going with my girlfriend?"
And there he was. The beautiful stranger from across the room.
His arms were much larger up close, but his blank stare was more intimidating than any menacing look he could have mustered up. You were so focused on his sudden appearance, it took more than a second to even recognize the words he just said, but it seemed the persistent asshole realized his mistake right away. Practically throwing you at your "boyfriend," he slurred out a cocky apology with his hands up in defense. "Sorry man, she didn't mention any boyfriend to me."
"Didn't really give me a chance to, man," you shot back, confidence suddenly surging now that you were in good hands. Your retort earned a small chuckle from your savior as the snake slithered back into the darkness of the dancefloor. Only then did you let a sigh of relief out. "Thank you so much, um..."
"Taehyun."
Finally being able to put a name to his gorgeous face brought a smile to yours. "Nice to meet you Taehyun, or should I call you my boyfriend?" And both of you laughed, ending the night on a more positive note than what could have been. He ended up walking you to your car, and leaving you his number in case you needed any more pretend boyfriend services.
Huening Kai:
There wasn't a chance in hell you could convince Huening Kai to go out with you.
He adored you more than anything, but he much preferred his Saturday nights spent lounging on the couch with pizza less than an arm's length away. Being the cuddly homebodies you are, this was what most of your days off consisted of, a date of sorts you typically were happy to entertain, but your childhood friend invited a group to go out to celebrate getting a long-awaited promotion at work. If it was anyone else asking you may have turned it down, especially since your boyfriend was uncomfortable with being out so late, but they meant the world to you and practically begged.
"Keys...phone...wallet..." you filtered through your mental checklist as you heard your friend's car pull up outside. "Okay, Kai, I gotta go!" You called out. When you walked past the TV in the living room, he stopped you to say goodbye, wrapping you in a warm hug with a content yet hesitant smile.
"If anything happens, call me, okay? But have fun, too," he reassured you before letting you go. Kai was far from being the protective type, but because you hardly went out, and much less so for drinking and partying, his worries were prevalent in his words and facial expression. It was your turn to reassure him with a big smile that matched his.
"I promise I'll be safe." A short honk from outside told you it was time to go, and Kai snuck a in a bashful compliment and one last squeeze of a hug before watching you walk to your friend, driving off into the night.
***
Your friends were having a blast. They were dancing and drunkenly carrying on, and took your word that you were doing okay too.
Truth be told, however, the lights were getting to be too bright, the volume of the room was growing far past a roar, and your body was crawling with the tingly feeling. You were no stranger to having drinks, but the congested environment triggered the shut off switch in your brain. Dialing your boyfriend's number and uttering just his name alone felt as strenuous as moving a mountain would be, but it was all he needed to hear before bolting out the door to get you home. Huening Kai didn't need any words from you. He stayed on the phone and comforted you the entire drive over, and wasted no time in finding you by the bar, throwing an arm around you, and leading you towards the door.
The crisp fresh air of the night immediately helped to bring you back to reality as Kai helped you into the car and did grounding and breathing exercises with you. Once you became more present back at home in the comfort of your own bed with Kai next to you, you reached out for his hand and gave it a thankful squeeze. Words still failed you, but the gentle kiss on your forehead in response told you he understood completely.