“is there a reason you’re blushing like that?” for taeji x minho
[00:37 ; 21 july 2020]
the time taeji confessed to minho
the loud music echoed throughout the cramped-up room. taeji swore it was damaging her hearing the longer she was there, but she didn’t care in the slightest. her mind was to occupied to even acknowledge her potential hearing loss.
her hands anxiously fiddled with the hem of the mini dress that nova let her take out of her closet. it was black and short with multiple cutouts, nothing like taeji’s usual style. much more muted, sexy and ‘mature’. taeji liked colour and patterns not focusing on what others thought was sexy but how she felt in it.
but this dress was different. she tried it on as a joke when nova first bought it. but as soon as she put it on she knew she was obsessed. it was a side to her she didn’t even know existed. and everyone else saw just how good she looked. all the members couldn’t shut up about it, nova even shed fake tears at the thought of her little taeji growing up to be as sexy as she was. in the end everyone concluded it was made for her and without a second thought nova gave her the dress. and tonight was its big debut. the debut of the new and improved hot and sexy park taeji.
but instead of strutting around with her friends she had been sat in their reserved booth for the majority of the night . she had attempted to dance a bit but she found herself obsessively checking the entrance for him instead of enjoying herself. she should’ve been making everyone stare as she dances in her dress but honestly she didn't care about anyone noticing her if it wasn't james. everything always went right back to stupid james lee.
james was notorious for his escapades. he could draw any girl in and he always did. james would flirt with a tree if it had any semblance of a vagina. he was so easy. yet despite her years of pining and obsessing over one of her best friends for some reason he never EVER flirted with taeji.
“you’re like my brother dude.”
the words haunted her for years. brother. she wasn’t even a girl in his eyes.
and don’t get it twisted taeji was not an insecure girl she knew she was pretty, she never doubted it but hearing james call her his brother… yeah that definitely fucked her up.
all she wanted was to prove that she was more than his “bro” or “dawg”. she was hot and sexy and he should obviously be obsessed with her. she’d been approached 5 times in that night but she turned all of them away. some even being known heartthrobs in korea but she still turned them away. because they were not james and he was nowhere to be seen.
taeji continued to stare at the entrance as she anticipated james’s arrival. she anxiously waited for him ,her eyes skimming the packed room. immediately she saw kelsey drunkenly moving on the dance floor with yunhee, haeun and mimi. if it was any other night she would be on the floor with the birthday girl dancing it up like she usually did. taeji was known to be the life of the party, she was as extroverted and outgoing as they come ,but that night she just wasn’t feeling as confident as usual.
she reminded herself to stop staring at the door. no matter how hard she tried she couldn't summon james to walk through it. she shook her head to rid herself of any more thoughts of the boy as she poured herself another drink. she threw the tequila back like it was nothing hoping a little -a lot- of liquid courage would solve the problem but yet she still sat staring at the fucking entrance.
she felt stupid. stupid boy. stupid heart. stupid feelings
“i don't wanna stop dancing yet,” kelsey whined as all the girls shuffled into the club booth . taeji was brought back to reality as she saw kelsey pout dramatically, making all the girls chuckle but not move anyway.
“we’re tired kelsey, ask taeji she’s been sitting here for fucking ever.” yunhee pointed out making kelsey’s face light up as she quickly turned to the youngest girl.
“tae tae! dance with me!” kelseys smile took over her whole face as she stretched her hands out to taeji expectantly. “you in your sexy little dress cone onnnn.” she jumped on the spot excitedly as she waited for her dance partner to accept her request. taeji fake hesitated for a moment before dramatically grabbing the birthday girls hands . she needed to stop thinking about james asap.
kelsey squealed as she dragged taeji through the hundreds of people dancing and grinding against each other on the dance floor. kelsey was absentmindedly moving to the music, too intoxicated to care about whether she looked good or not. taeji couldn’t stop laughing as she joined in ,her mind focusing on nothing but being with kelsey; it was her birthday after all.
time seemed to blur the longer taeji spent with kelsey . everyone that passed kelsey with her tiara and birthday sash offered them shots. they’d gone between the bar and the dance floor countless times and if she was being honest she had no clue how many shots she’d had by then. she wasn’t necessarily shit faced but to say she was anything close to sober would be a bold face lie. but not enough to lose her sense of your surroundings. she could still feel her cheeks and that they were a deep red color, her eyes almost fully closed like kelsey’s ; inhaling the scent of the sweat and alcohol in the air.
just as she felt the music set inside her and consumed her she was pulled out of her trance by the sound of the only voice she'd wanted to hear all night.
“you look like you’re having fun.”
taeji spun around intimidatingly fast. she knew that voice. that perfect mix of cheeky and sweet was specific to only one boy. the only boy that had been floating around her mind all night.
james.
and there he was standing right in front of her. she hadn’t even realized she’d stopped checking the door until that moment.
taeji actively tried her best not to appear as flustered as she felt , “its a club isn’t that what you’re supposed to do here?” she teased hoping to sound smooth and not like she was struggling to breathe looking at his dazzling smile.
minho laughed lightly, exhaling through his nose as he nodded . his mouth opened as if to say something but kelsey beat him to it.
“minho!” she excitedly exclaimed, throwing her arms open and pulling the boy in for a hug. minho hugged her back, chuckling at her hyper mannerisms. she rocked them from side to side as she hummed, “we thought you weren’t gonna come.” she stated with a squeeze.
“sorry bout that, our schedule ran late and the dorms are hard to sneak out of,” he chuckled. kelsey nodded dramatically , making her ponytail -that taeji doesn’t remember her putting up- to flap around almost hitting minho in the face. he disconnected himself from her with a laugh. as soon as kelsey's arms were free she was dancing again with a carefree expression in her face.
“good thing you came taeji’s been waiting for you all night,” taeji's eyes widened at the statement her fake composure crumbling. kelsey was clearly not thinking before she spoke and taeji needed to stop this before she said anything more incriminating. minho's face was far too smug for taeji’s liking as he turned towards her. his eyes had that glint in them that always made her knees wobble.
“is that so?”
“yeah she really-“
“okay kelsey i think it’s time you sit down, join the other members and stuff,” taeji cut her off, not hiding her nerves at all. you’d think the excessive amount of alcohol her nerves would’ve dissipated by then,but no. she couldn’t tell whether it was the influence of the alcohol or the fact that minho always somehow managed to look so hot without trying, but the nerves rushed back in full swing.
“but i wanna dance more,” she pouted as taeji pushed her gently towards their isolated booth . they maneuvered out of the crowd of grinding bodies. taeji didn’t bother to look back and get minho's attention. kelsey signaled for him to go with them knowing taeji wouldn't be able to do it herself. she knew that if she could avoid him at all costs she would.minho lightly placed his hand on the small of taeji’s back as they made their way back. she had to fight everything in her to not scream.
how the fuck did she plan on being around him for an entire night.
‘he’s just trying not to lose you in the crowd taeji, keep it together,’ she reminded herself trying not to melt into the floor.
kelseys focus shifted entirely as she stopped resisting and rushed over to her members giddily. "my girls,” she slurred happily as she flopped onto the space next to haeun. her head fell on her shoulder immediately.
“minho's here,” she cheered with a bright smile, making sure to wiggle her eyebrows.
the way all the girls head snapped up at the mention of the boy was borderline comical. minho waved shyly as he was greeted with a chorus of greetings which were not subtle at all. their eyes darted between the two, their smiles telling minho everything without saying anything. the past two days everyone was stressed about taeji embarrassing herself ,yet here they were doing it for her. the blush on her face at this point was no longer solely due to the alcohol she’d been consuming all night.
taeji made a move to shuffle into the booth she felt a soft grip on her wrist.
“hey i need to talk to you,” his voice was gentle yet she still felt intimidated. as his eyes locked on hers and she knew she was done for. all the air in her lungs was sucked out with one second of eye contact, how the fuck was she supposed to talk to him alone without melting into the floor.
“it’s- it’s kelsey's birthday i can’t-“
“it’s fine she won’t mind,” yunhee cut taeji off. a mischievous smile on her face as if she was enjoying watching taeji all flustered and panicked.
“yeah i don’t mind,” her face was plastered with a goofy smile as minho already started dragging taeji away from their booth. taejis panicked face disappeared into the crowd as her members just laughed.
minho laced his fingers with hers without a single word and led her to the only spot not completely stuffed by people. taejis eyes and mind were too fixated on their interlaced hands to even notice him dragging her to the furthest corner of the club. he gently placed her against the wall, as he blocked her from anyone who could possibly knock her or disturb them.
“is there a reason you’re blushing like that?” his words snapped taeji back to reality as she slowly looked up into his eyes.
"i’ve had a lot of alcohol ," she murmured lightheartedly. minho laughed softly at her comment. his dulcet chuckle was music to her ears. his long hair shifting to fall into his eyes as he looks down at her through thick lashes. the look was more lethal than he realized, causing taeji’s fragile heart to pound at a rate that was definitely not healthy.
his smile was lethal too, and taeji was certain if he kept smiling at her the way he was at that moment, she would have melted into the grimey club floor.
“why’d you invite me and not jeongin ?” he asked with a slight tilt of his head. there was no mischief in his eyes but she still felt like she was suffocating in his stare. taeji blinked slowly to try stabilize the thoughts in her mind and give a coherent answer without having to address her feelings.
“w-what?”
“well i was looking at the section and it's literally just you guys. it's kelsey's birthday and yugyeom or chanyeol aren't even here. so why’d you invite me of all people? jeongin didn't even know about tonight, aren’t you guys best friends?” he repeated,his face dangerously close to hers. when had he leaned in that much?
taeji opened her mouth as if to reply but shut it immediately. it felt like all her mouth was dry, her tongue made of sand paper. she doesn't even know how to explain it to herself let alone to minho.
minho silently waited for her explanation, his eyes never leaving hers,"you’re never this quiet,”
taeji had always thought minho was handsome but there was something about the flashing lights cascading across his face at 1:26 AM that made taeji really realize just how handsome he was. she watched him run a hand through his carrot orange locks, a small smile forming on his lips as he chuckled a little bit.
“w-what? i um... i can’t hear you.” it wasn’t a complete lie, it was partly true. the loud bass was overbearing and minho wasn’t talking particularly loud either but she definitely could hear him. taeji just couldn't speak to him when her mind was mixing her thoughts due to her intoxication and the fact that minho's breath was fanning her face.
minho knew that wasn’t true, she could definitely hear him. he also knew that he could just drop the subject because he did know the answer. taeji wasn't as subtle at hiding her feelings as she thought she was. he'd kind of known for months already. he'd also known about jeongin’s own feelings towards taeji, which is probably why minho hadn't actively made a move on her yet. he may flirt and tease her but he originally didn't plan on it going anywhere. he just enjoyed seeing her all flustered; it was fun.
with a small smirk formed on his lips he leaned in closer, brushing his lips against the shell of her ear, smiling when he felt her shiver under his touch. “can you hear me now?”
taejis breath hitched, making minho smile. she nodded sheepishly at his question she knew her voice would betray her if she spoke.minho pulled away slowly. not much, just enough to see her face better. he smiled, satisfied with the reaction he was receiving.
she partly thought that it was all in her head, but taeji swore that she was starting to feel some sort of tension in the air.
maintaining eye contact when minho looked as good as he did was proving to be difficult. flustered giggles threatened to spill out of her mouth but she needed to be composed.
minho deliberately narrowed the distance between their faces.taeji felt her heart quicken as his nose touched gently against hers , his head slightly turning so that it was close enough for his lips to brush in feather-like touches on their own.
he was too close. taejis heart beelined up her throat and got itself stuck at the tip of her tongue, surrendering with a shaky breath. she had no idea what to even say.
in that moment taeji swore she lost control of her body as her heart took full control of her actions . that alcohol finally gave her that boost of confidence she needed.
taeji wanted him to kiss her.
her hands flew up to the side of his face and she kissed him first, closing her eyes tight in anticipation.
his lips were surprisingly soft ,like cotton candy. her initial anxiety dissipated as minho leaned into her further, his hands gently placing themselves on her waist.
honestly minho was astounded by the fact that he was kissing taeji in the corner of some club just outside of seoul. sure, the idea of him and taeji had crossed his mind and he can admit that been seeing her in a different light recently but he'd never act on it because she was jeongin's. but the way his head spun as her watermelon flavored lips moved against his own had him erasing jeongin from his mind entirely. all he could think was taeji and how good it felt to be near her.
he liked it more than he thought he would.
he liked taeji more than he thought he did.
the kiss felt perfect , he was perfect. he’s always been perfect, she thought as she felt him actually kiss her. lee minho was actually kissing her. the overwhelming feeling of euphoria that takes over taejis body is almost numbing and it makes her cheeks red. even though she doesn’t want to yet she pulls away from him. partly because she needed to breathe and also just to double check that had actually happened and she wasn’t dreaming.
her eyes slowly flutter open as she pulls away. his were already locked on her. the entire situation causing her entire body to heat up not just her cheeks.
“you’re cute when you’re flustered.” minho mumbled in a barely audible tone.
her eyebrows furrowed as she tried to make out what he was saying. she actually couldn’t hear him this time."what?”
he shook his head dismissing what he said, assuring her that it didn’t matter.
“i invited you cause...i like you,” she whispered, her shoulders physically relaxing as she let the weight off them.
minho couldn't help but smile at her confession. his smile was sincere. with a soft chuckle his hand moved from her waist to her cheek , as he stroked her blushed face affectionately. his own cheeks flushed slightly the longer they stared at each other with their dopey smiles.
"i know, you were kinda obvious about it" he teased, making taeji groan loudly and throw her head back. her embarrassment took over her entire body. she really thought she'd been playing it cool this entire time.
minho chuckled, tilting her head towards him again, he just wanted to look at her some more. their eyes relocated and his smile never wavered. taeji made him happier than he liked to admit.
he could feel the heat of her own blushing cheeks underneath his hand . it’s a feeling he can grow accustomed to. he liked it. he liked her.
minho liked taeji.
for a second jeongin popped in his head again. he felt a slight pang of guilt in his chest at the thought of him. with a deep sigh minho's thumb brushed her smeared gloss coated lips as he tried to collect his thoughts. 'jeongin' he thought again but as he looked at a beautiful and flustered taeji staring at him with her big sparkly eyes, he realized that he didn't care anymore. sometimes you have to be selfish and if wanting taeji was selfish then that's what he'd be.
“i...i like you too.”