right there - day five
@juminweek2019
jumin x mc
rating: T
prompt: words of affirmation
warnings: mentions of alcohol consumption, Jumin is drunk ♡
word count: 2,764
ao3 link
“Me? Would you like me to talk?” she guessed, blinking quickly as she waited for his answer. “No,” he replied simply, leaning down to press a short kiss to the inside of her wrist. Her whole body felt hot, a non-verbal sputter coming from her lips in shock. “I would like to talk about you."
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“He’s asking for you.”
“Me?” she asked in disbelief, standing from her couch and looking around momentarily in panic. Eventually, she gathered her thoughts and rushed over to the door.
“I was also surprised,” V laughed. She heard clattering in the background of the call, her eyebrows furrowing on her forehead as she felt her head fill with questions.
“Is he okay?” was the first thing she asked, shoving her shoes on her feet and grabbing her coat.
“I think he’d had about two and a half bottles of wine before he called me,” he replied, sighing quietly. She could tell how worried he was, even though they had only spoken in person a handful of times. She was just as concerned, rushing down the hallway and pressing the button to call the elevator repeatedly.
“Jumin, she’s on her way,” V said, slightly raising his voice. She pressed her phone closer to her ear to listen, unable to make out what Jumin said in reply.
“Yes, I’ll send someone to pick her up,” V laughed, his voice getting distant as she guessed he’d pulled his phone away to text someone.
Stepping into the elevator, she chewed on her bottom lip anxiously. Jumin and her had only met a few times; the first time at the first RFA party she’d worked at and the second at an RFA meeting they’d held a month or so ago. Her mind felt hot as it worked into overtime, trying to think of why he would want to see her of all people. His best friend was already there, so why did he need her as well?
It wasn’t as if she felt put out by the request; she would do anything for her friends. But that begged the question if she still considered Jumin as just a friend. It was hard to deny that she was attracted to him. How could she not be? He was the perfect gentleman, and when he smiled at her, she felt as if the world had stopped spinning altogether. These uninvited feelings are what pulled her off her couch so quickly, and they kept her pacing in the lobby as the driver V had sent made their way to her.
On the way there, it began to snow harder, and she had started to assume the worst as to why Jumin had decided to down so much wine in one sitting. Her stomach had bottomed out with worry, and she felt another jolt of anxiety as V’s called ID popped up on her phone just as she arrived at Jumin’s apartment building.
“Hello?” she asked, hearing a rustling followed by a deep hum. She immediately knew that Jumin was on the other end of the phone, her eyes being drawn up towards the top of the building as she entered and was greeted by security.
“MC, it’s me,” he breathed. She could immediately hear the difference in his voice, a small smile stretching on her lips as she stepped into the elevator. She wasn’t enjoying his self-destruction in the slightest, but his deep, husky voice was something she couldn’t complain about.
“Hello, Jumin. Are you alright?” she gently asked, watching the elevator ascend slower than she would have liked.
“Not in the slightest. I would like to see you,” he said sternly, making her bite down on her tongue before almost laughing.
“I’m in the elevator, Jumin. I’ll be there in less than two minutes,” she responded, tapping her foot in anticipation.
“My elevator? The elevator to my penthouse?” he asked, making her smile at just how out of it he seemed even though he was still speaking so politely.
“Yes. I’m almost there,” she smiled, eyeing the security guard beside her as the elevator settled at the top floor.
“Perfect,” Jumin said before promptly hanging up, making her do a double take at her phone before forgetting about that and stepping through the doors.
“Mr. Han,” she heard down the hallway, seeing the grand door to his apartment open and Jumin step out. His eyes searched the hall until he saw her, his path clear before V stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“Why are you restraining me?” he wondered, frowning at his best friend.
“It would be better for you two to talk inside,” V explained, smiling sheepishly at the security guards as their expressions ranged from clueless to amused.
“It hardly matters where–”
“Jumin,” she called, approaching them and seeing Jumin’s face soften.
“There you are,” he sighed, immediately reaching for her. She offered a hand, watching as he took it with both of his and seemed to lose some of the tension in his shoulders.
“I’m here. Should we go inside?” she asked, ignoring how her heart was barely stuttering by and focusing on escaping the eyes of the crowd of security guards.
“Yes. Yes, that’s a wonderful idea. The best idea I’ve ever heard,” he nodded, blinking slowly at her as he shot V a look and moved to walk past him, one of his hands still tightly wrapped around hers. She gave V a weak smile, hearing him say a few things to the guards as he closed the door behind them.
“Thank you for coming,” Jumin spoke, bringing her attention back to him as they moved further into his extravagant penthouse. She looked around, stumbling a little when they moved onto the plush carpet encompassing the living area.
“I don’t mind,” she started, watching Jumin gesture for her to sit. She obliged, his hand still holding hers as he unsteadily lowered himself beside her. His legs were pointed towards her, a tired smile settling on his lips. She rubbed his hand a little to soothe both him and herself, drawing his eyes to where their hands had landed on the couch.
“Can I get you anything, MC?” V asked from behind her, startling her slightly and making Jumin tense.
“Uh, tea? Tea would be nice. I think Jumin needs a minute,” she said, turning to talk to him and giving him a knowing look. V nodded, hooking a thumb towards the kitchen to let her know where he would be.
Turning back to Jumin, who had started running the pad of his thumb along the backs of her fingers, she cleared her throat.
“Jumin, is everything alright?” she wondered softly, watching his movements pause.
“If you’re asking about why I have consumed so much alcohol, I would rather not talk about it,” he muttered, making her heart fall at just how disappointed he sounded. Pressing her lips together, she reconsidered her approach.
“Is there anything you would like to talk about?” she continued, feeling goosebumps run up her arms as he turned her hand over, pulling it onto his thigh and beginning to trace the lines on her palm.
“You,” he whispered, her eyes shooting to his in surprise.
“Me? Would you like me to talk?” she guessed, blinking quickly as she waited for his answer.
“No,” he replied simply, leaning down to press a short kiss to the inside of her wrist. Her whole body felt hot, a non-verbal sputter coming from her lips in shock.
“I would like to talk about you,” he clarified, her whole body rigid as he pulled back and met her eyes.
“About me?” she repeated, her words choppy and hoarse. What was going on? Where had this come from?
“Indeed. Everything about you is so inviting,” he started, spreading her hand open so that he could press his hand against hers. He evaluated the size difference, humming thoughtfully as he released her hand. When she didn’t move it, still frozen, he placed it back in her lap, smiling warmly.
“Unfortunately, I don’t think there is any chance I won’t become completely enamored with you. I might already be at that stage,” he continued, making her eyes widen at the gravity of his words.
“Did I say unfortunately? If I’m honest, I feel that it’s anything but unfortunate,” he mused, looking down at his lap. She was torn between feeling over the moon and feeling guilty. She didn’t know if he truly wanted her to hear this. Should she plug her ears? Ask him to stop?
“You do?” was all that came out, her lips pressing together again as she stared at him. He nodded once, meeting her eyes briefly before looking away again and sighing.
“A part of me wishes I didn’t feel this way, but I cannot help the fact that I do,” he began again, making her tilt her head as she quietly waited for him to continue. “Every past experience has warned me against this, but everything about you makes me want to say yes.” She swallowed thickly, watching him fiddle with his cufflinks as his mind worked on gathering his thoughts.
“And you’ve given us no reason to distrust you,” he continued, finally meeting her eyes and catching her off guard with the adoration she found there. He sighed, his eyebrows drawing together as he looked her over.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, and she swore that was the nail in her coffin. She was in just as deep as he seemed to be, pressing a hand over her mouth as she felt her ears begin to burn at the tips.
“I vowed not to be swayed by looks like my father,” he murmured, a deep-set frown moving over his lips before he closed his eyes and shook his head. “But I don’t believe that was what drew me to you, even though it is a true statement. You are very pleasing to look at, which makes me appreciate you all the more.” She stared at him, seeing the drunkenness manifesting in his cheeks as a slight blush, his eyes sparkling and his jaw more slack than usual.
“Jumin,” she breathed, restraining herself from giving in and listening to anything he had to say. “I don’t know if you should be telling me this,” she said, watching his eyebrows twitch downwards.
“I have wanted to tell you this for many months now,” he said, his response catching her off guard.
“Really?” she said before she could stop herself, watching him break into a smile again. He held out his hand, and she hesitantly reached out, watching as he held it carefully in his own.
“During our most recent RFA meeting, you told us about your thoughts for the next party,” he reminded her, and she nodded, happy to think about anything but the way he was looking at her.
“Right, I, uh,” she started, clearing her throat. “I told everyone that I wanted to change a few things for our next party and see how it went.” Jumin nodded enthusiastically.
“It was right then,” he smiled, and she stared at him. “It was at that moment that I knew I felt more for you than I had ever felt for anyone before,” he explained, making her press her lips together to stop her heart from landing in his hands. She blinked at him in shock, trying to find words but coming up short. He held her gaze for a moment, his grip on her hand tightening by a fraction.
“I am resigned to the fact that you do not feel the same, and that is not something that needs to be changed,” he went on, making her heart stick in her throat as it slightly broke. His expression was one she would never want to be responsible for putting on his face.
“It will be painful, but—”
“No, Jumin. No,” she said quickly and maybe a little too forcefully. He blinked at her, searching her eyes before continuing.
“It’s alright, I assure you,” he reiterated, making her grip his hand tightly.
“No, Jumin! I…well, I feel the same way. About you, I mean,” she got out, hoping she didn’t look as scared as she felt. She never thought in a million years that these words would be coming out of her mouth, especially not to him.
Jumin’s face melted into a dark expression, one she wasn’t familiar with.
“What?” he choked out, unwavering in the way he was keeping her gaze. She panicked, ready to take back what she’d said but stupidly running headfirst in the opposite direction.
“I really, really like you, Jumin,” she barely managed to say, feeling both of them grip each other’s hand tighter, perhaps subconsciously. He continued staring at her, and even though his expression could make someone cry, she decided to keep going, hoping it would help him feel better if she explained a little.
“You are wonderful, Jumin,” she began, seeing the tension in his shoulders remain stiff. “Even though others have a hard time seeing it, you’re incredibly kind. You’re thoughtful and considerate, I just think that you don’t have a chance to show people very often. You’re so smart and also very funny when you want to be,” she said, unable to help the smile growing on her lips. She hadn’t noticed how his expression had dissolved, his shoulders dropping as she looked past him in deep thought.
“You’re just such a lovely person, and I wish people were able to see that–Jumin?” She stopped, looking down as he reached forward with both hands and gently gripped her upper arms. Finally meeting his eyes, she found that he was affected by what she’d said, his eyes sparkling and his smile wide.
“Can I hug you?” he asked, making her stomach leap in her abdomen.
“I-yes? Of course,” she said through a nervous laugh, leaning forward as he pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around his middle, feeling his hands slip across her back as she rested her chin on his shoulder. Jumin seemed to deflate against her, taking a broken breath before releasing it slowly and moving closer to her.
She closed her eyes, settling into his warmth and wishing they could stay like this for a little while.
“I hope you know how much your words mean to me.” She blinked her eyes open, glancing at the collar of his shirt as he began tracing small circles into her back. “For someone to see even a glimpse of the real me and not run…” He trailed off, his hands stopping as she sighed sadly.
“Every part of you is beautiful, Jumin,” she whispered in reply, feeling him laugh through his nose more than she heard it.
“I apologize. I understand that I am drunk and not myself at the moment, but I just thought about kissing you,” he said suddenly, making her eyes widen as her hands tensed into fists against his back. “But that can wait until I am of right mind and you give me your permission.” Knowing he was right, she chided herself for the disappointment that rang through her.
“Wait,” he muttered, placing his hands on her waist and pushing back from her. He remained close, glancing down at his lap in thought as she felt her heart running marathons in her chest.
“Am I too inebriated that I won’t recall this in the morning? I think that would be the worst possible outcome,” he said softly, his eyes widening in worry. She blinked at him and then smiled brightly, placing a hand on his cheek and feeling the warmth underneath his skin. He blinked rapidly, looking up at her in muted surprise.
“If you forget, I’ll remind you,” she smiled, seeing him place his hand over hers. He pursed his lips in thought, his eyes not leaving hers.
“I might not believe you,” he pointed out, making her snicker a little and consider it.
“If it takes a million retellings, I’ll make sure you believe me,” she rephrased, slowly taking her hand away as he began to unintentionally lean toward her.
“It’s a deal,” he smiled, laughing hoarsely and placing a hand on her knee. She held back a bigger smile, seeing him look down at where he’d set his hand with tired eyes.
“How about we get you some water?” she offered after taking a moment to admire him. She would have never thought that a late-night call would end like this, but she was hardly complaining.
“Yes, my love,” he replied quickly, making her gape at him and watch as he stood, waiting for her to join him. She shook her head in disbelief, standing to meet him and taking the hand he was offering her as she desperately tried not to show how much those two words had completely ruined her.
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thank you all so much for reading! every single reblog and comment makes my day!! i hope you know that <3
tomorrow is the last day, so stay tuned for that! thanks again!
Mel x
