⟢ author’s note: hello, everyone! this was a request made by @hykwrld for the prompt “You’re mine. God help me, I don’t care what we call it—you’re mine.” taken from this prompt list. i changed it up a little bit, and i kinda dragged the story a lot, but i couldn’t just let go of the chance to write f2l!lino. i hope you like it!
summary: When Minho’s toddler son shows up to the dorm dressed as Leebit for Halloween, the usually composed idol completely falls apart over how deeply and innocently his little boy loves him.
authors note: so sorry for not posting! i’ve been busy the past few weeks, but i am back and i’m going to be posting a lot more. enjoy~ 🫶🏻
🏷️: fluff, domestic.
Masterlist.
Halloween at the dorms was never quiet.
With eight grown men running around in various stages of costume disasters, fake blood smudged across expensive hoodies, and someone—definitely Han—screaming because Hyunjin had hidden plastic spiders in his shoes again, silence was impossible.
But Minho had expected chaos.
What he hadn’t expected was for his entire emotional stability to collapse the second his front door opened.
Because standing there, clutching your hand with tiny fingers, was his son.
Dressed as Leebit.
For a moment, Minho genuinely forgot how to breathe.
The little white bunny hoodie swallowed your son whole, oversized ears flopping sideways as he stared up at his father with wide, sparkling eyes. Tiny whiskers were drawn onto his cheeks in slightly crooked lines, and the fluffy tail attached to the back bounced when he shifted his weight excitedly.
And then—
“Appa!”
Minho made a sound that no one in the history of humanity had ever heard before.
Somewhere between a gasp, a wheeze, and his soul physically leaving his body.
Behind him, Changbin blinked. “Oh my god.”
“I think he died,” Felix whispered.
“No, seriously, look at his face,” Jeongin said, already laughing.
Minho couldn’t hear any of them.
Because his son was wearing his character. Tiny. Round-cheeked. Looking unbearably proud of himself.
“Surprise,” you said carefully, already grinning because you knew exactly what kind of reaction this would get.
Minho just stared.
Then he slowly crouched down in front of your son like he was approaching a wild animal.
“…Who are you?” he asked softly.
Your son giggled immediately, bouncing on his feet. “Leebit!”
“Leebit?” Minho echoed weakly.
A nod so aggressive the bunny ears flopped into his eyes.
Minho put a hand over his mouth.
“Oh, he’s gone,” Chan muttered from the kitchen.
“Someone catch him.”
Your son grabbed the edge of Minho’s sleeve. “Appa, look!” He turned around in a circle to show off the costume properly, tail bobbing. “Eomma made it!”
Minho looked at you with genuine betrayal.
“You did this to me on purpose.”
You laughed. “Maybe.”
He looked back at your son.
The tiny hoodie sleeves covered half his hands. His little sneakers squeaked against the floor when he moved. The face paint on his nose had smudged slightly from him rubbing at it in the car.
Minho felt his heart physically cave in on itself.
He reached out carefully, almost reverently, and tugged one floppy bunny ear between his fingers.
“…You’re so precious,” he whispered like it personally offended him.
Your son beamed.
That was apparently the final blow.
Minho grabbed him instantly, hauling him into his arms with a dramatic groan and burying his face into the tiny bunny hood.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god—”
Your son squealed loudly, kicking his feet. “Appa!”
“You can’t do this to me,” Minho mumbled into his shoulder. “You can’t just show up looking like this.”
“Hyung is literally shaking,” Jisung announced from the couch.
And he was.
Minho was actually trembling a little as he held him.
Because it wasn’t just the costume.
It was the way your son had clearly been excited all day. The way he kept patting the bunny ears proudly. The way he looked at Minho like he’d hung the moon itself.
Like dressing up as Leebit was the coolest thing imaginable because it belonged to his dad.
Minho was weak to a lot of things.
Cats.
You.
Late-night fried chicken.
But nothing—absolutely nothing—destroyed him faster than his son loving him openly.
“Take a picture of us,” Minho demanded suddenly.
Felix already had his phone out. “Way ahead of you.”
“No, wait.” Minho adjusted the bunny hood carefully around your son’s face. “Okay. Now.”
Another squeal escaped your son when Minho started nuzzling his cheeks aggressively.
“Too cute,” Minho muttered. “Actually criminal.”
“Appa, breathing is important,” Seungmin said dryly.
Minho ignored him completely.
Your son suddenly grabbed Minho’s cheeks with both hands.
“Appa where your ears?”
The room burst into laughter.
Minho blinked. “My ears?”
“You need bunny ears too.”
“Oh, he’s right,” Hyunjin said immediately. “Hold on.”
Within thirty seconds, someone had shoved a pair of white bunny ears onto Minho’s head. Your son looked absolutely delighted by this development.
“Same!” he shouted excitedly, pointing between them.
Minho looked like he might cry.
Actually cry.
Chan saw it first and started cackling. “He’s emotional!”
“I am not emotional.”
“You absolutely are.”
Minho tightened his hold on your son defensively. “He said we match.”
“That’s your breaking point?” Changbin laughed.
“Yes.”
Honestly, fair enough.
Your son leaned against Minho’s chest comfortably, playing with the bunny ears on his father’s head while Minho looked at him like he’d personally invented happiness.
And maybe it was ridiculous.
Maybe it was just a costume.
But Minho couldn’t stop thinking about how small he still was.
How one day those tiny hands wouldn’t reach for him automatically anymore.
How eventually Halloween costumes would become “embarrassing” and he’d stop asking his parents to match him.
The thought alone made Minho hold him tighter.
Your son noticed immediately.
“Appa?”
Minho kissed the top of the bunny hood softly. “Hmm?”
“You squishing me.”
“You’ll survive.”
“Noooo,” your son giggled dramatically.
“Too bad.”
“You’re obsessed with him,” you told Minho knowingly.
Minho looked at you blankly. “Obviously.”
And honestly?
It only got worse from there.
-
By the time the group actually went out for Halloween activities, Minho had fully transformed into one of those unbearable parents who wouldn’t stop showing people pictures of their kid.
Every five minutes:
“Look at him.”
“We know what he looks like, hyung.”
“But look again.”
The pictures got progressively more ridiculous too.
Your son sitting on Minho’s shoulders with bunny ears falling sideways.
Your son holding a tiny pumpkin bucket bigger than his torso.
Your son asleep against Minho’s chest while still wearing the costume.
Minho nearly cried at that one.
“He fell asleep mid-candy,” he whispered emotionally.
Seungmin looked exhausted. “Please stop narrating your feelings.”
“No.”
Outside, Seoul buzzed with Halloween energy. Kids in costumes ran around excitedly while decorated storefronts glowed orange and purple in the evening dark.
Your son, however, only cared about one thing.
“Pudding.”
“Ah,” Minho nodded seriously. “A man of culture.”
Tiny fingers wrapped around Minho’s hand as they walked down the street together, bunny ears bouncing with every step.
And Minho kept glancing down.
Just checking and making sure this was real. Because there was something so absurdly soft about your child waddling around dressed as a mini version of his dad’s character.
At one point, a STAY walking past recognized them.
Her eyes widened immediately.
“Oh my god—is he dressed as Leebit?”
Your son perked up proudly. “Yeah!”
Minho physically puffed up with pride beside him.
“He picked it himself,” Minho informed her immediately.
You snorted because that was technically not true.
Minho had absolutely influenced him by constantly giving him Leebit plushies.
Still, the STAY looked like she was about to melt too.
“That’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”
“I know,” Minho replied without hesitation.
You stared at him. “You said that so fast.”
“Because it’s true.”
Your son tugged on Minho’s sleeve then pointed dramatically toward a decorated candy stand where they also sell puddings.
“Appa. Puddings.”
Minho gasped softly. “He even likes the same snacks as me.”
“Please calm down,” Jeongin said.
“No.”
Minho bought him the puddings immediately.
And then a candy bag.
And another.
“Minho,” you warned.
“He’s celebrating.”
“He’s three.”
“Exactly.”
Your son sat on Minho’s shoulders afterward happily eating his pudding while playing with the bunny ears on his father’s head again.
At some point, he leaned down and whispered loudly:
“Appa.”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
Minho stopped walking.
Completely.
Like someone had pressed pause on him.
Your son blinked innocently. “Appa?”
Minho looked genuinely emotional now.
Chan saw it and immediately lost it laughing again.
“Oh my god, he’s REALLY gone.”
Minho ignored him entirely.
Instead, he reached up carefully to squeeze your son’s tiny hand where it rested on his head.
“I love you too,” he said quietly.
Then after a beat:
“More than pudding.”
Your son gasped dramatically.
That apparently meant everything.
-
Back at the dorm later, things somehow became even more chaotic.
Because now the members had decided your son was the official mascot of the evening.
He was passed around between them constantly while still wearing the Leebit costume.
Felix fed him chocolate carefully.
Changbin let him sit on his shoulders.
Hyunjin kept fixing the bunny ears dramatically like a stylist on a runway shoot.
And Minho?
Minho hovered nearby the entire time like a possessive cat.
“That’s my kid,” he kept saying randomly.
“We know,” Seungmin replied for the fiftieth time.
“No but look at him.”
“We ARE looking at him.”
Your son eventually waddled over to where Minho sat on the couch and climbed directly into his lap with sleepy determination.
The sugar crash had officially arrived.
His tiny body curled automatically against Minho’s chest.
“Mmm sleepy.”
Minho’s entire face softened instantly.
The room quieted a little too because everyone knew this look on him.
The unbearably soft one.
The one reserved only around his family and cats.
He adjusted the bunny hood gently away from your son’s eyes.
“You had fun?”
A sleepy nod.
“Got lots of candy?”
Another nod.
Then, barely audible:
“Best Halloween.”
Minho looked destroyed by the statement.
Absolutely obliterated.
Your son’s eyelashes fluttered sleepily while he played absentmindedly with the zipper on Minho’s hoodie.
And Minho just watched him.
Like he couldn’t believe someone this precious existed.
“You’re staring again,” you murmured fondly from beside him.
“He’s cute.”
“I gathered.”
“No, but you don’t understand.”
You laughed quietly. “I think I do.”
Minho shook his head seriously. “He’s dressed as me.”
“As Leebit.”
“Same thing.”
That made you laugh harder.
But honestly? You understood.
Because Minho loved deeply.
Sometimes too deeply to explain properly. He wasn’t always loud about it. Wasn’t always openly affectionate in front of others. But when it came to the people he loved, he gave them every soft piece of himself without hesitation.
And your son had him wrapped around one tiny finger from the moment he was born.
Maybe even before that.
Your son shifted sleepily again before mumbling, “Appa bunny.”
Minho visibly melted.
“Oh no,” Jisung whispered. “He called him Appa Bunny.”
Minho closed his eyes briefly like he was trying not to combust.
“Yeah,” he whispered back to your son. “Appa bunny.”
That was it.
Hyunjin actually had to turn away because he couldn’t stop smiling.
“This is sickeningly cute.”
“Disgusting,” Seungmin agreed.
Chan pulled his phone out again. “I’m documenting this.”
“No pictures,” Minho said immediately.
Chan blinked. “You’ve taken literally four hundred tonight.”
“Those are different.”
“How?”
“Because I took them.”
“No logic whatsoever,” Changbin muttered.
Your son was almost fully asleep now, warm little body heavy against Minho’s chest.
The bunny ears drooped over his forehead.
Minho brushed them back carefully.
Then softer than anyone expected, he whispered:
“Thank you for loving things connected to me.”
The room went quiet.
Because yeah.
There it was.
The real reason Minho looked so emotional all night.
Your son didn’t care about fame. Didn’t care about popularity or performances or schedules.
He just loved his dad.
Enough to want to become a tiny version of something associated with him for Halloween.
And Minho—who often acted unaffected by everything—was devastatingly weak to that kind of love.
Your son stirred slightly at the sound of Minho’s voice.
Then, without opening his eyes, lifted one tiny hand and patted Minho’s cheek clumsily.
“I love Appa.”
Minho made the tiniest wounded sound.
“Oh he’s DONE done,” Felix whispered.
Minho looked genuinely close to tears now.
Not dramatic crying. Just that quiet, overwhelmed softness sitting visibly in his eyes.
He kissed your son’s forehead slowly.
“I love you more than anything.”
And he meant it with terrifying sincerity.
-
Getting your son out of the costume later that night turned into its own ordeal.
“Noooo,” he whined sleepily, clutching the bunny hoodie. “Wanna wear it.”
“You have to sleep, baby.”
“Leebit sleeps too.”
Minho immediately turned to you. “He’s right.”
You stared at him flatly. “Don’t encourage him.”
“But he made a valid point.”
“He’s stalling.”
Your son looked between both of you before deciding Minho was clearly the weaker parent.
“Appaaaa.”
Minho folded instantly.
You watched in disbelief. “Unbelievable.”
“He can wear it a little longer.”
“He’s covered in chocolate.”
“A little chocolate builds character.”
“That is not how parenting works.”
Minho hugged your son protectively. “You’ll never take us alive.”
Your son giggled deliriously.
Eventually, after much negotiation and promises that the costume would still exist tomorrow, your son finally allowed you to change him into pajamas.
Though not before insisting Minho wear the bunny ears one more time.
So now there sat Lee Minho—kpop idol, terrifyingly sharp dancer, intimidating sarcastic menace—
Wearing fluffy white bunny ears while tucking his son into bed. And somehow it suited him perfectly.
Your son looked so tiny under the blankets.
Still smelling faintly like candy and outside air.
Minho sat beside him carefully, brushing soft hair away from his forehead. “Did you have the best Halloween ever?” he asked quietly.
A sleepy nod.
“And next year?” your son mumbled. “You match me again?”
Minho’s expression cracked instantly.
“Of course I will.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
Your son smiled sleepily.
Then reached for Minho’s hand beneath the blanket.
Minho went still immediately before curling his fingers carefully around the tiny hand holding his.
It hit him suddenly then.
How fast this was all going.
How one day his son wouldn’t need bedtime tucks-ins anymore.
Wouldn’t ask him to match costumes.
Wouldn’t reach for his hand automatically.
And the thought terrified him a little.
Because Minho loved fatherhood more than he’d ever expected to.
Loved every sleepy cuddle.
Every random “Appa look!”
He wanted to freeze moments like this permanently.
Your son blinked slowly up at him.
“Appa?”
“Hmm?”
“You happy?”
Minho smiled softly.
“So happy.”
That seemed to satisfy him.
Within minutes, your son was asleep completely.
One tiny fist still loosely wrapped around Minho’s finger.
Minho didn’t move for a long time.
Just sat there quietly in the dim light of the night lamp.
Looking at him.
Memorizing him.
Eventually, you leaned against the doorway softly.
“He asleep?”
Minho nodded without looking away.
“He was really excited about tonight,” you whispered.
“I could tell.”
“He kept saying he wanted to be like Appa Bunny.”
Minho physically melted at the sentence.
You noticed immediately and smiled knowingly.
“Oh, there it is.”
“He said that?”
“Mhm.”
Minho looked back at your sleeping son again with an expression so unbearably tender it made your chest ache.
Then quietly:
“I don’t deserve him.”
You walked over immediately. “Don’t say that.”
“He’s just…” Minho exhaled shakily. “He’s so good.”
You leaned your head against Minho’s shoulder gently.
And for a moment, neither of you spoke.
The room was peaceful now. Your son’s quiet breathing filled the silence.
Minho finally stood carefully, making sure not to wake him before pulling the blanket higher around his tiny body.
Then he leaned down and kissed his forehead again.
“So cute,” he whispered helplessly.
You laughed under your breath. “You’ve said that at least fifty times today.”
“Still true.”
He switched off the lamp afterward, and the two of you quietly left the room together.
But halfway down the hallway, Minho suddenly stopped walking.
“What?”
He looked at you seriously.
“I think this was the best day of my life.”
You burst into laughter instantly.
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m serious.”
“All because he wore a bunny costume?”
“He dressed as MY bunny.”
“That is not different.”
“It is to me.”
You shook your head fondly, reaching up to fix the bunny ears still sitting crookedly on his head.
“You’re completely whipped.”
Minho looked entirely unashamed.
“Yeah,” he admitted easily. “I am.”
And honestly?
Watching him completely melt over your son all day had made you fall in love with him all over again too.
Because beneath the teasing and sarcasm and dramatic complaints, Lee Minho loved with his whole heart.
Especially when it came to his child.
Especially when tiny hands reached for him like he was home.
Minho suddenly pulled out his phone again.
You groaned immediately. “More pictures?”
“I need to look at them again.”
“Minho.”
“He was tiny.”
“He still IS tiny.”
“But emotionally tiny.”
“That sentence made no sense.”
Minho ignored you, already smiling stupidly at another picture of your son in the Leebit costume.
Then quieter this time, almost to himself:
“I hope he still wants to match me when he’s older.”
Your heart softened instantly.
“He will,” you said gently.
Minho looked unconvinced.
“What if he thinks I’m embarrassing?”
You snorted. “You are embarrassing.”
“That’s not helpful.”
“But he’ll still love you.”
Minho looked down at the photo again.
His son’s gummy smile. The floppy bunny ears. The pure excitement in his eyes.
And something warm settled deep in his chest all over again.
Maybe one day things would change.
Maybe his son would grow taller and quieter and too cool for matching costumes.
But tonight?
Tonight, he had tiny bunny ears.
Sticky pudding and candy hands.
And a little boy who looked at him like he was the center of the universe.
That was enough. More than enough.
Minho smiled softly to himself before locking his phone.
Then he looked at you with complete seriousness.
“We’re saving that costume forever.”
You laughed. “Of course we are.”
“No, like forever forever.”
“I know.”
“And if he tries to throw it away someday, I’m stopping him.”
“That feels emotionally manipulative.”
“I don’t care.”
You shook your head fondly before taking his hand.
“Come on, Appa Bunny.”
Minho smiled happily at the nickname.
And as the two of you headed to bed, he glanced back toward your son’s room one last time with the kind of love that felt too big to fit inside a single person.
synopsis : You and Minho pretend to be dating just to get a special discount for couples at a cafe, and from that day forward he decides it’d be a funny idea to treat you as his girlfriend. Just for funsies, yes, ofc.
📝 writing lino is so fun he’s so tsundere-like. Also I almost named this as ‘case 143’ but I thought it wouldn’t really convey the fic vibe idk 🤷♀️ anyways i hope u enjoy it !! <3
tags : Lee Know x fem!reader, fluff, friends to lovers, fake dating as a starting point, ‘what are we’ kinda vibe, sarcasm, mixed signals (not on purpose tho, you’re both just confusing with your emotions lol), lino is referred as Minho
reminder: this is all a made-up fan-fiction just for fun!
It was hard to describe your relationship with Minho. Well, you’re friends. At least that’s what you’re supposed to be.
It was known he wasn’t that open with his emotions and always had a sarcastic comment to make instead. It was hard to tell what’s on his mind, but maybe that’s why you both clicked so well. You were more reserved yourself after all. Just like that, what began as jokes and sillyness evolved into a strong friendship like no other. Over time he became the most trustworthy person you knew. And funniest. And very, very good looking. You might also have this tiny little crush on him. But that’s only a detail, of course.
At this point, you were used to hiding what you felt. However things started getting complicated after that stupid idea. And now you couldn’t tell if he might feel the same or not.
evidence i.
“There’s a discount for couples today,” Minho commented as you both read the big letters on the cafe poster you were about to enter.
“You’re not thinking what I’m thinking,” you say already laughing, and the mischievous look on his face told you everything.
“It’s 35% off, that’s almost a free extra drink!” He chuckles. “Come on, I think we can be very convincing if we try,” he adds already taking your hand on his, intertwining your fingers and leading you inside. You can’t hold back the big smile that forms on your lips.
You both go straight to the attendant to ask for the promotional drinks, hoping for the best.
“Yes, our smoothies are on a special promotion for love birds,” the lady on the balcony explained politely. “Choose two flavors and you get the 35% off.”
“Great!” Minho cheered, his hand leaving yours to go firmly on your waist, bringing you closer, and you hope the way your eyes slightly widen isn’t obvious. He takes the menu. “I think I’ll go with strawberry banana. What about you, love?”
It took you a second to realize he was actually talking to you. Like yes, you’re ‘love’.
“Oh, I… I’d like the same as you, honey,” you say fast so you wouldn’t have to think too much, the pet name sounding strangely nice.
The woman nods as she registers your order. You’re opening your purse to get your wallet when Minho interrupts you.
“I’ll pay, don’t worry babe,” he winks, making you pause in confusion.
“Huh?” You tilt your head. You then steal a glance at the lady and remember you’re supposed to be playing along. You quickly try to disguise your surprise. “We can split, darling, I don’t mind.”
“Come on, it’s our anniversary, of course I’ll pay for us,” he improvises, already tapping his card on the payment terminal before you could protest.
“Oh, anniversary?” The lady looks up at you with curious eyes. “How long have you been together if you don’t mind me asking?”
“One year,” he replies promptly. You nod.
“Aw, that’s sweet. You two look so lovely together, I can tell just by the way you look at each other,” she compliments.
“We get that a lot,” he comments with a small laugh, his hand squeezing your shoulder. You grin to be polite, a bit too aware of his hand on you. It almost makes you miss the way his ears get redder.
“I’ll get your drinks, wait just a moment, please,” the attendant smiles as she turns her back to prepare the drinks.
“Copy cat,” Minho whispers when she’s not looking anymore. “You were supposed to choose a different flavor so I could steal from you.”
“I didn’t expect this to work, I’m nervous!” You whisper back.
“Why wouldn’t it work? You thought they’d ask us to kiss as proof or something?”
“Of course not, that’s not what I meant!” You hiss with your voice low, your cheeks getting a bit warmer.
“Here’s your order,” the friendly woman comes back with tasty smoothies, making you cease your banter immediately. “I hope you have a very special day today. You’re very lucky to have such an attentive gentleman by your side,” she says playfully glancing at you.
“Of course, thank you so much,” you shyly reply, trying to ignore the smirk that was growing on Minho’s face.
You sit on a table near the window, smoothies in hand. You can’t help but feel distracted by all that just happened.
“Wasn’t the discount the whole point of doing this?” You finally ask when you felt your cheeks weren’t on fire anymore.
“Yeah, she did discount it.” He shrugs with the straw between his teeth, already finished with almost one quarter of his drink.
“Then why did you pay for both of us? You ended up spending more anyways.”
He averted his eyes for a second before that smirk returned to his face. “Can’t I be a gentleman to my girlfriend?”
“We’re not actually dating,” you manage to say.
He pinched your cheek. “I got you a 100% discount, so stop complaining.”
evidence ii.
After that day at the cafe, for some unknown reason, Minho thought it’d be a funny idea to treat you as his girlfriend from time to time and started using pet names nonstop. Ironically, of course, as if it was an innocent inside joke. Or at least that’s what it looked like. But your heart couldn’t differentiate a joke from the real thing apparently.
That Tuesday you were at his place helping him with ideas to finish writing a sketch needed for a project which deadline was like, yesterday.
“Can you get the red pen for me, princess?” He asked you after taking some notes.
“Sure.”
“Thank you, honey,” he gave you his signature smirk before going back to writing frantically.
It all sounded like teasing, it definitely was, but it was starting to drive you crazy. Minho’s mixed signals were getting to you, and you couldn’t tell anymore if that was his way of flirting or if he was messing around as usual.
“Shoot, Chan’s already coming to get this paper,” Minho woke you up from your thoughts as soon as his phone screen lightens up with a notification. “He’s gonna nag at me the whole day if this isn’t done when he gets here…”
“You kinda deserve it,” you chuckle.
“It’s not like he didn’t finish his part on the last minute either,” he pouts, still writing.
“Ask him to buy snacks or cat food on his way,” you suggest. “That will buy you at least 15 minutes to finish it.”
“Ooh, genius,” he snapped his fingers and quickly picked up his phone to type the message to Chan, but not without teasing you first. “You’re not just a pretty face after all, huh?”
You didn’t know whether to feel complimented or insulted. He glanced at you and immediately laughed at your expression.
“Can you at least thank me properly for saving you here?” You lightly push his shoulder as retort, the tips of your ears redder.
He looks up at you, that stupid grin still plastered on his face. “Sorry, sorry. You know I’m just messing with you.” The corners of this mouth relax into a more genuine smile. “I’m aware you’re very smart and you’re really, really helping me a lot today. Even if you didn’t have to, you are,” he emphasizes in a sincere tone, carefully tucking a hair strand behind your ear, fond eyes looking straight into yours.
“Of course,” you play it off, trying not to sound as shy as you were getting. “You’ve helped me a lot before too so… It’s only natural.”
“Hm-hum. We’re partners in crime,” he nods, and pauses as if he realizes what he just said. He then gives you a look, his smirk making a return. “Who else would I call in this situation if not my beautiful lover?”
Oh, this again.
“Yeah, sure. Now finish this quickly before Chan gets here,” you chuckle, trying to disguise the way your heart skipped a beat.
evidence iii.
“Horror movie? I’m not sure…” You mumble as you both stand at the movie theater entrance, Minho’s film suggestion not being exactly to your taste.
“This one is not that scary, it’s just a bunch of silly jumpscares. Come on, it will be fun! I’ll even let you embrace me if you’re that terrified, since I’m so reliable.” He bumps your shoulder trying to convince you. “Seriously, you’ll like this one, I promise!”
“You’re insufferable.”
You end up agreeing to go anyways.
He guided you to the tickets balcony with a hand securely on your shoulder. The attendant showed you the available seats on the computer screen. It wasn’t sold out, but it wasn’t empty either, so you still had a few options to choose from.
“Wanna get the seats for couples in the back?” He suddenly suggested.
You knew what he was talking about. The last seats on that movie theater were reserved for couples because you could fold up the center armrests in order to cuddle your partner closer. Now why was he offering that.
You turned to look at him, and he playfully lifted his eyebrows at you. Gosh. He was just teasing you wasn’t he. Why would you cuddle in a horror movie session anyway.
“No thanks,” you answer without thinking, but your heart was thumping on your ears. “Let’s just stick to the seats next to the stairs,” you say, avoiding his eyes this time.
“Pshh, you’re no fun,” he breathes out a small laugh, but selects the seats you picked anyways. He went a bit quieter as he bought popcorn. Meanwhile, you just stood there not sure how unserious he was with all of this.
You couldn’t really focus on the movie that day.
And he didn’t try anything the whole session besides laughing when you got scared.
evidence iv.
“I kinda missed you,” he said with a genuine smile when you bumped into each other by coincidence.
“It’s been barely a week,” you shrugged, trying to keep it together.
“Doesn’t matter,” he replied, his lips curving into a smirk. “Can’t I miss my girlfriend?”
Yeah, sure.
You sigh. How you wish this could be true. But what if you speak up your mind and make a fool out of yourself? Would it ruin your friendship? What if he laughed at your face?? One hundred different scenarios go through your head to make you give up. …but suddenly your eyes lighten up as an idea came to mind. If he was just teasing you, you could correspond jokingly as well. Just to test the waters.
“If you wanted to see me that much you could have asked me out on a date.”
He stiffens instantly, like he didn’t expect you to actually play along. You never did until now.
“Date?” He echoes just to make sure, eyes slightly widened.
“Yes, honey. That’s what lovers usually do.”
“Really?” He tilts his head, trying to get the teasing tone back to his voice without much success. “So you won’t run off if I ask you out?”
“Run off? You’re ridiculous,” you can’t help but chuckle at his reaction, but you try to stay in character. “Why would I? We’ve been on dates before, haven’t we? The movies and that cafe.”
“…I see.” He finally nod, a tint of red coloring his cheeks. He clears his throat, and you could swear you’ve never seen him act so shy, his behavior changing so suddenly. “In that case, would you like to go out with me? I could… pick you up tomorrow afternoon.”
You felt like your heart was going to burst.
evidence v.
That day, there weren’t pet names. There weren’t couple jokes either. Actually, you were both a bit tense about the date.
“You know, I chose the cat cafe in hopes it wouldn’t be so awkward but I guess it didn’t work,” he says eventually with an embarassed laugh.
“No, it did work, the cats are cute,” you say quickly while caressing the feline sitting next to you. “I’m just a little distracted today.” A beat. “You’re also quieter.”
“Maybe,” he murmured, eyeing the kitten sleeping close to his leg.
“Yet you’re the one who was entertaining the whole lovers thing the most,” you comment. “I thought you’d be full of that today.”
“Well, yes, I was. But actually, I wanted to tell you that... How do I say it…” he bites his lip. “Today isn’t just teasing or playing pretend. I meant it when I asked you out.”
You feel your heart skip a beat. “I know,” you nodded. “I’m glad you did.”
“Yeah?” His tone softens. “I wasn’t sure if you were a fan of the idea since you were kinda pushing me away,” he admits as he fidgets with the straw of his drink.
“What? No, I wasn’t! Really,” you immediately try to explain, the cat next to you meowing in complain of your sudden move. You take a deep breath before continuing. “I’ve actually been overthinking it because I didn’t know whether it was all just a joke or if there was something more to it, so I was afraid of… you know… playing along and end up liking you even more to the point there wasn’t going back anymore,” you quietly finish.
He finally meets your eyes, taking a moment to really look at you.
“…That was the risk I was taking too.”
Your breath catches on your throat. He notices your silence and speaks again.
“I started this couple play-pretend thing because… You know.” He scratches the back of his neck, trying to find the words. “It felt like this way I could say and do all that stuff without scaring you off or sounding weird. Since we’ve been close friends for so long.”
Oh. Oh my.
“It wouldn’t sound weird. It would have worked from the beginning if you were just honest,” you say sheepishly, still trying to process his words.
“Yeah, I realize it now from that cute blush of yours,” he points out, making you redder.
“Oh, shut up,” you look down at the cat peacefully lying beside you again. There was a new feeling blooming in your chest. Giddy, fresh and safe, all at the same time.
“So…” he clears his throat. “May I take you to that cafe again this week? So we can get another couple discount and so I can do things for real this time. No play-pretends.”
And just like this, that excited, insistent smile you’ve been trying to hold back appears on your lips.
“…Will I get that 100% discount again?” You can’t help but tease.
“Sure, pretty.” He breathes out a laugh, not hiding his heart eyes either.
— ahhh this was longer than I expected but it’s kinda rushed at the same time..? anyways i think I’m happy with how it turned out ig dkdndjdj Lemme know what u guys think :))
pairing: lee minho x reader
tags: drabble. domestic fluff.
part of the emmieverse special—see here
minho is halfway through folding the freshly dried clothing in the laundry room when he hears it: the unmistakable chorus of tiny, judgmental meows.
he glances down. three pairs of eyes stare up at him like he is personally responsible for the downfall of society.
“what,” he asks flatly, holding up a pair of your socks.
soonie meows again—loud and mournful—and doongie rubs against his shin like he is trying to awaken guilt. dori simply stares. always watching. always planning.
“i fed you. i scooped your litter. i gave you those weird snacks you like,” minho lists, bending to scratch doongie’s head. “what else do you want, huh?”
they do not answer. they simply exist at him.
until—
the sound of the front door unlocking echoes from the other side of the house.
everything changes.
soonie bolts first, nearly slipping on the hallway rug. doongie trots after him with poise, and dori makes his usual dramatic entrance: meowing as if he just survived war.
minho snorts, shaking his head.
“traitors.”
you barely have one foot inside before you are surrounded.
“hi, my babies,” you coo, crouching down to pet them as they swirl around you in a furry storm. “missed me that much?”
minho stands at the end of the hallway, arms crossed, a hopeless little smile tugging at his mouth. the sight of his babies loving on you like this never gets old.
“they’ve been moping around like your absence broke each of their hearts,” he says, slowly approaching you from where he stood.
you grin at him. “maybe it did.”
he leans to kiss you hello, warm hands settling on your waist like they never want to leave. “well i missed you more,” he murmurs.
“i would hope so,” you quipped. you melt into his embrace for a beat, then pull back. “i’m starving.”
“same,” he agrees. “want me to start on—”
“i got it,” you wave his offer off, stepping into the kitchen. the cats follow after you immediately, falling into formation like little soldiers of chaos. they may as well be magnetised to you.
you open the fridge, eyeing them. “you just want food, huh?”
meows follow. of course they do.
you point down the hallway vaguely to where you left minho standing. “then go ask your father.”
there is a pause.
then three sets of paws patpatpat down the hall like a furry stampede. when they don’t find him near the entryway, they search the house.
not in the living room…
not in the bedroom…
….he’s in the laundry room again!
minho, in the middle of matching your sock pairs again, looks up just in time for the interrogation squad to arrive.
they meow. in sync.
he blinks. “did you—did they actually—”
from the kitchen, you call: “i delegated!”
minho just laughs, setting the socks aside to kneel on the floor like a medieval servant to his royal court.
“you guys are whipped.”
soonie hops in his lap. doongie starts purring. dori knocks over a cup.
minho sighs, grinning. “yeah, yeah. i’ll feed you. but only because your mother’s scary when she’s hungry.”
from the kitchen, you call once more: “i heard that!”
he smiles to himself, completely gone for this weird little family of his.
and for the record, the cats get fed first.
he knows his place.
tysm anon! i love writing lee know soft….. soft domestic lee know and i are married now
Request: that was the first time you travelled with your best friend, Minho. And all was supposed to go well, except you forgot your favourite plushie and now can't sleep. Unless...?
Warnings: one bed trope but not exactly, that's it?
A/n: please be nice and ignore any typo | daily click
Part 2
You were fine. You definitely weren't spiraling in a hotel room, so far from home. And you definitely weren't going to ask for help.
See, most of the time, you had no problem with asking for help, or so you thought. But this time, the reason you were that helpless was so... Silly? Some would say even childish. Like, what do you mean you, a full adult, could not sleep without a teddy bear? Well, absolutely no one was going to find out about that. And even lesser people could know you were panicking because you couldn't find said plushie.
So you resorted to walking up and down in your hotel room, desperately opening your luggage again, searching under your bed and even in the bathroom. It had to be somewhere. But now, after searching for it everywhere for the sixth time, maybe you could come to terms that the plushie simply evaporated. Where could it be?
Three knocks to your door. You did ask the hotel staff if they could find the plushie. Maybe you accidentally dropped it on the way to your room? Unlikely, but not impossible. Under the disguise of it being a gift, the teddy bear was being searched by a few staff and, maybe, they'd just found it!
Opening the door with a certain urgency, you found no plushie. And no staff at all. All that greeted you was your very best friend who was traveling with you, and now was leaning into the door, judging you through very sleepy eyes.
"Min? What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing?" by the way his voice sounded, he tried and failed to sleep a few times "You do realise this walls are as thin as egg shells, right?"
Oh. You had been the one to wake him up. Okay. You only had to lie. How hard could that be?
"I was just... I was getting ready to go to bed."
Considering how his eyebrows raised, you're a horrible liar. "And you need to run a marathon before sleeping every night?" He then entered your room, completely ignoring how you were purposely trying to block his entrance. "Why does your room look like a zombie apocalypse scenario?"
He was exaggerating it. Most of your clothes were, in fact, thrown all over the floor. Some pillows were also on the floor, the sheets were in a position they clearly weren't before and the luggages were upside down. Even the bathroom sink was a bit messed up. But, if anyone asked you, you'd say it was a very organised mess.
"I was searching for something."
"And couldn't you do that tomorrow morning, when people are usually awake?"
"I need it to sleep."
He looked you up and down. You seemed very ready to sleep. What could possibly be missing?
"... Sleeping mask?" you didn't reply "I have a spare one, if you want it."
"No, no. It's not that."
"Face mask?"
"No."
"Noise-cancelling headphones?"
You shook your head. He sighed. "Look, I can't read minds. How am I gonna help you find it if I don't even know what we're looking for?"
Pause.
"Are you going to help me?"
He nodded. Nodded like it was obvious and expected. Nodded like you're not dying of embarrassment at just the thought of telling him about your oh so dear plushie. Nodded like he knew you had no other option. Which you really did not have.
"ilostmyfavouriteplushieandireallyneeditlikenow."
He blinked. First once and then twice, like a cat who is confused. And then:
"What?"
"My teddy bear" you finally said, in a clear and frustrated tone "My favourite one. I lost it."
He seemed to think for a second. "The one that is always in your bed?"
"... yes."
"You left it at home."
That was it. Your jaw opened so fast it hurt a bit, and your arms dropped.
"I did what?"
"You left it." He replied as a matter of fact "It was next to all the clothes you gave up on bringing along."
With a huge, too dramatic sigh, you finally sat on the bed, soon being accompanied by a very lost Minho. This trip was seven days long. And this was the very first day. How were you supposed to spend the entire week without sleeping properly simply because you refused to double check your baggage?
"Why do you need it anyways?" your best friend tried again "it's not like you need it to sleep."
Silence. A dead silence where realisation slowly crept up on him while humiliation and failure hit you like a truck.
"Wait, do you actually -"
"Yes, Min, I sleep with plushies. You can laugh now."
Now he was the one who met you with silence. It was sad how you didn't look at him, otherwise you would have seen his brain trying to connect how you always refused to have a sleepover with him to how sad you were right now. "Why?"
"What do you mean 'why'?'
"Why do you need it? It seems serious."
You didn't answer. Not because you didn't want to, or because you were too shy for it, like before. This time, you simply didn't know the answer. Sleeping with a plushie was just a habit of yours, one you never even tried to quit. It brought you a sense of... Companion, maybe? Of protectiveness. You didn't feel too alone in moments where you were holding your favourite teddy bear. It's been like this since you were a child. So, naturally, you replied:
"I don't know. I guess it makes me feel safe."
It felt odd. How Minho still hasn't judged or kicked you, that is. You look at him just to find him already looking at you with a glint on his eyes, one that you don't recognise. You liked to believe he was still drowsed in his sleep, which avoided his usual sharp reactions.
He simply nodded and got up. You thought he was finally going to go back to his room, and you were ready to promise him you weren't going to ruin his sleep again, but instead, he just took the rest of the covers off the bed - your bed - and layed down.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm sleeping here tonight. Come on" you didn't move a single centimeter. What was going on?
"You're... sleeping here?"
You thought he could be joking around, but he usually don't go this far, and his expression was dead serious. So was his tone when he said: "I thought you didn't like to sleep alone?"
"I don't, but-"
"So come here already."
You did. To be honest, you didn't even process the idea before your body started to move. Maybe it was how his tone left no place for discussion, or the way he proposed the idea like it wasn't crazy at all. Maybe, instead of a fight or flight reaction, in moments of panic you'd follow. Whatever it was, it led to you sharing a bed with Lee Minho.
Now, this wasn't the first time you slept together. He had already used your shoulder as a pillow before, in a car trip with the rest of the boys. And you two had definitely fallen asleep in a few movie nights before. But this was the first time it was just the two of you, and where you purposefully try to sleep like this. You don't think you've ever even layed down in the same bed as him.
But here you were, under the covers with your best friend. He seemed to be way too calm - you guessed he really was looking forward to just sleep. Meanwhile, you were overthinking way too much, trying to leave a respectable distance between you two, which made your right arm and leg hang from the bed. But it was okay. This was just a normal thing and Minho was just being nice, so no pro-
"You, like, hugged your plushie to sleep?" you turned your head slowly, almost as if you were in a horror movie, and looked at him. You weren't too sure, it was dark after all, but you could almost swear his ears were tinged pink. You only nodded "Hm. We can also do that. If you want."
"Okay." Was all that you replied, but you were lying. It wasn't okay. And you were not gonna cuddle him. Or that's what you told yourself, right before sleep had takin over you. So you weren't aware of how you unconscious form had crawled over to his side of the bed, nor how now you were hugging his waist and resting your head in his chest.
However, Minho was aware of that. Maybe a tad too much. He couldn't even try to sleep, unlike he wanted to before. All he could focus on was your steady breathing and your warm touch. He was holding you too, but not even half as closely as he wanted to. He also wanted to kiss your forehead goodnight. He wished he could confess to you right now. But that would be too much. He couldn't afford it all tonight.
Maybe one day.
For now, he closed his eyes, still mindlessly caressing your back, and hoped that, just maybe, you'd dream of him too.
Masterlist | you'll probably like: Take me to heaven
Daily click
Reminder this is just fiction!! I'm not trying to portray real life and you shouldn't believe that this is how the members actually are. This is just for the vibe and the delulu!
