#softhours.txt

[ateezsofthours]

[6:00 PM] seonghwa sees you sitting alone with your hands in your lap and a sad, distant look on your face. quietly, as to not startle you, he approaches and asks if the seat next to yours is taken before asking about your day. when you tell him that it could be better, he gives you a little smile and though to be honest he looks a little bit awkward, it does make you feel slightly better. 

you try your best to hold it in but when he puts a hand on your back and tells you that he’s here if you need someone to talk to, your tears spill on their own. 

he seems taken aback, almost apologetic but when you look up at him quivering lips, red nosed and teary eyed, he moves closer and wraps his arms around your shoulders without hesitation. 

warm in the embrace, you find yourself burying your face into his shoulder and like he’d promised, seonghwa stays, silently rubbing circles on your back as he listens and lets you cry. 

[ateezsofthours]

[9:00 PM] you're leaving a frozen yogurt place, hand-in-hand with san as he's humming to himself. you realize that he's been side-eyeing you for a moment, and raise an eyebrow to ask,

“why are you looking at me like that?”

“i'm just super duper in love with you,” he replies simply, squeezing your hand. as sweet as that is, you're still suspicious

and san can tell, a cheeky grin coming to his face as he stops the two of you. despite kissing him many times, you're still momentarily surprised when he locks his lips with yours. you can still taste the lingering sweetness of the frozen yogurt he had. coconut, if you’re remembering correctly

as he pulls back, he admits, “and also you had froyo on your face”

your cheeks turn a slight shade of pink in embarrassment. san leans back in,

“oh wait, you still got some. i'll get it,” he says before reconnecting your lips

[ateezsofthours]

[11:02 PM] you wake up for no apparent reason, the whole world absolutely still around you. the comforting weight of san’s arms around your waist are still there, and you’re perfectly positioned to just be able to make out his profile in the minimum light. pressing a soft kiss to his jawline, you nuzzle your face back into the crook of his neck. your eyes flutter shut as sleep comes back to you. right before you slip away into dreamland, you swear you can feel a gentle peck to your temple

[ateezsofthours]

[1:32 PM] “do you ever think about soulmates, y/n?” yeosang asks you one day, disturbing the comfortable silence you’re in

“not really, why?” you reply, eyes still trained on your laptop screen

“just wondering,” he mumbles

it’s then that you look up at him curiously, seeing his eyes downcast and brow furrowed. taking his hand in yours, you squeeze it before prompting him to continue, “why, yeosang?”

“i don't know,” he sighs, still unable to look you in the eyes as his voice goes quieter, “’cuz i think we are”

you're not sure of what to say, and instead peck his lips quickly before focusing once again on your laptop, hand still holding his

[ateezsofthours]

[8:51 PM] the room is silent save for yours and wooyoung's steady breathing, his fingers tracing smooth shapes along your back as you lay with your face in the crook of his neck

“what are you drawing?” you break the quiet, feeling his fingertips glide along your skin

“that’s a secret, my love” he reassures you, slight amusement picking up in voice at the end of his statement

“you’re drawing dicks again, aren’t you?”

“you know me too well”

[ateezsofthours]

[10:16 PM] it's loud in the room. a good kind of loud, but it’s still overwhelming to you. not that you’d really expect ateez to ever be quiet or mellow around each other. it was just that you were more sensitive to sound than others, the stimulus more intense and mentally taxing to you

yeosang must have noticed you physically curling in on yourself, angling your ears further away from the main source of the noise, the arm wrestling championship happening at the coffee table in the center of the living room

he shifts to quietly ask you, “ready to go home? because i don’t know about you, but i'm tired”

that’s something you love about yeosang, the unspoken understanding the two of you have about each other's limits

you nod

your boyfriend stands, keeping a secure arm around your shoulders as he waits for the boys to quiet down. they do. kind of. when its quiet enough for him to be heard without yelling, he announces, “that's it for us. goodnight, guys”

ateez give a chorus of ruckus goodbyes, and you can't wait to get out of there. exiting onto the quiet and open sidewalk, you can physically feel a weight come off your chest, able to breathe again

“thank you, yeosang”

“of course, my love”

[ateezsofthours]

[7:00 AM] it’s barely daybreak but as you watch san already practicing with his bow and arrow in the garden down below, you feel energized by a thousand suns. your elbow on the window sill, your chin rests on top of your palm, gazing dreamily down at the boy of your affections. you watch with great interest, the way he skillfully draws back the bow, taking aim and letting the weapon hit its intended target.

even from the tower, you see the tension in san’s muscles, as if the weight of something as heavy as the world rests upon his shoulders. perhaps it has something to do with a certain member of the royal family.

you think back to the first time you ever watched san shoot. how you had heard praises of the young prodigy and his skills as an archer before seeing it yourself. how truly impressive and composed san was. for days, you didn’t let yourself forget the image of san proving himself to be the best archer of the kingdom, the control he had over the weapon even on the back of a horse and the accuracy of his shots.

you’re snapped out of your daze when you realize you’ve been caught staring, or rather, admiring the boy. san waits until he catches your gaze, holding it for as long as he allows it. he’s conflicted, caught between his feelings for you and his duty. nevertheless, san knows his heart. he’d do anything for you.

[ateezsofthours]

[6:10 AM] you can’t sleep. in all honestly, you’ve already been up for an hour and a half. an hour ago you gave up on tossing and turning in your bed, your mind moving way too fast for you to try to get any more rest. you think of your boyfriend, who’s spending tonight as his dorms. maybe hongjoong is awake

[you: joong, are you up?]

it’s only a couple minutes later that your screen lights up with a reply

[hongjoong: no, i’m fast asleep]

despite his quip that should annoy you, you’re relieved. normally, you’d chastise him for being up so early and working himself so hard, but today you’re glad

[hongjoong: why are you up anyway?]

[you: can’t sleep]

[hongjoong: do you want to get breakfast? i know a place that opens at 6:30]

[you: sure]

[hongjoong: perfect, i’ll grab you in ten]