sun-theo

[sun-theo]

RIVALS PROJECT

pairing: theo (choi taeyang) x fem!reader synopsis: Choi Taeyang and you had been adversaries for a long time. Whenever you saw him, your relationship would result in fights and confrontations. One day, you both had a project to work on, and your dislike for him had to be put aside for the project's sake. However, you both began to see each other in a different light. This journey together was one that both of you wouldn't forget. genre: fluff, enemies to lovers trope, suggestive warning: kys jokes, kisses (lmk if i missed something!)

wc: 5.1k words

Taeyang and you were seated together in class when the teacher announced the pairing, for a project. The two of you knew of each other's strong dislike, and neither was pleased with the situation. At least that's what you thought.

He immediately turned to look at you, who sat next to him. He saw you rolled your eyes as you knew you would be stuck with him for the assignment. Taeyang sighed and said, "Well, I don't really know what else I expected. Let's just get this over with."

You didn't respond and simply shook your head in annoyance. So, you and him sat side by side at the library table to work on the project.

You rolled your eyes and replied, "Fine. Let's just get this project over with." With that, you and Taeyang started working on the project, despite occasionally getting into arguments about small things.

The arguments between you and him were usually over the project and related topics. At times, you even had to take a pause or a break from it, to settle your nerves after arguing with him.

You looked over his shoulder, and immediately spotted a color you didn't particularly like. "I don't like that color for this part. Pick a better one."

"This matches the theme of the project, why should we use a different color?" He remained unbothered by your statements.

You replied stubbornly. "It looks weird, trust me. Use something else."

"No, I'm happy with this one."  Taeyang stayed calm and tried to reason with you.

You were rather irritated by his stubborn response, but figured that there was no point in pushing the matter further. With a slight roll of your eyes, you turned back towards the project and finally made a comment. "Why did it have to be the two of us working on this project?"

Taeyang remained silent, before teasingly replying, "I don't know. Are you sure it's not your bad luck that got us together here?" With a smirk, he also added, "Well, now that you mention it, it might actually be me who's unlucky."

You rolled your eyes again, but simply you replied, "Whatever. Let's just finish this. We want a good grade, so no point in fighting."

He just laughed at you and was secretly enjoying the back-and-forth arguing, because it made you seem all the more cute and lovable to him when you were frustrated.

He had always thought you were pretty, but something about your demeanor when you were working on the project was even more adorable than before. But, he decided to maintain his "tough, uncaring" persona for now, just to see how far the argument would go.

Taeyang and you then proceeded to work on the project, according to your way, as he had agreed to let you go ahead with your plan. After working together on the project, you showed him the final result, for his approval, before handing it in. He did his best to review and fix any mistakes or inconsistencies, in order to ensure your good grades because he knew you're going to kill him if he isn't doing his best.

It came as a surprise that Taeyang and you made quite a bit of progress so quickly. Upon finishing the project, the two of you looked at each other, feeling a sense of pride in your accomplishments. You was quite impressed with yourself, for keeping your emotions in check despite his constant teasing.

After a moment, Taeyang eventually got up and you watched him as he prepared to leave, but before he could walk out the door, he uttered a request that completely shocked you.

"Come on. I'll walk you home." Taeyang said, in a surprisingly sincere tone. You was caught completely off guard.

You had no idea he would even suggest this at all. You just stood there, blinking in confusion. "Wait, really? Why would you do that for me?" You asked, utterly shocked.

"It's a long walk home. And I just want to make sure that you get there safely." Taeyang explained, in a soft and sincere tone. 

You couldn't help but look at him in disbelief, unsure of what to say or think in response to his kind gesture. "Taeyang, I can take care of myself. I don't need you to walk me all the way home-"

"Just look at what time it is. It's dark, and who knows what could happen out there." He said it calmly but sounding genuinely concerned, and a little frustrated. "Just come on, let me walk you home," he added.

You felt a pang of guilt, and sighed. "You know what? Fine. You can walk me home. But, only because I don't want to argue right now."

With this, you started to gather your stuff, not really sure if this was just another one of Taeyang's tricks or a genuine offer but he looks so genuine tho so you can't really say no to him.

"Great. Let's get going." He said, as he opened the door, and began walking outside. He then waited for you to follow him. As both of you were walking, you kept thinking that Taeyang was acting strange.

He was acting different than usual.

You couldn't put your finger on it, but it was just a feeling you had.

All the way home, you realize Taeyang really stayed beside you, careful not to walk too far from your side. He was aware of the dangers that lurk in the shadows, especially at night. He wanted to make sure that you were safe, he couldn't even help but smile at the thought of how quickly you had accepted his offer to walk you home. It was nice seeing you this comfortable around him, even after all their disagreements.

But when you were approaching the crosswalk, you notice Taeyang suddenly stopped in his tracks. You looked back to see what was wrong, but he had already started back to the cross walk. You called after him, "Hey, where are you going? The light's green."

Taeyang didn't respond, so you ran to catch up with him. When you got there you saw that he had stopped to pick up a stray kitten to a safest place that less crowded.

Taeyang was looking at the kitten, admiring its soft fur and big eyes. You were surprised to see this side of him, because all of the years that you had known him, he never showed any interest in anything but arguing and teasing you all the time. You watched as he talked to the kitten and gently petted it, and you couldn't help but crack a small smile. Taeyang didn't notice you standing there and continued to fawn over the animal.

You soon began to realize that Taeyang, may not have been acting weird at all. He was just being genuinely nice. You had been so used to him being your rival, that you forgot now you were working together. You couldn't believe either that Taeyang, was actually treating you nicely to walks you home.

In a way, it was kind of... sweet.

You couldn't help but kept watching him for a moment, but then you heard the sound of honking down the street. You turned to see that the traffic light had been green for you to cross for some time now.

So you called out to him, "Hey, we should get going. The traffic light's been green."

Taeyang looked at you, and was about to say something back. Then he looked at the traffic around them and saw that you were right. So, he said good bye to the kitten and started to move to cross the street with you.

After safely making it across, Taeyang began to walk slightly in front of you. He slowed his steps so that he was not walking too far ahead and continued to look back every now and then to checking up the kitten if it was still there. Every time he looked back, you noticed that he had a small smile on his face, which only continued to make you smile as well but you didn't say anything about that.

Taeyang suddenly started walking backwards, blocking your way. You dropped your smile so fast —don't want to get caught and looked at him confused, "Why are you walking backwards?"

"I think you know why. You keep smiling while looking at me. So I want to see it clearly." You shocked for a while because he noticed, but you keep your face straight and answer with fierce gaze, "There's something wrong with your eyes."

Taeyang started to chuckle softly. "Well, since I walked you home, I feel like you owe me something now," he said, with a playful tone in his voice.

You narrowed your eyes. "Oh please, Taeyang, like I'd ever owe you anything." Your response was quick and sassy, as you wanted to make it clear that you weren't amused by that.

"Oh, you will." He then reached out and gently took your hand as he slipped it through his arm and said, "Come on, let's go. I think you still need to pay me back for walking you home."

You didn't want to admit it, but Taeyang walking you home and now having his hand in yours felt kind of nice. You didn't pull away, instead you rolled your eyes and said, "Fine. What do I owe you now then?"

As you and him walked getting closer to your apartment building, he shifted his gaze downward to you and casually asked. "How about you invite me up to your place for a cup of coffee?"

He thought it would be funny to see you get all worked up and start arguing again, but instead, you just nod. "Hmm, yeah sure. It's not like I don't have an extra bag of coffee in my room."

Taeyang raised an eyebrow, as he was caught off guard by your quick acceptance of his invitation. It showed in his eyes, though he worked to hide his surprise. Remained calm and nonchalant. After a few moments of silence, Taeyang let out a light chuckles, and simply blurted out. "Wow, that worked better than I thought it would."

You looked up at him with a slight look of confusion, "What did you think would happen?"

Taeyang paused for a moment, considering his response before answering, "I just expected you to start yelling at me."

"Fair enough."

You weren't sure what else to say to that, as you had also been rather surprised by how smoothly things had worked out. You wondered if maybe Taeyang wasn't actually as annoying as you had thought, and was actually quite charming.

Upon reaching the apartment building, Taeyang turned and opened the door, allowing you to pass through. You looked back at him and softly said, "Thanks."

His response was a simple nod, along with the comment, "Like I'm going to let you open the door yourself."

You laughed at his response, and sarcastically replied, "Yes, obviously. Because you're always the gentle man." Taeyang chuckled at you and replied, "Well, you're one to talk."

Taeyang stepped in after you and closed the door. He looked at you, as you was heading towards the elevator, and casually commented, "Right, about that cup of coffee."

You stopped and turned towards him, while saying. "Well, you seem really insistant on coming to my place."

Taeyang raised an eyebrow, "Shouldn't I say that? Don't get too excited, it's just coffee." As a response, YN chuckled and stated, "You wish I was excited."

"Oh yeah? Just wait and see." Then he turned and began to walk toward the elevator and you followed him. Once the elevator arrived, you pushed the button and the doors closed.

You heaved a small sigh, feeling somewhat anxious about the upcoming situation. "This is probably gonna be really awkward." Taeyang, however, immediately turned towards you. "Don't worry, I'm sure I can make it even worse." in a light and playful demeanor.

As the two of you stepped into the elevator, a sense of awkwardness started to settle in. He seemed to be enjoying this though, because he kept giving you small smiles and even laugh at your discomfort.

Eventually, the doors opened and you sighed again. "Okay, well, here we are I guess."

You and Taeyang walked down the hall towards your apartment door, where you let Taeyang in first. After following him inside, you quickly closed the door behind you, and watched as Taeyang looked around momentarily, taking in the small space. After a few moments, he turned and looked back at you.

You returned his gaze, feeling slightly flustered. Meanwhile Taeyang seemed to be enjoying your nervousness as he taunted you with a sly grin, simply asking, "Something wrong? Nervous to have me in your place?"

You wanted to say something sarcastic in return, but Taeyang's smirk and presence was throwing you off. You just scoffed and said, "Whatever. I'm not nervous."

Then walked to the coffee maker and started to brew a cup for each of you. Taeyang just stood by in silence, watching you. So you turned back to him at one point and said, "What? You've never seen someone make coffee before?"

He chuckles at your reaction and answer softly, "Never seen someone as beautiful make coffee before."

You found yourself extremely frustrated by Taeyang's constant sweet talk, and didn't understand why he kept throwing in those little flirts here and there. In an attempt to ignore his behavior, you turned your back on him, and started to make a cup of coffee. However, he suddenly came up behind you, and before you had realized, he had already taken over and said. "I'll handle the coffee. Just sit down."

You looked up at him in confusion, wondering what his sudden change of heart was for. As you tried to read his thoughts, Taeyang simply smiled and instructed, "Sit." You couldn't help but chuckle a little at his playful way of ordering you around.

Taeyang grabbed some coffee mugs and poured the coffee into them, before handing one to you and sitting in the chair across from you. The two of you silently drank your coffee in comfortable silence, until Taeyang decided to break it. "So, did you ever think it would come to this?" he asked, clearly referring to the two of you sitting together and enjoying a peaceful moment. You had to admit that it was a little unexpected, considering their interactions earlier.

You took another sip of your coffee, before answering Taeyang's question in a quiet tone. "Did I ever think we'd be sitting in my place, having a casual conversation?"

Taeyang couldn't help but let out a light laugh at your answer, "Yeah, I guess we've come a long way from yelling at each other in class everyday."

"Yes, well, I suppose so," you responded with a small nod, as the two of you continued to sit in companionable silence, each sipping your respective cups of hot coffee.

There were silent again for a moment before you asked him, "Why exactly did you always argue with me? What was your reason?"

Your sudden question made Taeyang thought for a moment. He let out a breath. "I guess it's because I just enjoyed our banter. Or maybe, I just wanted an excuse to talk to you."

You raised your eyebrows, impressed by Taeyang's honest response. This was completely different from his usual cocky and teasing demeanor.

"I don't think you had a very nice way of trying to talk to me."

Taeyang smirked as he replied teasingly, "Well, it worked." 

He gave you a look, suggesting that he had been right all along. Even though he still enjoyed being a little flirty and teasing, he also recognized that having a real conversation with you wasn't so bad.

He took another sip of his coffee before asking, "So, how long are you planning to keep me here?"

"Well, I'm not planning on keeping you against your will. You were the one that asked to come up for coffee in the first place."

Taeyang just chuckled while straightened up his back, "Right. Well, I guess I'm just enjoying your company too much to leave."

"Flatterer," you exclaimed with a slight roll of your eyes, as Taeyang kept up his usual behavior. He laughed at your reaction, as he found your annoyed expression amusing.

"You know you could just ask for another cup. You don't have to be so dramatic about it."

He smirked once again, clearly enjoying your reaction to his flirtatious words. "What can I say? I've never been able to resist getting a reaction out of you."

You remained a bit speechless, not quite knowing how to respond. Instead, you just sighed and shook your head. Suddenly Taeyang got up, set his empty coffee cup in the sink, his gaze suddenly descended to your face, as he noticed a strand of your hair that kept falling in front of your eyes. He then walked up to you who were sitting at the desk.

When you looked up at him, he gently tucked the strand of hair behind your ear. His hands lingered there for a brief moment, as you couldn't help but felt a little flustered at his action, but still managed to meet Taeyang's gaze with an incredulous look.

He returned your gaze, but this time with a tender and genuine smile. "You have a piece of hair that keeps falling in your face, so I wanted to tuck it back for you." He whispered softly.

You felt yourself flush with embarrassment, when Taeyang mentioned the stray piece of hair. However, you were also charmed by his action. So you didn't say anything and looked away, feeling somewhat shy.

Taeyang didn't say anything either, but tucked his hands in his pockets. You, however, still felt a little awkwardness. So, in a playful and sarcastic tone, you finally broke the silence, "So, did you just come up here to flirt with me?"

Taeyang couldn't help but break out into a little chuckle when you made your sarcastic comment. "Well," he began, still smiling. "I did want to make up for all those times I argued with you." He paused for a moment, then smiled again, and added, "But, I guess I can't deny that flirting with you was part of my motive as well." His words were playful and teasing, but he said it with a light and charming tone, making it seem like a compliment rather than a taunt.

You tried to hide your feelings by making a scrunched-up face, as you stood up and said, "Well, now that you've made it up to me, you can go now."

Taeyang was unfazed and simply laughed. "Come on, don't deny it. You enjoyed our time together," he said confidently.

You had difficulty disagreeing and just looked away with a slight blush. While you didn't enjoy the way he always argued and teased you, you couldn't deny that you didn't completely dislike his company.

"Whatever. I'm gonna head off to bed. You really should leave."

Taeyang looked down at his watch again and said, "Oh, I think I'm too tired to walk back now."

"Of course you'd be too tired. Now how am I gonna get you out of my place?"

"I dunno. Maybe I'll just stay the night here and see you in the morning."

You started questioning Taeyang's sudden change in behavior. You wondered if there was a deeper and more nefarious motive behind his actions. However, you didn't want to give in easily and tried to get rid of him. You couldn't deny that having him in your home was a bit overwhelming, and you didn't want to let your guard down just yet.

"You can't do that." You narrowed your eyes and look at him in disbelief.

Taeyang just shrugged and acted like it's not a big deal. "Too late. I'm already here. What are you gonna do about it?"

"How about you figure that out yourself?"

"Well, why don't you try and kick me out? See how that works for you." With this, he made it clear that he wasn't going to leave anytime soon.

You tried to come up with your next move, but Taeyang interrupted your thoughts by speaking. "Y/n, you really don't get it?" he asked in a teasing tone. "I just needed an excuse to spend some time alone with you,"

Your face heated up and your heart fluttered, at his sudden confession and you didn't know how to react. Just before you could turn away, Taeyang caught a glimpse of your blush. "I see that," he said playfully. You remained silent, feeling your heart pounding in your chest. Taeyang chuckled softly and continued, "You like spending time with me too, don't you?" With this comment, Taeyang made his intentions very clear, leaving no doubt for your response.

You were trying so much to not make your voice sound shaky, because it started tou make you feel nervous than ever. "Whatever." You said.

"I didn't expect you to admit it." He took a step closer to you, still keeping his hands in his pockets. He lowered his voice and said, "So, I guess you don't mind if I stay the night then."

"You know what? I change my mind," you finally spoke, with some conviction in your voice.

"Change your mind about what?"

"Kicking you out," you said firmly.

He remained unfazed, as he seemed to play dumb. "Ah, well, what changed your mind?"

He chuckled once again, and you stayed silent. Then, Taeyang slid his hand out of his pocket and let his thumb gently touch your top lip. He lowered his voice and said, "I know you wanted me to stay."

The touching, the lowered voice, everything about this moment was too dreamy and surreal. You wanted to deny it, but deep inside, you had to admit that yes, you wanted him to stay.

You struggled to maintain your composure as Taeyang stood so close to you and spoke quietly, in that deep tone. You didn't want to acknowledge it, but his proximity, and his soft sweet touches were making your heart pound in your chest, and stirring new feelings within you.

Taeyang was amused by your reactions, and decided to utilize them to his advantage. He leaned in even closer, until your chests were almost touching. "You know what else I know?" he asked, his voice even softer and sweeter.

"What else?" you answered softly, feeling yourself lean towards him involuntarily. Your heart was beating quickly, as you waited for his answer.

Taeyang took a moment to look at you, and then whispered, "I know you want me to kiss you right now." You felt a rush of emotions, including surprise, embarrassment, and even a little bit of excitement. As your cheeks burned, you looked away from Taeyang, and didn't reply.

His thumb brushed against your cheek, as he said, "You see? I don't need a verbal response. I can tell just from looking at your face."

You felt out of your depth in this situation, growing more and more anxious every second. You could only respond with a weak voice. "I don't know what to do right now," feeling overwhelmed by Taeyang's teasing and your new feelings for him.

Taeyang seemed to enjoy your panic, as he let out a small and evil chuckle. "Well, it sounds to me like you're saying 'Please kiss me,'" he taunted, his words sounding sweet, yet intimidating. 

He drew closer to you, and his gentle hands wrapped around your waist. Then, he slowly leaned his head down, until his lips were closer to yours. Your heart raced crazily and your breath was quickened, but you didn't want to back out. You wanted to feel his lips against yours, and you were willing to take this leap of faith.

Taeyang was enjoying your reactions so much and took his sweet time getting close to your lips before gently pressing his lips against yours.

As your lips met his, you felt his arms pull you closer. Your heart raced even faster, as your breath became quickened and your body relaxed into an unfamiliar calm. His kisses were light, gentle and soft, but they felt as though they held an eternity of meaning and feeling. You had never experienced something like this, and were overwhelmed with the feelings running through your mind and body. But, amidst the frenzy, you couldn't help but close your eyes, and enjoy what felt like the sweetest kiss in the world.

When he released you from his lips, you opened your eyes and found yourself breathing heavily, still trying to come to grips with your feelings. Taeyang saw your expression and smirked, before leaning in and kissing you again.

This time, his kiss was more passionate and for a longer time. Your face was flushed and your heartbeat was thumping in your chest. Before you could react, you found yourself wrapping your arms around his neck and returning his kiss, trying to lose yourself in this moment. Your face was burning in both embarrassment and passion, as you realized just how intense your actions had become. But your heart was beating rapidly and you knew this moment was too good to back out now.

Taeyang seemed to know this as well, and he continued to kiss you deeply and passionately, his hands squeezing your back. You knew this was going very fast, but you didn't want to think about the consequences. You wanted to lose yourself in love, and Taeyang made you feel that way.

Taeyang pulled away from the kiss and he was breathless. He leaned his head down and put his forehead against yours while he still had his hands around your waist. You were stunned by the kiss and blushing harder than you ever had before. You were trying to calm down, but Taeyang's soft breathing and the feeling of his body against you was making you feel even more flustered.

And so, he finally pulled away to the sound of your soft exhale. Your eyes were burning with passion, as Taeyang's breath against your lips was sending shivers down your spine.

He leaned his head down and touched foreheads with yours, holding you in his embrace. The feeling of his smooth breathing and close proximity made it hard to calm your own breath. He was making you feel so many different things at once, that it was easy to lose yourself in this moment.

Taeyang was trying to calm down too, but he couldn't help glancing at you now and then to see your reaction. You kept your eyes closed and put your head down on Taeyang's chest and tried to slow your breathing. You didn't want to open your eyes and have to look at him anymore, knowing he could see your flustered expression.

In this position, you could hear Taeyang's heart beating in his chest, and your own heart seemed to match that tempo. His arms wrapped around you, and you felt his warmth. After a moment, you heard Taeyang's voice, "You know what I like most about this moment?" He remained close, his body still pressed against yours, and in the comfort of his hold, you could finally catch a breath.

Feeling at ease, you whispered, "What is it you like?"

Taeyang softly caressed your hair, a peaceful expression on his face. He spoke softly to you, "I like that, even though we spent so long arguing, we end up doing this. And honestly, I'd rather be doing this than arguing with you."

You remained silent in his embrace, your face still burning with embarrassment and you didn't have words at the moment to adequately express how you felt.

You felt his gentle hand on your hair and the comfort of his embrace, as you processed all that he had just said. And deep down, you agreed.

Taeyang then squeezed you a little and said, "You feel so nice and warm against my chest." You still didn't say anything and he just kept holding you for a moment before he finally said again, "Do you think you can open your eyes now?"

Slowly, your eyelids opened, and you found Taeyang looking at you with a kind and relaxed expression. The mischief and smug tone in his voice were gone, replaced by this gentle look that gave you a glimpse of Taeyang's softer side. Sitting up, you stretched before you spoke, "Well, that was...something."

In that moment, you weren't thinking about the repercussions of what had just happened. Your body was still slightly numb from the shock and intensity of the kiss. But you knew one thing for sure: that kiss changed everything.

"Do you need me to leave yet or should I stay a while longer?"

You just laughed at what he said, "I didn't realize a kiss would make you this easy to convince."

"It was a really good kiss, okay? You can't blame me for wanting to stay." Taeyang's response was instant and his smile was too charming.

You rolled your eyes before answering with a sigh, "Whatever. Just stay."

Taeyang responded with his own cocky smirk, "Sounds good to me," seemingly pleased by your reaction to him. Although your response was meant to sound annoyed or dismissive, Taeyang had a way of stealing your heart. So, the fact that you were allowing him to stay was a sign that you were slowly, but surely, falling for him.

You put your head down on Taeyang's chest, once more, and said, "I'm just gonna stay like this for a while."

Taeyang took this opportunity to tease you slightly, which you secretly enjoyed. He wrapped his arms back around you, and you closed your eyes, breathing in the peace of this moment. You were comfortable like this, enjoying the sound of Taeyang's breathing and the beating of his heart.

His weight against your body was reassuring and made you feel safe. You both remained silent for a moment, each lost in your own thoughts. Despite the silence, you felt an unusual but sweet intimacy. It felt as if you were communicating in a way that didn't require words, as if you were reading each other's thoughts.

The silence was both comforting and romantic, and both you and Taeyang wondered what would happen next. You felt a spark between the two of you, and the possibilities for your future began to unfold in your mind.