Prompt: #83 for @trishmarieco – “We finish it the same way we started – together.”
trishmarieco said:
Hi, sweetie! I'm unsure if you're writing for Jongdae but if you are, can I request #83 - “We finish it the same we started - together.” for the drabble game but as platonic best friends?
Pairing: Kim Jongdae x reader
Genre: friendship au / roommates au / a little sad-fluff
Warnings: none
Word count: 1146
“Where did the instructions go?” Jongdae heaved and whilst you also struggled to help him hold up the back of the cabinet, you managed to let out a breathy snort.
“Oh, those ones you claimed you wouldn’t need to make this?”
“Not funny,” he panted, gesturing to put it down and then leaned over it to catch his breath. “This isn’t working.”
“Should we leave it for another day?” you offered and with a defeated smile, your best friend nodded.
“We’ve got plenty of time to make it.”
And that was how it went for over six months. You didn’t know how you and Jongdae managed to make the process of the cabinet building so difficult. The instructions were found, only for the bag of screws to be misplaced. A few weeks later they appeared in the bathroom cupboard and there was a half-hearted attempt to get the piece finished. Only then, you had unexpected guests turn up at your shared apartment and it slipped off the back end of the priority list as work picked up for you both.
There were always a million reasons why you hadn’t gotten it done.
And now, there wasn’t much time left.
“I’ll finish that cabinet before I move out,” Jongdae announced and you smiled wistfully, rather wishing to leave it untouched in the spare room if it meant your best friend would stay on. All you had known was your life here with Jongdae. You had been neighbours as kids and best friends before you could even talk. Moving in together when you shifted out of home had made the best sense to you and you hadn’t realised just how accustomed you were to having him around every day.
It wasn’t as if he was moving cities and you’d never see him again. But you could already feel the emptiness of your home whenever you found items missing from their usual spots. It was going to be a new chapter for the pair of you.
And whilst you were incredibly happy for Jongdae moving on to the next chapter in his life, you couldn’t help the bitter feeling that came with being left behind.
You were finally going to be on different levels in life and that scared you.
“Y/N, have you seen the legs for the cabinet? They’re missing!”
You cleared your throat and called back in response. “Nope, haven’t seen them.”
“God, when will we ever finish this thing?!” he replied and you sighed heavily as you looked towards the wardrobe you had hidden them within.
Still, Jongdae was determined to get it done.
“Isn’t it heavy?”
He grunted. “Hold the other end.”
You did as he requested, though your heart wasn’t in it. “Have you – got – OW!”
“Are you okay?!” Jumping to his aide as he hopped around on one foot, you cringed at causing an injury. “I’m sorry!”
“It’s like this cabinet doesn’t even want to be finished!”
Chuckling softly, you turned to look away from him, blinking back your emotions quickly. You knew when the project was completed, he would leave.
“I found the legs!” Jongdae chimed the next day, holding the packet up victoriously. “How they ended up in the laundry room all this time, I don’t know.”
“Is that where they were?” you bluffed, sipping on your tea all too quickly. “Funny that.”
“Not long now!” he told you as he strode by you and your stomach dropped with each further step away.
You woke with a start, taking in your surroundings before you felt your heart ease. When you were certain you could breathe comfortably, you slipped out of bed, padding into the living room and over to the kitchen to retrieve some water. It was then when you saw the light on in the spare room.
Confused, you headed in to find Jongdae bending over the cabinet. “What are you doing?”
He jumped at your voice and then smiled grimly before turning back to the cabinet. He hadn’t made much progress on his own and you sighed. “Want a hand?”
“You don’t want it made, do you?” he mentioned softly as you crouched across from him, your gaze moving up to his. Jongdae smiled knowingly. “You never change, Y/N.”
“And you really want it finished.”
He nodded. “It’s stupid really. But I feel like I can’t leave you behind with anything unfinished. Even though I can drop by whenever, I feel this need to have everything in order for you since I won’t…”
“I hid the legs and kept moving them around the house,” you confessed and Jongdae let out a small laugh. You joined him, shaking your head, your tears splattering onto your pyjamas. “I guess it was the same for me. If you didn’t finish it, I had an immature thought that it meant you couldn’t leave.”
“We’re being foolish for a pair of adults, huh?”
You nodded. “It’s just a cabinet for goodness sake.”
“No, it’s something we started together,” he countered, sharing a sombre look with you. “It’s our project.”
“Well then, what are we waiting for?” you asked, wiping your hands on your pants and reached for the instruction manual. You then grinned over at Jongdae. “We’ll finish it the same way we started – together.”
The cabinet ended up in its final resting spot in the entryway to your home. You smiled at it when you opened the front door and Jongdae stepped inside, his hand immediately smoothing over the top of the furniture.
You laughed. “Do you come to visit me or that cabinet?”
“The cabinet, of course! I can’t see that when I come to meet you at the office.”
Rolling your eyes, you turned to look at the simple decoration you had on top of the piece of furniture. Your favourite photo of you and Jongdae sat in the middle of the other photos, the pair of you building blocks together as children. It seemed fitting to place it on top of the cabinet and you could tell Jongdae appreciated it too.
With him no longer here, you found yourself using that cabinet for everything. From leaning on it when you put on and took off your shoes each day and night, to storing all your key essentials and your extra goods in case of an emergency, it felt as if you still had a bit of Jongdae looking out for you with the cabinet.
You were just as fond of it as Jongdae was.
“So, you asked me over for what?” he wondered and you grinned, leading him into the spare room where you had opened up a new box, the supplies carefully set out to begin working on.
“Want to help me make this crib up?”
Jongdae grinned. “What about your husband?”
“I figured since we’re old pros at this, we ought to try and make something else together.”
Summary: As the son of the opposition, you had been raised to hate Kim Jongdae. You had never expected to actually marry him one day though.
Pairing: Kim Jongdae x reader
Genre: arranged marriage au / enemies to lovers au
A/N: thank you @trishmarieco for requesting this! I admittedly had a few ideas for how this could go, and in the end this is the idea that won. I’m hopeful you enjoy it!
Word count: 6553
Your marriage was the event of the year. Not only was it glamorous in every way, boasting a large A-list of affluent attendees and the most expensive designer labelled clothing, you had all the press lined up just trying to catch a glimpse of what they could write or snap photos of that would end up on the front page of every newspaper and magazine cover tomorrow morning. Everything had gone so well, from the I do’s to the reception speeches. Everyone who was anyone would have tales to share about this wedding for weeks on end. You were the faces of the merger between two super companies that shook the entire nation by storm.
By morning, everyone would be talking positively about how your parents had gained the upper hand by joining forces with Kim Industries. There would be no opposition worth fighting now, as they had single-handedly taken that away with your union to the youngest Kim son, Jongdae. Everything was so picture perfect that no one would be talking about how long at war your family had been with the Kim’s anymore. Instead of the headlines wondering who would take out the top spot for the most innovative design of the year, they would now proclaim how much money this marriage has accumulated for both families so far, and how stocks will continue to soar.
In theory, this was the best move for everyone. Even you had to admit it was a well-played card no one had ever considered until three months ago. But your life wasn’t theory based. You had to live it, and well, the last person you wanted to be married to was Kim Jongdae.
From when you were born until that fateful moment three months ago, the only thing you had heard from your father was how much he hated the CEO of Kim Industries. You had grown up with the belief their family was your rival in every way, and you had been a pawn in continuing this trend, competing against Jongdae your entire life. You went to the same schools, you studied at the same university upon graduation, and you shared similar skills in sport. You were on par with him in every way, and now he was your husband. Any other girl would kill for your spot with the handsome man. You half hoped they would just so you could escape this newly made hell. There was no way you were a perfect match for Jongdae and even he had voiced multiple times now that you would never be his first choice as a wife. Yet just as you had, he had put on the best performance of his life at your side tonight. Actually, since the beginning of this scheme, Jongdae had done his part exceptionally well in fooling the nation that you had both fallen madly in love with each other, enabling your parents to push their decades of a feud aside to support your blossoming love. They would merge the companies together instead of battling it out in every aspect. The media had eaten it up and even those in the circles around you had stopped being suspicious of this being a plan all along. It was so well executed that had you not been aware of how fake and awkward the intimacy between you was all along, you would believe that in the pictures snapped of you on all your outlandishly public dates were coming from real passion and not perfect acting.
How long should you both have to act though? The elders in this scheme had gotten what they wanted. The attention of the nation and complete control of the industry. Money would pile up so much that you wouldn’t know what to do with it. You didn’t care for money, for fame, for stability in business anymore though. You held the same dream as most people – to marry for love, to raise children that bore yours and your husband’s resemblance and live the rest of your time on Earth happy and fulfilled by what you could achieve as a person. The scheme had robbed you of such pleasures. The idea of having children with Jongdae was laughable, considering how being physically close to him made you tense and irritable. You might now be his wife, but there was no inclination for you to consummate this marriage. Your parents had sold you off to the highest bidder, however, they had no say on what you did or didn’t do with your womb. You would draw the line there indefinitely.
Besides, Jongdae seemed to share the same thought process. “Ah good, this suite has two bedrooms. I’ll take the master and you have the spare. There’s no way I’m sharing with you.”
“Why do you get the master?” you asked, heading towards the door of the largest room in the plush hotel suite you had just arrived at. Jongdae blocked you from entering. “Move, today has been the most stressful and exhausting day of my life and I want to rest.”
“So do I, and I said I would have this room first,” he mentioned pettily, folding his arms firmly across his chest.
“You’re an adult, there is no such thing as calling shotgun between respectable human beings.” You rolled your eyes. “Ah, I made a mistake, where would I find anything worthy of respect within you?”
“I’ve had more than enough of you today, wife.”
“Don’t insult me with that title,” you spat and Jongdae smirked. “We are merely the receipt of a transaction made by our parents. There’s no need to believe in anything we uttered today.”
“At least we can agree there,” Jongdae said and then smiled firmly. “But because you took my last name, and this hotel belongs to my family, you’ll just have to toddle on off that way to the other bedroom.”
Before you could refute anything, Jongdae was firmly enclosed behind the door of the bedroom, locking it for effect. You groaned and stomped over to the spare room, and threw yourself down on the bed in frustration.
Just how on earth could you get used to being married to your enemy?
You blinked several times, trying to decipher what your father had just said to you. He had called you into his office, almost bouncing off the walls with excitement. He was always like this when something big was happening at work and you had been waiting in anticipation for what he had to say. As someone working your way up the ranks within the company your father owned on your own merits, you had a great deal of interest in how things were run. One day it would be yours to oversee, after all.
But what he had just spoken of had you seriously reconsidering everything you had been working towards. “What did you just say?”
“Kim Industries and our company will become one in just over three month’s time. And you will be the reason we can do so!” he told you again, smiling generously.
“H-how? I’m only a mere member of staff here-”
“Y/N, you know you’re expected for greater things than that office job, right? You are barely tolerated by the other staff there because they don’t want to get fired if they upset you. It’s time for you to play within the big leagues where you belong. And I’ve found you the best partner to do so.”
The information he had given you about your role stung, but you were too confused by what your father was talking about to really allow it to settle within your mind. “W-who?”
“Kim Jongdae, of course.” Your father rounded his large oak desk and came over to the plush chair across from where you sat. He grinned again. It was unfathomable; you had only ever seen this man scowl in disgust at mentioning such a name. Had you stepped into another universe when you came into this room? Or perhaps you had fallen ill. They were much more plausible options than the spectacle before you.
“Dad, are you feeling well?” you asked weakly and he chuckled.
“Never been better, baby girl! Why hadn’t I thought of this earlier when we started looking at suitors for you, I’m not sure. But I’m glad we have now! This is perfect.”
“Suitors? For me?” Your mind was reeling. You were a smart woman, and your brain was already lining up his words effortlessly inside your brain. But you wanted to refuse them immensely. This was your sworn enemy he was talking of! It all sounded nonsensical and your head began to pound with the effort.
“You can’t expect to remain single for the rest of your life. You knew your mother and I were looking at marriage for you this year. And now we’ll have one.”
“Dad,” you said weakly, your eyes wide with fear. “Can you hear yourself? You just said Kim Jongdae is a perfect match for me. We’ve hated each other since kindergarten. You were the happiest person on the planet when I accidentally lobbied a tennis ball right into his face and he sported a bruised eye for two weeks. Surely, you’ve gone mad.”
“Maybe I have, but there’s no better acquisition for this company than Kim Industries.”
“So you’ll sell me off to the highest buyer, is that what this is?!”
“Y/N, can’t you see the good in this?! Business wise this is the best thing that could happen to us. Your life would be set for the rest of your days!”
“My life was already set. And what about what I want? I don’t want to marry Jongdae. Heck, I’d rather marry a monkey before I marry him!”
“From what I read about him before, he’s actually a monkey in the zodiac sign, so maybe you can marry both.”
“This isn’t time for joking around,” you huffed and the smile faltered from your father’s face. Instead, it was replaced by a look you knew all too well, his business face. You shook your head incredulously. “I won’t marry him. Everyone knows how much we hate the Kim’s. Don’t you think the reporters will see right through this scheme of yours? And it is so unlikely that your opposition would even agree-”
“We’ve been in discussions all week long about it. For the first time in thirty-seven years, we actually agreed on something. Isn’t it wonderful?”
“Nightmarish,” you corrected.
“Y/N, I know you feel vindicated. I am sure you want to fight this completely. But the adults have agreed here and you will be married with or without your say in it. I must say, it would be far easier for you to just go along with the plan. Refusing this will only make you miserable.”
You stared at the man you had believed to be fair and honest your entire life. Whilst he was being honest with you right now about what he wanted, you felt as if you didn’t know your father at all anymore.
Despite your constant refusal, plans were made and expectations were high of your first performance. You had always been a filial daughter and your public image was a positive one. If you played up now, there would be a lot of damage to your career. More than you’d like to endure. Your goals as a businesswoman relied on your reputation to remain intact.
Even if everything surrounding you was putting you to the greatest test yet.
“Do you honestly believe anyone is going to see this as fact?” you scoffed as your mother flitted around you, smoothing out your outfit. You rolled your eyes at her efforts, soon swatting her away. The buzzing in your head was more than enough to deal with, let alone her hovering. “Everyone in this nation knows Jongdae and I are rivals. No one will believe we are in love.”
“On this first outing together, of course not sweetie,” your mother agreed, smiling at you through the reflection of the mirror. “It will spark curiosity for what you are both doing together though, and that’s what we need. For people to show interest.”
“This all seems ridiculous, why can’t you just merge the companies without needing a marriage to do so?!”
“Enemies don’t just join hands without a sacrifice in between,” the older woman said with a sigh, her eyes for the first time showing signs of sympathy. Towards the daughter she had raised so lovingly to be bold and courageous. The emotions dispersed quickly and you could see now that she viewed you as a necessary evil for the greater good.
You still couldn’t accept this was what you needed to do with your life.
“Well, are you ready for the next two hours of being completely sickened to your stomach?” Jongdae greeted with a forced smile and you swallowed roughly as he sat down at the table in the middle of the bustling restaurant. You had hoped for something more natural for your first date, but the longer you sat across from Jongdae in such a public setting, you realised it was a good idea. That way, you could both sabotage this plan from going any further.
“In your company, anything is possible.”
“I’m surprised you turned up, I heard you were throwing the biggest toddler tantrum over this,” he mused as he picked up the menu casually, and you rolled your eyes dramatically. “What did Daddy promise you today? A new pony? A shopping spree? A trip to Paris?”
“This is why I really didn’t want to sit here tonight. You have no idea about what excites me. Further, I wasn’t bribed to come here, I know that new sports car out there though was the prize for you turning up,” you mentioned sweetly and Jongdae grunted, not denying your claim either. For a moment, you both focused on perusing the menu and ordering with smiles on your faces when the server came over to your table.
Once your meals were in front of you both, you looked quickly over at Jongdae as he cut his steak into small bite-sized portions. It irked you that he had chosen the same meal as you had. Taking a deep breath, you squared your shoulders. “Want to break free?”
“Why? The food here is delicious,” he said, his hands moving too quickly for you to keep up. The plate that was in front of you that you had barely touched was soon whisked away and replaced with his one, the cut steak now mocking you much like his gaze was. Jongdae smiled in pleasure. “Look, I even helped you and your juvenile self out by cutting it nice and small. Try not to choke on my efforts.”
You could think of many things to choke and your eyes narrowed on his neck for a split second. What kind of game was he playing at? Looking around yourself, you became aware of the further attention your table now held, the women at a table nearby all swooning at how Jongdae had cut up your meat for you. It irked you greatly; you didn’t need help with such a thing. Your hands that had fallen to your lap when he moved suddenly before now clenched up in fists.
“So you have no interest in stopping this ludicrous plan. You actually want to marry me?”
Jongdae’s gaze snapped to yours. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
“So we can agree neither of us wants this. So, why don’t we-”
“All the same, my goal isn’t our parents,” he mentioned airily as he cut his steak neatly. He smiled down at his efforts. “It’s to see just how far I can push you.”
“What?”
“I don’t need to worry about the wedding, Y/N. We won’t make it that far because you find the idea of being near me so impossible to endure. I am rather relaxed about this all.”
“You’re bluffing,” you stated and Jongdae arched an eyebrow at you. You blinked a couple of times. “Are you challenging me?”
“Why would I need to? You won’t cope with any of this. You’re barely eating a meal with me. The press will need more than that; they’ll need physical interaction and adoration from us both. You cannot act in my presence so how will you even stand a chance, hm?”
“Are you done yet?” You folded your arms across your chest and smirked. Jongdae shrugged as he continued to eat. “Your lack of faith in my abilities is truly tragic.”
“Says the one who can’t even share a simple meal with me without fussing,” he pointed out and you glanced down at the food you hadn’t touched yet. You speared a piece of the meat he had cut for you and smiled.
You wouldn’t allow him to gloat for long. It would be him running to his father to cancel the wedding first.
Over the next month, you met with Jongdae often. You had been on a variety of dates, each one more intense than the previous one. When Jongdae had first grabbed your hand as you strolled in a park together, you had to resist the knee-jerk reaction to shove him off for touching you without permission to do so. On the next date, it was you pushing his boundaries by snuggling into his side as you watched the ballet. He had taken it too far on the last date by pecking your hand as he dropped you off at work after sharing sushi for lunch. It left you fuming and you were determined to end him today. You couldn’t take any more of being in his company.
And the longer your museum date progressed, the further convinced you were to end this fake relationship. His smarminess had reached an all-time high and every gentle touch along the small of your back grated you further. When you got back into his car, you wound down your window and glanced out irritably. “You’re feisty today, Y/N.”
“Wouldn’t you be too if you were stuck with the most obnoxious person on Earth?” you muttered and Jongdae chuckled.
“Well, do I seem feisty to you? Since the same could be said about you.”
You spotted a familiar sighting from what you had gotten used to on these dates and smiled to yourself, your idea would finally come into fruition today. Turning to Jongdae, you grabbed at his face hurriedly. He jerked back at your advance “What are you doing?!”
“Are you afraid?” you wondered, knowing you had the most opportune angle for a perfect photo. Leaning in so close that your lips were almost flush with his, you tilted your head to the side. With you up this close, Jongdae froze. You smirked triumphantly. “Seems like you are.”
“Are you attempting to kiss me right now? Because you’ve missed my actual lips.”
“I don’t need to kiss you for this to be snapped as one.”
Jongdae’s eyes were dark when you pulled back and sat in your seat with ease. He rushed to wind up the window before continuing. “Was that meant to scare me off?”
“I’m over this game with you, let’s just give up.”
“You just gave the press more than we ever have. It was you who leaned over and fake kissed me. I’m impressed; you’ve clearly wasted so many years watching all those silly dramas on TV to think of pretending to kiss someone.”
“I guess I have put you in a bind, Kim Jongdae,” you agreed, still content with your decision. He had been the one pointing to various sculptures and paintings proclaiming they all looked better than you did. He had even joked about marrying a plump statue over you since you lacked in the chest department. With how much he wanted to escape you, he sure hadn’t done anything about it yet. You had seen the fear in his dark gaze though, and it made you feel at ease. He would end this tonight with his parents.
Instead, he rang to plan your next date. You blinked. “Our what?”
“Did you really think I would be put out, Y/N? You surprised me, I’ll give you that.”
“You don’t want to marry me, Jongdae!”
“You’re not my first choice for a wife, you’re right.”
“So then end it.”
“And be the one who has to deal with both our parents? No thanks.”
You groaned unattractively. “You coward.”
“At least if I was to ever think of using kissing as a publicity stunt, I’d go through with the actual thing.”
“Don’t you dare think of doing such a thing!” you hissed and his hearty laughter filled the receiver. You hung up on him, frustrated that he was holding out just to see you crumble.
Dates continued in the same masochistic manner, both not wanting to be at the other’s side but unable to not be there either. Jongdae hadn’t kissed you, thank goodness, but he had definitely increased his skinship and it was making you very uncomfortable. Your skin would burn from where he held you and you constantly felt on edge whenever you were with him, wondering what he’d do next. You had been so confident with the fake kiss scene in the car, but it had gotten you nowhere. You were already in your final fitting for your custom made wedding dress and a cocktail dress for the reception. Everything you tried to stop seemed to roll ahead with everyone not listening to you. Eventually, you were left standing in a dress that was far too beautiful for such an event. Something as gorgeous as this should only be worn when you could walk down the aisle to someone you actually loved.
“Oh the groom is here!” the designer crooned and tried to usher you behind the large velvet curtain so your dress would be unseen to him. You rushed behind there, panting heavily as you dropped the yards of gorgeous fabric back down so you could balance yourself. Then you frowned. Why had you done such a thing? The jinx of seeing the dress before the wedding might work in your favour. You went to move out again but flinched when someone joined you behind the curtain instead.
“What are you doing?!” you whispered sternly and Jongdae merely eyed you from head to toe. You blushed, not understanding why he was paying so much attention to you right now. A small part of you hoped he liked what he saw. You squashed the mindless thought immediately.
“Don’t stress, I’m only meant to not see the dress if we’re hoping for a positive union, right? I thought of all people you would have stood proudly before me to put as many omens on this gorgeous gown as you could.”
You couldn’t help but bite your lip when he used the word gorgeous. Was your mind weak today because of the magical feeling of being in such a dress? Clearing your throat, you placed your hands on your waist. “All the same, I find it hard enough to be in this dress, let alone be with you whilst I’m in it.”
“Call it a rehearsal.” Jongdae continued to look at the details intently. “You’ll have to do the real thing very soon.”
“Don’t remind me.”
He smirked when his gaze finally lifted up to your face. “We need to rehearse a lot of things for this to be the best performance of our life, right?”
“Because we’re totally going through with this,” you refuted weakly and Jongdae chuckled.
“You look every part of a blushing bride. I think you’re ready to marry me more than you admit.”
“Honestly,” you said dryly and turned away from the mischief within his gaze.
This was your first mistake. Before you realised it, his arms had slipped through yours still poised on your hips and you snapped your face towards his right as his lips found yours. Your eyes grew wide and you didn’t know what to do for a moment.
Jongdae pulled away and licked at his lips. “There, we even practised that.”
“You had no need to kiss me! We’re not in public at all and you have zero permission to do such a thing to me!”
“What about at our wedding?” he wondered, his gaze lingering over the detailed bodice of the dress. “Should I just kiss you on the cheek and call it a day?”
“If we get married.”
Jongdae sighed. “When.”
And it really had happened. Whether you wanted to admit it or not, you both ran out of time and excuses. You had tried to run away pathetically the night before the wedding, yet you were there bright and early for your salon appointment. Somehow you had lost your voice that you had been so loudly using in the beginning of this scheme. Now, you just sat there and did everything that was asked of you.
And when Jongdae was signalled to kiss you, it felt like it went on forever. With your eyes closed, and focusing just on kissing him back, you felt the build up in the back of your throat. Every sensation in your body was awakened with the kiss and it took you immense effort not to ball your hands up in fists as you locked lips with Jongdae for too long. When he pulled away and smiled at you generously, you were stunned. He looked so happy to finally have you as his wife and for a moment you almost believed he truly felt that way.
Almost.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard to get used to living with your husband. Maybe it was because your newlywed home that your parents had organised was just so large that you didn’t have much reason to cross paths. You had your own chambers and he had his. Of course, you couldn’t avoid him most days. After all, there were endless interviews, events, and work to do. But at least when at home, you could relax a little bit.
Most of the time.
“Eat with me.”
You looked up from your computer and rolled your eyes, going back to the project you were in charge of. Although you weren’t happy with how you had gotten to this point in your career, having more of a voice in the workplace actually fulfilled you more than you had expected. You really liked going to work these days.
“Y/N,” he whined and you continued to ignore him. Jongdae stepped over to your desk and sighed heavily. “I don’t want to eat another meal alone.”
“So eat with one of the in-house helpers.”
“I’ve been doing that for two weeks now!”
You smiled. “Then you’re not eating alone. They are people, just like you and I.”
“They have no idea about the new spring collection launch I’m working on. You do.”
“So you don’t want to eat with me, you want to pick my brain,” you concluded, finally looking up from your computer. You bridged your fingers together on your desk and smiled again. “Oh dear, what to do? I have no interest in sharing my plans with you to steal.”
“Why would I steal something we’re both working on?”
He had you there and you groaned. Glancing down at the proposal again, you relented. You had questions for him yourself that you could get to over dinner.
And this trend continued. Most nights you shared dinner whilst discussing plans and changes that were needed for your first project to run smoothly. You had to admit, majoring from the same degree in business administration meant you did have a balanced work ethic together. It became more evident to you when you were at work, seeking him out after meetings to discuss the happenings together. Everyone surrounding you claimed your marital harmony at home had to be the spark behind this amazing collaboration.
You just knew how his mind worked in a business setting and yours complimented his. That was all.
But you had to admit, some days it felt like the lines were blurring. You would smile at him without any forced nature behind it, and when one of his projects took a major production stumble, you had genuinely been supportive for Jongdae. He had worked so hard and you knew how important it was to him to succeed.
When the launch was finally released and sold out within a day, you had rushed into his office, positively beaming. “We did it!”
“It’s all sold out, already?!” he asked excitedly and you nodded earnestly, Jongdae rounding his table so fast and hugging you tightly. You clung to him for a moment, your elation clouding your mind. And when you finally realised where you were, you didn’t get much chance to pull away, Jongdae’s mouth crashing down on yours.
You could have pushed him off, reminding him that this was a marriage of convenience. But the spark of arousal was instantaneous and you leaned into the heated embrace, Jongdae spinning you around and pressing you up against his desk as his lips hungrily explored your neck, his hand slipping down your body and hiking one of your legs up around him. You moaned in pleasure and then a knock on the door broke the spell immediately.
You stared back at Jongdae, wondering just how such an embrace had occurred between you. And why it didn’t feel as bad as you had thought it always would.
You were on edge with each other respectively for a week after the office incident and your mind wouldn’t stop taking you back to that moment in time frequently. Why had he kissed you? His grip on your body felt like he wanted to have you. Yet you were someone he had always claimed he’d never crave in that way. You were so confused that you went into his study after work, too wound up and needing answers.
“Y/N,” he said tenderly and you blinked, wondering why your name sounded so good falling from his lips. He smiled weakly. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Oh.” Jongdae nodded softly and closed the lid on his laptop. “What’s wrong?”
“Why did you kiss me last week? Why did you have to take me in your arms like that and, and…” you trailed off, feeling your cheeks grow hot. “We don’t have that kind of relationship. We hate each other.”
Jongdae was silent for a moment, staring at nothing in particular. You were irked by his lack of a response until he gazed back at you. The power within his umber eyes almost made you lose your footing. “I don’t hate you.”
“What?”
“I’ve never hated you,” he mentioned and you gaped at your husband.
“Yes, we’ve always hated each other for as long as I can remember.”
“No, you hated me. You’ve always hated me. I never understood why.”
You shook your head slowly. “Because our families are rivals.”
“Is that it? I can’t hate someone because my parents are competitive towards their opposition.”
“You can too; you were competitive towards everything I did!”
Jongdae nodded. “Some things yeah, because you rubbed me the wrong way. But never because I hated you. Don’t confuse competitive with hatred, it’s two very different emotions.”
You looked around the room, trying to decipher what he was planning now. There had to be a catch, he was never this honest with you outside of work. Was there a hidden camera somewhere? Recording you so he could catch something to hold over you in the future? You were decidedly cautious but listened to his words all the same.
“Look at you, even now you’re uncomfortable with me.”
“Can you blame me? We went from being enemies to a married couple who now share a department in the office. I don’t know what to think of you.”
“Without what your parents have influenced you to do, what do you think of me?” You blinked rapidly. Jongdae sighed heavily. “Have you ever once thought of me as someone with the same goals as you? As someone who matches you as opposed to being someone you need to outdo?”
You didn’t answer, your mind racing to figure out what he meant.
Jongdae groaned. “I have. I noticed your ambitions. I realised how level-headed you are in a situation of crisis. You’re intelligent. You treat everyone as equals, apart from me, of course. You have compassion for bettering this world we live in. It touches me knowing you’re such an amazing person.”
“I made you think all those things?” you asked and he nodded. You didn’t buy it entirely. “Then why did you always tease me? Why did you make things harder for me every step along the way?”
“You wouldn’t allow me to be anything but your rival, so I admit, I played the role well. I told you I was excellent at acting, you just never wanted to believe me.”
“So you’ve been actively seeking out my company and not because you want to annoy me?” Jongdae nodded again. You shook your head. “Unbelievable.”
“Can I tell you my biggest secret yet?” he asked and you eyed him warily. He gestured to the chair you held the back of for support. “You might want to sit down.”
“This doesn’t sound safe.”
Jongdae leaned back in his own seat and took a steadying breath. “It wasn’t our parents.”
“What wasn’t our parents?” He raised an eyebrow at you and your eyes widened. “This whole thing?!”
“I’ll admit I didn’t want to marry you in the beginning. When I realised just how talented you were with business strategies during university, I knew I wanted to work with you. I was certain we could create something amazing together. When I loosely mentioned it to my Father, he laughed in my face. That your parents wouldn’t dream of letting you work with me and that he wouldn’t allow me to approach you either. There was too much of a risk if we simply combined our talents together.”
You nodded slowly, agreeing that despite your differences, you had a formidable balance in the workplace that had led to great success already. Your mind wandered back to the passionate moment in his office last week and you narrowed your gaze on his. “Then how did we end up like this?”
“In every transaction weighed with a lot of risks, giving the opponent something worthy to hold onto in case it sours is the best option, don’t you agree? You cannot have something without giving back just as much.”
“That is usual etiquette,” you mentioned and then sighed. “If your father had me as his daughter in law, my Dad couldn’t act rash and overtake your company.”
“Exactly, so I suggested it to him in a way that made him unable to refute it. And by the time it was murmured into your father’s ears, he felt as if he had come up with the idea himself. Our parents agreed with it and thus, everything else you already know about.”
You raised your hand in objection. “Wait, you got a brand new car. Why should I believe you actually wanted to marry me?”
“I had to make it seem like I didn’t actually want to marry you. I needed them to think I was against it in every way possible but for the sake of good business I would be bribed.”
“You played your own parents?” you uttered and Jongdae grimaced.
“It wasn’t that cruel. Besides, they didn’t want to listen to your objections and forced you into this. I figure they are just as guilty as I am for imposing this on you.”
“I just… this is all so much to take on,” you admitted and Jongdae smiled weakly. You then stared at him. “Wait, I’m confused. You said you didn’t want to marry me in the beginning, but then you actually did want to marry me. You claimed I wasn’t your first choice every time I argued with you. Who is your first choice? Why would you go this far just for harmony in making more money? We’re rich enough not to have joined as business partners, Jongdae.”
He didn’t answer, rubbing at his neck awkwardly instead. Your eyebrows shot up and you leaned forward in your seat. “You wanted to marry me?!”
“Well, did you not hear all the things I complimented you over?” he answered meekly, diverting his gaze. “I didn’t have a first choice. You were my only choice.”
“I was what?”
“I didn’t want to marry anyone else. Okay so I wasn’t completely sure from the beginning, but as we started dating and you kept trying to outdo me, I found you really adorable. I didn’t want to end it. And then when I saw you in your dress…” He smiled to himself and you were certain he was revisiting the day behind the velvet curtain in the dressmaker’s studio. “I knew then.”
“Knew what?”
“That I loved you,” he confessed. “That I had loved you for some time too.”
“You really mean that?” you questioned, feeling yourself grow anxious. “I’m asking you if you honestly believe you love me.”
“Being your husband is something I’m happy to be. I love you, Y/N.”
You shifted across to Jongdae faster than your mind was working and kissed him passionately, surprising you both. He pulled you onto his lap and held you close, his mouth hotly exploring yours. The kiss melded from one into the next until you were utterly breathless. When you finally pulled back, you stared into his eyes carefully. Had they always been this warm? Had Jongdae always been looking at you like this? It made you feel so feeble to think whilst you had followed the trend of your parents, Jongdae had given you the chance to be yourself in his eyes. He didn’t judge you as part of the opposition. He searched for ways to separate you from the feud. You felt guilty for only coming to realise his strengths recently. Although, when you looked back over the years, there had been reason for your jealousy – Jongdae was a talented person.
And he was your husband now.
“Do you kiss everyone who admits they love you like that?” he teased and you grinned, shrugging lightly. “Hey! You can’t act like that to me. Not after how much I’ve done to get us to this point.”
“Which is what?”
“You not looking at me like an enemy,” he answered and you nodded softly. “To actually see me apart from our families, and to work alongside me on the first project at work. You don’t know how happy I am right now.”
“Do you think you could show me how much?” you wondered airily and Jongdae smirked, suddenly hoisting you up as he stood up.
“Are you sure you want to challenge me with this? I mean, you tried to take me on in the past and look where we ended up. We’re married and you didn’t want that.”
You kissed his lips before slinging your arms around his neck and smiled down at him. “Well, this is something I might be able to excel in. Let’s see who can outdo who now.”
Summary: it was your birthday but Jongdae hadn’t given you a single present. It was too late for surprises, or so you thought.
Pairing: Kim Jongdae x reader
Genre: birthday au / fluff
A/N: my lovely @trishmarieco had her birthday the other day but due to so many commitments this week, I never got a chance to write her anything until today. Since I knew I didn’t want to send just anything, I hope your present is better late than never, lovely! You are such an inspiration to me, and I’m glad you had a wonderful birthday on Wednesday Xxx
Word count: 980
All day you had waited for something, anything. You were looking around every corner, and whenever Jongdae did or said something remotely hopeful, you would smile knowingly and wait for the surprise to be announced.
But nothing arrived at the front door as a delivery or popped out of the closet when you checked inside. There was not a single trace of your birthday celebrations anywhere. You had never taken your boyfriend as someone who would forget such a special day and so you held out for as long as you could. Yet when dinner was over and you still hadn’t heard a single mention of your special day from him, you were infuriated and distraught. After all, you had given Jongdae the best birthday when it was his special day.
You hadn’t even had a slice of cake yet.
“You okay?” Jongdae asked as you slumped down on the sofa beside him but kept some distance between you both. Normally you curled up into his side; instead, you firmly placed your arms over your chest. “You look like something’s wrong.”
“You’re unbelievable, you know that?! I’ve waited all day long and you’ve done nothing!”
“All day long?” he echoed and frowned. “For what?”
You stared at your boyfriend for an immeasurable moment before you scoffed, feeling the prick of your emotions at the back of your eyes. “You jerk!”
“What, why?!” Jongdae cried, kneeling on the sofa beside you. “What have I done?”
“It’s what you haven’t done! Don’t you remember what today is?!”
“It’s Wednesday, isn’t it?”
The tears spilled from your eyes. “It’s my birthday!”
“Oh my gosh, really?!” His eyes widened and yet he didn’t seem guilty enough for forgetting something so important. “You must be really mad with me.”
“Wait,” you said softly, eyeing your boyfriend more carefully. Despite the watery veil over your eyes, you picked up on the way he didn’t look at you directly. You narrowed your gaze and a ghost of a smile played on your lips. “You didn’t forget?”
“Yes, I did.”
“No, you didn’t! Jongdae, have you got something planned?”
He got up and laughed nervously. “I really don’t.”
“You really do, I know you too well. Before, I was panicking because you hadn’t done anything, but now that I’m watching you and not thinking of how I feel, I can tell you’ve got something.”
“Why do you have to know me so well?” he muttered and then bit his lip. Turning back to you, he approached you and took a deep breath. “I kept stalling.”
“Why, is it a big present?” you asked, feeling your anticipation rise. He nodded. “A super big present?”
“A life-changing present,” he mentioned and you gasped when his hand slipped into his pocket and retrieved a small box. “I had it all planned out but then the decorations were wrongly delivered and the company couldn’t get them here until tomorrow. And your cake was dropped on the ground by an employee so I have been waiting to hear back when I could go pick it up, but they never called. Everything was supposed to be so perfect, yet all I have is this ring and I can’t even remember what I wanted to say because I was so disappointed.”
You stared down at the ring within its case and smiled. It was everything you had expected in an engagement ring from Jongdae. You were crying again, this time from happiness. “Just ask me, Jongdae.”
“Really?” he questioned tentatively and you nodded eagerly. “I wish I had more to offer you today on such a special occasion but I know I can make it up to you with every day we share together. I’d be lost without you. And I know it’s cheesy to propose on your birthday but-”
“Yes!” you exclaimed impatiently and Jongdae chuckled. “I say yes!”
“You didn’t let me finish!”
“There’s nothing to make up for because all I really need is you. Of course, I’ll marry you.”
Jongdae slipped the ring onto your finger and admired it along with you. The doorbell buzzed then, and you glanced at your now fiancé before he got up and went to see who was there. “My apologies that it’s so late. We decided to deliver your order ourselves due to the issue. I hope it’s still in time.”
Jongdae thanked the person at the door and then returned to the sofa carrying a cake box. You grinned and waited for him to open it. Inside was your favourite style of cake with the words Happy Birthday Y/N. I’ll love you for eternity, and in the middle was a fondant shaped ring box. You looked at Jongdae. “You planned to put the ring in there, didn’t you?”
He nodded. “I had so much planned.”
“Well, I like how it is now. We have cake, we are engaged, what more could a girl ask for?”
Jongdae leaned over and kissed you passionately, smiling at you when he pulled away. “Happy birthday baby. I’ll love you for eternity, just like the cake says.”
“This is the best birthday ever.”
“Really? You were crying because you thought I forgot about it,” he teased and you rolled your eyes as you nodded.
“Fine, it’s the best birthday now,” you corrected, hugging him tightly. “Next time just tell me though.”
“I think next year your birthday will be much simpler,” he admitted and you laughed.
“You mean there won’t be a wedding on my birthday?”
“You want to wait that long?” he asked and you gasped. Jongdae smirked. “I could marry you tomorrow.”
“We’d have to plan a lot more than what you have done for today,” you mentioned but reached up to kiss him again. “Simple or full of surprises, let’s share every birthday together just like this. In each other’s arms.”
