across the universe
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requested by @ph0ebevix tysm for requesting phoebe!!! i hope you like the direction i took this, i kinda made it very sci-fi/star wars-esque hehehe
prompt: “ugh travelling at this pace, it’ll take us decades to reach the next star system!”
*part of my 2 years with luna event!!
word count: 1.1k
genre: sci fi au, fluff
pairing: lee jihoon x gn reader
“can’t this thing go any faster?” you groan, kicking your feet up on the dash of your boyfriend’s starship. you’ve been staring into the vastness of space for far too long, with only the hum of the engine filling the cockpit of jihoon’s cruiser.
“i told you my ship’s too old and rusty to travel at lightspeed, why do you think we always take your ship,” jihoon replies, swivelling around in his chair to face you. “and get your feet off of there,” he scolds. you kick your feet down with an exaggerated sigh.
“ugh, travelling at this pace, it’ll take us decades to reach the next star system,” you complain.
“guess we’ll just have to wait then,” jihoon shrugs, turning back to adjust some switches and levers.
“i know you’re just as bored as i am; you’ve checked the fuel levels like 15 times in the last 10 minutes,” you tease.
“you never know when you could run out,” jihoon replies. you roll your eyes and slump back into your seat. you take the opportunity to investigate the cockpit, looking around at all the little trinkets jihoon has to decorate. you’ve only been inside his ship a handful of times, and you find it cute to see his setup. you reach out to touch a particularly interesting looking object hanging from a cable on the ceiling.
“don’t touch that,” jihoon warns without looking back at you. you stick your tongue out at the back of his head and retract your arm.
many considered you and jihoon to be an odd couple; you’ll never forget the shocked looks on your friends’ faces when you told them you were dating. jihoon worked at the local cantina, and his home planet was typically a part of your trading route. you often stopped by for a drink after a long day’s work, and though you two were cold to each other at first, you slowly warmed up to each other. you got to know each other quite well, and you found yourself making increasingly frequent stops on his planet. one day jihoon casually mentioned he’d never been off-world, which you found unacceptable, and you’ll never forget the look of wonder on face the first time you flew him around the system in your ship. it wasn’t long after that jihoon started joining you in your travels, helping you out with your trades and keeping you company on the long, lonely flights.
to outsiders, it seemed like the two of you bickered a lot, but you both knew it was always lighthearted and fun. your relationship is mostly comprised of comfortable silences and understanding each other through subtle actions rather than words; however, that's not to say the two of you didn’t have the occasional endless conversation about life and the universe--how else would you pass the time on your trips together? and of course, there’s always the constant teasing and friendly banter. you both get each other in a way no one else does, which is why your relationship works so well.
you’re currently on your way to visit jihoon’s parents, who moved across the galaxy a few years back and jihoon hasn’t seen them since. he’d mentioned you to them, and they excitedly invited you to come along with him. after some convincing you agreed, although you did have some hesitations about travelling on jihoon’s ship--he’d saved up to buy one a couple years ago so that he’d be able to get himself around the odd time you weren’t there, but even for a second (or third, maybe fourth) hand ship it needs a lot of work. your ship’s bigger, newer, and most importantly of all faster, but it unfortunately needed some repairs after a particularly rough encounter with some pirates.
you smile fondly as you think back on your adventures, but your smile fades when you think about the people you’re about to meet. you’re not sure how much jihoon told them about you, but you’re worried about how they might react to your line of work. trading and transporting cargo isn’t exactly the safest job in the universe--you’ve had more than your fair share of run-ins with the wrong sort of people, and you always have to carry a blaster with you. it’s been better since jihoon’s joined you, as people are less likely to try something when there’s two of you, but there are still risks. you’re worried jihoon’s parents will despise you for dragging him away from the safety of his cantina job on his peaceful homeworld.
“what’s wrong? i can hear you thinking back there,” jihoon asks curiously. he swivels around to see you worrying your lower lip between your teeth in concern.
“what if your parents hate me?” you ask nervously.
“why would they hate you?” he asks. his face softens with concern, and he gets up to come sit with you. it’s pretty cramped with the two of you sharing one seat, but you’re grateful for jihoon’s comforting touch.
“because i took you away from your safe and peaceful life! you could’ve settled down with someone local and never left the planet and never had to worry about your safety,” you mutter as you run your fingers over the blaster scorch marks on jihoon’s jacket sleeve from a too-close-for-comfort encounter a couple weeks ago.
“y/n, that sounds like the most boring life in existence. not a day goes by i’m not grateful for you and your ship, i mean think of all the adventures we’ve had together! you can’t make memories like those without a little risk,” he comments. “besides, my parents just want me to be with someone who makes me happy, and i’d say you fit the bill,” he teases with a smile, leaning into you.
“thanks, jihoon,” you say. you let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding in, now feeling much more relieved. you and jihoon cuddle in comfortable silence for a moment, enjoying each other’s presence as you look out into the darkness of space in front of you.
“i can’t believe you, the bravest person i know, were afraid to meet my parents. guess you’re not so fearless after all,” jihoon teases.
“hey, i’m only human!” you pout, playfully shoving his arm, and he giggles at you in response.
“i love you, y/n,” jihoon says. you feel your heart stop for a moment; these words weren’t something the two of you threw around casually to each other. you often expressed it through actions, but to hear them out loud was a rare occurrence.
“i love you too,” you reply, planting a soft kiss on jihoon’s cheek. he acts calm on the outside, but you can see the redness on his ears and cheeks at your words and actions. you smile, thinking to yourself that you must be the luckiest person in the universe.