#she saw me bloomed the yeast and left it on the counter | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bluemingcore · 3 years

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title: ma'am this is a bakery

summary: You stepped into the bakery, the aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries wafted in the air, making you dizzy with euphoria. It was such a warm and inviting atmosphere, this favorite bakery of yours.

Or, you find something eye catching in your favorite bakery and it isn't bread! A relationship between you and Jisung slowly blooms, like yeast in bread.

characters: park jisung (nct) x reader

warnings/tags: none; fluff, lots of fluff; she/her pronouns are used for reader; bakery and university au

word count: 10, 417

a/n: a gift for my sister :)

title a reference to the meme "sir this is a wendy's"

links: ao3

You stepped into the bakery, the aroma of freshly baked bread and pastries wafted in the air, making you dizzy with euphoria. It was such a warm and inviting atmosphere, this favorite bakery of yours. You loved stopping by every day for lunch to grab something to eat before heading back to class.

Taking a tray, you peered into the plastic cases, your hunger tempting you to go take everything you see.

Resisting that urge, you take a cheesy bread. You glanced around at the other breads, wondering if you should take a sweet bread to counter the savory one. You spotted the milk tea bun. It was sitting alone in the case. The last one! Quickly making your choice, you reach for the milk tea bun.

Just as you were doing so, another hand reached for the same one. Accidentally touching the stranger’s hand, you pulled back quickly.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” You say, turning your head to look at the other person.

“No, it’s fine,” the stranger said. He turned to look at you. “You can take it.”

You stared at the man in front of you. Dressed in a white button-up shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, with a dark blue apron—stained with what looks like flour—that fell above his knees, and black jeans. An employee...? You thought. You had to crane your head up to look at him. He was tall. And handsome. Really handsome.

You blinked.

“... Are you sure?” You asked, glancing away to look at the lonely milk tea bun.

“Yeah I’m sure. You reached for it first. Besides, you’re a customer. The customers always get what they want, right?” He smiled at you, making your heart skip a beat.

That last part kind of sounded a little sarcastic... So he is an employee then.

“Ah... I guess so...” You muttered.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get something else to eat for lunch,” The man absentmindedly said, more so to himself than to you. He then grabbed the milk tea bun and placed it on your tray for you, walking away before you could even say thank you. You blinked, a little confused by his actions, but decided to just finish your lunch trip and headed to the registers. Placing your items on the counter, you looked around for the boy who was gracious enough to give you the last milk tea bun, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Strange... You thought, bringing your attention back to the cashier when they asked, “Is that all for you?”

You ordered a milk tea to go and paid for your items. You left the bakery, walking back to campus while sipping on your drink.

—————————

You met up with your friend, Sophia, to eat lunch together at your university’s courtyard. Sitting at a picnic table, Sophia asked, “What did you get this time?”

“Brown sugar boba and a cheesy bread and a milk tea bread,” You answered, sitting down while taking your food out of the paper bag. “You?”

“I got a salad from the student union.”

“Gross,” You playfully said, looking disgusted. “I told you you should’ve gone with me. Also, I saw a cute worker there.”

“Really?” Sophia questioned, sounding actually uninterested in the supposed cute guy.

“Yeah, really. I’ve never seen him there before. He must be new,” You replied, eating your food.

“Yeah probably. You would know, you go there everyday.”

“Exactly. Anyways, we were both trying to get the last milk tea bun,” You continued.

“Wow, so romantic!” Sophia commented sarcastically.

You rolled your eyes. “I think he was on his lunch break or something, and wanted to eat it. But he let me have it.” You waved the milk tea bun to show it. “Obviously. He just put it on my tray and disappeared??? He’s so weird...” You shook your head, continuing to eat your lunch.

“Men are just weird like that.”

“Yeah, they are.”

—————————

Jisung wiped down the counters, quickly hurrying up to finish his tasks to his closing shift at the bakery. For what seemed like the 100th time that day—since he met her—his mind started thinking about the girl who wanted the milk tea bun earlier that day. He stopped what he was doing and hung his head low, sighing exasperatedly, as he thought about how he just gave her the bread and ran off without saying anything. Stupid... Why did I do that? He chastised himself, regretting his actions. I hope she comes back to the bakery soon...

—————————

Little did he know, you did return to the bakery the next day for lunch as you always do. You grabbed the food you wanted and paid for it. You didn’t see the Milk Tea Bun Boy (which was what you decided to dub him) you met the day before working, and you wondered where he was.

Just as you were opening the door to leave, someone else was also opening the door to enter.

“Oh!” The voice said in surprise. “Sorry.”

You looked at the owner of the voice and to your surprise, it was Milk Tea Bun Boy!

“Oh it’s you,” You said. “From yesterday. Thank you for letting me have the last milk tea bun.” You smiled brightly at him.

He stared at you, feeling a little flustered not only by what you said, but your smile. She’s cute... He thought.

“I-It’s nothing. I hope you enjoyed it.” He rubbed the back of his neck, not making eye contact with you.

“I did. Thank you. I got something different today.” You lifted the bag of food. “Well… I gotta go now. Bye.” You nodded your head slightly at the boy, before making your exit.

Jisung stared at your figure as you walked down the sidewalk, away from him and the bakery. He sighed, as he entered the bakery. She returned so quickly. If my shift was earlier I could’ve talked to her more. But still, he felt glad that he had a chance to see you, even if it was just a brief moment. Jisung went to the kitchen to put his apron on and start his shift.

—————————

“I saw him again today,” You said, sitting down on the bench and eating your food.

“Milk tea bun boy?” Sophia asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Yeah. I think he was going to work. I was leaving and he was walking out.”

“Did you say anything to him?”

“I told him thank you for letting me have the last bread.”

“You should get his number since you think he’s cute,” Sophia teased.

You shook your head at the thought. “I’m not gonna do that. That’s too awkward.��

Sophia laughed at you.

—————————

The next day for lunch, you and Sophia both decided to eat at the bakery together. You hoped Milk Tea Bun Boy was working, because you wanted Sophia to see what he looked like.

The two of you arrived, the scent of freshly baked bread saturating the air of the bakery.

“It smells so good in here,” Sophia commented, making moves to grab a tray.

“Hi, welcome!” A voice called from behind the counter. You turned your head towards the voice.

Milk Tea Bun Boy!

You smiled back at the employee. “Hi,” You said in response before turning away to your friend. You grabbed a tray for yourself, whispering to your friend, “That’s him.”

“Oh?” Sophia took a sneaky glance at the employee behind the counter, who was busy helping another customer. “That is a boy.” Was all she said in response.

You rolled your eyes playfully as you took the bread you wanted. A potato croquette and a milk tea bun.

The two of you headed towards the register with your items. “Hi. Is this for here or to go?” Milk Tea Bun Boy asked.

You were going to say to go, until your friend Sophia interrupted, “Let’s eat here.” She suggested. You glanced at her then back to the employee.

“For here,” You replied with a small smile.

“And is that all for you?”

“Um… can I also get a brown sugar milk tea with tapioca?”

“Sure.” As the employee rang up your items, you glanced down at the name tag fastened on his apron. The name read: Jisung.

After you paid for your items, you sat down at a table near the windows. The sun outside was shining bright and few clouds breezed along the blue sky. You watched as Sophia paid for her things, and sat across from you.

“Are you just gonna watch him from afar?” She teased, taking hold of her food and eating it.

You scoffed, rolling your eyes and shaking your head as you picked up your food. “I wasn’t even looking at him.”

“Yeah, sure whatever you say.” She giggled.

“Number 31.” Jisung’s voice called. You glanced at your receipt on the table.

“Oh that’s me,” You got out of your seat to the pick-up counter.

“Thank you!” You smiled at him as you took your drink.

He smiled back, nodding. “You’re welcome.”

You sat back down at the table, sipping your drink.

“I feel like I’ve seen him before…” Sophia said, thoughtfully chewing on her food.

“Where?” You lifted your brow quizzically.

“Hmm… I think he also attends our university. I think I’ve seen him in the hallways before.”

“Hmm...” You murmured, sipping on your drink.

—————————

“Jisung.”

“Huh?” Jisung snapped out of his stupor and looked at his co-worker.

Jeno shook his head. “Why don’t you just ask her out man?”

“I… don’t even know her name…” Was the only excuse Jisung could find.

“Well, then next time she comes and orders a drink, just ask, ‘Do you have a name or can I call you cutie pie?’” Jeno winked at his friend as if to make his point.

Jisung stared blankly at Jeno. “We don’t even ask for names. We use numbers for orders.” He pointed out so matter-of-factly. “You should know that you’ve worked here longer than I have.”

Jeno sighed dramatically, taking his friend by the shoulders and giving him a rough shake. “I’m trying to help you here!”

“Okay, okay, stop!” Jisung gripped Jeno’s wrists to remove the other boy’s hands off his shoulders.

“Besides, I think she comes in everyday for lunch.”

Jisung lifted a brow. “Really?”

Jeno nodded. “Yeah. I noticed when I started working here. Well, Monday to Friday at least. She may also go to the same university as us.”

“Hmm…” Jisung responded absently, returning to the task of wiping the tables down.

“Look, if you don’t ask her out, I will.” He looked at his friend, grinning mischievously.

Jisung glared at him. “Don’t you dare.”

Jeno laughed. “I’m kidding. But seriously. Just ask her out. You miss the shots you don’t take. She could say yes. Oh, what if she has a boyfriend already? That’d be awkward.”

Jisung groaned at his friend’s ramblings.

—————————

On certain weekdays when Jisung was working the lunch shift, he often saw you come in to grab something to eat. Sometimes you came in with your tall friend, sometimes it was just you. It has been a week since he first had that encounter with you, but he still never built up the courage to ask you out, or even make small talk outside of his usual work-related questions. The encouragement, or nagging, from Jeno didn’t do much to push him to say anything to you.

Jisung sighed internally at his whirlwind of thoughts. Why was he like this? Why couldn’t he just talk to her? Why—

The ringing of the bells brought Jisung’s attention to the present. The door of the bakery opened and lo and behold, the source of his internal turmoil walks in.

Lunchtime already? Jisung thought to himself as he checked the time on his watch. Time had gone by really quick.

Jisung looked back at you, and was caught by surprise to see that you were accompanied by another person. It wasn’t your tall white friend this time, but a male instead.

Is that her… Jisung’s thoughts began to storm again.

He watched the two of you as you both walked around and chose which items to eat. He turned to Jeno, who was manning the cash register. Jisung didn’t have a chance to ask before the older boy beat him to it.

“Hey, do you think that’s her boyfriend?” Jeno asked lowly.

Jisung sighed. “I don’t know.”

Jeno noticed his friend’s inner turmoil. “Well, we can’t assume every boy she walks in with is her boyfriend. It could be a relative or a friend.” He tried to make his friend feel a little better.

Jisung quickly left the cash register counter when he saw the pair approaching.

After the pair paid for their items and left, Jisung approached Jeno again.

“His name is Bryson,” Jeno said.

“What? How do you know that?” Asked the young boy with furrowed brows.

“She said his name.” Jeno replied as if that was a fact Jisung should’ve been aware of. “He offered to pay for their food and she was like ‘Bryson you don’t have to do that!’” His voice went high-pitched for a moment to mimic the girl. “But he insisted and paid for the food anyway. This is why I don’t think they’re dating because —“

Jisung rolled his eyes, turning away to leave his friend’s ramblings. “You talk too much.”

“Hey! Don’t you wanna hear my theory?” Jeno called after.

“Not really. You don’t make any sense.” Jisung went back to his tasks.

—————————

Later that day after classes ended, you met up with Sophia to walk to the library to do some homework together.

“… and I didn’t want Bryson to come with me but he insisted! What if Milk Tea Bun Boy thinks we’re dating now?!” You groaned.

“Hey, at least you got free food.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“If you’re stressing so much over this, just make it known to him that you’re single! Ask him out already!”

You shook your head. “Too awkward.”

“What’s awkward is you lusting over him while saying nothing.” Your friend rolled her eyes.

“I’m not lusting over him,” You quipped.

“Whatever you say.”

—————————

Several days later, you, along with Sophia, once again went to the bakery to grab lunch.

“Let’s eat here today,” Sophia suggested.

“Mmm….” You replied as you thought about what to eat.

Sitting down at the table near the windows after you paid for your items, you noticed Milk Tea Bun Boy walk in, the bells above the door jingling behind him as he was putting his apron on. As he walked in, he glanced at you. You flushed and quickly looked away, giving new attention to your food instead.

Sophia stared at you blankly while she shook her head.

Jisung watched from afar as you and Sophia chatted away and ate together. He thought you looked especially cute today. Your hair was styled differently and the dress you wore was adorable, suiting you quite well, he thought. He sighed internally and turned away. What was he thinking? What was he doing? Was he just going to stare at you from afar forever? Or was he going to finally get the courage to do something about it? Maybe Jeno was right—

Without thinking, Jisung made his way to where you were sitting. When you and Sophia noticed him approaching, your attention was turned to him.

Oh no… He thought. Why was he approaching you again? What was he supposed to say? Think Jisung, think!

“Uh…” He sputtered upon reaching your table. “If you’re done eating, I’ll take that.” He looked at the trays on the table and the other trash.

“O-oh… Yeah we’re done. Thank you.” You said, smiling warmly at him.

Jisung’s ears tinged pink, he looked down and quickly took away the trays and trash.

Sophia could only stare at him and you with a confused look. “Okay… Let’s go back to campus. My next class starts soon.”

—————————

“You did that??!” Jeno laughed. And laughed. Until tears sprung from the corner of his eyes.

Jisung groaned. “Shut up! I knew I shouldn’t have told you.”

“Haha, sorry. It’s just too funny.” He wiped a tear away from the corner of his eye and flicked it at his friend.

“Stop that.” Jisung glared, swatting away Jeno’s hand.

“But seriously man. You need to just talk to her. She seems nice. Like I said, if you don’t say something, I will~” He chuckled.

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Hehe, who knows…”

—————————

The next day for lunch, you and Sophia once again ate inside the bakery.

“I can’t believe midterms are coming up so fast,” You said with a sigh after a bite of food.

“I know. This semester is going by way too fast.”

Jisung emerged from the employee break room, unsurprised to see you sitting at the table by the window with your friend. He was on break when you arrived, so he didn’t see you come in. He adjusted his apron, walking towards you, his head replaying the conversation between him and Jeno from yesterday.

“I can take that if you’re done,” He said, standing by your table.

“Oh, yes, we’re done, thank you.” You gave him a small smile.

Jisung started gathering the trays on the table. “I notice you come here a lot…” He started.

“Yeah, I really like this bakery. And it’s really close to campus so I like to come here to get something to eat in between classes.” You replied.

He nodded. “I see… So you go to [university name] then?”

“Yeah, we both do.” You gestured between Sophia and yourself. “Do you go there too?”

“I do. I’m a music major.”

“Oh that’s cool! What —“ You were interrupted by the jingling of the bells from the door.

“Hi, welcome!” Jisung turned to the new customers walking in. “I gotta go.” He said to you, taking the trays and leaving.

“Well that was a good start!” Sophia said encouragingly as you both walked back to campus.

“It was so awkward…” You sighed, shaking your head.

Sophia patted your shoulder. “Cheer up. At least he initiated conversation. Maybe he likes you.”

You could only sigh at her response.

—————————

“Good job. At least you said something to her.” Jeno said to Jisung as the two were walking to the library together.

“She probably thinks I’m weird, just talking to her outta nowhere. Then, a customer walked in in the middle of our conversation and I had to leave.”

Jeno playfully slapped his friend on the back. “Gives you another opportunity to talk to her next time. By the way, do you have the notes for sociology? I dozed off last class and I seriously need to get to studying for that midterm.”

Jisung rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I have it. I’ll email it to you.”

—————————

Your head spun as you glossed over the list of terms that were going to be on your midterm. You enjoyed your sociology class, but these terms were so much to remember all at once! You were sitting at a table at the bakery that you always go to, left hand holding a curry bun, other grasping pages of notes you printed out. It was the weekend, and you were waiting on Sophia to arrive so the two of you could start studying for midterms together. You sighed and put the paper down, taking a bite of your food and glancing around the bakery. Milk tea bun boy—Jisung, if you will—wasn’t working at the moment.

The door opened, bells jingling to signal an entry. You turned your head towards the door, expecting Sophia to walk in. Instead, it was Jisung, apron hung over his forearm, a backpack slung over his shoulder. The two of you made eye contact. You weren’t sure whether you should say hi, so you opted for a friendly smile—a smile that Jisung returned—before turning back to the papers sprawled in front of you.

You checked the time on your phone. Where was Sophia? She was already 10 minutes late.

From behind the counter, Jisung watched as you were poring over the sheets of paper on the table. He began thinking of ways to make conversation with you. Absentmindedly, he grabbed the table cleaning supplies, and sauntered over to the empty tables near you.

You weren’t paying much attention to your surroundings, your eyes trained on the paper in your hand, as you read and reread the terms. Jisung was cleaning the tables, mind still mulling over how to make small talk to you. Why couldn’t he just be bold and brave like Jeno was? That man would make conversation with a tree if it looked interesting enough.

He sighed inwardly before he noticed a stray paper on your table slipped off, cascading slowly onto the floor. He looked at your concentrated countenance, focused on reading whatever it was that you were reading. You didn’t seem to notice the fallen paper.

Jisung walked over and picked it up for you.

Finally, you lifted your eyes up when you noticed his presence nearby.

“This fell.” Jisung said, handing you the piece of paper.

“Oh, thank you.” You took the paper from him.

“… What are you studying for?” He asked, looking at the mess of papers.

“Intro to sociology.” You answered with a sigh. “It’s midterm season.”

Jisung noticeably perked up at “sociology.” “Intro to sociology?” He echoed. “I take that course too. Who do you have it with?”

“Professor Robertson. He’s a really great professor.”

His eyes widened. “Professor Robertson? I take him too!” He smiled.

Your eyebrows raised in surprise. “What, really? Wait, what section? I’m in section five.”

Jisung deflated, nodding in understanding. “Ahh… I’m in his fourth section.”

“Oh okay... Did he give your class a study guide? He told my class that he’s going to give us a study guide for the exam. A study guide would be really helpful, so I can know what to study for. I printed out all my notes and the PowerPoints lectures.” You gestured to the papers in front of you. “It’s a lot.” You sighed.

Jisung shook his head, chuckling softly. “He told us the same thing. He hasn’t emailed a study guide yet, but we’re all waiting on it. You’re preparing for it kinda early, don’t you think? The midterm’s still a couple of weeks away.”

You shrugged. “Yeah, but it’s best to prepare early, right? Plus, there’s so much material to know.”

He nodded. “You’re really thorough. I haven’t even started looking over my notes yet.”

“You should get a head start. Exam day is gonna be here before you know it.”

“Haha, you’re right about that. Uh, well… How about studying together sometime? I could use the help.” Jisung felt nervous.

You were taken aback by the question. “Oh, sure! I could use a study buddy!” You smiled at him, a giddy feeling in the pit of your stomach.

He beamed at your response. “Cool! Um… oh, I never gave you my name. I’m Jisung.”

You giggled. “I know. I noticed it on your name tag.” You pointed at the name tag on his apron, crookedly displayed.

“Oh right.” He smiled, glancing down at his name tag.

“I’m y/n.”

“Y/n?” Jisung repeated. “That’s a pretty name.” He smiled softly at you. You felt heat rush to your cheeks. “Oh, um, let me give you my number. I work until closing today but if you ever want to study together, just text me.” He grabbed his phone from his pocket. “And you can give me your number too, um, if you want to, of course.”

You smiled, reaching for your phone and handing it to the boy. “Well, even if I don’t give you my number now, you’d end up having it when I text you anyways.” You responded playfully with a laugh.

Jisung cleared his throat, entrapped by the fact that he was now exchanging numbers with you. And on top of that, you insinuated that you were going to text him eventually. “Ha… you’re right,” He said with a smile, taking your phone in his hands and giving his phone to you. He entered his number into your contacts, and you did the same to his. Just as you took your phone back, the door opened. Sophia’s tall figure walked in, giving you a wave and a smile. You smiled and waved back.

“I gotta go back to work. Good luck studying.” Jisung said with a bright smile, turning on his heel and walking away.

“Sorry I’m late.” Sophia sat down across from you, “I had to wait for my co-worker to arrive before I could clock-out and they were late.” She opened her backpack and started rummaging for her laptop.

“It’s okay,” You reassured, a smile on your face as you looked at the new number displayed on your phone. Park Jisung, it read.

Sophia grinned at you. “So… what happened?” She wiggled her eyebrows knowingly.

“What do you mean?” You feigned ignorance.

She scoffed, playfully rolling her eyes. “Okay, you can just tell me after. I’m gonna get something to eat.”

—————————

“You got his number?!” Sophia’s eyes were wide. The two of you were finished studying and were walking back to Sophia’s car.

“Yes!” You beamed, feeling giddy and unbelieving that he actually asked for your number. “He wants to study for the sociology midterm together.”

“Well, how exciting for you.” She grinned.

—————————

Several days later, while you were sitting in statistics class bored out of your mind, you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket. It was a text from Jisung.

Hey do you wanna study together at the library?

You immediately responded.

What time?

I’m at work until 2:30pm, so after that?

Okay sounds good :) I’m in class right now so I’ll head straight there and find us a table

Great see you then! :D

You hid your smile behind your hand and began impatiently tapping your foot. Could this class just end already?

—————————

Finally. His shift was over. It was 2:30pm and Jisung took off his apron, folding it and stuffing it inside his backpack. “I’m clocking out now,” He announced to his manager.

On his way out, he stopped in his tracks.

—————————

You texted Jisung: I’m sitting on the first floor next to the windows in the back

You weren’t sure why you felt so nervous. You were just studying sociology with a (cute) boy who works at the bakery you always go to, who had asked for your number. So nothing wrong with that. You started taking out your laptop and notes.

After some time, you received a text from Jisung.

I’m on my way!

—————————

“Hey!”

You looked up at the voice. “Hi.” You smiled at Jisung. He was wearing jeans and a printed t-shirt. You thought he looked weird without his work apron on. But then again, it’d be weirder if he always wore it. This was the first time you saw Jisung outside of his usual setting at the bakery. It was weird, in a different-nice kind of way.

“I got us something to eat while we study.” He placed a bag on the table. “Some pastries from work.”

Your eyes widened at the pleasant surprise. “Woah, really? Thanks!”

“No problem. Here.” He reached into the bag, pulling out a milk tea bun and handing it to you. “I’m sure you’ll like this one.”

You laughed. “I do. Thank you. Sorry about taking the last one from you that day.”

Jisung shook his head, settling himself in the seat across from you. “It’s fine, really. So, how are you studying?”

The two of you only managed to study for about 30 minutes before getting tired of it and deciding to “take a short break.”

“How long have you been working at the bakery?” You asked, cheek resting on the palm of your hand.

“Hm… Maybe about 2 months now? I haven’t been working there that long. My friend Jeno, who also works there, got me the job.”

“I see. I figured you haven’t been working there long because I go to that bakery all the time.”

“Yeah, you do come in often. Is it your favorite place?”

You nodded with a smile. “The top bakery in this city in my opinion. Everything is always really good and the workers are always nice.”

“Ah… so you think I’m nice?” He teased, grinning almost too playfully.

“Yeah.” You nodded. “Unless there’s reason for me to think otherwise?” You playfully responded.

His face reddened at your forthright response. “Haha, no… I do think of myself as nice.”

The conversation petered out.

“You told me before you’re a music major right?” You asked eventually. “What do you want to do in the future?”

At that, Jisung smiled brightly, as he began diving into an explanation of his hopes and dreams, his love for music and his wishes of creating music and singing, for making people happy with music. You listened intently, entranced by his passion for music, his smile and the way his eyes sparkled while talking about it.

“You’re so passionate about it.”

He smiled. “What about you? What’s your major?”

“Well now I’m gonna sound silly compared to you and your passions.”

Jisung vigorously shook his head. “Don’t compare your dreams to mine. We all have different dreams in their own right. Your passions have a special meaning to you as mine does for me.”

You smiled at his words and his adamant reassurance. “I…”

It was then your turn to explain yourself, your passion, your dreams, and future goals. Jisung looked at you, listening intently, nodding and asking questions when appropriate. He kept his full attention on you and his interest in what you had to say made you feel giddy inside.

Before you knew it, two hours had passed.

“So much for studying.” You sighed.

“That’s okay. We can try again next time.”

“Next time?”

He smiled. “Yeah, if that’s okay with you.”

Tapping your finger on your chin, “Hm, I don’t know. You’re not that great of a study buddy, considering we barely did any studying.” You joked with a little chuckle. “I’m kidding.”

“Then you can give me a second chance tomorrow.”

You smiled. “Okay, tomorrow. You better prove yourself.”

—————————

Tomorrow came and Jisung did prove himself to be a decent study companion. For the first forty-five anyways. Then as the day before, you and Jisung lapsed into leisurely conversation. The two of you were able to talk for hours. You were comforted by how Jisung was very easy and fun to talk to. The conversation would veer into favorite music, artists, recent movies, favorite movies, and just about any topic that could be discussed that wasn’t sociology.

Before you knew it, evening had fallen and the last rays of the sun disappeared from the sky.

“It’s getting late now.” You remarked, looking outside the windows at the darkness shrouding the courtyard.

“I’ll walk you back to your apartment.” Jisung offered, picking up his things from the table.

“You don’t have to do that.”

He shook his head. “I do. You shouldn’t walk by yourself in the dark.”

“… Okay. Thank you.”

“You know, I haven’t stopped by the bakery these past two days for lunch,” You were telling Jisung as he walked you to your apartment. “Since we’ve been studying together and stuff.”

“Oh that’s right. We can study at the bakery tomorrow then? I don’t work tomorrow anyways.”

“Yeah, okay, we can do that.”

You made conversation about the anime Jisung finished watching on the way to your apartment. You told him that you had already watched that one and were amicably discussing the thrilling plot and your favorite characters before you finally ended up on the front door of your apartment.

“Well, we’re here.” You said, feeling awkward. “Thanks for walking me here.”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

Jisung nodded. “Yeah.”

You unlocked the door. “Bye…”

“Bye. Good night.”

“Night.”

Jisung slowly turned to leave. You pushed your door open, and looked at his retreating figure. He turned around for a moment, smiling at you and waving before finally disappearing around the corner.

You walked in your apartment and closed the door behind you. You had so much fun with Jisung that ending the night felt wrong, almost sad. But you were going to see him again the next day. You smiled to yourself thinking about it.

“Oh hey you’re home.” Sophia called out to you from the kitchen, causing you to jump.

—————————

You impatiently tapped your pen on the desk, eager to finish your last class of the day. You just wanted to see Jisung. You felt excitement bubble inside as you thought about meeting him for another study session at the bakery. You wondered if he felt the same.

Time passed, the lecture boring you to tears. The minute the professor wrapped up the lecture, dismissing the class, you packed your things and left straight to the bakery.

Jisung was already there, sitting at a table with two drinks and some food spread out, and his laptop balanced on the corner of the table. It was weird to see Jisung at his workplace, not in his work uniform and not working. But you had to admit, you liked seeing him like this. When the door opened, he looked up from his laptop, giving you a smile and then waved you over.

“Hey you.”

You returned his smile, setting your backpack down and sitting at the chair across from him. “Hey. You’re actually studying.” You said teasingly.

He chuckled. “I barely started.” He pushed a drink and wrapper of bread towards you. “This is for you.”

“What really? You gotta let me pay you back.”

“No.”

“What, why?” You whined, pouting. “You bought food last time too. It’s only fair.”

He shook his head vigorously. “No. It’s on me. I mean it.”

“Jisung…” You whined, dragging out the last syllable of his name.

The corner of his lips tugged in a tiny small, finding your insistence rather adorable and endearing. “Okay, okay, fine.”

You smiled brightly.

“Next time though, okay?”

You groaned, rolling your eyes. “Okay. Fine. Next time for sure.”

Jisung propped his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand. So cute… He thought as you grumbled to yourself before finally deciding to take out your laptop and study materials.

“No distractions this time, okay?” You told him in a stern tone. “I have other assignments I need to focus on.”

He nodded. “Yes ma’am. I won’t bother you.”

He wanted to though. While you were focused on whatever assignments you had, he watched you from the edge of his laptop from time to time (okay, he’ll admit it, for most of the time). He thought you looked cute like that. Your expression held unduly focus on your laptop and notebook, your lips sometimes moved to mouth whatever it was that you were reading, sometimes you would blink excessively at your laptop as if confused at something, your brows would scrunch together in concentration. He couldn’t help but admire your features.

You were tapping the bottom of your pen to your chin, deep in thought, with a blank expression on your face, your eyes moving back and forth on the laptop screen.

“You’re so pretty…”

“Huh?” Your eyes moved from the screen to his face.

Jisung’s eyes slightly widened in realization. Wait. Did he just say that out loud? Oh crap. He didn’t mean to.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, shaking his head. “I said I’m bored.”

You tilted your head. It sure didn’t sound like that before but you didn’t want to dispute it since you weren’t totally sure. “We barely started studying.”

“Yeah, so? Studying is so boring.”

You shook your head with a light smile. “You’re not wrong there.”

“Jisung?” The two of you looked to the source of the voice.

“Huh, Jeno? You’re working today?”

“Yeah, I switched shifts with Jaemin.” Jeno looked over at you. A grin spread on his face. “Oh hey. You’re the customer that always comes here. I haven’t seen you around lately.”

“Yeah, it’s because I’ve been spending time studying with Jisung.”

“Oh~? Really? Well, how exciting.”

“Not really. It’s studying.” Jisung mumbled. He looked at his friend with an unamused stare. “Shouldn’t you be clocking in now?”

Jeno huffed a small laugh. “I suppose I should now. I’ll let you two at it. If you need something let me know~” He lifted a hand to wave before turning away, walking towards the employee door.

“Sorry about him.”

You laughed. “It’s fine. Let’s get back to studying.” You looked at your laptop before looking back at Jisung. “No distractions! I’m gonna set a timer so no distractions until then, okay?” You reiterated sternly.

He smiled. “Okay, okay.”

The two of you studied for an hour. Well, more like you were doing work while Jisung sometimes got distracted by you (but he was also doing some studying here and there).

An hour passed. You took a deep sigh, sitting back in your chair. “Okay… I finished my assignments.” You looked up at Jisung. “Did you get anything done?”

“Uh… A little?”

You pursed your lips, shaking your head in a playful manner. “Shame, Jisung, shame.”

He laughed. “Sorry. I couldn’t concentrate. There’s just some… natural distractions, you know?”

“Natural distractions?”

“Yeah. Distractions that can’t be helped.”

You rolled your eyes, smiling slightly at his nonsense. “Whatever you say.”

The two of you then dropped into idle conversation. You talked about this and that, the weather, the classes you’re taking this semester, the new drinks the bakery is developing, and before you know it, another hour passed.

“… you would think the main character would know better but he doesn’t,” Jisung was saying about a character in a certain film.

“Yeah, right, it’s-“

“Hey, you two.”

You and Jisung turned to the voice. It was Jeno again.

“What is it, Jeno?” Jisung sounded mildly annoyed.

“I was feeling bored. Just wanted to say hi.”

“Well, hi. Now go back to work.”

“Ah, so harsh.” Jeno shook his head. He turned to you. “I never got your name. I’m Jeno by the way.”

“I’m y/n.”

“What a lovely name, y/n~”

You smiled. “Thank you.”

Jisung looked at you then turned his head to give Jeno a stare. “You’re on the clock.” He stated with a sigh.

“What? You flirt on the clock.”

“No, I don’t.”

“Uh, yeah you do. Last time when y/n was—“ Jisung kicked his friend in the shin. “Ow!”

“Okay, okay you’ve made your point.”

The door opened, bells jingling as a customer walked in.

“Great timing,” Jisung mumbled to himself.

“Alrighty then, I’ll go. Talk to you later y/n and Jisung!”

Jisung sighed as his friend turned and walked to the counter. “Sorry about him. Again.”

You laughed. “He’s quite entertaining.”

“Yeah, in more ways than one.”

You checked the time on your phone. “Ah… I think I should get going now. I told my friend Sophia that I would go grocery shopping with her.” You began to pack your things. “Today was really productive though. Thanks again for studying with me. I always find it useful to have someone to study or do homework with because it keeps me focused. Even if we’re not working on the same subject, you know?”

He nodded. “Yeah, same here.” (A half-lie, since he wasn’t doing much work in the first place.)

You slung your backpack over your shoulder, standing from your chair. “I’ll see you later then?”

He nodded, giving you a smile. “Yeah. Bye.”

You waved as you made your way out the door.

Jisung sighed as he watched you leave, feeling somewhat empty inside with your absence.

“Good going with the study dates.”

He turned his head, staring at Jeno who was standing next to his table. “Dates?”

“Isn’t that what these things are called?”

Jisung thought about it for a moment. He didn’t really think of the study sessions as dates. “Huh… I guess so… But we haven’t had an official ‘date’ yet. I haven’t really asked her out… These are more like… friendly gestures?” Yeah, sure. Friendly gestures.

Jeno scoffed. “Yeah sure. Proud of you for making the moves on her though!”

“I swear I’m gonna hit you one day.”

“What do you mean one day? You already kicked me today.”

“I think that was well deserved.”

—————————

You didn’t get to study with Jisung the day after. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. He had sent a text explaining his unfortunate work and class schedule, so he wasn’t able to study at certain, available times with you. But despite not getting to spend “study” time with him, you still visited the bakery on your break times. Sometimes he would be working that shift, sometimes he wouldn’t (you’d text him telling him you were at the bakery and he’d reply with a frowny face about how he’s in class or elsewhere). Even though you were still able to see him sometimes while he was at work, as well as having late night texts with him, you began to miss your study sessions together (even if those study sessions weren’t always the most productive ones).

One day, you received a text from him.

Can you come to the bakery at closing time?

You responded: Sure but why?

I’ll see you then!

He did not answer your question. You smiled and shook your head at the phone. Still, you complied. You spent the day on campus finishing up assignments and studying before walking to the bakery five minutes before closing. The sun dipped low in the sky, casting a dusky orange glow on the streets. Approaching the store front, you could see Jisung through the glass wiping the tables down. He lifted his head and saw you staring at him. He smiled and waved. Giving him a sheepish smile in return—you felt a bit embarrassed about getting caught staring—and a wave, you walked inside the bakery.

“Hey.” The door jingled behind you as you walked in. “Why’d you want me to come at closing time?”

“Give me a moment.” He finished doing his task and walked behind the employee doors. There were voices chatting indistinguishably and Jisung eventually reappeared without his work apron on. He was wearing a white button up shirt rolled to his elbows and dark blue jeans. You thought he looked really handsome like this.

“So… what is it?”

He ran his hand through his hair, looking a little fidgety. “Well… It’s dinner time now. And I was wondering if you wanted to go out and grab some dinner together?” He took a pause. “If you want to, of course…”

You were taken aback by his sudden question. You gave a short laugh, a sort of nervous, giddy laughter. “Wait, are you asking me out on a date?”

He blinked, a light blush making its way to his cheeks. “Yeah, I am. Y/n, would you like to go out on a date with me?”

You smiled, a giddy feeling bloomed in your stomach. “I’d love to go on a date with you Jisung.”

He returned your smile. “Great. Let’s go. I know a nice sushi place.”

The two of you walked to the sushi restaurant that was not too far from the bakery.

“You know, at first, I thought you had a boyfriend.” He said this to you while you were waiting for your order to arrive.

“Huh? What, why?” Your face scrunched in absolute confusion.

Jisung gave an awkward chuckle before explaining himself. “It was because that one time you walked in the bakery with a guy.”

You tilted your head to the side, thinking about that ‘guy.’ “Ah.” You realized who he meant. “Bryson? That’s just a friend. You don’t need to worry about him. I turned him down long ago.” You took a sip of your drink.

Jisung nodded. “Ah, I see. Of course you’d have other suitors. It makes sense, since you’re so pretty.”

You looked at him in surprise, taken aback by his compliment. You blushed, taking another sip of your drink to cool yourself. “How can you say that with such a straight face…” You mumbled.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

The food eventually arrived and you and Jisung talked amicably while eating your dinner. Talking about this and that, the weather, your classes, recent movies and music. You loved how easy Jisung was to talk to. You loved how his eyes shine bright when he talks about a hobby of his or something he finds interest in or likes doing. You love how whenever you talk with him, he centers his attention on you and just you, making you feel like you’re the only person in the world.

“Ah~ That was so good. I feel so full now.”

The check came around and Jisung instantly snatched it in his hands.

You gave him a glare (that had no bite). “Let me pay! Last time I said that I’ll pay next time and it’s next time.”

“No, it’s okay. I got it.”

“Jisung, really!”

He chuckled, shaking his head adamantly. “Consider this as… a gift for going out with me tonight.”

You huffed. He was persistent and stubborn and you didn’t have it in you to keep fighting him. “You’re so stubborn.”

He smiled.

“Let me walk you back to your apartment.” He said once the two of you were outside the restaurant. “It’s late now. I can’t have you walking back by yourself.”

So, he walked you back to your apartment. The two of you once again fell into a vibrant conversation about any topic plausible to talk about.

“Thanks for walking me home,” You said as you approached your apartment.

“It’s no problem.”

“And thanks for dinner. I had a lot of fun.” You smiled. Before you lost your courage, you quickly stood on your tiptoes, giving him a peck on the cheek. “That’s to show my gratitude. Good night.” You unlocked the door and hurriedly stepped in, shutting the door behind you. You stood with your back pressed against the door, heaving a sigh as your face reddened.

“Oh hey you’re home.”

You jumped at Sophia’s voice, placing your hand over your heart. “You gotta stop scaring me.”

—————————

Jisung stood motionless at the other side of the door, fingertips touching the skin where you kissed him. A blush tinted his cheeks, reaching the tips of his ears. He couldn’t believe how adorable you were.

Later that night, when he got back to his dorm, he sent you a text.

I had a lot of fun tonight. Let’s do it again sometime

—————————

“Again” did happen (again and again). Jisung and you made studying/homework sessions at the bakery or library an occasional ordeal (naturally, dependent on your schedules), even little dates to the sushi restaurant for after-studying dinner became an occasional event. As you spent more time with him, you got to learn more about him and vice versa. He was a kind, gentle and humorous individual. He even got along well with your best friend, Sophia, which you were glad about. You even made him cookies one day, as a thank you gift for always buying you food. He was in disbelief at your baking abilities, as the cookies were soft and chewy, just how he likes it (when Jisung brought them back to his dorms, Jeno even tried to steal one, earning a slap on the shoulder from the other).

And little did you know, he felt the same way. Jeno would talk about you and ask questions about you to Jisung endlessly (to the point where Jisung would be a little bit annoyed). Jisung found you to be a truly beautiful, benevolent and passionate person. Whenever you talked about something you like, you never notice the smile on his lips and the shine in his eyes when he listens to you talk. You never notice the shy glances, the subtle admiration of your features, and the wistful longing stares at your lips. You weren’t aware but he did wonder how soft your lips were or how soft you would feel in his arms.

“I don’t believe in love at first sight,” He was telling Jeno one day after work, “But… she exceeded any expectations I had. She’s so pretty inside and out.”

“Yuck,” Jeno responded jokingly, to which Jisung rolled his eyes at.

“You asked.”

—————————

Midterms came and passed. You and Jisung studied for the sociology midterm together on the days before the big exam, quizzing each other on the terms and concepts, reviewing each lecture and PowerPoint, crying and screaming at the stress of exam-taking. (“Stressing over exams is such a nice bonding experience” Sophia told you).

“I’m in enormous debt to you and your study guide. It really saved my grade,” Jisung said to you when he saw you the following day of the exam. "Jeno's too." He chuckled.

You smiled, shaking your head. “It’s no problem, really. Glad it helped and you got a good grade.”

“Enough to keep my B+ I hope…” He took a pause. “Actually, I was wondering… do you wanna come over to my dorm this weekend and watch a movie? I can order us pizza or something… and we can just… watch whatever movie you want? A thank you for helping me study.”

So you did. Sitting on his bed with a blanket over your lap and a slice of pizza in your hands, you waited for Jisung to pull the movie up on his laptop.

“I can’t believe you haven’t seen all of the Shrek movies…” He was saying to you.

You shrugged, your mouth full of pizza. “I mean, I’ve only seen the first one.”

“We’re doing a Shrek marathon now.”

Despite having seen the Shrek movies numerous times, Jisung still paid much attention to the plot. You thought it was cute. You couldn’t help but stare at him a little. You thought he looked really pretty, the lights in the room were out, the laptop casting a harsh glow on his features, his focus entirely on the screen before him. You wanted to reach out, maybe brush your hands across his cheek, maybe hold his hand, put your hand on his chest and pull him close to you…

The lights flickered on and you blinked, hard.

“Oh hey there you two!”

“Jeno, couldn’t you have at least warned us before turning the lights on?”

Jeno only laughed.

The moments you spent with Jisung continued just like that. Days went and passed, and before you both knew it, it was soon spring break. You were gracious for it of course, but a hint of silent disappointment sprouted when Jisung told you he would be visiting home for the week. You didn’t say anything, but you silently wished to spend more time with him, seeing him one to three times a week just wasn’t enough. You craved his presence at times. Even if it was just sitting together in a room, that was enough for you.

—————————

So, Jisung visited home for spring break. You missed him a lot and going to the bakery just wasn’t the same without him there. Sometimes you’d expect to see him there standing behind the counter, only to be disappointed when he’s not. It was only a week without him but it felt much, much longer.

Who knew one week could feel like one year?

One more day! Can’t wait to see you :)

You smiled at the text from him. Before you were able to text back, your phone started ringing.

“Hey what’s up?”

“Hey y/n." Jisung's voice replied through your phone's earpiece. "...Sorry for the sudden call. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“Oh…” You were slightly taken aback by his straightforward words.

“Sorry. Was that weird to say?”

You shook your head, even though you knew he wouldn’t be able to see it. “No, not at all. I… I miss you. A lot.”

A sigh of relief on the other side. “I miss you more.”

You huffed a laugh. “This isn’t a competition.”

Jisung chuckled. “Well, what are you doing right now?”

“I was actually preparing to go to bed.”

“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry, I forgot about the time difference.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m just… glad I get to hear your voice.”

“Are you in bed right now?”

“… Yes…? …This better not be going where I think it’s going Park Jisung,” You replied in a jokingly stern tone.

“What? No!” Panic in his voice at the implications. “No, no, no…”

“I was kidding~”

“What I meant was, I want to play you a song… to help you go to sleep.”

“Play me a song?”

“Yeah. Hold on, let me grab my guitar.” A couple of thumping and ruffling sounds could be heard as you patiently waited for Jisung. “Okay, got it. Are you lying comfortably in bed?”

“Mmm… Give me a minute.” You reached over and turned the bedside lamp off, nestling yourself under your covers, placing your phone next to you, and turning your phone to speaker mode. “Okay, all comfortable.”

“Any song requests?” He strummed a cord, causing you to smile as the sound vibrated through the speakers on your phone.

“Hmm…” You gave it some thought. “Play me a song you recently started writing?”

“Okay. I don’t have the lyrics all written out yet but I have the basic melody.”

“That’s okay. Anything you play will be nice.”

Jisung began strumming the guitar, a soft melodious tune gently reverberated through your phone and into your darkened bedroom. The chords he played were careful and smooth, making you feel peaceful.

“This sounds so lovely…” You whispered, closing your eyes. Jisung didn’t respond, he continued strumming the chords on his guitar, in hopes of helping you fall to sleep. After a while, the gentle lull of slumber washed over you gradually as you focused on listening to Jisung’s melodic guitar playing. Jisung continued playing until your soft breathing could be heard through the phone.

“Y/n?” There was no response, as you had fallen into deep sleep. “Good night y/n… I love you.” He could only hear your soft snores in response.

When you awoke the next morning, your phone was dead. You groggily plugged your phone into the charging port and turned it back on.

A text from Jisung.

Sleep tight y/n. I hope you enjoyed the song I played. I’ll assume you did since you fell asleep so quickly hehe~ I tried staying on the phone with you but the call suddenly ended 5 hours in.

You titled your head to the side as you read this text. Did he really stay on the phone with you for five hours after you fell asleep? You smiled. You really couldn’t believe him.

—————————

Jisung had finally returned from his trip and you were incredibly eager to see him again. But every time you texted him asking if he wanted to study together or whether he was at work that day, he never replied. Still, you continued going to the bakery for lunch and even then, you hadn't seen him working at the bakery since his return.

On such a day, however, you did notice Jeno working.

“Hi Jeno,” You greeted him as you walked up to the register with your items.

“It’s y/n! Hi!” He greeted you with a bright smile. “How ya doing?”

“… I was wondering where Jisung is? I haven’t seen him in a while... Did he quit?”

“Jisung? Oh no, he didn’t quit. He’s just working less this week because of jet lag, so he’s been working in the evening shifts.”

“Ah… I see.”

“Is something wrong?”

You shook your head. “No… It’s just that he hasn’t answered any of my texts so I was kinda worried…”

“Ohh, I see… Well, it’s probably because he—“ Jeno suddenly cut off mid-sentence, eyes wide as if he said something wrong, and pursed his lips together in a tight line. He then let out a nervous chuckle. “It’s nothing. Nevermind what I just said. Don’t worry about Jisung, he’ll answer you soon.”

“… If you say so…”

“Okay is this all for you? Your total is $11.59.”

—————————

Jeno was right. Jisung texted you a couple of days later.

Hey! Sorry I haven’t responded to your texts. I’ve been busy with something. Can you meet me at the bakery tonight at closing?

You were so perplexed by his actions. Not speaking to you for a week after his return from his trip even though you missed him so much drove you near madness. Now this sudden cryptic text with a vague explanation and asking to meet at the bakery for no disclosed reason? You sighed. You really couldn’t understand it. But if going to the bakery meant answers, then that’s where you’ll meet him.

You approached the bakery’s store front almost exactly a minute before it closed. You peered into the windows. The bakery was all cleaned up yet there was no sight of Jisung. Strange.

You opened the door. The bells jingled behind you. As the door shut, you could hear the sound of music being played softly through the speakers. You looked around, brows furrowed in confusion. Still no sight of Jisung. On the table in the far corner near the windows--the one you always sit at--was a milk tea bun and a cup of brown sugar milk tea. You sat down at the table. The music continued playing softly. The sound was melodic, with gentle guitar strums and harmonious chords. Actually… It sounded quite familiar.

Then, the soft sound of a man singing. Your eyes widened slightly upon realizing that it was Jisung’s voice singing. The lyrics spoke of a person with a kind and charming smile with bright, vibrant eyes and a passionate soul. A person who is thoughtful and lovely, who is ethereal like the stars at night. A person that is easy to fall in love with. You listened carefully, completely captivated by Jisung’s singing voice. This was the first time you had ever heard Jisung sing and you wanted to relish in his melodic voice. But the song soon ended and a dull silence filled the bakery. Then, the door to the employee’s room opened, causing you to turn your head towards it.

“Jisung?”

He smiled, walking towards you. “Did the song sound familiar? It’s the song I played to you that night to help you go to sleep. It’s a song I’ve been working on for you and I finally finished it yesterday. I wanted to finish it as soon as possible, so that’s why I haven’t been answering your texts lately… I’m sorry.” He sat down next to you, giving you a genuinely apologetic smile. You were in disbelief. When you didn’t say anything, he continued. “I… This song is meant for you. To… confess my feelings to you. I know I ignored you for a whole week, so I hope this can make up for it…” He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. He opened them, looking directly at you, taking your hand in his and giving it a squeeze. “Y/n… I like you… a lot… You had me in your hold that day we met here, at this bakery. I didn’t know I could like a person as much as I like you. And I love spending time with you, studying, doing homework, watching movies… and I want to keep being with you like this… So, will you be my girlfriend?”

You were in shock at his heartfelt confession. He was absolutely adorable and kind in every way you could imagine. “What if I say no?” You teased. Jisung visibly deflated and you couldn’t help but chuckle at his cute reaction. You quickly continued, “I’m joking Jisung. I accept your apology. The song is… wonderful. I can’t begin to describe how amazing it is…” You gave him a smile, squeezing his hand in return. “Thank you. Of course I’ll be yours.”

He took you into his arms and gave you a warm, tight, loving hug. He released you from his hold, though still gazing into your eyes. His eyes darted down to your lips, then back at you. He cleared his throat. “Um… May I… uh… kiss you?”

You smiled widely and nodded your head, a giddy feeling in your stomach. You didn’t wait for him to react before putting your hand on the back of his neck, gently pushing him towards you, and meeting his lips with yours. The kiss was soft and sweet. He tasted like mint candy (you wondered if he ate a mint in preparation for this).

Once you broke apart, Jisung beamed, a pink tint to his cheeks. He sighed happily. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

His smile was so adorable, you couldn’t resist to lean in again and kiss him on the corner of his lip. “Wait no longer. You can now have as many kisses as you want.”

His smile only grew wider. “It’s late. Let me walk you home?”

—————————

You walked into your favorite bakery, the bells jingled to signal your entrance. The scent of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, making you smile. Your eyes caught the last milk tea bun sitting alone in its clear case. Without a second thought, you went over to take it. Just as you reached for it, someone was also reaching for it.

“Oh, sorry!” You brushed hands with the other person. You turned to look at who it was. A smile spread across your face. “You take it this time.”

Jisung smiled. “No,” He took the milk tea bun and placed it into your hands. “It’s yours now.”

“Jisung re-“

“No take backs!” He quickly leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to your forehead before turning and walking away. Your cheeks flushed.

“H-Hey… There’s people around…” Your fingers touched the skin where he kissed you.

Jisung swiveled his head to look at you, giving a bright smile. “I’ll make it up to you with a movie at my place tonight?”

You sighed, smiling. “I can’t say no to that.”

#nct imagines #nct dream #park jisung #park jisung fanfic #park jisung x reader #kpop imagines #nct dream x reader #park jisung nct #nct scenarios #kpop scenarios #nct dream scenarios #mywriting #blueming kpop imagines

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jadekitty777 · 3 years

Text

On Your Six, Chapter 3

Day 3: Parenting for @taiqrowweek

Rating: T for this chapter, M for overall

Words: 5k

Summary: Qrow was what most of society would call a small-town criminal. But to those oppressed, he hoped only to be a healer. In an effort to make a change in the world, he moves from kingdom to kingdom, searching for branded omegas in need. His goal? To turn the derogatory words the reformatories forced them to bear on their skin into works of art.

Then one day, his past catches up to him in the form of Taiyang, his former best friend, with a brand of his own stained onto his skin and a plea for help in his eyes. Qrow has no choice but to answer, even if it means he’d have to face his mistakes once and for all.

[An ABO-style universe in a modern-day style Remnant. No Grimm, because people are the real monsters in this one]

Ao3 Link: On Your Mind

Early on in his career, Qrow had come to value the strength in listening.

He knew for every omega who walked through his door, he was a step in their healing process. It didn’t matter at what point in that process he was treading into; everyone came needing something. A sense of control. A desire to feel beautiful again. A need to shake off shame. No matter what it was, every reason was understandable and downright defensible.

But he knew his deed didn’t always end at the tip of a needle. Sometimes it wasn’t what was on their skin, but what was in their minds that weighed the most. Those were his talkers. The ones who felt so hurt or overcome by what had happened to them, they had to tell their story to someone.

So Qrow listened. He listened to the Mistrialian baker who tried to escape his abusive relationship by drugging his alpha one night and escaping into the night as the word Disloyal was overwrote. Erased Rebel as he was enraptured by the Rights Activist from Mantle who handed out self-funded newspapers all dedicated to lining out the inequalities among the dynamics. Nearly cried with the elderly Valian spinster who had been trafficked from her home in Vacuo decades ago to became the fourth wife of a rich proprietor as he made sure Owned could never be seen again.

Now today, he was turning the word SLUT into art as Tai recounted the love story that dared him to engage in one of society’s most taboo acts.

“So there I was, dragging my feet out of the ER at 2 AM, feeling like the worst parent in history as Yang bawls in my arms. I was so distressed, I couldn’t even remember where I’d parked and just started going through the rows.” They were sitting today. Tai cross-legged on his bed and staring out the window while Qrow sat behind him. “That’s when Summer called to me. She remembered I was one of the patients just going in as she got off her shift. She asked me what was going on and I told her how the doctor who’d seen us kicked me out for wasting his time over some diaper rash. And you know what she did?” A smile uplifted his tone. “She looked between me and Yang and said, ‘No parent spends five hours in the ER over nothing.’ Then she took my arm and led me back inside. Snapped at the staff to give her a room and saw to Yang herself. I couldn’t believe it. She’d just come off of a twelve-hour shift. She had to of been exhausted. But that was the kind of woman she was. When she saw someone who needed help, she put everything else aside to do it.”

A hiss breathed through the other’s teeth as Qrow lined over the base of the T, tailing the ends to look more like the trunk of a tree. “Were you right?” He prompted, hoping to distract him.

“Yeah. Yeast infection.” Tai puffed up proudly. “Nothing a bit of prescription cream and some TLC couldn’t fix, but it still felt so validating to be told my worries weren’t just in my head. It was the first time since Raven left that I felt I really could do this on my own.” That uplift was back, overlayed with fondness. “But, it was Summer who reminded me that just because I can, doesn’t mean I had to.”

He moved his pen higher, maple leaves beginning to bloom along his back. “How’d it happen?”

“Well, so, they called me in a few days after that night for a check-up. When I got there, I found out Summer had arranged things to make sure she was the doctor attending us. She had told me at the time it was just normal for her to touch base with anyone who came through ER that she had looked after. That it made her happy to see her patients doing well.” He barked out a laugh. “She was such a liar! She didn’t tell me this until later, but apparently the only reason she did it was because she thought I was cute and wanted to see me again.”

Tch, what a brat. Qrow scoffed, doggedly ignoring the had he been in her position, he absolutely would have done the same.

“We started talking and joking around. One thing led to another and suddenly she was asking me out for coffee! I was so shocked I almost fell out of my chair. But… I said yes. And, it was the best decision of my life.”

He couldn’t do this. He jerked back and turned off the pen before the shaking in his hand ruined his work. “Sorry. Hand’s cramping up. Can we take a break?”

Oblivious as ever, the omega gave him one of those stupidly bright smiles that he hated because it made his heart do weird things. “Sure.” As they slid off the bed and Tai took the opportunity to stretch, he asked, “How about tea?”

“Yeah, I’ll go put on the pot.” Qrow didn’t even get two steps before a hand clapped down on his shoulder.

“Nope. You’re resting.”

“But-”

“Relax. I got this.”

Then Tai wandered right into his kitchen like he owned the place, leaving him with no choice but to throw up his arms and take a seat. Qrow watched him go through the motions, turning to fill the kettle. From this distance, the word that had once been etched into his skin was completely unreadable, overtaken by a mismatch of new marks in various states of healing.

A perfect reflection of the man who bore them.

Regret dropped like a stone in his stomach, feeling sick as the omega took care of him over a lie. He lowered his head and took his punishment in the form of a simple question, “So when did you two get serious?”

“Hm? Oh, you mean Sums and I?”

“No, I meant you and me.” Qrow snarked, because he hated himself.

Tai set the pot on the stove, the burner sparking to life. “I knew we had a forever connection the day you offered to eat all the yellow Starburst from the bag and leave all the good flavors for me.”

Well now he was resentful and insulted. “Yellow is the good flavor.”

“Mmhmm, keep telling yourself that.” He started tearing open a pair of tea packets, dropping one each in the mugs. “Anyways, promise not to judge me too much?”

“For what, your love life or your weird issues with Starburst?”

“Qrow!”

He held up hand as a peace offering, leaning back. “Okay, okay. I promise.”

Tai eyed him suspiciously for several seconds before finally saying, “We bonded four months in.”

“FOU-” He cut himself off and took a breath. He seemed to have to do this a lot more lately. “I mean, that’s not so bad.”

“Good save.” Sarcasm dripped from his tone. “Look, I thought I was going too fast too. But when I would sit down and think of my future, I just could see her in it. Summer was a piece of me I didn’t even know I was missing. And when I found out she felt the same about me we decided, fuck it! Who cares about what everyone else is going to say? We knew we wanted each other.”

On display as he was, Qrow’s gaze fell to the spot on Tai’s neck where the two scars lay. The imperfect ovals were layered atop one another right in the juncture of his shoulder and collarbone, cutting through his scent gland. Similar to a snake’s fangs, alpha incisors had a hollow part, allowing them to release a bit of their musk during the bite which would then inject itself into an omega’s glands and permanently alter their scent.

Staking a claim.

Granted, with the tattoo he couldn’t smell even a hint of either Raven or Summer any longer. But back then, he could imagine how pungent it had been. Even if the new smell wasn’t a dead giveaway, the pinker shade of the fresher one was a big neon sign that drew the eye. There wouldn’t be any hiding it, even if the couple had tried.

Which meant they absolutely became the gossip of every corner on the street. Summer being well off and Tai being abandoned and annulled didn’t help matters in the slightest. He already knew what people would have thought, well before the brand was ever made.

He frowned. “Even knowing you’d get the worst of it?”

“Tch. Tell me something else that’s new.” Tai snipped, rolling his eyes. “You know, I could have been a perfect little omega. Quiet. Thoughtless. Unopinionated. Or I could have also spent the rest of my life as a part of the Single’s Forever Club. Risen Yang alone and never looked at another Alpha again. And you know what? People would still have shit to say about me. That’s what happens when society’s rigged against you.” He smacked his hand down on the counter. “When does my happiness matter?”

That stone still in his stomach was only getting heavier. “Sorry.”

The fire burnt out as quickly as it was there, and Tai only shook his head, mumbling, “Forget it. It’s whatever right?”

“It’s not. It’s fucking wrong.” He said with more fury than he meant to.

Tai’s smile was tired and defeated. “If only more people thought like you.”

The kettle whistle blew, effectively ending their conversation. It wasn’t long before Tai was taking his seat across from him, their mugs steaming on the table before them. Idly, Qrow traced the rim of his with his index finger, trying to think of something to say.

His focus shifted when a hand was suddenly being held out before him, clearly asking for something. “Uh?”

“Give me your hand.” Tai demanded.

His brain moved sluggishly, but when he understood what the other was offering, his face went redder than his eyes. “I, uh, need to drink my tea?”

“You’ve got a left one for that. Come on already.”

“It’s fine. It’s not that-” Any argument he had slipped away when he tried pulling his hand further away, only for the omega to reach over and snag it.

The simple touch was like electricity zinging through his muscles, leaving him helpless to resist as Tai laid his arm across the table. “You’re such a big baby.” He teased as he rolled up the cuff of Qrow’s shirt, pressing the pads of his fingers along the length of his forearm.

When the massage started, Qrow absolutely melted. While he hadn’t been entirely honest, it would still be true to say that he was probably working his way into an early case of carpal tunnel with how much tension built from his shoulder down to his wrist during his work. He sighed, slumping over the table as the other made his way up past his elbow. “I hate you.” He mumbled, face pillowed in his other arm.

“Yeah, I’m the worst.” Tai replied cheerily.

Gods, if only that were true, then maybe he wouldn’t love him as much as he did.

“I wish you could have met her.” Tai told him a little after sundown.

Qrow hummed questioningly, not pulling his eyes up from the midribs he was painstakingly adding onto every leaf. He felt like he was performing some sort of a balancing act, sitting on the edge of the recliner so he was close enough to draw while also trying to keep out of the beam of his scroll light pointed at them from his nightstand, since the weak 40 watt overhead just wasn’t bright enough to work with. There was a reason he never tattooed after dark.

“Summer.” Tai clarified, reminding him exactly why they were an hour behind. “You woulda liked her.”

He almost laughed at how inane that statement was. “Doubt that.”

“Really! She was sweet and a little shy. A bit of a rebel too. And I mean, she moved to Vale ‘cause she knew she could help more people in need for cheaper than the high end hospitals she could have worked in would charge.” He glanced over his shoulder as Qrow re-inked. “You gotta let that Atlesian stigma go, man.”

There really was no good way to answer that, so he didn’t bother trying. Gods only knew what Tai would have thought of him, if he found out the real reason they never would of gotten along was because Qrow didn’t believe he’d be able to resist his instincts a second time around. The ones that screamed at him to show Tai he was the more worthwhile mate, even if that meant delving things into a fistfight.

“I guess it doesn’t matter now.” The omega said when he caught on that he wasn’t going to get a response. “At least you’ll have a chance to meet Ruby. I warn you though, you’re totally going to fall in love. She’s got so much energy to her, like you wouldn’t believe. She giggles so much too, it’s the cutest little sound. And-! And…”

Pausing, Qrow flipped off the pen. “Tai?”

“S-Sorry.” He rubbed a hand over his face, clearing his throat loudly. “It just, hurts. Not knowing how they’re doing.” His voice broke. “I miss them.”

Not sure what else to do, he silently pressed his forehead against the base of Tai’s neck, mindful of his back as he wound an arm across his middle in a loose hug.

Knew, without a doubt, that it wasn’t nearly enough.

A year ago, when Qrow was working outside of Mantle for a spell, a client he’d never forget walked through his door. He was unusually broad-shouldered and buff, just like Tai. Yet, it wasn’t his physical attributes that truly made him stand out. It was the omega’s confidence. He had a stride to him that exuded self-assurance and a stance that yielded pride.

It threw him completely off his game, as he was used to playing the role of consoler. Yet, as the omega held out his hand to shake, Qrow found himself wanting to compete against him. “You’re Harbinger. It’s a pleasure. I’ve heard a lot.”

“Only good things, I hope.” He replied, his grip firm and unyielding. “And you are?”

“Clover Ebi.” That name rang a bell, but he couldn’t place why. “And they were. You did a rebrand for a buddy of mine who lives over in the orange district. I was hoping you could do the same for mine.”

That brought some air to his sails as he found himself on more comfortable ground. “Yeah, ‘course I can. Why don’t you take a seat and I can get a gander at what I’m working with?”

“That’s the thing…” For the first time since he walked in, some of that boldness faltered. “If I show you, I need you to promise me not to freak out.”

Well, now he was really intrigued. “Come on. It can’t be that bad. Wait – it’s not on like, your ass cheek or something right?”

“You’re as crude as Robyn warned me you’d be.”

Qrow perked up at the name, remembering her as the outspoken journalist he’d looked after during his first stint in Mantle.

Clover placed a hand over his left bicep. “No, no, it’s nothing like that. It’s under this.”

“Okay then, what’s the proble- Oh, shit.”

His heart rate jumped from resting to cardiac arrest in record time at the sight of the brand – not a harsh word like so many others had been forced to bear, but a simple, cursive script of the man’s own last name. The mark of someone who was in service of the Atlas military.

Which meant he was probably being set up right now.

“Fuck!” Qrow stumbled backwards, looking around wildly for a weapon. An exit. Anything.

“Hey, it’s okay!” Clover followed after him, albeit at a slower pace. “Come on, you said you wouldn’t freak out.”

He picked up an umbrella, holding it en garde like his sister used to with her katana. “We’re way past that, buddy. So, what is this? A trap? Are a bunch more of you about to bust through my wall to take me in?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Will you just – put the umbrella down!”

He came within striking distance – so Qrow struck. A fast swipe at his face.

Clover didn’t even look as his hand shot up to catch it. With strength he wasn’t even trying to hide, he yanked the makeshift weapon right out of Qrow’s grip and tossed it over his shoulder. He caught the fist that came next, boxing him into the corner so that he didn’t have room to move. It was an oddly uncomfortable feeling, being pinned down and powerless.

But while the hold was solid it wasn’t tight, nor was Clover’s face aggressive. “Can you calm down, please? I didn’t come here to turn you in. I came here because I want your help.”

“Why?” He barked back. “You chose to take that mark. Feeling regretful now soldier boy?”

The omega’s expression shifted darkly. “The only thing I chose was to fight for my kingdom, because I believe in protecting the people. This mark is something I have to bear, if I want to pursue that goal.”

His hands slid off, giving Qrow some breathing space. As he stared at the other, suddenly it came to him. “Wait. Ebi. I knew I recognized your name. You made headlines recently. You’re the captain of Tin Jimmy’s specialty squad.”

It had been a huge sensation, an omega taking a leadership position like that. It was practically unheard of and people talked it up like it was a sign of the ‘changing times.’ But he had brushed it off as another one of the kingdom’s typical publicity stunts. They always had something or the other going on to turn the people’s heads – because if everyone was looking at Atlas, no one would see anything else.

“I don’t get it. Why?” His brow furrowed, trying to make sense of it.

“Because I represent something larger than just a captain of a team. I represent hope. The worst thing for us is when no one’s talking. And I sure got them talking.”

That made sense. Nothing changed if no one was having the conversation. Still… “Rebranding could get you decommissioned. Negative PR be damned.”

“Well, as they say: Sometimes you got to risk it all for a dream.” Clover said with a quirk of his lips. “So, will you help me?”

It was one of the most needlessly reckless decisions he had ever made, but he did. In two, relatively short sessions, they were done. He slept with one eye open every day in-between, but when they finished and Clover was instead urging him to keep his contact info (“Just in case you ever get in trouble.”), Qrow felt oddly at ease. Like maybe he truly did make a friend in all this.

He never questioned why the case never hit the news – but if he left Mantle a little quicker than normal, well, that was his business.

Now, as he hit dial on that old contact, he could only pray Clover at least was going to keep this part of his word.

He picked up after the second ring. “Hello?”

“Hey soldier boy.” Qrow started, trying to sound casual. “It’s Harbinger.”

A beat. Then, “Oh. Oh! Uh, two seconds okay?” There was a muffled bit of a noise and a faint, “I’ll be right back. Gotta take this.” A bit more shuffling and background noise as Qrow assumed he left the room, then Clover’s voice was back in his ear, surprisingly frantic. “What’s going on? Are you alright?”

“Yeah. Sorry, it’s not an emergency call.” He replied.

The omega let out a sigh of relief. It felt oddly nice to be worried about. “Oh thank Gods. So then, what’s up?”

“I was hoping you might be able to help me with something.” Qrow said, unconsciously pacing around his box-in-the-wall apartment. “Might be a longshot but, you got any connection with OPS?”

The OPS, or Omega Protection Services, were a kingdom-to-kingdom association that talked big about how they were dedicated to the proper care of the omega brethren in need. While in some veins of their work that was true, like funding lobbies for better rights in the system or providing financial support to those in trouble, it was equally true that under the table the organizations were fed big money from the reformatories to turn over a revolving door of clientele.

The biggest contributor of which was the Crisis Department. It was no secret that a death of a bond mate was devastating to an omega and there was a small percentage of those who became non-functional after the loss. Therefore, any omega known to have recently lost their mate was visited by an OPS agent. If the agent found the omega to be in such an extreme state, it was customary that the widow would be sent away for rehabilitation and any children would be rehomed either with known family or into a foster family until the parent was well enough to care for them again.

The key words being a small percentage. However, according to statistics, almost a quarter of all widowed omegas were in need of ‘reformation’. A percentage that went up or down depending on what kingdom was involved. Vale, their home country, was the only one underperforming on those numbers. By all accounts, Tai never should have gone to a reformatory at all.

The issue was the OPS agent assigned to the omega was from their alpha’s home kingdom. Which meant the agent that knocked on Tai’s door was from Atlas, the kingdom boosting the highest reformatory count by almost double any other one. They also had one of the strictest policies on how they rehomed children. Rather than even consider familial connections, they fostered all of them, claiming it would provide a more stable environment without the potential of an omega in probation from seeking them out and ‘influencing’ their young one’s minds before they were fully well.

All this to say it was almost impossible to know where Tai’s kids were unless he could talk to someone on the inside.

“I know someone who works out of there.” Clover said, before prying almost teasingly. “Why? Who are you looking for?”

Qrow realized too late that he probably should have expected this. “Don’t get any ideas!” He squawked. “I’m… trying to get some info on my niece. Nieces, actually. Just wanting to make sure they’re doing alright.”

“Oh.” Just like that, Clover was all business again. “Yeah, I can swing that. Just gonna need their names and ages, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find them. The names of their sires helps too.”

A sense of relief spread through him. “Yeah I can get that to you. I’ll message it.”

“Perfect! Should have something for you in a few days, okay?”

“Thank you Clover.”

“Anytime.”

It was only after the call ended and he’d written out the requested information, that it hit Qrow.

If he disclosed all this, it really wouldn’t be much further of a stretch for Clover to locate his own information alongside it. All these years on the lam potentially wasted in one single text message.

He flopped onto his bed with a groan, mussing a hand through his hair as the weight of the decision nettled him. Yet, as his thumb moved over to erase everything, his gaze unconsciously fell to his nightstand, where the pages of Tai’s designs were still resting. Thought of all the pain his friend still had to go to finish them, coupled with all he bore before this. Wouldn’t just a day of solace be worth it?

His thumb moved back up.

Sometimes you just had to risk it all, right?

Qrow hit send.

Tai smelt his anxiety the moment he walked through the door.

“Everything alright?” He asked, looking about the room as if he expected to find a portion of it on fire.

“Yeah, yeah.” Qrow assured, doing a very bad job of actually appearing alright as he fidgeted with his necklace. “I just have something I wanted to show you. Come here.”

“O…kay?”

Tai followed him over to his bed, sitting down beside him. It was more comfortable than the stiff plastic of the mismatched dining chairs at least, but now Qrow was also realizing it was painfully intimate. As he sat there, fighting the urge to just shove his scroll into the other hands, he realized maybe he should have planned this better. “So, I know this guy from Atlas, right? Someone on the higher end who has a lot of connections. And well, I asked if he might be able to check in on your daughters.”

“What?!” The omega gripped onto his arm, a sort of manic desperation dancing in his eyes. “Qrow, are you serious?”

He nodded, plucking his scroll off the nightstand and swiping over to his photo album. “Yeah and he was able to get me this from their file.” He handed the device over, seeing the way Tai eyes went wide. The photo was reportedly back from January, taken on some sort of outing the family had been on. The two girls were sitting in a sandbox, Yang pushing sand into a yellow bucket with her hands while Ruby watched her, biting on the end of the shovel that her sister probably should have been using.

“They’re with a beta family. An older couple whose kids have already left the house.” Qrow rambled as his friend just continued to stare at his children. “It’s a real nice place. Both the girls have their own rooms and there’s a backyard for them and everything. And the expense reports are showing their getting a nice, balanced diet and toys and even some learning, uh, things. Books and flashcards and all that fancy shit. And, well, uh – T-Tai?”

Tears dripped from the man’s chin, hitting the display of the scroll. “Yang’s in pigtails.”

“What?”

Tai lifted his head, eyes swimming. “I couldn’t get her to let me brush her hair most days, let alone put it in pigtails.”

“Tai…”

The omega brought the device to his chest, as if it was a suitable replacement for the children he’d rather hug. “And look at how big Ruby is now. She’s sitting up all on her own now. Probably walking.” He sobbed, a wretched, terrible noise that burst from something aching to his very core. “What else have I missed? Ruby has to be talking now. I didn’t even get to hear her first word. And Yang’s old enough to be in kindergarten – I should have been there to take her to her first day. But I wasn’t! I wasn’t there for any of it!”

Something in Qrow’s own heart shattered listening to the father’s anguish and he surged forward, gathering Tai up. Pulled him into a tight embrace as if it could protect him from all the hurt he had to bear.

“It’s not fair.” Tai cried into his shoulder. “It was awful enough, losing Summer. But then those OPS bastards came into my house, took one look at my marks and said I was unfit to raise my own kids! I felt so humiliated.” He clenched onto fistfuls of Qrow’s shirt, shaking hard enough he might just fall apart. “It’ll be almost two years by the time they give them back to me. They took those years away from me and I’m never getting them back!” He heaved over another sob. “What if they don’t even remember me Qrow?”

He ran his fingers soothingly through the other’s hair. “No one could forget you Tai. Not with that big, stupid, sunny smile a’yours. Those girls’ll take one look at it and go ‘there’s daddy!’. I just know it.”

It earned him a watery laugh that only delved into more tears. If he could have, Qrow would have torn up all of Atlas to find those pups and bring them back to Tai right then and there. As it was, there was little else he could do but hold him through it.

When the cries eventually turned to sniffles, Tai pulled away to wipe at his face. He looked a mess, eyes bloodshot and blotchy and red. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to lose it on you like that.”

“Think I should be the one saying sorry.” He cast a guilty glance to his scroll, which had fallen onto the bed at some point. “I just thought – I don’t know what I thought. Maybe I wasn’t.”

“Oh, no! Qrow.” Tai pat his knee reassuringly. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much it means to me to see them. To know you did all this for me.” He cast his gaze away, sighing. “It’s just, some days I feel like I’m drowning. There’s not a day that goes by I don’t think of my girls. Worry about them. But if I’m too emotional, suddenly I’m ‘too unstable’. So, I’ve been trying so hard to hold it together.”

Qrow’s jaw clenched. Becoming a professional arsonist was sounding better and better every day. “You don’t have to, not with me.”

“Heh. Even if I cry every day?”

“Cry every hour, if you need to.” He made an aborted gesture towards Tai’s hand. Touched his forearm instead. “Whatever you need, I’m here for you. Alright?”

Tai had no such inhibitions, his other hand laying down over Qrow’s, squeezing gently. “Thank you. I know I haven’t said it nearly enough, but I really do appreciate everything you’ve done. I don’t know how I would have gotten through these past few weeks without you.”

“You would have.” He said, doubtless. Tai was strong inside and out. He’d always admired that about him. “But, I’m glad I can help.”

Anything was worth bringing that smile to his face.

As if on cue, one stretched across Tai’s lips as he said, “I’ll pay you back one day, promise.”

One day, maybe Qrow would tell him he already had.

#qrow branwen #taiyang xiao long #Taiqrow #taiqrowweek #rwby #fanfiction #Chase Firekitten's Tale

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