#truly one of my fav dynamics 🫶🫶 even though its not the centre of this particular fic

[allfortzu]

to be lovers

-- nayeon / tzuyu. 1.24k, fluff ; birthdays. MEN DNI.

paris is lonely without a lover, nayeon is lonely without tzuyu.

nayeon decides she'll spend her twenty-eighth birthday alone. 

"you sure you don't wanna do anything?" 

it's not even her birthday yet, but jihyo worries.

and while nayeon appreciates the sentiment of blowing candles and popping streamers at twelve – frankly, all she wants to do now is go home to tzuyu. 

"i'll be fine, really." 

she smiles in earnest, but they both know it's a lie, and they both know tzuyu won't be home waiting for her either. 

jihyo relents. 

"call me when you reach home. i'll drink two beers in your name!" 

nayeon waves her goodbye hastily. 

jihyo has sana to go home to, so she shouldn't be out late anyway. 

nayeon doesn't know if she could stand celebrating her birthday with two insufferable lovebirds either – or, even worse, insufferable lovebirds who get touchy when drunk. 

for the most part, sana and jihyo a cute couple; but now, they're a reminder of nayeon's own lover on the other side of the world. 

miles, countries, oceans away. 

so far that they would never see the sun or the stars at the same time. 

nayeon takes the scenic route home, a walk along the river. she hopes the sky is clear enough on tzuyu's side that she can see the faint glow of a morning moon, at least. 

her phone buzzes just as she thinks it – 

a baby blue heart beside a nickname only she knows, a profile with a picture she took of tzuyu herself. 

tzuyu

thinking about you 

maybe they're looking at the same moon, after all. 

nayeon

how did you know i was thinking about you too?

nayeon finds a bench, if only to properly savour the moment. she giggles when she sees the message again, and her heart both aches and flutters. 

tzuyu

i'm always thinking about you, but… 

maybe it's a girlfriend thing :)

nayeon doesn't stop the silly smile that spreads over her cheeks.  

nayeon

shouldn't you be at work now? 

tzuyu

i took a day off 

for a special occasion

;)

nayeon

oh?

considering the nature of tzuyu's job as a model, nayeon didn't know she could take days off so easily during fashion week. it's arguably the worst part of her birthdays.

but the effort remains – i’ll do all this for your birthday. 

nayeon

don’t they plan your schedules out months in advance?

tzuyu

i told them i was sick

which was definitely not planned 

cute, nayeon thinks, the edges of her lips tugging upwards. girlfriend things. 

nayeon

surely my tzuyu wouldn't lie

tzuyu

never!

i'm coughing as we speak 

cough 

and then i'll never have to work again and go to dumb fashion weeks on my girlfriend's birthday

the reminder makes nayeon pout. 

nayeon

you'll be home in a month right?

we can celebrate then

together :)

tzuyu

but i wanna celebrate with you today

the whole week actually 

i'll take a break and stay at home with you forever 

it's 11:50 pm now, and nayeon wishes tzuyu would stop giving her false hope. 

nayeon

you're making me miss you a lot

tzuyu

i miss you too…

call me?

i miss your voice 

nayeon doesn't waste any time making tzuyu wait. 

she picks up in one ring. 

"hey, lover," nayeon says, voice low. 

tzuyu giggles – this is what love sounds like, nayeon thinks. the sound of tzuyu laughing because of her. 

"i like it when you call me that."

tzuyu’s voice is muffled by an electronic hum, frequency altered, but it's infinitely better than nothing. 

"i know." 

nayeon folds her legs up and watches the moon's reflection in the water. it almost feels like tzuyu is beside her. 

"come home and i'll say it to you everyday." 

"hm, i might just come home right now.”

there's a shuffling of fabric, cloth brushing against cloth. tzuyu walking somewhere. 

nayeon is about to ask, but tzuyu asks first. 

"where are you? i hear wind." 

the night breeze grows, and the moon's reflection breaks from the gust. 

"outside, by the river." 

then, knowing tzuyu would worry: "i promise i'll go home soon." – but home feels empty without you.

there's more moving on tzuyu's end, footsteps on pavement and laboured breathing. nayeon wonders if she's busy, or if she's suddenly decided to take a brisk jog.

"are you outside, too?" 

"yeah," tzuyu breathes out. "i… remembered there's a river nearby here." 

nayeon laughs. "are we going to sit by the river together?" 

"exactly that."

and tzuyu laughs too, maybe because it sounds a little silly. 

so what if it is?

in nayeon's mind, tzuyu is running towards her. 

they’re watching the water together, the same water in front of nayeon that'll somehow make it's way to where tzuyu is. 

tzuyu will say happy birthday once it hits twelve.

she's never missed it.

“stay where you are.”

nayeon checks the time. 

"it's 11:58 now… you think you'll reach in time?" 

tzuyu's panting seems to slow. nayeon hears nothing but wind and water. the breeze calms, the waves lap gently. 

"well… i'm at a river. can you check if it's the right one?" 

nayeon let's out a snicker. "if it's all the way in europe, i think it's the wrong river." 

tzuyu doesn't reply, not yet. 

the moon's reflection stills, and nayeon can make out it’s full circle once again. 

silence hangs in the air, but everything is clear and bright. 

almost like tzuyu’s right next to her. 

"what if it's the one you're at?" 

nayeon hears it more clearly than she can imagine. 

the call has long ended, but tzuyu's voice rings without it. 

less than a country, less than an ocean. 

less than ten steps away. 

nayeon's legs move immediately.

five steps.

two…

one.

tzuyu.

and she hears her giggle, full and bright and clear.

"it's twelve now… i think i'm right on time?" 

nayeon holds her like she'd never left before. 

"happy birthday, lover." 

lover, all of their affections and fondness and love in a single word. 

"how– ?" 

"it’s a secret,” tzuyu hums, in the mischievious way she often does. “i told you i’d come back now, didn’t i?" 

something in between a sob and a whine slips out from nayeon's throat. 

she punches tzuyu's arm weakly, a barrage of scolding to ensue – "why didn't you tell me! i would've gone home! you didn't have to run here!" – but tzuyu only laughs and pulls her closer. 

nayeon let's herself be cuddled, even if she hasn’t quite grasped the reality of it. her hiccups stifle in tzuyu's chest, and her cheek presses against tzuyu’s heart.

"i meant it, you know," tzuyu whispers into her hair. "i'll take a break and spend it all with you." 

nayeon sniffles up the last of her tears. god, she’s missed this. 

"what about fashion week?" 

tzuyu kisses nayeon’s forehead. "fashion week could do with one less model.” tangible, there. “but i can’t do without you.” 

nayeon’s cheeks ache from smiling. “how long is this break?” 

“i’m all yours for as long as you want me here.” 

they’re so close that nayeon feels all her words, all her movement, right on her skin. 

the heat, the familiarity – her heart remembers it all. 

“and if i want you here forever?” 

oh, to have someone to hold in her arms. 

“as long as the birthday girl wants… ” 

tzuyu nuzzles her cheek. 

“... i’ll be here.”

oh, to go home to a lover.

nayeon holds tzuyu's face in her hands.

her lover in her hands.

this was initially angsty... but i couldn't bear to post a sad birthday fic 😞 so i wrote a fluff version :) i apologise for the terrible formatting of the msging component.. how do i align text!&?! and i also apologise to all natzu fans for whatever this is! i really do just write words that do not make sense

happy late birthday to our nayeowon (we share a birthday!), and happy mooncake festival as well (how fitting of our resident bunny)! 🐰🥮🫶 thank you so much for reading <3