phasezeroo

[phasezeroo]

I DON’T LIKE DARKNESS

Sim Jake x f!reader

summary: Jake is comforting you, after you lost your dear childhood pet.

warnings: pet loss, crying, fluff, kissing, jake is a softie

song inspiration:

author’s note: I wrote this yesterday, crying like a baby during it, but I needed to get it off my chest. I miss my fur baby very much and the only way I can cope with it, is probably writing about it.

Please be kind :)

Jake stood in your apartment, unnanounced, still, not daring to breathe.

He must have figured it out, probably did your mom spilled something, the last time she saw him.

It wasn’t rare for Jake to visit your house, your parents were best friends after all, and you were friends since you were little kids. So he basically grew up with you and your cat, who sadly passed away a few weeks ago.

The pain still fresh, wound ripped open, the way Jake’s eyes were glassy, starring at you. You ignored the lump in your throat, building up, ready to burst over. It was your soulmate, but in a pet form. Your family had it since you were five, so you grew up with it.

It died a peaceful death and that is all you cared about when you asked your mom over the phone how it happened.

You were never good with feelings, or telling people how you felt. It was always easier to hide everything, rather than to admit to even have feelings. As soon as you ignore the problem, it would fade away eventually.

You were busy, cleaning up your kitchen, not trying to say anything that might make you break.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

A pause.

Your hands paused with cleaning the dishes, starting to shake. Sighing you leaned against the counter, not daring to look at him.

“I figured if I keep quite, it wouldn’t be real… and maybe it would hurt less.”

Your voice was barely there, a whisper, your apartment silent.

The only thing that was heard was Jake’s breathing combined with yours.

Before you knew it, he made his way around the counter, hugging your back, trying so hard to heal the broken pieces in your heart.

That was the moment you broke, tears falling uncontrollably, hitting the sink.

“Please, Y/N, you don’t have to go through this alone. I’m here whenever you need me, never hide anything from me, especially when you feel sad.”

Jake’s voice was soft, gentle.

He turned you around, so he could look at your face. The make-up from today was ruined, mascara running down your face, puffy nose and your cheeks red.

You were trying so hard to keep it together, but his eyes showed nothing than care and love for you.

Sincerely meaning it.

You bit your lip, looking away, not used to crying so hard in front of anybody else than your mom or brother.

Your heart was still aching, but as soon as Jake wrapped his arms around your waist again, the world stopped for a minute.

It was warm, real, full of unspoken feelings.

His own eyes began to burn, imagining how you must have felt all these weeks without him knowing. You were still smiling, laughing at his dumb jokes, he didn’t even noticed the difference in your state.

Going home after you hung out with him and your friends, crying yourself to sleep, trying to cope with it all, alone.

Feeling horrible, he rubbed your back softly, hearing your breathing uncontrollably fast, fearing you might have a panic attack, but it wasn’t.

You just let it out for once, hugging him back, your arms hang loosley around his neck, trying not to drown in your own tears.

You were standing in your kitchen for a while, before you calmed down. Still embraced in his strong arms, you sniffled, wiping your nose with your long sleeve, leaving a mark.

Jake pulled back, holding your face in his hands, to really look at you.

His heart ached.

You wiped your cheeks, skin burning under your touch, soft even.

You coughed.

“Sorry. Just being dramatic. I’m fine.”

“Please, Y/N, don’t be like that”, he pleaded, eyes closed, shaking his head lightly.

“Don’t shut me out right now.”

Your heart raced at his words, almost begging you to stop doing this to him. You sighed, head falling forwards, leaning against his chest, breathing in his familiar scent.

The overwhelming feeling of being save whenever you were around him hit you hard.

He kissed your hair, his hand resting on your warm cheek, stroking it softly, afraid you will break like a doll if he put too much pressure on it.

“I hope you know, you can talk to me, or don’t, just enjoying the silence. You don’t need to talk, just let me be there for you, please.”

You couldn’t help it, you needed to look at him now.

Face so close, too close.

Jake’s warm breath hit your face, seeing how his chest lifted in uneven beats, being nervous that you were so near.

“I’m not gonna push you away again, I promise.”

That was all you said, before breaking the last centimeter your lips were apart, kissing him with such a softness, he might explode at the feeling.

Jake immediately pressed his lips against yours, not rushing it, just putting all his feelings into it.

Showing you, how much he cares and loves you.

His hands found your waist, pulling you closer. Breaking apart after you couldn’t breathe anymore, forehead leaning against his.

“I’m glad you’re here now, Jake.”

“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. Not now, not ever.”

[phasezeroo]

RIGHT HERE 🧸🌸🎀

idol!wooyoung x f!reader

summary: you visit your long distance best friend after a while again and sparks fly between you two when you decided to play a game with his friends.

warnings: panic attack, swearing, light making out, fluff, feelings???

word count: 7.4k

author's note: ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE! If you see any mistakes, feel free to correct me but don't attack me.

Please be kind :)

You and Wooyoung were best friends—some might even say closer than just friends.

On a sunny day in Seoul, you both decided to visit the other boys at the studio. It was a surprise because you had just flown in from Europe the day before and were staying at Wooyoung’s place.

San picked you both up and drove you to the studio. There, you met Hongjoong, who already knew you were coming. Wooyoung and his big mouth!

"Who else did you tell?" You asked, confused, turning to your best friend when the captain let go of you. He shrugged his shoulders with his hands in his jeans pockets. "Just San and Hongjoong..." You smiled, and San wrapped his arm around his best friend’s shoulder.

"Should we head in? I bet the others are as excited as you are, Y/N,” the man with the broad shoulders said, and you agreed silently. You were nervous for some reason, but you couldn't pinpoint why.

Something in your stomach was telling you not to visit them in the studio. You stopped for a second to admire the hallway; so large and brightly colored yet still very subtle.

You noticed a soft hand guiding you through it. You were so caught up that you didn’t realize it was Wooyoung shoving you forward. As you approached the studio, you could hear Yeosang's laughter. You automatically started to smile as a feeling of warmth filled your chest. You missed the boys and couldn't wait to see them again. It had only been a few months since you last saw them, and they hadn't changed much.

All the guys were practicing their dance moves with great focus, not realizing there were people watching them. When they finally finished, they were all panting, trying to catch their breath, and then they realized that someone was watching them. Yunho was the first one to catch your eye, and his smile was as bright as the sun.

"Oh my god?!", he almost screamed, grabbing the others' attention.

The blonde boy rushed over to you, wrapping his large arms around you. You smiled right away and hugged him back, even though he was all sweaty and smelly. "Eww, Yunho, you're all sweaty!" You teased, laughing with him. When you let go, the boy in front of you, shown so bright like he just picked stars off the sky.

"Y/N! When did you get back? Was this an ambush?" Seonghwa mumbled as he squeezed between Yunho and Yeosang, then met you in the middle, wrapping his arms around your body.

Everyone came running, hugging your side, cuddling up, feeling happy to be there. San, Hongjoong, and Wooyoung were still in the background, watching you get all the hugs and cuddles from the other members. They were happy to see you again and saying how much they missed you.

"How was the tour, guys? Wooyoung said you had a blast in Europe! I'm bummed I couldn't make it to the concert to see you perform," you said, feeling a bit down. Everyone in the room lit up at the world concert. "It was incredible! I'll show you some highlights later." The boy next to me with the almost silver/white hair smiled.

When did Seonghwa get so tall? Or were you always so small next to him? Mingi was sitting on the floor, and the others joined him quickly. They decided it was better to take a break and catch up with you. "It's too bad you couldn't make it to any of our concerts, but we get that you had a lot on your plate at home," Jongho, the youngest, said. You smiled at him.

"Thanks for understanding. I was really stressed, but I'm here now, and that's all that matters." The guys in the circle started nodding and agreed, smiling, and felt lucky to have you there with them.

"Anyway, I saw some of your performances on stage, and wow, some of them were pretty wild," you said, laughing. You might not know how to say it the right way, because some of them were giving off major stripper vibes. San, Yunho, and Mingi got a kick out of your comment and immediately figured out what you were talking about. Hongjoong, Wooyoung, and Yeosang joined in the laughter, too.

You noticed that Yeosang changed his hair to a reddish ginger. You gasped. "Oh my god! Hey, I just saw that you colored your hair! It's wild that you can pull off any hair color." You let out a sigh, looking over at your bestie, who was sitting right next to you, legs crossed, leaning against the wall in the studio, keeping an eye on everything in the room, arms crossed as well. You looked at his black hair, running your fingers through it.

"When are you going to change your hair again? Ombre Wooyoung was pretty hot." You laugh and agree. Wooyoung just scoffed at your question, enjoying your hand in his hair but still a bit annoyed at your words. "What's wrong with my normal hair color?"

You smiled at him.

"Oh, nothing. You still look good. I was just wondering."

You could tell that San and Hongjoong were watching the interaction between you two from the side.

You let it go and joined the others in the conversation. They were just talking about practice.

Wooyoung watched you, noticing how smoothly you were talking to his close friends. He was happy you were back with him. He didn't want to admit it, but he was probably the happiest guy in the room right now. He just needed to feel your presence and have you around. You helped him chill out when things got a bit much and he felt like the world was weighing him down. When things didn't go as planned, even with the time difference, you always made time to give him a call or text him back. After all, you two were best friends...

You could practically feel Wooyoung staring at the back of your head, but you tried to ignore it and focused on the boys in front of you. Yunho was looking at you, smiling, leaning over, catching your eyes.

"I'm thrilled to have you back. I was just telling Wooyoung that we should grab a drink and go out. What do you think?" You laughed your heart out, remembering the last time your best friend called you drunk, how much Yunho had given him to drink and how bad his hangover was. "I'll remind you, the last time you guys were eating out, Wooyoung called me, having the worst hangover ever, and, to be honest, I don't want that," you laughed, petting the back of the blonde boy on your left.

Yunho suddenly grinned, got an idea.

"Hey, how about we play a little game? You love them, right, Y/N?"

He knew you were into games, and you couldn't say no to any of them. "What do you have in mind?" Mingi asked his friend, looking through the round curious. For a while, it was silent, nobody knowing what was really going on, except Yunho.

His smile kind of worried you, not knowing what crazy idea was forming in his head.

"Truth or dare."

Everyone groaned at the childish game.

"Are we fourteen again, or what?" Seonghwa rubbed his eyes, not really believing what his friend was suggesting. Yunho shrugs, but he's got that smirk on his face. He was up to no good, and we all know it.

"What? You scared?" He raised an eyebrow, seeming to challenge you. "Truth." The boy next to you was smiling now, feeling a bit proud that you were hopping on. "Okay, Y/N, I'll start with a simple question. I'm not trying to make it too easy for you." He was such a tease.

You rolled your eyes, not believing you were actually playing that stupid game with eight other boys in the room. Yunho raised an eyebrow, his head falling back, thinking for a few seconds before opening his mouth again: "Okay, so, when was your last relationship and why did it end?"

You thought about how your last relationship ended and how it made you feel. Honestly, your ex was a mess, and the relationship you two had was a mess too. Things didn't work out too well for you two during the few months you were together.

"Hmm, I think about four or five months ago, we both agreed it would be better if we both go our separate ways..." When you said that you felt Wooyoung's gaze on you. Yunho nodded, understanding why you didn't want to go into too much detail.

"Anyways," you said, stretching out your legs and leaning against the wall behind you, "does anybody wanna join this stupid, ridiculous game?" Some hands were up in the air already, except for Seonghwa, Jongho, and San. "Absolutely! Let's talk about our personal lives, the fun stuff," Mingi said sarcastically, and you shook your head, laughing at his behavior. "Why am I not surprised that you didn't say no?" He gave you a casual shrug, like he didn't really care what you thought. "It's my turn!" Everyone looked at Mingi, but he only had eyes for you.

"Y/N, truth or dare?"

"Again?! Why not pick someone else?"

You put your hands up to defend yourself, but it didn't do any good. Everyone was laughing or giggling at your over-the-top behavior. You let your hands fall back down onto your lap with a sigh. Yunho chuckled, shaking his head. "Because it's fun to torture you." You shot a death glare at the boy next to you, and he stopped smiling. He looked over at his best friend, raising his eyebrows. "Alright princess, truth or dare?" Mingi asked, excited and rubbing his hands together like an evil fly, planning something to destroy the whole nation. "Dare," you said, confidently accepting the challenge that the dark-haired boy had thrown your way. Mingi gave a little smirk, pleased that you picked dare and already had something in mind.

"I dare you to kiss the person you find the most attractive in this room right now."

You crunched your nose, which was ridiculous. You looked around, and your eyes stopped on Wooyoung for a second longer than the others, and you let out a sigh. "Okay, stop fucking around. What's this dare you're talking about?" Yunho gave a little laugh and shook his head. They both saw that your eyes lingered a bit on the person next to you, but they didn't say anything about it.

"It's a dare. You have to kiss the person you find most attractive in this room right now. That was the dare. No take backs." What the fuck is he doing? "Mingi? That's not fair, right? All of you guys are attractive in your own way," you tried to argue with the blonde one and his best friend, but they just ignored you, feeling kind of flustered that you thought they were attractive. "No way, I'm not doing it." You said it in a dramatic way, crossing your arms in front of you and looking through the round with raised eyebrows.

Yunho leaned in toward you, raising an eyebrow, and copying you, a bit surprised at your outburst. "And why not? Are you too scared, or something?" Why was he getting on your nerves? You could punch your favorite second person in this room right now, and he'd probably not even care.

"Hey, princess. All you have to do is kiss the most attractive person in the room and we're all set." You rolled your eyes, not believing you really thought about it a second longer, and accepted Mingis' challenge. "Can everyone just close their eyes for a second? I want to challenge you guys. I'll go around and pick one out..." It was pretty clear to everyone who you'd pick. "Sure, go for it. We'll close our eyes," Yunho said amused, and everyone did as he said, closing their eyes.

You got up slowly, stretched your legs, and decided to take off your shoes so they wouldn't make a noise when you moved. Why were you so nervous about it? It was just a quick peck. I'm pretty sure everyone in the room knew you were more into Wooyoung than anyone else. You played a bit with the guys, running around and giggling, before you got your heartbeat under control again. Then, suddenly, you stopped behind Wooyoung. You looked around again, feeling anxious, and sure enough, they were cheating. But they had their eyes closed, just like you told them to. Alright, let's do this. You leaned down and rested your weight on his shoulders, giving him a little peck on the cheek. Your scent lingered in his nose, and he blushed like a teenager.

"You can open your eyes again."

The guys were surprised when you sat down, trying to figure out who you kissed. Wooyoung was blushing a lot and had one hand on his neck because he was embarrassed. His eyes were still wide open, and he wasn't sure how to react to the kiss on the cheek he received. Yunho was the first to speak: "What was that?!" You looked at him, curious, swinging your body back and forth while holding your crossed legs.

"What was that about?"

"You're kidding, right? That was the most pathetic kiss I've ever seen!"

You tilted your head, and your hair fell over your shoulders. "Hey! Did you catch that? Mingi said that it was kissing, not like on the lips or nose or something like that. I did my dare; you're just jealous it wasn't you." Yunhos mouth was open, not expecting you to be so sensitive to the topic, and he shook his head, mumbling something under his breath. "Oh, I'm not jealous, but that was the most anticlimactic kiss I've ever seen...", the blonde-haired boy said, still annoyed.

The others were noticing that you didn't choose Yunho, but their eyes kept going to Wooyoung. "Oh, sorry, next time I'll just make out with the person, and you can watch. Is that what you want, Yunho?" You gave him a little tease, leaning over and smiling.

Wooyoung almost choked on his own spit, still shocked at the little "kiss" he got from you. Yunho was looking at you, and he had a smirk back on his face. He was about to respond when Hongjoong opened his mouth instead.

"Honestly, I don't think any of us are looking forward to that."

You smirked at Yunho and said, "See, you won. Now it's Yeosang's turn." The blonde-haired boy rolled his eyes again, knowing full well that he had lost, and let out a sigh. He was still pretty annoyed that you didn't do the dare like Mingi suggested, but what could he say? You had a point. Yeosang laughed, then smiled, thinking of a good question

You shot Wooyoung a glance—another secret between you.

He knew you found him attractive, and he wasn't ashamed.

"Yeosang! Truth or dare?" San laughed, noticing your glances at Wooyoung. You both acted awkward, but he didn't say anything. At the same time, Wooyoung looked at his best friend, holding eye contact. He wondered why San was staring and smiling at you.

"Dare!" Yeosang almost yelled, startling some guys. Your eyes moved to the cute red-haired guy. "Hmmm..." You thought of another dare, making it easy for him because you loved him. "Do a backflip." Yeosang scoffed. "A backflip?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

The others looked at Yeosang, waiting for his response. He wouldn't be able to do a backflip. Yeosang wasn't the most athletic. You looked puzzled, and the guys around you made faces, frowning or smirking. "Is there a problem?" you asked the older guy.

"I... can't do a backflip..." You sighed, having to change the dare.

"Okay, then, I dare you to read the last message you sent."

The boys waited for Yeosang to read the last message. Yeosang cleared his throat, going through his messages, finding the last one. "The last message I sent was... Goodnight, sweet dreams," he said out loud, his cheeks turning pink. You smiled, feeling happy that Yeosang had someone he could text that to.

The others went with some "aww," thinking it was just cute.

Some coughed, trying to hide their excitement about the message, and the red-haired boy looked like he wanted the ground to open and swallow him, but he was still blushing. Yunho was probably the only one who was still unimpressed. "That's it? Was it just a goodnight text? We already know you're a softie, Yeosang," he said, and you rolled your eyes, pushing him softly from the side. "Yunho, pipe down." He did the same, but he fell pretty quickly. He's acting like his usual self, but it's clear he's not interested in the game anymore. Seonghwa and San were sitting there, having a good time and watching the game. They were both trying to hide their smiles and eyes that were watering from laughter. Hongjoong was the same, but he was observing most of them the whole time. Wooyoung was pretty close to you, but he'd look at you a lot, seeing how you took care of the others and played the game. You clapped into your hands, interrupting them and grabbing their attention.

"Okay, guys! Anybody still down or should we stop?" Yunho raised his hand and glanced at you next to him.

"Except for you..."

He rolled his eyes and scoffed at you.

At first, you didn't notice Hongjoong's hand, but you thought it was funny that he wanted to join you.

"Should I ask someone now?" he asked quietly, and you all nodded. Mingi leaned back on the wall behind him, looking at the Captain.

Hongjoong nodded, and then he thought of a good question. He looked around before finally spotting Wooyoung.

"Truth or dare?", the dark-haired guy asked, looking directly at your best friend, a smirk on his lips, which was very surprising to the others.

Wooyoung gave a little smirk before answering.

"Dare."

The others were watching the interaction, not knowing what to expect. Hongjoong smiled gently. He was genuinely surprised that Wooyoung was up for this.

Usually, he'd never do a dare.

"Okay. Do the thing you're most afraid of."

Wooyoung's smirk slowly faded, replaced by a look that could be described as... fear?

You immediately noticed that and leaned forward to take in his figure. The mood in the room shifted from lighthearted and playful to heavy and uncomfortable. The boys picked up on it too; they looked pretty confused.

Wooyoung wasn't listening to anything; his heart was beating like it could jump out of his chest at any moment. He felt cold all of a sudden. His breathing got faster, and his hands started shaking.

What was going on? Was he having a panic attack or something?

You'd like to take a look inside his head. You looked at Hongjoong, confused. The person you were watching was also looking at the man closely, noticing the things that the others noticed too, seeing how the guys were worried about him.

Wooyoung had no idea you were creeping up on him. He was sitting there like a stone, his body shaking, feeling like he couldn't breathe, and sweating like crazy. His cheeks were pale too.

"Wooyoung...?", you whispered, trying to reach for his hand on his lap, feeling how cold it was.

Your best friend shivered at the touch, but he didn't really react to your presence. He was barely here with you guys in the room. His mind was flooded with memories that made it hard for him to breathe.

"Hey, guys, could you give us some space? I think he's having a panic attack."

You looked at the guys, and they looked back, scared. They got up quickly and left the studio.

As soon as the others left, you went up to him, copying his pose, crossing your feet in front of you, and holding both of his hands.

"Wooyoung, breathe slowly and tell me three things you can see," you said, trying that method you read about somewhere, hoping it would actually work.

Wooyoung was trying to calm himself down and control his breathing, but he was having a really hard time focusing.

"Um... a... a wall... a lamp... a chair...," he said, his voice shaking.

"Good, you're doing well," you said, stroking his hand.

“Now, tell me three things you can feel."

Wooyoung tried to take a deep breath, feeling some slight relief from your touch, being able to calm down, though it was still hard for him.

“My... my clothes... the ground... your hands," he muttered, trying to focus on the things around him.

“You're doing really well, just great. Tell me three things you can touch, and don't forget to breathe in between."

You were a mess with him. You were trying to keep it together for his sake, but your hands were probably shaking too.

He was doing his best to answer the questions, trying to keep it together, but he let out a shaky breath as he continued.

“Hmm... the table... a carpet... car."

Wooyoung's voice was still a bit shaky, but it was getting better by the second.

“Can you take some deep breaths for me?" you said, rubbing your thumb on his hand to show you were there with him. Wooyoung took another shaky breath, nodding along with you, trying to focus on your touch.

He breathed slowly and steadily, his breathing getting more normal, and his body's trembling lessened a bit. "Good, you're doing great. Keep going in and out."

You were nervous because you'd never seen him like that.

The dark-haired boy kept taking deep breaths, enjoying your touch and how it made him feel. His body was shaking less and less as he got a better handle on his breathing.

"You're safe, you know that, right?" Wooyoung nodded a little and took another deep breath. He was slowly getting back to normal; the panic attack was almost over.

“Yeah... I know...," he muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed as he realized what had just happened.

Your heart was beating so loud because you were so worried about him. "Are you feeling better?" You held his hands, still wrapped around yours. Wooyoung took another deep breath, nodded softly. "Yeah, I'm doing better," he said, blushing a bit. He looked up at you, apologetic in his eyes.

You breathed a sigh of relief when it finally ended. You closed your eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

“Did you have them before?"

Wooyoung nodded slowly, looking down at your connected hands, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Yeah... a few times...", he mumbled in a quiet voice, not looking you in the eye. "Did you tell anyone yet?" you asked, your voice still a bit worried.

Your best friend shook his head, still avoiding eye contact, and took another shaky breath before answering: "No, no one knows..."

“Well, I think now the members know it, and you scared the shit out of us, of me. Do you know what triggers them?"

Wooyoung breathed out slowly, looking down at your hands. His heart was beating pretty fast, but not as fast as before.

"Yeah, I think they know now. I'm sorry, but it doesn't happen often. Usually, I can control it on my own. But I don't know what happened this time," he mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

"You shouldn't be sorry, and you definitely shouldn't go through them alone, understand? You can always call or text me as soon as you feel any discomfort."

You were so worried about him, you could almost throw up. He nodded at you, and his heart was beating really fast, but for a different reason now.

Wooyoung looked up at you, thankful for your reply.

"Yeah... yeah, I'll do it, I promise," he mumbled again, finally looking you in the eye. "Come here, idiot."

You gave him a hug, comforting him again and rubbing his back. Wooyoung didn't hesitate to return it, burying his head in your shoulder, taking another shaky breath, feeling a little bit better.

“I'm sorry..."

“Hey! What did I say about apologizing?"

You cut him off before he could say anything else. The dark-haired boy let out a little chuckle, feeling a bit better as you rubbed his back.

He sighed softly, his body slowly relaxing against yours.

"Right, no worries."

He spoke quietly, but you understood everything. You took a step back to check if he seemed uncomfortable, but you didn't see anything.

“You good?" you asked, taking his hands in yours again so he could feel your heat.

Wooyoung nodded, finally catching his breath again and feeling the panic attack subside. He still felt a bit embarrassed about what happened, but he felt better with you by his side. "Yeah... I'm good... better," he whispered, his cheeks still pink. You smiled softly, sighing.

"Great, let me just let the others in. Or do you want to go home and get some sleep? We can order food and watch some movies later." Your suggestions seemed great, so Wooyoung didn't hesitate.

He was feeling tired and a little overwhelmed by the whole situation. "I think I just want to go home..."

The man rubbed his eyes, feeling totally wiped from everything that had happened. "Yeah, sure. I'll just get San and ask if he can drive us home, okay? I'll be right back," you said, standing up and ruffling his hair softly as you walked towards the door.

You looked back at him one more time, then opened the door and stepped out, only to find the whole group gathered around.

They were expecting a good or bad report, but the tension eased up a bit when you smiled gently at them.

“He's doing okay," you told them.

“Did anyone notice anything weird about his behavior before the tour? Any new habits or patterns?"

No one said anything, and everyone was shaking their heads. Hongjoong was the first to speak up: "To be honest, I did notice that he was starting to act weird, but I was too late to realize."

You nod, understanding where he's coming from. It was hard to say anything because nobody was at fault and Wooyoung was good at hiding his feelings.

“Maybe you guys could keep an eye out for what triggers it, and as soon as something like that happens again, give me a call. At any time, whatever, it scared the shit out of me..."

The guys nodded, and it seemed like they all felt bad for not noticing it earlier. "It's not your fault, guys. He's doing great now, so don't beat yourself up over it," you said again, looking at everyone.

Yunho rubbed his eyes, tired from practice and the day. "Yeah, we know. It was just too much, I guess," he said, and you sighed softly, turning to him, resting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it gently.

San was leaning against the wall, watching you, and you were doing the same. "Could you take us home?" you almost whispered to him, and he nodded without saying anything else. "I'll go get Wooyoung. Please, guys, act normal around him. He's really embarrassed about it."

You went back into the practice room, and he was still sitting in the same spot as when you left, playing with his hands and looking up when he heard footsteps. "Should we head out?", he asked quietly, standing up, still feeling a bit shaky. "Be careful, please." You nod, almost running to him to keep his balance.

Wooyoung was always so stubborn, and you could slap him for it.

He nodded without saying anything, feeling grateful for your support, and his hand naturally grabbed your arm for balance, holding on to you. You let out a breath when you wrapped your arm around his waist.

When you got out, San was already standing near the door, looking at you. The others were still sitting, but as soon as they saw their band member, they got up and watched him in silence.

Wooyoung kept his head down, averted his gaze from the others, feeling a mix of embarrassment and exhaustion. He was wiped from the panic attack, and the worry of the others' faces felt almost suffocating.

You nod to the guys and thank them again for taking time out of their day to see you. Hopefully, you can find time to do something else together. "We'll see you guys soon! I'll text you later, thanks for your time," you said, smiling at them as you walked away with Wooyoung in your arms. The boys nodded, getting the silent message.

Wooyoung took a deep, shaky breath, holding on to you for support. He looked down, his body feeling heavy. You looked over at your best friend. "You all right?" "Yeah... I'm just really tired... and a little embarrassed. I'm sorry for causing all this trouble," he mumbled, still keeping his head down and not wanting to meet your gaze.

You rolled your eyes. "I said I didn't need to apologize, and it's not your fault, Wooyoung." The black-haired man let out a sigh. He knew you were right, but he couldn't help but feel guilty. "I know... I just hate how everyone had to see me like that. I feel so weak..." he said quietly, his grip on your arm tightening a bit.

You felt a sharp pain in your chest.

Luckily, you never had to experience a panic attack or anything like that, so you couldn't tell your best friend, "I know what you mean." You stayed quiet, squeezing his waist to comfort him and telling him silently that you were always by his side.

Wooyoung leaned into your touch, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. He knew you were trying your best to comfort him, and he appreciated it more than anything. "Thanks," he whispered, finally looking you in the eye and smiling. He looked so beautiful when he smiled. "Sure." Wooyoung followed you closely, still holding on to you as you walked towards San's car.

The man had never had a panic attack like this in front of anyone before, and he couldn't help feeling embarrassed and vulnerable. You let out a sigh when you got to the car. "We'll put him in the backseat so he can rest a bit." San nodded and helped you put Wooyoung into the backseat. Wooyoung let out a soft sigh as you settled him into the back. He leaned his back against the seat, totally wiped. San and you were getting into the front. You were still worried about the boy in the backseat, checking on him pretty much every minute.

"Chill out, he's not about to kick the bucket." San said to you, noticing how worried you were for your best friend. You rolled your eyes, crossed your arms in front of your chest, and glanced at him. "I know, I'm just worried." The guy with broad shoulders behind the wheel just nodded, shooting you glances and noticing the worry on your face. "He'll be fine, don't worry. He's just tired and probably a little embarrassed about what happened."

You let out a sigh, not sure how he could be so calm about this. Well, San wasn't exactly in love with his best friend the way you are.

“Well, he shouldn't. It could happen to anybody..."

"You're right. It could happen to anyone. But you know Wooyoung, he always puts on a tougher image and tries to hide his emotions. Seeing him vulnerable like that made him feel exposed..."

You agreed with San.

Wooyoung isn't the type to show vulnerability.

It means a lot that he shows it to you and trusts you with it.

It's nice to know he's open to your input.

You almost feel guilty because you always bottle things up until you explode. You got a little misty-eyed looking outside the car window.

You rubbed your eyes, acting like you were as tired as Wooyoung, who was lying in the backseat with his head hanging low, asleep.

San saw your expression change and let out a little sigh. He reached for your hand on your lap and squeezed it gently.

“Thanks for taking us home." San smiled, and our eyes met. "Absolutely, whenever. And don't worry, Wooyoung will be okay. He probably just needs some rest, that's all."

You nodded, decided not to think about it anymore, and reached for the radio, turning it on.

The low volume filled the car with a peaceful atmosphere. San's right hand was still on yours, and you could feel the tension in your shoulders easing up.

“Just relax..."

You let out a sigh, trying to chill out, not thinking about anything, just imagining Wooyoung and you at home, snuggled up and dozing off peacefully.

“I'm actually trying, San."

The big guy chuckled softly when he heard how tired your voice sounded.

“I can tell... your shoulders are tight, and you barely can keep your eyes open."

He squeezed your hand again, his thumb rubbing circles against your skin in a comforting gesture. You giggled and rubbed your eyes, letting go of his hand, before looking over to him and smiling.

“Thanks for today. You're a good friend to me and to Wooyoung. I appreciate it." San smiled and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sure, whenever. I care about you guys."

The ride home was pretty quiet for a while, with the radio playing softly in the background. The sky was turning pink when you looked out the window again, noticing how it was getting darker already. As you got to Wooyoung's place, you shot a quick look at your bestie.

He was still peacefully sleeping, and you relaxed a bit, not wanting to wake him up just yet.

You got out of the car, opened the backseat door, and looked at him. Your hand reached his shoulder, shaking a bit.

“Woo..." you said.

Wooyoung stirred slightly, his eyes fluttering open at hearing his name, and it took him a few seconds to realize what was going on.

“Huh? Are we there already?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up slowly. "Yeah, slow down, you're probably dehydrated." You looked at his figure, and let out a sigh, giving him a warning. "Can you take care of it, or should I get San to help?"

Wooyoung shook his head, waving a hand in front of him, trying to prove that he could walk on his own, but San was already at your side. "No, I'll manage," the dark-haired man mumbled, stepping out of the car, his legs only a bit wobbly.

You didn't trust him at all, so you just reached out without thinking and held his hands. When he finally got out, you tried to close the car door, but San was faster and did it for you so you could go inside and handle Wooyoung.

“I'm doing okay," he said, but it was clear he was having a hard time. Woo looked totally wiped.

“You keep lying to me, I'll start swinging, I swear."

You gritted your teeth. He was actually pretty heavy for your petite figure to keep you in place. San noticed and was kind enough to help you get him upstairs to his bedroom.

You finally made it to his room, and you laid him softly on the bed, his head hitting the pillows, his eyes already closed.

You rubbed your face, one hand on your forehead, the other on your waist.

“He is so annoying."

San laughed at your state, wiggling his eyebrows before leaving the room to give you guys some space. He went to the kitchen to make you a cup of tea.

You looked at the sleeping man on the bed.

“Stay..."

You heard a soft voice that probably came from Wooyoung. You let out a sigh, walked over to the side of his bed, sat down, put the blanket over his shivering body, and placed your hand on his chest.

He reached for your hand, and you froze for a second, but then you relaxed.

“Sleep. I'll join you soon," you whispered, rubbing circles on his hand.

You stood up, bent down to reach his forehead with your lips, and kissed it.

Wooyoung let out a soft sigh, a smile playing on his lips. You might think he was sleeping, but he wasn't. You shook your head and went to the kitchen.

San was already there, leaning on the kitchen island, with his tea right in front of him. On the opposite side was yours, waiting.

"Hey..."

“Hey..."

You sat on one of the bar stools and grabbed the mug, your hands wrapping around it, breathing in the sweet scent.

“Is he sleeping?"

You rubbed your temples, nodding along.

“I'm still in disbelief that this happened today."

The man in front of you let out a sigh.

“Yeah, I don't think any of us expected that, but you handled it really well."

He was sitting next to you on the other bar stool, looking at your tired face.

“Yeah, I didn't know it would actually work. I just read something about panic attacks in a romance novel."

San couldn’t help but chuckle softly at that.

“A romance book? Really?”

“Yeah, you don’t believe me? Some romance books address random mental health problems. Apparently, people like to read about it, but experiencing it is different.”

He nodded and sipped his tea before setting it down on the island again.

“Yeah, experiencing something is always different from reading about it. But it seems like your book research worked,” he said, smiling at you.

“If it didn't work, I wouldn't know what to do."

You put your head in your hands and ran your fingers through your hair.

You glanced at San with glassy eyes. He could see how tired and worried you were.

“Don't worry. You did great. Stop thinking about the what ifs."

His hand reached your shoulder and squeezed it softly, signaling that he was there.

You began to bounce your knee up and down, nibbling your lip and reaching for his hand on your shoulder. San noticed your furrowed eyebrows and blank stare.

“You know you can tell me if something's bothering you, right?" he asked, noticing the tension in your shoulders.

“What do you mean?"

You were probably too tired to notice that he was fully awake and observing you.

San chuckled softly and shook his head.

“You're way too obvious. I can see that something is bothering you. You know you can tell me anything, right?”

He repeated, his gaze growing serious. You sighed and put your head in your hand as you looked at him.

“I don't know what you're talking about."

San raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing you.

"Don't try to fool me. I can see the worry in your eyes, and you keep clenching your jaw. You can’t hide anything from me,” he said, his gaze fixed on you.

“I don't know what to do..."

“About what?"

San furrowed his brows and moved his chair closer to you, giving you his undivided attention.

“I’m like in love with Wooyoung? But I don't want to ruin his career. What would the fans think if they found out we were dating? I know some of them wouldn't care and would be happy for him, but the others are what worry me the most. I wasn't born to be in the spotlight like him or you."

The man took this in, nodding slowly to show that he understood your concern.

“Yeah, that's a difficult situation. But do you think Wooyoung feels the same way about you?" he asked quietly.

You shrugged, looking down at your hands.

“I actually don’t know. We never talked about it because I always changed the topic, and he got mad about it..."

San nodded, sighing softly.

Clearly, there was more to this situation.

He rubbed your upper arm, trying to ease some of the tension.

“Maybe you should talk to him about it," he said.

“But what if he feels the same way? What about his life as a celebrity? You know I don’t fit in there.”

San sighed, trying to come up with reassuring words. He was aware that you weren't comfortable in the spotlight, and this situation was challenging for you.

"I get it, but sometimes love is worth the risk. Maybe talking to him about it will clarify things,” he said, giving you a comforting smile as he continued to rub your arm.

You let out a big sigh of relief.

“How do you always know what to say?" San chuckled, seeing you yawn and noticing how tired you were.

“I should probably head home. Text me if anything happens."

He grabbed his jacket on the way out, gave you a reassuring smile, and opened the door, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

You went straight upstairs, passing Wooyoung’s room. Hearing his light snores through the door, you smiled softly, but with a heavy heart.

You went to the bathroom, where you removed your makeup and contacts. You brushed your teeth before heading to the guest room to search for another pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. You sat on the floor in front of your bag and looked around the room.

Should you tell Wooyoung how you feel? You pushed the thought away and got up, brushing imaginary dust from your thighs.

Then, you opened the door and made your way to his room to check on him again.

The room was darker than before.

Hearing Wooyoung breathe softly, you chuckled and decided to close the door and let him sleep in peace.

“Y/N..." you heard him say softly, his voice still thick from having woken up a minute ago.

You stretched your neck back and saw that he had gotten up and thrown the blanket away.

His naked feet touched the wooden floor.

You automatically opened the door and looked at him.

“Are you okay?" you asked, leaning in the doorframe. He just nodded and mumbled a soft "yes."

You crossed your arms in front of your chest and glared at him before he stumbled a bit while rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“I'm hungry," he mumbled.

His hair stood in every direction, but you seemed to smile and opened your arms for him to step in.

Wooyoung looked confused for a second, but he didn't hesitate to hug you back.

Your embrace felt like home. He couldn't get enough of it. His arms hung low as he wrapped them around your waist, and yours were around his neck.

“Let’s see if you have any ramen here. Sounds good?”

Wooyoung nodded at your suggestion, his grip tightening.

“I know I shouldn't apologize, but I'm sorry for scaring you today."

Your heart felt heavy as he mentioned it again. You rubbed his back softly. "It wasn't your fault. Let's get you something to drink and put some food in your stomach."

You wanted to pull away and look at him, but Wooyoung had other plans. He kept his arms wrapped around you for another five minutes, not letting you go.

“Thank you for always being here for me. I can’t express my appreciation enough...”

Wooyoung pulled away slightly, looked at you, and caressed your cheek.

What was he doing?

You chuckled; the warmth was spreading across your cheeks.

“You are so fucking beautiful."

Your heartbeat sped up.

You both felt the tension in the air.

You wanted to say something to Wooyoung, but he just shook his head.

“Don't. Ruin. The. Moment.”

The dark-haired man was serious.

He looked at you with so much love in his sparkling eyes. It was as if you had hung the stars in the sky.

“I can't hide it anymore. I really like you, Y/N. I don't care if you push me away again. I just wanted to let you know—"

“I feel the same, Wooyoung."

You stopped him mid-sentence, and he chuckled in his raspy voice. His hand was still on your cheek, pulling you closer until your lips met his.

The kiss was soft at first, but after the second one, he pulled you closer.

“You taste so fucking good."

Wooyoung's breath hit your face.

His eyes were still closed as he enjoyed the taste of your lips on his.