Fratboy!Taeyong was a guy who liked his privacy. Yes, that contradicted with the life he led, top of of all his classes, friendly with everyone he met, and of course, president of Nu Chi Tau. Being a president of any frat would have thrust him into the general popularity around campus, but his brothers seemed to attract extra attention.
His relationship with you was something that was kept under wraps, private and exclusive for mostly the two of you. So private that his own frat brothers rarely saw the two of you do anything more than talk and sit beside each other.
You were shy around the guys and Taeyong respected that. Hell, he agreed. There were things his nosey brothers didn't need to know and this was just one of them. You found that you were just to be more at ease around animals who didn't judge and weren't as scary as a house full of frat guys. Though, your secrecy didn't deter them from always watching and "accidentally" walking into their president's room to catch you both in the middle of something. They never did.
The affection, the warmth, the tenderness of you relationship was something that was kept behind closed doors, specifically, his own. Except for times like this morning.
It was early, the sun barely rising over the horizon. You and Taeyong sit side by side at the kitchen counter, warm mugs held between your hands as you enjoy the silence. It's the only silence you guys ever seem to get around this house.
Your head is laid on his shoulder, his laid atop yours with his arm wrapped around your shoulders, his thumb soothing rubbing slow circles over your shoulder. In a few hours, you'll be at your internship and Taeyong will be at a Greek Life meeting with the other heads of the university's fraternities and sororities.
"What time will you be done with your day, Lovebug? Want me to come over and make you dinner?" Taeyong asks in a tired voice.
You yawn and set your mug down, burrowing into your boyfriend's warmth, "I might work a little later than usual. Those puppies I told you about won't let me leave without playing with them for less than half an hour. Dinner sounds amazing though."
"You can't fight off a litter of puppies?" Taeyong laughs, gently tilting your chin up so he can gaze into your sleepy, warm eyes.
"You try saying no to them! They're the cutest things in the whole world!" You argue with a laugh, leaning in to press your lips against his in a happy peck.
He smiles against your lips, pressing another kiss against your lips as his hands wander down to your waist to turn you in his direction, "I can't imagine anything cuter than you, Bug."
You smile brightly, wrapping your arms around his shoulders to pull him closer. "You should look in a mirror then," you mumble back, slotting your lips against his own before you let your eyes fall shut and get lost in the way his mouth fits perfectly against your own.
He places a warm hand on your jaw, angling your face perfectly as your lips move in perfect unison. The kiss is slow and warm, it melts the morning chill off your tired body and energizes you more than any cup of coffee ever could.
"Woah," a voice interrupts, "and here I thought you two didn't do more than hold hands."
You pull away from Taeyong wit hot cheeks and wide eyes, "you guys aren't usually awake this early."
Yuta shrugs, casually walking across the kitchen to grab a water bottle from the fridge, "early practices officially start today."
Taeyong squeezes your hand reassuringly, "Bug and I like to keep things on the down low. Please, don't say anything."
Yuta freezes, "I already sent a pic in the group chat, bro. My bad."
"How did you already send a picture?!" Taeyong guffaws and as shy as you feel around the guys, you can't help the laugh that bubbles our of your throat.
"They kiss?!" You hear someone exclaim from upstairs.
You laugh again, hiding your face in Taeyong's chest. At least they would all stop being nosey around you and your boyfriend now. You hoped.
WARNINGS : MDNI, smut, unprotected sex (please be responsible), use of petname : baby.
INSPIRED BY : 25.12.21 La Mama de la Mama Tiktok challenge by Taeyong
"You are such a tease, you know," You stare at Taeyong who is currently fixing your sink in that same outfit of your doom, black tank tee and grey sweats.
He hums in question, while his fingers tighten the valve which had been leaking. You clarify next, "You didn't do the thrusts." You show the tiktok challenge he did recently.
A smug smile forms on his lips, follows it, that deep rich chuckle of his, "I'm trying to fix your sink here," he pulls off the damp tank top from his chest and you stare, like you are supposed to. He wipes his hand with a clean rag, taking slow steps, all leisurely and charming and to reduce the distance between you and him.
It happens like it's a scene from a romcom. That slow motion. The sunlight. The cinematic turn of your body as he presses you against the counter. His lips graze your neck first then move up slowly. His voice, low and hot against your ear, as his rough hand squeezes your butt, "besides baby, if you want to see the thrusts that bad, I can think of a better idea." And then he ruts against your aching core.
A moan slips out easily and he laughs, a little dark, a little teasing. Your shorts fall to your ankles along with his sweats in the next few seconds. He pushes the thin cotton aside, spreading the slick against your folds before easing in with one sharp thrust. Your breath falls short, and your fingers scramble to find a grip.
"I just love it when you lose your mind," He groans, moving at a steady pace, "fuckㅡ strokes my egoㅡah" you whimper in response, knuckles white and face flustered red. He relentlessly thrusts in, to abuse those sweet spots.
Sweet slick drips down your thighs. He wastes no time. Turning you over and perching you right on the counter, he thrusts in deep again. Your legs are haphazardly thrown over his shoulder. Folded in half, you feel every inch of the length that he's pressing into you. Your soft walls clamp around his dick and you can feel his tip in your stomach, a small bulge that can't be missed. Your eyes go white when he does that; like it's the most normal thing to make you go insane on his dick. The knot snaps in your stomach, painting him white. He groans your name and it's a mantra on his lips, "Fuckㅡbaby, youㅡahㅡ're so good" He spills inside you, slowing down to take a good look of your flushed face, "You are fucking pretty when you come for me."
You turn redder, and try to shove him away, "shut up." But he steals a kiss before carrying you off to the shower which is not broken like your sink.
You snuggle into his neck when he starts talking again. "As I was saying, the enamel is all worn down. Explains the rust. Did he spray acid or something?" He caresses your hair while looking through the replacement for the rusted taps.
"I don't know" you answer easily and Taeyong fixes you with a stern look. Your doe eyes turn sheepish the next second, "maybe I should have done a little research."
"Maybe he wanted more money" Taeyong places his phone aside and pulls you on top of him. His callous fingers are rough against your supple skin. You murmur out a response in return, "yeah, no, I'm never calling him again."
He hums. Satisfied.
You look up at him. Eyes sparkling like little stars, "you can fix it for me." Your brilliant brain is already cooking up plans. It's not like you'll intentionally break the tap. Maybe. Maybe not. He laughs softly, as if he can read your mind. A smug smirk forms on his lips, "Yeah, damn right I will, baby."
tags/warnings: fluff, suggestive, just 127 being the best husband/dad figures, wholesome read
w.c: 4.5k
a.n: happy mother’s day to all the mothers out there! here’s a little sum in commemoration <3
taeyong.
“mom!” two distinct voices call out for you.
you stir in your sleep, eyes fluttering open. you turn to your side, finding your twins holding a bouquet of flowers each. as you lifted yourself off the bed, they handed you the flowers.
“happy mother’s day,” they each say.
“thank you!” you happily answered, calling their names to engulf them into a tight hug.
after the late night you had with your husband, it slipped your mind that today was mother’s day. after all this was the whole reason you all were away on a trip in the maldives.
“happy mother’s day!” your husband announces, walking in with a tray of food.
your eyes nearly popping out of your head as you admired the carefully arranged breakfast. “fo-for me?” you stuttered.
“of course, only for the best mother,” your son says excitedly.
“thank you,” you nearly choked up a bit, finding the gestures this morning too much for your poor heart.
“go get ready you two,” your husband informs the kids, they scurry out in no time.
he walks over to you, sitting besides you.
“thank you so much taeyong,” you tell your husband, your lips kissing his cheek.
“no need to thank me, today’s all about you,” he tells you, returning your kiss with one of his own. “now finish your breakfast and change, we’re going snorkeling,” he informs you, smiling widely.
“snorkeling!?”
and before you could interrogate him, he walks out. you finished up eating and changed into a snorkeling appropriate apparel before walking outside to find the kids and taeyong already ready.
“let’s go!” your son announces at your appearance.
your daughter follows him to the door. taeyong waits for you, walking alongside you as you two follow them.
“nervous?” he asks.
you shook your head, yeah it was your first time but you were more excited about this new experience instead.
it’d only been a 5 minute walk from where you guys were staying and luckily taeyong had reserved it prior. as he checked in your gaze drifted to the crystal clear ocean, the waves weren’t so bad. it was almost god’s way of saying you were doing this.
once taeyong finished, you all walked up to pick up your snorkeling masks and fins that they provided. with instructor walking alongside you guys, he explained the safety and precautions and once you were within a good distance from the ocean was when he allowed you to put on the gear.
you penguin walked towards the water, getting deeper and deeper within until your whole body submerged. you wished you could’ve opened your mouth in awe, but since you were underwater you could only resort to widen eyes.
the view from underneath is absolutely breathtaking, the vibrant fishes and ocean creatures that swam alongside you leaving you speechless. no this wasn’t your first time seeing them, but it was your first time being within such close proximity.
your attention then diverges to the family who is lost within the waters. the twins pointing at every fish that crosses their way and your husband engrossed with the bigger creatures.
you wished you could’ve swam across to him and puckered his lips, expressing just how thankful you were for this, for the entire trip.
he went all out for you on a day like this, a day to express just how much of an amazing mother you are. now you want to do the same, whether that be tonight or in a month from now on father’s day.
johnny.
“keep your eyes closed mommy,” your daughter’s voice says.
her little hands pulling yours while your husband guides you from behind.
“watch your step,” he announces from behind.
you take a step, then two, and three down before you're met with the grass from the backyard.
“open!” she tells you.
and as your eyes open up, you’re met with a careful put together at-home theater. a large bean bag centered in the middle while a white drape was hanged and a projector behind the bean bag. a table of snacks and popcorn adorned the front of the bean bag, it was unlike anything you’d ever received before.
your daughter runs closer to the bean bag, “happy mother’s day!” she tells you for the nth time today.
“you mentioned wanting to experience an in-home theater one time,” johnny says besides you, observing you closely. he could tell you were speechless beyond your thoughts.
your heart melted at his careful observations. if there’s one thing you loved most about your husband, it was his ability to remember even the smallest details about you.
“i love it, thank you,” you tell him as you go over to give him a kiss on his cheek.
and before he could even say anything back you’re off to join your daughter. the two of you try finding the lucky first movie, and after some help from johnny you’re all sat in the comfy bean bag that was adorned with blankets and pillows.
movie after movie played, until dawn turned into night. and by the nth movie, you glanced down when you stopped hearing your daughter ramble.
she laid across the bean bag, in a deep slumber. johnny notices too, “finally some time alone,” he whispers. you turn to him where he sat besides you.
“really?” you arced a brow at him.
a smile touching his lips, as he shrugs. “let’s call it a night after this movie finishes.”
“and what do you have in mind that we do, dear husband,” you questioned.
he pretends to think before suggesting, “another child?”
your eyes widen, you slap his arm. you turn around thinking your daughter might’ve heard, but her sleeping state still remains the same.
“so? what do you say?” johnny pestered you.
and as you go to face him again, your arms wrap around his neck. you bring your face closer, whispering to him “ok, i guess i’ll take you up on that.”
his lips sealed yours in a kiss, but before it could adventure any deeper he carried his sleeping daughter in his arms and laid her in her bed.
not long after returning to you to continue, where things then escalated into the bedroom.
yuta.
you sat waiting, waiting for your husband and daughter to come back. it’d been well over 5 minutes since yuta asked you to wait here for them while they went to grab something. it was mother’s day today and you all spent the day at home. being pregnant, you didn’t have the energy to go out and celebrate so you all settled to celebrate here.
the day’s celebration went above and beyond, you didn’t know if it was the pregnancy emotions or what but you felt extremely sentimental at every surprise your 4-year old daughter and husband presented to you.
as you relive the last couple of hours, the whisper of voices get you out of your trance. you can’t quite make out what they were whispering, but as they got closer you could make out some of the words.
“close your eyes mommy!” your little girl shouts.
you complied without a second thought, shuttering your eyes as you used your ears to guide you.
the steps got closer, until the creeks in the floorboards stopped. you could feel their presence in front of you, the soft breaths from your daughter as her little giggles filled your ears. you smiled at her small noises.
“you can open now mommy!” she exclaims.
slowly fluttering your eyes open, your eyes regain their consciousness. you look at both of them, faces covered by canvases.
the one your daughter holding a painting of the three of you, a tall male figure with dyed blonde hair (yuta), another much shorter female figure (you), and a little child in the middle that was holding both your hands. All three surrounded by a flowery field, and sun that almost took up the entire left corner.
as you finish soaking in your daughter’s adorable painting, your eyes travel to the one your husband was holding up. his painting more, mature. the painting was covered with your favorite flower, all different shades of color, to many it might’ve been simple yet to you it was beauty.
“they’re beautiful,” you finally spoke amidst the silence.
your daughter pops her head from the side, “really!” she gleams.
“yeah… thank you my butterfly,” you nearly cried, opening your arms so she could come to hug you.
she finds home in your arms, yuta witness to all of this with a warm smile.
“you, too,” you announced, “come here.”
you extended your arm so he could come. yuta wastes no time, the three of you bundling one another with warmth. you even feel a subtle kick from your belly, your baby wanting in too.
“though i have to say,” you said, departing your arms from them. “where’s your little brother?” you arched a brow at your daughter, eyeing her drawing.
“ah!” your daughter says, shocked. she facepalms her forehead with that small hand of hers.
yuta chuckles, and you erupt in laughter. your daughter eyeing you two like you two were crazy. and as the happy laughter stopped, your husband pulled you into his side, kissing the top of your head.
“happy mother’s day to the best mother to my little butterflies.”
your eyes watered. today couldn’t get any better.
doyoung.
you glanced down at your phone for the nth time since you’ve stayed sat here in an empty theater.
where were they?
your daughter and husband nowhere in sight. they’d left a while ago for “snacks.” yet as no one filled the theater and they weren’t coming back, you guessed they were probably off somewhere else.
and as you were about to call him for the 5th time, the lights turned off. you were in a room with nothing but darkness now. your heart jumping at how scary the scenery was now.
then as you slowly rose from your seat the curtain from the stage opened, only a dim light revealing two figures. two figures you could recognize from miles away.
your daughter in a different dress, more princess-y and white. while your husband, doyoung, in a white tux with your favorite flower in his pocket.
and when you see the microphones coming out from behind them, it clicks.
your daughter began singing your favorite song. the background instrumental going nonexistent to you as you let her voice wow you away. her singing almost sounded identical to the original, she carried a strong stage presence, one that made you forget about the ever-evolving world around you. she carried the rest of the song smoothly, and when she finishes the instrumental changes to another one of your favorites. though this time doyoung takes over.
doyoung was a whole different category of his own, he was unlike any other, an angelic voice that pulled you away. and once he finishes his part, the beat changes again. this time an unfamiliar tune, and it wasn’t until both of them started singing that the lyrics too sounded unfamiliar.
“an unreleased song?” you mumbled, continuing being in awe at the father-daughter duet playing in front of you.
the lyrics speaking nothing but words of love, their undying love for you. it wasn’t until you felt the wetness on your cheeks that you realized you’d begun crying. your heart ached, oh how you loved your little family.
doyoung would never be a regret in your life, but a blessing. he opened your eyes beyond the world you knew, into a world that you lived full heartedly. it’s almost as if it were yesterday that you found out you were pregnant with his child, when you surprised him with the child, and you two welcomed your adorable daughter into this world.
a miracle child to you two, a symbol of the undying love you two held for one another. life as you know it felt like beyond blessed.
scurrying out of your thoughts, the beat stops.
“happy mother’s day mommy!” her little voice shouts into the microphone.
“i love you,” not only she exclaims, but doyoung does as well.
“i couldn’t ask for a better mother for my children,” doyoung announces loud and clear, finishing off the performance.
jaehyun.
“here, give these to mommy,” your husband, jaehyun, instructed your son.
your son takes the pretty pink roses from him, struggling to carry them with his little body. as he walks over to you he hands them to you, and says“happy mother’s day!” to you.
your heart melts, your son whose an identical copy of his father smiles widely, dimples popping out as you pull him into a tight hug and smother him with kisses.
“stop!” he repeats in a giggly tone.
jaehyun watches you two, with a dimpled smile of his own as he holds your newborn daughter in his arms. she’s been asleep practically since you all got here.
here, at this breathtaking park where your husband and son planned a cute picnic-y mother’s day date.
when you finally finish smothering your son with kisses, he looks up to catch your eyes. “let’s go to the lake now mommy!” he asks for the thousandth time since you all arrived.
you smiled, stroking his head, “alright.”
he holds your hand as you get up. “you coming?” you asked your husband who just admired you like you were the only person in this world.
“in a bit,” jaehyun responds, “enjoy yourselves first.”
“if you say so,” you shrugged, laughing as your son practically has you running to the lake.
and while you were lost in the glistening water and playing with your son, you failed to notice the eyes that were glued to you from behind.
jaehyun’s eyes as he admired his family, engraving this moment into his memory. he loved his family more than anything in this world, his little family that was continuously growing.
you were the best mother to his children, there was no one like you. you might’ve not been his first love, but you were going to be his last. he still doesn’t know how he got so lucky with you, he doesn’t-
a light slap against his chest pulls him out of his thoughts. he looks down, only to find his daughter, who’d just woken up, eyeing him with those big doe-eyes of hers.
“good morning,” he coos, even if the sun was starting to set.
her giggles melted him away, but he wasn’t complaining. his daughter had become his entire life, who knew she already held him around her little fingers at just a couple weeks old.
“let’s go catch up with mommy and your brother now that you’re awake,” he tells her, giving a peck on her chubby cheeks.
“you’re here!” you yell as you see your husband coming down the hill with a smile plastered on his face.
“the little princess finally woke up,” he informs you, dragging your attention to your daughter.
and when they’re mere centimeters away from you, your daughter happily starts blabbering when she sees your face. she tries extending her arms so you could hold her, in which you take.
“i think she’s wishing you a happy mother’s day too,” your husband chuckles, wrapping an arm around your waist.
the three of you started walking towards where your son was occupied with a stick and the water. he was quote on quote fishing.
“quite the son you got there huh,” you giggled, eyes dragging to jaehyun.
his eyes catch yours, locking in. “he gets that imagination from you dear wife.”
you roll your eyes, and before you could argue back his lips fall onto yours. his tender lips, kissing your soft ones into a gentle and loving kiss. unspoken words conveying through his lips.
you feel the subtle grip of his hand around your waist tightening. and before he could even think about deepening the kiss, your son’s voice pulls you two out of your trances.
“mommy, daddy look!… wait, why are you red mommy?”
your heated cheeks growing increasingly red. jaehyun just starts laughing besides you, earning him a pinch on his side.
“i-it’s hot,” you stuttered, even though the cool evening breeze blew.
nonetheless your son doesn’t question that or you any further. and he’s back to showing you two the random things he finds as he circles the lake. as you all follow behind him, you feel your husband’s breath against your ear.
“don’t worry, we can continue at home,” he whispers, “when they’re both asleep of course.”
your face heats up again, and this time you slap his arm away. he chuckles at your adorable, feisty behavior.
but you don’t stop him as he hugs you from behind, lips pecking your exposed neck and his daughter’s forehead. she was surprisingly calm throughout the walk.
“happy mother’s day, to the best mother out there,” jaehyun says as his lips capture yours in a quick kiss.
jungwoo.
“almost there you two,” your husband's voice says from behind you.
“i swear if it’s what i think it is… i will-”
jungwoo’s chuckles stop you, rendering you silent. you go on for another minute before he stops you two. a small noise captures your attention, but you try shoving it aside thinking you’re just hallucinating.
“open,” he announces.
as your eyes regain their consciousness you’re met with a box with a ribbon.
weird.
but before you could question your husband, your daughter ran up to the box. her hands waste no time lifting the lid where squeals and giggles erupt from her. it isn’t until you see a small golden-furry four legged animal pop out.
your jaw drops to the floor. no he didn’t.
“oh yes i did,” jungwoo says, reading you expression clear as day.
you don’t even say anything back, just mindlessly looking at your daughter as she plays with the new member of the family. it wasn’t until after a while she cradles the dog in her hands, walking over to where you two were still standing.
“isn’t he adorable!?” she exclaims.
you ponder for a bit, until small barks from the dog melt away your brewing anger. “yeah, it’s something alright,” you say, walking closer to stroke it.
the small dog warms up to you quickly, licking on your wrist and hand. “see, knew you’d like it after all.”
you rolled your eyes at his words. “how could i not, just wished you waited a while longer.”
“but don’t you think our love is old enough to take care of it?” he questions.
and he’s right, your daughter was old enough for a dog. but.. there was another reason why.
“she might be,” you say, pausing before announcing, “but they aren’t.”
your hands going to your belly. it wasn’t big yet, but you were…
“you’re pregnant…” your husband says, speechless.
“yeah…”
“a puppy and a little sibling!” your daughter beyond happy.
jungwoo engulfs you into his arms, whispering small “thank you’s” before departing with watery eyes. “and here i thought i’d be the one surprising you on your special day.”
you chuckled, “happy mother’s day to me.”
mark.
“open it, open it!” your 5-year son urges you to unbox the small-rectangular shaped box.
your hands carefully open the box, and to your surprise you find a book. a colorfully crafted book created and written by no one else but your son.
“happy mommy day!” he yells excitedly, pecking your face with kisses.
must’ve been mark’s idea, you thought.
your husband had a knack for writing, it was one of his most favorite past times.
as you pick it up, you briefly scan the pages, finding drawings to the left-side and writing on the right.
“it’s beautiful! i love it!”
“really?!” your song jumps from excitement.
“yes! but i’ll have to read it later so your father won’t get jealous,” you say, whispering the last part out of mark’s earshot.
“what are you two whispering about now?” your husband says, taking a seat besides you.
you shrug, acting like nothing had transpired. while your son responds, “secrets!”
and before mark could probe his son any further, he runs away. your son’s attention drifting back to his playroom where he was mid-superhero roleplay.
it was only you and your husband in the living room, sitting in an awkward silence. which was unlike mark, he usually talked and laughed with you. unless he…
“i- i also prepared something for you,” he announces.
you hit the nail, unless he was nervous. this had happened way too many times before for you not to know by now.
“i love presents, especially if they’re from you,” you reassured him, sealing it off with a peck on his cheek.
you see as his hands come out from behind to reveal a manila colored envelope. he hands it over to you, in which you take. you open it in a careful and slow manner. you peaked inside where pages of paper resided inside. black words lining each page, yet the title was what finally made it clear what this stack was.
to the woman i love most.
you pull it out, your mother’s day letter from mark. writing from his beloved typewriter, almost as wide as a novel, it was his declaration of his undying love for you.
no matter how many he’s written you, he always finds a way to write something about you. about the countless memories he’s engraved of you. you weren’t just his wife, his beloved, or the mother of his children, but you were his biggest inspiration.
you tried reading the first couple pages before stopping because of the waterfall of tears erupting from your eyes. his words as sweet as candy, yet hit you right in the heart. his emotions were raw on each page.
“god, i love you,” you sobbed, leaning in to wrap your arms around his neck. you pulled him close, breathing him in and taking in all his warmth. you two fit together like puzzle pieces, just meant for one another.
“i love you more to infinity and beyond,” he replies.
you stifle out a laugh, as corny as that sounded, you knew he meant it. you knew he loved you beyond infinity.
“you’re the best mother and the best wife, you deserve more than some lousy letters.”
“no, don’t say that mark. you know how much i adore your letters, how i have a whole keep sake of them stored inside a box from god knows how long.”
“i’m glad you like them then,” he says, mutteringly.
“not like, love mark.”
he chuckles at your correction. and he admires you for a moment, taking in your beauty. as he leans down to capture your lips, your son's voice interrupts the sweet moment.
“i’m hungry!”
you two laugh at his sudden words, and leave it off with a peck on the lips before getting up. mark took up the cooking while you set up. and as the dark sky came up, you found yourself with mark continuing the moment before your son had interrupted.
haechan.
“are we expecting more people?” you questioned in surprise at the enormous amount of food at the table.
“no, just us,” haechan announces alongside you.
the kids had already claimed their seats, in full anticipation of the arrays of food lining the table.
“perhaps i went a bit overboard,” your husband says.
“a bit?” you bite back. you take a look back to the food, your favorite foods.
he shrugs, “well we did agree on a surprise dinner for you today.”
“i’m not complaining, it’s just i fear it might feed the whole neighborhood rather than the four of us.”
“it’s alright whatever we have as leftovers we can just store or give some to my parents,” haechan explained, diminishing the problem.
you decided to shrug it off, i mean there were alternatives to do with the leftovers. as you make your way to your seat, haechan is a step ahead of you to make sure to pull out the chair for you.
“thank you,” you tell him while he pushes your chair in.
he walks over to the seat to the left, while you stay in the center like some ruler. well today was all about you.
“no more waiting, you two are practically drooling. let’s dig in,” you announced.
all hell breaks loose with the kids as they rummage through every tray of food. their plates are full of different dishes. now its time to see if they’re even going to finish it all…
to your surprise they do, but at the cost of not digging in for seconds. they rubbed their bellies, filled to the brim with their father’s cooking.
you on the other hand, were just finishing up your first dish, before picking up a few more pasta. you always loved the way haechan made the pasta, it was a taste you couldn’t even achieve yet.
and as you and haechan finished up your ends of the meal, the children chatted and blabbed about various things to keep things entertaining.
you were so lost in their talk that you didn’t even notice when your husband had gotten up. he disappeared before reappearing with a heart-shaped cake.
you could tell it was no store-bought creation, but his creation. he’d just begun baking, and who knew he did it so he could gift you a cake for today. as e places the cake in front of you, you take a look at the writing inked in the middle.
to the greatest mother of all time.
your head turns to your children, wide smiles plastered all over their faces. “suprise!” they gleam.
“we wrote it and baked it!” your daughter exclaims.
“sort of baked it,” your son corrects her, earning him a scowl from her.
“it’s beautiful, thank you!” you say excitedly, heart melting by their surprise. you were a big desert fanatic, cakes an all-time classic.
“here, let me take a picture,” your husband says, whipping out his phone.
he takes one of you individually, then with the kids who yell out “happy mother’s day!”
and somehow he gets them to take one of you and him, posed in a way that garners “ew” from both of them. a small subtle kiss on the cheek.
as you all dig in, you three plaster haechan with compliments. for a beginner this was darn good cake. and so you all enjoyed each other’s presence for a while longer before it was time to clean up.
you were helping haechan clean up despite his efforts to stop you. then as you two cleaned up the dishes, you thank him again, leaning against him as you expressed both your love and gratitude.
“i’m the luckiest wife, mom, and women in the entire world. thank you love.”
“it’s my job to make you feel that way… because you deserve the universe,” he replies in his own raw and meaningful way, forgetting about the dishes for a moment for lock his lips with yours.
another successful and beautiful mother’s day for the books.
final a.n: i know mother's day was yesterday but i underestimated my skills in finding the ideal surprises for each 127 member... sorry for the tardiness but feel free to comment down below your fav <3
˚｡⋆౨ৎ˚ SCRATCH THAT! 🧸ྀི — taeyong loves ur nails :3 ( word count 448 )
[ extras ] fluff!! reader has cute n long nails<3
ੈ✩‧₊˚ note ! he so would gush over crazy nails FIGHT ME
── ⟢ ・⸝⸝ @fantasia-films , @k-records , @neocity-net ; div by @suupersonic
"i'm home!" you announced, closing the door. soft music reached your ears and you knocked your shoes off, too tired to bother putting them where they belong.
"hi baby" taeyong's voice greeted you when you entered your bedroom. he was clearly straight out from the shower, hair still wet and his white t-shirt damp. you focused on how nicely it hugged his muscles.
"look what i got today!" you grinned and presented him your new nails.
spreading your fingers apart, you wiggled them playfully. taeyong's eyes widened as he gently took your hands, examining your new set closely.
he was a supporting husband through and through, and that also included nails. especially when you went over the top with them, with all the crazy details and 3d decorations.
this time you went for something cute, baked goods themed. with small, sculpted cherries on top of puddings and milkshakes. bungeoppangs on your pinky fingers and small bows. and of course, almond shaped.
"what the hell, it's so cute!" taeyong whined, carefully tracking the decorations with his fingertips.
"i know, right? can't wait to send a picture to saku, he'll love them" you giggled and your husband let go of your hands.
you turned around to grab a snack you bought for him.
and when you turned around again, his t-shirt was off, laying somewhere on the ground. taeyong was looking at you with sparkly eyes.
"can you scratch my back?" he asked with excitement "please?"
you just scoffed and pointed at the bed with your chin. you didn't need to tell him twice.
a grown man folding right away just because he wanted some scratches. how cute.
you straddled him and got to work, immediately drawing a satisfied groan out of him.
"anyway, i also bought you the fruit jelly you talked about. we can eat it later, i grabbed three flavors" you started babbling, drawing shapes on his toned back absentmindedly. he was growing more relaxed under you, cheek smushed into the pillow. "work was chill today. that weird coworker of mine didn't come today… i wonder what happened. not complaining though. but how wat your day, bubu?"
a soft sigh escaped his lips.
"bubu?" you asked again. did he just fall asleep?
you stopped scratching him, resting your palm gently against his reddening back.
that did the trick.
"mpfh… don't stop…" he grunted, sounding almost offended.
"you're falling asleep on me! that's not fair" you whined, yet continued your action. with gentle scratches along the nape of his neck, you could see goosebumps raising on his bare skin.
"i'll make it up to you later" taeyong sighed dramatically and closed his eyes again, enjoying the feeling.
Summary: You're trying for a baby, so you have to have sex with Taeyong even when you're furious at him.
Genre: Suggestive, Husband!Taeyong, Angst
Word count: >1k
“Edgar?” you scoff. “You seriously want to name our baby ‘Edgar?”
Taeyong huffs. “I didn’t laugh at any of your baby names.”
“Yeah, because none of them were dumb,” you reply.
Taeyong rolls out of bed and stands up, his face turning bright red. “That’s it. I’m going to sleep in the spare room-”
He is suddenly interrupted, because your phone alarm goes off.
“Oh no…” Taeyong groans.
“Yep,” you say grimly. “Time to make a baby.”
You and Taeyong have been trying to get pregnant for the last three months. You are on a strict sex schedule. You haven’t missed one session yet, and you’re not about to start.
“Does it have to be tonight?” Taeyong says.
“It’s my last day of ovulation,” you say. “This is the best chance we have of getting pregnant for the rest of the month.” You sigh. “Look. I don’t feel like it either, but…”
Taeyong glares at the wall for a long moment, then sighs. “Fine. Let’s just get the damn thing over with.”
He gets back into bed. Instinctively, you smooth your hands over his shoulders, pulling him in for a kiss.
Suddenly, he pulls back.
“Look, I can’t keep kissing you,” he says. “I can feel that you’re still… judging me.”
“You can feel this, can you? With your spidey sense?”
“There! See? Judgement!” Taeyong says.
You roll your eyes. “Fine. You know what? We won’t kiss. Let’s just move on.”
Taeyong starts unbuttoning your pyjama shirt, but you swat him off. “No need for all that!”
Both of you quickly remove your trousers and underwear, and then the quick, mechanical work begins under the covers.
Despite your annoyance, the sight of Taeyong’s shining back, the muscles of his arms working under the skin, and the way his shaking breaths still manage to turn you on.
You hate that your body still answers to his. You still want him, even though you also want to slam the door in his face.
Taeyong huffs. “Why are you looking at me like that? So judgemental…”
“Fine, I won’t look at you at all. I’ll look at the ceiling,” you say.
Taeyong huffs. “Judgemental, judgemental, j-” ‘
“If you say that word one more time, I swear I’ll-” you say.
Taeyong looks pointedly at you. “You’ll what?”
“I’ll… I’ll…”
An intense wave of stimulation from Taeyong’s body is making it hard for you to remember what your point was.
A moment later, you both groan, as, almost painfully, you reach your climax.
You are both panting for breath, your bodies uncomfortably entwined together.
“Judgemental,” Taeyong mutters.
You shove your shirt and trousers back on and storm out of the room.
-
After an hour of aggressively pacing up and down the living room, you finally feel calmer. You can hardly remember why you were arguing in the first place. Edgar or no edgar, it doesn’t matter. You’re not even pregnant yet - there is no baby to name!
You pad back up to your bedroom, and knock lightly on the door.
“Honey?” you say.
“Uh-huh?” Taeyong calls back, but his voice sounds strange, so you push open the door.
Taeyong is sitting in bed, his chin between his knees. His eyes are red-rimmed, like he’s spent the last hour crying.
You crawl in to bed and wrap your arms around him. When he rests his head on your shoulder, you let out a sigh of relief. He’s not angry at you.
“What’s the matter?” you say, as you stroke his soft black hair, breathing in the scent of his cherry shampoo.
“I think… that was the one,” he says.
“What?” you say.
“I think we just got pregnant. I know it sounds stupid, but I have a feeling it just happened. And, like an idiot, I let it happen when we were arguing…”
His voice trails off. You hug him more tightly. Your body fits effortlessly into his, like a key finding its lock.
“What are we going to tell our kid when they ask how they were conceived?” he says, wiping his eye with his palm.
“Have you ever met a teenager?” you say, grinning. “Trust me, they don’t want to think about their parents having sex.”
Taeyong laughs despite the tears still running down his face. “Are you sure?”
You look at him. “Do you know how you were conceived?"
“Eww no, of course not!” Taeyong says.
You both start to laugh uncontrollably. It is a snotty, tear-stained laugh that comes right from your bellies.
Taeyong pulls you to him and kisses you with so much passion it leaves you lightheaded.
Taeyong looks at you under his lashes, toying with the top button of your shirt. “Did I mention that my girlfriend looks incredibly sexy tonight?”
You laugh. “How could you possibly be ready to go again?”
Taeyong bites his lip to stop himself from laughing. His fingers slip down your shirt and to the waistband of your pyjama bottoms. “I am not ready to go again, but you on the other hand…”
You pull him in for another kiss. “Ahh yes. The pleasures of not making a baby.”
Taeyong nods. “You understand my point precisely.”
—
MAIN MASTERLIST
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Being single on Valentine’s Day is like showing up to a party and discovering that it’s fancy dress and you didn’t get the memo. It’s like showing up to class unprepared for a final project, no work to show. Everywhere you turn, there’s love hearts and romance, couples holding hands and kissing. And then there’s just you by yourself, unable to take advantage of all the couple-deals and delights of the day.
Last year, all of your friends had been in happy relationships, posting photos of what their partners gave them, sharing photos from fancy dinners or cute brunches. One of them even got engaged at the restaurant where she and her partner had held their first date, and the staff was so enchanted by the pair of them, that they received a free dessert.
That news alone had sent you on a FOMO spiral. You’d scrolled for hours through social media apps, looking at Valentine’s Day posts from couples you didn’t even know, seeing all of these cute freebies that people got just for being a cute couple in love or as congratulations for proposals.
And now, a full year later, you were still single with less than twenty-four hours until the celebrated day of romance. No plans, no partner, just a comfy sofa and a spicy romance book and some leftover takeout in your fridge for dinner.
Which sounds… less than ideal.
You want romance. You want to be able to have a dazzling, romantic night to post about. You want free things for no reason other than being in love.
As you sit there watching People We Meet on Vacation and sipping wine, something occurs to you. Maybe the wine has gone to your head, or maybe it’s just a genuinely good idea that appears in your head, but as the clock strikes half past eight on Valentine’s Eve, you pull up your semi-dormant profile on a dating app.
It takes less than a minute to change the small bio to read “Seeking a fake boyfriend willing to fake propose to me on Valentine’s Day for free stuff”
You already semi-created a list of places to go around the city. Brunch spots, bakeries, bars, restaurants. Now you just need to wait for the response.
You finish your wine, finish the movie, and you doze off on your comfy sofa for a few hours, waking shortly quarter til midnight to a few interested responses to your profile.
The first appears to be a catfisher’s profile – one blurry, pixelated photo of a muscley shirtless man, most of his face blocked by the phone he’s holding and the hat pulled low over his eyes. The second guy has messaged you that he’s down to be your fake fiance, but one look at his profile shows you that he’s not really your type, that you have differing views on certain things.
The third guy has messaged you saying, “I’ve got the ring, just tell me where to meet you” with a photo attached. You’re a bit hesitant to tap ‘accept’ on viewing the image he’s sent you. Past experience with unprompted photos sent through dating apps doesn’t make this one seem promising, but as soon as it loads, you’re pleasantly surprised.
First you notice a pretty, but simple ring. It’s a thin silver band, a square cut diamond.
The second thing you notice is the insanely handsome guy who is holding the ring up. You’re certain he must be AI or something, but after clicking over to his profile and flicking through all of the pictures on his profile, you can’t see anything that truly points to him being fake. He’s just genuinely that gorgeous. And he seems a much better fit for you than either of the other two.
He’s an artist, both with visual arts and musically. He’s into running and cooking and traveling. He collects sneakers and cute trinkets. He volunteers at a center for elderly people and also at an animal shelter. Every detail that you glean from his profile makes him even more desirable, which also makes his unreal looks even more unbelievable.
If you were genuinely seeking a relationship on this app, you’d probably be a bit more hesitant to believe that everything on his profile was real, but if it’s just for tomorrow, then you see no reason to not buy into what he’s selling.
Lee Taeyong. 30. 8km away.
It’s a bit after midnight when you shoot an enthusiastic reply to Taeyong’s proposal, and a few minutes later, he responds.
You’re buzzing from the wine lingering in your bloodstream and from the excitement of the plan as you and Taeyong message back and forth for the next hour, plotting out your day and how to receive the most free things.
You put yourself to bed a while later, set an alarm to wake you in a few hours, and then fall quickly to sleep.
It’s not until Lee Taeyong is actually walking towards you on the street that you fully, completely, truly believe that he’s actually that gorgeous and it wasn’t just some editing trick on all of his photos.
But no. That’s really what he looks like.
Luckily, this Valentine’s Day is unseasonably warm. It feels like a mild spring day, the sun is out without a cloud in the sky. Birds are chirping. Love is in the air.
Nervously, you run a hand over your hair, then smooth out any wrinkles in the dark pink dress you’re wearing. You fidget with the strap of your purse on your shoulder, and fix a smile to your lips as Taeyong approaches with a soft smile of his own.
“Hi,” he greets you, pausing in front of you before awkwardly holding his hand out. His voice is soft, but deeper than you were expecting.
Feeling just as awkward, you accept his hand, sharing a firm handshake. “Hi, Taeyong.”
Up close, he’s even more unbelievable. His eyes are warm and round, a fitting chocolatey brown color where the sunlight falls over him, enhancing the honey-blond shade of his hair. A light pink color kisses his cheeks. He’s dressed nicely in a peachy pink button-down shirt and pants in a matching shade.
Together, you look quite romantic and pink.
“You look really pretty,” he says, “Like you’re ready for a proposal.”
You smile. “I even did my nails,” you tell him as you lift your hand to wiggle your fingers, showing off the pearlescent pale pink color on your nails. “Do you have the ring?”
Taeyong fishes around in his pocket, pulling out a tiny velvety box. He opens it, revealing the charming diamond ring nestled in the cushion. “My grandmother gave me this ring to give my future bride. I figured I should find a woman to give it to.”
“Really?” You don’t know if he’s telling the truth or just creating a history for this fictional relationship and proposal.
Taeyong flips the box shut, hiding the ring from your sight again, slipping it back into his pocket. He shrugs. “It’s true. She gave it to me when I was with my ex, but that relationship fell completely apart, and then my grandmother passed before I met anyone else. I figure this opportunity is the perfect excuse to bring it out since I just don’t know at what point I’ll really be able to use it.”
“Well, it’s a lovely ring. Whoever actually gets to wear it on her finger for real some day is a lucky girl.” You hold your hand out to him again, palm up. “Should we head to brunch?”
Taeyong nods. His palm is warm and solid against yours. Your fingers lace together with Taeyong’s, and your heart leaps as his fingers settle into place against the back of your hand.
You’d asked Taeyong to meet you in a small park near the brunch place you had on your list. So now, you take a lap around the park hand-in-hand, chatting and soaking in the nice weather as you make your way towards the brunch spot.
Quickly, you realize that you like listening to Taeyong talk, that you made a good decision in choosing him – you’d actually not even bothered looking at any of the other responses you’d gotten after you checked out his profile last night.
Taeyong is just as warm and kind as you’d read him as last night. He tells you about his volunteer-work, about his art. He asks you plenty of questions too about what you do for work and for fun, about your family and friends. He is actually present and active in this conversation, which is a big change from some of the recent guys that you’ve actually gone on dates with. Taeyong pauses and listens, asks questions about what you’ve said; he doesn’t interrupt you or talk over you. And he’s funny and silly, quick to laugh.
By the time you reach the brunch place, you’re leaning into him, shoulder brushing his arm, your hands comfortably swinging between you as you laugh together.
You get a seat on the patio of the place, in a warm patch of sunlight. A light breeze teases the ends of your hair as you and Taeyong wait for your waiter to come take your orders.
When you saw someone get proposed to here last year, they’d received free mimosas and a tiny chocolate dessert, so that’s what you’re hoping to receive this year. During your messaging the night before, you and Taeyong had discussed that today wouldn’t be all freebies, some money would have to be spent, so you agreed to take turns paying for what you had to spend money on. You’re each actually ordering brunch foods, and then the plan is for Taeyong to propose after you’ve finished eating, but before the waiter brings the bill.
The waiter takes your orders and some time later delivers them to the table – berry laden French toast for you, and a fancy avocado toast that comes with salmon and fried egg – and then you lose track of time a bit while you talk and eat. To make it all more believable, you hold hands on the table and you let your foot brush Taeyong’s leg beneath the table, you share bites from your plates, and maybe if there are stars in your eyes while you gaze at him, it just adds to the believability.
You like him. A lot. That’s the semi-alarming thing to realize.
This isn’t supposed to be a real date. This is supposed to be a scam, but you almost forget that you’re here to be fake proposed to instead of just enjoying a nice brunch date with a handsome man.
You remember the truth of the situation only when Taeyong sucks in a nervous breath and glances over at the nearby table where your waiter is helping another couple. You watch him reach for his pocket. His eyes catch on yours and he smiles, lifts his eyebrows, and then he makes his move.
Taeyong shifts from his seat to kneel on one knee beside the table, smoothly extracting the ring box from his pocket.
On cue, you gasp loud enough to draw attention. You press your hands over your mouth while you look at Taeyong and the glittering ring he’s holding out to you.
“I love you,” Taeyong confesses with a believably nervous shake in his voice, “I’ve loved you since our first date here, babe, and it would make the happiest man in the world to make this our brunch place forever. Will you marry me?”
Around you, other women gasp and coo and hold their breath as they await your response.
You nod, pretending to be speechless at first, and then gasping “Yes!” as you hold out your hand for Taeyong to slide the ring on. He holds tight to your hand and you jump to your feet as he rises to meet you. You throw your arms around him, and he wraps you in a tight embrace. It’s a little strange for a first hug to occur with the attention of all of these strangers on you, and you hope that none of them find it suspicious that you hug instead of sharing a kiss after this romantic moment.
The moment you break apart, you continue the charade, grinning from ear to ear as you look at the ring, as you beam at Taeyong. He adds an extra layer as he lifts your hand adorned by the ring, and presses a kiss to your knuckles, his gaze locked on yours.
A flare of heat passes through you that has nothing at all to do with the unseasonable warmth of the day.
To your delight, the faux proposal worked.
Your waiter rushes to the table, overflowing with congratulations, delighted at the happy moment. When he vanishes and returns with mimosas and a small dessert cake, you both are quick to thank him while keeping your smiles bright, clinging to each other’s hands over the table. You accept his offer to take a photo of the pair of you together, and then he leaves to give you some semblance of privacy.
Taeyong laughs as you take photos of the cake and the mimosas, of the ring on your finger like you’re sending it off to family and friends to announce the exciting news.
You toast each other with the champagne glasses, share the cake.
The inside of your foot rests against Taeyong’s calf beneath the table, a small moment of intimacy as you smile at him around the chocolatey bite of heaven melting on your tongue.
Taeyong pays for brunch, accepting the many congratulations from the staff, from other patrons, and again from your waiter. There’s no charge for the mimosas or the cake, and after you walk out of the cafe hand-in-hand, Taeyong tells you that he’s fairly certain your regular food was slightly discounted as well.
You wait until you’re out of sight of the cafe before you slip the ring from your finger and hand it back to Taeyong. He safely stores it back in the ring box until you need it again.
The itinerary you laid out on the dating app has you walking a few blocks away to a bakery that last year was the site of three separate proposals that resulted in a half-dozen chocolate covered strawberries for one couple, a free decadent brownie for the second couple, and hefty slice of cheesecake for the third. The fact they gave out multiple freebies to proposals last year has your hopes high.
Taeyong holds your hand again as you walk into the bakery.
They’re busy today with numerous employees running around behind the long bakery case and countertop. Customers pass in and out of the open door, the phone is ringing nonstop even as two employees are already each talking on separate handsets. Everything in the bakery case looks delicious, and you keep noticing Taeyong glancing at the pretty rainbow rows of macarons.
In one corner of the bakery they’ve got shelves taken up with recipe books and merchandise with the bakery’s name and logo. On the wall beside the shelves is a curtain of pink and white roses with a light sign board that says “Love Is In The Air,” and that’s exactly where you and Taeyong decide to set the scene.
It’s a semi-popular photo spot. There were a couple young girls taking photos for their Instagrams in front of it when you entered the bakery, while you look at the bakery cases a middle-aged couple stands in front of the photo-op while a very bubbly bakery employee snaps photos for them, and as you and Taeyong finally approach the spot, Taeyong asks the bakery employee if she’ll take a photo for you two.
He hands her his phone, and then he draws you along by the hand to stand in front of the roses and the sign.
“You two are so cute!” The employee gushes. “So pink! I love it!”
“Can we get a couple pics?” You ask her while you curl your arm around Taeyong’s waist to stand together. His arm slides around your shoulders.
She nods, continuing to babble excitedly about how cute you are. She calls out suggestions of poses, and you and Taeyong go along with it, happy to feed into this girl’s delight. She squeals with laughter when Taeyong listens to her and tips you backwards as she snaps a photo.
And when he pulls you upright, Taeyong’s still got one hand secure against your lower back, the other hand holds one of yours, and he pulls you in close against him. You don’t have the chance to say anything else before he presses a quick kiss to your cheek.
The girl “awws,” and your heart is pounding in your chest, heat spreads across your skin from the epicenter of Taeyong’s kiss, spreading even after he draws back. The ghost of his kiss tingles against your cheek, and your mind is trying to wrap around it when Taeyong drops to his knee for the second time today.
“Taeyong!” You gasp, holding onto his hand tighter. “What are you doing?”
He smiles up at you, and you can hear the bakery employee trying to contain herself. From the corner of your eye, you can see that she’s still holding Taeyong’s phone up, probably taking a video now, if you had to guess.
“We met in the most unlikely of ways, but we’ve been together since then,” Taeyong tells you, and you almost want to laugh at the vagueness of his words, but the authentic feel of his acting keeps your laughter at bay. Taeyong continues, “It feels like just yesterday that we started talking.”
This time a giggle really does break from between your lips. Taeyong squeezes your hand tighter as he fumbles with the other hand to get the ring out.
“Our time together has been sweet, and when I think of all the time we’ve had together, I know that I want more. Can we have more time together, sweetheart? Will you marry me?” Taeyong asks, already sliding the ring on your finger when you say yes.
This time you collapse down beside him, wrapping your arms around him in another hug, hiding your face against his shoulder.
The poor bakery employee is a mess when you finally draw away from Taeyong. She’s crying and smiling, and holding Taeyong’s phone back out to him. “Congratulations! God, you two are really just so sweet. That was so cute. Oh my God!” And then she calls over to one of the other employees, and five minutes later, you and Taeyong are walking out of that bakery with a 4-pack of heart-shaped rose and raspberry flavored macarons.
You and Taeyong settle on a bench down the block from the bakery. You snap photos of the macarons, of Taeyong smiling as he eats one, and he steals your phone away to get you posing with your prize from this fake proposal.
The next stop on your itinerary is a small outdoor market. There’s all sorts of vendors here – it’s sort of like a farmer’s market meets a craft show, sort of a gathering of artisans – more bakers, painters, woodworkers, people who have canned and dried fruits and veggies, someone is selling second-hand books, handcrafted jewelry, several florists, there’s even someone who is just advertising for an animal shelter.
“Oh, that’s the one I volunteer at,” Taeyong says when you point out the cats and puppies available for adoption. “Come on over. Let’s say hi.”
Again, his hand slots against yours, and you let Taeyong lead you over. There are a few volunteers helping juggle the various adoptable animals and the people who are fawning over them. Only one volunteer notices the pair of you, and his eyes drop to your hand in Taeyong’s before he grins and looks up at Taeyong.
“Hey, man,” he reaches out, fistbumping Taeyong. “Is this why you told them you couldn’t volunteer for this today? Plans with your girlfriend?”
Taeyong slides a look your way, and you step up, standing a little closer as you answer. “Yep. We’re busy all day. Brunch, shopping, dinner and drinks.” Which is true, those are all things on the schedule for today.
“Oh, well, I won’t keep you two long, then. I’ll see you tomorrow, man,” Taeyong’s coworker says to him, then turns to you, “And it was nice to meet you.” He reaches out, and to your amusement, also offers you a fistbump.
After the other man turns away, Taeyong takes the time to show you the dogs and cats that are playing in the small pen. He gestures to a chubby little puppy that waddles around and tumbles over the other puppies, growling and yipping quietly as it plays. “That one’s my favorite. Titus. I would take him home myself, but I’m hardly home enough to give him the attention he deserves. Between the animal shelter, the elders, and then the work I do with music and art, I’d be hard-pressed to find time to take the poor guy for walks.”
Titus is a cutie, and you and Taeyong linger there a little while to play with him. He captures your heart, and by the time you’re walking away, part of you wants to turn around and go back to him.
As you wind through the market, Taeyong explains more about the work he does with music and art, how he writes and produces music, has put out some of his own with some mild success – he’s done shows all over the city, and has even done a small tour around the country and a couple shows overseas – he also works with kids in under-privileged areas to encourage their interest in music and art, providing them with a nurturing environment to create in. His own art has been displayed in some local galleries, though he really puts more of his time into music.
The next stop on the itinerary is a flower shop on the other end of the market. A permanent brick-and-mortar store, this florist last year gave a gorgeous bouquet out to a couple that got engaged right outside the shop.
“I don’t know about this one,” Taeyong tells you as you pass through the market. “Honestly, I think we’ll be pretty damn lucky if our proposals actually end up working at every place we try today.”
You smile and bump your shoulder into his. “I know. But I’m feeling pretty lucky today, aren’t you?”
Taeyong’s eyes flick between yours, dropping to your lips for a heart-stopping moment, before rising to your eyes again. “I am. Today’s a day for love, isn’t it? I’ve not been so lucky in love in the past, but today alone I’ve gotten engaged twice already, so my luck must be turning.”
You laugh. “Exactly. So just think positive, and this’ll all work out.”
It does.
The florist sees Taeyong proposing, and as luck would have it, they present you with a pretty bouquet of roses and baby’s breath.
Each proposal throughout the day goes well. In a chocolate shop, in another bakery, in an ice cream shop. You stop in a pub for lunch and get free drinks and a free appetizer after you throw yourself into his arms with an exuberant “Yes!” Mostly you get free drinks and pastries and food, so as the afternoon goes on, you realize you’re full. You can’t possibly eat anything else now, especially if you’re still planning on a fake proposal at dinner.
“We could just do it for attention,” Taeyong teases, tugging on your hand to get you to leave the park bench you’ve just collapsed on to moan about your full belly. “You could turn me down a couple times for the drama of it all.”
Instead, you walk around a while. You find some cute places that are hosting Valentine’s events, and check them out for fun. And it is fun to spend time with Taeyong. You’ve spent the entire day together, and you’re not tired of being in his company yet. You’re still laughing and getting to know each other.
When it comes time for dinner, most places are packed. The really nice places have been booked for months with reservations. You’re just looking for anywhere with an opening for two, and eventually you find it at this cozy Italian place sandwiched between a steakhouse and a French Michelin-starred restaurant.
Taeyong captures the waitress’s attention while you use the restroom, telling her about his plan to propose after the meal, before dessert, and he hands over the ring in its little box. The meal is good – a tasty lemon linguine alle vongole and rigatoni carbonara – and you share a fine bottle of wine that loosens your tongue enough that you keep insisting to Taeyong that you’re paying for this one since he got brunch.
“And how would that make me look?” Taeyong asks good-naturedly. Then he whispers for only you to hear, “Me proposing to you, then making you pay for the meal? No, I’ll pay. You can get it next time.” He waves off your next argument, and before you can really continue insisting, the waitress appears with a plate held aloft.
When she sits it down in front of you, there’s a strawberry carved to look like a rose, a garnish of mint, a perfectly smooth scoop of vanilla ice cream, and then in a chocolate cursive script the words “Will you marry me?” beside the open box presenting the ring.
On cue, Taeyong gets down on one knee.
You feel every eye in the restaurant fall on the scene.
“All day I’ve been imagining this moment,” Taeyong says loud enough for all to hear. “I’ve been nervous and excited, and I love you more than I think you’ll ever know. I want to be the man for you, baby, so I’ll ask you again on this day filled with nothing but love, will you make me the happiest man, and marry me?”
Heat simmers beneath your skin from the wine and the attention and the way that Taeyong caresses your hand as he looks into your eyes and asks you to marry him. For a moment, you let the little bit of tipsiness carry you away into a fantasy where this is real, where Taeyong is actually yours, where he’s really asking you to marry him and telling you how much he loves you and wants to spend forever by your side.
“Yes,” you nod, choking around a very real emotion, tears rising up in your eyes. “Yes, Taeyong, I’ll marry you.”
All day you’ve been playing this game, this charade of romance like two little kids playing house on the playground. But as Taeyong fits the ring onto your finger for the nth time today, tears spill down your cheeks because you just want to really be in love. You want a real relationship with a man who is so easy to get along with, who you love and who loves you. You want to be wanted, want to have someone who asks you to stay by his side forever.
Taeyong’s hands come to rest on either side of your face, your cheeks cupped tenderly in his palms. The pads of his thumbs brush away the tears, and you close your eyes as he leans closer. His forehead meets yours, noses brushing at the tip.
“Are you okay?” Taeyong whispers. “The tears are looking a little too authentic right now, sweetheart?”
Your heart tumbles and you reach out to steady yourself. Your hands land on Taeyong’s firm shoulders. “It’s either the wine, or you’re just really good at proposing.”
“You still want to go barhopping after this?” Taeyong asks softly, amusement curling around the edges of his voice.
“We’re getting all the free drinks we can tonight,” you whisper.
Taeyong moves his hands from your cheeks, and as he pulls his forehead from yours, he dips his head to the side, and kisses your cheek again.
Like earlier today, when he first did that in the bakery, the feeling lingers on your skin long after he’s settled back in the chair across the table from you.
The imprint of his lips tingles there long after the waitress brings out a free tiramisu dessert. It lingers while other tables congratulate you and chat with you about your fictional relationship, which you’ve had all day to create a history for. And when Taeyong asks the waitress for the bill after you’ve both cleared your dinner plates and the dessert plate, she delightedly tells you that your entire meal was paid for by a couple that witnessed the proposal, who has already left the restaurant, but the waitress assures you that they were more than happy to pay for you two.
You leave the restaurant flying high, giddy with how the day has gone.
And then you head into the bars.
“I’ve got my best friend favorited in my contacts,” you tell Taeyong after the first bar proposal provides each of you with a few free drinks from other excited bar patrons. “So if I get too fucked up, give her a call. She’ll come get me.”
The next bar also falls over themselves to supply you and Taeyong with celebratory drinks for your engagement. And the next, and the next.
By the fifth bar, you’re definitely feeling it. The Italian pasta and dessert has soaked up all the alcohol it possibly can.
Taeyong’s maybe a bit worse off than you. His cheeks are flushed, he’s got a goofy crooked smile on his lips, and he laughs so easily when you tell him horrible jokes.
In the fifth bar, Taeyong gets up on the small stage where they’ve got live music. He borrows the mic from the lead singer, and while squinting against the light, Taeyong seeks you out at the table where he left you. Heads swivel as Taeyong loudly says into the mic, “Everyone! Can I have your attention! It’s Valentine’s Day! If you would have asked me last year what I thought of this holiday, I’d have told you that it was a day made to make single people feel bad about themselves, a day for restaurants to jack up their prices, an excuse for people to show off in public.
“But if you ask me right now, I’d say I get it. I get why we have a whole day for celebrating being in love. Because if you have someone that you really like, someone that you meet and just click with, where being with them feels like no matter what happens you can make it through, then why shouldn’t there be a whole day that you can spend with them, celebrate them? Today was that day for me. I’ve confessed my love to you so many times today,” Taeyong says, and now he points at you and people are turning to look at you, following the line of his finger. “And I’m going to do it once more, sweetheart, up here on stage for everyone to see. I want you to know that I love you, that I want to marry you!”
The crowd starts up with their usual reactive noises: cheers, hoots, and awws.
Taeyong’s eyes lock on yours, and you’ve both had a lot to drink. You’re both definitely drunk, but for a moment, you swear his gaze sobers, and then he says, “I love you, and I’ve had the most fun I’ve had in a long, long time with you. I mean it. I mean every word I’ve said to you, and I need you to know, sweetheart, that this–” He pulls the ring from his pocket, holding it up so it glitters and shines in the stagelight as he continues, “This ring is yours if you’ll have it. We’ve had a full day of being in love today, but give me tomorrow, too. I want to be yours, so will you please say yes?”
He hops off the stage, but every eye in the place follows his path back to you at the table.
You're smiling and again tears are welling up in your eyes like they had at the restaurant, and as soon as Taeyong is close enough, you’re nodding and telling him yes, and the ring fits perfectly back onto your finger. You clasp his hand, drawing him in closer, and Taeyong’s pretty lips form a pretty smile.
There’s no stopping yourself, not with this ring on your finger and the alcohol flowing in your veins.
You curl a hand at the back of Taeyong’s head, and you bring his mouth down onto yours. You kiss him to the ecstatic cheers of the crowd.
His lips part beneath yours, and for just a brief moment, you allow yourself to have this. You press forward, trying to deepen the kiss, but then Taeyong is gone.
A man in the crowd is clapping him on the shoulder, which nearly makes Taeyong’s knees buckle. People are filling in around your table to pour on the congratulations, drinks are pushed onto the table, and you probably shouldn’t be drinking them, not when you haven’t seen who’s touched them and not when you’ve probably already had too much to drink tonight, but someone offers you and Taeyong shots, and you start downing them.
The heat of the kiss is drowned away with more alcohol and the night whirls away from you.
When you wake the next day with a blazing hangover the likes of which you haven’t dealt with in years, you’re at least happy to see that your best friend is in bed beside you. Her cheek is plastered to your second pillow even as she’s groaning a “hello?” into her phone. The sound of its ringing must have been what woke you.
She peels herself off of your bed and rolls away, disappearing from your bedroom as she continues the call.
You consider letting sweet sleep consume you, but even once you’ve shut your eyes again the throbbing in your head refuses to subside enough to let you sleep. You crawl out of bed and into the bathroom where you dig out some medicine to help your head, drink down a few mouthfuls of tap water, and then drag yourself into the shower.
By the time you emerge half an hour later, all bundled up in a cozy robe and your hair dripping damp onto the shoulders, your best friend is standing in the kitchen, coffee and breakfast ready for you.
She observes you over the edge of her own mug of coffee. “Good morning, princess. I’m so glad you’re awake. You weren’t very cooperative with story time last night when I picked you up from a very, very handsome man. And you’ve got a lot of explaining to do.” She pushes the plate of toast and eggs towards you, “So eat up, and you can start by telling me what’s up with that rock on your finger?”
You glance down, and to your surprise, Taeyong’s grandmother’s ring is still sitting there on your finger.
You tell your best friend everything, starting with your misery on Valentine’s Eve, the post, the planning, meeting Taeyong, and all of the many proposals. You make her fetch your phone from where she’d plugged it in to charge last night so you can show her the photos. You finish by telling her about your emotional reaction to his big proposals at the restaurant and at the fifth bar, how your emotions got all tangled up and confused and you think that you really like Taeyong.
“Then go get him,” she tells you, sitting her coffee mug down with a distinct clunk. “I’ve watched you go on some truly miserable dates over the past couple years, and you’ve hated Valentine’s Day for even longer, but it seems like yesterday you had a really great time with a really great guy. When he called me from your phone last night, he sounded like he was genuinely concerned with you getting home safe and sound, and when I got there to the bar to get you, I was stunned by how gorgeous that man is. You were so out of it, can you remember me getting there?”
Vaguely. You remember reaching a sixth bar, but before Taeyong got around to the proposal, he decided you both were done for the night. He’d fished your phone out of your purse, and led you outside to sit together on a bench out front of the bar to wait for her to show up. You remember holding his hand and laying your head on his shoulder. You sorta remember him talking to you, but you have no idea what about or what you said in response. You remember your best friend’s face, Taeyong helping you into her car, and then not much else.
“You passed out in my car, and I had to drag you inside once we got back here to your place. But he was disgustingly cute with you, like it makes me wonder if I need to dump my boyfriend and ask your guy if he’s got any good friends to set me up with.”
You groan. “I don’t even know if he wants to see me again. Like we only matched up because of the proposal stuff.”
She rolls her eyes. “Check your phone. It kept buzzing after I got you in bed, but you changed your passcode, so I couldn’t check it. I bet it was him, checking to see if you made it home safe.”
You snatch up your phone, unlock it and open the dating app. There are about five notifications, all from Taeyong.
I hope you made it home safe
I had a really great time today
Are you home?
You’re probably sleeping so I hope I’m not bothering you, but I just wanted to let you know that I really liked spending all of today with you
And the fifth message is just a file attachment, filled with the pictures and videos of proposals and the freebies from the proposals that he’d had on his phone. You scroll through them until you get to the video in the bakery.
Taeyong’s voice plays through your phone, his proposal filling in the buzzy places in your head.
“Fuck,” your best friend says as she shoves her way in beside you to see the video better. “If you don’t go after him I will. But the man’s already told you he loves you and asked you to marry him a dozen times, so what’s there to be scared of? Call him. Like, now.”
She’s right.
But you’re too nervous to call, so instead you message him.
Yesterday was really nice and fun with you. I know it wasn’t technically a date, but I’d still like to see you again if that’s okay?
Send. You drop your phone on the counter, chug down the rest of your coffee, and you’re about to leave your phone to be babysat by your best friend when it chimes and buzzes against the hard surface beneath it.
You can’t move fast enough to unlock your phone. It keeps glitching and it’s only after you take a breath and calmly punch in the passcode that it opens onto your message thread with Taeyong.
I’d like that :)
The emoticon smiley face is ridiculously charming to you for some reason, and you goofily grin down at your phone until his next message buzzes through.
I’m at the shelter now but do you want to meet up for dinner?
And then:
I told you last night that you could get the next one, and I fully intended for us to have another dinner, so I’m really glad that you messaged back
The rest of the afternoon races by. You keep messaging Taeyong, likely distracting him a bit from his duties at the animal shelter, but he keeps up a steady stream of updates for you. He sends pictures of the dogs and cats, of at least one bunny, some caged rodents — hamsters, mice, rats — and a snake.
Your best friend spends the day hanging out with you, bingeing TV, gossiping, and then providing outfit advice as you get ready for dinner.
Finally it’s time to go meet Taeyong, and you and your best friend part ways as you reach the street outside your apartment. “Let me know how it goes!” She tells you, squeezing you into a hug. “And call me if you need to.”
You meet Taeyong at the shelter a bit before the end of his volunteer shift. He lets you in to meet some of the animals while he finishes up, and Titus the puppy from yesterday wanders over for you to scratch behind his ears and rub his belly.
When Taeyong’s ready to leave, he comes to find you, and as you sit there on the floor, rubbing a sleepy Titus’s belly, Taeyong crouches down beside you.
“Hi,” he says, his voice soft and deep.
“Hi, Taeyong. Ready to go?” You reluctantly pull your hand away from the puppy who makes a discontented sound, rolling over to push his paw against your hand.
Taeyong reaches down, scritching beneath Titus’s chin. “Yeah, but before we go I have one thing I’ve been meaning to ask.”
Your heart speeds up a little. “Oh?”
“That last proposal last night,” he says quietly, “I think we were both pretty close to drunk by that point, so it is a little bit hazy. I remember most of what I said, but at some point during the speech it all got pretty fuzzy, but there’s one thing I want to make sure I’m remembering right.” He sinks down so he’s sitting with his legs crossed in front of him as he faces you.
You look into Taeyong’s warm, round eyes. “It’s all pretty fuzzy to me, too, but I can try to remember.”
“At the end of the speech,” Taeyong says, “You kissed me.”
It’s not a question, not really.
“I did.” Your mouth goes dry, nervous sweat appears on your palms. “Was it okay?”
You remember the press of your lips, the way his mouth parted against yours. The way he’d so suddenly disappeared.
Taeyong’s gaze lowers to your lips. “Like I said, it was all a bit fuzzy, so I can’t say for sure. Maybe we should do it again.”
You laugh, reaching over to push lightly at his shoulder. “If you want to kiss me so bad, Taeyong, just do it.”
He’s laughing too when he leans forward, closing the space between you, meeting you in the middle with a kiss.
You sit there and kiss him for a while, lost in Taeyong’s touch and the taste of him. It’s only when a nosy dog approaches and butts its head against your chins that you break apart, groaning as the dog makes an attempt to kiss Taeyong while its tail thumps against your side.
You leave and grab a proposal-free dinner and a not-free dessert. You sit there and talk and laugh until the place is starting to empty out and your waiter is desperate for you to pay and clear out. You put the bill on your card, and as you do, the light catches on the ring on your finger.
“Oh,” you say, pulling your hand back quickly, and you tug Taeyong’s grandmother’s engagement ring off your finger. “I can’t believe you let me take this home last night! I should’ve returned it after the fifth bar.” You let the ring rest in your palm as you extend it across the table to Taeyong.
He smiles warmly and plucks it from your hand. “I mean, you might as well keep it. I said it last night at that bar, but the ring is yours. Now, and forever. This might only be our second date, but I already know it’s going to officially be yours some day.”
A warm thrill passes through you at the surety in Taeyong’s voice. “Well, keep it safe for me in the meantime. And when the time officially comes for you to propose, just know that I’m expecting something absolutely extravagantly cheesy to beat out all of your proposals from yesterday.”
Taeyong smiles, reaching for your hand. “I think I can do that.”
The waiter returns with a copy of the receipt for you, and then you and Taeyong head out into the night. You stand there and order a car to take you home. Alone. You’ve got an early morning tomorrow, and Taeyong’s got a late meeting in an hour with an artist whose music he’s helping produce. But while you wait for your ride to show up, you makeout on the curb with Taeyong, buzzing with the promise of the future, still flying high on your unbelievable luck with love.
