His… Fox (I.N.)
content warning: fluff; a little sad; parent death
Masterlist
word count: 3060
There were 7 girls who wanted to be here and one who did not. Just behind the glass were 8 men who would decide how your next year would go.
You hadn't been nervous before you walked in. Not really. You weren't thrilled that the peach robe was sheer, but you were confident enough. You'd tied the robe perfectly with a large bow, arms hanging relaxed at your sides, chin lifted like you had learned to do in training. The fabric draped beautifully, barely clinging at the waist, and when the red light flickered green, you didn't flinch.
You'd trained to be a model...not a sex aid...but dreams had a funny way of never working out for you.
Chan walked in first, and then one after another, members came in...each choosing someone else.
And your confidence faltered, and you cursed when Hyunjin picked someone else. Not because you wanted him...but because it meant you were in the bottom half of girls here. You hated that you made it a competition in your mind...but that's what modeling had trained you to think. Every girl was against you...
Then came Han...then Felix...even Seungmin didn't so much as glance your way.
When he smiled at the girl he picked after offering his coat, your stomach twisted.
You didn't react, not outwardly...but being picked last hurt. It made you feel gross and disgusting.
Jeongin walked out, and you wondered if he was disappointed. Something about you wasn't good enough for everyone else, but he was stuck with you regardless. Maybe next year they'd reverse the order so he got his choice first.
You looked up, gazing at him for the first time and realizing he looked really young. His eyes sparkled innocently, and his dimples were deepened from smiling so much.
He raised his hand and pointed straight at you.
"I had dibs the second I saw her," he announced, making it known to you and everyone else that you weren't the last to be picked...just unlucky that he was the youngest.
A few girls turned their heads. You didn't. Your face stayed still, your body relaxed, gaze fixed on him as he stepped forward decisively and wrapped his arm around your side. "Sorry to make you wait."
You blinked, caught off guard by how certain he was, but placed your hand over his.
With you being chosen, an announcement was finally made that the group was free to head to the dorms.
You stood in front of Jeongin in the elevator and were surprised when his arm wrapped across your collarbone. He felt really possessive, and it made you feel really secure...truly wanted.
Especially with how casual he was about it. He didn't make a show about owning you or whisper cringy words about how you were 'his'...he just put his arm around you and healed your bruised ego in silence. You even thought you may have felt his lips on the top of your head, but you weren't 100% sure. Still, your cheeks burned the entire rest of the ride.
And when the doors opened...you stepped out in shock at the place. There were trees...literal trees, and a mushroom with their mailboxes beneath it. The skylight cast a bright, sunny glow, and all around were flowers. Seungmin hurried past to go to the aquarium up ahead, and you turned to Jeongin, "Can we go too?"
He shook his head with a smile. "Seungmin likes to go alone."
"Oh..." you frowned, but Jeongin tugged your arm, surprising you so that you fell into him with a yelp, your hands landing on his chest...which was surprisingly muscular. "Let me show you our room, Foxie," he smirked, his dimples flashing at you.
He then led you down a winding stone path to a room marked as his with a little wooden fox. He took the first few steps, but you didn't follow.
"I'm nervous," you confessed as he began undoing the lock. "I judge people a lot on how their homes look and...what if I hate it?"
I.N. simply chuckled, dismissing your worries. "You're lucky you didn't get Han," he smiled and held out his hand.
With a shaky exhale, you took it and let him guide you inside. Your eyes stayed closed for a minute, though, and only when the AC turned on, its intense hum making you jump, did you finally take a look.
Your first thought was that it was warm. I.N. had chosen so many natural wood pieces that it felt like an extension of the forest outside...except that in here, autumn hues dominated the color scheme. It was very well organized except for the single coffee mug on the table, which you could forgive because you did the same thing because coming back to sip your cooled morning coffee throughout the day was grounding. His couch was overflowing with shaggy pillows, and you finally had to admit it to him, "I love it."
"I knew you would," he smiled at you...all of you. It was then that you realized your robe color, the one you had fought for, fit into his room perfectly.
"Oh..." you frowned and moved to sit on the couch, your outfit matching the surrounding pillows so ideally that it felt handpicked. "Is that the only reason you picked me?"
He gazed, his brows furrowed in confusion as you delicately laid one hand out, sitting in the model-esque position you'd used many times for shoots.
"No?" he said and came over to sit on the coffee table across from you. "Why would you think that?"
"I match..." you sighed with a pitiful shrug. The other men you'd been with had always wanted you because of your looks. They wanted you to sit still, shut up, and basically act as decor they could brag about.
I'm dating a model, they'd say...and that was all they knew about you. You should've known that was what Jeongin wanted when he said he wanted you the second he saw you...of course he did.
"I didn't notice." He reached for your hands, slowly brushing the tops of them. "Want to tell me what's going on in that pretty little head of yours?"
At this point, compliments on your appearance made you feel upset, and as you inhaled to explain, tears began to fall.
"Hey," Jeongin whispered softly as he fell to his knees in front of you...just close enough to hold you. "What's wrong?"
You had dreams of being a model...of being famous. And it didn't work out because no matter how competitive you were, you hated being looked at as just a mannequin. The shoots didn't display you as a whole person with interests and hobbies. The runway videos didn't have your voice...some people forgot you had one at all. You tried to switch to social media, and any time you spoke, people ignored the content. They didn't want to know you...they just wanted to watch you. The most interesting thing about you to your followers was what skirt you were wearing that day...
"I'm more than my body and my clothes, Jeongin..." you managed to say, though your voice cracked.
"Oh!" he seemed surprised by that and wrapped you tighter in his arms. "Of course you are, baby," he cooed as you sobbed into his chest. "You're beautiful..." he began, the words only making you cry harder. "But I memorized every single word of your application for days."
You sniffed in surprise and peeked up to look at him. "You did?"
Jeongin smiled and wiped the hair out of your face. "Of course I did," he hummed and kissed your forehead. "Come here," he pulled you off the couch and held your hand as he guided you to the kitchen. Inside was a gift basket of the foods you'd listed as your favorite, including the gravy-flavored chips you'd mentioned that he would've had imported from the UK.
"You got this all for me?" you asked in shock, noticing that everything from your favorite fruit to your favorite candy bar was set up in the basket for your picking.
"Follow me," he grinned, eager to show you even more that he'd done.
You followed him down the hall to the bedroom and nearly broke into a sprint to your stuffed teddy bear, Green Bean, on your side of the bed. You were heartbroken to find out he wasn't allowed to come with you, as they only let you take the necessities, like medication and your phone. No clothes or remnants from home were allowed. It was a stark reminder that this was all temporary. This wasn't your permanent home so much as an extended vacation with contractual obligations to fuck your roommate.
You ran over and squeezed him tight. "How did you get him here?"
"When the driver picked you up, I coordinated a kidnapping," he smiled proudly. "You're beautiful (y/n), and I know you know that, and I know you know I know that. But I picked you for a lot more reasons than how pretty you are. Like...how in the concerns section you were only worried about your teddy in case the apartment burned down while you were gone. And how, when it asked you to rank the members, you crossed out the question."
"I didn't think it was a fair question," you murmured into your bear shyly. "I only know what you pretend to be for the public...not who you are."
"Actually, we are pretty much ourselves for the public," he shrugged. "But I really like that you even thought about it like that." Jeongin swallowed as if it pained him to bring up the next topic, "I was a little sad when I read your reason for entering, though..."
Your heart stopped...you hid behind Green Bean as though it would change what you had put down.
"You said you couldn't afford rent anymore...because people only wanted to pay you to be quiet and take a picture..."
"...But I wanted to be seen for more than that," you finished for him. "I figured in an entire year you'd be bound to learn something about me...even if it took 364 days...at least I wouldn't be just a body."
Jeongin opened his arms for you, and you fell into them, letting him hold you while you held Green Bean. "You're so much more than that, baby," he cooed.
"Thank you," you confessed as you curled in close. "For getting me Green Bean.... and for seeing me."
"Of course," he kissed your temple. "And I have another surprise."
"Jeongin, you've done so much already..." you trailed off.
"Actually, two more..." he smiled and stood. You took his hand and let him bring you to the closet...which was filled...
"Jeongin I..."
"Oh! No, this isn't the surprise," he chuckled. "Everyone got their aid clothes...But I got us..." he pulled down a garment bag and zipped it open, "A pair of matching sweaters...like your answer to question 8..." he said happily.
"What do I think is the best way to show love?"
"To be so in sync that we wear the same clothes without thinking..." he recalled proudly. "Now, this isn't exactly by accident but..."
You kissed his cheek, and he stopped talking from how surprised he was, his hand shaking around to hold your back.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome," he answered while blushing. "I figured we could wear them to the party."
"Party?"
"My next surprise," he raised his brows excitedly. "Not the party...but what I managed to convince Chan to do for the party."
"You're...not what I expected," you laughed and hugged him completely.
"I hope that's a good thing," he chuckled.
"It is," you replied. "Not that I expected you to be bad, but...you're young, so I didn't know you'd be so..."
"Prepared?"
"Thoughtful," you smiled and reached for your sweater, realizing that they both had knit foxes on them.
"Can I change in the bedroom or..."
"Of course!" Jeongin permitted, and you headed off the change, still in disbelief at how sweet he was.
You slipped off the robe and into the sweater before realizing you forgot pants...
You headed back across to the closet and knocked so you wouldn't walk in on him.
"Miss me already, Foxie?" he teased when he opened the door.
"I forgot underwear...and pants," you confessed. Jeongin didn't even blink as he went to action, finding those for you. He handed you the underwear first, which you slipped on while he found pants. You jumped into the white jeans and finally looked up, taking in how handsome he looked in his sweater and loose denim.
You held your hand out and let him take it before swinging them between you. "You look really good, Jeongin," you admitted.
"Yeah?" he hummed and stepped closer. Your heart raced when his chest met yours. Your body ached for his when his hand pressed to your cheek, holding you in the most delicate way. "How good?" he asked.
You realized he wanted you to make the move...
He'd shown up for you in ways you never would've expected, but physicality was the one fence he couldn't jump over by himself yet...so you decided to take the lead.
You stood on your tiptoes and brushed your lips against his, barely a whisper, and it was as if he came alive. Jeongin's hands moved to your waist, steadying you as your arms wrapped around him. And his lips worked feverishly. He wasn't the most practiced, but he made up for it in passion and pretty moans that made you desperate for him.
"Question 10," he murmured between kisses.
"I don't remember what it..."
"Your ideal date..." he hummed as he squeezed you closer.
Your brain was a bit blurry on the specifics, but you were sure it was something about stars.
"Remind me," you pleaded as you moved to kiss his neck instead.
Jeongin looked up to give you more room to move. "Lying beneath the stars," he whined. "I got...Chan to let you into our traditional opening year...camping night."
Your lips paused...
"You what?"
Jeongin took a few deep breaths, steadying himself after the intensity of the make-out. "We're going to camp beneath the stars."
Tears welled in your eyes, and you reached up to hold his face, his soft and gentle face, before kissing him slower. He had no idea how much that meant to you.
"Are you happy?" he asked worriedly, unable to read your mixed expression.
"So happy," you told him.
It was then that he took your hand to bring you outside. You couldn't pay much attention to Han being a menace or Chan's speech or even Seungmin's absence...though you realized he must really like fish.
You stayed beside Jeongin all night, waiting for the sun to set so you could look up and see the stars...and when it did...
You were lying beside the tent in the fox ears he'd fixed on to your hair. He'd even pulled the sleeping bags out so you wouldn't have to lie on the grass and had retrieved Green Bean from his dorm. You were flat on your back beside him, your hand in his as you looked up.
"I can't believe you did this for me," you whispered in shock. The stars were beautiful, the sky perfectly clear.
"I just wanted to make you smile," he admitted, his eyes fixed on you rather than the view.
You turned to him, taking in his soft eyes and kind curve of his lips. "My dad said he'd take me camping..." you began, your voice shaky. "Right before he died."
"(Y/n)," Jeongin muttered softly as he pulled you in for a hug.
"He never got the chance...he was too sick and never got better..." you explained through tears. "And the bear was the last gift he got me...so I...so I carry it around like a toddler because if I lose it, it'll be like I'm losing him again, too."
He held you like he was afraid the pieces would fall apart without him. "That wasn't in your file..." he began.
"I don't tell people that story because it's depressing," you sniffed with an embarrassed laugh.
"It's not depressing," he argued, pulling away to look at you...to make sure you heard him. "...And I feel honored you trusted me with it. If anything, it shows how brave you are. After all of the pain, you didn't give up on sleeping beneath the stars, and you kept reminders of him in your life when it may have been easier to repress those memories."
"I'm not brave," you shook your head. "I'm emotionally stunted as a little kid who just wanted her dad to come home from the hospital."
"No..." he fought as he wiped your tears. "It's brave to let yourself feel. It's easy to move on and pretend people never existed and box up every piece of their lives."
You didn't argue this time...you didn't want to.
"You're amazing," he hummed and leaned in just a little, still too shy to close the gap. He must've seen in the way your eyes softened or the soft pucker of your lips that you wanted him, though. He kissed you softly, holding your face in his hands and not pushing for anything more.
"I think this is the best date I've ever had," you joked when he pulled away.
"Me too," he agreed and let you nestle against his arm. "Now...where did you get the name Green Bean?" he asked, and you burst into a laugh.