â again and again â˘
pairing: mingyu x reader
summary:Â your mother calls one day, asking if youâre bringing mingyu along for chuseok this year. in your panic, you end up giving her an affirmativeânever mind the fact that you and mingyu have stopped seeing each other over half a year ago.
word count: 15.7k words
tags: exes, fake dating, mutual pining, idol!gyu, vet!reader, mild angst, fluff, smut
warnings: medical jargon, mentions of shots (for pets), mentions of snake bites, graphic sexual content (minors dni!!)
notes:Â i wrote this with bss' 7pm on loop for two straight days. nothing like the sweet taste of yearning <3 this also wasn't extensively proofread, so if you spot a few mistakes, i implore you to ignore them EJWHJHSDF
smut tags: vanilla, mingyu is super whipped, praise kink, service top gyu, dirty talk, nicknames (babygirl, sweetheart, sweet thing), overstimulation, multiple rounds, unprotected sex, creampie, heads up that the filth is at the very end tho
taglist: @cherrycheolie1995 - @ashkuuuu - @potatofrieswithketchup - @christinewithluv - @fancypoisonapple - @odetoyeonjun - @minnie-mouser22 - @etherealyoungk - @davoraciousreader - @mariondior - @hella-sirius - @coveyland - @marlow234 - @dobomiyeon - @belysusonrisa - @wonderfulshinee - @misssugarlips - @yourfavoritefreakyhan - @jeanjacketjesus - @just-here-to-read-01 - @hanihans - @venusrae - @taestrwbrry - @seoksoop - @dreamhannies - @renjunphile - @thvhannie - @kkooongie - @acgyu - @gae-uls - @pluviophile-xxx - @lenireads - @gaebestie - @ryusha-rose - @yutadae - @smileyjimvn
additional notes: you might want to check your visibility settings if you can't be tagged!
When you hear the telltale ring as the call connects to its intended recipient, you wonder why you even considered this idea in the first place. Not to mention, youâre getting a nasty case of phone call anxietyâone that you havenât felt in god knows how long. Maybe itâs because of the identity of the person youâre calling that your nerves are all over the place.Â
In fact, youâre not sure if heâs even going to answer. There are a million and a half reasons why famous superstar Kim Mingyu wonât be able to pick up your call. He could be shooting for a music video or some fashion magazine. He could be in the middle of an interview. Or he could be out spending time with his members like tends to these days if his recent Instagram posts are anything to go by.Â
But you try anyway because your mother sounded so hopeful in the phone call you just hung up on five minutes ago (The rice wine he got for us last Christmas was splendid! Heâll bring some again for Chuseok, wonât he?), that you just didnât have the heart to tell her the truth.
So, because you canât take back the pretty white lies you uttered (Uh, of course he will. Gyu told me he missed everyone back at home, too. Especially Namja), youâre attempting to rope Mingyu into the charade even if the odds are against you.
The first call doesnât go through. Neither does the second.Â
By your third try, youâre about to accept the fact that youâre going to have to make some due corrections to what you told your mother until you hear a groggy, âHello?â on the other line.Â
You nearly fall off your seat at the throaty sound of Mingyuâs voice, but youâd rather not get weird looks from your receptionist, so you breathe in as deeply (and quietly) as you can before mustering a smile that he wonât even be able to see.
âHey, Mingyu, itâs me,â you begin, a bit proud of how your voice didnât even falter. âItâs been a while. Did I catch you at a bad time?â
He doesnât respond for a while, and the prolonged silence makes you bite the inside of your cheek. Did the call fall through? Did he not hear what you said? But just when youâre about to repeat the wordsâ
âKind of,â Mingyu grumbles, and you try not to think about how sexy his morning voice sounds despite it being two in the afternoon. âWe finished taping a variety show today and I figured Iâd get some sleep. Itâs midnight right now.â
Well thatâs news to you.
âOh. Youâre not in Korea?â
âNah. Weâre in New York for some brand collaborations,â he says, and you hear some rustling in the background, followed by a yawn. âThough I doubt youâve been keeping tabs on us.âÂ
Okay, he doesnât have to call you out like that.
Sure, you still catch posts from Mingyu, as well as the other twelve members of SEVENTEEN from time to time, butâŚafter breaking up with him (on good terms, promise!), you thought itâs best if you didnât see too much of them anymore. The block and mute buttons are your best friends, and while you didnât use them on the members directly, gossip outlets were your regular targets.
So to speak, itâs been a peaceful six months since your break up with Mingyu.Â
Until now.
âDo you need something?â he asks, and you realize you didnât respond to what he said last. âWhatever it is, I might not be able to help you out right away. Weâre holed up here until next month.â
WellâŚthatâs all the confirmation you needed.
âI see,â you sigh, trying not to sound too disappointed. âItâsâ Itâs okay.â
âSo you do need something,â Mingyu points out, voice much clearer now than it was two minutes ago. Like he was more awake. âWhat is it?â
âNothing you should worry about, Gyu,â you reassure before making a face, not realizing how easily the old nickname just slipped out. âIâm sorry for waking you up. You should go back toââ
The sound of him whining at the other end sends another rush of vertigo through your entire being. âCome on, Iâm awake anyways right? You know how hard it is for me to fall asleep again.â
âIf Iâd known we werenât in the same continent, I wouldnât have called altogether,â you say before quaintly adding, âShit. This counts as an international call, doesnât it?â
Thereâs someone else in the room with him, you thinkâa quiet drawl of Mingyu-hyung, what time is it? You immediately recognize it as Seungkwan.Â
âFive minutes past midnight,â Mingyu says, and Seungkwan asks another question that you arenât able to catch. âWho am I talking to? Bookkeu and Bobpulâs worst enemy.â
âHey!â You scowl at him. âThey never even whined when you and Seungkwan brought them to me for their shots!â
âNoona? Why are you calling this guy?â Seungkwan says a bit more loudly for you to hear. âDidnât you dump him already? Good choice, by the way.âÂ
This time itâs Mingyuâs turn to utter out a semi-offended, âHey! Mind your own business, Seungkwan-ah.â
A few minutes of bickering with his dongsaeng later, you figure that Mingyu mustâve gone outside of their hotel room for some privacy. You can vaguely hear the sound of the wind blowing on his end before he heaves a deep sigh.
âSorry about that.â He coughs awkwardly. âAnyway, if youâre not going to tell me about what you needed help with, how are you? Is the clinic doing well? Did your receptionist finally ditch her shitty boyfriend? Does that one guy with a husky still hit on you?â
Youâre a little overwhelmed by the sudden influx of questions. Last you checked, you havenât spoken to Mingyu since you greeted him on his birthday over a quick text message. But then again, your ex does have a talent for completely ignoring the time that exists in between interactions. Mingyuâs always been amicable for conversation, idol or not, boyfriend or not.Â
The mere thought that he hasnât changed at all makes your heart ache in more ways than one.
You manage a quiet laugh. âIâm fine. The clinicâs fine. Chae has a new boyfriend now. He even helps us sort out new products on the shelves sometimes.â
At the mention of her name, your receptionist whips her head in your direction, one brow raised. You shake your head with a smile, gesturing that this is nothing she should even be remotely concerned about.Â
Itâs just Mingyu after all.
âOkay, how about the guy whoââ
âI turned him down when he asked me out for lunch last week.â
He whistles. âOuch. And heâs been trying to get with you all this time.â
âI donât usually date my clients, you know.â
âYeah? I must be special then.â
Then comes the silenceâso thick, you can cut through it with a knife.Â
âUh, so I have a patient coming in an hour for a castration procedure,â you tell him a bit awkwardly. âGotta prepare everything before the owner arrives.â
Mingyu sighs, and you can almost imagine him pouting. âYouâre really not gonna tell me? I can still help you with whatever you need even when Iâm out here. Unless it requires me to, you know, physically be there.â
You chuckle. âThatâs the thing, Gyu. You canât help me because I need you to actually be here.â
âOh. Why? What for?â
You inhale sharp breath through your nose, closing your eyes as your face warms with embarrassment. Chae is definitely looking at you funnily from her station now, but you tell yourself not to give it too much thought.
âMom asked if I was bringing you with me for Chuseok,â you admit. âI havenât been home since Christmas, so⌠They kind of have no idea that we arenât together anymore.â
Mingyu falls silent for a while yet again, and you realize that your anxiousness spikes whenever he isnât talking like thereâs no tomorrow. You wonder if heâs figured out what youâre trying to insinuate and is silently berating you for the lapse in judgment. But when Mingyu bursts out laughing on the other end, you suddenly don't mind being on the receiving end of his silence after all.
âNo way,â he gasps between chuckles. âYou were going to ask me to pretend to be your boyfriend over the holidays, werenât you?! One of the fans wrote a story about the exact same thing once, except itâs between me and Wonwoo-hyung. It was in English though, but Vernon translated it pretty well.â
âŚKim Mingyu admitting to reading fanfiction about himself and Wonwoo aside, you groan. âWhat am I supposed to do? My family loves you. Iâd rather not dampen the Chuseok spirit by saying their favorite son has unfortunately made his unannounced exit half a year ago.â
âSo youâre willing to pretend weâre still together just to keep them happy?â
âWell, yeah. Itâs not like youâre an ex I should be ashamed of, Gyu.â
âBecause Iâm an idol that millions are vying for?âÂ
You roll your eyes. âNo. Itâs because out of all my exes, youâre the only one that Namja actually likes. Thatâs pretty much the highest honor you can receive in your entire life.â
Your heart does a little flip when Mingyu barks out another light-hearted laugh. You tell yourself that youâre only reacting that way becauseâŚit has been a while since you talked to him. That, and Mingyu was always so smiley whenever you brought up your ten year-old retriever.
âPoint taken,â he says. âIâd totally be down to help you out, butâŚyeah.â
âI knew you would be,â you reply, a sad smile ghosting your features. âThatâs why I called.â
Silence settles over the line once again, but itâs, by no means, awkward. Itâs moreâŚsentimental. Like two old friends reminiscing about the good memories you shared.Â
Huh. Youâre friends with MingyuâŚ
âAnyway, thanks for catching up with me, Mingyu,â you tell him before you end up saying something youâre not supposed to. âIâll get going now. Good night.â
âHeyââ
You end the call before he can have the chance to make you falter.
Right behind her desk, Chae looks up at you with a knowing look. You flash her a smile that silently pleads for her not to say a word, but your receptionist has always been on the frank side.
âSomethingâs telling me youâre still hung up on him, boss.â
Sighing, you push yourself back to your feet, tugging on the lapels of your crisp white coat. That might be true to some degree, but itâs not like you can do anything about it.
You and Mingyu live in two completely different worlds. Itâs something that you both came to terms with when you broke up. You just had to accept the fact that thereâs simply no efficient way to work around his busy schedules and the appointments you need to attend to at the clinic.Â
It was the most unproblematic breakup youâve ever had, and itâs with a famous idol. Who wouldâve thought.Â
âAnyway,â you tell Chae before nudging the door to the operating room open. âCare to help me look for the anesthetics? I canât remember where I put them away last timeâŚâ
Your receptionist is most definitely judging you inside your head, but despite how straightforward she can be, Chae still knows when to drop it. After a few clicks on the clinicâs desktop computer, she joins you on the hunt for that pesky bottle of anesthesia without asking any intrusive questions.
You make a mental note to treat her to some coffee tomorrow.
âŚ
One of the reasons you seldomly paid your hometown a visit is the hassle that comes with the entire commute.
First you have to endure the long queue to get tickets before sitting through an eight-hour train ride to the seaside town of Haenam. Then comes navigating the local bus routes and schedules that always seem to change every time you go home.Â
When you made it out of the train station for this yearâs Chuseok celebration, you didnât even bother stressing yourself out with taking the bus back to your parentsâ houseâflagging down a taxi that definitely charged you a ridiculous rate in exchange for your utmost comfort instead.Â
You try not to think about how easier it was last Christmas, when you and Mingyu took turns driving one of his companyâs cars on the way hereâlaughing and singing along to their songs on the road like nothing else mattered.
The scent of salt hangs heavy in the breeze when you unload your baggage from the trunk of the taxi. You had the foresight to make the trip before midnight, so youâre rewarded with the sight of the sunrise breaking through the nearby oceanâlight glittering across the horizon like it means to say welcome home.Â
Thatâs what you should feel; like youâre at home. But the fact that youâre about to bring some disappointing news to the table regarding your breakup with Mingyu isnât doing your peace of mind any favors.Â
You contemplated coming clean about it to your parents over a phone call, but it seemed tooâŚimpersonal with how attached theyâve gotten to your ex-boyfriend. Having a significant other that your family absolutely adores seems like a double-edged sword now that you think about it.
Once the cab hits the road again, you stand in front of your family home with a wistful sigh. Itâs barely past seven in the morning, but your father must already be at the pierâsorting out todayâs catch with the other fishermen in town.
Your mother loves taking walks in the market even if she doesnât have anything in particular to purchase for the day. Theyâre early risers by default.Â
You canât really say the same for your younger brother, Haneul, though. That one likes to sleep until noon.Â
When you ring the doorbell outside, you expect to hear the sound of excited barking from the other side of the gate. Namja was always the first to welcome you back whenever youâre in town, and just thinking about reuniting with him quells your anxiousness a little. But surprisingly, you donât hear the telltale noise of your family dogâs excitement.Â
What you do hear is the sound of the screen door opening and slamming back shutâslippers being hastily slid on before the gate creaks open, revealing Haneul still sporting a bedhead as he rubs his eyes.
âYouâre back,â he says a-matter-of-factly, like he isnât even thrilled to see you, but youâre too surprised to see him up so early to quip about it. âMom said you wouldnât arrive until noon.â
âI wanted to make the most of my vacation leave,â you explain before looking around the garden inside. âWhereâs Namja? Did Mom take him for a walk, too?â
Haneul hums before taking your luggage. âHm. You can say that.â
âWhat does that even mean?â
As if on cue, your ears perk up at the sound of a familiar bark resounding from the end of the road. You quickly whip your head around to see your beloved golden retriever, Namja, wagging his tail excitedly at the sight of you before letting out another woof when you call out his name in glee.
However, the moment you realize whoâs holding his leash, you suddenly feel like you got struck by lightning.
Itâs Kim fucking Mingyu.
The sight of your ex-boyfriend just...standing there when he told you he was on the other side of the world sends a million thoughts surging through your head all at once.
You try not to think about how gorgeous he looks in the early morning light. Loose, long sleeved shirt that still emphasizes his muscular build despite. Hair having grown past his chin, curling slightly at the tips. And those stupid fucking canines that peek from his lips every time he grins.Â
The bastard is just standing there with zero disguises, as if his existence in this place, at this point in time, doesn't throw a wrench in all of your plans.
What the hell is he even doing here?!
âOh, sweetie, youâre back!â
The sound of your motherâs voice is, thankfully, enough to snap you out of your impending mental breakdown. You were so taken aback by Mingyuâs presence that you didnât notice her standing next to him, carrying the bag she usually brings for her early market visits as she flashes you a warm smile.Â
You can only stand there in shocked silence as your mother makes her way back to the house with your dog and ex-boyfriend in tow. Haneul was already inside, so you canât exactly glare at him for not giving you a headâs up. But given that you still have no idea what on earth is going on, youâll play along. For now.
âAre you surprised?â your mother giggles before patting Mingyuâs shoulder. âMingyu here said he got off work for a while so he could celebrate with us!â
âGee, I didnât know about that,â you say dryly, unsure of what expression you should even wear. âI thought he was going to be in New York until next month.â
She laughs again. âOh, he told me and your father to keep it a secret that heâs going back to Korea anyways. Seems like the surprise worked, didnât it, Mingyu-ah?â
The culprit himself agrees with a minute nod before loosening his grip on Namjaâs leash.Â
Your goldie immediately bounds towards you at the first sign of freedom, bracing his paws on your stomach as he attempts to lick your neck. Itâs enough to distract you from the current predicament at hand, making you sigh in defeat as you sink to your knees and receive Namjaâs slobbery affection in its entirety.Â
As you snuggle up to the family dog, Mingyu says, âWhat can I say? I missed Haenam a lot. The scenery, the family, Namja, but of courseâŚâ
You can only sit there in growing disbelief as Mingyu mirrors your movements. He crouches low enough so that your gazes are leveled before caressing your face with a tenderness thatâs both familiar and foreign at the same time.Â
âI missed her the most.â
This is all a charadeâthatâs what you can confirm from the limited clues heâs dropping for you to pick up on. You can try to figure out why heâs suddenly here in your hometownâhaving arrived earlier than you, from the looks of itâa little later.
Whatâs important is that Mingyu, ever-so helpful, is actually playing along with the act you not-so-jokingly told him about on the phone.
You should be glad.Â
âŚBut why do those words make your heart ache anyways?
âOf course you do,â you sigh before peeling yourself away from his touch, carrying Namja in your arms as if he doesnât easily weigh thirty kilograms. âCome on. Letâs get back inside and help Mom prepare whatever sheâs planning on cooking for lunch.â
Mingyuâs smile doesnât falter despite your obvious dismissal of his affection. You remind yourself that heâs racked up a lot of acting gigs throughout his career, so itâs normal for him to be a natural at this.Â
But even if you know that this is all an act, you canât help the way your heart lurches when Mingyu scoops Namja out of your graspâthe mere brush of his skin on yours more electrifying than it should be.
Namja whines in your exâs arms, pawing at his chest before licking a long stripe across his cheek. Mingyu bursts out laughing as he coos at him, and your chest burns with an indescribable feeling.
A few moments later, your mother starts gushing about how excited she is to have both of you in the kitchen with her again as she leads you back inside the house. But all that rings in your head is a broken mantra of Mingyu saying I missed her the most.
As if repeating the words enough times will make them come true.
...
Itâs one thing to know that Mingyu is in Haenam when heâs supposed to be overseas.
Itâs another thing to see his usual overnight bag at the foot of your unmade bed, making you realize that he definitely came here much earlier than you anticipated.
Mingyu is currently in the kitchen, helping your mother out with lunch prep while she insists that you get some sleep first. Though the trains that led to the southern provinces were designed to be more comfortable than the ones contained in Seoul, nothing defeats the comfort of your old childhood bed.Â
Except when youâre made aware of the fact that your ex-boyfriend probably slept in it after making the trip all the way here.Â
The sheets even smell like him. A hint of that expensive fragrance he never seems to get tired of laces your pillows, and warmth rushes to your face when you realize youâre breathing it in a bit too much.Â
So what if Mingyu slept here, right? Your parentsâ house doesnât have a guest room, and this was probably the only room available.
Oh, and in your familyâs eyes, Mingyu is still your boyfriend. There shouldnât be anything weird about your boyfriend, who went out of his way to quote-unquote surprise you, sleeping in your room, on your bed, without your knowledge.
And there definitely isnât an issue with having to sleep next to him on said bed come nightfall.
You totally got this.
An attempt to dissuade all these intrusive thoughts is made as you unload the contents of your luggage into your old cabinet. It works for a while because all the old clothes you still kept tickled some memories from way back in high school, when becoming a vet was nothing but a pipe dream you came up with after Namja became sick on the day of his first birthday.Â
In fact, as you look around further, youâre reminded of just how much time has passed since you moved out. The paint on the walls is starting to chip, and the floorboards creakier than you remember. Even the bed that was too spacious for your liking seems to shrink when you imagine Mingyu sprawled all over it with a blanket thrown over his large form.Â
But when you recall how you two somehow made the sleeping arrangement work last Christmas, you figure that there isnât much to worry about.
Aside from the fact that youâre not together anymore. Fuck.
âHey. Are you awake?â
You jolt at the sound of a soft voice coming from the door. Mingyuâs handsome face peeks from the crack before he opens it all the way, lips pressed together in a hesitant smile.
âYour mom asked if I could fetch your father at the pier in a few,â he says. âDo you want to come with me or do you want to get some sleep first?â
âDo I want toââ you cut yourself off, throwing your hands up in disbelief. âMingyu, what I want is for you to explain what youâre doing here.â
He cranes his head. âYou said you needed help.â
âYeah, but I was going to be honest about the breakup anyway!â you whisper, not wanting to attract unwanted attention from outside. God knows this house has paper-thin walls. âBut then youâre suddenly here, cozying up to my family like we havenât been ignoring each other for months already.â
âHey, Iâd never ignore you.â Mingyu pouts. âI even picked up when you called me at ass oâclock in the morning, remember? If someoneâs ignoring anyone here, itâs you, sweetheart.â
You hate how you bristle at that little pet name. Mingyu doesnât seem to notice how you react to it, so you steel yourself insteadârefusing to give into his unintentional charms. âThatâs not the point and you know it, Mingyu. You canât blame me for reacting this way when you told me that you wouldnât be able to help me out.â
âBut Iâm here, right? I thought youâd be a little happier to see me, but I might have been overestimating myself.â
You are. You are happy to see him.Â
But having to live with the knowledge that Mingyu is right here, close enough for you to touch, yet canât because your relationship has long expired?Â
You werenât ready for that. You donât think youâll ever be.
âLook,â he starts with a tone thatâs meant to placate you, âyou were right about not wanting to ruin the holidays with the breakup. Iâm just here to help you out since youâre obviously not ready to break the news to your family. Itâs not a big deal.â
You scowl at him. âMingyu, it is a big deal. You are literally an idol with a packed fucking schedule. You canât just play house with me here when youâre expected to be somewhere else.â
Mingyu shakes his head. âListen to me first, okay? We were all given the weekend off because of Chuseok on short notice. You donât have to worry about you unknowingly stealing me away from work because there is no work. Besides, I told you Iâd still be here when you need me, right?â
How can he say all that with a straight face? Like he still thinks of you as anything but an old flame thatâs long been snuffed out?
The problem with Mingyu is that heâs too earnest for his own good. Always wearing a spectrum of emotions on his sleeve. Always so honest about what he feels about certain things. Itâs so fucking difficult to stand your ground against someone whoâs nothing but forthcoming about every aspect of his life.Â
But itâs not like you could ever resist him to begin with, right?
âFine,â you grumble. âGive me a few minutes to prep. I donât want to go out in the docks wearing this many layers anyways.â
You hate how your chest warms when Mingyuâs eyes light up at that. Fight back, maybe?!
He looks like heâs about to say something when an abrupt knock disturbs the quiet atmosphere of your room. From how annoyingly long it lasts, you single out your younger brother as the perpetrator.
âYou better not be making your firstborn in there,â Haneul drawls from the other side.Â
Mingyu flashes you a mischievous smile before cupping the sides of his hands over his mouth. âWe might be making our second born for all you know.â
You wonât survive this weekend. You really wonât.
âŚ
âRemember when we used to eat ice cream by the Han River?âÂ
You flash Mingyu a perplexed look as you climb out of the car he used to drive all the way to your hometown. Itâs a mystery how his manager allows him to go places with their company car with no supervision, but itâs not like Mingyu has done anything in the past to warrant that kind of surveillance anyway.
Besides, if heâs spending the entirety of Chuseok with a bunch of bodyguards lingering around your house, you might actually force him to go back to Seoul altogether.
âWhyâd you bring it up?â you ask. âI thought you didnât like those kinds of dates âcause you had to amp up the disguises and everything.â
Mingyu pockets the keys to the car before leaning against the metal railings installed along the pier. Your father is yet to show up at your rendezvous point, so you figure it wouldnât do anyone harm to entertain Mingyuâs attempt at small talk.Â
âHmm. While I did prefer just cuddling in the dorms and at your place, it always felt a little different whenever we went out together,â he muses, the wind tossing his hair around slightly before turning to look at you. âHow about you? Do you have any favorite date of ours in particular?â
You sigh, unsure why heâs even asking you all of this. Yet you indulge him anyway with, âI donât think it classifies as a âdateâ, but I kinda liked it whenever you hung out with me in the clinic while I tended to some patients. Even if your presence there is an occupational hazard in itself.â
He snickers to himself, and you know damn well he still remembers the flock of fangirls that ran into him in the waiting room when Mingyu paid you a visit out of boredom. Thankfully, they were the respectful kind, and promised not to divulge information about Mingyuâs whereabouts whenever they catch him at your clinic.
âThe dogs are always happy to see me,â he chuckles. âThe cats, not so much. Oh, but remember when someone brought in their pet snake? I think that one had a crush on me.â
You do, in fact, remember the day Mingyu got bitten by a boa constrictor named Yujin. Her owner is one of your regulars, since other vets in the city donât have reptiles under their area of expertise. Yujin hasnât bitten anyone since she first came for a checkup, so you figure that Mingyu must have done something pretty stupid to provoke the aggression.Â
âYou better be glad constrictor bites arenât venomous,â you point out with an airy laugh. âNot even a true loveâs kiss can cure a venomous snake bite.âÂ
âIt can cure a handful of other things though.â
You turn to glance at Mingyu with a miffed look at his attempt at smooth-talk. Heâs always been this way, so it doesnât particularly faze you. But it still feels surreal to be talking with him right next to the open sea in your hometown as you both wait for your father to arrive.
âI never really got to ask,â you murmur, eyes still trained on a flock of seagulls huddling together near the docks. âHow are you? Youâre not burning yourself out again, are you?â
You donât see it, but Mingyu smiles to himself. âItâs in our job description to push ourselves past the limit, you know. ButâŚhonestly? Itâs been pretty lonely.â
You make a face at that. âLonely? Youâre literally with twelve other guys, like, eighty percent of the time. How does it ever get lonely?â
Mingyu hums before leaning further over the railing. He looks up at the clear blue sky, breathing deeply with his eyes closed, and for a moment, youâre a bit taken aback by how breathtaking he looks under the spill of morning sunlight.Â
âYou can still get lonely in the middle of all the noise,â he murmurs. âThatâs why I was kind of glad I got to go back here for a while. I know I said I meant to help you out, but there mightâve been some selfish reasoning behind the choice, too.â
Your gaze softens at his words. Mingyu is one of the most intensely passionate members of their group, so itâs not hard to believe that heâs also one of those that ends up feeling this way. You remember having a similar conversation with him during a quiet night in your apartment, limbs tangled together under the sheets as he wonders if your lives would be different if he wasnât an idol.
But of course, itâs your job to remind him that, even if it could become exhausting at times, he once dreamed of being where he is now.Â
âThey probably miss you already,â you say. âDonât you guys usually film content for Chuseok?â
âYeah, but all of thatâs prerecorded. Theyâre all with their families right now, too.âÂ
âReally? What are you doing here then?â you tease.
Mingyu tilts his head to the side, lips curved into a lopsided smile that reminds you how it felt to catch feelings for him the first time.
âWho ever said you arenât family?â
Unfair. Heâs being so fucking unfair right now.
But you canât even think about pushing him into the sea because your father has already made his entrance, waving at the two of you despite his hands being full of fishing paraphernalia.Â
He sulks about how it took you so long to go back home, and you had to explain that things have been extra hectic at your clinic, especially when you inevitably earned the reputation of being âSEVENTEEN Mingyu and Seungkwanâs trusted veterinarianâ despite neither of them having dropped by since the breakup.
You donât tell them that last part though. The last thing you need is for Mingyu to have something to gloat about.
âItâs a miracle how those nasty paparazzi folks from Dispatch havenât caught on yet,â your dad says before climbing into the backseat of Mingyuâs company car. âUnless youâre already in cahoots with them? Remember, Kim Mingyu, leave my daughter out of any celebrity gossip! Sheâs already built a good name for herself.âÂ
A throaty laugh rumbles in Mingyuâs chest as he pulls out into the street. âYou donât have to worry about that, sir. Protecting her has always been my top priority.â
Your father nods, seemingly pleased with his response. âDamn straight.âÂ
You donât express any outward reaction to what Mingyu just told your dad, but you donât resist when he reaches for your hand over the center console.Â
The moment you he squeezes your fingers, you squeeze back.Â
âŚ
The rest of the day is packed with preparing lunch and dinner options for your other relatives in town. Having Mingyu on board is an undeniable asset, since the man knows his way around the kitchen even better than you do. Itâs a little endearing to think that, even if itâs the first time heâs meeting your aunts and uncles and cousins, his personality makes him fit right in.Â
Turns out, one of your cousinsâ daughters is a huge fan, and she couldnât believe her eyes when she saw Kim Mingyu smoking fish in the backyard of your parentsâ house. She made him promise to sign one of her photocards before they leaveâa request that your ex is all too happy to oblige.Â
By dinnertime, most of the guests have already left, and itâs just you, Mingyu, and Haneul sharing the rice wine Mingyu brought for the occasion, with your parents having already retired for the night. You didnât even tell him that your Mom wanted another taste of it, yet he delivered anyway.Â
âHow are you guys doing it?â Haneul whines, a bit red in the face since heâs already had a few beers before your cousins all left. âWhen my ex-girlfriend moved to another city, it only took two weeks for us to break up. Long distance is the bane of everyoneâs existence.â
âEveryone but ours,â Mingyu says before clinking his glass with yours. âYou just have to communicate with each other constantly. If youâre honest about everything both of you are feeling, then itâll be easier to work things out together.â
Itâs so easy for him to say these kinds of things. As if your relationship didnât go to ruin because of the long distance that always kept the two of you apart. You feel a bit bad for having Mingyu lie to your brother right in his face, but you tell yourself that youâre already here anyway.Â
Youâll just have to fake it until you make it.
âBut what if the other party doesnât want to talk about it?â Haneul sighs, tracing the rim of his own glass with his finger. âI wanted to make it work. I really did. But she⌠She didnât even want to try anymore. Lost faith in us so quickly, I could hardly believe she even loved me.â
You know Haneul is just drunkenly rambling about his grievances with his ex. He called you about it a few years ago, long before you even met Mingyu, and you consoled him by saying that his ex-girlfriend never deserved his love in the first place.
But even if you know the circumstances that led to your split with Mingyu are completely different, you canât help but find similarities between the stories.Â
You broke up with Mingyu on the first day of spring. When the snow was just beginning to thaw, and the wind started to bring in a warmer climate. Theyâd just gone back from tour, and you know youâre not the only one feeling the tightly-wound strings of your relationship beginning to fray at the seams.Â
âIâve been thinking about it for a while now, but I donât think weâre going to work, Gyu,â you murmured, not having the guts to meet his eyes. âI think itâs best if we just focused on our careers.â
You thought heâd throw a fit. Or at least ask you a bunch of questions. Did he do something wrong? Is he not enough? Yet Mingyu simply flashed you a sad smile before nodding right back at you.
âOkay,â he said with a kind of resignation that breaks your heart to hear. âThank you for being with me all this time.â
In the present, Mingyu shifts beside you on the tableâabruptly startling you out of that impromptu trip down memory lane.Â
âThen, youâll just have to take it in stride, Haneul-ah,â he murmurs before throwing back the rest of his drink. Mingyu manages a tight-lipped smile that pains you to look at. âIf you really love her, youâll respect whatever choice sheâs come to make in the end. Even if that choice doesnât involve you anymore. Even if it hurts to see her walk away after everything youâve built together.â
When Mingyu turns to look at you, you feel like thereâs cotton sticking to the roof of your mouth.
âItâs a good thing I never have to experience that with your sister, though. She loves me too much to let me go.â
Haneul huffs from across the table before rising to his feet. âYou two are so in love itâs actually disgusting. You know what, letâs just go to sleep.â
Half an hour later, you find yourself standing in the middle of your bedroom as Mingyu gets ready to sleep. He seems to be talking to someone on the phone inside your bathroom, but you purposely decide not to listen in. It was probably his manager or one of the other boys checking in on him.
You donât wait for him to finish when you climb under the sheets, leaving enough space for him to occupy on the mattress, should he decide to share it with you tonight. Thereâs also an extra blanket folded on his side of the bed, since Mingyuâs a notorious blanket hogger, and youâd rather not wrestle that six-foot hunk of muscle for warmth.Â
Mingyu takes so long on that phone call of his that by the time he finishes, youâre already fast asleep, curled up while facing the wall so you wouldnât have to face him. He chuckles, lingering just a few seconds longer by the doorframe of the bathroom. How long has it been since heâs last seen your face under the peaceful guise of slumber?Â
Itâs been too long, and he isnât about to pass up on the opportunity to commit the sight into memory.
âŚ
Sometime in the middle of the night, youâre rudely roused by the sudden drop in temperature.
Itâs only the beginning of autumn, but you noticed that itâs a lot colder than usual. Even if you already have a cozy blanket draped right on top of you. You sigh, shifting on the bed to get more comfortable before realizing that youâre not exactly alone.Â
Much like yourself, Mingyu is blinking out the drowsiness in his eyes as he turns to look at you with a question in his sleepy gaze. You shake your head in a wordless attempt to tell him not to worry.Â
âYouâve been tossing and turning for thirty minutes now,â he says, and hearing his throaty voice in person doesnât even compare to that phone call you shared a week ago. âWhatâs wrong?â
You sigh. âItâs cold, and it isnât even winter yet.â
He looks at you for a while, as if thinking of what to say before he reaches out for you and tugs you into his arms. Even if youâre practically half-asleep, the sudden action kickstarts your brain into motion, and you struggle against his grip all while whispering, âWhat the hell are you doing?!â
âYou told me back then Iâm as good as a furnace on cold days,â he mumbles as he tucks you into his chestâmaking you hyper aware of every ridge of his toned chest through his shirt. âIf it bothers you so much, just think of it as a favor from one friend to another. Howâs that sound?â
Friend. You know thatâs all that Mingyu is to you these days, and all you are to him, but even in this drowsy haze youâre in, the word still feels like an insult. A word meant to scorn the time youâve spent as lovers.Â
Just thinking about Mingyu as a friend leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, so instead of answering him, you cave and burrow yourself into his warmthâsomething that he seems pleased with, if the satisfied sound that rumbles in his chest is anything to go by.Â
He holds you in his arms the same way he did last Christmas, but thereâs an unfamiliar sense of possessiveness sinking uncomfortably in the pit of your stomach. You know you shouldnât think of what heâs doing as anything but a favor between friends. Youâre perfectly aware that, as the person who officially ended things between the both of you, you have no right to yearn for something you already gave up on.
But when Mingyu tilts your head up so you can meet his sleepy eyes, you donât even put up a fight when he presses his lips to yours.
It doesnât seem like he planned on doing anything beyond that. In fact, you donât think he meant to do it at all. Just a heat-of-the-moment decision that the two of you could just forget about come morning.Â
However, the moment he starts to pull away, you force a hand across the back of his head, crushing your lips back together as you hook one of your thighs across his hips. Mingyu groans into the kiss, large hands migrating to your waist as he reciprocates your newfound hunger like you knew he would. His touch leaves trails of fire tingling across your skin, and every time his canines graze your bottom lip, you quietly moan into his mouth.
This is stupid. Youâre both being incredibly stupid. The walls are anything but soundproof, and your parents are sleeping just across the hall.
Yet you canât bring yourself to care. Not when Mingyu is making your body remember what it feels like to have him all over you like this.
You missed him. His heat. His touch. His kiss. Everything. You missed him so much that it hurts. You missed him so much that when Mingyuâs fingers start to glide along the exposed flesh of your thighs, you detach your lips from his before pushing him away.
You missed Kim Mingyu with the intensity of a dying star collapsing in on itself, of black holes tearing through reality, but this isnât how you should go about it.
âLetâsâŚâ you whisper, not quite trusting your voice to carry out your message. âLetâs just sleep.â
Mingyu doesnât argue. He rarely does. But neither do you when he tugs you back in the caging embrace of his warmth.Â
For the first time in weeks, you find yourself drifting off into undisturbed slumber.
âŚ
The next morning, youâre set to go back to Seoul, and by some stroke of luck, so is Mingyu. Still, the two of you decide to stick around until lunch timeâneither of you breathing a word about what just happened last night.
But while Mingyu starts to load both of your things into the trunk of his car, your mother asks you for a favor at the last minute.
âCan you bring Namja along with you back to the city?â she asks. âHeâs been really listless before you and Mingyu arrived. Your father and I were starting to get worried, and figured you might have to do a check up first.â
You raise an eyebrow at her claim, not really noticing anything amiss about your retrieverâs health, aside from the usual signs of age. Heâs ten years old, turning eleven this year, so it isnât such a mystery to see that Namja isnât as hyperactive as he was as a puppy. But then again, your mother has spot-on intuition about all the strangest things, so you indulge her request in the end.Â
Besides, having a pet of your own to keep you company doesnât sound so bad.
Fortunately, Mingyu is more than hospitable when you ask if you could bring Namja along for the rideâpromising that heâs car-trained, and wonât make a mess as long as you pull over from time to time. In fact, your ex seems more elated with the idea of your goldie joining the road trip than you are.
âI can come visit Namja in Seoul whenever I want now, right?â he asks with a soft laugh, and you wanted to reply with, Yeah, if you arenât always so far away, that is, but choose not to.Â
The two of you take shifts in driving as usual. Whoever isnât behind the wheel is in charge of entertaining Namja in the backseat so he wouldnât end up whining for attention the whole drive back. Itâs a setup that youâre pretty okay with, since it minimizes any sort of window for you and Mingyu to have a conversation. God knows youâre not exactly ready to talk aboutâŚwhatever happened last night.Â
So instead, you ask him about a bunch of trivial things so he doesnât get any ideas.
âYou sure your manager is okay with you returning the car while it reeks of Namja?â you laugh before switching lanes on the freeway. âHe might not take the news that he sheds very lightly.âÂ
Mingyu chuckles before scratching behind Namjaâs ears. âI promised Iâd have it cleaned before I returned it to the office building. Donât worry about it.â
âHm. Whatever you say.â
By your third stop-over, you decide to give Namja some food and water while Mingyu gets takeout for the both of you at a nearby fast food chain. You stretch out your limbs while your retriever happily laps from his water bowl, wondering how much longer itâs going to take before you reach Seoul.Â
Before you have to part ways with Mingyu again.
Youâre startled out of your train of thought when you see Mingyu practically sprinting back to the car, his sunglasses nearly falling off the bridge of his nose. Namja glances up at him quizzically, and you have to stifle a laugh.
âYeah, a bunch of fans spotted me in line, so we might have to get food back in the city instead,â he explains hurriedly as he helps tidy up Namjaâs food and water bowls. âLetâs go. Iâll drive.â
After his meal, Namja is sated and sleepyâcontent with resting his head on your thigh as you watch the streetlights blur past the windows. Mingyu is a much faster driver than you are, so heâs able to cut the travel time shorter than it would have been had it been you behind the wheel. But the lack of anything to do has you quietly staring at Mingyu from the backseat while his eyes are glued to the road.
You canât help but let your gaze linger on his strong arms, and the fact that you were tucked safely between them the night prior. But thatâs your first mistake because now, youâre thinking about those desperate kisses you shared in the privacy of your room. Touching each other like you both feared the other would disappear if you didnât pull them close enough.
You shake your head. No. This isnât how friends should think about each other.Â
Whatever happened back in Haenam, youâre just going to have to leave it there.
Itâs already past eight in the evening when Mingyu eases the car into your neighborhood, and you try not to think much of the fact that he still knows where you live.Â
âGuess that concludes our weekend getaway,â Mingyu says the moment he finishes helping you carry your stuff back inside your apartment. âThough it seems that someoneâs getting pretty cozy really quickly.â
Namja is already familiarizing himself with his new home, wandering around the living room all while sniffing everything in his path. You stifle a soft laugh.
âYeah. I guess it is,â you murmur before managing a kind smile. âThanks for having my back, Mingyu. ItâŚmeans a lot. Really, it does.â
He laughs softly, eyes trailing around the living room with a curiosity that isnât so different from Namjaâs. âYou have your first boyfriend with you now. I can rest easy knowing youâre in good company.â
Your face flushes at the thought that Mingyu still remembers the reasoning behind Namjaâs namesake. Namjachingu. When he was still a puppy, you said Namja was your first boyfriend, and that you didnât need anyone else.Â
He lived up to his title for years, tooâalways acting hostile around past boyfriends that you did end up bringing to your parentsâ house despite coming from a friendly breed. The only boyfriend that your first boyfriend seemed to approve of is the man standing right in front of you, just when you thought you would never see him again within the four corners of your house.
âYou know,â Mingyu begins, hesitation crossing his face for a split second before he meets your eyes. âMy familyâs in Seoul for Chuseok, too. I told Minseo to bring Bobpul and Baptori, and you might want to schedule a little playdate between my kids and yours.âÂ
You raise an eyebrow. âWhereâs Aji?â
âToo old to travel around,â he chuckles. âBut Iâm sure the other two can keep Namja company just fine. Join us tomorrow for dinner. What do you say?âÂ
You hesitate. This shouldâve been where you drew the line. Mingyu has already helped you out of your initial predicament. You really shouldnât create any more problems for yourself by joining his family for a late Chuseok dinner. In factâŚ
âWhat, you havenât told your family that we split either?â you ask, half-jokingly, half-seriously.
âNo, they know.â Mingyu shakes his head. âBut theyâve always liked you too, so I see no harm in getting everyone to hang out in one place.â
You shoot him a pointed look. âYou know this is just going to make things more complicated, right?â
When he flashes you that toothy grin, you already know that this is a losing battle.Â
âIt does, but itâs still going to be fun,â he says. âSo, are you coming?âÂ
Sometimes, you wish you never met Mingyu at all. Maybe your life wouldnât be so fucking difficult.
âFine.â
âŚ
The next day, you bring Namja to the clinic, and Chae is more than happy to see the brand new addition to the workforce. But while sheâs giving your goldie more pets than he probably deserves, you ask if you have any clients coming this morning that called in advance.
âOh, thereâs this one guy whoâs bringing in a maltese today,â she says, laughing a little when Namja whines at the fact that her attention is divided. âI think his name was⌠Seungkwan? Something like that. He has some records from last year, but he hasnât been back since.â
Seungkwanâs coming today? Huh. Talk about coincidence.
You tell Chae about how Seungkwan and Mingyu belong to the same group, and your receptionist is adept enough to catch on to what youâre trying to say. Sheâs all too quick to suggest plans on how to mitigate the fans from flocking the entrance to the clinic, like that one time when Mingyu was too lax in disguising himself from anyone who could recognize him.Â
But when Seungkwan arrives at your door, you remember that heâs one of the members that doesnât particularly like being crowded by people, even if they are his fans.
Heâs dressed discreetlyâdark shades, a beanie, and a black face maskâwhile carrying an adorable pet carrier thatâs probably worth half your monthly salary. Seungkwan is so straight-to-the-point with carrying out his business with you, that itâs hard to believe you and him used to joke around like old friends a year ago.Â
But for some reason, when Chae excuses herself to answer a phone call, the façade he puts up falls apart in seconds.
âNoona, you have no idea how much I missed you!â he wails before throwing his arms around you. âOther vets just donât cut it for Bookkeu! Theyâre always either too mean or too lax with her. You handled her just right today. Canât believe Mingyu-hyung always calls you her worst enemy.â
You chuckle before patting his back, and Seungkwan pulls away with a pout on his face. âHey, you guys are the ones who ghosted me after Mingyu and I broke up. Youâre always welcome to come back to have your pets checkedânon-showbiz girlfriend or not.âÂ
âThat hyung of mine is stupid,â Seungkwan scoffs as he scoops Bookkeu into his arms. âWell, youâre kind of the same way, but I canât exactly call you stupid or you might take it out on Bookkeuââ
âI would do no such thing, Seungkwan-ah,â you complain.Â
âOkay, itâs just my personal opinion that maybe you two didnât have to split up at all,â he huffs. âMingyu-hyung has become more and more listless since you broke up with him. He might look like his usual self on camera, but when weâre not recording anything? Heâs always so lost in thought! It gets on Coups-hyungâs nerves sometimes.â
Listless, huhâŚÂ
Your mother said the exact same thing about Namja. Speaking of, your gaze drifts over to your goldie whoâs staring outside the door to your clinic, like heâs waiting for Chae to come back and shower him with attention again.Â
Is Seungkwan insinuating that he and Mingyu arenât so different?
âMaybe heâs just going through a blue period,â you suggest before writing up a prescription for the vitamins that Bookkeu will have to take for the next two weeks. âItâs been so long since we broke up. I doubt heâs acting that way because of me.â
Seungkwan breathes in deeply, like heâs just barely able to contain the urge to slap some sense into you. âNoona, listen to me. Kim Mingyu is catastrophically in love with you. When you called that night when we were sharing a hotel room in New York, it was the first time I saw him look so genuinely happy for reasons that arenât related to our music. But that hyung of mine is too selfless for his own good.â
You startle a bit when he suddenly lifts Bookkeu closer to you and points her adorable face in your line of sight.Â
âHe wants you back, but heâll never admit it, especially when you made your choice clear all those months ago,â Seungkwan says before pushing his maltese even closer to you. âBut now, something tells me that youâre still hung up on him, just as much as heâs hung up on youâif all the things he told me about your trip to Haenam are true, that is.â
Huh. That time he took so long in the bathroom⌠He mustâve been talking to Seungkwan.
âOkay, but why does it feel like youâre using Bookkeu to threaten me into doing something?â You laugh softly. âSeungkwan, our time is up. And itâs not something we can just take back whenever we feel like it.â
âWhâ! Donât you think things are only that way because both of you are making it more complicated than it should be?â He sighs, exasperated. âAlso, yes I am using Bookkeu to threaten you. Promise that youâll at least talk to Mingyu-hyung about this? We canât stand seeing him so out of it anymore. Come on, you canât resist those cute puppy eyes, right?â
You sigh, half-considering pointing out that Bookkeu is, by no means, a puppy anymore, but then again, you still call Namja that despite being more than a decade old.
âAlright, alright,â you relent. âIâm meeting his family tonight for dinner anyways. Might as well clear the air.â
Seungkwan gasps, a comical expression rooting itself on his face. âSee! Youâre having dinner with his family, too?! If youâre not back together by the time we fly back to the U.S., I'm never talking to either of you ever again.â
Now, itâs your turn to pout. âWho are you going to go to for Bookkeuâs check-ups then?â
He opens his mouth, closes it, then opens it again before letting out a petulant huff. You canât help the snicker that bubbles in your chest as Seungkwan tilts his chin up with indignance.Â
âPoint taken,â he says before narrowing his eyes and pointing his index finger at you. âBut Iâm expecting Kim Mingyu to come back to the dorms later, happy and not heartbroken. Okay?âÂ
You raise your hands before handing him your written prescription. âNo promises.â
When Chae returns inside the clinic, you physically have to hold Namja down just so she can give Seungkwan a receipt for todayâs visit. Your mother was right, he definitely was growing lonely back in Haenam. You havenât seen him this excited in years.Â
Seungkwan bids you another, more formal goodbye, now that you're not alone anymore. He doesnât need to reiterate what he asked of you out loudâthe look in his eyes is already telling enough.Â
Given that today is a bit of a slow day, you decide to run a few diagnostic tests on Namja just to confirm whether or not heâs silently carrying some sort of disease. But all his results came out normal, except for a clinically insignificant but still noticeable increase in his body sodium levels. Might have to cut down the treats for a few days.Â
Otherwise, heâs happy and healthy tenâgoing elevenâyears into his lifespan. The reason for his lethargy back home must have something to do with innate loneliness after all.
Then you remember what Seungkwan told you about Mingyu. How he hasnât really been himself since the breakup. You never really felt that during your time together in your hometown. Heâs still the effortless charmer that you once fell in love with. The big softie that can get along with anyone and everyone, given the right circumstances.
Mingyu has always been a people pleaser. The last thing he wants to do is inconvenience others. So itâs kind of hard to believe that heâs been so out of it that even Seungcheol is starting to get pissed with his behavior.Â
The sound of Namja barking jolts you out of your thoughts before your goldie pads over to where youâre seated behind your desk, whining as he nuzzles your hands as if he knows youâre thinking a bit too hard about something distressful. You let out a quiet laugh, scratching behind his ears just like you know he likes.
âI wonder what Iâm supposed to do,â you chuckle. âMaybe I shouldâve been born as a dog instead. Thinking about all of this is giving me a headache.â
Namja growls before barking again. Like he doesnât approve of the idea of not having you as his fur parent. You let out another laugh thatâs a lot less quiet before you decide to pull out your phone and shoot Mingyu a text.
Are you picking me up later or not?
âŚ
Dinner with Mingyuâs family is splendid
The outdoor restaurant his mother booked in advance probably serves the best songpyeon youâve ever tasted in your life. Add that to the fact that they accommodate pets in their alfresco area, this could easily be one of the next places youâll take your own parents for a meal when you bring them to Seoul for a quick getaway.Â
Namja is a bit shy around other animalsâa result of being around no one but your family for so long. But when Minseo introduces him to both Bobpul and Baptori at the same time, the two little rascals easily coaxed your senior citizen goldie out of his shell. Next thing you know, theyâre running around the outdoor dining area like a bunch of energetic pups.
âUnnie, are you back together with this guy?â Minseo asks in the middle of dessert, pointing her spoon accusingly at Mingyu. âYou can do so much better than him, though.â
Their father laughs at their youngestâs comment, and their mother rubs Mingyuâs back as if she agrees, yet still wishes to console her son regardless. Mingyu is simply scowling at his family for how quick they are to throw him under the bus.
âShut up, you sound just like Seungkwan,â he whines.Â
âWell, weâre both right.â
You let out a laugh of your own before scooping some ice cream into your mouth. Then, tentatively, you say, âDonât say that. Gyu wasnât that terrible of a boyfriend, you know?âÂ
âHeâs always so busy though. Doesnât even have time to come visit Bobpul and our other dogs anymore,â Minseo sulks. âHe even missed my graduation! Can you believe it?â
Mingyu pouts. âI said I was sorry, didnât I?âÂ
She huffs. âNot sorry enough!â
âWell, for starters, even if he is ridiculously busy, he still makes sure to call me before he goes to bed after a particularly tough schedule,â you say. âHe also answers my calls even if our time zones are different, and itâs an ungodly hour where he currently is. Then when he finally comes back to Korea, heâll give a bunch of gifts that reminded him of me on his trip overseas.â
You donât know what compelled you to do so, but the words just gush out naturally. It was a little difficult the first time Mingyu had to hop on a plane to some other country to film some content with the boys, but you eventually got used to it, and managed to make a couple work-arounds.
Now that you think about it, if you were so used to it, whyâd you decide it was best for you to part ways when he got back from tour? Itâs been so long that you donât even know the logic behind the reasoning anymore. You just remember feeling like it was the best decision at the time. And you were rightâyour careers have definitely thrived even after the breakup.
As you continue telling Minseo and their parents about how much of a catch the eldest son of the Kim family really is, you fail to notice the way Mingyuâs eyes never leave you the entire time. Soft, with just a hint of yearning that youâll only be able to notice if you knew what you were looking for.Â
âUgh, fine,â Minseo huffs, and you donât think she and Seungkwan are all that different from each other. âThis is the first time Iâve seen a couple thatâs broken up months ago talk about each other so fondly, still. You sure you two arenât secretly dating again?â
âMinseo,â their mother scolds before flashing you an apologetic look. âIâm sorry about her. Minseoâs just been really snappy lately. Must be because she missed Mingyu here very much.â
She rolls her eyes. âAs if Iâll miss that credit-grabbing punk. He didnât even acknowledge me in his latest Instagram post!â
âSpeaking of dating again,â their father interjects before taking a sip of his wine. âMinseoâs right about one thing at least. You and Mingyu still have chemistry after so long. Whatâs stopping you from getting back together again?â
At your side, Mingyu flashes his father a cautionary look. âDad, thatâs a really inappropriate question, donât you think?â
âOh, yes, of course. My apologies. This old man is really justâŚcurious, so to speak.âÂ
He bows his head slightly, and you make a little gesture that insists you took no offense. But the inquiry definitely made you think for a moment.
Itâs like everyone you know completely supports the idea of you and Mingyu just burying the hatchet and rekindling your relationship. But didnât they consider the logistics of it? Youâre a full-time vet and Mingyuâs a full-time idol that travels out of Korea at least once a month. Though youâre a bit unsure of it now, that still played a part in why you called it quits in the first place.
Even when Mingyu took it upon himself to drive you and Namja back to your apartment, his fatherâs question still lingers in the back of your mind.Â
Whatâs stopping you from getting back together again?Â
The answer is pretty simple, but itâs not something youâre ready to face just yet.
Itâs you. Youâre the only one keeping yourselves from reigniting what you once thought was already lost. Your guilt. Your regrets. Your fears. You didnât need a verbal confirmation to know that Mingyu would drop everything in a heartbeat if it meant youâll take him back again. But as much as your friends joke about how you deserve better than Mingyu, youâre convinced itâs the other way around.
Mingyu deserves someone who can reciprocate the love heâs so willing to give tenfold. Someone who doesnât flake out when he needs them most.Â
Someone who isnât you.
When he pulls over a red light, he lets out a sigh as he checks the text messages that popped up on his phone. After a few scrolls he says, âOh. Jeonghan-hyung texted about some party in Gangnam. Do you want toââ
âGyu,â you whisper, eyes riveted on the busy street. âWhat are we doing?â
He blinks. âCelebrating Chuseok together?â
âBut weâre friends right?â You laugh somewhat bitterly. âFriends donât normally celebrate the entirety of their Chuseok weekend bonding with each otherâs families. Friends donât make out with each other in the middle of the night. AndâŚâ
You let out a shuddering sigh before adding, âFriends donât look at each other the way you look at me.â
You can clearly hear the sound of his breath hitching even if you donât turn to look at him. It seems like he was about to say something in return, but the stoplight turns green, and heâs back to pulling his focus on the road instead of you.
In the backseat, you can hear Namja whiningâever the empath, that one. You immediately feel him pawing against your seat, as if silently asking whatâs wrong. Turning around, you give him a few reassuring pats, not wanting to get claw marks all over Mingyuâs borrowed car.
The two of you are completely silent as he walks you back to the front door of your apartment. You know he didnât have to, yet he did anyway. How Mingyu of him.
When you finally muster the courage to look up at him and bid him good night, Mingyu grabs your wristâforcing you to meet his desperate gaze.Â
âIf I told you I wanted you back, would anything change? No, right?â he whispers, voice tinged with so much emotion, you can feel your own heart ache at the sound of it. âSo Iâm sorry if Iâm being selfish for inviting you to every place I could think of. If I want to spend as much time with you as I can because I know I wonât ever get the chance to do so if I let this pass.â
When he presses your foreheads together, the look in his eyes is so smoldering, you canât bear to look away. This is what a man thatâs been yearning for you for months looks like, it seems.Â
And you donât think you can keep resisting him for long.
âBefore I get thrown back into that haywire of a schedule again,â he whispers, and you feel every breath fan across your skin, âcanât you at least let me have this? Let me have you?âÂ
You donât even know who it is that lunges in for the kiss. The next thing you know, Mingyu has you pressed up against your front door, devouring your lips where all your neighbors can see. But you donât care. Not when heâs desperately holding your body flush against his as you reclaim whatâs always been yours.
He whispers a bunch of things along the column of your neck as he loosens the strings holding your dress together from behind. Some sweet, some endearing, and others a touch too filthy for others to hear aloud. You stifle your little gasps when he wraps a strong arm around your waist, nudging your thighs apart with his knees so you can feel the hardness straining against his middle.
âItâs you,â he murmurs against your feverish skin, teeth grazing across your flesh ever-so lightly. âItâs always been you. And it will always be you.âÂ
You know Mingyu is a good actor. But itâs so earth-shatteringly different to hear the raw desperation in his voice. How earnest he is in telling you just how much he still loves you without saying the words outright. You can only dream of being as honest with your true feelings as he is.Â
But tonight, you donât think thereâs anything wrong with letting yourself fall.
In the midst of your mounting desire for each other, though, a lone whine in the night snaps both you and Mingyu out of your newfound vigor. You nearly forgot about Namja, whoâs impatiently waiting for either of you to open the front door so he can finally take a nap. You glance at Mingyu, and he glances right back, before the two of you burst out laughing like a couple of teenagers without a care in the world.
Once youâve gotten your needy retriever settled outside, Mingyu practically tosses you on the bed the moment the door to your room clicks shutâall too eager to cage you between his arms as he continues where you left off.Â
The suit he wore tonight looked a bit too good on his frame, but now you want nothing more than to claw it off him. He chuckles, sensing your desperation as he shrugs off his coat and unbuttons his dress shirt along the way.
âI donât remember you being this desperate for me, sweetheart,â he murmurs, leaning down to grasp your face as he strokes your heated skin with his thumb. âI canât say I hate the development though.â
âMingyu,â you whimper as you guide his thumb to your lips, suckling on it in a way that you know makes him lose his mind every time. âPlease. I want you.âÂ
Itâs so easy to be honest with yourself. You wonder why youâve struggled with doing that for so long, but then you remember that your brain is fogged with desire for the man thatâs currently staring you down like heâs doing everything in his power not to fuck you into the mattress right away.Â
But at that moment, you throw all logic and caution in the wind in exchange for taking even more of Mingyuâs thick fingers into your mouth.
âSo good for me,â he whispers when he sees you inch your knees apart to welcome him in between. The hand thatâs not being fellated by your tongue finds its way to the apex of your thighsâcupping your clothed heat in a way that makes you moan around his fingers. âHow badly do you want me, sweet thing?â
âSo, so badly,â you manage to wrench out despite your mouth being full, rutting your hips to introduce some friction between your aching pussy and his hand. âPlease, GyuâŚâ
When heâs satisfied, his free hand migrates to your thighs, spreading you further apart as he brings his lubricated fingers to your sopping core. Thereâs something so fucking hot in the way he just nudges your panties to the sideâgroaning when he finds you already soaked for him.Â
âYou need something to stretch out this pretty little pussy, donât you?â he murmurs into your ear, nipping at the lobe just the way you like it. âYou want my fingers or my cock, babygirl? Better choose wisely.â
You want to say that youâre too fucking horny for foreplay, but also remember that each time you had sex with Mingyu in the past, the stretch of his massive cock can be quite uncomfortable if he doesnât prep you. With how long itâs been since youâve laid in bed together, you donât want to rush into it without thinking of the consequences after.
So, you mewl, âFingers first. Then your cock.â
Mingyu laughsâa deep, sexy soundâbefore planting a kiss on your nose. âThatâs my girl.â
He carefully eases one digit into your hole, eyes never leaving your face as he gauges your reactions. Part of you wishes to tell him that he doesnât have to worry so much. That you still trust him with your own body even after all this time. You donât say anything aloud, but Mingyu seems to get the gist from the look in your eyes either way, surging forward so he can press his lips back onto yours as he loosens you up.
âYouâre always so quick to get wet for me, baby,â he sighs, stifling the noise that escapes you when he slides in a second finger to test the resistance of your walls. âYouâve no idea how much I missed this. Missed you .â
âGyu, Iââ Your breath hitches once he curls his fingers just so, making your legs rise involuntarily off the mattress, but Mingyu pins one of your thighs down with his free hand.Â
âWhat was that?â
Heâs teasing. He rarely ever does that. You shoot him a petulant look before taking his bottom lip between your teeth, tugging hard enough to coax a groan out of him.Â
âI missed you, too,â you whisper. âYouâre the only one who can make me feel this good.â
A dozen emotions flit through Mingyuâs face in the span of a millisecond, but the one that remains is something not so different from longing. You hear him sigh a couple of words that you donât quite catch before heâs taking his fingers out of your sopping cunt and pulling away from you. Just when youâre about to voice out a complaint, he starts undoing his trousers, kicking them away to some uncharted part of your bedroom before working on the rest of his dress shirt.
Not-so-newsflash: your ex-boyfriend is still fucking hot.Â
But he doesnât seem to notice the way youâre reacting to the sultry way in which he peels his clothes offâdark eyes still trained on your pliant form on the bed. As Mingyu palms himself through his boxers, you canât help but press your thighs together in anticipation of whatâs to come.Â
There was a time when he railed you so good, you legitimately couldnât walk straight the next day. You wonder if he plans on reenacting the whole thing tonight.
âLetâs get you out of that dress, sweetheart,â he breathes before gently guiding you back into a seated position, tugging at the hem of your dress before tossing it to the side.Â
You feel your cheeks warm when he stares at the underwear set you have on tonight. Plain cotton panties and plain cotton bra. In your defense, you really didnât expect to get laid tonight.Â
âDoesnât matter,â Mingyu chuckles. Itâs either he can read minds or he still knows you well enough to figure out what youâre thinking. âIâm taking everything off anyways.â
As he makes quick work of whatâs left of your clothing, you distantly remember the last conversation you had with Seungkwan. How you told him youâd âclear the airâ with Mingyu right after having dinner with his family.
Youâre pretty sure what youâre doing right now is only blurring the lines even more, but you donât really fucking care right now.
You let out a hushed moan when Mingyu latches his mouth onto your nipple, massaging your other breast as he swirls the appendage across your sensitive skin. His free arm snakes itself behind the curve of your waist, pressing you against his firm body while rutting his hips against the bed.Â
Heâs just as desperate for you as you are for him, and it fills you with a heady sort of hunger that only Mingyu can alleviate.
âCan I?â he whispers.
You feel his teeth graze across the skin of your chest, making your toes curl with anticipation. Itâs been a while, but you canât easily forget how much of a biter Mingyu is in bed. He loves leaving his marks on your body, and even if you always complain about how hard it is to cover them up, you let him do as he pleases every single time.
âYes,â you whimper, rubbing your bare pussy against the ridge of his abs. âDo whatever you want with me, Gyu.â
The sound you let out once he finally bites down is caught between a yelp and a moan, your fingers threading across his hair as he suckles on your skin. Heâs such a talker in bed, tooâwhispering all sorts of endearments that are too soft for you to hear, but add fuel to your growing desire regardless.
âSo fucking pretty,â he says once he detaches himself from your breasts and marvels at his own work. The fruit of his effort is yet to become visible, but heâs left enough angry red marks on your skin to guarantee the lovebites theyâll turn into come morning. âAnd itâs all for me.â
Lacing your fingers around his nape, you mold your lips together in another kiss, tongues dancing to the rhythm of your erratic heartbeat as you grind yourself against his toned stomach.Â
âMingyu,â you whimper against his mouthâhot and heavy. âI need you inside me. Need to get stretched on your cock.â
He groans again, fisting your hair so that he can kiss you even deeper. As he busies you with his mind-numbing kisses, Mingyu gets rid of his boxers in a flashâpositioning himself between your thighs. You nearly cry out when you feel the fat head of his cock sliding against your soaking slit. When he grazes your sensitive clit, you couldâve sworn tears started together in the corners of your eyes.
âFuck, babygirl, so fucking wet for me,â he sighs as he lays you back down on the bed and eases your knees further apart.Â
You bite your lip at the sight of his cock, still as long and girthy as you remember. Mingyu pumps his length all while sliding the head across your cunt, but you let out another desperate mewl to just fuck you already.Â
âShhh,â he says, leaning down to plant a chaste kiss on your forehead. âLet me take my time with you, sweetheart. I want you to commit all of this to memory. Gonna have you feeling me inside you for days.â
And you donât doubt that. Kim Mingyu has a knack for making it hard for people to forget about him, and if he plans to fuck the shape of his cock into your pussy, who are you to complain?
When you feel his cock catch across your entrance, you genuinely wonder if itâs going to hurt. Mingyuâs attempt at foreplay was cut halfway through because he got distracted by his sudden desire to leave a trail of love bites all over your breasts. But the thing about having sex with Mingyu is that your comfort is his top priority.Â
He would never do anything that he knows can hurt you.
âIâll go slow, alright?â he whispers, and all you can manage is a nod. âWords, baby. You have to talk to me so Iâll know if you really want it.â
âGyu,â you whine, arching your hips in a feeble attempt to get him to fuck into you. âIâm alright. Anything you do is alright with me, justâ Please. Please fuck me full.â
He sighs, staring down like he doesnât know what to do with you before finally, finally, you feel his dick breach your entranceâpushing inch by delicious inch inside you with restrained hunger. You fist the sheets at the familiar stretch, but itâs not so uncomfortable that the sensation burns. Youâve taken Mingyuâs cock dozens of times before, and it seems that your body still knows how to accommodate his ridiculous size.
âPretty pussyâs happy to see me again,â he chuckles, his grip on your thighs tightening ever-so slightly. âStill made to fit me so snuggly. Did you miss my cock, sweet thing? I can feel you pulsing around me.â
âYes,â you drawl. âMissed your cock so fucking much, Gyu. Fuckââ
You feel so hot, so full. Itâs like Mingyuâs the only thing youâve ever knownâsurrounding you in every direction until all that floats in your lust-addled mind are the letters of his name. Once he buries himself to the hilt, Mingyu doesnât move right away, still so attentive to your reactions that even if you want nothing more than for him to rail you into the mattress, he wonât press forward until heâs sure youâre ready.
âIs it too much?â he whispers, tucking your hair behind your ear. âDo you need more time to get used to me?â
Something similar to a growl reverberates in your chest as you stare at Mingyu hard. âWhat I need isâŚfor you to fuck me until I black out.â
Mingyuâs lips turn up into a grin as he shakes his head. âBaby, the last thing I want to be is some sex-deprived savage after weâve been apart for so long. I donât want to hurt you.â
Then, he leans forward on the bed again, bringing his lips right next to your ear.
âBut I can still make you feel good.â
He prefaces the words with a powerful thrust that you donât expect, splaying your thighs further until theyâre flat against the mattress. The slide of his cock still feels so unbelievably good that even if the sudden stretch shouldâve been uncomfortable, youâre too blindsided by the pleasure to notice.Â
Your eyes trail across the beautiful man above you as he fucks you in his favorite position. Mingyu has always had a thing for missionaryâsomething about wanting to see your face as he wrecks you. You think youâre starting to share the same sentiment because not only do you get to see his fat cock slide in and out of your sopping cunt, but you can admire all of him at once, as well.
The exertion in those toned arms with every forward thrust. The conspicuous outline of his pecs. That toned fucking stomach. That gorgeous fucking face, so lost in the velvet heat of your pussyâ
Why did you ever think letting someone like this go was a good idea?
âYouâre going to laugh at me for this but,â Mingyu breathes, chuckling to himself. âI think Iâm kinda close.âÂ
You do laugh, but itâs quickly silenced when one of his fingers finds your clit, rubbing it in quick, precise circles like he hasnât forgotten how to get you off after all this time.
âI am, too,â you tell him. âCock so fucking good, you can make me come in minutes.â
Mingyu lets out another guttural noise as he presses your knees to your chest, throwing your legs over his shoulder with a look in his eyes that promises nothing but pleasure. Though his fingers have departed your puffy clit, the angle he has you bent in has his cock easily grazing your g-spot with every thrustâreducing you into a pathetic, mewling mess underneath him.
âYour pussyâs a fucking drug, babygirl,â he sighs. âHavenât wanted anyone else after you.â
Even in your cock-drunk haze, those words bring forth some semblance of clarity within you. But itâs immediately snuffed out when Mingyu amps up the cadence of his thrusts, fucking into you with the intention of bringing you to completion at the same time he achieves it. Your eyes are screwed shut, fingers finding purchase across the ripping muscles of his back as you babble an incoherent mantra of yes, yes, so close, so fucking close, love how you fuck me, love how you make me feel fullâ
And then, itâs overâa white hot flash like stars bursting behind your eyelids. You curl into Mingyuâs embrace as your orgasm washes over you like a tidal wave, and heâs all too glad to help you ride it out, pistoning inside your spasming walls with a rhythm thatâs starting to stagger.Â
âSo goddamn tight,â he growls. âWhere do you want my cum, sweetheart?â
Youâre still too blissed out to give him a proper response, but from the way your legs tighten themselves around his waist, Mingyu figures that thatâs the green light he needs to make a mess out of you. Mingyu sighs, burying his face in the crook of your neck before biting downâhis cock twitching in the heat of your cunt as his release gushes into you in thick globs.
He comes so much that when Mingyu does pull out of your abused pussy, his essence trickles out of your hole as you do your best to catch your breath. The world is just starting to return to its normal axis in your vision, and the first thing that your eyes focus on is the sight of Mingyu smiling at you so fondly, it makes your heart hurt.
The look scares you. Like heâs about to say something that you donât know how to respond to.Â
So instead of giving him any leeway for conversation, you tug him back down into a tongue-filled kiss, rubbing your ruined pussy across his still hard length as you mewl against his lips.
âMore,â you whimper. âI need more, Gyu.â
And heâs all too happy to oblige.
Mingyu slides himself back inside you with an ease that wasnât present earlierâyour mixed arousal acting as a good enough lubricant to accommodate him. His erratic breathing as he fucks his cum deeper inside you only serves to turn you on even more, making another orgasm creep ever-so slightly beneath your skin.Â
âBabygirl canât get enough of this cock, can you?â he sighs. âSeems to me like your pussy never wants me to leave.â
âYes!â you hiss, moving your hips in time with his as you desperately claw at his back. âLove your cock so much, pleaseââ
âCome for me again, sweet thing, I know you can do it.â
Itâs unbelievable how a few choice words can get your body to submit to his whims without much thought. Unlike your first orgasm, the second one that Mingyu coaxes out of you singes through every functional nerve-ending in your bodyâsending you into a flurry of overstimulation that has you twitching under his touch.Â
Just when you thought Mingyuâs finally done with you, however, he suddenly flips you onto your stomachâpressing your chest against the mattress while your ass is high in the air. The sudden change in positions makes your head spin, but youâre too dazed to protest.
When you glance over your shoulder, heâs showing you that same smile you fell in love with a lifetime ago.
âYou can give me a few more orgasms, right, baby?âÂ
When he slides his still hard cock along your swollen cunt, you groan into the sheetsâhaving momentarily forgotten that Mingyuâs stamina can go until morning. If you donât stop him now, he might actually fuck you until you black out, despite his earlier refutal.
But honestly? Youâre not against the idea. Not one bit.
âŚ
When you wake up the following day, itâs to cold sheets and the startling clarity of Mingyuâs absence.
You never minded living alone. Youâve been doing it since your first year of college here in Seoul. Youâre used to waking up with nothing but the silence of your room to keep you company.
Even when you eventually got together with Mingyu, lonely mornings have always been a staple, especially on days where he has early schedules. It fills you with a sinking feeling to see that he isnât with you, but youâve learned to take it in stride.Â
BesidesâŚitâs not like youâre together anymore now.
This is what you wanted, right? For him to not treatâŚwhatever this is as if itâs a relationship thing. The two of you were just heavily pent up, and caved into your mutual desires last night. Thereâs nothing more to it.
However, when you pad outside the bedroom after shrugging on a flimsy oversized shirt, the scent of pancakes and frying eggs fills your nose. When you see Namja sitting right next to a tall figure hunched over your stove, you can hardly believe your eyes.
He doesnât notice you right awayâtoo preoccupied with making the perfect breakfast to pick up on your presence. Namja, however, is more perceptive, glancing behind and perking up at the sight of you. He lets out an excited bark before skidding over to where youâre standing, and you crouch down to the floor so you can give him a tight hug.
âOh, youâre awake!â
Mingyu faces you with a smile thatâs nearly blinding in the morning light, a spatula in one hand and a kitchen mitt in the other. Itâs the exact same scene that youâre greeted with during lazy weekends where he doesnât have any work to do, and your chest twists yet again at the memory.
âYeah, I am.â You smile, rubbing Namjaâs belly when he sprawls himself on the floor. âWhat are you still doing here? Donât you have to go back to New York tonight?â
âYes, but itâs still morning,â he points out, and you roll your eyes.
A few minutes later, Mingyu starts to set the table while you wash your hands. He tells you about how Seungkwan doesnât want to room with him anymore over breakfast because Mingyu takes so long to close the lights when heâs binging a new drama. You tell him to be more considerate of his roommates or they might just dropkick him off the hotel room balcony in his sleep.
When you help him put away the dishes, the sight is soâŚdomestic, it gives you whiplash. Bumping shoulders, splashing water, stifling mutual laughter... Being with him like this, tucked in your own little pocket of happiness makes your heart soar in ways that not even mind-blowing sex can help you attain.
You pray that Mingyu doesnât breathe a word about it, but of course things donât always go your way.
Just when youâre about to turn around to give Namja her morning fix of dog food, you find yourself trapped between the sink and Mingyuâs armsâunable to escape the fondness in his eyes even if you tried.
âI think,â he whispers, âwe can still make this work. You and me.â
You bite the inside of your cheek. âGyuâŚâ
You think so, too. With someone as understanding and compassionate as Mingyu, you know nothingâs impossible if you just quit being so stubborn. You were so afraid of him attempting to bring your relationship back to life last night, butâŚ
Seeing him bathing under the sunlight in your kitchen after months of getting used to being alone againâŚÂ
Maybe it isnât so bad to let him back inside your heart.
âO-Of course, you donât have to answer right away,â he says, turning red in the face. Cute. âYou can tell me when I get back from New York. Howâs that sound?â
Youâre about to open your mouth to respond, but the moment is quickly shattered by the sound of Mingyuâs phone going off. He sighs, releasing you from the figurative cage of his arms as he leans against the sink right next to youâfishing his phone from his pocket before answering it in loudspeaker.
âKim Mingyu, where the hell are you?!â
âGood morning to you, too, Seungkwan-ah,â he chuckles. âWhy? Whatâs wrong? I told Jeonghan-hyung I wonât be coming back to the dorms until noon.â
âWell, Jeonghan-hyung mustâve forgotten to tell everyone else because the entire dorm panicked when we realized you didnât make it home!â the younger man squawks. âWe thought something bad happened! You werenât answering your phone last night either!âÂ
You and Mingyu exchanged knowing looks, and you have to stifle your laughter if you didnât want to be on the receiving end of Seungkwanâs rage, too.
âSorry about that, I was a littleâŚbusy,â Mingyu supplies.Â
âWell, whatever youâve been âbusyâ with, you better get your ass back here! Manager-hyung is looking for the car you borrowed, and if you donât bring it back soon, heâs going to give all of us an earful.â
âFine, fine. Iâll be back in thirty. Bye, Seungkwan.â
âHeyâ!âÂ
Mingyu ends the call with little remorse before letting out a long sigh. When his eyes dart back to yours, they flicker momentarily to your lips before he leans forward. You meet him halfway this time, pressing your mouths together in a firm kiss.
âIâll be back,â he murmurs. âI hope youâll still be willing to accommodate me when I do.â
Though it pains you, he peels himself away from your touch, leaning down to kiss Namjaâs head as he gathers his coat in his arms. It just occurred to you that heâs been eating breakfast with you donned with the outfit he wore last night while youâre dressed in nothing but a loose, oversized shirt. The knowledge makes you blush a little.
When you hear Mingyuâs car drive away, you sigh, running your hands through your messy hair. Namja pads over to you, tail wagging as he anticipates another round of petting. Of course you indulge him.
âKim Mingyu is such an idiot, isnât he?â you tell your goldie, and you like to think the small huff he lets out means heâs agreeing with you. âWhy wait until he comes back when I already have an answer for him?â
This time, Namja actually barks out loud, making you shake your head with a laugh.
You donât mind waiting for Mingyu, really. He obviously doesnât mind waiting for you. At this point, youâre at peace with the fact that you might still love him. Maybe, you never stopped loving him at all. Once he lands back in Korea and comes home to you, you promise yourself that youâll definitely show him.
Again and again.
⢠end notes: pHEW i'm so glad to have the mingyu brain rot out of my system (OR IS IT?!) i've been wanting to write this trope for sooooo long and i'm really glad i finally got to bring it to life! there's just something so endearing about mingyu that i thought he'd be perfect for this hehe :3c
if you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading through my love letter to our resident 97 line babygirl. this honestly would've just been 5k words long if the reader just wasn't so in denial LOL ++ lmk what you think in the tags + reblogs MWAH
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