#lmao same hyuck

[horanghaechan]

hopefully not in nct pls

[dreamandback]

ALWAYS FOREVER (na jaemin)

OH, DARLING, IT'S ALARMING TO THINK OF US APART

synopsis: going to an amusement park for a first date was so like jaemin. fun and lively, and full of memories.

genre: fluff, newly established relationship, non idol!au, college!au

warnings: jaemin x male!reader, featuring/mentions the other dreamies, swearing, mentions alcohol and being drunk, vague mention of heights, food mention, a little sappy towards the end, kissing, overuse of the word fond lmao

word count: 2,025

author's note: sigh, i fell even more in love with jaemin while writing this. dividers by cafekitsune. comments and reblogs are heavily appreciated!

when jaemin asked you out, you had never felt more elated. you spent most of the night picking out your outfit and on the phone with jeno as haechan rummaged through your clothes. he claimed, “you need to look good but not like you’re not trying to look good.” whatever that meant. jeno just sighed over facetime and told you to wear something comfortable and to remember to bring a jacket. haechan, the self-proclaimed genius, suggested you don’t bring one so jaemin could offer you his.

in the end, you threw on a pair of jeans and an oversized hoodie. “it’s an amusement park, hyuck. it’s not like he’s taking him to some fancy fucking dinner.” jeno stressed from where he sat in his bed in his dorm, video game lights flashing on his face. haechan just shook his head, claiming jeno had zero fashion sense. he perked up when your phone went off, the brunette jumping in place and ushering you out of your dorm when he read jaemin’s text aloud. “he’s downstairs in the lobby, you idiot, go!” haechan shrieked, pushing you towards the door after throwing you your phone that you miraculously caught.

“i’m going, bye jeno, hyuck! love you guys!” you called out as you closed the door behind you, hearing your best friends bickering as soon as you left. you almost wished the elevator ride down was longer because you weren’t prepared for how good jaemin looked. his hair was still green, dyed on a dare from a drunk chenle and jisung, but he pulled it off. he wore a leather jacket over a hoodie with a pair of jeans. it looked like he had the same idea in mind. he beamed brightly when he noticed you walking towards him, eyes crinkled in that overly endearing way. “hey!” he grinned, taking in your outfit. 

“looks like we decided to match.” he teased, his hand immediately finding your own and linking your fingers. his thumb found a soft rhythm against the back of your hand, calming your nerves ever so slightly. it was like a dream, being with him like this. yes, you’ve held hands before. yes, he’s rubbed circles into your skin. but that was all before you knew he reciprocated your feelings. you could only grin bashfully back at him, entranced by his smile that sparkled like the stars at night. 

the walk to the amusement park wasn’t far, the time flew as jaemin cracked jokes with his odd humor that made you laugh until your stomach hurt. by the time you reached the ticket booth, your face hurt from smiling so hard. when you went to reach for your wallet, jaemin gave you a look. “nuh uh, i asked you out, so i’ll be paying. thank you very much.” he scrunched his nose up at you before a smile broke out on his face again. you held your hands up in defense, letting him do as he pleased. 

he kissed your head before getting the tickets, leaving you with your fluttering heart. you watched him fondly as he chatted animatedly with the vendor, grabbing the slips of paper before beckoning you over. you couldn’t help the skip in your step as you walked next to him, passing through the amusement park gates. an involuntary gasp left you at all the pretty lights, every ride and booth giving off neon hues. jaemin watched you fondly as you took in the sights, the smells, and the people.

“jaem, i’ve never-” you tried, but he beat you to it. “been here at night time, right?” he finished, a cheeky smile pulling at his pretty lips. you stared at him in awe for a moment, hardly believing he remembered that. you had told him that you’d never gone at night when you, him, and mark were drunk off your asses after exams had ended last year. his soft eyes only stared back at you fondly, layers of affection running deep within the warm pools hidden behind long lashes. 

he let out a soft chuckle, pulling you along with him and past the entrance to the park. he scanned the various attractions, one catching his eye and lighting a fire within him. he turned to you abruptly, face serious. you wondered what was wrong at first. “i’m gonna win you the cutest fucking stuffed animal ever.” he said firmly, tugging you behind him as he beelined over to the colorful booth. you let him, staring after him dumbly before breaking into a large grin.

he grinned at your happy chuckling, feeling accomplished. because it was getting late, the booth didn’t have a line. it still had some cute prizes, too. jaemin zeroed in on the bunny nestled in the corner of the prizes, it was a warm brown with a red bow around its neck. he immediately decided that one was going to be yours. the vendor greeted the both of you with a smile, one far too tight-lipped to be genuine, as he set up the cups. if there was anything jaemin was weirdly good at, it was carnival games. 

he slapped some money in the man’s open hand and picked up one of the balls on the counter. the man’s grimace of a smile turned more smug, sure of himself that jaemin wouldn’t knock down each small pyramid of cups. you smiled back at the man, deviously so, and it made him gulp. you watched with satisfaction when jaemin knocked each stack down effortlessly, the man’s mouth opening and closing like a fish. jaemin grinned, asking for the bunny he wanted, presenting it to you proudly once it was within his grasp.

you giggled at his sunny demeanor, finding him so painfully endearing as he pulled you along again. you spent around an hour visiting different booths and games, stopping to grab popcorn or cotton candy. you hummed happily as the wispy candy dissolved on your tongue, scrunching your nose at jaemin when he pressed a sticky kiss to your cheek. he laughed joyfully at you as you wiped the residue off your skin, grinning impishly when you playfully punched his arm.

when your eyes met, it felt like the whole world slowed to a stop, yet sped up all at the same time. the lights from the merry-go-round you stood in front of bounced off jaemin’s hair and skin, lighting him up. the sweet song from the ride vanished as you zoned in on the sugar still clinging to the corner of jaemin’s mouth. you found yourself leaning in, slowly, eyes flickering to the warmth of his. when his eyes lidded, honey brown dazedly looking into yours, you found the confidence to close the gap.

pressing your lips against his skin was all too sweet, electric surges shooting down your arms and into your fingertips. gently, you licked the sugar from his lip before pulling away. when he chased after you, hazy eyes darting between yours, you felt like you could do anything. you gave him a lazy smile, taking in his awe as he continued to gaze at you. this time, you pulled him along, sending him a smile that could rival the sun itself.

the walk to the ferris wheel was quick, with jaemin’s surroundings blurred as his focus remained solely on you. he stumbled over his feet, suddenly having two left ones as he tripped over himself just trying to keep up with his emotions. he tingled where your lips met his skin, he was still trying to catch up to what happened only moments ago as his mind replayed the feeling of your tongue against his lip. 

he was brought back to the present when his back hit the seat of the cabin you chose, suddenly aware you were now off the ground. your hand was still holding his, warm against his cold one. everything about you was so very warm. you made him feel warm, his heart would race just at the thought of you. he didn’t realize he was staring at you, watching your every movement and committing the curve of your face to memory. he felt himself flush when you turned to him, smiling that obscenely soft smile you seemed to reserve for him. 

“what is it, jaem?” you cooed, bringing his hand enclosed by yours to your lips. those pretty lips that felt like flower petals against his skin. he felt himself stutter. the lights from below that poured through the windows of the cabin made you glow, and jaemin felt his breath catch in his throat. you were stunning. “i really like you… like a lot, " he mumbled, holding your hand tighter. his doe eyes were swimming with genuine emotion, and if you looked hard enough, you were sure you’d see hearts floating within them. you grinned fondly at him, squeezing his hand back. “i really like you too, nana.” 

he breathed out slowly in relief, no longer holding it in as he smiled cutely at you. you brought your free hand up to his face, delicately cupping his cheek. your thumb caressed his heated skin slowly as you just looked at him. really looked at him, for all he was. he was the boy who had always been there for you, the one who always helped you study even if he had an exam coming up. he was the boy who helped you mend your broken heart after a breakup in freshmen year, unaware that you fixed the fracture in your chest by falling in love with him.

he was the boy who knew your food and drink orders, the one who’d help soothe your social anxiety when it became too much. he was the boy who sent you songs that reminded him of you. he was the boy of your dreams, and you could hardly believe that he thought the same of you. he was the boy you fell in love with. you both leaned in a little closer, close enough where you could count his eyelashes if you wanted to. his gaze flitted between your eyes and mouth, silently begging you to let him kiss you. you huffed a laugh, rolling your eyes fondly. without warning, you closed the small gap just as your cabin stopped at the top of the ferris wheel.

jaemin felt like his chest was exploding, his heart fighting desperately to escape his ribcage and seek refuge next to yours. you weren’t faring much better, a soft noise spilling from you when jaemin held the back of your neck, pulling you closer, deeper, into the kiss. he gently prodded at your bottom lip with his tongue, asking for permission. you denied him, instead pulling away and enjoying when he chased after you again. the fireworks in your chest never fizzled out, bursting within you as you pressed your forehead against his, catching your breath. his eyes fell shut, fighting the urge to kiss you senseless. 

“i know this is kinda sudden, but will you be my boyfriend?” jaemin panted softly against your lips, pretty eyes searching yours. you beamed at him, radiant and luminous as you pressed a kiss to his cheek. “there’s nothing i’d want more than that.” you whispered ecstatically, brushing his hair away from his eyes. he laughed in disbelief, that charming smile back on his face as he stared at you, knowing that this moment was to be over as soon as your cabin met the ground. that didn’t matter though, because he knew that he’d have many more moments with you like this. “i love you.” he finally said, the night sky his witness to his confession. 

“i love you, too.” you said back, still admiring his eyes as they sparkled just for you. “i always will, jaem.” you sealed your promise with another kiss, a chaste one, but it meant just as much. jaemin grinned at you once more, and you were sure it was the prettiest one you’d ever seen. “always and forever.” he promised back. and with that, you knew your heart would be safe with him, for as long as he wanted to hold it.

dreamandback 2024. do not rewrite, repost, modify, or translate.

[liliansun]

FTWS: FIRST ANNIVERSARY | L. DONGHYUCK

synopsis: You and Haechan have been fighting lately and even though they were small arguments, it all got thrown into the same melting pot. To add onto the stress, your ex boyfriend shows up unannounced and his arrival causes things to stir up even worse than what they were before. (Note: this is a pt 2, check out pt1 here)

pairing: boyfriend!haechan x oc ft. mystery ex bc 🤭

wc: 7.7k

genre: fluff, comedy, slice of life au, angst, all that jazz

warnings: swearing, kissing, mentions of blood (just a small part where a wound is open but not anything graphic), lmk if I miss anything!

mentions of: 127, dream and wayv members, mention of aespa members

<3: did I write this all in one day—yea, do I regret it, no baby LMAO. also a special thanks to mako for getting me through these last few hours along w ash and briar for also just being some of the most amazing friends I could ask for. also thank YOU for giving all the love to fre trial wedding style and giving it 1k notes in just a little over a week, I hope this is just as good as the first and I love you all <33

Ever since you and Haechan started dating, it’s been interesting to say the least. He takes you on random dates throughout the city and almost always pays for each, you try to reason with him that you do have your own money to chip in, but he tells you chivalry isn’t dead and pays before you can get another word in. You know it’s sweet and he’s trying to be romantic, but somehow it also leads to small arguments. For example, the argument you’re both in as you pace the living room of your apartment happens to be based off the date you decided to cut short due to his lack of view from your standpoint.

“I don’t understand why you’re so mad, I’m your boyfriend and I want to be able to do things for you.” Frustrated, Haechan watches as you walk around your living room, running his hands through his hair.

“That’s because you don’t let me do anything, you don’t let me pay, you don’t let me have much say into where we go or what we do and you treat me like a baby when in fact I’m older than you.” After listening to the reasons off on your hand, you stand with your hands on your hip. He rolls his eyes, moving his entire body in the motion. “By a couple months—why are we even bringing age up, this isn’t about who is what, this is about—I don’t even know what this is about anymore.” You let out a heavy sigh, rubbing your temples to relax the migraine that was pounding against your skull.

Haechan moves across the room, grabbing both of your hands and bringing them to his lips. The soft kisses he places along your knuckles brings you back in as you meet his eyes. “Look, I’m sorry for making you upset.” You can tell how genuine his words are by the look he’s giving you. “I won’t plan everything without your input anymore, I promise.” He continues kissing your hand, moving his kisses down to your wrist. The feeling of his soft lips on your skin let's open the cage to the butterflies that flutter inside your chest. “I forgive you hyuck.” He smiles against your skin, moving his lips from your wrist to your lips.

You wrap your arms around his neck, grazing your fingers through the ends of his hair. As he pulls back from the short and sweet kiss, he rests his forehead against yours, taking in the moment while it lasts. “Are you staying over tonight?” You frown, shaking your head which is returned with a mirrored frown. “I got a meeting in the morning with Jungwoo and you know that he’ll chew my ass if I’m late by a second.”

“Why can’t you stay over then, I’ll get up and make you breakfast and even lay your clothes out for you.” Haechan moves his head into the crook of your neck, checking every box of his tactics to convince you to stay. You relish in the feeling of his worth, letting out what felt like the millionth sigh of the night. “That sounds like fun hyuckie, but last time you tried to make breakfast, you nearly burnt down your apartment.” He laughs against your shoulder, making you laugh in return by the tickling feeling of him giggling against your skin. “So does that mean I can stay over instead?” You pull back, eyeing Haechan as he gives you the same goofy smile he always has on. “Go home before I take my key back.”

Haechan continues laughing, pulling his keys from his front pocket. As he holds them up, you see the purple key with home written across the metal. “As if I’d ever let you take this back, this is my key to your heart baby and unfortunately for you, you’re stuck with me.” Rolling your eyes, you turn him around and start to push him towards the door. “Yeah yeah, better be glad I still like your crazy ass.” Haechan opens your front door, turning around to face you as you wait for him to initiate the goodnight kiss. As cheesy as it sounds, it’s almost become a tradition for you two to kiss before the other returns back to their apartment. Even though you’re right across from each other, to you it seals in everything that the day has brought and leads to a better night.

Haechan leans down, kissing you so gently that you can barely feel that he’s there and those are your favorite type of kisses with him. All of them are probably your favorite, but this one in particular tops the cake. As he pulls away, you almost don’t wanna see him go, but you need all the rest you can get before work in the morning. “Goodnight y/n.” Haechan’s voice sounds so bittersweet, walking backward to his door as you give him a small wave. “Goodnight hyuck.” He smiles at the nickname, turning to open his door and disappearing behind it once it’s shut.

Closing your door, you make your way down the hall and climb into bed to settle for the night. Just as you start to get comfortable, you hear your phone go off with notifications. Deciding not to ruin your comfort, you neglect your unread notifications and opt for sleep. By the morning, you still don’t have the energy to check your phone and instead skip breakfast and head straight to the office to get the day over with. The moment you step into the building, you’re greeted with Jaehyun who was standing by the front desk chatting it up with Winter. You notice two coffees in his hand and to much surprise, one of them is your usual order.

When Jaehyun notices you, he makes his way over and hands you your cup. “You’re in a surprisingly good mood today.” You scowl at him as you take a sip of your drink. “Says the one who took the time to order me a drink, I’m not gonna pass out am I?” He gives you an uneasy smile before stepping into the elevator with you. The weird sense of deja vu comes over you, sending a chill down your spine. “You haven’t checked your phone by chance, have you?” Looking up from practically spacing out, you give Jaehyun a weird look. “No, why, did I miss something?” He looks at you almost surprised, shrugging as he gets off a few floors before your stop.

“Good luck y/n.” Just as you’re about to ask him what his mood was about, he practically rushes away from the elevator, leaving you confused. When you get off on your floor, you see Taeyong and Doyoung standing nearby. You wave at them when they look your way, getting a smile in return. Something in your stomach tells you that things are going wrong when they immediately turn their backs to you and start moving in the opposite direction. You try to push the feeling down, continuing down to your office. When Karina sees you, she pulls you aside almost immediately. “Girl what the hell have you been doing?” You look at Karina with the same confusion you’ve been giving everyone, wondering what the hell you missed in the last twelve hours.

You crouch down to her level, rubbing your arm where she had pulled you aside. “What am I doing, what the hell is going on, everyone is acting like I got the plague or something.” She scans your expression with her eyes, realizing that you haven’t figured out what you’re about to. She sighs, slumping forward before looking up at you. “Okay, I guess you didn’t get my texts last night which by the way were important so don’t freak out or anything, but Xiaojun is back.” At the mention of his name, you can practically feel the color from your face leave you. The mention of ex makes you feel sick and you have to hold onto Karina to keep you from falling on your ass.

A little backstory into Xiaojun and your relationship explains your reaction and why you visibly look ill. Before the two of you became a couple, Xiaojun was an exchange student who went to your high school in hopes to get into the journaling club and that’s where you two met. He was tall, had a pretty smile and even prettier voice. Naturally, you two got close and even started to hang out after school and outside of club hours. It sounds like a typical high school romance and from the surface, it was. Until it was time for him to go back home and you were both left heartbroken and frustrated on how to resolve the underlying feelings between the two of you.

Somehow, the world kept working in your favor and Xiaojun ended up moving back once he graduated from his school back in China. The two of you went to the same university and even both got into similar classes to spend the most time together. All things were going great up until your senior year when you both applied to the job you work now. Tension started to build as you both wanted to get a spot as an intern in hopes to kickstart your career as a journalist. You knew how bad Xiaojun wanted it, but you didn’t know if you were willing to give up your dreams for your boyfriend. Yes, you did plan and hope to marry him one day and even in the toughest times, you’d still find yourself wanting to grow old with him, but when you got the spot and he didn’t, everything started to fall apart.

Both you and Xiaojun would get into fights after you got back from working all day and unknown to you, he applied as well for an actual job to the company. When he ended up getting the job, you didn’t know how to feel, I mean yes you were happy, but he also went behind your back and didn’t tell you about it until he was accepted. After all was said and done, you stuck through it and eventually was offered a job as well and to you, this was a great idea. You’d be working with your boyfriend who you loved dearly and you’d both be doing the thing you love. All was found great for about three weeks until he was offered a job at the sister company over in China.

When he brought up the offer to you, of course you were heartbroken, but you weren’t going to let him leave his dream behind to stay here with you and this somehow added more fuel to the fire. He started accusing you of wanting to take his position and even went as far to say you fell out of love with him which was far from the truth. In the end, he took the position and left overnight after a heated argument that caused you both to split. It took you years to move on from the first love of your life and when you did, you met Haechan who has been the absolute best boyfriend you could ever ask for. Sometime in the beginning, you did find yourself comparing him to your ex, but Haechan could never compare to Xiaojun because he treated you so much better.

Karina’s hand on your shoulder brought you back in, the concerned look in her eyes making you feel even worse. Everyone knew the messy breakup that happened between you and Xiaojun and everyone was sympathetic for you when you started putting all your focus into working. “Uhm, how-I mean when like what—why is this even happening?” Your voice was shaky, taking deep breaths in to calm yourself. Maybe it was the nerves that shook at the mention of his name, causing a chain reaction of old memories and emotions to resurface or maybe it was the sheer pain in your chest that drops down to your stomach when thinking of seeing him in front of you again.

“He’s supposed to come in today, but I heard from Doyoung that he’ll be in by the end of the week, I just thought I’d tell you in advance to prep you.” Immediately, you pull her into a hug to which she returns and the two of you hold one another on the floor in the back space of the office. “Keep strong, remember you have Haechan and all will be well, he doesn’t have a hold over you anymore.” Her words soothe you and she feels you relax in her embrace. You close your eyes, mentally thanking every star in the night sky for bringing you an amazing friend like Karina.

“C’mon, let’s go to my office so I can tell you about Yangyang and the shit he did last night.” Both of you get up from the floor, sitting in her office while she works on some reports and spills every little detail from her date with your boyfriend’s best friend. You thought it’d be weird going on double dates with Yangyang and Karina, but seeing as they’re not actually dating (yet), it all just feels like one big hangout amongst friends. You confide in her about your small arguments with Haechan and she now isn’t too happy with the boy of mention. “Seems to me like he’s ready to take the next big step.” You give her a look, flipping through her paper files as she types away on the computer. “And that is?”

“Moving in together, duh.” You snicker, trying to find any hint of her comment being a joke. When looking up to find her staring at you, you realize she’s joking. “Oh, you’re serious?” She shakes her head, pulling the files from you and setting them on her desk. “So you mean to tell me you haven’t thought about moving in with him at all, not even once?” Shrugging, your face scrunches up at her disappointing sigh. “L/n Y/n, you seriously haven’t thought about moving in with your boyfriend of nearly a year?”

“Not necessarily, I mean I’ve thought about it a couple times, but the thought of it always gave me stomach pains.”

“Are you sure that wasn’t just his cooking?” Jaehyun’s voice was recognizable from literally anywhere, making you whip your head around to throw up a finger at him. He smiles, slapping your hand away as you turn back to Karina. “Girl, this man is putting all the signs in front of you and you can’t even see them, see this is why you’re fighting.” She folds her arms over her chest, leaning back into her chair. “We’re not fighting, we’re simply arguing over the littlest shit which actually makes no sense in the end and we end up making up.”

“I hate to break this little counseling session, but you’re about to be late for your meeting.” You gasp, looking down at your watch to see you have barely three minutes to make it across the building. Pushing Jaehyun aside, you sprint as fast as you can through the building and bust through the doors just in time. Out of breath with your hair sticking to the light sweat that broke out on your forehead, you’re leaned over trying to catch your breath as you prop your hands on your knees. “Glad you can make it miss y/n.” The sound of Jungwoo’s voice makes you swallow thick, wiping your forehead with your sleeve as you move to grab a seat.

You can practically feel everyone’s eyes on you as you sit down, embarrassed at your unprofessional entrance. You look around the room, noticing the seat next to Jungwoo was empty. You’re about to ask Doyoung, who was sitting beside you who it belonged to before the door opened and caught everyone’s attention. “Sorry for being late everyone, I was caught up in traffic.” The familiar voice sends an uneasy chill down your spine, making your throat go dry and refusing to look in his direction. “No problem Xiaojun, please take a seat and let the meeting begin.” Jungwoo welcomed him, motioning him to the empty spot that was right across from yours.

You could feel his eyes on you, making you feel sick on the stomach. Instead of looking his way, you focused on the projector screen and tried to remain visibly calm and unaffected by his presence, but it was starting to get hard to maintain.

For the rest of the day, you stayed pretty silent and dodged every question that was being asked. You could tell people were worried and tried to be there for you, but the overwhelming shock of seeing him after nearly three years was still so fresh on your unhealed wound. Even Karina tried to keep people away from you just to let you have some space and give you time to collect your thoughts, knowing later on you’d fill her in, which you did. You called her after you left work, telling how uncomfortable it was with him staring you down and how tense the meeting was and how Doyoung pulled you aside and apologized for his unexpected announcement. Doyoung mentioned specifically he’d chew Jungwoo out for not giving him right information about his whereabouts for your sake.

“I can’t believe that happened, that’s something from like a movie.” You sigh, sticking your key into your door and pushing it open, nearly dropping your phone as you scream. Haechan, who you assumed wanted to surprise you, was standing in your living room with a plate that was covered with a metal lid. Taken aback by your reaction, he too screams and unexpectedly drops the plate which ultimately lands on his foot, furthering his scream. You throw your phone aside after telling Karina you’d call her back, scrambling down to a very much in pain Haechan. “Are you okay hyuckie, how bad does it hurt?”

Haechan moved his hands away from his bruised looking foot. You noticed the cut that was bleeding, frowning as you graze your fingers near his wound. “I’m sorry baby, I ruined your dinner.” When you looked up to meet his eyes, you immediately wanted to cry. He looked so soft and sad, like a puppy that was kicked and it broke your heart to see him apologizing over something so small. Okay, maybe it was just the weight of stress from the day that tipped the tears in your eyes to start spilling mixed in with your overly sweet boyfriend in pain apologizing for something that felt like your fault.

After you cleaned his wound up and had him propped up on the couch with a pillow under his foot, you cleaned up the mess it made and took a well-needed shower after. When you got back, you saw Haechan asleep on your couch, looking too peaceful to wake up. Grabbing the blanket from your closet, you gently drape it over him. He stirs a little, blinking up at you with a smile. “Baby, why didn’t you wake me up?” You shake your head, crouching down to hold his hand as you place a soft kiss onto his cheek. “You looked too peaceful to be woken up, plus you need to rest your foot.” He sits up a little, pushing the blanket off as he tries to get off the couch. “I can still walk, I’m not on crushes.”

You shake your head, helping him up and instead of guiding him to the door, you guide him to your room. “Why aren’t we going to my apartment?” He questions, letting you help him into bed. He knows far too well he can walk on his own, he just finds it too cute that you wanna help him around. “You’re staying with me tonight, duh.” After climbing into bed, you snuggle up to him and rest your head on his chest. His arm that you’re laying against is playing with your hair as you relax under his touch. “Wanna talk about it, your day I mean.” If you had a list of all the things you loved about him, near the top would be his attentiveness and how he seems to always know when something is troubling you.

“Maybe in the morning.” He nods, satisfied and way too tired to pry it out of you. Instead, he kisses the crown of your head and closes his eyes. His thoughts are turning and the sleepiness lets his tongue become a little unfiltered before thinking of his own words. “You know, maybe we can do this more if we lived together.” You could hear your heart beating out of your chest, only hoping that he didn’t hear it as well. You decide not to say anything, opting to go to sleep instead.

When morning comes, Haechan was still asleep and damn did he look so cute. You slowly and as quietly as you can get out of bed, get ready for work and leave your apartment with Haechan in it. You did write him a note and left it on the counter for when he wakes up before rushing out the door and praying your day would be better than yesterday. You genuinely had hopes it would, that is until you actually got to work and ran into the one person you were hoping to avoid. Xiaojun was walking just as you were, waving to you as you with return a nod. Trying to rush to the elevator, you’re starting to think the universe genuinely did enjoy shitting on you as Xiaojun made it just in time in the same elevator with you.

“What floor?” Practically spacing out, you didn’t realize he was talking to you until he got closer to you and started waving his hand in front of you. “I’m sorry, what?” For some ungodly reason, he smiles at you and repeats his question. Your tongue goes dry as you tell him and he clicks on it. You want to crawl into a hole and let the earth swallow you up when you see he only clicked on your floor, meaning he too had to get off on that floor. The rest of the ride up was tense and uncomfortably quiet.

Once the doors open, Xiaojun goes to say something and you can almost guess what he’s about to say before you run, literally run, out the elevator and run into your tiny office space and hide. As embarrassing as you probably look, you’re thankful you kept the conversation short and didn’t have to endure any more short talk with him. You pull your phone from your pocket as it starts buzzing, settling in your chair and logging into your computer. You immediately smile at the caller id, swiping right to answer and bring the phone to your ear. “Hi hyuckie.” You can practically hear his smile through the phone as he shifts around in the background. “Hi baby, i like the note you left me.” Smiling a little wider, you start to click open some unanswered emails.

“I’m glad you like it baby, I meant it too, especially the part about taking one of your toes if so much as lift a hand today.” He laughs, taking a bite of what you assume is the food you asked Yangyang to bring him for you. “Yeah yeah, don’t touch my money makers.” You snicker, holding the phone up with your shoulder as you start to reply to emails and sort through the ones that aren’t as urgent. “Anyway, have you thought of what I said last night?”

“Hm, last night?”

“Yeah, about moving in together and stuff.” The timing of his words and the email you just opened triggered a chain reaction to you feeling awfully sick. The email you received from Doyoung was his email that he got from Jungwoo, telling you that you’d have to work on a piece for an up and coming company with—you guessed it—your ex. “Baby? What’s wrong, you went super quiet.” You almost forgot you’re talking to Haechan, clearing your throat as you type a very infuriating reply to the email. “Uhm, sorry I just got distracted, can we maybe talk about this another time, I’m so sorry baby, but I just—I gotta take care of something real quick.”

You miss the defeated tone in Haechan’s voice when he bids you goodbye before hanging up the phone. As if on cue, Doyoung comes flying into your office, giving you the same sympathetic look he gave you just the day before. “Don’t do anything irrational before you send that email.” You push yourself back from your desk, swiveling your chair around to stare up at him furiously. “Are you kidding me, out of all the people in this building I just so happen to be paired up with him?”

“I know and I tried to fight Jungwoo on it, but he said what we were all thinking.” Doyoung threw his hands up in defense, trying to keep you from tearing him apart. “And that is?” You crossed your arms over your chest, waiting for something logical, anything that’ll make you believe there’s nothing to quit you from going to Jungwoo yourself. “You’re the best we have and he’s also very talented, think about it y/n, if you both work on this together—not even together, just you working on the draft and him finalizing it, it’ll give you so much light.” You hated it, you hated how right he was and how sick it made you feel. You hated that you now were forced to have contact with him and you absolutely hated how Haechan would react.

Just as you’re about to tell Doyoung you didn’t care and that there was no way in hell you’d work with Xiaojun, the man himself peaks into your office as Doyoung is leaving. “Hey y/n, can we talk?” You look to Doyoung for help, but instead he waves you goodbye and disappears amongst the crowd of your coworkers. “Uh, sure?” He leans against your desk, picking at his nails as you can only assume he’s trying to find his words. “I assume you got the email and I just wanna say I’m excited to work with you again.” You feel way too many emotions at once and it’s all overwhelming. Thankfully, he doesn’t look at you directly and can’t tell how close you are to crying.

“In celebration of being back, we’re all going out tonight and I wanted to know if you’re coming or not.” You want to say no, you want to scream it from the top of the building and tell him to eat shit for coming back into your life as if nothing happened, as if he didn’t break you, but you pull it together and shrug. “I guess, if Karina goes of course, don’t wanna be with you alone somewhere.” The last part comes out completely by accident and it throws Xiaojun off. He smiles, taking his leave, leaving you to try and filter your thoughts.

The rest of the day goes by relatively normal and you made sure to text Haechan that you were found out with work friends for dinner. To much surprise, he didn’t ask why and told you to have fun. You told him you’d be back not too late and somehow that was the opposite of how the night ended. When you all left work, everyone immediately wanted to get dinner and have a good time. You on the other hand kept close to Karina even though she invited Yangyang. Karina made the promise to stay by you regardless of her state, but two shots into the night and she was off somewhere dancing on tables with her (soon to be)boyfriend cheering her on.

Awkward tension was surrounding you and Xiaojun as people kept congratulating you both on getting such a big story to cover and to be honest, it didn’t feel like a real celebration. By the end of the night, Karina had lost your keys somewhere between the bathroom and the bar she was clinging to. Xiaojun of course had to be the first to offer you a ride home with the drunk (not yet)couple in his backseat and although you wanted to call Haechan, you felt bad if you got him out the comfort of his bed at this ungodly hour. The drive on the other hand was a breeze since Karina and Yangyang kept spewing nonsense and directly talking shit about Xiaojun.

When you pulled up to your apartment, Xiaojun got out of the car as you did, watching you walk towards your building. Turning around due to the feeling of being watched, you saw him leaning against his door. “Why are you watching me, it’s uncomfortable.” He smiled, shaking his head as reopened his door. “Just making sure you get inside safely.” You chose the safest option and turned back around without a word and went up to your apartment. The only thing you wanted right now was to crawl into your bed after an amazingly hot shower and sleep your worries away, instead you were met with a very upset looking Haechan standing at your front door.

“Hi baby.” You mumble, pushing your door open and walking past him. “Who was that?” His question threw you off, turning to him to see him standing in your doorway with furrowed brows. “Who are you talking about?”

“Pretty boy making heart eyes at my girlfriend, the one whose car you got out of?” You could see the hurt written across his face, making you frown. “Baby, he was no one, don’t worry about him.” He scoffs, dropping his crossed arms to run his fingers through his hair. “He’s not one of your coworkers I’ve seen before, so please y/n, just tell me who the hell was that guy.” You’ve never seen him so upset before, his eyes were glossy and yet there was a lingering anger that you could see in his eyes. “He’s my ex boyfriend—I know it looks bad I know, but I can explain perfectly.”

He looks down at his feet, silently waiting for you to give your explanation. “He used to work at the came company, but he ended up moving back home to work at the sister company and we broke up—I promise you hyuck there’s nothing going on between us, he just dropped me off because Karina lost my keys and they all wanted to celebrate him coming back and I didn’t have a ride ho-“

“Why didn’t you call me?” It was all too much, your senses overwhelmed. Both of you were a mess, crying as you each tried to keep it together. “It’s late and you’re hurt and I didn-“

He scoffed, taking a step back and out your front door. “So you take a ride with your ex instead of calling your boyfriend..is he the reason you don’t wanna move in with me?” Shaking your head, you try to reach out for him in hopes he’d let you in, instead he shuts you out and takes another step back. “Please hyuck, I do wanna move in with you, I just can’t.” Everything was happening too fast, Haechan silently went back to his apartment leaving you falling to your knees in tears with your door wide open.

That night, you felt empty inside. It seemed dramatic, but you truly never had such a bad fight with Haechan before. Sure, you two would have small petty fights, but this one ripped your heart right out your chest and all you could think of was how he might leave you. The next morning, you laid in your bed, crying on the pillow Haechan used each time he stayed over. You had already told Doyoung you’d be working from home for the rest of the week, making up an excuse that you were sick and didn’t feel like coming into work and risking everyone else getting it as well. Of course Doyoung wished you a good recovery and told you he’d email you everything you needed.

As the day passed, you laid dormant in your bed while watching the sun rise and fall from its shine through your window. A knock on your front door caught your attention, immediately rushing up from your bed and running through your apartment to answer it. When you opened the door, you were hoping to be met with Haechan, instead you saw Karina holding a duffel bag. “Don’t just stand there, lemme in, it’s cold.” You stepped aside, sniffling as she entered your apartment. You could hear shuffling coming from down the hall, watching Yangyang come up and to Haechan’s door along with Renjun and Mark. They all gave you a sympathetic smile when seeing you nearly break down, knocking on Haechan’s door.

You stood there, waiting for it to open just to get a glimpse. You needed to see him, almost desperate to see him and you wanted nothing more to have him back in your arms. Mark picked his phone from his pocket, answering it and nodding before hanging up his call. “He said it’s unlocked.” Both boys nodded at the other before giving you one last look before they all disappeared into Haechan’s apartment. Karina gently guided you from your door, holding you when you turned into her arms and let it all go.

Not exactly how long you stood by your door crying into her shirt, but being the amazing friend she is, she held you as you let it all out. The stress from work, the stress and pain from being forced to be around Xiaojun and the stress and pain of worrying of losing Haechan was all too much and you finally let it all out. Once you had calmed down, both you and Karina settled in your bed and watched your favorite moves for the rest of the night till you got hungry. “Go shower and I’ll order food.” You could only nod, imagining how bad you smelt from wallowing in your bed all day.

As you got in the shower, Karina ordered your favorite take out and waited till it was delivered. She went to get it from the delivery man when she spotted Haechan coming up to his apartment. Not knowing if she should say hello or not, she paid for the food and stood awkwardly in your doorway. From the looks of it, he looked just as bad as you did. Hair unkept to, clothes inside out and mismatching and he overall looked heartbroken. She started to think he didn’t notice her, until he finally made eye contact. “How..is she?” She too felt her eyes start to sting thinking about you and how softly you tried to cry in the shower when she passed by.

“She’s not herself, but I got her.” He simply nodded, standing in front of his door for a minute. “Karina, did the food come?” Your voice caught both of their attentions, making Karina turn around and shut the door before she caught sight of him. When the door shut, Haechan silently cried as he entered his apartment, being brought into a group hug with the three boys.

A few weeks had passed since your fight with Haechan and both of you were avoiding each other, despite how much you wanted to talk to one another. When he was coming in from work, you’d be opening the door for Karina or leaving to go meet up with Xiaojun for work. I know, meeting with your ex when you and your boyfriend aren’t talking isn’t ideal, but Jungwoo got down your throat about your project and wanted a final draft soon. Karina kept telling you to man up and text him first, be the bigger person and to ‘get it over with’ so she doesn’t have to see you mope around.

In your defense—you tried to text him and every time you did you could see the three little bubbles indicating he was too trying to text you. You always chickened out, waiting for him to finish his text, only to be saddened when the bubbles disappear and your heart breaks all over again. As you’re sitting on your couch binging It’s Okay To Not Be Okay for the fifth time this week, you hear a knock on your door and don’t think much of it. When you get off the couch and finally open the door, to much surprise you don’t see who you expect. Usually when you hear a knock, it’s typically Karina and if she can’t come, she’ll send Yangyang in her place. You were even hoping it’d be Haechan, instead you were met with a very smiley Xiaojun.

You notice the flowers—your favorite flowers in his hand and a bag of what smells like your favorite food. The old you probably would’ve swooned at him standing in front of you, but the person you are now is completely taken aback by his unannounced arrival, more importantly how did he remember where you lived. “What do you want?” Now he looks taken aback, not expecting your reaction. “I uh, can I come in, it’s kinda cold out here.” You relax, leaning against your door frame with arms crossed over your chest. “No, now answer my question.” He takes in a deep breath, swallowing thickly while trying to avoid your gaze.

“Well, it’s our anniver—“

“Was our anniversary, past tense.”

“Yeah, was, um, but I thought you’d like to come out with me, but judging by your absence at work I decided to come to you instead.” Your deadpan expression should give away how you feel, but you almost forget who you’re dealing with. He was the same way when you two dated, completely oblivious to your feelings despite your body language giving it away. “Xiaojun, I’m sorry if you got some mixed signals by me being in your general presence, but I have a boyfriend actually and I’m not really into the douchebag type anymore, sorry.”

He scoffs, dropping his hand that was holding the flowers. “You could’ve just said no, you don’t have to make up having a boyfriend.” You’re not exactly sure how the universe managed to pull this off, but just as Xiaojun was finishing his sentence, Haechan was walking up to his door with Yangyang and Mark. “Actually, that’s my boyfriend right there, wave hi.” You point to Haechan who was confused seeing you and your ex staring at him. “Who, the one with blonde hair?” You visibly gag, shaking your head while Mark snickers at the very offended Yangyang. “Ew, no, the brunette, that’s the boyfriend, so sorry, bye bye now.” You give Xiaojun a little shove away from your door, pushing him a little further before going back into your apartment.

You almost miss the look Haechan is giving you, making your stomach turn upside down with butterflies that cry out for him. Something inside tells you to stay, to hope he comes over and scoops you up and kisses you to make up for each kiss he missed out, but you choose to hold it together and shut your door before you completely break down all over again.

Another long week passed with no word from Haechan and you’re starting to think he’s never going to talk to you again. By the end of the week, you’re fed up with it all. You’re over the silence from his end and the avoided eye contact in the hall when passing one another, you’re especially over spending your first year anniversary alone in bed in the morning. Thankfully it was a weekend and you didn’t have to go into work with puffy eyes and tear stained cheeks, opting to finally confront Haechan and sort through the shit show your relationship has come to.

Sometime between crying to old Taylor Swift songs and brushing your teeth, you go over what you want to say to him in case he breaks up with you and the thought leaves a bitter taste on your tongue that the brush cannot get rid of. You finish getting ready for the day, taking your time to eat breakfast in hopes that it all goes well. Karina had called earlier, trying to give you a pep-talk and hype you up, but she only added fuel to your nervousness. Deciding to stop stalling anymore, you leave your apartment and stand frozen in front of Haechan’s door. The butterflies in your stomach are beating against you, rushing around to be set free.

With a deep breath, you knock on his door and await in the background noise of the city. After some shuffling, you see Haechan swing the door open and you feel your knees giving in just by the sight of him. His hair has been trimmed, combed nicely and parted even with what you assume is styling gel. He was wearing some of his nicer clothes in his closet, no suit and tie, but more of his favorite jeans and a shirt that complements both his shirt and skin tone. He has his shoes on, as if he was about leave and part of you is terrified to know where he was going. “Go back home, you’re not supposed to be here.”

Now you’re a little taken aback by him, furrowing your brows as he immediately realizes how harsh that sounds. “No, no not like that—I mean I had things planned and I was supposed to come to you and it was supposed to be roman—“ As expected, you completely melt as he tries to explain and instead of staring at him like he’s an idiot—(he is but he’s your idiot)—you pull on his collar and take him into a very awaited kiss. Haechan is just as surprised as you are, hesitating a little before wrapping his arms around your waist and pulling you into his apartment to hold you closer.

The two of you share an intimate and very much missed kiss, holding one another until you’re both out of breath and pull back. “I missed you hyuck.” You couldn’t see the goofy boyish smile he had, his heart doing flips in his chest at the use of the nickname. “I missed you even more baby, I promise I’ll never go that long without you again, I mean it baby.” Letting out the breath of relief, you took this moment to re-familiarize yourself with Haechan. His touch was still the same, gentle yet firm when he held you. His lips were still as soft as ever, a little dry—but a few swipes of chapstick never hurt anyone.

“I think we should talk about this all, I really do—but I have a surprise first.” You look up at him, smiling as he grabs both of your hands and leads you out of his apartment. “Where are we going?” He shakes his head at you, wiggling his finger after making sure his door was locked. “It’s a surprise woman, don’t ask me questions I can’t answer.” You roll your eyes at him, sticking your tongue out to which he blows a kiss. Following him down to his car, you both get in and head out for whatever his surprise was. You start to look around, heading just a little further down in the city to an area that was somewhat familiar.

“Alright, we’re here.” Once he parked the car, both you and Haechan got out of the car and he took your hand into his. Giving his hand a squeeze, he returned the squeeze with a smile. “You look beautiful by the way, especially when you’re telling your ex off.” You snicker, rolling your eyes at him while following alongside. The two of you walk up to a cafe door, Haechan covering your eyes with one hand as he pulls the door open. “Okay, now take a couple steps forward—but be careful not to fall, I cannot afford to spend our first anniversary at the hospital.”

“And if I do, don’t judge me.” He only smiles, coming in behind you as he still holds his hands over your eyes. You can feel how close he’s gotten, his breath fanning your neck as he drops his hand and you finally take in everything. There were rose petals scattered all over the floor of the cafe that the two of you first met, all leading to the table you were seated that day and circling around it. On the table was your favorite dinner from a chain restaurant that you two ordered on your first official date and along the wall are polaroids you took at the reception of Johnny’s wedding.

Tears began to swell in your eyes, turning around to pull him close and peck small kisses all over his face. He holds your waist, taking in the affection he missed so much. “I know we have a lot to talk about and a lot of explaining to do for the distance between us these last few week, but right now I just want you to know I love you, I’m head over heels in love with you and I wouldn’t have asked for anyone else to want to spend my life with.”

“We’ll talk about that later, for now, I just wanna be with you.” Haechan didn’t have any problem with that, leading you over to the table where you two sat and ate and talked for hours. He told you about how the boys tried to cheer him up and even helped him rent the cafe out for the day—which was very expensive, he mentioned. You told him the full backstory about Xiaojun and Haechan fully understood why you didn’t want him around. Regardless of him being your ex, the two of you were just no good and created a bad environment for you to be in. For the rest of the night, you both danced around the cafe to music Haechan could sing on the spot and had the best night to end your perfectly imperfect first anniversary.

©︎𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐍., 2022

[doycngs]

bet! | lee jeno.

summary. it was bound to bite both your asses eventually. just plain ‘ol comedic luck that you and your best friend’s shared tradition of petty bets get you two to finally cough up years of repressed feelings for one another. 

pairing. y/n x nct’s jeno

genre. college!au, best friends to lovers!au

word count. 17k

warnings. swearing, fem!reader, underage drinking, emotional constipation lmao, hyuck and yeri hustle often, general dreamies tomfoolery, hyuck and nana are like dumb and dumber, honestly just super chaotic since it’s slice of life :)

taglist. @donutswithjaminthemiddle @dvickyyy @jenosbliss @matryoooshka @luvenshiti @nap-of-a-starr @dojun00 @nctdom @yangsbff @bockhyun

i feel like i did a pretty bad job rounding this fic up, my bad… still hope this lives up to the hype from the teaser! to those tagged, many hugs and kisses!! tysm for the interest <3

also biggest thank you to yunn aka @kdyism for being my beta reader and just being super helpful on absolutely everything for this fic! it def got finished faster bc of ya, much love bun :3

“WAS HE DROPPED on the head when he was a kid?” 

You can’t help the snort that passes your lips, making a satisfying slap to Jeno’s arm. “Don’t be mean.” 

“You didn’t answer my question.” Jeno raises an eyebrow.

“Eh… maybe like once or twice. Not that I would know, I was the same age as him but I’m just guessing.” 

You two continue to watch the disaster in front of you befold. Hyuck was currently bothering Yeri. Apparently, he didn’t know the limits as to when to stop because the older senior’s ears are burning red. You’re sure if you were in a cartoon right now, Yeri would have smoke coming out of them, nostrils flaring. 

“Should we intervene?” You side-eye Jeno and he’s the least bit concerned, eyes blearily watching the soon-to-be wreck happen in slow motion, cheek squished against his palm. 

“Nah. This is way more entertaining than continuing my stats homework.” 

You peer over his notebook and he has the word problem and equation written down. Humming, you bring your attention back to the stars of the show and see Yeri grip her notebook tighter, knuckles going white. 

“Here we go.” You sing, Hyuck’s screams of protest soon alerting everyone in the campus plaza of his pain. 

“He never learns his lesson, huh?” Renjun finally joins, his boots making the fall leaves on the ground crunch. Throwing his book bag on the table, it scrunches Jeno’s current page in his statistics work but the latter doesn’t care. 

The two of you nod simultaneously. You and Jeno halfheartedly discouraged Hyuck from going to poke at Yeri around five minutes ago, soon after the three of you had sat down at your usual spot under the only weeping willow tree on campus. It was honestly impressive how quickly your mutual friend could annoy someone so quickly. 

“We should time him next. See how long it takes for Yeri to lash out at him.” You mutter the idea, Jeno pursing his lips after the two shift left and right around Yeri and company’s picnic table, a textbook held high in Yeri’s nimble fingers. Wendy and Seulgi are ducking as Irene begins trying to stop the madness, scolding Joy for cheering on their youngest.

“Not a bad idea to be honest. Bet?” Jeno grins and you shake on his hand without looking at him. 

“Bet.”

It was just getting good. Hyuck doesn’t have the endurance to continue but Yeri does. Pilates has done her well. 

Renjun quirks an eyebrow, pulling out his laptop as an apple slice is shoved into the corner of his mouth. “You don’t even know the conditions of the bet yet.” 

You shrug, thoroughly entertained as Hyuck sits on his knees, his hands rubbing together furiously as he begs for mercy. “Next time, he gets Yeri to go after him in under two minutes.” 

“I say three.” Jeno nods and he offers a hand again which you shake. 

“You underestimate that little lady’s body. She can hold a lot of anger.” 

Jeno hums in response, ending the conversation quickly as Hyuck stumbles his way over, a pout sat on his lips. The well-beaten idiot rubs at his forearms, mumbling curses under his breath as he plops down beside Renjun. 

“Didn’t end well, did it bud?”

At the smug expression you have plastered on, Hyuck’s pout deepens. “It’s not funny. I need her to partner with me in Psych. I’ll go fucking crazy if I actually have to work with Felix.” 

“Felix’s a sweetheart. I don’t know why you have it out for him.” 

Hyuck rolls his eyes, running his hands through the ruffled brown strands. Yeri managed to grab a bunch of pine needles and aim correctly enough, even with the air resistance the leaves have. 

Renjun beside him plucks a long green one out the battered boy who’s seated beside him, slouched over on the picnic table. “You can’t have two eggheads who don’t pay attention in class paired together. Isn’t that so, Hyuck?” Renjun baby-voices, the latter placing his chin on his stacked wrists to glare. 

“Somebody’s cranky.” Chenle swings by, a childish smirk gracing everybody’s presence. 

“It’s justified.” Hyuck huffs, turning away from the new arrival. You scoot over, bumping into Jeno’s large body to allow Chenle to sit. 

“Why are you so meaty nowadays? Take a break from the gym, will you? We can barely fit eight people at this table as it is.” There’s playful malice in your voice but a little truth in there. The asshole was getting too bulky for your liking. 

“Oh please. Mark hardly swings by for lunch with us anymore. And why by chance are you bothered by me bulking up?” Jeno leans closer, eyes impossibly close to yours, “Are you swooning yet?” 

Ignoring your heart racing faster, you slap a palm to his forehead, pushing Jeno further away from your face. “No, I’m sick of these freshies asking me for your number, that’s why. You want to know how many have asked for your digits indirectly through me this entire week?” 

Chenle and Renjun have suddenly started bickering about something and you have to raise your voice a little. 

“Five. Five people. Four girls and one guy. I’d be proud of you if it weren’t for the annoyance starting to kick in.” Jeno raises his eyebrows at the number, finally flattening down his stats paper. 

“And what’d you tell ‘em?” Jeno bites distractedly at the cap of his pen, seeming to hit the realization his work has to get done by midnight. 

“That they should ask you themselves,” You’re rolling your eyes, nudging at Chenle to back off on his squishing, practically half his body across the table to try and snatch at Renjun’s sliced apples, “I’m kind of sick of your posse trying to scour me for your personal information.” 

“Get your own, dingus! We get our rations per month at the commons!”

“I’m not giving up a precious coupon just to get one apple slice, come on!” 

“Tell them to stop then.” Jeno tries to solve.

You laugh incredulously, watching Jeno’s concentrated (confused more like) side profile. “You think that deters them? They regenerate into different people every week. The message is not passed on from generation to generation apparently.” 

Jeno makes that endearing ‘huH?’ sound and you grab at the notebook yourself, having taken Statistics 101 before. He thanks you under his breath, which you nod at before Jeno slumps onto your shoulder, sighing heavily. 

“Sorry. I know it bothers you. I would go around and tell them to back off of you and me personally but I don’t know all their names.”

Glancing at Jeno, it irritates you helplessly that you know he’s not even trying to sound dickish. He’s just that sweet and kind of a guy that makes other people not want to talk to him and ask those types of questions themselves. You know those people that seem too perfect to want to approach? Yeah, that’s Lee Jeno in a nutshell. If you looked up the definition of that type of person in a book, Jeno would be grinning that Samoyed smile of his from on that cursed page. 

“I should tape a sign to my back that says, ‘Ask Lee Jeno himself. I’m not his personal owl,’” You peek at his face, “What do you think?” 

He slightly smiles, eyes crinkling almost shut even at such a small gesture of amusement. “Okay. I’ll add my signature to it so that they know it’s approved by yours truly.” He looks up to your face and you’re glad the cold can disguise your flustered face easily with this type of weather. 

Guess it’s time to actually settle this officially since it’s been clued at a little, but yes: You do have a crush on Jeno. And no, he does not know because when does telling one of your best friends’ that you’ve been crushing on them ever worked out? 

No, not in the Wattpad story kind of way, you mean truly worked out. Because personally, you’ve never heard of it working out ever, especially since you’re practically in the you’ve-seen-him-in-his-boxers and he’s-seen-you-shirtless stage of friendship. Don’t ask, it’s a long story that’s already too long for this kind of boring read. 

So, no, you will not take your chances, thank you very much. There were many signs flashing neon that told you Jeno didn’t see you in a romantic or sexual kind of way but the glaringly obvious sign was actually the one you two are discussing currently. 

What’s the appropriate way of acting if your crush is being berated by other peers on campus to give them your number? You’re not confident in what it actually looks like because for one, you’re not on the receiving end in this imaginary scenario, and two, it’s exactly that; an imaginary scenario. You can’t even seriously dream of Jeno liking you if you could. It was just that bizarre. 

In the two years you've known the boy, he’s never even once mentioned another human being that he could potentially be interested in on campus. It’s not a problem of him not being comfortable telling you either because he’s told you upright that he’s not interested in anybody here (including you who’s enrolled in this stupid university). You’ve even nonchalantly asked Jaemin before and he’s confirmed that even in high school, this kid did not have wandering eyes. 

You had wondered if Jeno was asexual, aromantic, or something along that line in the spectrum, eventually having the courage to ask him one day and he shook his head no quite confidently, a small smile laid on his lips. 

You don't know what Jeno's deal was but the risks in finding out really didn’t lean in your favor. And that’s fine, considering how many fish are available on Earth's wide sea of potential mates. You’ve killed off even the chance of dating Jeno and that’s all good in your book. You’ve been attracted to your guy friends once and twice and they faded away with time exploring their weird quirks or horrible habits. And even if Jeno was a strange case where you’ve even seen the dude have beer dripping from his nostrils from a shitty keg stand and you still manage to harbor feelings for him… eh. 

Time brushes away a lot of problems if you’re desperate and willing enough. Luckily for you, you checked off both boxes easily with this special instance. 

You open your laptop and scour your documents for your old stats notes on chi-square tests. Bleh.

Pretending to gag in your mouth at the sight, Jeno smothers a laugh that shakes your shoulder and you share the document his way before scrolling and finding the right topic. You do the problem with few difficulties and write a quick message in the corner of his notebook page. 

‘Actually study this because Y/N did the example and took time from her day to do so, thank you.’

“Thanks,” Jeno chirps as he takes his notebook back, removing himself from your shoulder (to your well-hidden disappointment), “I owe you one.” 

“You’re right. A coffee works just fine, thank you.” You pipe back, folding your hands on the table cheerily. Jeno is shaking his head in mock annoyance but you knew the next time you two meet, you would not be disheartened, a warm cup pressed in hand. 

“A four-dollar coffee is worth one solved problem in your book?” Jeno argues. 

You fire back without hesitation. “It’s statistics. And I just sent two semesters’ worth of notes to you. You’re very welcome.” 

“You’re right,” Jeno turns, stowing his notebook away, “That’s like seven coffees then.” 

“And a scone if you’re feeling nice. A croissant works too.” You beam. 

“Now you’re pushing it. Those things are stupidly overpriced.” 

“Even for me?” You playfully place your chin in your cupped hands, blinking slowly and looking through your lashes. 

Jeno sighs, placing a hand on your head of hair. “Fine. You win, you spoiled princess.” 

In times like these, you knew you really asked to be put in these types of situations. And you’re not one to start being a saint and stop being hypocritical but… you deserved what you were putting yourself through, saying these types of things and teasing like this. Trying to get a stir and playact with being more. 

Maybe it was a little cruel, somewhat tricking Jeno into saying sweet things to you, just to let your mind wander for a second. Call it… taking advantage of his friendship to pretend a little. Harmless but still adds into your ledger of sins for Judgment Day right? 

“Why are Jisung and Jaemin taking so long? I’m running out of apples.” Renjun whines, looking at the bag that’s been emptied. You’re almost one hundred percent sure it was the two other hungry animals sitting at this table and you weren’t even listening to their argument earlier. 

“They’re carrying seven people’s worth of food. I think that warrants a little patience.” 

“I wouldn’t be nearly upset if these two idiots didn’t steal my apples.” Renjun spits out, glaring. The two culprits wholly ignore the oldest. 

A whole two minutes later, Jaemin and Jisung arrive, lugging four plastic bags of takeout. Jisung’s thin arms are shaking with the effort to hold them, Hyuck getting up to relieve him. 

“Wah, took you two long enough. Thanks for losing the bet last week.” Chenle slaps a hand to Jisung’s heaving back. 

“We just walked… half a mile carrying all this.” Jisung breathlessly collapses beside Hyuck, bent over with his hands on his knees. 

“Why didn’t you take Jaemin’s car?” Jeno mumbles around his hamburger. 

Jaemin laughs, out of breath as well. “I left my fucking car at Yangyang’s from Friday. I didn’t even remember until today because I can walk to my Monday classes.” 

“What the fuck did you do without a car on the weekend?” Hyuck wonders, chipmunk cheeks stuffed full of fries. 

Jaemin makes a suggestive face and everybody recoils, not willing to be curious anymore. The culprit laughs airily. “Why are you all assuming bad things right now?” 

“You didn’t go crawling back to Eunji or something, right?” Hyuck squints, “Because I saw you talking to her that night and that would be pathetic to hear about right now—”

“No, I’m not that kind of asshole—”

“At least you can acknowledge you are one…” Jisung comments under his breath. 

“I simply asked her how she was doing. It was completely innocent,” Nana’s wide bunny eyes scan the table, “Really! I conked out in Hendery's room after the party.” 

“And just so happened to leave your car at Yang’s which is directly across from Eunji’s dorm—” Hyuck continues before Jaemin cuts him off with a scoff. 

“Again. Not that kind of an asshole. Besides, if you had looked closer Hyuck, we were civil Friday night. I doubt she would ever let me get near her that way again… except for maybe with a baseball bat.” 

The table stifles laughs at that, chowing down the food. Everyone murmurs a quick thanks halfway through every food item getting demolished.

“Can you even afford this Jisung?” You mention on second thought, considering the younger boy sat diagonally from you.

“Jaemin owed me too so he paid for everything.” 

“Man, you just rack them up, don’t you?” Jeno pityingly looks over to his best friend at the end of the table. 

He shrugs, not all that bothered. “I’ll eventually learn my lesson, right?” 

“Not if you keep agreeing to our daily bets, stupid.” Chenle quips past his tenders, shoulders shaking in mirth. 

“That’s true. You walk right into them when we bring it up.” Renjun supports. 

“You should be glad you’re never around to accept Ten’s though. I like to think you would fall for them easily.” You crunch at Chenle’s fries, the younger boy not noticing your swiping. 

“What do his bets look like?” 

“Skinny dipping. Egging houses. And occasionally, seven minutes in heaven.” Jisung answers for you, which you backtrack at. In fact, everybody does. 

Hyuck blinks owlishly at him. “What?” 

“How do you know these things, kid? Spill.” You threaten with a long fry of Chenle’s, the soggy potato cut flopping as time goes by. 

“You’ve never seen me at Ten’s?” Jisung spills. Everyone gapes. 

“Why the fuck would we see you at Ten’s!?” Hyuck laughs in disbelief, hilarity at the situation peeking at the twinkle in his eyes. 

“Yeah, what the heck? Why am I never invited?” Chenle sulks.

Jeno scoffs. “Because you two are freshmen, that’s why.”

“What are you, fucking Casper the ghost in the corner? How come we’ve never seen you?” Nana is skeptical as well, the only one upset that his baby freshie has managed to sneak into an upperclassmen party. 

“Johnny invites me sometimes. When he remembers.” Jisung shrinks at all the attention, nervous with the sudden interrogation. 

“Johnny is a bad influence,” Jaemin argues with a fold of his arms. 

“Like you’re any better, Nana.” You laugh, bringing an arm around Jaemin to offer comfort. You don’t see Jeno shift at the contact. 

“And you don’t take part in the bets, do you?” Renjun implores before he shakes his head, “Wait, no, I definitely would have heard of Jisung having seven minutes in heaven with someone.”

“Oh, no. I’m not insane,” Jisung shivers at the thought. “It’s fun to watch Taeil go crazy though.” 

Hyuck slaps a hand to Jisung’s back, the latter wincing at the battering his body is taking today. “Welcome to the real deal, man! My god, why did I not know you came to upperclassmen parties? You sneak in sometimes?” 

“What? No! Do I look even close to a sophomore to you?” Jisung looks to make a point, gesturing towards himself. “There’s your answer.” 

“I think Johnny favors you then. He has a soft heart for freshies, who knew?”

“Where is my invite then?” Chenle whines, still sulking. 

“I’ll take you as my plus one.” Jisung placates his best friend with that and he continues to happily chew on his cheeseburger. 

“When’s his next one? Oh, I can’t wait to see how Jisung acts wasted.” Hyuck wiggles in his seat, giggling like a happy toddler. 

“Oh no, not on my watch. Baby Jisungie is not getting wasted at any party, ever.” Jaemin acts tough, glaring at the youngest of the group. 

“Oh, please Grandpa. You didn’t even realize I was present at these until I just told everyone.” 

Nana bursts at that, screeching a scolding noise that startles a pair of girls walking by. “Because I never even expected you to be at one! That’s why!” 

Jaemin looks to you, eyes wide. “My baby chick. At an upperclassmen party.” 

Giggling, you push at his jaw to turn his gaze towards Jisung again. “Jisung’s got a fair point. Who are you to stop him?” 

“I never get wasted anyway. I just come to watch the chaos.” Jisung grins, munching on his chicken tenders like Chenle. As you watch longer, you understand why Nana babies the youngest so much. He’s cute in moderation and it looks easy to want to mother him. 

“Whatever,” Nana grumbles, “Guess I have to watch out at parties and babysit now.” 

“Oh, please don’t.” Jisung’s face scrunches up.

“This Saturday. You coming, Jisung?” Hyuck grills, pocketing his phone which you didn’t even realize he pulled out to text presumably Johnny or Ten. 

“I guess… if Johnny asks me.” Jisung drags out, glancing at Hyuck. 

“This sounds like a disaster now that everybody knows.” Renjun leans across to whisper to you and Jeno. 

“You two should come to watch the shitshow with me,” You grin, wiggling your eyebrows, “I know you two usually don’t come but sometimes they can be fun.” 

“I don’t wanna drink to have fun.” Renjun wrinkles his nose at that. 

Waving a hand at that, you offer a tip, “Just fill your cup with a liquid. Nobody is sober enough to check you like a cop.” 

Jeno hums at that, Renjun saying that he’ll think about it. Hyuck pockets his phone once again, having pulled it out to ask about Jisung.

“You got the go-ahead, dude. Ready to party with the big boys?” Hyuck wrestles Jisung’s long neck into the crook of his elbow as the younger boy cringes. 

“I don’t know about that but…” 

Jaemin stands up dramatically, slapping both hands on the table. Your cup of soda spills a little when it knocks over, Jeno cursing as the two of you rush to correct the drink’s position. 

“Oh, not on my watch, you won’t!”

The table is quiet, absorbing Nana’s usual dramatics. 

Chenle raises his hand a little. “I’m going too, right?” 

|—————|

It took a little more convincing for Renjun to come. You and Jeno usually like to watch havoc together, pure rapture and popcorn shared between you two. You seriously considered bringing the movie snack to the party but in the end, was unconvinced by the others. Using the microwave at a frat party didn’t seem so smart, especially if your attention dragged away and someone nagged the bag from the microwave before you could notice. Would just be a waste of popcorn. 

Jeno and Renjun swing by your dorm building, waiting outside in the cold for a minute or so before you pop out. 

You shiver, pulling at your black jean jacket. “How many more layers do I have to put on to not be cold?” 

Renjun shakes his head, observing your legs. “You’re wearing thin ass tights, Y/N, what were you expecting?” 

Teeth chattering, the three of you begin to walk to the 127 house. “Jokes on you, I’m wearing leggings underneath. These are fake tights with fleece in them.” 

“Why are you so cold all the time? Is your body just that weak?” Jeno genuinely queries, your black skirt flying a little too high with the current wind for his comfort. He slows to walk behind you, conscious of the nonexistent people on the deserted streets looking.

“Yeah, you’re actually shaking. Do you wanna turn back to change?” Renjun offers kindly and you shake your head, committed. 

“I look cute right now. Fashion sacrifices, am I right?” You grin impishly, eyeing your company’s outfits. 

Following your act of observing everybody’s clothing choices for tonight, Renjun laughs at all three of your different fashion senses. “We look ridiculous walking together right now.” 

Jeno peeps up from the back of the two of you leading the way. “How? I think we look fine.” 

You hum in agreement. “We look like college students going to a party.” 

A bark of laughter escapes Renjun’s mouth, tugging at Jeno’s jacket zipper. “Yeah, three different parties. Jeno looks like he’s about to rob a store. Y/N looks like a grunge girl and I look like I’m heading to the fucking library.” 

He’s not that wrong. Jeno’s wearing all black, cargo pants, tee, chunky boots, and zip-up hiding his good figure in the darkness of his clothes. A navy blue cardigan covers Renjun, wearing similar beat-up Converse to you, with a white tee and light blue jeans. Looking down at your own outfit, you pluck a piece of lint off your gray sweater. 

“But we all look great. Killing the fashion game. Fabulous.” You strut forward with confidence, the other two amused at your antics. 

The 127 frat house lays ahead and you speed up to get out of the cold. Mark greets you with a hug and shout of happiness. You can smell the alcohol reeking his breath and the entire vicinity already. The floor bumps beneath your feet, everyone else in the building bobbing their head to the beat. 

“Hi, Y/N! Oh shit, what?” Mark calls out to Jeno and Renjun, dapping them up as his Solo cup dangerously leers to the left. You hurriedly correct it in his hold, not willing to get beer stains on your nice clothes this early into the night. 

“What the fuck are you two doing here?” Mark shouts down to you, a dopey grin implanted on his expression, “You convinced them to come for once?!” 

“I know, right? It’s a rare occasion tonight!” You yell back, a contagious smile growing on you at Mark’s infectious mood. 

Jeno leans closer to break your close proximity to Mark, “Hyuck is gonna get Jisung to let loose. Seems like a good disaster to watch unfold.” 

Mark shakes his head fondly at that, grabbing a hold of Renjun’s shoulder and leading all three of you into the kitchen. It’s crowded with humid heat, too many bodies in one room for comfort. 

“Grab a drink and toss any cups just laying around, please. I gotta get back to door duty but have fun!” Mark sings, planting a brave wet kiss to your forehead in goodbye before he’s off, shoving to the front of the house again. 

You wipe at your forehead, deciding to make fun of sober Mark for this innocent kiss later. Jeno bristles at the sight, grabbing three red cups and pulling out the unopened liter of Coca-Cola in the back of the line of sodas. 

Renjun holds the three cups gladly, there being no counter space to easily maneuver for pouring, before passing on the beverage to you. You press your cup to the ice machine and grimace as no ice chunks come flying into your cup. 

“Lukewarm Coke it is.” You toast the other three, clinking your Solo cups together before sipping. Getting out of the small kitchen, your eyes scan the crowd. 

“See Jisung, Chen, or Hyuck anywhere?” Renjun queries, yelling over the thumping bass. You climb onto the step bar of a stool someone’s currently sitting on, placing a hand on Jeno’s shoulder for support. The height lets you look over the big jumble of people in the large living room, not noticing any familiar heads.

“I see Jungwoo. Maybe he knows.” Jeno calls out, before stepping into the mass of moving bodies. He abandons the two of you for a total of thirty seconds before dragging not one, but two of the 127 boys over. 

Doyoung gives a quick side hug, shoving at Jungwoo who comes to lift you off your feet. You make an impact sound at the tall puppy’s strength, patting at his arm to let you down. 

Jungwoo’s blonde head of hair is all mussed up and you brush at the strands, laughing. “How much have you had to drink already?” 

“A good, healthy amount! I’m on water for the rest of the night!” Jungwoo happily confesses with a thumbs up, all his perfect white teeth on display. 

“You two know where Hyuck is?” Renjun bellows. 

Jeno adds on, “Or Jisung! We’re here for them!” 

Doyoung makes a pulled face at that, Jungwoo bending over in laughter. “What!? Jisung is here?” 

The younger of the two frat boys begin darting over the crowd, trying to locate the tall beanstalk. 

“What would Jisung be doing here?” Doyoung is puzzled, a little concern crawling into his expression. 

“Apparently all Johnny’s doing. Or Hyuck’s, we don’t know at this point.” Jeno shrugs. 

“We’re here for the shitshow to commence!” You revealed a little too happily, Doyoung making a forced smile. 

“I don’t know anything about this. Johnny’s DJing right now! You can go ask him though.” He points to the far back of the living room. The black-haired senior is head bobbing to the music, a set of headphones half on his head as he waves his gigantic arms around. 

You giggle nervously at the obstacle between you and reaching him. “Oh hell no,” You push at Jeno’s arm, “This tough guy is going to go ask for us.” 

Doyoung cradles his favorite underclassman by the neck and joins him in his journey to the front. Jungwoo’s a little ways away, dancing wildly. Renjun laughs at the sight, bringing your attention to the silly junior. 

“I dare you to join him.” You challenge playfully, and Renjun shakes his head adamantly. 

“Fuck no! You think I dance at these parties?!” 

“If you have alcohol in you, anyone can dance!” You try to convince Renjun, pulling his lips down. 

“Good thing I’m not drinking tonight then!” 

Jungwoo gets swept out into the dance floor again, not allowing the three of you to converse more before Jaemin joins the two of you out of seemingly nowhere. He cheers at the sight, ruffling Renjun’s well-styled hair, much to the older boy’s disappointment. 

Jaemin grasps at your opposite shoulder, leaning on your head to heave some of his dead weight. 

You nudge his side, Nana yelping at the contact. “You know where Jisung is?” 

Nana widens his eyes at your question, suddenly remembering his self-proposed babysitting job. 

“Oh shit! I forgot! Where is that idiot?” Jaemin gasps, helplessly looking around. 

“Trust me, we’ve been trying to navigate this mess for ten minutes since we’ve arrived. Just wait here with us!” Renjun pulls at Jaemin’s belt loop, yanking the same-birth-year boy back into your talking circle. 

Jeno arrives a minute later, lugging a slouching Jisung on his back. Hyuck is laughing his ass off, pushing the hair off of Jisung’s forehead to catch the youngest’s drunk face better. 

Jeno practically throws Jisung on the now-available stool this stranger just gave up, blowing out a breath of relief. “This kid is way heavier than he looks!” Jeno complains.

Hyuck is still dying of laughter and you and Renjun can’t help but follow in line as Jisung groans, pulling at Jeno’s waist to cuddle him. The latter is halfway between uncomfortable and endeared at Jisung’s affectionate behavior, who’s mumbling nonsense. 

“Jesus, why did he drink so much?” Jaemin worries, patting his baby chick’s head. 

“Dude, I didn’t even need to say anything! Chenle is the bad influence here, not me!” Hyuck throws his hands up at Nana’s deadly glare. As if on cue, the second youngest of your friend group gathers everybody’s attention in the crowd, pulling 127 boy Jaehyun on the table he’s standing on to make a speech. 

“There’s no damn way…” You whistle at the sight, Jaehyun patting the underclass man in pride. 

Jisung mumbles something into Jeno’s stomach and the older boy leans down to hear him better.

“Hm… w-wanna go… home…” Jisung hiccups, eyes barely open and Jeno nods.

“I better bring this idiot home. I’ll probably have to sneak his dumb ass past the RA, I’ll be right back.” Jeno grunts as he wraps Jisung’s long arms around his neck, practically carrying the beanstalk like a backpack. 

“It’s okay, I’ll do it!” Nana rushes to switch off with Jisung’s dead weight. He groans, looking to Jeno with a grimace. “Ugh, you were right. He is a lot heavier than he looks.” 

“Are you sure? I can help?” Jeno halfheartedly makes sure, to which Jaemin nods resolutely. 

“I need some fresh air anyways, been here too long!”

“Do you want me to go with you?” You offer, only because you knew sneaking around the RA would manage to get rowdy with just the two of them alone. 

“Nah, it’s okay. I better have a drink after getting back from this though.” Nana jokes and you shove the pair towards the door. 

Jeno stuffs his hands into his pockets, low-key relieved that he doesn’t have to go back into the cold night. He had just gotten here and despite how disgusting it was thinking about how much heat was being produced, it was better than freezing outside. 

“There’s our entertainment for the night.” Renjun lifts his cup in salute. 

Hyuck nudges everyone to watch Chenle though, who wants to crowd surf but fails to, nobody willing to hold him up. Everyone starts cackling at the sight, peers practically making space so that Chenle won’t be convinced to just commit and dive onto them. 

“Up for a game of beer pong, anyone? I’ve been trying to play all night!” Hyuck hooks around the boys, dragging everyone over to the foyer where two tables were set up. Tons of spills made you almost slip and split your head open. Thankfully Jeno is like a solid wall behind you, not fazed by your clumsiness. 

He gets close behind you, hands still on your waist and breath tickling your ear as Hyuck and Renjun take the other end of the pong table. “Wanna bet Mark comes in for a celebrity shot later?” 

You laugh nervously, getting hot under his hold and turning to look at Jeno’s expression. “That is oddly specific. How are you so confident?” 

Looking over to Mark, he’s chatting with Mina and completely distracted from answering the door now. You’re sure that Johnny, the brother he’s been shadowing in the frat, would not be happy with Mark ignoring his job. Or maybe he would, knowing Mark was actually shooting his shot with a girl.

“I don’t wanna tell you why. Then you won’t agree.” Jeno argues, finally getting his hands off you to roll up his sleeves. You slightly roll your eyes at his words, trying to subtly look at the veins in Jeno’s hands' flex. 

“I think he’ll come in later too. But I say it’ll be for us. Not for Hyuck or Renjun.” 

Jeno makes a tutting sound, collecting the empty cups on your side and making the triangular shape. “You’re trying to sell me out here, no way. You’re just gonna convince Mark to come over by…”

Your eyebrows lift. “By what exactly?” 

Jeno shakes his head, a small smile sat on his face. You poke at his side, curious. “By what? Now you’ve intrigued me!” 

“Whatever. I’ll make a better bet,” Jeno nabs Renjun’s missed shot, to which Hyuck whines, “Mark is gonna ask you out tonight.” 

Sputtering on the soda you’ve been sipping on, you watch Jeno whip his ping pong ball like straight butter into your opponents’ cup. The other side’s loud protests distract him from your obvious gaping, confused at the sudden thought of Mark liking you.

Jeno eventually eyes your expression, making a weird face. “What?” 

“What? What do you mean, what? Are you insinuating Mark likes me?!” You angrily whisper, afraid that somehow the person you two were talking about would hear over the loud music flowing throughout the house. 

“Why are you so surprised? It’s very obvious! At least in my eyes.” Jeno shrugs. The ping pong from Hyuck hits your stomach, confusing him. You grab at it, just tossing it without a care. The ball whooshes in and you don’t notice, still frazzled. 

“You’re joking, right? This is a sick joke of yours?” Peering over at Jeno, he scoffs. 

“No. Don’t tell him I said this but when we first introduced you to him, he said you were pretty.” The deadpan way Jeno utters this makes your eyes squint. 

“That seems like an innocent compliment to me.” (News flash, you’re denying reality here.) 

Jeno lifts a dark eyebrow at that. “When has Mark Lee ever gone out of his way to intentionally compliment a girl?” 

You scrunch your nose at that, rubbing at the kiss he planted on your head earlier. “This changes things.” 

Jeno only chuckles, plucking the ball from one of your cups and setting it aside. He closes one eye, practically doing the same with the other as he aims. He groans with a failure, looking back to you. “Do you not like him? He’s nice, though you haven’t known him as long as I and the others have.” 

“No, no, he is nice! I like him.” The last sentence is pronounced like ‘I like him as a friend’ in your head but Jeno interprets it differently. Maybe the bass from the speakers morphed the tone of your words in his thick skull. 

“You like him?” Jeno’s voice tilts high. Hyuck’s next horrible shot plonks straight at Jeno’s forehead, which he ignores in shock. 

He’s never shown incredibility like this to show you. You’re diverted to denying his words instantly, not thinking of the consequences. 

“He’s… a nice guy.” You look to Mark again and this time, he senses your gaze, throwing up a nerdy gesture of a peace sign. You wave back with a smile and don’t catch Jeno’s suspicious tonguing of his cheek at the interaction. 

“Are you accepting the bet or not?” Jeno holds a hand out, which you wait to contemplate after absolutely dunking your next shot. On a roll.

“Mark’s wingman now, are you?” Your tease causes Jeno’s jaw to shift. He acts it off as confidence, nodding with reluctance. 

Maybe he had gone too far with the little game of bets now. 

“Okay! Bet!” You perk up, wanting to win this easy wager. Mark wouldn’t ask you out, no way. 

Accepting the deal easily, you shake on it and smirk internally. 

Jeno was easy to read. An open book, you could say. Everyone in your friend group knew it as well, which made him the butt of jokes and teases all too often. He made it too fun to poke at him and you’ve joined in on the game plenty of times. This was just another game of prodding the naive Samoyed you had, though a little different. 

You didn’t really understand the reasoning behind Jeno’s disturbance all that much but he was the one that brought Mark’s supposed “crush” to you. And you’re not one to fuck with someone’s feelings that far, especially with sweet ‘ol Mark’s. 

You were pretty confident the older boy did not fancy you though; he was never around you in the first place to hint at the notion. Mark was pretty private with his romantic life so you’re not all that surprised you don’t know much. He was glued to the frat more often than usual and has been hanging out with you and company less often. 

To be fair, if Mark was with someone, hopefully, he was not blatantly kissing your forehead without care. You were never as close to Mark as the other boys like Jeno had stated before. You suppose if he did happen to ask you out tonight, it wouldn’t be so bad. But the desire to win this bet burns in your veins, even more than usual with the bizarre behavior Jeno is exhibiting at the mere thought of you returning Mark’s so-called “feelings”.

“If you’re making a bet to win this game right now, you’re gonna eat shit!” Hyuck brags, practically vibrating in excitement because the two of you were somehow tied up. Even with this dude drunk, he could be somewhat decent at games. How irritating.

Biting the corner of your lip, you ignore Hyuck, plan to win this short game of cup pong, and then win this bigger game of bets with Jeno. To gain this extra favor initializes a step-by-step scheme of what you were going to do. There was no way Jeno could beat you.

Jeno watches greed grow in your irises, probably confused. 

“So you’re confident he won’t ask you out.” He drags out his words, making sure you understood what you just shook on. 

“Yeah,” You bob in place now, trying out his strategy of closing one eye to shoot, “Mark won’t ask me out. He’s not that drunk.” 

“Really?” Jeno feigns interest, throwing his head to Mark fast approaching you, “You sure about that?” 

You don’t get to answer, Mark’s alcohol-hazed eyes crinkling. Mina follows close behind, waving a greeting to the both of you. “Hi, Mina! Mark— oomph!” 

Thinking Mark’s walk trajectory would stop before reaching so close, the junior bumps chest-first into you. 

“Hi! Can I take a celebrity shot?!” Mark yells, overcompensating his volume when you’re glued to him. He swarms your space, placing a touchy hand on the small of your back before standing on his tippy toes and stealing your ping pong. 

His mouth is instinctively making ‘Oh!’ noises as he readies it, failing miserably and pouting at the loss. “I could’ve sworn that was close, dude!” 

You and Mina share a smile. She knew her friend was a little touchy when drunk so the two of you chalk it up to being just that. Jeno doesn’t though, burning eyes watching the tight hold Mark has on you. 

Mark blinks rapidly down at you, pleading with big doe eyes, “Just one more shot I steal. One more celebrity shot!” 

You nod, easily agreeing with a laugh. Maybe you had underestimated how turnt your dude was right now. Mark leans backward a little, losing his balance and almost toppling you over with him. Mina pulls Mark away from your space, probably deciding he’s had enough of bothering you. 

“Sorry, he is so wasted right now.” Mina apologies, pushing the boy away from your beer pong table to the kitchen for water. 

Jeno makes a face that reads “I told you so”, forcing you to bend over in laughter. 

“Jeno, you can’t be serious. He acts that way with everyone!”

“You think that Mark touches up every girl like that? He kissed your forehead earlier too.” Jeno genuinely notes and you pause. Just for a split second. 

“We’re friends.” It’s as if that statement alone will end this argument and Jeno rolls his eyes. 

“And we’re friends too, dimwit. We don’t act like that, do we?” 

You shift at his words, uncomfortable at the sudden lodging of your throat. Oh, how you wish Jeno did. At least then, you’d have a pathetic hope he had an inkling of an interest in you too. 

Instead of replying to him, you turn and take Jeno’s shot for him to end the game. The last cup is yours for the taking and Renjun groans with his head thrown back, almost flying off balance at the shove Hyuck gives his partner for more space. 

“Okay, okay! Redemption shot, I got this!” Hyuck steadies his hand and bounces off the lip of your side’s last Solo cup. 

“FUCK!” 

“YOU ABSOLUTE DICKHEAD, LEE DONGHYUCK!” 

There’s a forced smile on your lips at the victory, one that only Jeno can notice is fake up close. Thankfully, he doesn’t pry on it more, seeing as he knew you weren’t going to give a truthful answer in this setting. 

You were starting to wish you had a bit of alcohol in your system, as much as you hated the taste of it on your tongue. 

|—————|

By the end of the night, you had won the bet as expected. But Jeno being the sore loser he is, tried to convince you to drag the bet on. He was super confident that Mark was into you. Maybe his friend was too wasted to ask or remember your answer if he were to come up to you about a date. 

“I’ll sleep on it,” You had said, “Especially since I pity you and I haven’t decided what I want the favor to be yet.” 

With that, Jeno breathed out a sigh in relief as he walked you home. 

|—————|

You didn’t realize how committed Jeno was to this particular game. And you don’t know why because you had honestly forgotten about it yourself the morning next. Maybe it was his pride and stubbornness stopping him from giving up.

When Jeno swings by your dorm, texting you to come downstairs quickly, you’re confused. 

He’s in comfy clothes, hair a little frizzy as he hands you a croissant and a warm cup of coffee that heats up your body temperature. 

You blearily squint your eyes at him in suspicion. “What are you buttering me up for right now?” 

With no RA in sight, you usher him into the warmth of the dorm lobby, virtually no people around to notice your blatant disregard for rules. 

“I’m not buttering you up. I just wanted to be nice this morning.” 

Staying silent, Jeno watches your expression breathe incredibility. 

“Really! I didn’t know it was a crime to be nice to you anymore, jeez.”  

The bet comes to mind and you mention it. “You’re hoping I’m not going to make you splurge your money on my favor, aren’t you?” 

Jeno laughs, the sound deep in timbre as the sun rises higher in the cold blue sky. “No, I swear. Although talking about Mark, he is going through it right now. I woke up to a video Doyoung sent me of him vomiting into the toilet.” 

You suck your lips in, holding back a laugh. “You know, if you’re trying to sell your man to me right now, describing his hangover is not working.” 

Jeno quirks the corner of his lip at that. “He probably drank half his body weight last night.” 

You roll your eyes. “And here you were, thinking he was going to be sober enough to consider asking me out. Alright.” 

Your friend shrugs, sipping at his drink. “I’m not wrong, Princess. I’ll show you with your own two eyes Mark Lee has the hots for you.” 

Cringing at the way Jeno phrased his words, you stuff the pastry you were kindly gifted into your mouth, muffling your reply. “Plea don’ efer say if like ‘at again.” 

Jeno’s shoulders shake at your antics. “You’ve slept on my proposition now, ma’am. What’s the deal?” 

Swallowing roughly, you mutter, “Can I raise the stakes to three favors?” 

Jeno scratches at his hairline at that, face in a grimace. “Fuck. Is this worth it?” 

At the hesitation in Jeno’s eyes, you jump like a hound to the smell of meat. Or in this case, a perfect opportunity to score on some free meals. 

“Yes! Yes, it’s worth it. I accept your deal!”

“Woah woah woah! I haven’t agreed yet!” Jeno is shaking his hands in front of him, dangerously leering his hot drink side to side. He licks at the lid, the brown liquid sloshing everywhere. 

“You brought this new condition up in the first place so,” Taking Jeno’s distraction as a chance to dunk cheaply on him, you take his free hand in yours, shaking on it, “Bet.” 

|—————|

It was game on from the damn get-go. 

Any chance that Jeno got, which was within a hundred feet radius of a certain junior named Mark Lee, he bolted to the boy’s side. 

Poor Mark is so confused at the sudden ramblings Jeno has of you. He’s also even more conflicted because Jeno is going in on his compliments of your smile, smarts, humor, you name it. Mark wasn’t sure whether his friend was either crushing hard and needed to only confide in him, or whether Jeno was trying to make him like you indirectly through his selling words. 

Another thing the boy stuck in the middle of this mess notices is your sudden disappearance from his vicinity. You two didn’t exactly share a class but shared a professor, who taught two subjects back to back. 

Usually, you would wait around in the auditorium-shaped classroom to catch up with him, just say hi. But no, apparently you now bolt as soon as the professor calls it quits for the day. Mark had a greeting on the tip of his tongue opening up the doors, only to scour your usual seating arrangement and come up empty. 

Poking his head out down the sidewalk, you’re speed walking away like your non-existent pet was on the verge of death. 

Mark would brush it off to some urgent duty you had but… at the odd behavior of his two friends, he decides to swing by the willow tree at the end of the week. Maybe start his own experiment on what was going on. It just didn’t seem like a coincidence to him. 

And right he was in his thoughts. 

At the sight of Mark approaching the table, your eyes widen to the size of saucers, whipping your head around to Jeno. You want to slap his smug face right off. 

“What the hell is Mark doing here? Did you convince him to come?” You spit out in a whisper, Hyuck none-the-wiser as he hollers for his best friend to sit beside him. 

Jeno shakes his head no innocently, lips pouting out. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Swearing under your breath, you plaster a smile onto your face, breathing out a greeting to the upperclassman. He grins at you, to which your cheeks heat up for some reason. 

Maybe it was because this dude beside you had been bragging about you to Mark. Jeno had told you his genius plan of planting unconscious thoughts of you in Mark’s head a few days ago and its effects are now catching up to you, sweat building on your hairline.  

Jeno misinterprets it as you getting nervous in the presence of Mark, probably wishing rain to fall on his head at manifesting his final Lee brother to sit down this afternoon. 

“What’s up, man?” Mark exchanges a handshake with Jeno as he swings his bag to the ground and tucks his legs under the table. He watches with rapture as you busy yourself with the textbook splayed out in front of you, eyes skittering. 

Before Jeno can give a general reply to Mark, Hyuck bumps Mark's shoulder. “You should text Renjun your order from that Mexican place down the street.” 

“Who’s favor are we using today?” Mark asks in curiosity. 

You raise a hand rather timidly, to which the entire table is bewildered and bemused. The bewildered people are only Hyuck and Mark because they don’t know the absolute pain-enduring embarrassment to which bemused Jeno has cursed you to withstand. You’ve always been very comfortable with the guys, including Mark, so the oblivious two not in on this bet are raising their eyebrows at your behavior. 

“What did Renjun lose against you again?” Jeno pretends to ponder deeply while you throw a heated glare his way. You wish you could burn his eyebrows right off in this moment. 

“Oh!” The bulky meathead gasps, “He lost ten-to-two against a game of naming capitals of countries. Isn’t she so smart?” 

Jeno is being so obvious. You grit your teeth as he pets your head. 

“Take your hand away before I bite your pinky finger off.” You seethe past closed lips, the audience not hearing your threat. 

Jeno jolts his limb away at that, instead, grinning a Samoyed smile toward Mark. The latter is mainly lost in trying to navigate what the fuck was going on. 

Hyuck only rolls his eyes, a little more used to your duo’s antics. “They’re probably betting on something right now.” 

Mark blinks at that. The picture was becoming a little clearer. He wasn’t sure which way to start investigating this dilemma next. 

“No!” The two of you deny instantly, sitting up straighter. It’s even more cause to believe Hyuck’s point. 

“Ignore them,” Hyuck acts like an exasperated mother to you and Jeno’s Dumb and Dumber act, pulling out his phone to show Mark the Mexican place’s menu. 

As the other pair get lost debating what to order for Mark, you turn to Jeno with a death wish written in your eyes.

“Are you crazy, Lee Jeno!? What are you doing right now, you’re practically on the verge of cheating! You’re going to give this entire thing away!” 

“No,” Jeno drags out in denial, acting like you’re a child that doesn’t understand his obvious tactic, “I’m just telling him of your intelligence. I have no clue what you’re on about.” 

You’re heavily tempted to close your textbook and go bonkers Yeri-on-Hyuck style on him but Mark butts into your killer thoughts before you can pull through. 

“What are you ordering, Y/N?” 

You stutter to Jeno’s, albeit bitter, amusement. “Um, a chimichanga. It’s… pretty good from there.” 

“Okay!” Mark perks up, tapping at the phone in Hyuck’s hand, “I’ll get the same.” 

Jeno giggles into your ear and irritation bubbles to the surface of your skin. 

“I swear to fucking—”

Mark interrupts your threat once again and you paste another pleasant smile on. “Y/N, I missed you before my class on Wednesday. You were gone before I could even say hi.” 

“Oh, yeah. I uh…” You rush to make an excuse, “I really had to water my— plant. Yeah.” 

You want to punch yourself. 

Hyuck snickers as he texts Renjun Mark’s order. “What the fuck…” 

“Yeah, what the fuck? You don’t even have a pet plant in your room. Everything you attempt to raise dies.” Jeno feels the need to contribute. You’re seething at this idiot’s audacity. 

Clarifying your mistake in excuse will only deepen the hole you’ve dug for yourself so you shut up, wanting the ground to swallow your entire being whole instead. 

“Huh,” Mark chuckles, “Okay. You’re not avoiding me for some reason, right?” 

“What? Oh, no. Not at all!” As if to prove a point to Jeno, you give the most convincing smile you can to Mark. 

“Okay, that’s good.” 

Renjun saves you from continuing this conversation as Hyuck’s phone rings, pressing the speaker button to the call. 

“What’s up?” 

“Could two of you come to the restaurant real quick? I’m going to need help carrying all this food back.” 

“Why didn’t you use your car, dumbass?” Hyuck whines. 

“Because it’s a two-minute walk from campus grounds? Come help me!” 

Jeno pipes up, “Make Jaemin and the two youngest help you. They haven’t shown up here yet.” 

“Well obviously I had thought of that, Jeno,” Renjun sasses back, “They aren’t answering.” 

“I’ll go!” You practically trip in getting up from the picnic table, dying to get away from this awkward atmosphere. 

The other three make eye contact. 

“Not it!” 

“Not it!”

“Not—! Ugh.” 

For fuck’s sake. Your luck is actual dog water.  

“Why are you so slow at this game? Your reaction speed is usually good,” Hyuck questions Mark, who groans as he gets up. 

“Well, why do we always play “Not it” then? It’s targeting me specifically.” 

You wholly ignore Jeno’s disgusting grin of satisfaction as the two of you begin to tread down the street. You curse to all above that Jeno gets kicked in the shins one day. It was looking like you were going to be the perpetrator more and more these days. 

“So…” Mark drags out, his hands in his pockets, “Do I even want to know what it is I’m currently stuck between?” 

You hum as you genuinely consider Mark’s words. “I can’t tell you. It’ll break the bet. And I really want to win.” 

Mark’s eyes crinkle in mirth. “The two of you are so competitive. It might take forever for you to win at this rate...” 

“Are you willing to be on my side?” You raise an eyebrow, secretly wishing.

To be fair, there were no very clear-cut boundaries to other methods of getting the dub. After all, Jeno is practically begging Mark to get the idea to ask you out. 

You could still cheat but not… outright cheat. 

“I guess so, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.” Mark shrugs innocently. You fold your hands together, laughing under your breath as you close your eyes while looking up. 

“Damn, this is serious, dude.” Mark laughs boisterously, observing your silly act of gratitude. 

“It’s on three favors,” You mumble past your silent prayers to the sky, “Of course this is serious.” 

“Three? Shit… Well, you have me at your disposal as long as you don’t tell me what the bet is, right? What should I do?” 

You smirk, finally looking at Mark with sinister eyes. 

The ball is in your field now. 

|—————|

“Huh.” 

Jaemin looks up from his laptop to Jeno who makes the noise of discernment, watching two figures from afar. Following his best friend’s eyeline, you and Mark are walking side-by-side toward the commons. You’re grinning as Mark laughs, bent over with difficulty while walking. 

“When did they get closer?” Jaemin asks in bewilderment. Jeno stays silent as Mark holds the door open for you and the both of you disappear into the commons. 

“Don’t know,” Jeno mumbles, finally looking down to his device and rereading the same paragraph over again. 

Jaemin makes a face at that, having been able to read his buddy for a while now. 

“So…” 

Jeno sighs, knowing that Jaemin is obviously hinting at something. “Spit it out.” 

“What bet did you make with Y/N?” 

Jeno side-eyes Jaemin with annoyance. “How do you even know anything about this?” 

“I have my ways,” Jaemin concludes mysteriously, “Answer me.”

“We bet at Johnny’s party two weeks ago.” 

“On what though?” 

“I said Mark would ask her out.” 

Jaemin snorts at that, going back to his laptop. “He’s not into her. He likes Mina.” 

“Yeah, well, it doesn’t really seem that way anymore. They’re getting all giggly and close with one another.” Jeno has a tone of temper growing in his words. 

“If the bet is over then, why is this dragging on?” 

“I raised it to three favors now. It’s indefinite.” 

Jaemin glances at Jeno again with fingers halted on his keyboard, holding back laughter. “Why would you ever, under any conditions, accept that? Against Y/N of all people too? She’s going to drain your wallet for food.” 

“She’s convincing.” 

“Or you’re whipped for her.” 

“I’m not.” Jeno gives a dirty look to the poor paragraph he’s been on for five minutes.

“You’re in deep denial, bud. I’ve been saying this for an eternity.” 

Jeno scowls at his best friend, not appreciating the entertained, twinkling eyes shot his way. Jaemin tilts his chin toward his neck, looking up through his long eyelashes at Jeno. 

“Deny it all you want but I know my shit. She likes you, you like her. It’s simple.” Jaemin chirps.

“Oh, and you’re the love expert, aren’t you, playboy?” Jeno’s exasperated, practically pouting. “I don’t like Y/N.” 

“Really? Why are you bothered with the idea of Y/N being with Mark then? You’re the one that suggested to her Mark was interested. Now that Y/N is entertaining the idea, you’ve backed off on trying to win,” Jaemin lands a slap on Jeno’s back, “You’re deserving of what you’re putting yourself through, man.” 

Jeno sighs as he folds his arms onto the table, laying his chin down. “I don’t like it when you speak sense.” 

“For one, I’ve always been speaking sense. But I’m glad you’re finally acknowledging my genius good points. I’ve been trying to get through your thick skull about her for two years.” Jaemin nods in gratification, glad Jeno is opening his eyes a little, even if it took some good ‘ole jealousy to stir his best friend’s heart around. 

|—————|

“Ow!” 

You cringe, the corners of your mouth reaching your ears. “Sorry! Didn’t mean to do that.” 

“S’okay.” He grumbles at the way, rubbing at the eye you just poked.

Pressing the face mask firmer on Mark’s already milky skin, you fixate on a bump and attempt to smooth it over. Once you’re satisfied, you wipe your hands on your pajama pants and clap in completion. 

“Perfect!” Twisting Mark’s shoulders around so that he shifts on the bed to face his mirror, he immediately ruins your hard work by bursting into laughter at the sight of the sheet mask on his face. 

“Mark! You fucking ruined it!” You can’t help but fall in line with your friend’s contagious sounds of amusement, slapping his arm lightly for him to face you and fix it again.

“I’m sorry! I look so stupid, I can’t—” 

Urging him to sit up straight, you shake your head side to side, not able to be actually mad when Mark was so humored by the new experience of night skincare. 

“Whatever. I guess I don’t care since you paid for dinner and I paid for this.” Grinning down at him, knees planted on the bed, Mark naturally returns your smile and regrets it as you lightly pinch his ear in retaliation for again, messing up your hard work. 

“My bad, my bad. But it’s whatever. Pizza isn’t expensive.” 

“That restaurant is kind of expensive though.” You mutter under your breath, brushing Mark’s hair from his head and adjusting his baby lion headband you bought for this tiny sleepover. 

“It’s chill. No big deal.” 

Settling back to sit on your heels, you raise a teasing eyebrow. “And if I make you sleep on the couch in the living room?”

Mark falls line and sinker, pouting a little. “You said we would put pillows between us tonight.” 

Laughing lightly, you rush to reassure Mark. “I’m joking, you know I am,” Throwing yourself back to the pillows on your friend’s bed, you pat the spot beside you and Mark follows, “What movies do you wanna watch?” 

He hums, tugging his laptop from its charger on the bedside table, “Didn’t we decide on binging the Tom Holland Spiderman movies earlier this week?” 

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that! I—”

Your phone begins to buzz incessantly on his nightstand and you peer at it. “Oh. It’s Jeno.” 

Mark makes a suggestive face at that and you scoff. 

You and Mark have gotten closer over your comradery of this bet with Jeno. And not in a romantic way, just more of genuinely enjoying each other’s company as friends.

Yeah, sure, the times to hang out at first were very much arranged and a little awkward. And Mark being the star student he is, was always studying or doing something productive but you two balanced each other out. You’re glad this entire thing with Jeno has gotten you to know Mark better. You two were way more similar than you thought. Mark inspires you to be productive with your weekly library study sessions and you remind Mark to not stress so much and have a breather sometimes. 

Over this bet, you’ve gained a closer friend and you’re not mad about it. The bet wasn’t ruined either since you hadn’t clued into Mark what the whole deal was about but he had an inkling; you just couldn’t confirm his suspicions. 

What Mark did confirm though was your very obvious feelings for Jeno. And no, you did not need to tell him. It was a bit obvious and as much as Mark was oblivious to many types of things, your subtlety about Lee Jeno somewhat escaped everybody else’s eyes in your friend group except for him.

(It was not because Mark caught you staring at a secret screenshot of Jeno’s gym picture he snapped you one time. Nope. No way.)

“Answer him. What are you waiting for?” Mark throws a hand over to your device, laptop placed aside for now. 

Sighing, you press the answer button. Jeno’s sleepy face drowns your phone screen and your heart palpitates at his soft look and droopy eyes. 

“Hey.” His timbre is deep with sleepiness and you resist the urge to physically make a cooing sound.

“Hey, what’s up?” 

“Was gonna ask you the same.” Jeno twists to lay on his side in bed, only illuminated with the light of his phone screen. 

“Chilling with Mark,” You flip the camera to Mark, who is busy scrolling and puts up a hand in hello, “Sleepover things, you know. Ate out earlier too.” 

You can’t register the look on Jeno’s face all that well with the way he shifts the phone to sit up in bed. But Jeno’s tone dies a little of interest and the natural quirk on his lips downturn as well. 

“Oh… I like your facemasks.” 

“Thanks!” You pat at your own, peering at Mark for a second and checking on his, “Mark kept fucking up his for ten minutes. It was a big hassle.” 

“That is not true. It was five minutes, max.” Mark pouts offscreen, patting at your cheek where the edge is lifting. Jeno catches his friend’s hand touching your face and feels a bubble of crossness pop in his chest. 

“Whatever makes you feel better,” You smile off to the side, returning to Jeno and sensing his emotions change. “So uh, you didn’t say what you were doing.” 

“Oh. I was calling to ask if you wanted to do something.” 

You feel a weight fall to the pit of your stomach in a split second. “Shit, sorry.” 

“It’s okay.” Jeno picks at a thread on his mattress. 

Mark butts in, leaning his chin on your shoulder and coming into view. “Come swing by. Hyuck is here right now, hanging with Taeil playing Mario Kart.” 

“Nah.” 

You furrow your eyebrows, confused. “Didn’t you want to spend time with us? Come on.” 

“I changed my mind,” Jeno smiles with no real power behind it. At the mention of “us”, Jeno flips his desires, not willing to out himself, and say he just wanted you for company right now. There’s a hollowness in the expression he has pasted on and you bristle at it, bothered at his show of trying to hide. 

“Okay… text me. Actually, scratch that— I’ll text you.” 

“Alright. Night.” 

“Bye—” 

A bit dejected at Jeno cutting you off and ending the call quickly on his side, your hand loosens and falls straight into your lap, phone in grip. 

“That was weird,” Mark mumbles, popping open a bag of chips and chewing a bit obnoxiously. “What are you gonna text him?” 

You follow his hand’s path and dig to grab a crisp too, sighing in agreement. “He was being a bit off. I’ll just check on him.” 

Mark hums, smiling a little. “You know him well.” 

You shrug at Mark’s words. “He’s easy to read.” 

“Oh yeah?” Mark goads, “How come you don’t notice the way he looks at you then?” 

“Huh?” 

The face and noise of confusion you make, automatically has Mark thinking of the boy you two were talking about.

“What do you mean, ‘Huh?’ It’s so obvious.” He mocks, making an exaggerated face to imitate you.

“What? What is?” 

Mark lets you stew in silence for a few moments to try and grasp what he was hinting at. At your lost expression, Mark’s facial muscles relax, a blank look overtaking his task of chewing. 

“You’re joking, right?” 

Now you laugh, incredibly baffled and feeling called out. “Mark, what? What are you trying to say?” 

“You dumb bimbo.” 

“Excuse me?!” You run out of breath, a smile still plastered on at the audacity this man has calling you a bimbo of all things. 

Mark resumes his munching, shaking his head with mirth, and returns back to his phone. “You two are lost causes.” 

“Lost c— What the—?”

He doesn’t elaborate, now ignoring you and waving a hand for you to proceed to text Jeno. Sighing, you drop this subject, albeit with difficulty because the kindest boy on Earth (well, you presumed so until now) just called you a bimbo.

You’re a little flattered at the attractive aspect attached to that word but still… rude.

You

hey, are you good?

you seemed off over facetime 

He reads your message but there’s no bubble showing you Jeno is thinking of replying. You elaborate, trying to yank some information out of this kid. 

You

if something’s up, i’ll raincheck with mark and come by

Jeno :3

nah, i’m good

don’t cancel your plans for me

was bored and didn’t know you had plans already

You

hyuck is here too like mark said 

you can join us and watch spiderman :0

doyoung’s home as well

Jeno :3

don’t worry princess, i’m good 

promise 

have fun with mark 

Biting your lip at the nickname, you rush to reply and not seem so affected by it over text. He’s never messaged and called you the nickname over the phone before. It seems more… flirty and intimate. 

You

okay, nighty night :D

Just as you’re about to put down your phone, it buzzes in your hand once more, lighting up with one last unread message from Jeno. Opening it, your brows furrow. Mark curiously peeks at your phone at the vague face you’re displaying. 

Jeno :3

wait one more thing

are you and mark??

You 

are me and mark what

Mark carefully watches your eyes, flittering as you watch Jeno’s typing bubble appear. It takes the latter a minute to reply; Mark counts in his head. 

Jeno :3

are you two dating?

have i… ya know 

are you sitting too close to him to tell me you know what? 

Your brows lift, finally looking to Mark and realizing his proximity to you. Yelping and backing up a little, Mark laughs. 

“Is he mentioning the bet? What are you going to say?” 

“Yeah, he is. And what do you mean, ‘What am I going to say?’ We obviously aren’t.” You snort, beginning to type your response. 

Mark snatches the phone straight out of your grasp, lifting it out of your reach. Crossing your arms in impatience, you frown. 

“Hear me out.” 

“Uh-huh.” There’s levity in your voice. 

“Be ambiguous.” 

“And why would I do that exactly?” 

Mark doesn’t appreciate the sass, rolling his eyes a bit. “Come on, catch up Y/N. Get a clue as to how Jeno feels about you.” 

“Why are you suggesting this? He obviously doesn’t see me that way.” 

“How do you really know that, though? You haven't been in a real relationship in college yet, right?” 

Nodding, Mark carries on. “And Jeno knows this… right? Do you see where I’m going…?” 

“Mark, please get to the point. I’m about to get an aneurysm following this plotline you’ve got going on.” 

“Just don’t say no directly and see whether he acts super jealous of you being with someone else.” 

Sighing, you droop into the pillows. 

“Give it a try. And I’m agreeing to this whole scheme too, you’ve got my permission.” Mark encourages, bumping your forearm. 

“Fine,” You give in, making a “gimme, gimme” motion for Mark to hand your phone back into your possession. 

You 

no, you haven’t won

we haven’t talked like that  

i suppose i’m not against the idea tho

Jeno :3

it seems like you two are seeing each other

Mark makes a noise that is similar to being translated to “I told you so!” as Jeno adds to his statement a few seconds after his last text. 

Jeno :3

did you notice the way he looked at you on ft?

Mark bursts into laughter but you don’t follow suit, genuinely befuddled. “This kid is so lovesick.” 

Ignoring Mark’s comment, you reply back for more clarification. 

You

no??? 

how 

Jeno :3 

like you hold the fucking moon in your hands idk 

i’ve been telling you, he likes you 

Mark takes your device again and you panic, fighting for it. “Don’t you dare! Make it sound like me, idiot!” 

“Okay, okay! Relax, I got this!” 

You 

Would you be okay with me getting with Mark? 

Does it bother you? 

“MARK LEE! YOU DUMB BITCH!” Yanking the pillow from behind Mark, you begin to whack the heedless boy, angry beyond belief at his obvious text. “Could you have been any less discreet?!” 

“STOP! Oh my God, stop! Look at what he said back!!!” Mark begs, cradling your conversation with Jeno like a baby and offering it over as a token of peace.

Jeno :3

i just don’t want you to get hurt 

You

you tell me, you know him better 

would he hurt me?

Engulfed in Jeno’s texts now, Mark mumbles over your shoulder, “I would be an amazing boyfriend to anyone.” 

“Shut up, I dislike you right now.” 

Mark shrinks, lips sucked into his mouth to stay silent. 

Jeno :3

not intentionally 

he’s a good guy

You’re grasping at straws, unable to believe your eyes. He was jealous, holy shit.

You’ve gotten to know Jeno’s speaking mannerisms, his facial expressions, his texting habits well, and yet you have never seen jealousy as an emotion so easily read from him like now. You’re not sure how to interpret this yet, either as a chance that maybe, just maybe, Lee Jeno potentially has feelings for you or is that he’s just confirming your beliefs of him caring about you as a platonic friend. 

You 

that sounds passive-aggressive, even over text 

Jeno :3

i’m not being passive-aggressive 

ig i’m saying i don’t want to pick up the broken pieces after he hurts you or smth 

“Yikes,” Mark whispers and you send a scowl over your shoulder, “Why’d my man word it like that?” 

Making a sound of indignation, you press on your phone’s keyboard with aggression.

You 

do you realize this is all hypothetical right

Jeno :3

well by the looks of it, you two are together already 

You 

jeno you’re being stupid rn

i just told you we weren't together 

Jeno :3

and you just asked me if i would be bothered if you ended up with him 

i’m answering your question???

You 

look i don’t want to fight over text rn 

i’ll call you tmrw? 

Jeno :3 

sure 

At your downcast face, Mark starts feeling bad. “Sorry. It seemed like a good idea in hindsight.” 

Looking back at Mark through your lashes, he gives a small tight-lipped smile and opens up his arms. You fall into them with a huff and he tugs his laptop back onto his thighs, also dragging your blanket over your body. 

“It’s okay. I agreed with your idea. At least now I know he’s bothered at the thought of us being together.” 

Mark softly grins at that, patting your head in endearing reassurance. “Maybe this will push him to actually do something.” 

You peer up from the crook of Mark’s shoulder for a second, trying to get at what Mark means. “Push him to do what?” 

Mark only shakes his head in mirth, black hair falling into his eyes. “Nothing. Don’t worry about a pretty little hair on your head. You’ll get it soon enough.” 

|—————|

Leaving the 127 house and heading back to your dorm, the cold air rushes at your face. Your flimsy jacket doesn’t do much to keep you warm, the blasting wind this late morning waking you up. 

Your eyes squint as you begin your trudge to your room and coincidentally, Jeno is standing at the door, looking to have been pacing outside for a while. 

“Jeno?” 

He whips around at the sound of your morning voice, puppy eyes wide in surprise. Jeno takes in the state of you, appearing like you just walked straight out of bed and snorts. 

“What a sleepover.”  

Wholly ignoring the twinge of spitefulness in the remark, you trudge past, not down for his attitude currently. 

“Morning.” You curtly mutter, waving an exaggerated hand to usher Jeno into the lobby of your dorm. With no one around in sight, you figured it was safe. After all, you weren’t petty enough in this tiny misunderstanding to leave Jeno out in the cold. 

He shivers once inside, collapsing onto the stiff couch and blowing into his cupped hands. Rocking on your heels, you stand before Jeno and patiently wait for him to bring up this conversation you two needed to have. 

“So… have I won?” He looks up to you.

You raise your eyebrows. “No. And I said that last night. Want to tell me why you were agitated yesterday?” 

“I was not agitated.” 

“It kind of seemed like it.” 

Jeno crosses his arms. A small pout sits on his lips and the ice around your heart from his mean demeanor earlier melts. 

“He’s… Mark isn’t…” 

“He’s what?” Deciding to sit down beside him, your back leans against the armrest of the couch, body facing toward Jeno wholeheartedly. 

Jeno looks to the soda vendor, eyes locked on the broken and shaky lights blinking in it. 

“This bet isn’t fair. I realized last night,” He meets your gaze and at the blank look in them, you wrap your arms around yourself, “The indefinite terms were that… I would win if Mark asked you out and you would win if he didn’t, right?” 

“Are you suggesting that I’m lying to you? Over a dumb bet?” 

Jeno shoves his hands into the pockets of his sweats, brown irises fluttering away from you again. 

“Let’s call it off.” 

You sit up straighter, confusion stapled in your voice. “What?” 

“Let’s call the bet off.” 

“But— but why? It’s been a few weeks and you’re going to call it off now—?” 

“Yeah, I am,” Jeno sighs, standing and turning with a serious tone. “I don't want in anymore.”

Getting up as well, you grab Jeno’s hand before he could leave without any explanation. “Jeno, are you being serious? I told you, Mark hasn’t asked me anything. We aren’t seeing each other.” 

“Then why did you suggest last night you were thinking about it?” 

The furrow between Jeno’s brows indicate his anger. Leaning back from the emotion, you can’t help but roll your eyes. 

“Jeno… this is why I hate texting, alright? It’s a misunderstanding. I was just wondering what you would think about me and Mark being an item. I wasn’t genuinely—”

Sighing deeply, you cut yourself off and tug at his hand to get him to sit back down. Jeno resists the movement, looking frustrated. His non-cooperation to try and talk things out burns the fire within you higher.

“Why does it even matter to you if I were? I don’t need to be explaining myself to you. You’re the one that’s gotten me onto Mark in the first place, Jeno!”

“Look, I don’t give a shit whether you like Mark or not—”

“Then why are you acting this way?”

The desperation is your strained voice has Jeno swallowing roughly. The words he wants to say are dying to climb out of his throat but…

Jeno’s jaw shifts, eyes becoming cold. “I don’t want in with the bet anymore, end of story. Are we done?” 

Water starts to prick your eyes, not understanding Jeno’s harshness. It was just a lighthearted bet, right? 

Your throat constricts, making your belated answer sound forced. “Yeah. We are.” 

|—————|

“Jeez. Who shat in your salad today?” 

You glare, meeting the sight of Hyuck dragging out the chair opposite to you as the metal legs scrape against the commons’ linoleum floor.

“Not in the mood, Hyuck.” 

The corners of his mouth stretch to the edges of his plump cheeks, bared teeth cringing on display. “Okay… I just wanted to update you that my mom wants your family over for dinner on break. Do you… want me to leave?” 

When he starts looking around the cafeteria, you hurriedly grab your childhood friend’s arm which is hovered near his face holding a breadstick. “No! Stay.” 

Your friend smirks at the needy words and in retaliation, you snatch the warm bread of his weak grip. Hyuck is on the cusp of complaining but eying the pout glued to your lips, he sighs and gives up. 

“Want me to accompany your misery?”

Humming non-committedly, your cheeks puff out from the food you completely stuffed in its confines, not willing to talk much. Biting his lip, Hyuck hesitates to mention what he wants to say. At the puppy eyes you give him, Hyuck finally asks. 

“This about Mark?” 

You shake your head. But on further thinking, you take it back with lips sucked into your mouth and shrug. 

“Ah, this bet with Jeno then?”

Stilling at his name, Hyuck shakes his head mirthfully. “I figured. You two argue?” 

Swallowing harshly, you rest your chin on the palm of your hand. “Yeah. It’s been two days and I’ve tried reaching him but he doesn’t pick up. Nana says he’s ignoring me.” 

Hyuck rolls his eyes at his friend’s shitty behavior. “Fucking idiot. Can’t take a clue for the life of him. Actually…” Hyuck aims his twisted face of disgust towards you, “That applies to your dumbass too.” 

You kick at Hyuck’s ankle lightly. “Hey! You’re not making me feel any better. Stop calling me names, Hyuck!” 

He hisses dramatically, grasping onto his foot like a baby. “Ow! Alright, alright! I was just saying… All of us have been watching this little footsie game between you and Jeno for a while. It’s annoying to see you two mope around when you could just confess and not ruin the vibes! Movie night was boring without you two yesterday.” 

He makes an exaggerated devastated face to pair with his last words. 

“Hyuck…” Your throat tightens and willing yourself not to cry in front of a lot of the campus population right now, you gather yourself more, “Although he’s acting like a fucking idiot right now… I don’t like fighting with him. He’s my best friend.” 

Hyuck smiles softly, taking your worries more seriously now. “I would hope so. You two are the backbone of our entire gaggle of friends. None of us don’t like seeing you two fight either.” 

Biting your lip, you lean closer across the table. “I’ll be honest. I knew that we were taking the bet too far when Mark was starting to get suspicious. And I feel bad for dragging him into it… Is Jeno ignoring Mark too?”

“I’m guessing so… Let’s clarify some things first though,” Hyuck pushes his high plate of food aside with your poor excuse of a salad for lunch, folding his hands in front of himself like a professional therapist, “You have to be completely truthful to me. No lying.”

You nod desperately, roped into Hyuck’s serious tone. 

“Do you like Jeno?” 

Breath stopping, you sit back into your seat. Your hesitation says it all for Hyuck while you look around, afraid of others overhearing. Hyuck gathers your wrists, willing your body to stop squirming. 

“Are you okay with just being his friend? Or do you want to be more?” 

You whine. “Hyuck…” 

“Because if you can’t settle with just being his friend anymore… You should tell him. It hurts more to think about what could’ve been than knowing the truth in the moment. Don’t you agree?” 

Hyuck stares deeply into your conflicted eyes, wanting you to understand him. 

“But… but what if he says he doesn’t—? I mean, you said we were the backbone o-of— then everything would be ruined and things would fall apart!”

“Well, I’ll tell you this now Y/N, that boy is head over heels in love with you. You’ve probably heard this before but seriously… if you consider him your best friend and you know him so well, Jeno would not just cut you out of his life. Especially for feelings you can’t help.”

“Are you sure?” 

Your open expression makes Hyuck grin, left hand going up to ruffle your hair in amusement. 

“Yes, you goof. Now eat up some more breadsticks and let’s begin Operation Confession…” Hyuck grins sinisterly after shoving his pile of said-breadsticks your way, “How you’re going to confess to Jeno.” 

|—————|

“Hyuck, I’m going to throw up in anxiety if you keep pacing in front of me.” 

Hyuck stills at that, the trek he’s made and burned into your dorm’s floorboards halted. The fingers in his hair rip out, suddenly coming forward to play with your own. 

“Sorry, I’m just worried for you.” Your friend’s eyes are wide, the nerves getting to him as his hands shake while brushing through some of your strands. 

“Worried for me? Hyuck, you’re the one that’s planned this whole thing!” 

“I know but now that the moment is finally here, I’m scared!” 

“Hyuck, stop!” Yanking his hold away from you, you stand and jump to shake the butterflies in your stomach. Your chest felt tight and the breaths you were taking through your nose felt too short for comfort. 

Thoughts of rejection and the possibility of the worst come flooding in like a thunderstorm, drowning your senses and bringing everything forward, including the pasta you and Hyuck demolished an hour ago. 

“Oh my gosh, I think I’m going to be sick.” 

“Woah, woah! Okay!” Hyuck grabs onto your forearms, guiding you to sit back onto your desk chair, “Y/N, you’re going to do just fine, okay? I’ve set up everything for you, all you have to do is be there and tell him.” 

Your eyes meet Hyuck’s and he takes in your frightened expression with open arms. Hugging your frame tightly like you’re his own little sister, his own lids shutt with the sincerity he holds. Hyuck pulls back to pat your cheeks. 

“Don’t be too nervous.”

You roll your eyes. “I can’t help it, alright? Tell me more details! I feel so out of the loop… I mean, it’s been a week and we haven’t talked. How are you getting him to see me?” 

“Don’t worry about that,” Hyuck forces you to take a deep swallow of air and you do so with difficulty and shakiness. 

“Let’s leave. Jaemin is waiting on us.” 

|—————|

“Jaemin, what’s the ETA?” 

“Uh… I’m in the parking lot right now. His class just got out.” 

Hyuck nods resolutely, the most serious and grave face on. You clutch to his forearm, desperately leaning your ear to hear Jaemin as well. 

“Okay, so what? Five minutes?” Hyuck digs. 

Nana sighs over the receiver. “Dude, are you sure this is okay? He’s been avoiding even me for the past week because I’ve been bugging him about Y/N… we live together! Don’t you think this is going too far?” 

Hyuck clutches the phone tighter, his hand blindly pushing your face away to get some space and focus on answering Jaemin. 

“Dude, go with the excuse and do whatever needs to be done. Pop his fucking tires, I don’t care. We’ve getting these two clueless clowns together today.” 

You pout at Hyuck’s words which are unnecessarily harsh. “I’m right here, you know?” 

Hyuck ignores you, nodding at whatever Jaemin says in response over the phone, which you now can’t listen to. The both of them hang up.

“So?” You rock between your toes and heels, “We just wait here? This park is near his class?” 

Hyuck finally turns while pocketing his phone, nodding. “Yeah, he’ll be here any minute now,” He then grabs onto your shoulders, shaking you like a bobblehead, “You got this, okay? Jaemin will text me when Jeno will head your way.”

Swallowing with difficulty, a noise between distress and a cry climbs from the bottom of your throat. 

“Hyuck, no. No, we’re canceling this whole thing, I’m shitting myself right now! I mean—” You gesture toward the nice picnic dress you have adorned, hair pinned up and light makeup done, “I look so stupid trying so hard and it’s fucking freezing out! He’s going to be weirded out that I’m telling him all this in a fucking park of all places—” 

Hyuck attempts to ease your worries but you’re unable to understand him, crouching to the ground and scolding yourself for being so optimistic.

You get up in a hurry. “Nope! Nope, I’m leaving, I can’t face him today—” 

“Wait! Wait!” Hyuck chases after your quick tread back to his car on the dirt path of the park, urgently starting to whisper and tug at your arm when he feels a buzz in his pocket. 

“He’s coming right now! Stop Y/N—!”

You register Hyuck’s words in your head too late, eyes bulging out the sockets when the turn on the path has Lee Jeno jogging on it. Worry paints his face, his dark hair is matted to his head with sweat as he desperately looks around. Jaemin is calling his name and cursing him to slow down, bent on his knees when his best friend finally stops but only to yell, “Where is she?!” 

Freaking out, you whip around causing Hyuck to skid and dig the heels of his feet to stop himself from running into your frame. Looking over your head, he clutches your shoulders. 

“See?! I was telling you, it’s too late to back out. He’s here!” 

“Oh hell no.”

You push at Hyuck to start walking in the opposite direction but Hyuck shakes his head vehemently before yanking you back. You almost fly to the ground, stumbling with a yelp. It alerts Jeno, who looks over to the sound and recognizes your figure.

“Y/N!” 

Your face turns furious, burning hot in anger. Hyuck freezes and shrivels under the fire of your vengeance, only to smile tightly a second after. 

“Sorry!” He chirps before abandoning you, turning 90 degrees and sprinting straight up the incline of the park’s hill. Hyuck trips on the way to the top, finally reaching the safe haven from your wrath and putting up a clenched fist. 

“Fighting!” 

“You motherfucker!”

Genuinely startled when familiar large hands engulf your waist and turn you around, you come face to face with Jeno, out of breath and eyes wild with fear. 

“Are you alright?!” He starts gently patting your cheeks, gaze fluttering over your body, “Are you hurt anywhere?!”

Jeno’s eyes flicker to the top of the hill, anger still set deep in his eyebrows. “Was that him!? The attacker?” 

“W-What? What attacker!? Why would I be hurt—?” 

“Jaemin said some guy hit you with his bike!!” 

Leaning over to peer past Jeno’s forearm, Jaemin jumps when meeting your eyes, slowly placing his foot behind a tree, following it with the other to hide his guilty expression. 

“You… didn’t get hit?” 

Looking back to Jeno’s blinking, confused at your twisted face, you can’t help but laugh at the stupid lie. 

“What— of course not! I’m fine! There’s not even a bike around us anywhere!” 

“Then why did Jaemin—” Jeno catches the sight of chestnut hair flapping at the top of the hill, peeking eyes blinking over the two of you. “These dumb idiots…” 

He’s tonguing at the inside of his cheek, head thrown back in annoyance. You suck your mouth in at that, finally realizing what Jaemin and Hyuck had planned behind both of your backs. Rubbing at your forearms, you cave in on yourself, shoulders drooping in anxiety. 

Heart beating out of your chest, you open your mouth to speak up but Jeno suddenly whips his head forward to peer straight into your eyes.

His mouth opens to start talking more but something within himself forces him to stop. It was just like the last time you two fatefully argued. 

As he considers how to put out his words, your facial expression is wide and hopeful. It causes Jeno’s heart to stutter. Suppressing himself from seeing you for an entire week was a complete miracle and a curse. 

Sure, it felt good when his phone would light up, vibrating with your caller id on his phone. But leaving it unanswered made his stomach twist the first two days. After that, Jeno would constantly look to see if you had called again, like the imbecile he knew he was being in this situation. 

Attempting to own up to how mean he was, Jeno would hover over the call button on your contact… but your profile picture would always halt his thumb from facing you head-on. 

Both of your backs are facing the camera but you’re clearly smiling up at him in the picture. Your eyes are crinkled up to and although you always love to point out how endearing his squinted eyes were, he’s never had the courage to say yours were cuter in his opinion. 

From there on, Jeno would think of how you smile when Mark is around. Like that time in the commons, or at the picnic table under the willow tree, or at that stupid sleepover. Jealousy would consume him and slide a hazy, red-tinted window of anger over his vision before Jeno tosses his phone away. 

But a few moments later, he’ll feel guilt and stupidity for acting possessive of you. He had no right. You’re weren’t his and you never were.You never would be if he didn’t even take the chance to tell you how he’s felt for the past two years… You must hate him, you must absolutely loathe him for pushing you away like this… 

He hates it too. 

The wise phrase— “You only miss what you have until it’s gone,” is entirely true and Lee Jeno would bet everything on those words. If only he could turn back time and take back that small moment of curiosity at the 127 frat party. If only he hadn’t felt the urge to see whether his small suspicion of Mark liking you was anything solid. If only he hadn’t placed that bet and gotten your interest piqued. 

But you deserve to be happy. Jeno, as your best friend, should want you to be happy. And right now, you weren’t if you were scared of losing him. The sooner Jeno gets over you, the sooner you could be happy again. 

With this in mind, Jeno swallows harshly while digging his hands into his pockets, ready to get rejected. “Y/N, I’m sorry for ignoring you this past week. I’ve… been thinking a lot…” 

You let Jeno talk, knowing he needs to get something off his chest. Seeing his face contort with how much he’s been holding in, your grip on your forearms tighten to avoid trying to comfort Jeno.

“You should be mad at me for how childish I’ve been acting over this bet, right?” Jeno peeks at your expression, flickering between the ground and your expression. You don’t give anything away though, only tucking your lips into your mouth. 

“I’m sorry.”

“For what specifically?” 

He hums, trying to gain confidence to look forward. “Just being a dick. I know we don’t have many big disagreements so I’m sorry you had to learn I tend to push people away like this when I get angry.” 

Your laugh twinkles in his ears and Jeno can’t help but smile softly. “Oh, I know, you meathead. I just tended to be a bystander and not on the receiving end of the silent treatment.”

His lips quirk up when you cross your arms, brows furrowed. “Cute.”

For once, he finally gives into the urge of telling you, smiling. 

“Horrible timing, Jeno,” You slap his arm out of complete habit, embarrassment getting the best of you. Jeno can only grin, happy to see your crinkled eyes make an appearance. 

“And also, I look cute everyday.” 

“You do.” 

Squinting, you shake your head. “You’re buttering me up to accept this semi-shitty apology, aren’t you?” 

Jeno’s shoulders shake in amusement. “Princess, stop thinking I have an ulterior motive all the time.” 

“What’s all these compliments with the apology then? Are you going to tell me why you got so angry over this bet?” The rambling starts, questions spilling forward while you momentarily forget to tell Jeno your feelings, “I mean, I know we’re both competitive, and maybe I was taking it too far by getting Mark somewhat on my side to make you nervous—”

“You what—?”

You wave away Jeno’s indignation. “But I promise he doesn’t know what the bet is about! He just knows he’s involved! I’m still really confused why you pushed me away in the first place though because you’re the one who proposed the bet first! Really, if anything, you should have realized how unfair the bet on your side was before remaking the rules—”

Jeno sighs before interrupting you, bracing for the worst with cringed teeth. “It’s because I like you.” 

The swallow of your saliva while rambling makes it halfway down your throat before you cough, turning in shock to not spit in Jeno’s face. You accidently meet Hyuck’s gaze, his own irises widening on his friend’s confession. Somewhere in the background, the loudest gasp is heard very conspicuously behind a tree. 

“And I know I’m fucking stupid and horrifically dumb for not realizing it until you started getting really close to Mark but—” Jeno rubs at the back of his neck, unwilling to see your reaction to his words. 

“Sounds very toxic for your masculinity—” 

Jeno clears his throat awkwardly.

“But—! I’m working on it. I also know you really don’t see me like that, knowing how upset you were about how I was talking about Mark—”

You tug at one of Jeno’s arms, panicking at his assumptions. “How do you know I don’t see you like that?”

Jeno’s eyes go as wide as saucers. “Are you saying you do?”

“I mean…” You chuckle, gesturing towards the two mutual friends you had camping around the both of you, and then to your outfit, “Hyuck got me to wear a dress in the middle of November. What other special occasions like confessing to my crush would require me to look like this? ” 

Jeno snorts, tucking your hair behind your ear. “Well, in your usual words, fashion sacrifices. And you look very pretty. Unfortunately, I’m all sweaty from sprinting here after thinking you got hurt.” 

You curl your arms around Jeno’s neck, grinning with a slight laugh. “Oh yeah, you’re a real idiot for falling for those words so easily.”

“Seems like you’re stuck with this idiot now…” Jeno swallows roughly, smiling eyes darting to your lips, “Will you go out with me?” 

You lean in, a hair's breadth away from making you two official.

“Bet.” 

|—————|

“What did your mom say about dinner?” 

Humming, you start the timer and face your phone’s screen up, returning to join Jeno’s watch party of the Yeri and company’s picnic table. Hyuck was over there currently, rubbing shoulders with the older girl. 

“You’re all set. She said she’s excited to meet you since Hyuck bragged last break how he got the two of us together.”

Jeno looks away just as Yeri stands up, Joy jumping at her sudden movement. He peers at your side profile and the happy grin you’ve got on. 

“Hyuck did not.” 

You sigh, sending a grin Jeno’s way. “He did. He has my whole family on the edge of their seats, waiting to meet you.” 

Jeno groans, his forehead banging against the picnic table. “Don’t tell me that. Now I have even higher expectations to meet.” 

“Don’t worry,” You drag out while rubbing Jeno’s back, eyes glued to Hyuck slowly backing away from Yeri, “I’ve never brought someone home before but my family knows whoever I will bring home means a lot to me. That’s enough for them, trust me.” 

Jeno turns his head, resting his cheek on the palm of his hand now. “That didn’t make me feel any better.” 

You laugh, pressing a quick peck to your boyfriend’s pouty lips. 

Finally, Hyuck’s signature high-pitched screech of terror alerts everyone in the campus plaza of his next hustle with Yeri. 

Jeno hurriedly peers over to your phone’s screen, collapsing onto the table again in defeat. You don’t have to look at the timer to know you’ve won, instead further attempting to heal Jeno’s suffering this particular bet made back a few months ago and about meeting your parents soon. 

“It was exactly two minutes and fifty-eight seconds.” Jeno groans, muzzling his voice and hair as he tunnels himself into his arms. 

You burst into laughter, leaning on Jeno’s body as Yeri grabs a fistful of snow and makes Hyuck fall on his back with the powerful throw. 

“Please don’t laugh at my pain.” Jeno peeks up at you. 

“No, no, look!” You’re gasping in air as Hyuck slowly gathers himself and starts walking over to you two again, face completely red from the cold snowball launched at it. 

Jeno can’t help but fall in line. As Hyuck approaches you closer, the funniest expression of a defeat is glued on his tomato-colored face. You almost fall back off your seat but Jeno clutches your arm at the last minute. 

“You two enjoy seeing me in pain so much, don’t you?” Hyuck collapses into the bench, a flurry of snow fluttering into the wooden table. You and Jeno bend even farther forward, laughing your asses off. 

“Well I hope that stupid bet you two just had was worth it. Especially given all I’ve done for you idiots…” Hyuck grumbles.

Jeno suddenly stops chuckling, now completely void of any humor and getting up slowly. “About that asshole… what did you say to her parents, huh?”

“What?!” Hyuck’s eyes are humongous, flickering over to you for some help, “Nothing bad, I promise! All good things!”

“Oh, I know you, Lee Donghyuck—”

“— Not the full government name…” You snicker. 

Jeno bends to grab snow, “You and your devilish words probably spilled—”

“Of how much of an asshat you are?” Hyuck daringly leans his chin up, teasing your boyfriend in good fun, “Yeah! Maybe I did.” 

With that, Hyucks rounds the table in a flash, using you as a shield as a snowball fight commences. Renjun, being just around the corner for arriving for the usual lunch, gets a clump of white in the balls and Chenle and Jisung pounce on their oldest friend for fun. Jaemin slinks in to sit on the sidelines calmly until you and Mark target him. 

Your fear of ruining the friend group was irrational and this specific moment solidifies that fact. Because as Jeno drags you to the ground to tickle, fluff in his hair and in yours, you sober up. You take in the moment and hear the sound of those gaggle of chaotic boys you call your friend group in the back before tugging at Jeno’s jacket to meet his cold lips. 

Let’s just say, as the two people being the backbone of eight, you wouldn’t have things any other way. 

[solojihyo]

who would you set up your mutuals on a blind date with and why 💖

omg okay this is so fun <333 let's see:

@karomiiz - heeseung because she goes insane over him in my dms (and in the dms of many others) basically every single day and @injunnies and i have a mission make the meeseung agenda come true

speaking of @injunnies - jeonghan for hana because when i think of her blog what comes to mind are always her jeonghan gifs <3 she always makes the prettiest gifs of him i think she'd love to meet him

@jeonwonwoo - also jeonghan!! hannie is so famous lmao shdjshdsjk but yeah zay is very much not normal about him so i think setting them up on a blind date would be fun

@lee-haechan - *looks at url* hmm i wonder who rose likes the best !! definitely hyuck for rose because well.... don't tell anyone but they're already dating.... sorry to all the other nctzens out there who were hoping for a chance with him !! haechan is a taken man

@junranghae - seungkwan or jun.... or both!! i think most of caratblr knows noa is a huihui and boosadan first and foremost. i think noa would very much enjoy hanging out with them lol

@97-liners - seungcheol ofc <33 do i even have to explain why XD i think jackie's blog is pretty self explanatory itself SHDJSHDSJJK just take a look at her text posts /aff

@woozification - again *stares at url* woozi because. have you seen emily's blog. her woozi gifs are top tier and so so thoughtful and they always make me smile and i'm sure woozi would appreciate them if he ever saw them too <3

@yeonbins - yeonjun and soobin because. again the url LOL and also vivi has loved them for years i'm sure she'd love a chance to meet them in person

@wonyoz - sana beloved <33 do i even have to explain. i think all the evidence in our dms is plenty self explanatory LMAO and also rosé for the exact same reason !!

@rosieposie - mina because alexa is my fellow minatual and i'm sure she'd enjoy hanging out with her <33 rosé also!! who knows maybe rosé will fall in love with alexa when she goes to blackpink's concert and then rosé will have no choice but to take her on a date /j

@kyubinz - felix because he is a) so sweet and kind and literally sunshine, b) so good looking!! i want his gender immediately, and c) theo loves him so i'm sure they'd enjoy hanging out with felix even if just for fun <33

[linonyang]

hi, this is riel aka @starlighthan!!! this will be my account for the meantime since my original account is probably shadowbanned, considering that my latest fic hasn’t appeared on tags yet and nobody has read it yet LMAO

this is my first blog, and i decided to just come back here again instead of totally abandoning it once again and make a whole new account.

i hope some will share this (and i also hope some of you still remember me /hj) 

tagging some of my mutuals and friends in my original writing account, just fyi :DDD @dlcjunz @starseungs @starlostseungmin @awooghan @cosmic-railwayxo @seo--changbin @wishingyouback @seung-scrittore @cherryhanji @hyucks-rose @cb97zone

same goes to the networks i’m a part of! @kflixnet @koffeenet @k-radio @districtninewriters @hiraya-m @whipped-kpop-creators @straykidsland

[leejenowrld]

Hii bubs just read your jeno fic and its literally one of the best I ever read like ever! Firstly how are you? How was your holiday? Hope your year started well! So I made a lot of notes as I was reading, this is going to be very long. Contains spoilers and me freaking out

So starting with yn in the principal's office, I somehow read professor Johnny Suh speech about the project with his exact voice and tone like he really speaks like that sometimes-

Ooooh the panic attack, does she have anxiety?

The way jeno is so soft and smart I'm already In love with him in this wait till she found out he's a fuckboy

AND SHE DID Yeonjun spitting the facts sorry I laughed

Ok so yn and jeno are getting along they're really cute everything is peachy but I'm sending some trouble ahead

I'm still at the beginning so I may be wrong but maybe this sexy and fuckboy persona is just for show, the real jeno is who he is when he's with yn, he's naturally confident but he's also naturally laid back so he is able to have "two personalities", I even think is a bit like the Lee jeno in real life like he's so powerful and sexy on stage but out of it he's actually a sweet silly boy

No but jeno with theo had me giggling that was so cute

Oooooh its getting sexy hmmm the sexual tension hehe

Yn crying cause she wants him I get you girl

Jaemin cameo <3333

Them talking about sex I SWEAR they're getting to another level

"So you're not a needy slut?" IJBOL

Oh the similarities between her ex and jeno I hope he won't do the same

Jeno explaining his fuckboy story was so necessary but omg he's so sexy I caaaaannnnttt

The dress scene was so sensual wow the party and jeno's protective side aaa

Their differences are starting to crash I knew it would come a moment like this, but it's good how they can sort it out, I'm also happy yn enjoyed the party

They're dating OMG THEYRE DATING like officially

The smut was chefs kiss

Why does jaemin hyuck and renjun walking in on yn and jeno seems so real (jaemin and hyuck would definitely tease the hell out of him and ask if they could join and renjun would be pissed)

Oh no those stupid parties!

She's right actually, he should've told her on the phone what was happening, communication is one of the most important things in a relationship

Thank you sunwoo you're an angel but now I'm nervous

About the mean ppl I get both sides ofc yn is uncomfortable about it and jeno is also right in not letting it get into them

And I love how he's always so soft with her in these moments

FUCKING BITCH WHO ARE YOU TO TALK LIKE THAT TAKE CARE OF YOUR OWN BUSINESS I SWEAR WHO SHE THINKS SHE IS I HATE HER SO MUCH

(Quick break to pet my cat cause she won't stop meowing)

The smut and after smut scene in the car was so beautiful I almost cried with them fr

GIRL you're letting some slut get into you DONT BRRAKUP WITH HIM

I WANT TO SLAP THOSE BITCHES

Again sunwoo is an angel

Jeno I love you so much you're the sweetest

DONT LEAVE HIM YOUR DUMBASS

Girl now what are you doing on his party

Damn but it's getting wild omg that was so sexy of yn

THRYRE BAAAAAACKKKKK I LOVE THEM

Also besides the love story the project idea is so cool

The speech was AMAZING I was smiling so wide through it

"I don't believe in God, but God made you for me" THAT WAS SO GOOD WTF

I love how they're ALWAYS HORNY

Sooooooo the writing was magnificent, the plot everything was so good so well planned. I got mad, frustated, happy, emotional, you portrayed love and its difficulty so beautifully

heyyyy!!! my holiday was good thank you 🥹 happy new year to you mwah

suh being the professor is everything to me. a little behind the scenes, i wanted to add a scene with him and ten (as they’re married and both are rich and handsome together duh) but it didn’t fit :( it was gonna be the ending but i really wanted the ending to be jeno smirking and saying he deserved the blow job lmao

yns anxiety!! huge role in the fic

jeno!! yeah!! super interesting. he kinda does have two personalities but keep in mind the person he was when he was with yn was a more relaxed, laid back and reserved version of himself. he’s was holding himself back a lot. i mean, as a person he is quite chill and doesn’t really actively attract attention, everyone just finds him hot and sexy cus he has that nonchalant vibe about him, but when he’s high he’s a lot more needy and himself… but he also shows his needy and confident and touchy side when he and yn get together ;))

them talking about sex was so funny lmfao it’s just jeno finally starting to loosen himself

thank you! i do struggle with smut and i wanted to showcase yn and jeno being freaks which tbh i could’ve done better but it’s ok!!! my series of texts between them will show that lmao

he’s so soft :( softest sweetest boyfriend ever he’s whipped

it’s frustrating isn’t it!! jealous ass dumb bitches. it’s so upsetting how yns anxiety got in the way :(

it was getting wild!! we love a good reconciliation line

no like… jeno and yn are CRAZY for each other oh my god they’re the most in love people you’ll meet. i wanna showcase that even more with the texts i’m gonna post and also future one shots :) wanna write them getting engaged and their sexy honeymoon hehe

[pinkhyojin]

bias game

tagged by @moonflowerglowing (thanks nana!)

pick 10 of your biases (or as many biases as you have and then fill in the rest of the spots with idols you like) and number them 1-10. then answer the questions below. try not to look at the questions before you make your list!

1. Hyojin (onf)

2. Haechan (nct)

3. Yuchan (a.c.e)

4. Kanghyun (onewe)

5. Lua (weme)

6. Mina (twice)

7. Jaechan (dkz)

8. Changyoon (onf)

9. Junghoon (ox)

10. Jaeyoon (sf9)

Questions

1. Between 7 and 5, who did you bias first?

i would assume i biased lua first because it took me a while to learn about the dkz boys but i fell in love with lua at first sight

2. Between 2 and 6, who are you more attached to?

haechan, no question. so sorry to my wife mina, but i’ve been a hyuck stan for much longer.

3. If you were to spend the day with either 3 or 1, who would you choose and what would you do?

oh my answer might shock people. i think i’d want to spend the day with chan🫣 just because i feel like he’s a lot more like me in a way? and i feel like we’d have a lot of fun together! i would want to go to an arcade or an amusement park i think that would be so fun. like with hyojin it would be fun but i get the vibe that it takes a while for him to open up around new people, do you know what i mean???? i totally overanalyzed this question lmao i’m sure i’d have a good time with either of them💖

4. what is your favorite physical feature about 9?

CHIN FRECKLE

5. What is your favorite part of 6’s personality?

i first thought mina was super quiet and shy but i love when she just blossoms around people she loves (and becomes the weirdo she really is).

6. If you were to tell 8 anything you wanted, what would you tell them?

i would tell changyoon that he is such a star, he truly shines so incredibly bright and he brings a light to everything he does. i would tell him that i appreciate how much effort he has put in to his craft and that his voice is so beautiful that every time i hear it my spirits are lifted. and that he’s funny as fuck and needs to keep being his changdol self because i love him just as he is.

7. Between 1 and 2, whose closet would you raid?

what awful choices honestly… clearly fashion isn’t something i consider when choosing a bias. i feel like both of their closets just contain lounge wear which! i love! but it wouldn’t really be much different?? i’ll go with hyojin for no other reason than i think he probably has more green things.

8. What is a style that you want to see 3 try?

a.c.e has done sooo much. like. futuristic techno to historically accurate gays. i just want to see what his styling would have been in the take me higher era bc that was such a golden era for a.c.e styling and he MISSED it!

9. Between 5 and 4, who are you closer to in height?

Lua!!! we’re the same height:’)

10. Between 10 and 9, whose music do you like the best?

Gotta go with Omega X on this one. I’ve never been super into SF9’s music unless it’s like one or two specific songs and those stick with me! I want to like it, but something about it has trouble clicking with me🤷‍♀️

i’ll tag @moviestarmijoo // @minkyunmonet // @twoset // @mkscatgirl (only if you want to though!)

[neowinestainedress]

I rarely do this, send asks because i loved a fic so much but hits different truly lived up to its name. You're amazing. That was the best hyuck characterization ever. And god the smut!!!! You write so well. This is the best haechan fanfic i've ever read and i've been trying to find one that gets to the same level as this but i couldn't. This fic made me feel alive again. Thank you. You're amazing. This haechan>>>>>>>>>>>>>> any other fic haechans. God. I hope you're getting the best oral as of the moment.

PLS THIS IS THE BEST ASK EVER FOR SO MANY REASONS ASKDMLJH

That was the best hyuck characterization ever + this is the best haechan fanfic i've ever read + this fic made me feel alive again = me like this

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY THIS MAKES ME (esp hyuck’s characterization) i’m screaming crying can’t believe you loved it so much???

and the last part sent me into orbit lmao thank you for the thought and god how i wish it was true but unfortunately no, there’s drought in town (town = my sex life)

[rrxnjun]

yeahh stress is pretty bad and it got to me so🤕🤕 but doing much better now so that's at least good!! ahhh i hope u don't stress much as well!!!! and sometimes it's good to just take brakes from studying so i think u should count being on tumblr as that🫠

chenle hit hard dude and i'm so happy about it in a way cuz at least i relate to something🥲 but what took me off guard in the middle of wiping my tears is when i saw my birthday as one of the dates so that made me laugh so hard for some reason🫡 well it will be a while till i know the results so we will see but i don't think it will be better🥲 ahhh thank u for saying that i appreciate it i kinda needed to hear that so thanks;-;-;-;💓💖💞u are too lovely;-;💖💞

WELL THAT DOESNT MATTER IM JUST GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT IT🥳 uuuu i'm so excited about it wahhh🥳🥳 WELL I DIDNT MIND THE LAST ONE AS WELL CUZ I LOVED THE TRAILER SO EVEN IF IT WOULD HAPPEN NOW I WOUDLNT MIND I DONT THINK🤣

well i'm very glad that u translated it to me so u are the best slovak person out there imo🫡🫣

oo god🥲 IDK WHY PEOPLE HAVE TO BE SO RUDE ABOUT NOT SPEAKING A LANGUAGE☹️SOME PEOPLE ARE SO DUMB AND RUDE MY LORDDD☹️☹️and german is a hard language anyways🥲 that's probably more than enough german words a person should know🫡 well let's just hope and pray u only run into nice people in hungary!!! I WILL GLADLY HELP WITH ANYTHING NEED IN HUNGARY🥳🥳🥳 (ofc sending it right now as i write/j)

i'm not gonna lie i will call myself a stan of treasure but still have trouble with jeongwoo and jaehyuk for some reason AND I HAVE BEEN FOLLWOING THEM FOR LIKE A YEAR NOW AND ITS NOT LIKE I DIDNT WATCH A CRAP TON OF STUFF WITH THEM so🤕🤕🤕 and i genuinely don't know why i switch them up so often🫤 i'm praying for u hopefully u won't die from laughing too much cuz they are very funny (and i tend to be the same way so i feel u on that one🫣) DUDE I LAUGHED OUT LOUD LMAO u really said the communist bugs bunny meme with that one🤣 i knew it wouldn't be long till i have to share him💔he his just too amazing🤭 YEAH I SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED IT TBH🫠🫠that's what got me as well and his whole style tbh

U NEVER DISAPPOINT!!! AND U JUST NEVER MISS!!! i think my thoughts were kind of a mess cuz of the crying but it was amazing i loved the whole story so much!!! thank u for being an amazing writer!!!

(u are going to get me blushing for real i'm glad to hear that!!! ur replies usually make my day u are just too lovely🥹) (liebestraum anon💕)

awh i hope you relax even more soon, stress is a bitch. me personally i dont feel it but thats just bc i supress it a lot LMAO 😭😭 but thankyou for saying that yes i do consider tumblr as my mental health brake SJSJS

chenle did hit hard poor boy 💔 also omg no way???? which date 🤭 (if u feel comfy sharing ofc)) i originally wanted to add my bday too but it didnt fit with the timeline so i had to change it 🙄🙄 i did write abt marks and renjuns bday altho i did manage to sneak hyuck's in as well🤭

AHAHA no bc i was telling myself when posting it like "this is my promise that im gonna finish the fic" AND THEN I DIDNT DJSJSJ so i dont want that to happen again. i was clearing out my notes ((where i keep all my fic ideas) and found the liebestraum idea dated all the way back to 2021 😶 SJSJ i really do need to finish it soon

it was a middle aged woman tbf i shouldve expected her to act like a karen ☹ german is a hard language and also austrians sound completely different than germans do 😭😭 their dialect is kinda different and they even have different words for some things LMAO but thats not the point. also im arranging the budapest trip as we speak /j

AHAHA i think im a baby teume now dont tell anyone and after binging most of treasure map i can confidentely tell the three i mentioned apart like 70% of the time so 😶 im so sorry everyone. THEY ARE INSANELY FUNNY and also very very genuine i feel 😶 they are just some guys doing things and being real and i respect that AHAHA its like watching friends hang out and feeling like youre a part of their circle. altho every time yedam appears on the screen my heart breaks bc ive had the biggest soft spot for him ever since seeing him on the stray kids survival show 💔 he has a special place in my heart SJSJ when the news came out i was like oh that must be heartbreaking to hear im glad im not a treasure stan and look where we are now 😭👍THE COMMUNIST MEMEMSHSJSK STOP no but im afraid this is the reality i did not steal your boyfriend we are sharing. HIS STYLE!!!! but also his personality he is a menace (affectionate) and for some reason thats my type of men

also it breaks my heart to hear that ppl cry to my fics oh noo😭😭 but at least that means my words can move someone ig??☹ thank you sm for supporting me and for being great i always look forward to interacting with you

[justalildumpling]

I thought me ghosting someone I'm stressed about was bad but hyuck is worse lmao

SKFJRNDN LMAO SAME😭😭

that boy is going thru some ✨issues✨ rn, i apologise on behalf of his oblivious ass😔

[domjaehyun]

Yes yea yessssss I will read stoner hyuck until the end of time! I was genuinely like damn she’s posted two she’ll probably never post another one again big sad but yayyyyy! I am obsessed with stoner hyuck cause like dumb stoned reader lmao and teasing smart hyuck 🥵🥵💦💦

OMG love y’all genuinely :’) stoner haechan lives in my mind rent free!!!!!! and SAME I LOVE THAT DYNAMIC ITS SO HOT TO MEEEE 😭😭😭

[liliansun]

ykw you got me thinking now

i think the ones we feel would get arrested are actually not and it's their counterparts

jaemin, haechan, joy, neowa and sal would get themselves into some type of trouble and even better bc sal and jaemin are two halves of the same damn person so i already know they think similarly like, and hear me out here, someone says something about mal or jeno and so jaemin and sal (on their own) decide they're going to go get some vengeance and they show up somewhere and see each other bc they were both thinking the same thing

sal would be there with a baseball bat though, and i think jaemin would have those arms ready to do some damage if words failed

REAL BC JAEM AND SAL WOULD BE LIKE THAT SPIDER-MAN MEME the one w the pointing 😭😭 and no bc it’s def their counterparts that are calling them at unGODLY HOURS.

y/n: “hyuck, why are you calling me from the county jail? AT 2:13 AM??”

hyuck: “you said you always wanted a pony and i said i’d give you anything..”

MEGA SIGH AT HER PUDU.

jun: “how much is it?”

neowa: “no questions asked??”

jun: “we’ll discuss that on the way back, for now it’s coming chenle as a christmas present.”

LMAO THE ARGUMENT THEYD GET INTO BC IT WASNT EVEN HER FAULT.

mark: “baby, are you okay?”

joy: “define okay lol”

mark: “i’m on my way baby, i’m coming to get you :(“

THESE TWO ARE SO WHOLESOME. crackheads but wholesome

jaem and sal: “so we kinda got arrested princess..” “IT WASNT OUR FAULT NONO”

mal and jeno in the car at 3am: “what even happened?”

jaem and sal: “you see,, someone was talking SHIT” “great minds think alike :)”

these two and their partners would be like,, 😤🙄😞🥰

[minhyunglee]

dohyuck for @nctdream‘s birthday ヾ(´▽｀;)ゝ

[lushnct]

FUCK

I miss ot7 😔

[ncteez]

Follow Through.

Mark managed to keep his best friend status with you even after you moved away. With a friendship strictly through imessage, facetime, and social media, it was surprisingly easy to keep him in your life. Even when things suddenly became sexual. By the time you move back home, you learn that the both of you talk big game through text, but nearly forgot how to communicate face to face.

Enter Lee Donghyuck, an old friend turned fuck-buddy. He is, unfortunately, also Mark’s best friend. But to be fair, he didn’t know what he was getting into when he suggested the two of you enter into the agreement of no-strings-attached. Kind of hard to have no strings when Mark is tying them all over the place.

ao3 | m.list  |minors dni, otherwise please like, reblog, and leave feedback, it's important that you support the writers you like when tumblr shits on us. 

WORDCOUNT ― 23.5K

PARING ― mark lee x female reader (ft. lee donghyuck)

CONTENT ― phone sex (kind of), sexting(kind of), frustrating communications, semi-red flag mark, pining, best friends to established relationship, mark big jealous, hyuck big idiot and kind of a bad friend to mark, y/n big confused about everything, smut, unprotected sex, angst if you’re a lil bitch.

NOTE   ― this fic is old and unedited. srry about using haechan’s real name lmao, its kinda awkward now

Incoming Message:

Mark: so you’re really moving back? You really aren’t just playing a prank on me again?

           You laugh out at yourself, staring into the empty apartment you called home for the past two years. It’s finally happening, moving back home because of the same job that tore you away. Of course, you moved out of state because of this job, and now that they’ve finally opened a position back home, you ran for it. Leaped for it. If anyone deserves that position, it’s you. You wouldn’t even be relocating this time, you’d just be going home.

You: guess you’ll just have to get to the airport extra early to see, hmm? ;)

Mark: no, the last time you told me you were coming home I sat there waoting like an idiot

Mark: waiting*

You: in my defense, I didn’t think you’d actually believe that I was coming home on a Tuesday morning in the middle of October?? Like??

Incoming Call: Mark

           You laugh as you answer the call, grabbing your bags and heading outside.

“So, you’re really not fucking with me? You’re coming home for real?” Mark immediately muffles through the speaker, a voice that had grown in depth yet still felt the same since you’d last saw him face to face.

           He wanted to believe you, he did. But you’ve done this a few times before just to get a good laugh. You were a good actor, always went all out to make him think you were actually moving back home. After a while he stopped believing you and would wave you off with a pout. This time though, you kept mentioning it. Talking about your plans and how long you had until you had to go back to work once you got home. He even googled that your job is, in fact, opening a new location in his city. That confirmed it for him, and now you were really coming home.

“I’m on my way to the airport right now—” You say as you lock this apartment door for the last time in your life. “You wanna pick me up? I’m going to be getting there close to like 2 in the morning, don’t really wanna waste money on another uber if I’m being honest…”

           Mark is vibrant, loud, excited. You guys were best friends, of course he wants to be the one to pick you up.

“Yeah! I won’t be able to sleep until I see you anyway—” He pauses, unintentionally flirting with you. “Do you—” He scratches the back of his neck with his free hand, the other thumbing the volume on the phone so he can hear your response loud and clear. “think it’ll be weird seeing each other again after—yknow?”

           You shake your head as you hear him speak.

“We’ve been talking about this for a long time, I’m so fucking ready.”  You chuckle out at him as you place yourself into the uber. “Besides—Mark.” You say his name a little louder to make sure he is listening. “We did a lot of wishing—made a lot of promises. Unless, you only said those things because you didn’t have to do them for real?”

“We did make a lot of promises, didn’t we?” He confirms, tutting his fingers against his phone in sudden anxiousness of what he should wear to see you for the first time again. “And no, I meant everything I said. I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t gonna be weird.”

           He’s silent for a moment when he hears you hum in appreciation towards him. It’s kind of nerve-wracking if you’re being honest. The sudden change in relationship with Mark happened very fast and it was secretive. But you are both adults and chose to do those things together. Yeah, maybe it was easy because it was over the phone, that still didn’t change all of the times the two of you swore you’d jump each other the second you got the chance just to make up for all of the missed time.

“So, what should we fulfill first then?”

           He asks you that question nonchalantly, and it felt as natural as it always did when the two of you crossed the boundary from friendship to intimate interest. You think about his question for a moment, looking up at your driver and promising yourself to tip him well and leave a really good review for what he’s about to hear you say.

“What was it you said to me the other day? That you—”

“Wanted to tongue fuck you until you cry?”

“Yeah, that.”

“Is that all you want to do?” He tries to push, fully aware that you’re not in a comfortable bed at home like you usually were, aware that you’re on your way home and that he would be seeing you in just a couple of hours.

“I’m sure we have a list of things to get through, don’t we?” You chuckle at him, thankful that you didn’t have to say anything too vulgar out loud. “So, I presume you’ll just take me to your place then? Have a nice little ‘welcome home’ party for me?”

           Mark panics for a moment, looking around his tiny room. The same room the two of you would play smash bros in together before you left. In the same house his parents owned. Only now does he realize that he literally has nothing to offer you outside of his dick and mouth. He has a shitty minimum wage job, while you—you had already tasted the life of a real adult. One with a real job and a place of your own.

“Actually, as you know—I still live with my parents y/n. Are you going back to live with your parents too?”

           You laugh at that.

“Staying with them til I find my own place, it should take long to find an apartment. But—” You fiddle with the handle of your bag for a moment. “I always used to sleep over, why can’t I now? I can be quiet.”

“Y/n—I mean this in the most offensive way possible, I do not want you to be quiet.”

           You feel warmth in your gut at that, dreading the fact that this plane ride is entirely too short and too long at the same time.

“Come to my house then. My room is like—across the house from my parents anyway.”

“A whole different floor, really.” Mark agrees with a hum. “Okay, so I’m just going to fuck you in your parent’s house? Is that how we are going to greet each other?”

“Yeah. Why, are you nervous?” You mock a little, trying to come to terms with the fact that after two years of virtually fucking him, you finally get to actually do it.

“Not in the slightest, why? You gonna chicken out?” His voice muffles a bit more than you’re used to this time.

“Absolutely not!” You argue, hearing the shutter of his camera through the speakers.

“Gonna show you how ready I am to see you—” Mark says in a cocky tone, scratching the back of his neck as he feels excitement and nervousness boil up in his chest. “Text me when you get off of the flight, I’ll be ready. Love you!”

“Got ya~ You’d better mean it too, Love you!”

           And then it’s silent. The airport is also quite empty as you say your final goodbyes to this city you navigated alone. Time to go home. Time to see your family, your old friends, your best friend who just flaunted his dick at you again.

 ~

              By the time the plane landed, you texted Mark before you even called your parents to let them know you had arrived safely. It was nearing three in the morning rather than the original time frame you were given, because of course there was a delay for the plane you needed to board. The anger and tiredness had drained out of your body the moment you landed, thankfully.

           Your mom had answered the phone when you did finally call, clearly you had woken her up mid-sleep and she was barely conscious when you mentioned Mark bringing you home and sleeping over. She simply gave you a weak and polite “That’s nice honey.” before you decided to just let her realize in the morning that you’re home.

           And the fact that Mark wasn’t there yet kind of irked you. He isn’t texting you back either. So here you sit, in a quiet and cold airport at three in the morning alone. You’ll give it thirty minutes before calling for an uber.

You: did you fall asleep? It’s okay, I’ll call an uber and we can connect later.

           You tap your feet against the floor as you sit, fondling the handles of your bags and suddenly feeling incredibly anxious about seeing Mark again whether it be tonight or later in the week. You almost hope he had fallen asleep, because you’re far too awake right now with this shaking in your chest.

Incoming Call: Mark

“No no!I left when I got your first text!” He realizes he should have at least responded, but honestly, he’s more nervous than he anticipated and it may have slipped his mind.

“I’m here, I just stopped to grab us some food—” He panic shouts through the phone at you.

“Mark, I called like 4 times, and you didn’t pick up. Are you really here or are you just now leaving your house?”

“Y/n, I was driving—"

           You hear his voice both muffled through the speaker and echoing against the empty walls of the airport lobby. You immediately turn in search for him, all anxiety draining away as you realize that Mark is your best friend above all, and when you finally see him come into view all you can do it rush towards him.

           He holds out his arms to you, barely getting a good look at you before your arms surround his neck in a suffocating hug. You smell different to him. You smell good, and you feel cold. Your hair had gotten a little longer since he’d last seen you, your hugs got tighter.

“Welcome home—” He muffles against your hair, and all you can think about is how many times you’d heard his voice but never got to touch him or hug him—“Missed you.” He says again, hugging you tighter towards him and trying to ignore the fact that while you’re the same person who moved away from him, you’re still kind of different now. Like there’s weight behind him being here right now.

“I always missed you the most.” You finally sigh out, pulling away from him and getting a good look at him.

“You’re more handsome in person, you know that right?” You compliment with a smirk, stepping away so that you can go back to your bags and slap at your cheeks a little at the warmth growing within them.

“Hey!” He retorts as he follows closely behind you, keys making a nice jingling sound in his pocket. “You saying I looked like shit in all of those selfies and facetime calls?” He adds, stopping with you to help you pick up your bags. He grabs far more than you do, glaring at you as you attempt to take some of the weight out of his arms.

“Absolutely not—I just missed seeing you face to face.” You laugh, flirting in a simple and gentle way with him as you continuously try to grab at the bags in his hands, only for him to jerk them away quickly.

“Well, here we are. . .” He trails off, leading you into the parking lot where he had parked as closely as possible. He wants to compliment you back, but somehow has lost the ability to speak on anything unless it’s a response. “There’s chicken nuggets in the car, and heat.” He finally brings himself to say, kind of unintentionally shifting the subject.

“10 piece?” You rush in front of him as he walks, leaning forward towards him with squinting eyes. “With fries?”

           He hums back at you with a shake of the head and a laugh, because of course that’s what he got for you. It’s what you ordered every time without fail years ago.

“Another point for you! I’m glad you’re the one picking me up—” You sigh out as you reach the car, wiggling the handle aggressively until he unlocks the door and allows you to delve into the paper bag full of warm and salty food.

           While you sit there, he pops his trunk and proceeds to pack all of your bags in the back before finally making his way around and getting into the car himself. He pauses after he sits down and just looks at you as you stuff a nugget into your mouth.

           It’s almost surreal seeing you again, and he thinks that if things were like they were before you left, this would feel a lot different than it does right now. He can’t shake this sudden nervousness of seeing you face to face for the first time again. It’s almost like you’re meeting all over again despite the years and years of memories he shares with you. All feelings he thought he had towards you hitting twice as hard now that you’re only a foot away from him, it feels like his stomach is doing flips.

“The fuck you looking at?” You comment, looking over at him with puffed cheeks as you chew.

“Nothing—just glad you’re home again.” He sighs out, reaching over to mess your hair up a bit in a friendly way, a platonic way.

           You kind of tilt your head at that. Clearly the two of you aren’t on top of each other right now because you’re on top of these fucking chicken nuggets—right?

           The drive feels slow, nostalgic, calm. It’s late and cold, but the car is cozy and warm. Your favorite person is next to you. The one who you could have sworn you held a love with deeper than that of romance, but all of that sort of changed in your absence. You’re almost forcing yourself to forget all of the times you’d heard him moan your name through a speaker, all the times you’d seen his hand wrapped around his cock—It was never weird when you were gone. In fact, it felt like it was something the two of you should have done before you left, but now you’re having such a hard time coming to terms with the fact that when you’re a state away all you want to do is fuck him, and now that you have the ability to do just that—your heart simply flutters at the thought. You’re nervous around the one person you’ve never felt afraid of all of the sudden. It’s a good kind of nervous, but you can’t bring yourself to give him the same energy you’d given him over the phone for the past two years right now.

Maybe this ice will be broken when he sleeps over. Maybe it’s just awkward because he hasn’t left any hints—maybe—

“Does it feel weird having me drive you?” Mark laughs in a question, glancing over at you as he cruises through the city that only consists of streetlights and a stray third shift worker having a smoke break on the sidewalk. “I didn’t know how to drive before you left, now I have my own car and everything—”

“You’ve really grown up, huh?” You try to joke around a little bit, feeling satisfied with your state of fullness after the nugget meal. “In a lot more ways than just driving. . . “ You trail off, attempting to hint just a little bit.

“Yeah…” He chuckles out, shifting his eyes back to the street and refusing to look at you. He seems just about as nervous as you do, maybe more.

“Didn’t realize how far away I live from the airport until now, yknow?” You change the subject, looking out the window and feeling the silence in the car thicken after your hint.

“Oh yeah? Didn’t know ten minutes was far away?” He tries to tease, he really does. But then he just swallows thickly and goes back to being quiet.

           And then it’s silent for the remainder of the ride. You could honestly cut the tension, angst, or whatever it is in this car with a knife. The only sound pulling you out of the awkwardness is the gravel of your driveway hitting the bottom of his car.

           When he parks, you get out first. He pops his trunk for you, and you immediately begin to take your bags out. He stays in the car for a few moments trying to realize that this is really happening. He promised you right before your flight that he would give you a fun time as soon as you got home— now you’re home, and all he can think about is the fact that. . .the entire past two years grew something inside of him for you, and he really should have expected it. So, many times he would have flown to your house just to touch you, and now that he can do it without so much effort scares him.

It scares him because he isn’t horny right now, and it’s hard to be because he’s kind of realizing maybe he wants a little more from you than just fucking? Maybe he’s attached himself to you a little more than just intimate talk?

           He shakes his head and tries to calm his thumping chest, urging himself internally to get out of the car to help you with your bags. Each step he takes he gets closer and closer to fulfilling a promise that he isn’t so sure his body can fulfill right now. Seeing you again hit him like a goddamn train, really.

“Here, let me—” He stutters a little when he says it, and he seems slightly out of breath.

           Yeah, it feels a little awkward now. This isn’t what you were expecting. So, you just let him, you let him grab your bags as you head for the front door and quietly unlocking it.

“Just leave my bags by the door, we can go straight to my room if we are quiet?” You try to confirm with him that he still wants to sleep over with you—that he’s not chickening out—

“Yeah, yeah. Just lead the way.” He whispers back to you as you step through the door.

           He does as he’s told, shakily setting your bags down and following you through the house with socked feet. He almost wants nothing more than to just be in his bed and able to text you right now. It’s too much having you here. Too much to try and fulfill all of those promises and lust filled hopes from the numerous nights he had shared with you when you were hundreds of miles away. Only because he wishes he had promised more or realized these feelings beforehand so he could easily text you about it rather than mustering up the courage to tell you to your face. It’s not like he can realize within the first 20 minutes of seeing you how solid those feelings became and just say ‘hey so I actually want to date you.’. You haven’t hinted in the slightest, ever, that you have feelings for him. That would make the friendship weird, right?

           And when the two of you get to your room, all you do is take your pants off, your jacket, and place your phone on the bedside table. He averts his eyes from you and instead opts to burn a hole through your phone with his gaze. He wonders how many of his dick pics are in your gallery, because he never kept count of how many times he sent them. And when he sets his phone next to yours, he wonders if you’re thinking about the same thing. He wonders if you realize he has over fifty pictures of you in all sorts of poses in various stages of dress— But it’s still awkward, and it’s still quiet, and the air is still thick.

“Mark?” You say in a whisper, turning on your lamp and motioning for him to turn off your overhead light. “If this is like—” You try to make an excuse to not fulfill the promise from before your flight. You really do try, but he shushes you gently when he crawls into bed next to you, fully clothed.

           He’s trying, he really is. But his chest feels tight and whatever he’s feeling right now is genuinely preventing him from being able to do anything at all, despite trying to seem confident and willing. You pick up on the vibe, because this isn’t who your best friend is and it certainly isn’t the same person you’d been texting this whole time. He’s acting too reserved. Honestly, you feel nervous too but like—you’d still be able to go through with it if it came down to it.

           When you study him and he’s stiff in his spot you think hard to yourself. Is this too much for him? Did he suddenly lose interest?

“I’m more tired than I want to be.” You blurt out in a lie, trying to offer a bit of comfort to him that he doesn’t need to blatantly reject you at this point. You get the hint.

“Mm, you should rest. I can leave?”

“No, no. Stay.” You retort, feeling a little bit torn about it. It hurts that he’s looking for an excuse to leave right now, and it hurts more that you don’t want him to go.

“Alright. . . “ He trails off, stiffly lying next to you as he stares at the ceiling.

           You don’t try to reach out for him, unable to shake the feeling that maybe the two of you made your friendship weird. Maybe you shouldn’t have expected anything from him.

“Goodnight.” He whispers out to you, still not closing his eyes.

 ~

           Waking up the following afternoon felt very much not good. Mark wasn’t there, and he wasn’t anywhere in your house when you quietly searched. No texts, no calls, nothing. You’re a little salty about it, because the two of you are best friends over anything, if it’s awkward the least he can do is set the boundaries back to what they were before you’d left. You wouldn’t be mad, a little sad maybe because you really liked whatever the fuck it was you had together. It sucks that the two of you broke down that wall between friends and lovers, and now he’s making it feel like you’re too much for him—like it’s your fault.

You were just as awkward and nervous about all of this, but he didn’t even hint, in fact, he kind of seemed turned off and disgusted that you even tried. It solidifies in your brain that maybe after seeing you again, he really did lose all interest. You just didn’t expect him to lose interest in the friendship as well and leave you like this.

           It feels like you just got ghosted by the one person in your life that you trust the most. You do your best not to check your phone obsessively, giving him the space he needs but never asked for.

“You just got home and you’ve already got problems?” You mom points to you as you sit down on the couch with a poptart in hand. It’s the first time she’s seen you in two years, and it feels kind of nice that she’s not tackling you to the ground in tears over how much she’s missed you. You already know she misses you, she wouldn’t be letting you temporarily move back in if that weren’t the case.

“It seems so.” You state impassively, biting into the stale icing and jelly filling as your brain treks on with anxiety filled thoughts.

           She says nothing back to you and instead, examines your face and posture.

“Do you want to come out to lunch with me?” She finally asks in a small and happy voice, hoping that it would raise your spirits. She’s missed you, honestly, but it doesn’t seem like you’re in the mood for a suffocating hug. You’re grateful for her.

“You know—” You go to decline because you’ve only got a week before you’re back at work, but honestly it’s kind of bullshit that everything feels awkward and bad the second you come home, all because of Mark. “Yeah, I want to go.” You sigh out, wrapping your poptart back in the flimsy foil and standing to your feet. “Dress code?”

“Just dress warm, it’s cold out today. Oh—” She pauses and reaches for you. “Do you want Donghyuck to come? His mother and I have grown quite close lately, wouldn’t it be nice to see an old friend?”

           You already tried to see your favorite ‘old friend’ and look where that got you. Honestly, it’s really getting on your nerves. Two years of talking every single day via text, and now you finally get to come home and he’s just fucking ditching you like this?  Not to mention the hormones rising and falling in your gut almost constantly. It’s not like you just want to be around Mark to fulfill the suddenly-forgotten long list of fuckenings you’d promised each other. You want to be around him because you genuinely love him and everything about him—are you really losing your best friend right now?

 “Yeah, sure. Is he still obnoxiously loud?” You question, suddenly growing fond at all of the memories you’d created with Donghyuck before leaving, mainly for comfort so you can stop thinking about Mark. You’d never really gotten to say your goodbye to him to even warrant a new ‘hello, I am entering your life again’. But that wasn’t even your fault, the dude wouldn’t get out of bed when you left, nor did the two of you keep in touch past a few likes on Instagram and texted memes.

“I mean, yeah?” Your mom laughs, stepping into the hallway to go to her room. “I’ll call them up, maybe we can have a fun dress code today then?” You mom questions, feeling glad that you agreed, she doesn’t mention the number of times Donghyuck has asked about you when he comes along on his mom’s lunch dates. Even if he has full access to your socials, the only thing he really talks about when he’s around is you.

“Oh? What do you have in mind?” You quirk up, going up the stairs to your own room, where she yells up to answer.

“I don’t know, it’s a new impression for you! Let’s get real dressed up!”

“Mom, it’s lunch.” You laugh at her antics.

“Y/n, it’s been two years since they’ve seen you. Besides, you look like shit right now, if I’m being honest.” She jokes with you, but really, you do look like shit.

“Gee, thanks.” You roll your eyes with a smile, feeling the intense love you’ve always had for your mother. The two of you were always very close, friends even. You told her pretty much everything as it happened in your life—except for the whole Mark thing. To be fair though, you don’t even know what to tell her about that. Sure, she knows when you lost your virginity, who it was to, when you had your first sip of alcohol, when you got in your first fight. She was very supportive through all of it, but it’s not like you can just walk up and say in detail ‘hey mom, me and mark cyber-fucked and now he isn’t talking to me—’. Well, you could. But you won’t.

           Instead, you do get dressed up, wondering if Donghyuck has changed at all since you’d last seen him. You’re more of an adult now, more aware of your wants and needs. Maybe the two of you can be close again, maybe he can help you feel a little better today.

           Then you remember, he and Mark are friends. Like, really close friends if you go off of how often Mark brought up the video game antics he and Donghyuck would get into during your absence. And now it feels kind of weird that while you and Donghyuck were friends before, he’s closer to the person that has you in a bad mood today. You hope he doesn’t bring him up, because you know you won’t.

 ~

 Arriving at the lunch spot, you felt a little overdressed. Of course, you didn’t wear anything too flashy or do too much to your hair and makeup, but it still felt weird to even try to look nice when you’re mind is starting to see red at the bullshit Mark pulled with you. He could have at least talked to you.

Yeah, you’re not even sad or confused about it anymore, you’re just mad now.

“Oh, there they are!” Your mom sing-songs as she clasps her hands together in front of her and looks at you with pursed lips. “Get your nose out of the menu.” She adds with a quirk of the brow.

           You peek at her from over the laminated booklet and dart your eyes around a bit until you spot them. Donghyuck’s mom looking as pretty and ever, and then Donghyuck himself, walking slightly askew to his mother, keeping his eyes glued to his phone—okay, he’s still hot and he’s too busy to take notice that you’re here, cool.

           He still doesn’t look up when the two of them sit at the table, and you just kind of furrow your brows at your mother over it.

“So, Donghyuck—” Your mom says.

“Hm?” He hums, eyes still on his phone, fingers darting over letters at a quick pace.

           It’s not really new to the two mothers that he does this. He was polite enough to come along, honestly. It’s probably more for the free food than the gossip of two middle-aged women anyway, but the thing is, he wasn’t told that you’d be here.

           Your phone vibrates silently in your jacket pocket when your mom speaks to him, and you see that you got a text from Donghyuck, message preview reading “im with ur mom lol”.

“Look up for a few seconds.” Your mom finally says, and he does as he’s told. First locking his phone and then blinking up at her.

           He still doesn’t realize you’re there, probably because you’d placed the menu in front of you again for some reason, kind of to shield yourself from the dumbass who is too busy texting you while he’s at lunch with your mom.

“Yeah?” He stares at your mom, and then down at the table. “Oh, right, I should be looking to see what I want.”

          Donghyuck’s mom snickers and your mom follows suit. “You’re a lost cause—” She laughs out at him with a shake of her head, and that’s when he notices the entire other person sitting at the table. He’s not gonna lie, he noticed the body there, but assumed it was just another mom or something.

“You’re shitting me.” He dead-pans, reaching over to knock the menu from in front of you.

“Looking good, Hyuck,” You laugh out to him, feeling comfort now that he’s noticed you. “You’re rude, you know that?”

“You try having lunch with them every week!” He defends himself, walking around the table to force you to move in so he could sit beside you. He bumps you into his mother and you can barely spill out a “sorry” to her before Donghyuck is already scolding you.

“You didn’t even tell me you were here yet! I’ve been checking your instagram all day for some stupid sappy post about being home! What the hell?!” He gripes, glaring at you from the side as he steals your menu to pretend to look over it.

“I was busy! I swear I would have told you!” You had to stop yourself from saying you were with Mark. Because you’re not with Mark now, and apparently, he is the only person who knows why. But now Donghyuck is here and it’s taking a lot of the pressure out of your mind.

           Donghyuck is so unapologetically himself, and it hits you so quickly when you remember why the two of you became friends in the first place all those years ago. You’re endeared by the fact that he would go to lunches with your mom. Out of all the things he could do, he still chose to be a good son, even if he was on his phone the entire time through the lunches.

           His hair had gotten longer, his body a little fuller and more toned from what you can tell, his voice still the same. You wonder if he notices anything new about you too, the little tiny sliver of a crush you’d had on him for maybe three days coming right back to surface. It’s probably because you’re feeling rejected, right?

“Well, you got uglier.” He comments with a shrug, staring at the price of the chicken sandwich with a grimace and then knocking your leg with his under the table to show you that he’s playing.

“Lee Donghyuck!” His mother scolds quickly.

“No, no. He got uglier too.” You deadpan back at him as a way to dismiss his mother’s attempts to defend you, and then you knock his leg back.

           He smiles to himself, scrunching his nose and turning his head a bit to face with you with a small shared laugh.

           All you can do in this moment is feel warm at the immediate comfort you feel towards him. Donghyuck seems more interested in you being here anyway, might as well just spend time with him until Mark deals with whatever the fuck crawled up his ass last night. You’re not even going to bother texting him, you’ll just text Donghyuck instead—because at least he will respond.

           By the time the four of you had ordered and eaten your food, your mother, alongside his own, decided they weren’t going to stay much longer. But the two of you still wanted to hang out, still wanted to catch up, still wanted to look at each other.

           Honestly, it’s kind of fucked up that you’d forgotten how nice looking Donghyuck is, even with seeing his social media updates through the years. But really, you can’t stop looking and he can definitely tell, but it’s not like he’s not doing the same thing.

“You guys can stay and catch up, really—” You mom laughs at the obviousness of it all. Of course, Donghyuck’s mother is her best friend so it’s not like they don’t talk about tricking the two of you into dating just because they think it would be cool.

“Mom. I didn’t drive here.” You look at her.

“I rode with you.” Donghyuck says with a shrug, looking at his own mother.

“Okay? Then one of you ride with us back home?”

           God, it feels like middle school. You’d forgotten what it was like to live with your parents, and you still haven’t even seen your Dad yet. He works a lot but the dude gave you his junker car that’s sitting in the garage for when you need to start work back up, so at least you know he still loves you. But still, the fact that you’re about to ask Donghyuck if he wants to come over to your house while your parents are present feels. . . juvenile.

“Hyuck, do you—”

“Hell yeah, let’s go!” He immediately answers. His room is a mess, thank fuck you invited him over.

“I’ll pick him up later, I guess?”

“Maybe, who knows?” Your mom shrugs with a quirk of her brow back at her. “Y/n can always drive him home though.”

           He laughs at it, just now realizing how childish it all seems, blatantly ignoring the fact that both Mother’s are clearly implying something for the two of you.

“You guys are making this weird—” Donghyuck says to your mom.

“You’re both adults, I think you can handle it.” She argues back at him.

           You laugh as the four of you walk out, his mother breathing a sigh of relief to get the house to herself, and your mom proud of the awkward atmosphere she’s causing. The way her and Donghyuck argue with each other is kind of cute. They must have really had a lot of lunches together for him to not address her in a respectful way, but you also know your mother enough to not be angry about it. She likes when you and your friends are comfortable enough to treat her as an actual person. She always hated being called ma’am, or Mrs.

           Mark isn’t like that though. He’s been casual with your mother before, but always very respectful. He’s never countered her, never whined at her, never flirted with you in front of her. Of course, he never had a reason to flirt you guess, things didn’t get intimate until after you left, and now there’s nothing between the two of you at all it seems.

“Hey, y/n.” Donghyuck nudges you from the front seat, because of course he called shot gun. “Are you and Mark still close?”

           You panic for a second, trying to avoid the situation as a whole but then your mother interrupts.

“He snuck out this morning thinking I didn’t see him, so yeah.” Your mom shrugs, glancing at you in the mirror.

“Oh?” Donghyuck quirks his brow, only slightly disappointed at the implication that Mark slept over.

“It wasn’t anything serious. He just gave me a ride from the airport, and he passed out since it was almost four in the morning.”

           You almost want to point out that he was fully clothed the entire time, but it just makes you mad about it again.

“Well, I would have given you a ride too, if you’d have just told me you were coming home.” Donghyuck argues, poking fun at the situation for no reason other than to flirt.

“Mark’s my best friend, you only texted me memes while I was gone.” You argue back, feeling like you’re lying about the best friend part at this point.

“Damn, sorry I like to make you laugh?” He mocks again.

           He turns back in his seat and sulks the entire rest of the ride to your house. But he’s bad at keeping the act up because the moment you pull in, he’s jumping out of the car just to open your door for you.

“You’re not actually ugly, by the way.” He whispers to you before grabbing your hand to help you out of the car.

           You smile. It feels good to be relentlessly flirted with, and even better that Donghyuck doesn’t continuously bring Mark up. It happened the one time, and you hope he didn’t notice your face fall. If he did, maybe that’s why he dropped it and opted to sulk instead.

 ~

 “So—” Donghyuck says as he scratches the back of his neck and plops on your bed. “I’m just gonna say it.” He adds, causing you to immediately feel a bit anxious. You can’t even respond to him before he’s talking again. Really, you’re only just now taking off your jacket.

“Are you single?”

           You cough out to him. “Wha—”

“Just answer the question, it’s not that hard?” He stares at you as you put your jacket on the hook of your door. “It’s cool if you aren’t.”

           You don’t even know why he’s asking. After two years of barely talking? You see him one time and he’s already asking if you’re single? He never really showed interest before you moved away, never really flirted with you this much either. A lot has changed in him you guess, maybe he lost his virginity or something? You can’t lie that it’s a nice change though. Getting to the point, being bold, putting himself out there, shooting his shot.

           He notices the confusion on your face.

“Relax, im not going to try and tie you down—” He pauses and chooses to correct the last part of that sentence. “Welllllllllll—"

“Yeah, I’m single.” You interrupt him.

“Great!” He claps his hands together and then goes silent, staring forward at you. “I mean—not great if you’re sad about it?”

He isn’t sure how to ask, but he’s done it before without hesitation so it shouldn’t be that hard. After all, he’s done this with people he barely knows, at least he knows you, right? If it’s too soon, that’s your loss. It won’t be weird for him either way. If it’s weird for you, that’s a you problem.

“Can I casually eat you out?” He asks nonchalantly and you choke again.

           Speechless, you just stand there averting your eyes from him only to immediately glance back to make eye contact. He doesn’t look away from you, but he lifts his fingers to his hair so that he can ruffle his fringe around, he thinks he looks attractive when he does that—luckily for him, you definitely think he does look attractive when he does that.

“Wha—” You stutter out at his blatant offer, very much willing to accept but equally confused at how confident he is in suggesting it, acting like the act alone couldn’t throw the entire friendship in the trash. How would he know if you’re the type to do this anyway? How would he know if you’re able to casually do those things with someone? Without strings attached?

“If you’re not up for it I won’t be mad, we can still hang out and stuff.” He follows up your stutters with a confident voice. “I’m just saying.”

“Why are you suddenly so interested?” You finally walk over to sit next to him. “Again, we barely kept in touch and now you suddenly want to—” You motion towards the area between your legs. All he does is look at you with a smile in response.

“Y/n, we’ve been friends for years. Even after not keeping contact like that, we are still comfortable around each, right?” He offers to you, leaning back with his hands flat against your mattress. “Is it really so weird that I think you’re attractive? Or that I’d be down to like, let you call me if you need anything?”

           Need anything. If you need anything. He’s implying it in a much more polite way but it doesn’t stop your cheeks from warming when you finally let yourself think about it for a moment. Realizing that Donghyuck is the exact opposite of Mark. Barely keeping contact with you but able to immediately be close to you the second you’re back in town? Mark on the other hand, clinging through texted words and pixelated images only to disappear when you come home?

“It’s—not weird. I’m just shocked that you’d want to?” You say in question, eyeing over him as he sits, clearly comfortable, in your presence.

“Are you really though?” He laughs at you, mocking a bit as he leans in towards you. “What’s so shocking about wanting to fuck my hot friends?”

           You stare back at him, mouth agape. He’s not lying because it’s exactly how you thought about Mark when the initial sexting started to happen. He had immediately felt unsure and apologized during his post-nut clarity. But it still feels slightly different from this, because maybe you sort-of-kind-of attached yourself to the idea of Mark being in your life as more than a best friend after a while. He doesn’t seem to want that though, so what’s so bad about having fun with other people?

“No strings attached?” You question.

“None.” He confirms, smirking at the possible win.

“Like, we can still hang out as friends and not always just meet up for sex?”

           He tilts his head at you when you ask that.

“Yeah? The fuck kind of person you think I am?” He asks for your confirmation this time.

“The type to call me every time you’re horny but do other things without me?”

“Okay, you’re not that wrong. But this is you we are talking about. We are friends before we’re fuck buddies.”

“Fuck buddies, huh?” You laugh for the first time, feeling a bit of pressure releasing from the conversation through a sigh.

“Whatever you wanna call it, I’ll still text you random memes, and now that you’re home, we can have late night snack parties again!”

           You smile again. This feels nice. You’ve only been home for a day. You’ve already been rejected, and now you’re being lusted after by someone else.

“It really won’t be weird?” You need real confirmation if you’re going to do this.

“Do you feel weird right now?”

“No, not really.”

“That’s how it’ll be all the time then. It’s just that now we are allowed to fuck without feeling weird about it— We can fuck today and play monopoly tomorrow, there’s no downside.”

           You chuckle, remembering the last time the two of you played monopoly and he pissed you off so badly that you didn’t talk to him for the rest of the day.

“And if I end up wanting to fuck other guys?” You think of Mark when you ask this question, needing everything to be crystal clear for both of you.

“Just be safe?” He laughs but then his face falls back to seriousness. “No, really, be safe about it. I’m not with other girl’s right now but if I find someone else, I’ll be safe too.”

           He turns his body towards you this time, grabbing your shoulders and looking at you.

“We are friends before anything else. If you have boundaries tell me, but I’m allowed to fuck other girls and you’re allowed to fuck other guys. This is no strings attached. Don’t go out and get a rash and then pass it to me. That’s all I ask.”

“Loud and clear.” You say, putting your arms on his shoulders too. “No STDS, no feelings, no making it weird.” You confirm when he nods at you.

           After a short moment of silence, probably to respectfully put the old friendship to rest and enter in the new fuck-buddy relationship, he leans forward and puts his forehead against yours.

“I missed doing stupid shit with you—I didn’t text much because I thought you may have grown up too much to want to talk to me.” He admits, finally.

“I did grow up, but I still like being stupid too, especially with you.”

“I can see that—” He opens his eyes to look at you and pulls back. “You wouldn’t be wanting to fuck me otherwise.”

           You just look at him.

“So how long have you been into me?” He wiggles his brows at you this time, throwing himself back onto your bed and hitting his head against the wall. “­AH—”

“Oh my god, you are a literal nightmare.” You laugh as you throw yourself back with him and go to rub the spot on his head. “And I don’t know, I always thought you were nice to look at. Maybe had a crush for like a day or two, but we were always just friends so…”

           He peeks an eye over at you, ignoring the thumping in his head.

“A crush huh?”

“Stop talking.” You laugh.

 ~

             The time you’re spending with Donghyuck today is much needed. Even with his offer being accepted on your end, he hasn’t pushed it too much, but he also makes it very clear that he’s thinking about it. Unlike Mark, who talked big game and then immediately shut himself in and didn’t even look at you in a way that shows he was interested. Donghyuck on the other hand? Every chance he gets, he’s testing the waters but in a way that allows for you to wiggle away or tell him to stop. You both realize that you can literally just start fucking right now if you wanted to, but you sure as hell aren’t making the first move. He’s the one who suggested it, you’ll be damned if you’re the one that has to work at it—you don’t want another repeat of what happened.

           He already made you feel like it would happen a few times in just the past few hours since the conversation happened. But it never did, because he’s just intensely flirting and just having a good time flustering you—seeing if maybe you actually would be the one to jump him.

           The first thing he did was wrap his arms around you when you stood up, pulling you close enough to where he was face to face with your hips, he looked up at you from that angle and wiggled his brows with a “what kind of position do you usually go for when a guy is trying to give you head?”. You lost your breath a little bit at the way he looked down there, his eyes rounded as he peeked through his lashes at you.

           You had answered him just as confidently, giving him the idea that you’d really prefer your legs being held open because you get sensitive very quickly. He only hummed in response at you as if he were taking mental note, and then loosening his arms around you and standing up himself to follow after you around your room.

           The second thing he did was crawl on top of you when you’d sat against your bed with the tv remote. On the floor, he straddled you completely and pressed you against the mattress with another wiggle of his brows, this time he smirked along with it. “Do you like other’s parts of you held down too?” he asked, reaching for your hands and gripping them gently. All you did was shrug, trying to seem like you weren’t as flustered as you actually were. “Yes? No? Sometimes?” He urged you on, until you nodded that, yeah, you don’t mind being held down. Then he pulled himself up and sat next to you, stealing the remote and forcing you to watch some underground movie you’d never heard of.

           The third time was when you were coming back from the bathroom. You’d stepped through the door to find him sitting in the same place on the floor, ruffling his hair again in that stupid attractive way. He parted his lips with a sigh as he looked at you and then swiftly pulled himself up in one go. You stood there slightly frozen, kind of having fun but also feeling on edge and a little bit teased by this point. “I forgot to ask you—” He said when he walked up to you and guided you back to your bed. “Is kissing a no-go?”. When you’d laid back on the bed, you really thought it was going to happen this time. Especially in the way he hovered over you and very politely made space for you to speak. You couldn’t though, losing the ability to speak the more he pulled this kind of thing with you—you nod instead. But he doesn’t kiss you, he just nods back with a wink and pulls himself back up before checking his watch.

           And this is where the two of you are now, lying on the bed in a lazy and comfortable way though your heart is only just now beginning to calm down at the last interaction. You feel like it’s building up to the point that you might just have to tease him back, because your body is now hyper-aware of him next to you. Every move he makes raises goosebumps against your skin because, to be frank, you’re ready to get fucked at this point and Donghyuck is a little shit for making it this easy. For being so charming and annoying at the same time.

           You look over at him.

“You’re doing this on purpose.” You scold him slightly, watching him jolt at your sudden words breaking the silence of the room that was only playing a random movie for background noise at a very low volume.

“Was wondering when you’d catch on.” He laughs, pulling his phone out and unlocking it.

            Donghyuck holding his phone makes you realize that you hadn’t thought about Mark in the past several hours, and now you wonder if maybe you have a text waiting for you. Checking your own phone disappoints you though because he didn’t text. Of course he didn’t. And then you hear the shutter of a camera before shielding your face with an annoyed sound escaping your throat.

“Don’t take pho-“ Oh. He’s not taking pictures of you, he’s taking pictures of himself.

“Relax, I’m just bragging that I get to hang out with you—” He laughs, adding the photo to every story on every platform.

           You immediately open Instagram to see it, and yeah, he’s bragging. The photo shows him very clearly in a feminine room, flashing the peace sign and with obnoxiously captivating eyes. He captioned it with a “guess who I get to love on?!”

           And really, it would be funny if it weren’t for the fact that Mark definitely has Donghyuck’s socials and definitely saw the story, and definitely recognizes the covers on the bed.

           Mark was the only one who should know what this room would look like today anyway, but neither you nor Donghyuck realize it. If anything, Donghyuck is always like that with his friends so Mark really wouldn’t have any reason to feel upset about it, especially after ghosting you the way he did.

           Except he is mad about it. He’s mad that you haven’t texted him to ask where he went, and mad that he can’t bring himself out of his own embarrassment to explain himself to you. So, he pouts in his room and finally decides to text you anyway after seeing the story.

              The situation in your room is still the same as it was before the image was posted, and while you were having a good time joking around with Donghyuck and fighting the feeling to jump his bones, you’d not felt your phone vibrating against the covers on the bed. Honestly, it’s for the better.

“It’s getting late, y/n.” Donghyuck laughs out as he dodges a pillow you’d thrown at his head over some off-hand comment he made about your mini-crush you had on him years ago. “Don’t ask me to leave—” he laughs again, wrestling the last pillow out of your arms.

           You’re not making him leave. Absolutely not, especially with the way his hair is sticking out all over the place from pillows hitting him. With the way his eyes are wide and dark, the way his skin is warm when his fingers graze against your arms to aggressively grab the pillow from you.

“Sleep over.” You laugh as you attempt to jump for the pillow again. “I don’t wanna be alone tonight anyway.”

           He smiles at you and relents, giving you the pillow even though you’re just going to assault him with it. He’s happy right now, coming to terms with the fact that he woke up this morning not even knowing you were back yet and now he’s in your room, on your bed, feeling comfortable and accepted in any form he could throw at you.

           Don’t get it twisted though, this is still a no-strings-attached­ deal, but he would be lying if he said he wasn’t happy that you’re the one who is going to be his friend with several benefits.

“I’ll sleep over then.” He laughs, looking down at his outfit. “You wouldn’t happen to have any pajamas I can wear?” He questions seriously.

           You stop to think for a moment, because you do. But they’re silky and slutty, which would be kind of funny if he wore them.

“Actually—”

“Y/n, give me a reason to get naked.” He stares at you with the same eyes that have been teasing you this entire time.

“What makes you think you need a reason?” You respond carefully, images of him in your revealing pajamas long forgotten.

“Out of respect? I don’t know?”

“You literally asked me if you could casually eat me out, Hyuck.” You dead-pan.

“And you said I could.” Now he’s getting somewhere he thinks, already getting up to lock your door.

           All you can do is watch him, following his lead when he goes straight to unzipping his pants to pull them off. Before long, both of you were there in your underwear just looking at each other. It happened so fast that you should probably feel whiplash, but you don’t. Usually going from hanging out to having sex doesn’t take too long anyway when you think about it.

And really, it’s the first time you’ll ever be intimate with Donghyuck, but you don’t feel shy or embarrassed. You feel hot. You feel desired in the way he groans at you when you take initiative and unclasp your bra.

           It’s really going to happen now, and you’re not pulling back or shocked at how quickly he made it happen. You don’t pull back when he crowds on top of you, or when he makes direct eye contact with you before guiding your hand to his semi-hard cock immediately. It’s not awkward when he kisses you for the first time, or when he slips his tongue into your mouth, or when he moans in a slightly higher pitch and bucks against your hand.

           The entire time he makes you feel wanted because he’s enjoying himself and he’s taking everything you’re willing to give to him. He especially liked it when you took the control from him and rolled him onto his back so you could staddle his thighs, liked it even more when you rode him straight into bliss where the two of you were left a shaking mess covered in cum and feeling sensitive in all of the right areas.

           He made you feel good. You made him feel good, and now you have him lying next to you completely naked after a quick and lazy clean up. The way he went from dirty talking you straight back into his regular Donghyuck-is-a-friend-personality comforted you despite his hot skin pressing against yours.

           His little comment of ‘fuck, I forgot I eat you out’ didn’t go unnoticed either, causing you to fall asleep against him with a smile.

 ~

             The worst part about all of this is waking up and Donghyuck still being there next to you. In fact, he whines and rolls over when you try to shake him awake. It’s only bad because the one person who was supposed to do this didn’t.

“Hyuck—” You whisper out to him, shaking him again. “Im hungry, lets go raid the kitchen.”

           He immediately peeks one eye open and looks at you.

“Bring me breakfast in bed.” He slams his eye shut again and nuzzles into your pillow, shoving you off of the bed with his foot.

           You’re comforted that he’s not being weird about all of this and think that maybe he does deserve breakfast in bed for making you cum so hard the night before, so you shrug and attempt to find something to throw on from your closet. When you grab your phone to shove it in your pocket, you don’t even bother to check it when you go to head out of the door.

“No, wait! I was joking!” Donghyuck yells, jumping out of bed, dick flopping.

           It makes you laugh and you shield your eyes with a sarcastic groan. “Cover yourself, jesus christ—”

“You like it.” He retorts, placing his hands on his very naked hips as he lets out a yawn. “You were really gonna make me breakfast in bed?” He finally lets out with a raspy voice, searching for his clothes on your floor.

“I mean—” You pause, watching him pull his underwear up and then his pants. “After last night, you kind of deserve it.”

           He pauses to look at you.

“Do you make breakfast for all of your fuck buddies?”

           You laugh, because no. But Donghyuck said it himself, he’s a friend before anything else.

“No. But I make breakfast for my friends.”

“Awwww~” He sing songs, throwing his shirt over his head and then coming over to shove his hand down your pants. “What if I want to be a fuck buddy again today, and not the friend-version of me?”

           You wiggle a little bit, playing along and feeling his fingers messily feel around to find your clit. He finds it pretty quickly, and honestly, you almost want to let him fulfill that promise of eating you out, right here, right now. But your stomach growls loudly and he politely pulls his hands back.

“Okay, I’ll make sure you’re fed first.” He says, laughing at the way your stomach screamed at him for even trying.

“That’s what a friend would do.” You hum, grabbing at his arm and guiding him downstairs to the kitchen, though you really would have starved for a little longer if he pressed on.

           The food was lazily put together, a weird combination of all sorts of things that definitely aren’t breakfast. He ate probably half a bag of pizza rolls before reaching for your toast and stealing a bite of that too. You were endeared by that though, wondering how someone so messy can genuinely be so, so sexy.

           When the breakfast was over, the two of you headed back to your room where he stood for a moment and just looked at you. His phone begins to violently and loudly go off in his pocket which causes him to jolt and immediately pull it from his pocket.

           You wave it off, turning on your tv and slouching on the bed. You should probably strip the sheets and wash them if you’re being honest—or maybe not because you don’t know if he’s gonna stay again and do what he was trying to do before breakfast.

“Wait why are you asking me?” Donghyuck says in a somewhat concerned sounding voice into the phone and it causes you to perk up and clear your thoughts of if you should clean up or dirty stuff up more.

“Yeah, I’m with her. Why though?” He questions again, sitting himself on your bed beside you.

           You’re nosy, so you listen. Wondering if maybe one of his past fuck buddies saw his story and is mad at him or something.

“Oh. No, she’s okay. We woke up and ate breakfast just now, do you wanna hang out later or something?”

           You look at him in question, wondering now who it actually is. And when Donghyuck mouths out ‘Mark’ you kind of panic and grab your phone.

           Oh, so now he texts you.

           Mark (12:03 a.m.): hey, why haven’t you texted me today? Did I do something?

           Mark (12:03 a.m.): is it because I left before you woke up?

Mark (12:05 a.m.): or is it because you’re too busy with hyuck to even ask why I left?

Mark (12:33 a.m.): noted

           You don’t even want to respond to him if you’re being honest. It felt like he was being passive aggressive even though he’s the reason it got weird so fast. And what’s up with him bringing Donghyuck into it?

“Uh, Mark asked me if I was still with you.” Donghyuck pulls you away from your phone with a soft voice. “He seemed kind of mad at me, but he wants me to come over today. Do you want to go?”

           Yeah, you do. You want to see Mark for more reasons than one. You want to ask him what the fuck his problem is right now, you want to know what you did wrong for him to text you the way he did after a full day of silence, and lastly, you want to know why Donghyuck thinks he’s mad at him.

“Yep. Let’s go.” You say, not even attempting to look nice, because the only person who seems interested in you is already looking at you right now.

 ~

 “Hey, we need to talk— Oh.” Mark immediately says when he answers the door, Donghyuck standing there with you closely behind him.

           He gets one look at the two of you and already knows. Sure, he had a suspicion since Donghyuck goes through his phases where he never wants to hang out because he’s got some girl opening her legs for him. But the suspicion mostly came from the fact that he was very clearly in your bed in that photo he saw, and not only that, but neither of you responded to his texts like you normally would. Donghyuck was almost always buried in his phone unless he was playing video games, eating, or fucking someone. Mark knows damn well you don’t have a console at your house—that’s why you always played games at his house.

           He doesn’t even know how to react, and wont even confirm it because it’s written across both of your faces as you stand at his door. What the fuck? You didn’t make a single move on him but Donghyuck managed to slip between the two of you in the short amount of time he was trying to get a grasp on his own feelings?! He just stands there staring at the two of you, watching the way Donghyuck’s face twists into confusion and you just look at him blankly.

“Come in, I guess?” He finally says, knowing that if he were to turn the two of you away, he would lose you both. Honestly, it kind of sounds like a nice escape—but he doesn’t want to lose you, nor Donghyuck.

           He really should have told Donghyuck about the dynamic between the two of you so he knew what the boundaries are. But he promised he wouldn’t tell anyone and he kept that promise a little too well. The worst part about all of this is that he never established to you that he has feelings for you. You aren’t even aware that the boundaries exist, and he isn’t allowed to be mad that you very clearly did something with Donghyuck last night. Fuck, he didn’t he think you and him were close enough to be hanging so quickly either.

           Why is it that it was so easy to be intimate with you over text, but so hard face to face? Why did the feelings have to slap him so hard that he couldn’t even think straight when he laid next to you the night he picked you up? Why couldn’t he just do it. You probably would have thought it was just for funsies until he gave you his all. Until you realize that he very much has feelings for you when he’s already inside of you and making you feel good. But no. He had to go and fuck it up because he has managed to forget how to show you. It’s so much easier over text.

           He feels stiff when he watches you follow Donghyuck through the door, some sort of feeling of disgust bubbling up in his gut. It doesn’t go unnoticed when Donghyuck grabs at your ass when you take off your shoes either. Mark breathes out through his nose before turning away to try and contain himself.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” Donghyuck says, the only person in the room unaware of the tense atmosphere.

“Actually, can I talk to Mark for a minute?” You look over at him with a smile. “Alone.”

            Donghyuck waves the two of you away. “Yeah whatever, I’ll be here.”

           Mark swallows when you go straight to his room, remembering the layout of his house like the back of your hand from all of the nights you’d spent here with him and his family. He can already tell you’re mad at him in the way you walk. Usually, you have a little bounce to your step, but today, you don’t and he knows it’s his own fault.

“First of all—” You say as you push open his door and pull him inside of it, closing the door behind him. “Why the fuck did you text me so late last night? The whole day I thought I did something wrong.”

           He just stands there, mad in his own way at you too.

“You didn’t even explain why you left? Did you even stop to think how that would make me feel?” You continue, pacing around his room and choosing to ignore that it’s been rearranged since you’d last been here years ago. “You made it feel so fucking weird.”

“I—” He goes to say, but he holds himself back from what he really wants to say. “I left because it felt like you didn’t want me there.”

“You didn’t even ask me how I was feeling about it?” You calm down a bit, trying to pry answers out of him.

“It felt confusing to see you again after all these years of just, like, fucking through text—” He admits to you with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tries to explain himself to you.

“God, I knew it would end up being weird. Now it’s going to be hard to go back to what we were, isn’t it?”

“No, I don’t want to go back to that! I’m not trying to make it weird; I just don’t know how to—” He sighs and groans. “God, I don’t even know what I’m trying to say right now.”

           You quirk a brow at him, feeling like none of your questions are being answered.

“Tell me right now what the boundary is. I would have done anything with you when you slept over, and you completely pulled back and made me feel like you suddenly lost interest because I was in front of you. Like you only liked me when I wasn’t here.” You try to explain to him. It reassures him in a weird way that you admit to have been willing that night, despite the fact that you didn’t act like it in his own opinion.

“You acted like you didn’t want to anymore. So, I pulled back. . .” He trails off in a lie so that he doesn’t have to admit it’s really over feelings that rushed to the front too quickly. Now he leans himself against the door and runs his fingers through his hair. “I just needed you to tell me you wanted me to, and I would have.” He’s still lying in a way. Its what he would have wanted to do had things still felt the same for him, but they didn’t. They felt too intense, too overwhelming, too warm—

“You’re the one who acted like you didn’t want to. All that stuff we said over text? I’m still the same person and I still think the same things. I was excited to finally get to do it!” You throw your hands up, feeling stupid for arguing with him about it.

           Mark sighs out, and then immediately remembers that Donghyuck is here, that he slept over with you last night, and was very blatant about groping you when you walked through the door.

“Can we just take it slow? I need to adjust to seeing you again, I can’t just throw myself at my best fucking friend like this, even if I want to! I want to respect you too.”

“You fucked me for like a year and a half over text and then held out on me. You think I wouldn’t feel respected because you’d finally get to actually fuck me?”

           Mark grimaces at the words. Hearing you say it felt so different than seeing it on text and it kind of sets a fire off in him, but he still holds back. Maybe he can muster up the ability to fulfill your promises just so he can have you like that, even if he may be the only one with feelings. If you don’t take notice, he can at least have you in the same way Donghyuck probably has, right?

“I’m embarrassed.” He admits. “I was worried I wasn’t going to be what you wanted or thought I could be. I didn’t know if—” He’s not lying this time, because he was worried that he wouldn’t be able to perform the way he seemed he would. Regardless of feelings, that would have been a normal thing to worry about anyway.

“If you’d live up to the hype?” You finish his sentence for him. “Mark, we are best friends. Don’t forget that, I respect you as a friend and I would certainly tell you out of the kindness of my heart if I didn’t want to fuck you. And quite frankly, I do want to.” You say, feeling confident after having already been laid last night. “It’s not like we are dating or anything, we shouldn’t be arguing like this.”

           Just as Mark was going to ask about Donghyuck, you said that. It’s not like we are dating or anything. You’re right. You’re not dating, and he doesn’t have a right to be asking about what you and Donghyuck were doing—but it doesn’t change the fact that he very much has feelings for you and it very much hurts knowing.

           He thinks you just made it clear that you don’t feel the same. Despite that, he is still more than willing to navigate through these feelings just to give himself to you, sexually at the very least. He will give you himself in any way you’ll take him, as pathetic as it sounds. Maybe in the end if he plays his cards right, you’d grow feelings too.

“You’re right.” He nods his head at you. “So, can we stop being mad at each other and just pretend I didn’t make things weird? Can we start over?”

“Like, from the beginning or from when you picked me up?” You ask for clarity with a small smile, already feeling a little better. He acted that way because he was afraid he wouldn’t live up to the hype.

Fair enough, he’s always been a little shy. You’re kind of shocked you thought he would really go through with it on the first try anyway now that you think about it.

“From when I picked you up?” He looks down, and then back up at you.

“Are you going to give me what you promised right now then? Or are you going to ask for a little more time to hype yourself?” You lean against him for a hug, feeling lighter. You’ll probably have to bring this up to Donghyuck later.

“I’m going to ask for a little more time, but only because Donghyuck is here—” He tries to sound confident and like he didn’t notice anything between the two of you. Tries to sound like he’s not jealous.  

“Oh shit, you’re right.” You say, leaning into him harder. “At least hug me first?”

           And he does. Gripping you tightly against him in a hug that should tell you it means more than you think it does.

 ~

             Mark is pissed but he literally cannot do a single thing about it. Good thing his other bestie, Donghyuck, picks up on it when you decide to head back home. Of course, he invited Mark to drive him home since you drove them both here and Mark couldn’t even argue it without making it glaringly obvious.

“I’ll text you later!” Donghyuck yells out at you when you get into the car, and you wave at him with a smile.

           Mark already pulls out his phone to text you before Donghyuck gets the chance to. Who cares if you haven’t left his driveway yet.

           Mark: I miss u already :(

           You respond to him before backing out.

           You: come over when Hyuck leaves?

           He looks up and makes eye contact with you through the windshield of your shitty car and nods his head, you nod back at him before backing away and driving down the road.

He doesn’t even know why he implied he would come over after Donghyuck leaves, because he’s still mad that Donghyuck’s already had at you and you’re so willing to suggest he come and get a serving of his seconds? Don’t get him wrong, he’s going to—but hopefully he can talk Donghyuck down and get him to back off a little bit. He was supposed to be the one touching you, if anyone should get sloppy seconds, it should be Donghyuck. Mark had you first, at least electronically he did.

“So, what’s your problem today? Don’t think I couldn’t tell.” Donghyuck immediately interrogates him, already walking away and going up to his room to start up the console.

“We really need to talk, Hyuck.” Mark says in a tone a tad bit too serious.

“Oh, like it’s serious?”

“Yeah, actually—” Mark closes his door because his parents will be home soon, and then he sits down in front of Donghyuck. Both men in their twenties, sitting on the floor cross-legged like a pair of middle schoolers telling ghost stories. “It’s about y/n.”

            Donghyuck’s ears perk up, unknowing of the bomb Mark is about to drop on him.

“Did you guys fuck?” He asks first, already preparing to cover his ears out of fear of the response he knows is coming.

“Yeah, why?” Donghyuck responds nonchalantly. “Am I not allowed to?”

“I mean, she clearly was okay with it so I guess you are allowed but like—” He squeezes his eyes shut. “I think I might have accidentally caught feelings for her. We were supposed to like—y’know” Mark motions with his hands to imply sex and somehow Donghyuck catches on. “We’d been texting some pretty graphic stuff for a few years, and I chickened out because I realized I actually like her.”

“Does she like you back?” Donghyuck asks, feeling endeared that his best friend likes his brand-new fuck buddy.

“She doesn’t even know I like her, but she just thinks we are gonna fuck next time I see her I guess? And I just wanted to let you know so like—”

“Um…” Donghyuck looks at Mark hard this time. “Mark, are you implying I can’t see her anymore? We literally only did it once? You haven’t even told her you like her?”

“No!” Mark defends himself, even though it’s exactly what he was implying. Bros shouldn’t be fucking the other’s love interest, right? But under these circumstances, the love interest thinks it’s a friends with benefits situation for the both of them, so does Mark really even have a right to ask Donghyuck to back off when you probably don’t want him to?

           He already admitted to himself that as long as you give him the time of the day, he will take what he can get and hope for the best. What right does he have asking Donghyuck to back off of a girl he isn’t even dating? A girl he only just realized he had feelings for? Does he even have a right to be upset when he didn’t make it clear to either of them in the first place?

“I just, wanted you to know that I’m all mind-fucked about it. If she calls you over, then by all means. Just know that I will be calling her too—and if—”

“If she stops calling me?” Donghyuck finishes his sentence for him and Mark nods. “If she stops calling me, that’s her choice. She and I already established that we are friends before anything else, it won’t be weird for us.”

           Mark makes a point not to mention that he would be weirdly obsessed with the idea of the two of you staying close after already having sex, especially if the fuck-buddy relationship is called off because he manages to become your boyfriend somehow. Maybe Mark doesn’t have the ability to have sex without attaching as many strings as he can find? Who knows.

“If I were to tell her how I feel, and it goes well—you’d really back off? You wouldn’t give me any reason to think you’re still trying to call her up?”

            Donghyuck nods at him.

“Mark. Listen to me. As a man, I love fucking and I don’t mind sharing a fuck buddy with you.” He is serious when he says it, Mark almost snorts at how ridiculous he sounds. “But also, As a man, if she wants more with you, I would be fucking pissed if you really thought I’d keep trying to call her up for anything more than a casual hang out.”

           Mark thinks hard about it.

“I know I probably shouldn’t keep doing what I’m doing with her now simply because you just told me you like her—but Mark. To be fair, you didn’t tell me shit about this.”

           Mark nods, wishing he had said something sooner, but they didn’t really give him any time to figure it out for himself either.

“I am selfish, and I’m definitely going to keep seeing her. I need you to understand that. But I support you completely. If and when you decide to tell her, I’ll back off—but as of right now, I’m not doing shit unless she asks me to.”

“So, you just keep telling me in different words that you’re cool with fucking the girl I like?”

“Precisely—"

“Why am I not as mad about it now?” Mark laughs at himself, pitying the fact that he genuinely has to sit here and accept the fact that his best friend is fucking his other best friend when he want’s to be the one doing it—and only him. Maybe he’s the only one asking for too much out of you.

“So, do you wanna know what we did—or?”

“You can leave now.” Mark glares at him. “Don’t tell her about this—and don’t tell me anything about what the two of you are doing when I’m not around.”

“Fair enough.” Donghyuck shrugs, standing to his feet and waiting for Mark to let him out of the room so he can be driven home.

           He feels only a little bad that he blatantly told Mark that he isn’t going to stop fucking you. In his own mind, he feels like it’s a little selfish that Mark wants to keep you all to himself before he even establishes the fact that he has feelings for you. If Mark had mentioned this before he made this little agreement with you, he never would have even suggested it. Mark can’t just be mad at him for doing the exact same thing he wanted to do, because he didn’t fucking know there was more than a friendship between the two of you.

           It’s a mess, really.

 ~

           Incoming Message:

           Mark: I should have kissed you today

           Mark: why did hyuck have to be here?

           You: you literally invited him, you didn’t even invite me

           Mark: :( you were mad at me

           You: you were mad at me too, kind of fucked up that you didn’t kiss it better, I’ll admit.

           You smile a little to yourself, despite the frustration of Mark still not following through and just saying he is coming over to fix it.

           You: are you still going to come over?

           Mark: what would you wanna do if I did?

           He does intend to come over, really. But he needs to build up his confidence more while he has it right now. Texting you these things is so much easier than trying to do it face to face. Just let him have this one.

           Even though you fucked Donghyuck last night, it still doesn’t change the fact that you want Mark too. It doesn’t change the fact that Mark makes your heart tingle a little more than Donghyuck does at the idea of feeling him against you. You wonder how he would be compared to Donghyuck, you wonder how you’d look at the two of them together in the same room after this. Maybe it wouldn’t be too much different than you already do?

           You: I can think of a lot of things, but not if you’re gonna chicken out on me again

           Mark: give me details

           Mark needs you to tell him what you want. He needs you to text him the way you used to so he doesn’t even think twice about driving to your house just so he can get his hands on you. His heart is fluttering at the very idea, but he’s still feeling too goddamn shy to just break past the barrier that will allow him to put his mouth on you.

           You: I want you to moan for me the way you did the first night we did this.

           Your cheeks feel warm thinking about that night, and how hot all of it really was. Kind of pushing the boundaries until you both finally just started talking dirty to each other. Texts turned to typing dots where it was hard to send messages with your hands being too busy doing other things. You prompted the call and was shocked to see him immediately pick up the phone, face in full view to you.

Seeing him for the first time, fucking his own palm to the image of you was one of the most erotic things you’d ever experience because he was your best friend. Cursing yourself for all of the times you were able to do this before moving but never doing it, now too far away to try. But you’re home now, and it’s all you want from him in this moment. You want him to look like that for you up close and personal, not through a fucking phone screen.

           But he decided to be difficult, and still aren’t completely sure why— you’ll be damned if you don’t keep trying.

           You: i’d do anything you ask me to do right now

You: come over, let me show you how wet I already am

           Mark hums as he reads your string of texts, swiping to his gallery to glaze his eyes over some of the photos you’d sent to him before. The fact that you’re within arms reach of him has the excitement bubbling up twice as much as he was expecting given the block he had hit two days prior when he finally got to see you again. It’s because you’re texting, and this is what he is used to.

           Mark: keep going, I’m getting ready

           He tries to sound like he’s not desperate right now as he brushes his teeth and attempts to fix himself in the mirror, all while also trying to stare at the last photo you’d sent to him before you came home.

           You: you keep making me wait, you know that?

           You: what if I just finish myself off right now and not let you taste it at all?

           Mark remembers all of the times he’d gotten off to the simple thought of burying his face between your thighs. He’s seeing red right now, so quickly turned on by the way you text him with ease—with confidence. He knows he could easily overtake you if he wanted to, if he would just walk out of this door right now and do it.

           Mark: i’m hard

           You smile to yourself at that stupid and small text, because yeah, he’d better be hard. You don’t need another night of him beside you unsure of if the two of you want each other. It wont change in the matter of time it would take him to drive here, right? Surely not. But just in case, you snap a nice little photo of your hand sliding down your panties to him.

           You: come over

           Mark: shit, okay okay wait

           You: I’m not waiting anymore

           Mark doesn’t even think this time, not wanting to waste the amount of confidence he already has from your texts, he’s thankful that his horny level allows him to do things he normally wouldn’t do. You haven’t even gotten to the good part of sexting by this point, but he can see that you’re making a point that it needs to be more than that this time, and goddammit, he’s going to give it to you.

           Mark: call me

           You immediately do and sigh out when you hear that he is very clearly driving.

“Hm, thought you didn’t talk on the phone when you’re driving?” You poke fun at him, but he is very quick to cut you off, exciting you that he’s really gonna follow through this time.

“I’m not going to talk. You are.”

“Oh? Am I?” You say with a smile, he can hear it in your voice but his ears are honestly ringing so it’s a bit hard to focus on it.

           All he knows is that you have the same voice you’d given to him before. You sound different when you’re touching yourself compared to when you’re not. He knows this is that voice.

           You don’t really falter at the way he doesn’t respond, hearing only the sounds of his car through the speaker. You, for some reason, don’t feel awkward about this. You’ve never been the only one talking but it’s Mark, and you’re comfortable with him even if he made this harder than it was supposed to be.

“When you get here, come straight to my room.” You pause, sliding your fingers down a bit lower. “I’m already fucking myself open for you.”

           It’s lewd, but he’s heard it all from your mouth before, it really shouldn’t feel any different aside from the fact that he gets to come take over for you, finally.

           You can hear him breath out through the phone at that, and though he said he wasn’t going to talk, he can’t help himself as he gently moves one of his hands from the steering wheel down to palm over his increasingly hard cock.

           “You want me to just walk in and start fucking you?” He teases. “Not even patient enough to let me do it for you— you want me that bad, hm?”  

           You hum out in response, giving him a small moan just to get him to keep talking. This version of him becoming your favorite every time he talks to you like this, it’s almost hard to believe he backed out on you once already with the way he seems just as eager for it.

“You gonna keep that same energy when you get here?” You question him a little breathless. “Don’t tease me, I’ve been wanting this for so long…” You whine.

           He loves it when you whine like that, usually it was because you wished your toy or hand was him, and now it’s because he’s not getting to your house quick enough.

           He does his best to focus on the road, still palming against himself as he gets closer and closer to your house, hearing you fuck yourself through the speakers.

“It’s going to feel so so good—” You moan out through the speaker, speeding your fingers up and doing as you promised in prepping yourself for when he shows up.

           Mark knows you’re on the pill, and god is he thankful for that. No need to fumble with a condom or pull out of you when things get intense, he remembers the time you specifically told him that you wanted him to cum inside of you, god.

He can’t stop thinking about what he’s going to do. Is he really going to walk in and just—immediately press into you? How will you be positioned? Ass up? On your back? Against the wall? Bent over the bed? What if he finally got his mouth on your clit? What if he finally got to feel your fingers tugging at his hair to guide his tongue against the warmest and wettest parts of you? What if—

“Y/n, take them off.” He says it sternly and immediately hears you shuffling on the other side of the speaker to pull off whatever clothing you have on. He needs you to take off your clothes before he gets there, because part of him wonders if all of this confidence will drain away the moment he sees that you’re fully dressed and just—anticipating. He needs the ice to be broken by not being able to resist touching you. “I’m almost there, I—”

           He tenses up a bit, pulling his hand away from his cock because he’s thinking far too much to last if he’s trying to get to you. And then he hears you moan into the line again. God he wishes he could hear what your fingers had just resumed doing, instead he needs to focus on this fucking road and not driving off of it because he is quite literally about to cum in his pants at the sheer anticipation of finally fulfilling this fantasy he shared with you.

           He doesn’t say a fucking word when he pulls into your driveway, but you hear the tires hitting the gravel outside and the only thing you can do is move your fingers faster, knowing that he’s about to walk through that door and either take the wheel or drop to his knees and tell you he can’t.

           Mark is feeling too many things when he walks through your front door, boner in full swing as he paces straight past the kitchen where your mother sat. She didn’t even bat an eyelash—turning up the recipe video she had on her phone and continuing to prep some of the vegetables she had just washed.

           He wonders if you can hear him take each step up to your room, and when he finally gets to your door, he takes in a deep breath and forces himself to open it.

“Shit.”

           That’s all he could say when he saw you, laid out bare with your legs spread, positioned in full view towards the door because you knew he would be the only one walking through it tonight. He stutters, immediately shaking off his jacket and making his way across the room towards you.

           Before you can even say anything or react, he’s really just going for it. Grabbing your ankles and yanking you towards the edge of the bed as he sinks to his knees on your floor. You let out a small sound when he did it and could barely even take in another breath because he immediately surrounds your clit with his lips.

           The sounds that pour from your chest shocks you, unable to take in a full breath. He didn’t even hesitate, and you glance down to see your best friend’s mess of hair between your legs for the first time. It’s insanely hot to see his head moving and all you can do is reach down to run your fingers through his locks like you wanted to do so many times when you’d thought about this.

           In reality, Mark knows that if he didn’t just fucking do it, he would still be standing at your door frozen right now. He has no idea what made him do it, maybe it was the intense need to validate his own feelings? Maybe to experience what Donghyuck got to feel?—whatever it was, he’s thankful for it. The ice is shattered and all he feels is warmth when his tongue is against your clit and your fingers are in his hair.

           He’s being driven by some sort of force that he’s never felt before, because now he’s going through a list in his head of all of the things he wants to do to you, for you, with you.

“Jesus—Ah!” You try to speak, but you’re cut off as a small breath escapes your throat, all due to the fact that he pushes his hands under you, grips your ass, and angles you slightly up so that he can bury his mouth even further into your folds.

           He looks up only for a moment with hooded eyes and releases his breath through his nose, grounding himself in reality that he’s really going through with this. All the times he’s thought about this is now a reality and he cannot fathom how he’s feeling right now. His cock hard and bulging against his pants as he continues to swipe his tongue across your clit with an eager sort of energy, and all he can do is grip your ass harder, pull your pussy closer against his face.

           You don’t even try to speak this time, images flying through your brain too quickly to grasp one singular thought at the moment. Three minutes ago he was coming up the stairs, and now he’s doing heavenly things with his tongue that you never thought he had the ability to do if you’re being honest. Finally, you grasp a thought. A praise.

“You’re so good at this—” You manage to moan out, your fingers trembling in his hair. “So, so good.”

           He groans against you, pulling back only slightly so that he can lick a long stripe up your pussy in a fluid way. His tongue felt so soft against you, but his hands holding you feel rough and bruising. Your praise made him ever more eager, ever more confident, and it makes him feel like he is living up to the hype.

           He continues to lick against you, the pressure of his tongue hitting all of the right spots before circling your clit with his lips again. Only then, when he felt satisfied with the way you were gripping his hair did he gently lower you back to the bed. Sucking hard against you before tilting his head back and looking at you.

           This. This is the side of Mark that you met only after you moved away, this is the side of him that makes your heart and legs tremble with the same force as an earth-shattering earthquake. He had you feeling on top of the moon for too long without ever touching you, and now he’s touching you. You can’t even describe how he’s making you feel right now in terms of emotion—

“Mark,” You sigh, fixing a tuft of his hair that you had gripped a little too tightly.

           He still only looks at you, every feeling he’s ever had for you welling up inside of him now that he can truly see you bare in front of him. He isn’t sure if he wants to dive back in, pull himself up to kiss you for the first time, or cry.

“You didn’t make me wait this time—” You choke out, staring back at him and feeling incredible tenseness radiating from him despite his calm breathing as he looks at you from between your legs. You can feel his breath against you and it’s warm. He isn’t moving, but you can see him part his lips as if he’s going to say something, but he doesn’t.

           He pulls himself back up, crawling on top of you and causing you to slowly lower yourself back against the bed from the position you’d been sitting in to watch him—you wonder if he’s not talking because he’s too busy thinking. You kind of are too, words are hard to find in this moment but you’re still trying and you don’t know why.

           Mark keeps your legs spread by leaving his palm against your core, leaning over you with one of his strong arms on one side of your head as he continues to maintain eye contact with you. He’s still fully clothed and it’s not even funny to you in this moment. He’s focused and you’re hyper-aware of everything he is making you feel right now though you have no words to describe it, especially when he dips his head down against your cheek and finally, for the first time since he’s gotten here, says something to you.

“I can kiss you, right?” He asks, and you would laugh because he literally just had his tongue between your legs. You just look up at him and he can see your eyes glistening with a brightness he always wanted to see in them. “There’s so much I want to do to do right now—” He admits against your ear this time, gently moving his fingers down to tease at your entrance. You gasp at that, slack lips trembling at every sensation he gives to you after such a long time of needing it. You weren’t this desperate when Donghyuck was touching you—it’s a little alarming.

           Only when you spread your legs a little more and roll your hips up as if to search out his fingers that were already against you, did he finally ghost his lips over yours. His confidence isn’t wavering in the slightest with the way you silently react to him. Mark wonders what you’d think if you could see yourself right now, he doesn’t even need you to praise him or tell him what you need anymore. You never lied to him, you didn’t lose interest, you want him.

           He wants you.

           He kisses you harder than you’d have expected from the lips he so often used to whisper jokes and affirmations with. You don’t realize that he is quite literally giving you his all in this moment, angling his head in a way that he slots your lips with his that felt as if it were a perfect fit. He always told you that he’d make you taste yourself, but this is much softer than you were expecting.

Before you’d left, you never really imagined what kissing him would be like—he’s so good at it.

           He could kiss you like this for hours and you think you could get off on that alone if you’re being honest. Mark does it in a way that leaves you chasing his tongue, squeezing your eyes so tightly just so you can fall into the sensation of the kiss alone. In all honesty, you’re not sure if its more intense because he keeps circling your entrance with the pads of his finger tips or if it’s because you didn’t know how badly you needed him.

           He pulls back from you for a moment, you are chasing like you knew you would when he looks down and intently watches as he slides his fingers into you. He can feel the warmth, the wetness, the way you squeeze around just two of his digits. It’s not your fingers anymore, and goddamn they definitely feel better than yours ever did. Long, slender, soft fingers dragging against your walls as you quite literally, melt beneath him.

           He smiles at you and the way you groan at him, the way your hips roll against his fingers every few seconds when he fucks them into you again.

“Feel good?” He chuckles out to you, holding his fingers in place as deep as they can go into you.

           All you can do is nod at him, feeling completely blown away by what most would consider very very basic foreplay. He continues to fuck you with his fingers, studying each reaction and locking them in his brain so that he can remember this moment forever. Wanting to have the ability to look back on this later with you and ask you how you really felt in this moment.

           He’s still hard against his jeans and it’s becoming increasingly difficult for him not to grind forward just to feel the pressure of the denim against him. He’s so focused on you that only now does he realize how bare you are compared to him, and he feels a little embarrassed about that, confidence faltering only for a second at the fact that you haven’t asked him to take anything off yet. The confidence comes right back when you moan out at his fingers again, grabbing at his hand and pulling his fingers out just so that you could breathe again.

“Ah—” You sigh out, hiding your face against him when he tries to look at you with a tilt of the head.

“Did it hurt?” He questions softly, knowing that you could probably handle a lot more than that.

“No—I just. . . get really sensitive when I’m—” You try to say, your body twitching a bit at the air hitting your core. “Mark.”

           He doesn’t let you continue, and instead moves his fingers back to your clit, putting pressure against the bud before kissing the corner of your mouth. You can’t think straight, your own hands searching for a part of him to hold onto. He trails his kisses down your neck, to your collar bone, to the soft mound of flesh perking up at his touch, and his fingers continue to mimic what his mouth was doing so perfectly just moments before. You feel so—paid attention to? So perceived by him in this moment that you’re a little jealous. Jealous of the fact that, because you waited so long to have him on you like this, your thoughts are telling you it must be a dream. There’s no way you’re in your old room with Mark’s lips on your skin right now, right? There’s no way his lips are ghosting over your nipples and his fingers are putting more and more pressure on your most sensitive area, right? There’s no way such simple touches from a man are affecting you to this extent.

           But they are, and he continues to do it. Pushing and pulling you from the reality of the situation without intent, only now do you realize that he deserves a lot more than he’s getting right now. His fingers are slowly making their way back down, and his tongue is going from different areas of your body back to your lips, all you can do in this moment is kiss him as hard as you can. Tugging him up from your neck and aggressively rolling your hips forward, telling him that it’s okay to slip his fingers in again, telling him it’s okay to not hold back, that he’s allowed to do anything and everything he wants with you.

           And he does, making a small sound of surprise at the way you aggressively kiss him. He slips his fingers back into you at a slow pace that doesn’t match at all the energy of your tongue against his right now, and you finally move your hand from gripping his hair down to his shirt. You do your best to pull it off of him without disconnecting your lips from his, but obviously—that wasn’t possible.

           He stills his fingers inside of you when he leans up to let you pull his shirt all the way off of him, and all you can do is stare at his face. The way his pupils are blown, his hair looks fucked up and honestly, wow. How dare any other woman see this? This should be yours.

           He dips his head a little, looking away from you with a bit of a shy look at the way you stare at him, and when he does that he slowly presses your hand to his jeans, urging you to at least unbutton them for him. And you do that, still not looking away from his face.

“Mark, you are genuinely—so hot right now.” You choke out, feeling him remove his fingers from you again to help you with his button, since honestly, the task is a bit more difficult than you’d like for it to be. “Let me—”

           You pull yourself up to a sitting position this time, your core tingling from the loss of his touch that you’d already grown to love so much more than your own. You do your best to focus on what’s in front of you. But all of it is Mark and some how it’s incredibly hard to focus on the fact that you’re about to see his cock in the flesh for the first time. You’re going to touch it, make him writhe. It’s not going to be in a photo or a video.

           All he does is watch you, pulling his zipper down and staring intently at the bulge that’s contained within. He instinctively presses himself foward against your knuckles as you work the zipper down, searching for even the slightest amount of friction that isn’t his own inseam—when you see that you swallow hard. Realizing that this bulge is much bigger than you’d thought up before based on photos.

           You see him twitch beneath the denim when you fold open the fly of the pants, tugging them down enough to where you can see his cock react even more to the sensation. You peek up at him, seeing the way he’s hanging his head and reaching out to place his hand against the back of your head. You already know where this is going.

           The pants are against his thighs by this point and you’re immediately putting your mouth on him without even taking off his briefs. Feeling the heat through the fabric and tasting the wetness from the precum that had seeped through, it’s honestly hard to wait when his body is so obviously seeking you out.

           You pull back and look at him, and his cheeks are red, his hands are big when they replace your mouth against him. You wonder if he feels as desperate as you do right now, barely having the ability to take his clothes off of him—barely being able to take in the fact that you’d seen him shirtless so many times but this time feels sexier.

           You motion for him to take off his pants, and he very quickly stumbles to his feet to do just that, and then he stands there in his briefs, hanging heavy. It’s like he lost the ability to move for a moment—

“Will you—or um, do you want to—” He pauses, covering his bulge with his hands for a moment.

“I want to.” You chuckle, already pulling him back to the bed so that you can give him exactly what he gave to you. The way he smiles when you position him on the edge of the bed and immediately lower yourself to the same position he was in before on the floor.

           You make haste this time, because your mouth is already watering. You’d stalled a bit in seeing his cock in full for the first time, feeling comforted by the fact that it was still covered by his briefs—now it’s just a nuisance to you. You’re ready to hear him, you want to hear him react differently than he did with his own hand.

           You pull his briefs down easily, tossing them to the side before gripping him with one hand, the other searching for his. You place his palm in your hair and simply look at him. “Guide me.” You say, before not even allowing yourself to glance at the sheer size of him before you’re circling his tip with your tongue and immediately sinking down.

           He reacts instantaneously, a low rumble from his throat escapes his lips and his eyes only slightly rolling back at the first amount of true friction he’s gotten. His fingers grip your hair much like yours did to him, and he doesn’t hesitate to press you lower and lower on him. Sheer desperation becoming the driving factor before he realizes that you’re gagging around him and not pulling up.

           He very quickly pulls you back up, studying your face and the wetness coating your lips.

“Sorry. . .” he murmurs, and all you can do is shake your head at him and immediately sink back down on him, allowing him to hit the same part of your throat that makes the tears prickle at the corner of your eyes.

           You can hear him groan, and you always told him you’d make him feel good this way. That you’d take as much of him into your mouth as you could handle. That was one of the promises. You search out his hand again, which had made it’s way to his own hair as he ran his fingers through it, and you placed it right back into your own hair, peeking up at him as you breathe through your nose.

           Mark looks at you in awe, gripping your hair again to hold your head in place, slowly thrusting into your mouth a little further, pulling out just a bit, then back in. Hitting the back of your throat so perfectly that he wonders why you’re letting him do this, but you moan against his cock in your mouth when he does it—so naturally, he keeps doing it.

           The two of you stay like this for a while, until Mark gets to the point that it’s hard for him to contain his hips, perfectly bruising that specific part in your throat that has you moaning each time he hits it, that’s when you pull up. Catching your breath in a loud and messy way that has him cooing at you, running his finger across your lips to wipe up the wetness you’d dribbled all over him.

           When he looks at you, he wonders if you did this for Donghyuck too. Surely not, because if you had, he would be fighting with him right now over who gets to keep you for real. With a mouth like yours, he would be damned if he ever gave up on trying to make you his and his alone.

“Did you do this for Hyuck?” He questions with a tilt of his head, a little shocked that he managed to say what was on his mind.

           You just look at him in shock, realizing that Donghyuck probably told him everything. But he’s still here with you, so it’s okay right?

           You go to crawl over him, looking him in the eye as you shake your head.

“N-“ Your voice croaks, so you swallow hard and clear it. “No.”

“Good.”

           You still stare at him, wondering if you’re in trouble or have done something to make him suddenly bring this up to you, but he doesn’t press the issue any further and instead, pulls you down for a kiss again. Not before whispering a small ‘he’s not allowed to have you this way.’

           You decide that wherever that came from, you’ll just go ahead and take that demand and run with it, because you cannot bare to ask questions or tell him no. You nod into the kiss, straddling his thighs and mixing your own wet against his.

           His hands shoot to your hips, immediately guiding you to slide against his length in a quick pace, his hands are more bruising now than they were before and so are his lips. He’s kissing into your mouth in a way that makes you think he would rather do this than breathe, and you’re more than okay with that.

           The way the head of his cock hits your clit every few seconds is making your legs tremble, and he keeps doing it. He keeps sliding you against him and grunting against your lips, it makes him look desperate for you and you are in love with everything he is doing right now.

           You’re breathless on top of him, pulling back from the kiss to throw your face into the crook of his neck as you attempt to move your hips on your own accord, circling your clit against the tip of his cock with ease. You both moan out at that before he’s stilling your hips.

“Stop—I’ll literally cum right now—” He stutters out, and you manage to release a small chuckle against his neck that makes him think a little too hard. “You’re too good at this, you know that?” He praises you, pulling back and looking down at you.

“Mhm—” You say as you go to kiss the bottom of his jaw. “I’ve wanted to do this to you for a long time.”

           His cheeks stay warm, his entire body tingling as you begin to move your hips on him, and it’s becoming too much.

“Y/n,” He says, stilling your hips again. “Can I fuck you now?”

           You act as if you’re thinking hard about it, thoughts coming back to reality for a moment before lifting your own hips and waiting for him to position himself. He gets the hint, immediately swiping his bottom lip with his tongue as he reaches down to position himself right at your entrance.

           Both of you breathe out when you sit against him, and when you sit yourself up and position your hands against his chest, all you can think about is how good he’s filling you up. Your best friend being the only person on this planet who is able to fit into you like this, you look at him and the way his hair is a fucking mess, his lips are skewed by his own teeth biting as you bottom out on him, and his eyes are glossed over in a way you’d never seen.

           He moans out when you do finally bottom out, sitting in place for a solid minute just to feel him inside of you—that’s when you reach up to cup his cheek and go to speak.

“No one has ever felt this good.” You say to him, swirling your hips against him in a small circular motion. “And I’d really love it if you’d just fuck me until I forget about everyone else but you.”

           Music to his ears. You’re talking the way you did through the calls in the past and it’s hitting him straight in the heart and the dick.

           He doesn’t falter even for a moment when he lefts himself and hugs against your waist tightly, lifting his chin so that he can catch your lips in his, feeling like he must be the greatest person in the world for you to want to forget about everyone else. Especially Donghyuck.

           He’s careful when he presses you back, swiftly keeping himself inside of you as he hovers above you, leaning down on his elbow and regaining control of his body as you stare up at him this time.

           Mark never got to see you and feel you at the same time, always just his hand desperately pumping himself and wishing it was you, but it is you this time and he can’t stop thinking about it. It’s like a fantasy playing in his head and real life at the same time—

“You’re so pretty.” He whispers out to you, pushing his cock deeper into you. “Everything about you is so pretty—” he continues, whimpering slightly when he pulls out and pushes back in.

           You’re a little taken aback by the sound he just made, but your body reacts to it, your heart reacts to it. Wrapping your arms around his neck, you moan each time he pushes into you, and sigh each time he pulls out. He’s loving it.

           And to be fair, he’s been on the edge of cumming this entire time, he’s a little surprised that he’s managed to keep his composure up until now, but it’s getting harder and harder to act cool about this. Each thrust bringing an immense amount of tension throughout his cock.

           He stutters his movements, and looks at you and the way your lips fall each time you moan. He wants you to cum first so so bad.

           It shocks you when you suddenly feel his fingers circling your clit at an aggressive pace, and honestly you’re a little shocked at how close you were without realizing, trembling around him as he continues to rub and thrust into you—you could barely form a moan when it hits you, cumming around his cock almost instantly when he did that.

“A—are you cumming?” He asks in shock, picking up his pace and barely forming half-thrusts as he works himself into his own orgasm.

           You can only moan out in response, aggressively nodding your head before pulling his face down to yours and kissing him as if it were the last time you could see him.

           The way your walls tighten against him will be the end of him really, but he’s happy to say the two of you will cum at the same time at the very least, his lips pressed firmly against yours as the two of you breathe each other in through low and high pitched moans each time your muscle pulse.

           Honestly, this orgasm is lasting much longer than you’d ever experienced and you’re thankful in the way you can feel his cock release strings of his own cum inside of you.

           And then it’s quiet, and your skin is prickling. You can feel how cold his skin feels from the layer of sweat but everything still feels warm, you look at him for what feels like the millionth time and realize something. That didn’t feel like fucking at all. That didn’t feel like a friends-with-benefits things. This was fulfilling promises and. . .

           He’s still out of breath, hanging his head and preparing himself to pull his sensitive cock out of you, but you stop him with your hand brushing his hair out from in front of his eyes.

“Mark—” You stutter, out of breath and grasping reality again.

           He grimaces at the sensitivity when you unintentionally clench around him, but looks back at you nevertheless.

“How do you feel right now?” You ask.

           He’s taken aback by the sudden question, because how he feels should be read very clearly across his face. It causes him to panic a bit at how easily he could tell you right now that he wants to be with you like this, possibly forever. That he doesn’t want to share you with Donghyuck or anyone else, that he has actual feelings for you that require more attention and care when compared to the old friendship you used to have.

           But he doesn’t say a thing about it. Trying to play it off casually, like it meant what you wanted it to mean, not what he wants it to mean.

“Fucked out.” He laughs, pulling himself out of you despite your hand holding him in place by his hip. Honestly, if he stayed in you any longer he thinks he would say something fucking stupid.

“Oh,” You say, looking around and wondering if you’re really the only one who felt a lot more than just fucked out.

“We should clean up. . .” he trails off, pulling himself off of you and very quickly grabbing his shirt to wipe between your legs. ‘don’t do anything weird’ he repeats in his head, holding himself back from the idea of using this shirt to jerk off in later when you inevitably tell him you feel nothing for him.

“Yeah, I guess we should.” You say, feeling him gently pat between your legs before wiping himself off.

           You lift yourself up on your elbows, feeling a little lightheaded as you watch him put his briefs back on, followed by his pants. You can’t exactly get up right now because your legs feel weak and you’d probably have cum dribbling down your legs again if you did—

“Where are you going?” You ask in a voice more panicked than you were expecting when you see him head towards your door.

“To the bathroom?” He questions back, heart hoping that your tone was intentional and that you would be sad if he were to go.

“Oh.” You squeak out, trying to stand up to go with him. You don’t even bother with your clothes since your parents don’t really have any reason to come upstairs anyway, and then you trail after him.

           The feelings inside of you hit you, and you’re a little sad that it must still be casual for Mark. But you feel good when he clings against you, arguing that the two of you should totally take a shower together.

           It was definitely so he could give you the aftercare he wanted, and not at all because he wanted to have sex again, but sometimes things go differently and not according to plan. The two of you ended up back in bed over an hour later after he had managed to snake his fingers back inside of you, giving you another earth-shattering orgasm as he held you against the cold shower wall with strong arms and gentle suckles against your neck.

           He had left marks on more than just your neck, but it still felt good to fall asleep next to him without the fear of not being able to reach out and hold him. He held you back with intention and you still felt confused. Fuck buddies don’t hold each other this closely, right?

 ~

           It’s been three days since you’ve been with Mark, but he’s still texting as usual. You’d be lying if you said it didn’t feel weird to accept Donghyuck’s call for needing attention from you, but you did. Mostly because Mark seems to be making it clear that this is a casual thing just like it is with Donghyuck, even if he pulled at your heart without realizing.

            Donghyuck had made his way to your place quickly after you responded to his texts and was on top of you before you could even get your door locked. You didn’t mind, it was nice to have both Mark and Donghyuck so eager for you when the time came. But the thing with Donghyuck is that he doesn’t get tired. An hour after cumming, he would have the stamina to get hard again and look at you with those eyes, and touch you with those hands.

           It felt good, really. Even after the third time. But his mouth wasn’t as eager as Mark’s was, and his hands weren’t gripping as hard. He’s still making you cum, but he’s getting his too and you can see his focus shift from you to himself from time to time. That’s normal and expected, which may be why it hit so hard that Mark’s focus was entirely on you.

           By this time, both you and Donghyuck are laid out bare in your room watching another shitty movie he picked out. It’s fun, it’s comfortable, and you really do like doing this with him. The way he casually gropes you with a chuckle, or the way he wiggles his brows at you to see if you wanna go for yet another round. Honestly, you’re shocked he’s not raw by this point. You’re fucked out completely, after having so much sex in just the past week compared to the years of not really having it too often—

“It’s cool if you don’t wanna go again, just admit that you can’t handle this.” Donghyuck teases at you with a small kiss to your cheek followed by a grip of his own cock.

“Hyuck, honestly. I didn’t know you had so much stamina, you could win an award.” You laugh back at him, wanting nothing more than to have a nap with him rather than another twenty minutes of trembling limbs and soring your throat through moans. Because he is good at what he does, really.

“Top of my class— if there was one for fucking, I guess?”

           You laugh at that, turning your attention to your phone so that you could text Mark back. He knows you’re with Donghyuck right now, and he seemed fine with it.

“Tell Mark it’s my turn to spend time with you.” Donghyuck whines, trying to swipe your phone away from you.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” You swipe it back, continuing to respond to him.

           Mark really is talking much more via text right now.

“Ask him why he hasn’t texted me then?!” He whines again at you. Donghyuck knows why though, and it’s because though Mark explicitly told him not to give him details, he ended up asking anyway.

           Mark not only asked him for details, but spent an entire afternoon trying to decide if you enjoyed yourself more with him or Donghyuck . This, of course, was the day after he had left your house, he desperately needed to know what you and Donghyuck had done together at that point, so that he would know for a fact that you did more for him. And you did. But it didn’t change the fact that Mark got mad at Donghyuck for doing as he asked and telling him the details. He distanced himself even more when Donghyuck told him he’d better ‘get his girl soon’ because he was feeling ‘needy’ and might call you—that was really for the sole purpose of getting a rise out of him though. Donghyuck can’t say he actually enjoys the situation with Mark right now.

           Mark hadn’t texted him back since, but knows Donghyuck is with you right now because you told him he was. He didn’t push for details like he wanted to, but he’s damn well trying to text you as much as he can right now so that your attention stays on him just a little bit. He feels sick to his stomach knowing that you’re probably feeling good with Donghyuck every time you respond a little slower, all of his touch replaced with someone else’s who he thought he could trust.

           He can trust Donghyuck , at least for the most part. For the entire three days since he had been with you and spoken to Mark, it weighed heavy on Donghyuck’s mind. The fact that he said he would still fuck you despite Mark struggling with his feelings—he felt bad. When he puts himself in Mark’s position, he would have acted differently as well, cutting contact with the friend who blatantly admits to intending to fuck the girl that’s taking over his heart. He doesn’t blame Mark for catching feelings. He thinks if he keeps it up with you, it very well could become dangerous for him too.

           Yeah, he felt bad. He feels bad now too, but would you blame him for trying to get what he can before he decides to do Mark’s job for him? Of course he’s going to enjoy himself while he can, because today will be the last time he calls for you this. ‘Rip shortest fuck buddy ever’ is what he thinks to himself each time he looks at you, knowing he’s gonna miss the casual fun that the two of you only barely got to share. But really, he loves Mark enough to back away—and if it doesn’t work out for them, maybe he can still have at you right?

“What’s gotten into you?” You nudge Donghyuck once you put your phone back on the table, noticing that he’s staring off a little bit.

“Actually Y/n, I have a confession to make—”

“Oh god.” You deadpan, turning to face towards him.

           The two of you are still completely naked, and it’s comfortable to be able to hang out like this. Having normal conversations, joking around, being yourselves.

“Well, it’s not my confession but I need you to shut up for like two seconds and let me talk.” He puts a finger in the air and glares at you. “Meaning, don’t interrupt me.”

           You glare back and slowly nod, wondering what it is he has to tell you.

“I don’t actually have this much stamina, I was just getting what I could before I had to tell you that, our beloved Mark, is very much in love with you or whatever—and I should probably stop fucking you for his sake.”

           You just stare at him.

“No he doesn’t?” You almost laugh, throwing yourself at him to laugh at his joke since he tends to like a dramatic reaction from his crowd.

“No, really. We fucked three times because I wanted to get as much as I could before I had to kiss that sweet ass goodbye.” He explains to you, looking down at your head on his thigh. “I was a bad friend to him when he told me, and I’m selfish—but like—would you blame me?”

“Wait, you’re serious?” You lift yourself back up to look at him from face level. “Because I kinda hinted that I was feeling some stuff when he was over la-“

“Wait, he came over? And he didn’t tell you?” Donghyuck squints his eyes at you. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“I didn’t know I had to? Thought we could fuck other people?”

“Oh?! So you guys fucked?!” He questions again, acting offended but honestly, he’s just amused. “Was he better than me?”

           You look away from him and hesitate, because it’s not that he was physically better than Donghyuck was. He was bigger though, and more passionate about it, so kinda.

“Wow. Okay.” Donghyuck throws his hands up in mock pain, and then smiles at you. “Did he really not tell you? Like did he even act like he wanted more from you?”

           You nod your head, because you really could have sworn Mark fucked you in a way that wasn’t fucking at all. Your cheeks drain when you think about it, and the way he was so casual after the fact even after stating ‘good’ over the fact that his cock was the only one you’ve sucked.

“Oh my god.” Donghyuck slaps himself on the forehead and shakes his head at you. “You like him too, don’t you?”

           You nod again, slightly. Doing your best to understand the situation at hand.

“Mark really told you he liked me?” You question, shaking off the whole situation of Donghyuck fucking you raw today just because he knew he couldn’t do it tomorrow. “Did he say how much he likes me?”

“Dude, I think I’ve done my part here. You guys need to talk and leave me out of it.”

           That’s the smartest thing he’s said all day, honestly. Kind of humble for him to expose Mark like this for his own sake, even against his wishes of wanting to maintain a fuck-buddy relationship with you. Now you feel kind of bad, but also kind of elated.

“You should probably wash my cum off of you if you plan to bring him over or something—” He adds, standing up and reaching for his pants that had been forgotten and crumpled in the floor. “Unless you wanna give me one more for the road?” He wiggles his eyebrows at you, and honestly, he really was hoping you’d do it but you just wave him off with a fond smile.

“It was fun while it lasted, really. Looks like we are going back to clothed-hangouts and monopoly.”

“Monopoly.” Donghyuck furrows his brows.

“Monopoly.” You confirm.

           He shrugs, pulling his pants on and looking at you.

“I’ll text him, and he’s probably going to kill me so—” He opens his phone and begins to text. “If you don’t hear from me, just check the news tomorrow I guess.”

 ~

             Knowing you have to start back at work in a mere few days, you were very quick to go to Mark’s house after Donghyuck had left. Honestly it’s a bit insane that Mark keeps having to get Donghyuck’s sloppy seconds but it’s not like it’s your fault. You didn’t know he was like—feeling things? Hell, you knew you probably would have dated Mark ages ago had he made it clear to you. Even before you moved back, you would have given it a shot because the feelings grew over the months and months of talking to him in an intimate way. But he always made sure it was casual, like it could never be anything more.

           It’s his own fault that you had to clean Donghyuck’s cum off of you as you rushed to try and look nice for him. You don’t even want to have anymore sex today because you don’t really have any energy left for it. Donghyuck really stole all of that for himself and you almost don’t go to Mark’s house at all at first.

           But you do. Because again, you start work soon and you can imagine Mark is fucking suffering knowing what you and Donghyuck had been up to, and knowing he was at your house. So when you knock on his door, you almost expect him to slam it in your face despite his kind texts towards you.

“Oh—what are you doing here?” Mark questions. “I thought you were with Hyu-“

“He didn’t text you, did he?” You pinch the bridge of your nose, but actually you’re kind of thankful.

“What? Why would he?” Mark sighs out, looking behind you to see if maybe Donghyuck was actually with you.

“He told me everything.”

           Mark’s eyes fall as he backs away from the door and moves to the side to let you in, and he clams up a little on himself when you step inside and continue to speak.

“He told me you know about how we had sex, and how you have feelings for me, and—”

           Mark just stands there feeling like he’s being grilled, but he isn’t. His heart is just beating really fast and it’s hard for him to grasp the fact that Donghyuck, of all people, told you everything.

“He called off the whole fuck-buddy thing we had. Because of you. Because you have feelings for me.”

           You stop after you take your shoes off and look at him for a moment, then you immediately pull him towards you so that you could hug him as tightly as you could.

“I wish you would have told me.”

           Mark still stands there a little awkward but puts his arms around you and hugs you back. “I didn’t think you’d be okay with it.” He admits in a quiet voice.

           You pull back and look up at him. “You’re really bad at asking how I feel about things, you know that, right?”

           He nods and pulls back from the hug.

“So. . . like—” He kicks his foot at the ground for a second before looking back up at you. “How do you feel then?”

“I feel like I want to punch you for making this more difficult than it needed to be, and that I definitely have feelings for you too.”

           His ears immediately start to ring when he hears you say that, realizing that he didn’t have to work hard for this at all. He barely even had to suffer and when he did, it was because of himself and not you at all. It’s just. . . not very easy to suddenly realize feelings and pretend like everything is normal. Or is it? Fuck if he knows.

           Only then do you take a moment to look around his house, his mother standing in full view outside of the kitchen with her mouth hanging open. You’re immediately embarrassed because this woman just saw a whole different side of you compared to all of the nights you’d spent here with them. All you can do is dip your head in shame and practically fling yourself behind Mark, who then also notices his mother.

“Uh—” He goes to say, and all she does is grimace and shake her head.

“I needed to hear none of that.” She says, waving the two of you off.

“Y-yeah, Sorry!” Mark says, pulling you to the front door. “I think we should maybe, like, I don’t know?”

“Come back to my house?” You say, cheeks too warm and heart too fluttered.

“Yeah, privacy. Please.”

 ~

           Things are good even as your mom grills you for knowing you and Donghyuck were doing some shady shit in your room and then suddenly coming home with Mark again and announcing that you maybe sorta kinda became his girlfriend on the drive over. Only because Mark was entirely too eager and impatient to get through the entire conversation he knew the two of you had to have before he should officially be asking. He just blurted out a ‘so like, we should date then right?’. You were quick to say yes, of course you were.

It was easier than expected to fall into a relationship with someone who had also held his place as your best friend. Donghyuck was still available at all times of the day for both of you, not once making a passing comment about the situation. He never brings up the sex the two of you had, nor does he make Mark suffer for it. In reality it was a very short-lived moment of falling into a relationship with each other, and knowing Mark, you knew he would stumble the entire time.

           You stumbled a little bit too, only because he tripped you though.

 ~