neophele

[neophele]

the perks of having a hot best friend

PAIRING(S) | lee jeno x fem!reader

GENRE(S) | fluff, crack, mild angst, best friends to lovers, college au

WORD COUNT | 14336

WARNING(S) | profanity, sexual jokes, jeno is shirtless in a scene phew, too many idol features SORRY i lowk lost track of who i’ve included. i think that is all but lmk if you find something else!

SUMMARY | having a hot best friend is nice until you start getting butterflies in your stomach every single time you look at them.

AUTHOR’S NOTE | JAEYUNVERSE COMEBACK WOOO i’ve missed writing long fics so much omfg but i’m shitting bricks as we speak LOL it’s been a while since i’ve posted something big and i won’t lie i’m hella nervous. i rlly hope you guys enjoy this fic ♡ please don’t hesitate to give me your feedback! here’s to hoping my writing skills haven’t become as rusty as i think i have hehe :’))

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐊𝐒 !

01. an abundance of freebies and discounts

Lee Jeno knew the power his smile held. 

All it took was one flirty laugh combined with those sleepy eyes of his for people to melt. Being the resourceful person you were, you utilised that talent of his to its full extent. 

“Can you go and flirt with the cashier so she gives us a free muffin?” 

Your best friend gave you a dirty look. “You do realise this is supposed to be your treat, right?” 

“I am paying!” you exclaimed. “Just go do your thing and make her feel generous enough to slip a free dessert in our order.” 

Jeno rolled his eyes, but you knew you’d won. You almost always did. “Fine, whatever. You owe me one though.” 

“I’m feeding you because I owe you one,” you pointed out. “This makes us equal.”

“How riveting. I have to work so the person who owes me doesn’t have to owe me anymore.” 

“We can argue about this for hours or you can haul ass to the counter and place the damn order. I’ll Venmo you the money the moment you’re back,” you promised. 

Sliding out of the booth, Jeno said, “You’re lucky you’re cute. If this were Jaemin, I wouldn’t be letting him off the hook easily.”

You stuck your tongue out at him and shooed him away. Narrowing his eyes, he grabbed your wrist and pulled you along. 

“Hey!” you cried. “Don’t take me with you! The flirting won’t have any effect on her if she thinks we’re together!” 

“Everyone thinks we’re together,” Jeno muttered and got in line behind an old man. “She checked me out when we entered the cafe, saw you arm-in-arm with me and gave you the dirtiest look to ever exist.” 

You snorted. “Liar. You might be an eye candy but you do not command such a high level of attention.”   

“I’m telling the truth!” he argued. “I would know because I was checking out the drink she placed on the counter. I was trying to figure out what the person’s order might have been to get something so incredibly delicious-looking. I saw her out of the corner of my eye.” 

“Oh.” You frowned and took a step forward when the line moved ahead. “That’s unfortunate. Should we go to another cafe and try our hand at getting something free there?” 

“How about you stop being such a cheap skate for once?”

Slapping his shoulder hard, you grumbled, “I have to bear the weight of my goddamn rent alone while you share yours with three others! I need to cut down on certain things, asshole.” 

“My offer to move in with you next semester still stands.” Jeno wiggled his eyebrows. “I’m a really good housemate; ask the others.” 

“You live with boys. The disgusting things you do don’t bother them because they do them too.” 

He closed his mouth and thought about it for a second. Then, “Touché.” 

You rolled your eyes, but before you could make another snarky comment, a pleasant voice interrupted, “Good morning. What can I get for you today?” 

Jeno averted his gaze to the girl standing behind the counter and let a lazy smile take form on his lips. You raised a brow and watched in amusement. 

“Hey there. Can I get a Strawberries & Crème Frappuccino with 1 pump caramel syrup, 1 pump hazelnut syrup, and 1 pump toffee-nut syrup? Java chips too, please.” 

The girl—Lia, according to her name tag—looked surprised to see him blatantly flirting with you right beside him. Maybe he was right about every stranger assuming the two of you to be together, though you couldn’t fathom why. “O—okay.”

“What do you want, friend?” Jeno stressed the last word. Refraining to roll your eyes a second time, you said, 

“Iced coffee without milk. Could you add some sugar to the brew? I prefer my drinks to be sweet.” 

“Of course,” she said and nodded once, unfazed even after learning of Jeno’s status as an eligible bachelor. 

Snorting under your breath, you whispered to him, “Lia doesn’t give a fuck. You’re lacking.” 

He scoffed and nudged you away. “No, I’m not,” he whisper-snapped. “Get out of here. You’re killing my vibe.” 

You deadpanned and gave him a don’t-bullshit-me look but retreated to your booth nonetheless. The last thing you heard Lia ask was: “Anything else?” 

You’d only been sitting and scrolling through your phone for a few minutes before a hand slapped a receipt on the table in front of you. 

Glancing up, you inquired, “What?” 

“Read the order.” 

Dropping your gaze to the piece of paper again, you picked it up. An appreciative frown tugged at your lips as Jeno slid into his seat. “You managed to get us a free muffin and a free bagel?”

“Don’t ever question my talents again,” he ordered and leaned back. Resting his arm on the cushion behind him and placing his ankle on his knee, his attitude was nothing short of a king’s. “I won’t tolerate any further slander.” 

“Uh-huh,” you muttered, utterly unimpressed. Though you admit, a smile threatened to break out on your face and you had to bite your lip to keep it from escaping. 

Jeno raised an eyebrow, as if waiting for something. All you did was stare at him, and when he realised you wouldn’t budge, he did an extremely horrible and high-pitched imitation of you that should have deserved jail. “Thank you sooooooo much, Jeno! If it weren’t for your flirting skills, I wouldn’t have anything to eat. You’re my one and only saviour, and I don’t know what I would have done without—”

“Order for Jeno!” Lia hollered. 

Said-boy flinched and clutched his heart with his hand. “What the… That was quick.” Clearing his throat, he turned his attention back to you, the tips of his ears red and his face flushed. “Whatever. I’ll be right back. Venmo me the bill amount.” 

You snickered and watched him get up. However, before he could move out of earshot, you called his name. “Thank you for your service.” 

Jeno glanced at you over his shoulder and did nothing but observe you for a moment. Then, a lopsided grin took form on his lips and he mock saluted. 

“You’re welcome.” 

02. gives good boy advice

“What are you doing here?” 

Pushing past you, Jeno strolled into your living room and plopped down on your sofa. “Is that any way to greet your best friend?” 

You rolled your eyes and closed the front door. Sitting down beside him, you placed your laptop on your lap again and resumed going through your notes. “I’m being serious. Were we supposed to hang out today? Because I cannot. I still have three finals left.” 

“No, we didn’t have any plans today,” he said, peering over your shoulder to check what subject you were studying. It was Economics. Horrible memories from the previous semester resurfaced and he shuddered before continuing, “Your text said you wanted to talk about something important?” 

You paused and glanced at him. “So you came over?” 

“Do you want me to leave?” Jeno frowned. “I thought it would be better to talk in person.”

He stood up and dusted himself off. Eyes widening, you grabbed his wrist and forced him back to his original position. “That’s not what I meant! I do want to talk to you but—it’s weird. I don’t feel like dealing with whatever has happened right now and I’m getting second thoughts about asking you for advice.” 

Concern seeped into Jeno’s face. “Woah, are you okay? You don’t have to explain anything right now. Just tell me one thing: do I need to beat anyone up? I’ve got a few gym buddies who are ripped.”

You huffed a laugh and placed your laptop on the coffee table. Crossing your legs, you turned to face him. Upon watching you get comfortable, your best friend rolled his shoulders back and did the same thing. 

“Before I say anything, I need you to promise me that you won’t laugh. Or make fun of me. Or call me an idiot.” 

“I won’t,” he answered immediately, though he wondered what issue warranted you to require his word. 

Taking a deep breath, you nodded. “YangYang asked me out a few days ago. I’ve always liked him, but not in a way that’s not platonic. I fucked up and instead of rejecting him right there, I asked him for some time to think it over and kinda led him to believe that I would say yes.”

Jeno raised an eyebrow. “How?” 

“I told him he’s my type,” you mumbled, cringing at the memories that came rushing back. 

“What?!” he exclaimed. “How the hell did you manage to do that?” 

“I don’t know!” you whined and buried your face in your hands. “He came up to me when I was in the library and asked if we could talk! I didn’t know he was going to drop such a bomb on me so I said yes. Then he started talking about how he’s always cherished our friendship and how he’s so glad to have me.

“I started suspecting where his train of thought was headed when he added a but to his sentence. He said he’s liked me for a while now and he couldn’t keep it to himself anymore. I was flabbergasted once he was done! I’ve always viewed him as a good friend and I didn’t want to just turn his heart down!”

“So you told him he was your type?” Jeno asked incredulously. “I know I promised to not call you an idiot but you’re really fucking stupid, Y/N! It’s going to be hella awkward when the group meets up!” 

You groaned and closed your eyes shut, letting yourself fall on your back. “That’s not even the worst part.” 

Jeno grabbed your wrists and hauled you back up. His face was barely a few inches away from yours when he ordered, “Explain.”

Taking a deep breath, you continued. “I told YangYang that he was cute and my type but I wasn’t in a position to think about going out with anyone with still two weeks of finals left to get through. I thought he would drop it but he asked me if I would think about his confession after our exams and I felt terrible telling him the truth. So I said I would. Yeji called me last night and said she set me up on a blind date with this guy in her class. You know how fast word spreads here. YangYang is going to know I dangled him on strings only to go on a date with someone else!” 

“You’re going on a blind date? With whom?” 

You flicked Jeno’s forehead. “That’s not the issue!” 

“Well, I want to know!” he sputtered and slapped your hand away. 

“I don’t know! Frankly, I don’t care either. I made a bet with Yeji and I lost. Now I have to spend an evening with a random guy I don’t even want to seek a romantic relationship with.” 

Your best friend sighed in frustration. “This might be one of your biggest fuck-ups till now.”

“I know,” you said quietly and dropped your gaze to your lap in shame. 

“You’ll have to apologise to YangYang and tell him the truth. He’s a good guy and he doesn’t deserve any of this.” 

“I know.” 

“Hey,” Jeno said softly. You glanced at him to see he’d gotten up and was holding his out for you. “Come here.” 

You rose to your feet and let him envelop you in his comforting embrace. Burying your face in his chest, you whispered, “I never wanted to hurt YangYang. I don’t want to lose him as a friend.” 

“You won’t as long as you come clean and explain everything. Don’t insult him further by giving him more half-truths. Guys would rather know what’s the real deal than be lied to and find out from someone else. Not only is it hurtful, but it’s a huge blow to the ego.”  

Your lips curled in a small smile and you leaned back a little to look at his face. “Is this about your mom lying to you about the tooth fairy?” 

“Damn right it is,” he grumbled. “I gave an entire speech about her being my favourite person in the whole world. That’s not something you recover from easily.”

“It’s been 15 years.”

“It’ll take me another 15 to come to terms with the fact that I used to rip my loose teeth out and place them under my pillow when I needed money urgently.” 

You laughed and pulled yourself out of his arms. “I can’t believe I’m taking guy advice from you.” 

“Why?” Jeno exclaimed. “I’m a guy too! Plus, I always give good advice!” 

You giggled and plopped down on the sofa again. “I know. But you’re also Jeno. I’ve never thought of you as just a guy.” 

“I don’t know if I should be flattered or offended.” 

“How about you sit your ass down and help me study now that you’re here? I made flash cards.” 

Snatching the stack from your hand, Jeno teased, “Oh, how would you survive without me?”

“I don’t have to wonder about that shit.” You grinned. “There’s no way in hell you’re getting rid of me anytime soon.” 

He laughed. “And thank fuck for that.” 

03. hugs always make you feel safe thanks to all the beef underneath

You were going to drag Jeno to the seventh circle of Hell. 

You couldn’t afford to go grocery shopping with him when you had a huge exam the next day. You hadn’t studied shit and were one “have you prepared for tomorrow’s final?” away from a mental breakdown. 

It didn’t help that Yeji had called you in the middle of the night to clear a doubt she had from a chapter you didn’t even know had been covered.

You’d been panicking ever since and it felt like you were going to get a heart attack at any moment.  

“Doritos or Lays?” 

“Kick to the nuts or knuckles to the jaw?” 

Your best friend tore his gaze from the rack of chips and eyed you warily. “I said I’ll help you study tonight.” 

“You don’t understand, Jeno!” you exclaimed and ran a hand through your messy hair, pacing in the supermarket aisle impatiently. “I’m going to fail! Fail!”  

Groaning, Jeno grabbed your arm and forced you to face him. He held your shoulders and looked you in the eyes, enunciating each word as he reiterated, “You’re not going to fail. We’re going to pull an all-nighter in the library, but we need to be stocked up on food before we do that.” 

You sighed painfully. It burned your eyes to just focus on anything—how the hell were you supposed to stay awake for another day and write a three-hour-long exam after that? 

“You could have come here without dragging me with you,” you muttered. “I could have been studying at home instead of wasting precious time.”

Jeno frowned. “Any more time in front of your laptop and you would have gone insane, Y/N. Your eyes are completely red.” 

“Oh, that’s not because of the screen time. I cried before you came to check on me.” 

Huffing a small laugh that bordered on exasperation, amusement and worry, Jeno threw a few packets of Doritos in the shopping cart before slinging an arm around your neck. You let him pull you against him and wrapped your arms around his waist as the two of you began walking. 

“Well, you needed to get out anyway. I don’t remember the last time I saw you leave your apartment.” 

“I stepped outside yesterday to play with the neighbour’s cat,” you said defensively. 

“Not good enough,” Jeno popped. “We’re going to go get a massage once we’re done shopping.” 

You stopped in your tracks and peeled yourself away from him. “The final is in twenty-eight hours!” you yelled, staring at him incredulously. “Are you fucking stupid?!” 

“So you have plenty of time to de-stress before you start studying again!” he chirped, paying no heed to your concerns nor the people who had heard your outburst and were giving you odd looks. “Trust me, I went for a massage before my final and I was so relaxed. It helped me to focus too.” 

“Jeno,” you uttered his name with barely contained impatience. “I don’t have time. I need to cover a lot of shit before I go and sit in the fucking examination hall.” 

“And I said I’ll help!” he repeated, sounding almost exasperated. Pushing the shopping cart forward again, he studied the shelves and continued, “You always do this, Y/N. You freak out before a test and act like the world is ending only for you to do super well.”

“Well—” you began, stumbling after him— “that’s just my coping mechanism! The more worried I am, the better I do. But I’m screwed for real this time!” 

“No,” Jeno popped, placing a 2-litre bottle of Sprite in the cart. “I’m not listening to you this time. Especially not after you stayed awake for three days straight for your midterm.” 

You sighed again. There was no arguing with your best friend. “How long is this massage of yours going to take?” 

“We’ll be back at your place in two hours max,” he reassured you, patting your head. You swatted his hand away and gave him a dirty look. “I think we have everything we need to make it through today and tomorrow.” 

“Why do we need such a big bottle of Sprite?” 

“Party at my place this weekend. There’s a discount so I’m buying in advance.”

You frowned. “Shouldn’t you be stocking up on booze?”

“The guys said I have an alcohol addiction,” Jeno said, getting in line at the billing counter. “Which is, like, totally untrue but you know I never back down from a challenge. I’m going to prove them wrong by staying sober for two weeks.”

“Sure,” you snorted. “You’ll just find lame loopholes or cheat when no one’s looking.”

A sly grin took form on Jeno’s lips. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and drawled, “I know what you do when no one’s looking.”

“Really?” You feigned a gasp. “You know I sneak over to your house and steal your food when you’re not there?”

His smile dropped immediately. “Wait, what? That’s you? Not Hyuck?”

“The food thief is me but the one stealing your sheet masks is Hyuck,” you admitted.

“He steals my masks?! The ones I buy are expensive as fuck!” Jeno exclaimed, betrayal seeping into his features. His hands fell to his side and his eyes turned distant. “I can’t believe he’s been gaslighting me into thinking I do an extra round of skincare when I’m drunk.”

You giggled and pushed the shopping cart forward once the person in front of you was done. Placing the contents on the billing counter for the cashier to scan, you revealed, “Hyuck saw me raiding your pantry when you were at the gym. He used that as leverage against me for weeks before I saw him stealing your sheet masks and was able to finally strike a deal—he turns a blind eye to my robberies and I turn a blind eye to his.”

“Why’d you team up with him?” Jeno pouted. “I thought we were best friends.”

You laughed incredulously. “Seriously? That’s what you’re focusing on? Not the part where Hyuck and I used your stuff without asking?”

“Well, yeah, I’m pissed you used my shit. But I guess I’m just a little more bothered that you guys teamed up,” Jeno said and shrugged, fetching his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans. “Because, you know, coming together to make people suffer has always been our thing.”

You raised an eyebrow, slightly amused by how he was beating around the bush. “Are you saying you wanna team up with me to get back at Hyuck?”

Jeno grinned. “I’m gonna screw over that motherfucker so bad. You get off the hook, though, because you’re cute and I need your help.”

“You’re impossible.” You huffed and shook your head. Taking the bag of groceries, you said to him, “Text me my share and I’ll Venmo the money to you.”

“You could buy me an ice cream instead.”

“No,” you denied immediately. “We’re not wasting time on ice cream. Massage and then straight home so I can pick up my study material and we can leave for the library.”

Thankfully, Jeno didn’t protest. He drove you to your apartment complex and waited for you while you packed your bag. Then, the two of you were off to the massage place.

An hour later, you were done and forced to admit that the massage had indeed helped you. It felt like all the stress had left your body. Thinking about the final didn’t make you want to cry anymore and things were actually looking up now that you were rested.

You were able to retain the knowledge better and it was easier to understand the concepts. Jeno quizzed you and provided you with an endless supply of coffee throughout the night.

Right before lunch the next day, however, the panic resurfaced as you were revising your syllabus for the last time before your final at 3. You couldn’t seem to remember anything you had studied the previous night. 

You could feel another breakdown coming, but before you could hyperventilate, Jeno scooped you up in his arms.

You hadn’t even realised when he’d come back from picking up your food. One minute, you were trying to control your breath and the next, your face was buried in his hard chest.

You held onto his shirt as his hands rubbed soothing circles on your back and he rocked you from side to side.

“Shh, don’t cry,” he mumbled and kissed the top of your head. “You’re gonna ace the final like you always do. You were able to answer all the quiz questions, so keep in mind that you are prepared. The pre-exam anxiety is just clouding your thoughts. Everything’s gonna come back to you when you sit down to write, alright?”

Nodding, you clenched your eyes shut and bit down on your lip to keep a sob from escaping. Jeno’s presence kept acting like a tether for you. It always had.

Maybe he was right about the final. Maybe he wasn’t. But at that moment, engulfed in his warm, safe embrace, it felt like everything was going to be okay.

𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐒 !

01. having to deal with a narcissistic asshole. 

It was an especially sweltering day. 

You were being baked inside-out despite wearing a tank top and a pair of shorts, your hair tied in a messy high bun. Adding to your torment was your broken A/C. You’d requested your landlord to fix it several times but your efforts were to no avail. 

You would have kept bothering him incessantly and gotten the job done if you weren’t so intimidated by him already. 

Sighing, you eyed your bathroom. A cold shower sounded like an amazing idea. Jeno wasn’t supposed to come over to watch the movie for a while anyway. 

Deciding to cool yourself and get rid of the sweat sticking to your body, you entered the tiny bathroom. A high-pitched squeal left your mouth the moment you turned the shower knob and the cold water hit your skin. 

“Fuck,” you cursed and flinched, turning the knob the other way immediately. Your shitty apartment didn’t even have a valve to adjust the temperature—the water was either mildly hot or ice cold. Showering in summer was always a big problem.

“God, I don’t wanna keep doing this,” you mumbled to yourself and stepped into your room again. 

There was this… thing you’d been doing ever since you moved into this apartment. Whenever it was hot, you’d work out so you’d get more sweaty. That way, when you showered under the ice-cold water, it didn’t feel as unbearable. 

It was weird and there probably was no science behind it, but you didn’t care as long as it worked. 

So, you rolled out your yoga mat on the floor and began warming up. 

Within no time, your skin was glistening with sweat and your hair was damp. You were struggling to complete the last push-up of your final rep when someone knocked on your door, causing you to lose your focus. Your arms gave out beneath you, and you collapsed to the ground. 

“Woah, it’s boiling in here,” Jeno pointed out intelligently. “And you look like you’re one move away from dying. God, I can’t even breathe Why the fuck are you working out with the windows closed? Are you stupid?” 

Groaning, you rolled on your back and watched your best friend as he moved to the windows and threw them open. “Hey!” you protested weakly and raised a trembling arm in a pathetic attempt to stop him. “I’m trying to do something!”

Jeno raised an eyebrow at you and grabbed your hand, hauling you up effortlessly. “Oh, yeah? Pray tell.” 

You crashed into his chest and rebounded, but he tightened his hold on you. His palm hovered over your back in case you lost your balance. Steadying yourself, you glared at him and snapped, “No. You’re gonna make fun of me.”

“I won’t!” Jeno laughed, his eyes crinkling. 

“Stop, you’re doing it already!” 

“Okay! Okay, I’m sorry. I really do wanna know what you were doing.” 

You eyed him for a moment, waiting for him to slip up and start laughing again. But Jeno’s face remained mildly curious. Satisfied, you explained, “Well, because I was feeling hot, I decided to take a shower. The water here is very cold, though, so I decided to work out in a closed room because that would make me even hotter. If I get in the shower now, it wouldn’t feel as cold because my body temperature has already increased, and the water would be sort of neutralised.” 

A beat of silence passed. And then, “I know I said I wouldn’t make fun of you—”

“Then stop talking.”

“But did you not realise you could have mixed the hot and cold water in a bucket?” Jeno continued, clearly still talking. “Or, I don’t know, come over to my place to shower?” 

“You live with three other men.” You deadpanned. “I was not going to shower in your apartment with Jaemin, Renjun and Hyuck there. Also, I don’t have a big enough bucket, so I will be buying one today,” you added, muttering the last bit. 

Jeno rolled his eyes. “God, Y/N, I would have kicked the guys out.” 

“What makes you think they would have listened to you?” you asked amusedly.

“Okay, true,” he agreed. “They would have listened to you, though. If there’s anyone who’s bossy enough to get them out of the house on a hot Sunday afternoon, it’s you.” 

“Are you calling me bossy?” 

“Are you going to shower now?” he deflected. “You stink.”

“Shut up!” you exclaimed and slapped his shoulder hard, but laughed nonetheless. Moving away from him, you kicked him off your yoga mat and said, “You opened the windows and interrupted my workout, so I don’t feel as hot anymore. I think I’m gonna exercise a little more so I don’t die of hypothermia in the shower. You can take my laptop and choose a movie till then if you want.”

“How about I work out with you?” Jeno suggested. “We can have our gym bros moment.” 

“I don’t wanna have a gym bros moment with you.”

“Why?” he whined. 

Flicking his forehead, you said, “Because I know you’re gonna turn this into a competition, and I’m not in the mood.” 

“Scared?”

“You wish,” you scoffed. “I’m tired from all the working out I did before you came, and I’m not going against you when you have that advantage over me.” 

“That still means you’re scared. Pussy”

Letting out an exasperated sigh, you got into the position for a plank. “Get out if you’re going to keep being annoying and not contribute shit to our gym bros moment.”

“I knew you’d come around,” Jeno replied smugly. You practically heard the grin in his voice when he said that. 

You closed your eyes and laboured your breathing as you felt your abdomen begin to burn almost immediately. “Had to, or I knew you’d keep irritating me.” 

Opening your lids, you turned your neck to see if he was doing the exercise with you. 

Your arms gave out the moment you saw Jeno shirtless, his bulging biceps on full display.

“Damn, you lost quicker than I thought,” he commented. 

“Why are you naked?!” you demanded in a shrill voice. 

Still in position, Jeno only glanced at you like you were out of your mind. “I was wearing a hoodie, Y/N. Did you expect me to do a plank in that furnace?” 

“Yeah!” you exclaimed. To your dismay, your eyes kept drifting to his well-defined muscles no matter how much you tried to focus on his face. 

To make things worse, Jeno noticed. And smirked. “Stop complaining if you’re enjoying the view so much. It’s okay to admit you have a hot best friend.”

Flustered, you scrambled to your feet and looked at the ceiling. God, you felt like a stupid middle schooler. It was insane how much of an effect Jeno was having on you. What was weirder was that your mind was drifting to places it had never been before. At least where your best friend was concerned. 

“Narcissus has nothing on you,” you muttered under your breath, and tried to gather your bearings. 

“Besides,” Jeno continued, having not heard you. “I do send you pictures sometimes. I don’t know why you’re acting like you’ve never seen me like this.” 

“Your phone’s camera is fucked, Jeno,” you grumbled. “The photos you texted me didn’t capture half of what’s actually there.”

No matter what you hadn’t seen, you’d felt whenever you hugged each other. It didn’t take away your surprise upon seeing the 2440p quality visual though. 

“Is that disappointment I hear?” he taunted. 

“No!” you exclaimed and finally looked at him again. At the sight of his working muscles, you muttered, “Can we stop now? You won.”

“Ah!” Jeno dragged the word as if he had just stumbled upon a revelation. “You want me to stand up so you can get a better view of my abs? Got it.” 

Your eyes widened, and before you could deny his ridiculous accusations, he was towering over you. Wiggling his eyebrows, he gestured towards himself and flexed dramatically. 

“You’re an idiot,” you huffed, unable to help yourself. 

“Yeah? Then I guess an idiot just managed to fluster the shit out of you.” Jeno smiled and ruffled your hair. Bending, he picked up his discarded hoodie and shrugged it back on. “I’ll go and get you a bathing bucket from the supermarket around the corner. Don’t freeze yourself to death.” 

You rolled your eyes. “I won’t.” 

“Also, do you remember the shirt I forgot here all those months ago after I got wet in the rain? Can you find it so I can change into it when I’m back?” He frowned and looked at himself. “I’ll eventually toast myself if I watch the movie in my hoodie.”

“Sure, but you’re stupid for wearing warm clothes in summer,” you commented.  

Jeno gave you a dirty look. “Sorry for assuming your A/C was in working condition. Besides, you always want to cuddle when we watch movies, so I figured you’d be more comfortable if I was wearing a hoodie.” 

Your cheeks warmed at that, your heart stumbling a beat. What was wrong with you? You’d always known Jeno was caring and went out of his way to do nice things for you.

Typically, you’d have felt grateful for how thoughtful he was being. 

Now, though, you felt that and… something else that you didn’t really want to acknowledge. 

“Whatever,” you said instead, trying to sound dismissive. Pushing him out of your room, you continued, “I’ll find it. Just hurry up with the bucket.” 

A few minutes after Jeno was gone, a notification popped up on your phone. 

[jeno]: clearer picture that i clicked on jaemin’s phone for your viewing pleasure :”) 

You blinked in confusion and opened the photo that was attached below, your eyes widening the moment you saw it. It was a zoomed-in gym mirror selfie of Jeno wearing nothing but sweatpants and shoes, his muscular abdomen on full display. 

[you]: did you crop jaemin? 

[jeno]: ???? [jeno]: wdym……. [you]: the photo’s dimensions are weird [jeno]: oh [jeno]: what the fuck [you]: LMFAOOO [jeno]: STOP I DIDN’T WANT YOU LOOKING AT HIM INSTEAD OF ME I’VE GOT A BETTER BODY ANYWAY AND I’M GONNA BUY A NEW PHONE SO I CAN SEND YOU CLEARER PICS WITHOUT HAVING TO CROP THAT FUCKER OUT 

You bit down on your lip to keep yourself from smiling too wide. Right before you were about to type a reply, you received another text from your best friend. 

[jeno]: so are you gonna tell me what you think [you]: FINE you’re hot. [you]: happy?  [jeno]: euphoric

Finally laughing out loud, you shook your head. 

Narcissus had nothing on Jeno indeed.

02. female friends ask you to be their wingwoman 

You didn’t think you’d ever accompanied Jeno to a party without having someone ask you to set them up with him. 

“Please,” Yoo Jimin begged for what seemed like the thousandth time. “Yeji said he was single!” 

Sighing, you mentally cursed Yeji for inviting Jimin to Jeno’s party. “He is, but I’m not setting you up with him.” 

“Why?” Jimin demanded rather aggressively, making you wonder what it would take for her to quit nagging you. “Do you like him or something?” 

It took a concerning amount of effort for you to refrain from rolling your eyes. “I do not.” 

“Then what’s the problem?” 

“I don’t know, Jimin!” you finally burst and gestured at your surroundings. “Maybe I’m not too keen on helping you out because you followed me into the washroom and cornered me! Maybe I feel used because you’ve never shown much interest in me even though I’ve tried striking up a conversation with you several times before!”  

Jimin’s features softened, and she looked away. “You’re right,” she muttered, guilt and shame evident in her voice. “I’m sorry for jumping on you like that.” 

You immediately felt bad for snapping at her. Pursing your lips, you tried to cheer her up. “Don’t worry about it. You don’t need me to set you up with him anyway. I know we haven’t hung out much, but based on what I’ve heard about you from Yeji, you’re smart, funny and social. You have no reason to be nervous while approaching Jeno.” 

For some reason, you regretted encouraging Jimin to pursue your best friend. A gaping hole formed in your heart, and you wished she would go for someone else instead. 

“Thanks, Y/N.” Jimin smiled gratefully. “I know I’ve been a shitty person, but could you give me another chance? I’d really like to get to know you more.” 

And just like that, the hollowness in your chest was gone. You gave her a genuine smile of your own and said, “I gotta pee right now, but does lunch tomorrow work for you?”

Jimin’s eyes widened. “Shit, I’m so sorry. I forgot where we were.” Rubbing the nape of her neck sheepishly, she replied, “Lunch works. I’ll text you tonight so we can talk about it.” 

The two of you exchanged your goodbyes, and then she was gone. A few minutes later, you exited the washroom as well and headed back to the party. 

“I missed you,” a voice slurred in your ear. Arms circled around your waist, and a face buried itself into the crook of your neck. 

You laughed. “You failed the challenge, Jeno.” 

“Where were you?” he demanded in an almost whiny tone. “It’s your fault! I wouldn’t have lost at beer pong if you’d been playing with me.” 

Patting Jeno’s back in consolation, you replied, “I’m sorry you have zero self-control and commit to things you know you won’t be able to do.” 

Jeno peeled himself away from you and pouted. “You’re mean.”

“Thanks. Let’s get wasted together,” you said, but then added upon looking at his already tipsy condition, “Or I can get wasted, and your ass can keep me company.”  

“Don’t you think one of us should be sober?” Jeno asked as you pulled him along.

“I’m not gonna hold back from drinking!” you exclaimed. “Let me remind you that you were supposed to be the sober one today and make sure I didn’t do anything stupid. I’m blaming you if I get naked in the yard.” 

Thanks to the music that was gradually getting louder as you approached the main party area, you didn’t hear your best friend’s response. You tightened your grip on his hand when the crowd thickened. Wading your way through the dancing throng, you finally reached the table lined with alcohol and food. 

You chose a bottle of Romanov and popped it open, drinking straight from it. You’d barely taken a few gulps when Jeno snatched it from you and put it to his own mouth. 

Throwing him a dirty look, you picked up another bottle for yourself. “Do you wanna dance?”

“I wanna throw up.” 

“Suit yourself.” You shrugged and aimed for the dance floor. A smile crept on your face upon seeing Jaemin; you were not in the mood to dance alone. 

“Y/N!” he hollered when he noticed you. Stumbling towards you, he pulled you in a quick embrace. “I haven’t seen you in so long!” 

“Finals!” you answered. Jaemin nodded in understanding and ran a hand through his hair, taking a swig from his beer. “Do you wanna dance?” 

You grinned. “You know I do.” 

The next few hours were a complete blur. The bottle in your hand was replaced by more one after the other, and when Jaemin deemed you’d had enough to drink, he gave you a red solo cup filled with water instead. 

It felt good to finally unwind after the horrible few weeks you’d had. There was no academic stress weighing down on you anymore, and though you were low on sleep, you didn’t want to stop partying. 

You just wished you and Jeno had gotten wasted together. While you were having fun with Jaemin, partying with Jeno was a different experience entirely. 

Right as you were about to take a sip from your cup, you felt an arm being thrown around your neck. The touch was so familiar that you recognised who it was immediately. 

“I missed you!” you exclaimed. Jeno looked down at you with a grin on his face, a pair of black party glasses sitting on his nose. His hair was damp and fell over his forehead. Maybe it was the liquor in your system, but you could have sworn he never looked better. “Let’s dance.”

“Dance?” Jeno laughed. “Haven’t you been doing that for the past two hours? Don’t your feet hurt?” 

Frowning, you glanced at your legs. “They do!” you exclaimed, and looked back at him again, your bottom lip sticking out in a pout. Feeling tears beginning to pool in your eyes, you mumbled, “But I still want to dance.”

“How about we go on the roof instead? The stars look pretty tonight,” your best friend suggested, trying his best not to laugh at you. “I didn’t drink at all after you left me. I’m sober enough to take care of you now.” 

Your eyes lit up at that. “Wow, that’s such a good idea! You’re so smart, Jeno. I love you.”  

Jeno’s lips finally twitched up in a smile. “I love you too, silly.” 

Plucking the solo cup out of your hand, he offered you an arm. You looped yours through it with a soft thank you and leaned on him as he led you upstairs. 

The two of you entered his dark room, and Jeno shut the door behind him. Only when the loud music was muffled did you realise your head was throbbing.  

He unhooked your arms gently and grabbed a warm blanket off his bed. Throwing open his window, he jumped out on the flat roof and looked at you expectantly. 

You staggered behind Jeno and took the hand he was holding out for you. His other hand hovered over your waist as you climbed on the sill. 

Thanks to the alcohol in your system, your balance was non-existent, and your legs turned to jelly the moment they made contact with the roof. Fortunately, your best friend was there to catch you.

You bumped into Jeno’s chest instead of falling to the ground. He wrapped his arms around you and steadied you, laughing a little at your antics. 

“God, how much did you drink?” you heard him wonder to himself. You mumbled an incoherent response and leaned against the outside wall of his room, watching him lay the spread on the floor. 

The two of you usually climbed the ladder that led to the slanting roof at the very top of the house, but you reckoned the boy in front of you didn’t want to risk taking you up there when you were so wasted. 

Jeno sat down on the blanket once he was done and peeked at you over his shoulder, patting the space beside him. “Come on.” 

Pushing yourself off the siding, you stumbled to him, tripping over your feet a bit. You were able to keep your balance, though, and a moment later, you found yourself lying on the blanket next to him.

Your shoulders brushed against each other, the warmth from his body seeping into you. It was summer, but the night air was still chilly, especially now that you were on the roof. You were thankful for the protection Jeno offered against the mild cold. 

The music was blaring once again now that you were outside, and there were no barriers to deafen it, but the volume barely bothered you. Your eyes were on the stars, trying to identify the constellations.

“I see Orion right there,” Jeno said, pointing at the sky. You followed his finger, and sure enough, there it was. “And there’s Ursa Minor.” He moved his hand after noting that you had recognised Orion. 

“I don’t see it,” you muttered, blinking heavily to clear your sight. 

“Can you see Polaris?” he asked, glancing at you for a moment. 

You raised your hand and pointed it at a random star that was nowhere near the one Jeno was referring to. “There.” 

Jeno snorted. “You could spot Orion, but you can’t identify the brightest star in the sky?” Without waiting for a response, your best friend grabbed your arm and directed it to the right star. “That is Polaris.” 

“Woah.” You gaped and lowered your arm. “It’s so shiny.” 

Jeno laughed again upon hearing the child-like wonder in your voice. You stargazed often and always challenged each other to see who could identify the most constellations in a minute. He knew the night sky was familiar to you, but seeing you like this reminded Jeno of the first time he brought you to his roof and introduced you to his favourite hobby. 

“Do you want it?” he teased. 

Eyes widening, you turned your neck to look at him, your faces so close you could count his lashes. “Really?” 

“Really,” he said and pinched your cheek, unable to help himself. “I’ll get it for you.” 

A wide smile immediately broke across your lips, and you threw your arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Thank you!” you squealed. 

Jeno chuckled, a little surprised that you had practically climbed on top of him, and part of him was caged under you now. He didn’t mind the sudden intimacy. It had always been his love language; any sort of physical contact with you—be it comparing hand sizes or carrying you on his back—warmed his heart. 

Patting your head, he asked, “You want me to show you the rest of Ursa Minor?” 

“Yes.” You nodded into the crook of his neck and peeled yourself away from him, but your head still rested where his shoulder met his arm. 

Brushing away a strand of hair that had fallen on your face, he averted his gaze to the sky. “Polaris is the tail of The Little Dipper. Now we move towards the left. See the star that’s above the brightest? That’s Delta. Epsilon is above Delta too, but the distance between them is not as much as the distance between the first two. Zeta is below—” 

You tuned Jeno out. He was still showing you the stars that made up the constellations, far too invested to notice that you were no longer paying attention to what he was saying and were looking at something much more beautiful instead. 

You’d always known your best friend was attractive. You’d have to be blind to not notice his striking features—they were sharp with a certain softness around the edges. His face always stood out in crowds and demanded people’s undivided attention. 

Rightfully so, you thought to yourself as you admired his perfectly straight nose and the shape of his soft lips, diverting your gaze to his eyes. You’d always thought they were his best features. They were warm and open and felt like home. It deserves to be appreciated. 

“Pherka, Eta, Kochab and Zeta form a—”

“You’re prettier.”

Jeno glanced at you, your faces mere inches away and those beautiful eyes peering into yours with slight confusion. “What?”

“You said the stars looked pretty tonight,” you whispered. “I think you’re prettier.” You paused for a moment, as if rethinking your words. Then, “I think you’re the prettiest person in the world.”

A fond smile crept on your best friend’s face, and maybe it was because your ear was in the vicinity of his heart, but you could have sworn you heard it thumping loudly against his ribcage. Lightly bumping his forehead against yours, Jeno whispered back, 

“I think you’re the prettiest person in the world too.” 

03. it’s very easy to fall for them, especially when they’re always so sweet and caring

The first thing you felt upon regaining your consciousness was pain. 

Your skull was splitting apart, the little bit of sunlight creeping in through the closed curtains rendering you blind. Nausea was beginning to set in, but your body was so weak that you weren’t sure you could make it to the toilet in time. 

You should have never drunk so much. Not only had you not taken any proper rest after working yourself to exhaustion during your finals, but had also danced to the point you couldn’t move your legs. Heck, you couldn’t even remember much of the party. You recalled leaving Jeno behind to party with Jaemin, but everything after that was a huge blank slate. 

The toilet was far away, but you could try reaching the dustbin near the study table instead of just throwing up on the carpet. Groaning, you tried to push yourself up. When that didn’t work, you put all strength in your abdomen and threw yourself off the bed. 

A shockwave of agony passing through your body rendered you immobile on the ground. You moaned in pain and curled in on yourself, covering your mouth with a hand upon tasting bile on your tongue. 

The door was thrown open, and a worried Jeno gaped at you lying on his room’s hard floor motionlessly. “What the fuck?” 

“Dustbin,” you croaked with much difficulty, tears springing to your eyes. They hurt so much you wanted to rip them out. 

Your best friend moved into action immediately. “I kept the dustbin right beside the bed in case you got sick, you blind twat truck. Along with painkillers and water on the table.”  

You found it in yourself to glare at the boy, but he ignored you. Placing the waste basket in front of you, he helped you up. You gripped the rim as he gathered your hair in his hand and held it up to avoid it getting in the way of your vomit. 

Right before you emptied the toxins in your body, you managed to say to him, “How capable do I look to you right now, you stupid toe-licking grinch man?” 

Jeno rolled his eyes and rubbed your back with his other hand, patiently waiting for you to finish. Once your heaving stopped, you took the tissue he was holding out for you and wiped your mouth. You felt much better after throwing up but you were still so tired. 

“Come on.”

You swatted Jeno’s hand away and rested your back on his bed, tucking your legs under your chin. “Too much effort,” you muttered and closed your eyes, willing the headache to go away.

“I was going to carry you to the bed, Y/N,” he said in exasperation. 

“I just need a moment,” you whispered almost incoherently, wishing he would stop asking you questions when you had no energy to answer. “A moment and an Aspirin.” 

There was some shuffling, and then you felt a hand brushing your matted hair out of your face. “Here.”

You peeled your lids open to see Jeno crouched in front of you with water and the painkiller you had asked for. Taking it from his hand, you popped it into your mouth and gulped down some water. 

For a few moments, you tried to regulate your breathing and calm yourself down. Jeno could tell you were gathering the willpower and strength to climb back on his bed. He wanted to help, but you clearly didn’t want it. So, he just watched you silently struggle.

He should have been with you last night; he hated that he wasn’t when he had promised to be the sober half. As far as Jeno was concerned, Jaemin was going to get an earful about keeping tabs on how much his friends drank. Never in the two years of friendship had he seen you with such a huge hangover. 

“Fuck,” he heard you curse under your breath. You moaned in pain as you pushed yourself up on trembling arms and fell on his mattress. Sighing, Jeno tucked you in and pressed a chaste kiss on your forehead. 

“Sleep well,” he said and made his way to the door. “I’ll wake you up for lunch. Renjun is making grilled sandwiches.” 

Your eyes flew open again. Fuck. You were supposed to meet Jimin. 

“Jeno, wait,” you blurted, and he stopped in his tracks. “I was supposed to meet a friend for lunch, but I don’t think I can make it. Can you cover for me?” 

Your best friend leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest. “Which friend?” 

“Jimin.” 

“I thought she ghosted you.” He frowned. “Now you’re meeting her for lunch?” 

“No, you are meeting her for lunch. I don’t wanna be rude and cancel at the last minute. What if she already left?”

“It’s 10 in the morning.”

“Well, what if she turned down other offers because of the plans we made?” 

“She left an hour ago with Mark after passing out on the couch in Hyuck’s room last night. I doubt she’s had the time to turn down any other offers. Actually, I think she’ll be glad you cancelled. She looked pretty hungover when she left.”

“Why are you being so difficult?” you whined, wincing when the throbbing in your head responded to the sudden increase in the volume of your voice. “I’m only asking you for a small favour.” 

“I’m not being difficult,” Jeno defended himself and took a few steps towards you. “I’m trying to tell you that you may be overthinking this. Let me send her a text from your phone asking for a reschedule, and we can have some homemade lunch with the guys.” 

Sighing heavily, you averted your gaze from his and stared at the ceiling. “I just don’t wanna blow this. I think she’s really cool and I’d like to get to know her more. I’m good friends with everyone in our social circle except her. It’s awkward.” 

Jeno’s eyes softened at that. “Y/N, you’re not blowing anything. Rescheduling lunch because you both partied till you collapsed is not going to take away any points. Trust me.” 

Your best friend was right. You were overthinking this, but you didn’t exactly blame yourself. All your efforts to befriend Jimin had been futile till now. You didn’t want to do anything that could mess up the friendship that had begun to bloom last night. 

“Fine,” you finally relented. “Shoot her a text from my phone. I think it’s in my clothes bag—” you paused, your eyes widening. Lifting Jeno’s duvet in panic, you looked down at yourself. “Who changed my clothes?” 

“Ningning did!” Jeno answered quickly, the tips of his ears turning a bright red. He couldn’t understand why he was freaking out—nothing happened. 

You exhaled in relief, trying to get rid of the alien tingling feeling spreading throughout your body. Your cheeks were hot with embarrassment. “Okay. Well, my phone’s in my clothes bag.” 

Jeno busied himself, rummaging through your backpack that was on his bedside table. What you didn’t know, however, was that it was just a front for him to calm himself down. “Got it.” He waved the phone at you. “What’s your pin?”

“Your birthday.”

His eyebrows disappeared into his hairline, and a seed of warmth sprouted in his chest. A dizzying sense of affection for you washed over him, drenching him in happiness from head to toe. “Really?” 

You nodded and closed your eyes. Turning on your side to get into a more comfortable sleeping position, you buried yourself deeper under his sheets. Yawning, you mumbled, “Day-Month-Year with leading zeros.” 

“My password is your birthday too,” he said quietly after sending Jimin the text. “A lot of them are. It’s the easiest set of numbers to remember.”

You didn’t respond. Jeno didn’t mind. He knew you’d already fallen asleep. Keeping your phone on the table, he smiled sadly and stared at your resting figure in longing. “Everything about you is so easy to remember.”

Jeno closed the door behind him as he left, none the wiser about the fact that you were still awake and had heard everything he’d said, your heart beating so fast that you thought it was going to leap out of your chest. 

Your best friend left, completely unaware of the fact that you were now entertaining the possibility of being in love with him. 

𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐄𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐒 !

01. the green-eyed monster you resent makes an appearance more than you’d like

You genuinely couldn’t believe your friend group and their seemingly never-ending social battery. 

One would think that after a long night of partying, a person would stay at home the next day and take some much-needed rest. Your friends, however, thought it was a good idea to meet up for dinner and decide what to do over the weekend. 

You didn’t bother to remind them of the wonderful invention that was group chats. 

“We should drive up to the beach,” Mark suggested, flipping through the menu. “Summer just started, so I don’t think there will be a lot of people.” 

All of you were seated in a round booth at the back of a diner Chenle said he frequented. You weren’t going to lie; you could see why. The setting was very homey, and the cushioning of the sofa was very cosy—you were almost sure you were going to fall asleep even before your food arrived. 

Ningning, who was sitting beside Mark, peeked over his shoulder to see what was listed. Minjeong said, “That’s stupid. The start of summer is exactly when beaches get overcrowded. Most don’t get to visit the ocean during the year, so they make a beeline for the beach as soon as break begins.”  

“True,” you heard Jeno say. He leaned back in his seat and put his arm on the cushion behind you. You resisted the urge to lean in. Taking a sip of his water, he continued, “Besides, we’re already going to Jeju Island for a week next month. I don’t think we should drive three hours to go to the beach right now.” 

“What about karaoke?” Jimin piped up. She was sitting on the other side of Minjeong, opposite from Chenle, who was on the other side of the table. 

“We don’t need an entire weekend for just karaoke,” Chenle pointed out. “We could do it whenever we want.”

“Well, what about—” 

“Hey, can I take your order?” a female voice that was a combination of annoyed, upbeat, friendly and polite interrupted Minjeong. The girl looked a little flustered at being cut off, but she cleared her throat and mumbled a small yeah, just give us a minute.

The waitress did not move, so all of you awkwardly picked up the menu cards and began flipping through them. 

“The usual for me, Yuna,” Chenle said, smiling up at her. To diffuse the sudden tension created in the air, he began making small talk with her as she waited. 

“What are you eating?” Jeno asked. He was closer to you now, his eyes scanning the contents of the menu card in your hand over your shoulder. 

You shrugged. “I don’t think I’m eating anything. I’m not very hungry.” 

Jeno’s eyebrows creased, and he glanced at your face in worry. “You haven’t had anything since lunch. At least drink something.” 

“It’s fine.” You dismissed him with a wave of your hand and pushed the card in his direction so he could order whatever he wanted. “I won’t be able to finish anything by myself and I don’t wanna waste food.” 

“How about we share?” he insisted. “You eat however much you want, and I’ll finish the rest. Don’t go to sleep on an empty stomach.” 

An internal battle began. While Jeno’s suggestion was sensible, you knew he didn’t like to share his food with anyone. You remembered a time when he had refused to go on a second date with a girl because she kept nibbling on his meal. You didn’t want him to do something he hated just for your sake. 

“Really, it’s fine,” you repeated. “You go ahead and—”

“Hey, Y/N,” Yeji called, making you divert your attention to her. “You wanna share a triple-decker chicken sandwich? Chenle said this place is famous all over town for that dish.” 

You had to admit, a triple-decker chicken sandwich did sound tasty. But you’d just turned down Jeno, so you didn’t wanna say yes to Yeji. Shaking your head, you once again said, “I’m not hungry.”

“Why aren’t you hungry?” Mark frowned, overhearing your conversation. The rest of your friend group looked at you in concern. Ningning asked, “Are you okay?” 

You groaned. The last thing you wanted to do was explain to everyone why you didn’t have an appetite. “I’m okay. I’m just not hungry because I had a lot for lunch.”

“That’s a lie,” Jeno commented unhelpfully, and you smacked his shoulder hard in retaliation. He winced, rubbing the area of attack. “Hey!” 

“Shut up!” you exclaimed. Taking a deep breath, you said to everyone with as little annoyance in your voice as you could, “Please just order what you want. I still feel a little weird after last night’s party, and I don’t think I can stomach anything right now.” Before anyone could reply, you added, “I’m going to the restroom. Be right back.” 

Yeji looked a little stunned, but she got up from her seat and let you leave the booth when you requested her to move. Locking yourself in one of the stalls, you clutched your stomach and curled in on yourself, closing your eyes. 

Your period cramps were especially painful this time. Maybe it was because of last night’s exertion, but your cycle was early too. Your stomach was in too many knots for you to even think about eating anything. 

The washroom’s door opened, and you heard soft footsteps trudging towards you. Knocking on the only occupied stall’s door, a female voice asked, “Is everything okay, Y/N?” 

“Yeah,” you croaked, feeling tears burning your eyes. “Everything’s fine, Jimin. I just have period cramps, that’s all.” 

“Oh.” There was silence for a moment. “I have painkillers. Do you want them?” 

Exhaling through your mouth, you wiped your moist cheeks and stepped out of the stall. “Sure.”

Jimin smiled at you reassuringly and handed you a wet wipe, looping her arm through yours. “Don’t worry. I got you.”

Your heart swelled with happiness and gratitude. You’d wanted to connect with her for so long, and it finally felt like you were getting somewhere this time. Maybe you were being overemotional due to your fluctuating hormones, but you wanted to pull her into a hug.

“Oh, also,” you started a little sheepishly, “I wanted to apologise in person about cancelling on you earlier today. I drank and partied more than I should have. I thought about sending Jeno to cover for me, but he pointed out that it would have been awkward for you to see him when you were expecting me.”

“Woah, wait!” she gaped and took a step away from you. The shock on her face surprised you for a moment, but the feeling didn’t last long. “You’re kidding me! You should have kept insisting, Y/N! A lunch date would have been the perfect way for us to get closer!”

“I don’t think he would have considered the lunch a date because he was just a stand-in for me,” you said awkwardly, and threw the used wipe in the dustbin. 

Jimin waved you away as you walked out of the restroom and back to your booth. “I mean, yeah, it wouldn’t have been an official date, but it would have given me the opportunity to ask him out on a real one.”

“Right.”  

You hated the way you sounded. You hated the way your stomach churned, and your mood dropped. You hated that someone was pursuing Jeno. You hated that you were being forced to play Cupid, all thanks to your strong refusal to admit your feelings and the friendship you wanted to build with the girl next to you. 

“Oh, my God!” Jimin exclaimed, too immersed in her own fantasies to have noticed the change in your tone and demeanour. “I can make up for the missed opportunity by sitting next to him right now! You wouldn’t mind, would you?” 

You did mind. The idea of her making a move on your best friend made you want to dig a hole and cry. God, you were being so pathetic. This was completely unlike you, and you despised the way you were acting. You had to pull yourself together immediately. 

Besides, it wasn’t like you were ever going to explore these newfound feelings you had for Jeno. The last thing you wanted to do was ruin your friendship. Forcing an encouraging smile on your face, you said, “Um, sure! That’s a really good idea.”

“Took you guys long enough,” Chenle commented once you returned. 

You raised an eyebrow. “Did you have any other places to be?” 

“I mean I was worried.” He rolled his eyes. “We ordered food while you were gone. You sure you don’t want anything, Y/N?” 

“Yep,” you said, popping the last letter. “Scoot over and make space for us.” 

Yeji got up again and stood to the side as Jimin, and you slid into the booth. “The two of you better not make me get up again. I’m not budging even if you need to take a big dump.” 

“Sorry,” you muttered, smiling at her sheepishly. Making yourself comfortable, you grabbed your glass of water and dipped a straw in it, idly sipping the liquid. 

Jeno’s gaze caught yours from behind Jimin’s back. He pointed at her with a frown on his face and mouthed, “Why is she sitting beside me?” 

You waved him away and turned your attention to the rest of your friends. “Please tell me you guys finally decided what we’re doing over the weekend.”

“We did,” Mark piped up. “We’re thinking of going to an amusement park and then a water park.”

Jimin frowned. “Won’t those places be crowded as well?” 

“We just need to accept that most destinations will be. Everyone’s on break, so it doesn’t matter where we go. There will be people everywhere.” 

You agreed with Minjeong. “Amusement park it is. Can we hit the bars at night?”

“It won’t be much of a trip if we don’t.” Ningning grinned. “You sure you want to go clubbing so soon though? You were completely wasted when Jeno called me to his room and made me change your clothes last night.”

Mark snickered. “Are you scared of changing your own girlfriend’s clothes, Jeno?”  

Silence. No one spoke. 

NingNing was staring at Mark incredulously, and Yeji seemed to be suffering through an extreme case of second-hand embarrassment. Chenle pretended to flip through the menu while Minjeong grabbed her phone and scrolled through the apps on her home screen in an attempt to look busy. 

Jimin whirled to face you so fast that you wondered how her neck hadn’t snapped. You couldn’t even dare to look at Jeno to see what reaction Mark’s words had evoked out of him. 

Laughing awkwardly, you asked, “Who said we’re dating?” 

“You’re kidding me, right?” Mark scoffed in disbelief. “You guys are so bad at keeping your relationship private. Everyone knows there’s something going on between the two of you.” 

“Is that true?” Jeno asked, but no one present at the table dared to meet his gaze. “Do all of you think there’s something going on between Y/N and me?” 

“I mean….” Chenle began, dragging the word out. “You both are very close. People who claim to be just friends don’t cross the boundaries you two step all over everyday. But we’ve never seen you kiss either, so we’re not sure if you’re dating secretly or…” 

“You guys are crazy,” you interrupted. “Stop speculating about our relationship. It’s weird.” Turning to face a very betrayed-looking Jimin, you enunciated, “Jeno and I are just friends. That’s all there is to us.”

“Yeah,” Jeno added, glancing at you. “Y/N and I will only ever be friends. There’s no way I would date her. I don’t find her attractive in a romantic way.” 

Feeling a knot form in your heart and anger bubble in the pit of your stomach, you snapped, “Same. Jeno’s not even my type. I wouldn’t get together with him if we were the only people left on Earth.” 

Your friends exchanged knowing glances, and poor Jimin, who was stuck sitting between Jeno and you, made an attempt to diffuse the tension. “Okay, guys. We get it.” 

“I’m not sure you do,” Jeno hissed, staring all your friends down. “I can see your damn faces. The only way you’re going to believe I’m not into Y/N is if I prove it to you by going out with someone else.” 

Minjeong began, “That’s not—” 

“No, he’s right,” you fumed. Under the table, your hand curled into a fist. “The only way you guys are going to get this stupid image of Jeno and me being together romantically is if we date other people.” 

“The two of you are overreacting!” Yeji exclaimed. “There’s no need to get so defensive! We were wrong for assuming, and Mark was an idiot for opening his fat mouth. I’m sure you both would have told us if there was something. We’re all sorry.” 

There was a chorus of agreement on the table. Everyone genuinely seemed to be apologetic—except Mark, who was glaring at Yeji and looked mad for being called an idiot. His eyes met yours, and a sheepish smile took form on his lips. 

You huffed a small laugh and shook your head, but your heart was still in knots. There was a certain hollowness in the pit of your stomach. You felt sick and anxious. 

Did Jeno really have to say all those hurtful things just to convince your friends about your platonic relationship? He didn’t need to sound so offended and make your mutual denial a competition. 

Sure, you were the one who had declared there would never be anything more than just friendship between Jeno and you, but he didn’t have to cross the line by saying you weren’t appealing to him. 

Besides, you’d said what you’d said for Jimin. You didn’t actually mean the words that left your mouth. Considering the emotions you’d been feeling recently, it would be a lie to claim you didn’t hope for a different sort of future with Jeno. 

It didn’t matter anyway. A romantic relationship between the two of you wasn’t practical. Your best friend had never so much as hinted at wanting something more. 

In a twisted way, you were glad he said those wounding things. You needed to be pulled back to reality.

“Hey, Jeno,” you heard Jimin say once the food arrived and everyone started eating. “I was wondering if you wanted to grab lunch and watch a movie sometime this week?” 

Bile rose to your throat. You hoped to God he would say no. You didn’t care if you were being a shitty person; you didn’t think you could take any more of this torture. 

“Are you asking me out on a date?”

Your eyes were trained on your glass of water, but you didn’t need to look at him to know he was surprised. As much as you hated eavesdroppers, you couldn’t stop yourself from wanting to learn where this conversation was going. 

“I am.” Jimin chuckled nervously.

Jeno didn’t reply immediately. The rest of your friends were engaged in their own discussions with the people sitting next to them. The table wasn’t silent by any means, but the only things you could hear were Jimin waiting for his answer with bated breath and the pounding of your heart in your chest. 

Then, “I would be honoured.”

Oh, you were most definitely going to throw up.

02. you fall for them

You hadn’t talked to Jeno ever since dinner with your group.

He hadn’t reached out to you, and you hadn’t tried to contact him either. You’d received a text from Jimin the next day about the specifics of her date with Jeno. They were supposed to meet up for lunch at a restaurant near your college campus and then go out to watch some sappy rom-com. 

He didn’t even care for rom-coms. You’d begged him to watch one with you countless times and he’d always turned you down. Part of you wondered if he knew Jimin was updating you about everything and he was purposely pulling this shit to get back at you. 

But you dismissed the notion immediately. No way were you so dense and self-centred. Maybe Jeno genuinely was into Jimin. 

Your phone began ringing, and you rolled over on your bed, blindly searching for it on your bedside table. God, you hated being woken up in the middle of your afternoon naps. It almost always guaranteed a headache. 

“Hello,” you said groggily, your throat raw and dry. “Who is this?” 

“Oh! Did I wake you up?” It was Jimin. She sounded upbeat. Your heart sank. “I’m so sorry!” 

Pushing yourself up, you rubbed the gunk out of your eyes and made your way to the window. The darkness made you bump into the corner of your study table, and you bit down on your lip to keep a yelp from escaping. Hobbling, you threw the curtains open and said, “No worries. My alarm was just about to ring. How was the date?” 

Laughter bubbled from the other end of the phone line. “It was cool! He is a really good guy. No wonder everyone is head over heels for him. He opened the door for me, didn’t let me spend any money even though I asked him out, was an excellent listener, called me pretty and beautiful, and drove me back home. Oh, God, and the eye-contact? It made him a hundred times sexier.” 

Seems legit, you thought to yourself. Jeno had always been a gentleman. The other girls you’d set him up with had pretty much given you the same feedback. Part of you felt relieved that this date hadn’t been any different than the others he’d been on. 

Except the rom-com part, of course. For the life of you, you couldn’t figure out why he would agree to something he hated. 

“Ah, I’m happy for you, Jimin!” you exclaimed, trying your best to mean what you said. Your own words tasted like ash on your tongue. “Are you guys going on a second date?” 

“I’m not sure, to be honest. He said he had a great time with me, but when I tried to ask him out again, he just hugged me. That took me by surprise, and I kinda just forgot.” She laughed. “I know good dates usually end with a kiss, but the fact that he didn’t go for one didn’t bother me.”

“Oh,” you mumbled. Sitting on the ledge of your window, you asked, “That sounds nice. Do you think you’ll try asking him again?”

The last thing you expected her to say was no. And the way she said it… she didn’t sound sad or upset or disappointed. She sounded like herself. She sounded the way one would when they talked about the weather. 

It confused you. Didn’t Jimin just say the date was really good? She sounded so happy and delighted. Why was she backing out now?

“I—I don’t get it,” you sputtered. “I thought you were into him. I thought you had a great time today. Why aren’t you going to ask him out again? Did something else happen—?”

“Calm down.” She chuckled. “Nothing happened.” 

“Huh? Then what’s the problem?”

“Nothing happened,” she repeated. “That’s the problem. I like Jeno. He’s attractive, funny and caring. He’s everything a girl would want in a guy. But there was no spark between us. I had a great time with him, but hanging out today didn’t feel any different than usual. It felt like I was hanging out with a good friend, not with a potential romantic interest.

“I was looking forward to exploring what I felt for him. Turns out, it was just physical attraction. It also turns out that he wasn’t into me at all. If it wasn’t obvious the night we all went out for dinner, it was glaringly clear today. I think part of the reason he said yes was that he didn’t want to hurt my feelings,” she added. “The other—major—part was that he’s in love with someone else, and I would rather die than be a homewrecker.”    

“Oh,” you said again. You didn’t know how to respond to that. What did she mean Jeno is in love with someone else? You didn’t dare focus on the last part of what she’d said. You didn’t dare hope that the person she was referring to was you. “Well, I’m sorry it didn’t work out between the two of you. I’m sure you’ll find someone else easily. You’re a delight. Anyone would be lucky to date you.”

Jimin laughed again. “If you weren’t in love with Jeno too, Y/N, I would have thought you were into me.” 

It took a second for the words to register, but when they did, you felt your heart drop to your stomach. Forcing yourself to laugh, you croaked, “Whatever do you mean?” 

Saying that was a mistake. You should not have asked her to elaborate. She was going to make you come to terms with your feelings, and all the time and effort you’d spent denying and trying to get rid of them was going to go down the drain. 

Before she could speak, you made a static sound with your mouth. Then, you pretended that the connection was really bad. “Wha—hear—you. Try—back. Hell—?” 

You hung up before Jimin could call you out on your bullshit. A moment later, you saw a text pop up. 

[jimin]: that was soooo unsubtle  [y/n]: idk what ur talking ab!!!!!!! [jimin]: sure [jimin]: also a tiny heads up [jimin]: i told jeno to stop being a pussy and an asshole so he’s on his way 2 ur place now [y/n]: WHAT THE FUCK [jimin]: i’m going 2 pretend u said thank u [jimin]: don’t forget ab our dinner date tmrw [jimin]: have fun <3 

It was crazy how the bell rang almost immediately after you read the last text. You wondered if the timing was planned and that Jimin had told Jeno to wait till she gave him the go-ahead. 

You trudged to the front door and took a deep breath before opening it.

“Hey,” Jeno mumbled with a small smile. His hair was ruffled, as if he had run his hands through it several times. “Can I come in?” 

Biting the inside of your cheek, you nodded and moved out of the way to make space for him to step inside. He shoved his hands inside the pockets of his jeans and stood awkwardly. 

“You can sit,” you said, feeling the corners of your lips curl up in amusement. 

He sighed and wove his fingers through his strands again. “Not before I apologise for my behaviour. I was completely out of line that day,” he said. “I shouldn’t have said those things. I didn’t mean them.” 

“So you don’t think I’m unattractive?” 

You meant to tease him, but the next thing you knew, he was standing toe-to-toe with you, a desperate and guilt-ridden expression adorning his face. “God, no. You’re the most beautiful person I have ever seen. I only said that because… because I knew it would hurt you.” 

Jeno was standing too close to you. You could barely breathe, much less think. But that didn’t stop you from asking, “Why would you want to hurt me?” 

He didn’t answer for what felt like an entire minute. He only kept staring at you, an internal battle raging inside him. Then, he let loose a breath of frustration and moved away. He refused to look at you, and your patience kept slipping with each moment that passed. 

Right when you thought it would snap, Jeno spoke up, “It hurt me when you said you and I would only ever be friends. I know how stupid it sounds, but it really did. For years, I’d been pining after you and hoping that maybe we could be something more in the future. I felt like an idiot when I realised wouldn’t ever view me in that light. 

“You got so defensive when Chenle said all our friends were suspicious of us being in a secret relationship. I couldn’t help but wonder if you felt disgusted at the idea of us being together. I got angry at myself for being naive and said those horrible things without even realising.” 

You didn’t know what to say. This was the second time you’d been rendered speechless in the past thirty minutes. It was one revelation after the other; you were having a hard time keeping up.

“You—you like me?” you stuttered. 

Jeno laughed humourlessly and looked you dead in the eyes. “I love you, Y/N.” 

“No.” 

“Yes.” 

You took a step back. “No, no, no, no—”

“Yes,” he pressed. “I’m sorry that I do. I know this changes everything, but I couldn’t keep it in anymore. I just—”

“Why would you go out with Jimin if you… if you love me?” you whispered. 

“Partly to see your reaction and partly in an attempt to get over you,” he admitted. “It didn’t work. I just—I just couldn’t stop thinking about you the entire time I was with her. I felt so guilty for saying such terrible things because I couldn’t deal with my emotions and come to terms with reality. I’m really sorry, Y/N.” 

You swallowed the lump in your throat. “I’m sorry too.”

“You don’t have to apologise for not loving me back—”

“That’s not what I’m apologising for,” you interrupted and walked towards him until your abdomens were touching. “I’m apologising for not seeing it sooner. I’m apologising for encouraging Jimin to ask you out even though it killed me. I’m apologising for denying my feelings time and time again. I’m apologising for saying we would only ever be friends. The last thing I want is for our relationship to be platonic.” 

Jeno was barely breathing. “What are you saying?” 

“I’m saying I love you too, Lee Jeno,” you mumbled and stood on your toes, cupping cheeks with your palms. “I’m saying I want you to kiss me.” 

The words didn’t register immediately, but his lips were on yours the moment they did. 

Jeno’s arm snaked around your waist, and he pulled you closer. His hand grabbed your neck from behind, and he tilted his neck to the side, deepening the kiss. 

Your breath hitched in your throat. All you could feel was him. Your nerve-endings were short-circuiting, and pure adrenaline was coursing through your veins. You didn’t think you’d ever been as satisfied and euphoric as you were right now.

Jeno’s lips slotted with yours perfectly. You smiled to yourself upon realising he tasted like chocolates. Your best friend always ate a piece before any event he deemed to be very important. He claimed they gave him good luck. 

Letting go of one of his cheeks, you grabbed the round collar of his shirt and pressed your mouth harder against his. The nights you’d spent wondering how kissing him would feel and then hating yourself immediately for having such thoughts amounted to this. 

You didn’t want to hold back. 

But you had to ask him a question. It didn’t matter how stupid or ridiculous it was; you wanted to know the answer. So, you broke the kiss and inquired with your body still tangled with his, “Why the hell did you agree to watch a rom-com with Jimin?” 

“Really?” he asked exasperatedly. “You wanna talk Jimin while we’re making out?” 

“I wanna know why you watched a rom-com with her when I’ve been begging you to watch one with me for so long,” you corrected. 

Jeno was silent for a moment, as if contemplating whether or not to tell you. You raised an eyebrow. “Well,” he started, blowing out a breath. “She told me you set her up with me, and it pissed me off even more. I knew she’d tell you all about our date, so I suggested we watch a rom-com. I knew you’d be riled up once you realised.” 

You snorted. Who knew? You weren’t actually being a self-centred narcissist when you suspected the same. “You’re an idiot. I was already riled up you were going out with her.” 

“Oh, yeah?” he teased. “Why’d you encourage her in the first place then?”

“Honestly, at first, I thought I could use you to further my friendship with her,” you admitted. Jeno scoffed in disbelief. “Yeah, I know. That was kinda shitty of me. But when I realised I was falling for you, I pushed her to pursue you in an attempt to convince myself I was not into you. That obviously backfired and did the very opposite. I was horribly miserable. I wanted to shoot myself everytime I heard her gush about you.” 

He smirked. “She gushed about me?” 

“Oh, get over yourself.” You shoved his shoulder playfully. “How’d you end up here after your date? Jimin texted me that you were coming.”

“Tough, but I’ll try.” He laughed. “She was probably able to tell how disinterested I was. After the date when I dropped her home and hugged her instead of kissing her, she just confronted me and asked if I was in love with you. Then told me to not bother answering because it was obvious. She said she didn’t want to get in the middle of us and threatened to kick my ass if I didn’t come here to make amends immediately.” 

You grinned. “Oh, the things I would have done to witness that scene.” 

“It was scary.” Jeno frowned. “She hit my shoulder really hard when I said I was in love with you and called me an idiot for going out with her. I think she was angry at herself too for being oblivious to our situationship. It was one of the weirdest dates I’ve ever been on.” 

“Jimin actually said she had a great time with you. She told me it was nice.”

“Really?” he asked, sounding surprised. 

You placed a chaste kiss on Jeno’s mouth. “Hmm, I wonder how good the best date you’ve ever been on would be then.” 

He chased your lips and kissed you back deeply. Caressing your cheekbone with stars twinkling in his eyes, Jeno said, “I guess we’ll know when I take you out.”

“No way, are you officially asking me out on a date, Lee Jeno?” you asked, and let out a fake gasp. 

“Damn right I am,” he declared. “I don’t want the amusement park trip with our friends to be our first day out as a couple. Do you wanna grab some food tomorrow afternoon? We can go to the trampoline park before that.” 

You smiled softly. “That sounds wonderful. But,” you added. “No more flirting with restaurant staff for free food, or I’ll go ballistic on you.” 

Jeno laughed, and you thought it was the most beuatiful sound you had ever heard. His chest rumbled with the force of it, his eyes creasing to look like small crescent moons. Slipping his hand into yours, he squeezed once. 

“Wouldn’t even dream of it.” 

ANOTHER AUTHOR’S NOTE | THANK U FOR READING TILL THE END WHAT ??? loads of hugs and kisses :’)) also i know i said this before but posting after a rlly long time has lowkey made me anxious LOLL i think i could have done better with the fic esp the end bc it’s a little rushed. honestly speaking i am ready to move on to my next wip and i don’t wanna spend more time rewriting this one :(( i still love this piece though and i would definitely love to hear your thoughts amigos!! stay healthy and hydrated <33

thank you to sara for coming in clutch and helping me out with the plot when i was stuck + giving me her honest opinion! thank you to dori too for reading parts of this fic and giving me her opinion as well! i love you both :D

TAGLIST | @notbeforelong​ @w3bqrl​ @rikiflowers​ @mochisnlix​ @allorysayshi​ @hiqhkey​ @angel-hyuckie​​ @j4kesworld​ @timetoten​ @vantxx95​ @sweetjaemss​​ @ahnneyong​ @jennaissantes @sunshine-skz​ @baekhyunstruly​ @ja4hyvn​ @ily-cuz-i​​ @kdyism​ @keemburley @n0hyuck @luvenshiti @donutswithjaminthemiddle @mosviqu @deobitiful @jeonnyread @pjofics @venusprada @matchahyuck @tbzussy @babyksworld @bockhyun @rbf-aceu @ablackbtsstan @tamakofever @naemakkuri @sadgirlroo @fariylixie0915 @pradagukkie @babyjenono @hibernatinghamster @jaemnationnn @variety-is-the-joy-of-life @carelessshootanonymous @nctzennikki09

#:')))

[neophele]

Fanfic Clichés with NCT Dream

Pt 1: Mark, Renjun, Jeno

Pt 1 of Little one-shots of fanfic cliches with NCT Dream for valentines <3  sorry they are such wildly different lengths... I don't know what happened when I was writing Marks .... genre: fluff, tropes, cliches

Only One Bed - Mark Lee, 1k

When you and Mark agreed to do your friend a favour and help him move across the country, he’d offered to put you both up in a hotel for a night. It was a sweet gesture, one you hadn’t expected from the slightly bumbling, but definitely well-meaning, younger boy. So, after a long day of hauling boxes into a van, driving in shifts, and hauling boxes up several flights of stairs into the new apartment, you and you both thanked him for the kindness, grateful to not be sleeping on the floor as Jisung would be. Mark offered to drive the last journey of the day to the hotel, lazy silence marking the occasion as you tapped your fingers on the glass of the passenger side, attempting to trace the blur of bright red tail lights and blinking indicators. 

“I’m gonna miss him not living next door,” you sighed, lights disappearing as you pull into the car park.

“I know. It’s like our kids are all growing up,” Mark chuckled back, pulling up the handbrake and shaking his head wistfully. Our kids. You mused the phrase. Sharing anything with Mark was a dream, the boy who would always give and never take. Always ready to reduce his half to a quarter, if it made someone else happy. Sharing responsibility for Jisung’s move was even more of a dream. Partially because you’d never thought he’d actually move away

The receptionist presented the first problem.

“The booking is only one room, I’m afraid. We’re all booked up in any case.” Her tired voice gave you no sympathy, handing Mark the keycard and looking at you expectantly, urging you to leave. 

“That’s fine, right?” You squeaked, Mark’s warm hand placed on your elbow, drawing you to the elevator, eliciting a  pitch you didn’t know was possible. 

“If you’re cool with it,” Mark replied, giving you a sympathetic look. He cracked his neck, sighing out at the satisfactory pop. It had been a long day, and there was nothing that seemed better than falling into the confines of a 

The room gleefully presented the second problem. 

“I can go to the reception and see if we can change rooms?” Mark immediately offered. 

“They said they were booked up,” you sighed. 

“I can sleep on the floor?” 

“No way, you’ve been hauling boxes all day, and you need a good nights sleep to drive back tomorrow.” 

Mark’s round eyes shifted, his head turning, meeting your gaze in synchronicity. “So…” he trailed off, two pairs of eyes now trained on the single bed in front of you. 

“We can share a bed, we’ve been friends for ages, it’s chill,” you shrug. A cool demeanour hiding a blazing heart, and blushing cheeks as you turn to slip off your shoes, listening to the sound of Mark slipping off his jacket and laying it in the chair on the other side of the room.

The confines of the night presented the third, and final problem. 

Sleep wasn’t easy to come by, no matter how much your mind dulled and muscles ached. Something nagged at the back of your mind, a thread ready to be pulled and unravel the blanket covering your psyche. It was mostly Mark you felt sorry for, clearly being startled awake every time you tossed in bed, unable to rest. 

“You okay?” He finally spoke, voice gravelly, tired. “I can sleep on the floor, really.”

“No, no, it’s not that.” Chewing your lip, the worry that plagued you was starting to feel tangible. Mark turned over, facing you in the bed. There was still as much space as possible between you, a distance of awkwardness, a line that wasn’t so easily crossed. 

“What’s up?” 

“I think I’m worried about Jisung,” you breathe out shakily. “It’s stupid I know, he’s grown and all, but… like you said, he’s our kid, I’ve known him forever and now he’s on the other side of the country, living alone.” It’s enough to let tears prick in your eyes, knowing how much you’ll miss your friend, how much you’ll worry about him. And something more, something else. 

Mark chuckled lightly, one hand coming up to your face to wipe away the tear slipping down your cheek. “It’s not stupid, god, I’m worried about him too.” A wistful smile spreads across his face, the bright city lights slipping through the curtain just barely illuminating his expression. He sighs. “And I’m gonna miss him too. Now that it’s just us left in town, everyone going their separate ways, it’s… It’s almost too quiet.”

A small sob comes out your mouth, an embarrassingly forward display of emotion provoked by a long day, and even longer year at the thought of going back to a town devoid of yet another familiar face. 

“C’mere,” Mark mumbles, arms firmly wrapping you up and pulling you into his chest. Gentle humming and a hand stroking the back of your head calms you down. 

“Mark?” 

“Yes?”

“Are you going to move away too?” You look up at him, the concern on his face flashing a silent warning across your mind. “I mean, if you want to it’s completely up to you. But you’re just… You’re like my rock, and you have been for so long. I didn’t know what I’d do without everyone, but you’ve always kept me sane. So, I don’t know, just tell me if you plan on moving away, maybe,” you sniff. 

“I’m not moving away unless I’m bringing you with me.”

“Really?” 

“Really. I could never leave you behind.” 

He plants a gentle kiss on the top of your head, drawing you in even closer. Tomorrow, the burning questions of what you mean to him, and what he means to you, will matter. Tomorrow you can worry about untangling your legs, unlacing your fingers, and unclasping your stowed-away feelings. But tonight, you enjoy sharing the bed with Mark, wrapped in his secure embrace. 

Cuddling for Warmth - Renjun, 0.6k

A snowstorm in February might not seem unexpected, but somehow it caught you and Renjun by surprise. It was a sudden flurry of freezing air that swept across the roads, barraging the sides of cars and stalling engines, piles of snow already forming on the ground between the cars. In the middle of several lanes of traffic, fully ground to a halt, was definitely not the best place to be. 

“These cars aren’t going anywhere, are they?” You murmur, squinting as you try and make out how far ahead the traffic goes. 

“Nope,” Renjun shakes his head, popping the ‘p’. “We’re stuck out here.” 

“Shit.” 

The first two hours were bearable. Turning the engine on for five minutes every half an hour to keep the blood from freezing in your fingertips, idly chatting about anything and everything, catching up on the gossip you might have missed. It was fine – not ideal – but fine. And if there was anyone to be stuck in a car stalled on the highway in a blizzard with, it would be Renjun. He muses, pondering the greying skies and white snow reflecting the moon, poetic melancholy in the driver's seat of a dingy rental. 

The third and fourth hours are more difficult. To keep the car battery safe, you forgo turning the engine on and instead dig out the blankets in the boot of the car. You’ve resigned yourselves to chucking peanuts into each other's mouths, as both amusement, and a way to prolong the only food you have with you. 

The fifth and sixth hours are hell. Hell if it froze over, at least. The conversation slows to the same pace as the traffic, and your shivering bodies are too cold to give in to the tiredness tugging at your consciousness. 

“This is insane, what’s happening?” Renjun groans. The snow has piled up on the windscreen, blocking any view of what’s going on. You’d both given up on opening the door to wipe off the snow and take a peak at the equally annoyed traffic, 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been this cold,” you finally say, rubbing your hands together in a fruitless effort to warm them up. 

“Do you want my blanket?” Renjun offers, shooting you a concerned look. 

A moment of silence fills the frigid air before you have the bravery to say your next thought. 

“Can you hug me?” 

“What?” Renjun takes a moment to realise what you’re suggesting, a gentle smile replacing the confusion of furrowed brows in an instant. “Oh, yeah, of course. Good idea.” You shuffle back slightly, giving him the space to awkwardly hop over the gears and into the passenger seat with you. It’s complicated, clumsy, and humorous, the two of you unable to suppress the giggles and ‘ouches’ when you knock shins and bump elbows. 

Finally, he reaches to the side of the chair and reclines it, pulling you over his chest so you’re no longer pressed up against the door.

“It’s colder next to the door,” he murmurs, protectively pulling the blankets over your shoulders, making sure you are tucked in close to him. It’s marginally warmer with your shared body heat, and infinitely more comforting being held by Renjun. 

It makes the next hours much easier. With shared breaths and gently heaving chests, you both slip into the confines of sleep. Somewhere along the way, your hands had found their way into his, holding him softly as the wind howls outside, and somehow, you can’t help but wonder if these grey clouds may have a silver lining after all.

Spin the Bottle - Jeno 0.4k

Stupid, drunk party games were not usually this exciting. Funny – yes. Exciting? That was new. 

But, sitting across from a handsome boy with sculpted features, with a strong hand holding a beer bottle, every swig showing off his sharp jawline, his laughter filling the air with sweet density every time he opened his mouth, all you could do was let the eager hope bubble away in your chest. 

“Jeno, your turn!” An excited voice on the other side of the circle speaks, someone punching the handsome boys arm. 

Jeno, you capture his name in your mind along, with a snapshot of the crescent moon smile that enamours your heart. 

With a strong flick of the bottle, it’s spinning, round and round, your eyes following the bottleneck as it makes a circle. Another circle, you hold your breath, watching with blurring vision as it starts to slow down, until finally, it stops. 

Your gaze rises, from the sticky floor where the open bottle pointing directly at you lies, to the curious eyes watching with anticipation. 

“Oh?” He asks, cocking his head to the side. “I don’t think we’ve met properly,” he extends a hand out to shake yours, an unexpectedly tame gesture for a man you’re supposed to be making out with according to the party-dictated rules. 

“Hi,” you take his hand, which is firm and comforting, slightly calloused but not too tight, giving him your name and watching as his eyes twinkle with a mischievous grin. 

“This okay?” He mumbles, hand leaving yours to trail up your arm, fingertips ghosting the bare flesh as he leans in closer, reaching across to break the circle to meet your nodding head with his other hand. Gently, too gently, his hand tips your chin slightly, his warm breath fanning your face doing nothing to counter the heat rising in your cheeks. 

In a moment, his lips are pressed on yours. Slotting together like a missing puzzle piece, he moves sweetly and tenderly, nothing like what you were expecting from his outer appearance. It’s over all too soon, and an almost silent whimper leaves your lips in tangent with his. It draws a grin from his face as he leans back on his haunches, resuming his place in the circle. You’re blushing profusely – or maybe it’s the alcohol heating up your system – eyes fixed on the enigma grinning back at you. 

He ignores the wolf whistles, rising to his feet and downing the rest of his drink. 

“I’m gonna grab a refill,” he tips his bottle, nodding towards the kitchen. “Wanna join me?” 

#nct dream #nct fluff #mark fluff #renjun fluff #jeno fluff #mark lee fluff #nct dream imagine #nct reactions #nct dream reactions #nct dream fluff #nct mark fluff #nct jeno fluff #nct renjun fluff #idk what else to tag but u get the idea #fanfic tropes

[neophele]

[15:13] Outside Understanding — Jaemin, college!au, fluff, 0.5k

“Which way are you walking?” 

“I’m heading back into campus to use the library.”

“I’ll walk you.”

There’s no hesitation in Jaemin’s voice, and just as little hesitation in his feet. He turns on his heel, ready to walk in the opposite direction he’d previously been facing. 

You watch him with wide eyes, startled at his sudden change in direction. Somehow he’s unperturbed, sparing you only a short glance as he nods to the side, beckoning you over. 

“You coming?” 

A hasty nod is all he needs, your feet scurrying a few steps to catch up to him, one of his large hands giving a gentle pat on your back when you finally appear next to him as he maintains the line of trajectory to your destination. Your destination, not his. Yours. 

Shoulders brush on the short walk through grey-building-lined paving slabs with gum trodden into their faces, sticky remainders of someone else’s presence, much like Jaemin manages to be ever present in your heart. Multicoloured adhesive tacked into the streets of your heart and mind, though when it comes to the boy bobbing along next to you oh-so-casually with hands in his pockets and not a care in the world, those two don’t seem to exist separately. 

The walk is quiet, save for the screeching of car tires and blaring sirens that seem to punctuate every level of the city. 

“Do you have an assignment due?” You ask, a feeble attempt to make conversation. 

“Nope,” Jaemin pops the ‘p’. 

“Oh,” you pause, glancing up at him. Brightness sparks in the dark brown of his eyes, a playfully teasing look straight through the open windows to your soul. “Why are you heading to the library then?” 

“I’m walking you there.” He replies, nonchalantly. 

“But you live the other way?” 

“But I wanted to walk you?” He mimics your tone. A small ‘hmph’ leaves your lips, Jaemin chuckling as he tilts his head up to remove the hair from his eyes. 

The campus logo comes into focus, gates breaking apart to reveal the destination Jaemin will leave you at. He doesn’t hesitate until you're at the steps to the building, finally coming to a halt at the stone slabs marking your parting. 

“This was nice,” he smiles, turning to face you. 

“Yeah?” 

“Of course.” 

Confused and somewhat hazy from the scent of his cologne lingering just outside your reach, you can’t meet his eye. 

He chuckles again, opening up his arms for you to pull yourself into his body. Warm, soft-scented, strong, it’s impossible not to falter slightly in his grip. Guard slipping and muscles relaxing, your head rests on Jaemin’s chest for a moment, his arms drawing tighter as he gives on final squeeze before you break free. 

“Bye, Y/n,” he smiles, passing a wave. 

“Bye, Jaem,” you whisper back, watching him turn and disappear back the way you came. You knew he loved it, always being just outside of your understanding, an enigma you could never fully decipher. The smallest of hints and weakest of leads is all he gives you, never revealing his hand, never letting you know his feelings. But honestly? It’s intoxicating. 

And as you turn to head into the library, you know what you’ll be studying has nothing to do with your classes. 

#nct dream fluff #nct dream #jaemin #jaemin fluff #nct timestamps #jaemin timestamps #nct dream timestamps

[neophele]

hows everyone feeling about ay-yo ?

((it might be a surprise bc ive only written for dream but 127 are actually my ult group shdjfjfj )) pls feel free to share hehe, my thoughts are under the cut but they might be a bit incoherent cos im tired and mostly just ranting ....

ngl i love it for the most part, the chorus feels a bit lack luster, it didn't really keep up with the verses in terms of the chill kinda swag in my opinion (it starts good then loses itself a bit idk) but the rest of the song? especially the second verse?? YES. super sexy vocal kings bridge?? YES. kinda Punch vibes [which imo punch went underappreciated cos she had to follow up Kick It which was a) super catchy b) public friendly and c) super in your face hypeness] which super slay.

song: 7.5/10 !

but that kinda laid back confidence as opposed to the in your face confidence of songs like 2 baddies and kick it is what i rly like hehe, tho idk if it has that Pow Pow feeling title tracks usually have? maybe after watching a performance i'll feel differently?

the overall vibe and especially the beat for the verses are gorgeousss though, it's really my style and the rap parts ESPECIALLY ((did i say that already?)) the styling is simple and okay, nothing new or groundbreaking ... but we did get spikey almost punk tyong which i like hehe

styling: 5.5/10 !

lastly this might be controversial but .... even though the mv is super pretty it seems a bit ... low budget ? maybe ? like it's pretty but feels like concept-wise a bit.... lost. the only thing that seemed pretty cool to me was the shot of Jaehyun in the tunnel that seemed like a 007 kinda homage, but nothing else felt super 'wow !' yk? though in general, I think 127 MV's haven't been as good since regular though, especially concept-wise... like compare how their MV's started off, firetruck had a clear direction other than just looking good; limitless had a super clear retro vibe; cherry bomb wasn't super theme oriented like firetruck but had incredibly clear styling and vibes; touch was cutesy and clearly meant to be pretty and lighthearted; regular portrayed the concept SO WELL; and then simon says, superhuman, and highway to heaven all felt a bit... empty... Kick It delivered a bit more but in terms of 'a concept' but really relied on the good styling and one or two good sets, and then other than favourite, everything else feels a bit wishy-washy... like 2 baddies had a concept but it still felt a bit like it could've been done better. idk .... SM mv's have been going downhill a bit for a few years in my opinion ....

MV: 4.5/10

then as for b sides:

DJ - i like the rap parts but the melody feels very familiar? almost too familiar? in a way ..... didn't leave a huge impression but i think it's one that will grow on me with more listens hehe

Skyscraper - def prefer it to DJ, but didn't like jaehyun's flow in the first verse (it's very similar to his rap part in lemonade around the 30 second mark which i also don't like, it's just a preference thing cos i don't think it suits his voice or style, and it's just a flow i don't like lol) It did feel like the song could've been like a minute shorter? i don't think anything after about the 3 min mark added much to the overall sound [vocals are gorgeous don't get me wrong, it just felt a bit redundant....]

love the continuing of the whole video game sound kinda vibes permeating the whole album :]

#i swear grime and drill are slooowly making their way into kpop ?? im #conflicted abt that lol #nct 127 #nct 127 ay-yo #but yes pls i would love to hear ppls thoughts !!!! and pls dont attack me this is just my personal feelings TT #i've been a listener since 7th sense and firmly an nctzen since cherry bomb so pls a lot of these are just observations over a long time

[neophele]

hi, “mission glazed” anon here! i love what you wrote for my request so much, i was literally giggling and kicking my feet while reading the whole thing 😭 thank you so much 🤍

you're so welcome !!! I'm so sorry it took so long but I'm so glad you enjoyed it :')) it was very cute to write as well hehe <33

#THANKYEWWW #🥰🥰🥰🥰

[neophele]

THIS IS FINALLY POSTED i'm so sorry it took me so much longer than I expected but I hope you see it and enjoy it !!!

hi! can i make a request for haechan? say he’s a home cook or just really enjoys cooking as a hobby, reader/oc belongs in the same circle of friends as his and he invited his friend group for dinner at his place, and he kind of stresses out over the food he’s gonna cook cause he likes oc and really wants to impress them with his cooking. bonus if reader also likes pastry and desserts and has a hobby of making them as well, and haechan goes as far as asking the others what’s reader’s favorite dessert and “discreetly” makes that for everybody he says, but he really only did that for the reader and just really wants to impress them. i’m sorry this was so long 🥹 thank you so much! p.s. i love your works they make me giddy and smile hehe 👉👈

hey anon!!!!! this is so adorable and i love the idea !!!!! i've gotten kinda carried away whilst writing it, so it's probably going to take a little while longer to be finshed!! pls look forward to it in hopefully the next week or so!!! ՞ ⸝⸝> ̫ <⸝⸝ ՞⸜ ♡ ⸝

[neophele]

Mission: Glazed ~ haechan

Genre: homecook!haechan x gn reader, college!au, non idol!dreamies, fluff!!!! Words: 5k Warnings: none ! uhhh I can't cook so food and cooking descriptions are lacking ... I just described food I got from cafés recently >,< req: hi! can i make a request for haechan? say he’s a home cook or just really enjoys cooking as a hobby, reader/oc belongs in the same circle of friends as his and he invited his friend group for dinner at his place, and he kind of stresses out over the food he’s gonna cook cause he likes oc and really wants to impress them with his cooking. bonus if reader also likes pastry and desserts and has a hobby of making them as well, and haechan goes as far as asking the others what’s reader’s favorite dessert and “discreetly” makes that for everybody he says, but he really only did that for the reader and just really wants to impress them. i’m sorry this was so long 🥹 thank you so much! p.s. i love your works they make me giddy and smile hehe 👉👈

“Damn, Hyuck, that smells good,” Jeno inhales exaggeratedly through his nose, letting his senses enjoy the delicious smell wafting up from the tinfoil his friend is unfolding. Donghyuck can’t hold back the proud smirk on his face as his friends watch him, teasing them by unfurling the side of the tinfoil before wrapping it over again, eyes glinting with mischief as they deflate at his refusal to reveal the dish. 

“Just show us,” Renjun groans, smacking Donghyuck’s hand.

“Please,” you pout, and Donghyuck’s smirk drops into a genuine smile as his fond eyes fall on your pleading face. 

“Fine, since you asked nicely,” he grins at you, shooting you a wink as he reveals the neatly folded, though rather plain-looking, wrap. Everyone’s excitement drops at the reveal, a snigger coming from Chenle’s mouth as Donghyuck pouts disappointedly. 

“That’s it?” Jisung asks, eyes zoning in on Donghyuck’s lunch. 

“Well, yeah,” Donghyuck answers. “It smells good, though, right?” He grins, wafting the wrap around so that everyone gets a quick waft of the aromatic spices and secrets wrapped in the unsuspecting flour tortilla. 

“Four-hour marinated chicken, gently fried, my own kimchi-inspired secret sauce, on a bed of succulent salad,” he teases his friends sitting around the table, who can’t help perking up at the scent. “It tastes even better, I promise you,” he grins, watching as you lick and Jeno your lips; Renjun and Jisung gulp ever so slightly; and Mark makes no secret of his hunger with the pleading frown on his face. 

“Dude, just one bite!” Mark begs, hand reaching out across the table. “Hey! If he gets a bite, I want one, too,” Jeno groans. 

“Me too!” You pipe up with an eager voice, and Donghyuck wishes he could think of a good enough reason to let only you try it. 

“If I let everyone try it, then there won’t be any left for me,” Donghyuck holds firm, enjoying all eyes trained on him as he takes a large bite, the succulent meat and juicy sauce – if he had to say so himself – perfectly cooked with a blend of ingredients that gave it the right amount of kick to perk up his afternoon.

“Please,” you whine, pout still on your lips, Donghyuck’s heart almost bursting at how wide your sweet eyes have gone, the way your tongue darts across your lower lip as you salivate at his cooking sending another puff of hot air directly into his ego. Swallowing the bite, he pauses for a second as if thinking, though he’d never admit he’d already made up his mind and was just waiting for the perfect moment.

“How about this?” He offers, and everyone’s attention is forced onto Donghyuck yet again, the way his friends’ bodies are already leaning forward making him smirk yet again. “Everyone comes round on Friday, and I’ll cook a meal.” He 

“Oh,” Jisung says, deflated,  and everyone seems to lean back, realising no one’s getting a chance at tasting the dish in front of them. 

“What?” Donghyuck pouts, disappointed by the reaction. “I’m offering you all free food; be grateful!” 

“That’s suspicious,” Renjun glances at Donghyuck, eyebrows knitted. 

“You never cook for us, and we live with you,” Jeno adds, agreeing with Renjun.

“And Friday’s, like, four days away,” Mark groans. “I’m hungry now.” 

“That’s really nice of you to offer, Hyuck!” You, his saviour, burst into the scene of disappointment. With a bright smile and shining eyes, your excitement is a warm breeze coming through to drive away the grey clouds. You nod enthusiastically, smacking Jeno, who’s still bitterly pouting next to you, urging him to join your enthusiasm.

“Oh, yeah, uh, yeah!” Jeno fumbles, looking to you for the correct response before nodding along. 

With a dumb smile plastered on his face, Donghyuck takes another bite of his lunch, the crunch of the salad leaves complimenting the smooth sauce and tender strings of chicken. 

“Shit, we have to go to class anyway.” Mark’s head falls to his hands, and his palms are the only solace to his gnawing stomach. He rests for a moment before you come to his side, patting his head sympathetically. So kind, Donghyuck thinks. 

“Everyone, Friday then. Our place.” Jaemin affirms, his head raising from where it’d been leaning on the table, everyone slightly shocked that he was actually awake for the conversation. 

Murmurs of agreement diffuse across the table and you, Mark and Chenle pack your things up. 

“Y/n?” He calls, eyes trained on the hair that bounces across your forehead as you turn to face him, happily giving him a casual smile. 

“Mm?” 

“Bite,” he says, holding out his lunch across the table so you can try it. Donghyuck doesn’t usually like sharing his food –– but the way your eyes go wide and impossibly brighter, shining stars reflected off a sea of excitement as you look at him as if you’d just won the lottery –– he thinks maybe he can enjoy sharing if it’s with you.

“Thank you!” You grin, leaning forwards and taking a bite, contentment evident across your face, eyes blissfully shut as you chew. When you’re done, you let out a small sigh, a lazy grin appearing across your lips. “It’s so good! You’re the best, Hyuck” The grin plastered on your face sends boiling ice through Donghyuck’s veins, feeling more alive than ever at the way your eyes are full of happiness, trained on him.  

“Why does only y/n get some,” Mark pouts. 

Chenle grins, a teasing smile on his face as he raises an eyebrow at Donghyuck.  “Are they your favourite or something?” 

“They were the only one who’s actually excited about me offering to cook for you ungrateful brats,” Donghyuck rolls his eyes, cool facade rising again. 

“See you!” You wave as Mark and Chenle drag you away, complaining about how unfair Donghyuck was and how they’re going to get McDonald's after class. Donghyuck offers a shy wave in return, gentle hand twisting slowly as he watches you turn away. 

When he turns back around, Jaemin is staring at him with a vicious smile. One arm resting flat against the table, leaning his head on his palm as he looks up at his friend. Jaemin raises his eyebrows up and down. 

“Shut up,” Donghyuck groans, turning away from Jaemin. 

“I didn’t say anything,” Jaemin informs him. 

“You did, with your eyes, and I’m telling them to be quiet.” 

“Okay, so I have four days to come up with the best, most ass-kicking meal I’ve ever cooked,” Donghyuck looks into the distance, staring out the window as he pours over the recipes in his head. He had a clear mission in mind, his expectations of himself doubling as he scoured the recesses of his brain for anything you might have mentioned as your favourite. You were his target, the one he wanted to impress. Ever the dramatic, he was not giving up this chance to make you fall from him, one bite at a time.

“It’s not that deep,” Jeno laughs, “We don’t have high expectations.” 

“Yes,” Donghyuck turns to Jeno and stares intently, expression conveying emotion far more profound than the boy across from him could understand in the situation, “It is that deep.” 

D-4 

Donghyuck wants to curse himself for not picking the one course he could have taken that overlapped with your choices. Outside of not sharing any classes, living on opposite sides of campus, and being generally busy students, the only chance he gets to see you during the week are lunches and free periods where your friends gather at your usual haunts. 

And even then, there are always other people around. It’s hard enough not to be too obvious, which arguably Donghyuck already is, but it’s even harder when you're laughing along to his stupid jokes, a melodic chuckle that he thinks he could imprint in his brain if he heard it enough. 

“So,” Donghyuck turns to you, swivelling in his chair. With one elbow on the table, propping up his head, he raises his eyebrows.

“So?” Your eyebrow piques, mimicking him and turning your body to face him, eagerly gifting him your undivided attention. 

“If you were going to die–”

“Who’s going to die?” Jeno interrupts in a panic, “not you, y/n, please, who else will remind me to wash my vegetables!” Jeno pouts at you, and Donghyuck lets out a ‘hmph’, eyes narrowing to a point. If looks could kill, it would be Jeno that was dying. 

“No, no, no-one’s actually dying,” you calm him. “I think,” you turn back to Donghyuck, allowing him to continue. The wry smile on your lips tells you that you find this amusing, and Donghyuck’s relieved.  

“Okay, first off, it’s a hypothetical question, dumbass.” Donghyuck continues. “So, if you were going to die, and you had one last meal – anything you want, no limits – what would you have?” 

Cocking your head to the side, you look up, pausing in thought. 

Jeno stares blankly in front of him, before speaking, monotone. “Beef burger.” 

“Oh, that’s a good question. I’d have lobster. Or caviar, truffles, gold-plated fries, anything expensive,” Chenle shrugs.

“Hot pot, obviously,” Renjun sneers, everyone clearly deciding that Donghyuck’s conversation which he intended to be private, was open to all. 

“Oh, that’s a good one,” Mark nods, deep in thought himself. 

“Y/n?” Donghyuck asks, looking at you. Your face, twisted in contemplation, eyebrows darkening over your eyes, lips pursued, growing pale with the pressure. 

“If I have my last meal, I die? So I shouldn’t choose, right?” You look at Donghyuck. The seriousness plastered on your features catches him off guard. “So I can’t tempt fate. I won’t pick.” With a firm nod, you lace your hands together in front of you.

Jeno nods in awe, Renjun and Mark laughing at your seriousness.

God, Donghyuck loves how cute you look with your face scrunched up in resolution, but he really wishes you were a little less imaginative with your answer. 

D-3

Donghyuck took his idea a little too far today, one might think. 

When he decided his best bet was a stealth mission, he picked out a sleek, all-black outfit, fitting for a spy. Before he left the house, he clasped his hands together in a finger gun, holding it upright as if awaiting his prey. He then turns swiftly, pointing his index fingers at his reflection in the hallway mirror, giving a small ‘pew’ sound as he pretends to shoot away his doubts.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Renjun asks from across the hallway. Donghyuck turns, guilty, looking at the boy with toothpaste staining the corner of his mouth as he glares from the bathroom doorway. 

Donghyuck drops his hands, turning on foot and walking out wordlessly. He wouldn’t understand. 

When he gets to the place you share with Mark, Chenle, and Jisung, it would be easy enough to knock, but no. Donghyuck likes to play games, so he pulls out his phone and dials your number.

“Hyuck? What’s up?” 

“Hey, I’m outside yours, are you in?”

“Oh yeah, Jisung said you were coming over to help him practice his presentation right?”

“Yep, could you let me in? I’ve been knocking for like five minutes.” It’s only a white lie, and it’s all for the greater good. Right?

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I didn’t hear, give me a sec–“ the line cuts off, and in the time it takes for Donghyuck to shake away the last of his doubts, you’re opening the door. 

“Hi!” You beam, Donghyuck immediately wrapping you in a warm hug, which you return. Scented shampoo floats up his nose, and Donghyuck swears he might pass out if you weren’t there holding him up. 

“Hey, how’s my favourite occupant doing?” 

“Not bad,” you smile back, looking upstairs. “I’ll go get Jisung?” 

“He can take his time, I’m kinda hungry though, and by that I mean I'm moments away from dying of starvation.” 

The sweet melody of your laughter spins through Donghyuck’s head once again as you lead him to the kitchen, opening up your shelves. He peeks over your shoulder, trying to observe for any clues as to what might just be your taste. 

Barren shelves greet him, a few dented cans and a sad, almost empty packet of pasta looking as deflated as Donghyuck’s plan. 

“Yeah, I’m not much of a cook…” you chuckle sheepishly. “Um,” you search through some more shelves. 

“So what do you eat?” Donghyuck asks, attempting to be casual. 

“Mostly whatever Chenle cooks, and a lot of toast. And cereal,” you hold up a box of cornflakes. “Can I interest you in any corny goodness?” 

Donghyuck laughs, despite the pang of jealously that Chenle gets to cook fro you everyday, when it should be him. 

“I dunno if you’ve heard, but I’m a pretty good cook actually.” Donghyuck 

“Hmm, maybe–”

The lanky, six-foot-tall interruption is the only variable he didn’t account for. 

“Donghyuck, you’re here! Okay, you’ve gotta help me with this presentation man, I’m not prepared to be up there. What if I stutter, or like, piss myself, or something?” 

D-2

His next attempt was a day later, a few hours before class. He offered to meet you and Chenle halfway between your respective dorms and campus, bringing along a tired and grouchy Renjun to diffuse his anticipation, under the guise of an early morning coffee shop study session. 

“Look, look, they’re coming,” Donghyuck slaps Renjun’s chest, his friend groaning and shoving Donghyuck with all the energy he can muster – which isn’t a lot. 

“Tell me why I agreed to this,” Renjun. 

“Because I’m irresistible and you love me more than sleep.” 

“No, I think it’s because I have an exam coming up, and you said you’d pay for my coffee.” 

“Same thing.” 

Donghyuck’s heart pounds as you and Chenle get closer, the way you tip your head back in laughter at something the friend has said makes him a little bit jealous, and Donghyuck wishes it was him that made you laugh that hard.   

“Hey Hyuck, Renjun,” you wave, strolling closer. 

Target locked, he takes in every detail of your face before extending his arms to pull you into a hug.

The slight tiredness in your eyes betrays how late you’ve been up, and he can’t help but softly pat your back and sway slightly, languishing in the contented hum you make as your tired form leans into his chest. When you break away and move towards Renjun, Chenle looks at him expectantly, and Donghyuck draws the younger into his arms too, though with slightly more fierceness in his grip. 

The walk to the cafe is short, with lingering laughter and moans of tiredness. Donghyuck’s palms are slightly clammy, and he rubs them on his jeans as he holds the door open for you to pass through, letting go and earning a groan from Chenle as he catches the door mid-swing. 

“Ass,” Chenle mumbles. 

“So, y/n, what’s your poison?” Donghyuck jokes, motioning to the coffee board in front of you. 

“For days like today? Double espresso cappuccino.”

“Anything to eat? Might give you some more energy, if the double espresso isn’t enough.”

“God, as much as I love pastries, if I have any sugar I won’t be able to focus.” 

Pastries. He locks onto that piece of information, hell-bent on using it to his advantage. 

“What would you usually get?” 

“Maybe a cinnamon roll? I like strawberry tarts but they don’t serve them here.” 

“Oh, so you like fruitier flavours?” 

“Uh, I guess? I love strawberries, but only if they aren’t too overcooked, I like them a little bit firm, but it’s so hard to get that right.” Your brows furrow slightly as if the strawberries that had disappointed you were plaguing your mind. Donghyuck smiles proudly, 

“Well, I don’t know if you’ve heard, but I happen to be one hell of a pastry chef too.” He grins.

“Oh, yeah?” 

“Yep,” he pops the ‘p’ proudly. It’s his turn in line, and before he can get a word out to the barista, Renjun is beside him. His painstaking efforts have gleaned one piece of information, putting him on top of the world. 

“I’ll have an extra strong caramel macchiato, and whatever the most expensive thing to eat here is.” Renjun nods at Donghyuck, then back to the barista, “he’s paying.” With a smirk, Renjun disappears, patting your shoulder and mumbling something about finding a good table. 

At that moment, even Renjun’s draining of his wallet couldn’t bring him down.

When the drinks are ordered and everyone’s shed their outer layers, sat at the table with warm mugs in hand and the fleeting remainders of the intention of studying slipping from mind, you nudge Donghyuck with your elbow.

“So you’re buying Renjun’s drinks now, hm?” You joke at Donghyuck, who nearly chokes on his sip of coffee. 

“What?” Chenle gasps from across the table. “Is he your favourite now or something?” 

“We all know that spot is reserved for y/n,” Renjun scoffs. 

The flush in your ears and the way you turn away slightly don’t go unnoticed by Donghyuck, who beams. He can’t help but take it as a challenge, throwing one arm around your shoulder and revelling in the way you relax slightly into his grasp.

“Not my fault y/n’s weak for me, I’m just returning the favour.”

Chenle snorts, “more like they’re afraid of you,” Renjun scoffing along with him. 

Donghyuck feigns being hurt, one hand clutching his chest as he leans into your shoulder, burying his head there and fake-crying as you laugh along, soothing him with a hand stroking his hair. 

“Hyuck’s a big softie, it’s Renjun we need to be afraid of,” you grin. 

“Okay, well, when he poisons us all on Friday, I’ll tell you I told you so,” Renjun shoots back. 

Donghyuck finally brings his head back up, his arm sliding down to rest on the back of your chair, keeping the slight point of contact he desperately wants to make a permanent feature of your relationship. 

“Speaking of, what are you cooking?” Chenle pipes up. 

“Yeah! I want to know,” you beam, turning to Donghyuck and giving him a toothy grin that all but melts his heart. 

“That, my friends” he taps his nose, acting mysterious. “Is a secret.” 

And as everyone boos, calling Donghyuck out for being disorganised and not making his mind up about what to cook, he smiles smugly. It was a secret, and it was your secret he was going to find out. 

D-1

He’s out of options. He’s sweating, panicking, terrified. 

“Mark, man, you’ve gotta help me out here,” Donghyuck sighs through the phone. 

“What?” Mark’s groggy voice responds. 

“You gotta help me, I’m freaking out.”

“What? Are you okay? You need picking up, what’s wrong dude?” 

“I’m in a mess. I wanted to cook something to impress y/n tomorrow, but I can’t figure out what they like and I’m screwed, what if I cook their least favourite meal? Then they hate me forever, and everything is ruined,” 

“Slow down, wait, wait.” Mark pauses. “You want to cook y/n’s favourite meal, so that they’ll like you?” The older boy is almost laughing at this point. 

“Shut up,” Donghyuck groans. “I know, I’ve been trying to find out all week, but my plans kept going wrong.” 

“Why didn’t you just ask to begin me to begin with? I eat with y/n every day, I know their palate pretty well.” 

“Stop bragging about it and just tell me,”

“Well, first off, Italian food. They’re not super picky or into anything fancy, a good pasta dish would be your best bet.” 

Donghyuck’s eyes widen. Finally. “Yes, and,” he urges Mark. 

“You owe me,” 

“Yes, anything, just tell me!” 

“So strawberry tarts, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Donghyuck nodded eagerly.

“So, the glaze on the top, like when it’s perfect and snaps a bit, and the strawberries aren’t overcooked, that’ll make y/n go crazy,” Mark chuckles. 

“Mark. I could kiss you right now.” 

“I’ll pass, you can save that for y/n.” 

The Day. 

When it hit 1PM, Donghyuck kicked his housemates out of the kitchen, several grocery bags in hand and a look of fear on his face. Renjun wanted to make a snide comment but didn’t have the heart when he saw the bags under Donghyuck’s eyes and his ravaged lower lip. 

It was quiet, for the most part. And when Donghyuck was quiet, that was a bad sign. 

When his other friends arrived, the door was still closed, and the steam coming from beneath the door was all that greeted them. 

“He’s… in the zone,” Renjun explained, pulling everyone. 

“Hyuck! Everyone’s here!” Jeno called through the door. A moment of silence, a loud crash, followed by “shit” and “give me a minute,” breaking through the door. 

“Is he okay?” You asked, raising an eyebrow at the closed door.

“He takes cooking seriously, I guess?” Mark shrugged. 

“That’s one thing at least,” Renjun adds. 

“Okay!” Donghyuck opens the kitchen door, gesturing inside. “The best meal of your lives awaits,” 

“Cute,” you giggle, raising your eyebrows at his dishevelled hair and splattered apron as everyone files inside, bemoaning their empty stomachs. 

“Huh? Oh,” Donghyuck hurriedly smooths down his hair and grins, “gotta look the part.”

He leads you in, Mark giving Chenle an elbow to leave two empty seats next to each other, which Donghyuck takes. Pulling out the chair, he motions to it, offering you the place. The slight flush in your ear, as you sit down sends butterflies through Donghyuck’s veins, his stomach doing summersaults in anticipation. 

“Okay. This,” Donghyuck removes the lid from the large pot in the centre of the table with a flourish, “is carbonara” 

“Carbonara,” Jaemin repeats, exaggeratedly rolling his r’s. 

“Pass me your plates,” Donghyuck takes your plate from in front of you, serving you first. The flourish of his wrist as he twists the spaghetti is practised, and the rounding of your mouth as you watch is exactly the desired effect. Soon, food is on all the plates, and mouths are salivating. Eyes look to Donghyuck, expectantly. 

“What are you waiting for?” He scoops up a forkful from his own plate. “Dig in.” 

Nobody speaks, the loudness of clattering utensils and chewing mouths all that fill the room. Nervously, Donghyuck eyes his friends, surreptitiously analysing their faces for signs of disgust, amazement, anything. 

“This is so good, Hyuck,” you turn to him first, eyes wide as your hand covers your equally wide mouth. 

“Really?” The desperation in his voice bleeds through more than he would have liked, but he can’t help it when your adoring face is praising the fruits of his – painstaking, he might add – labour. 

“Yeah!” You swallow, and place a hand on his leg. “This is like, the best carbonara I’ve ever had, it’s so hard to get right. You’re incredible!”

“Yeah, Hyuck, you’re pretty good,” Chenle agrees. 

Mark’s eyes are wide, clearly surprised. “I didn’t realise you were this good, dang! This is, like, restaurant quality.” 

“So, Donghyuck cooks every night?” Jaemin adds in. 

Praise from his friends is nice, but all that echoes in Donghyuck’s head are your warm words and your even warmer touch. Giddy, he can’t control the grin on his face as he naturally turns to you, the upturned corners of your mouth relaying your happiness. 

Everyone eats, conversation flows naturally, wine is poured and faces split into smiles. 

When plates cleared and stomachs full, Donghyuck glances around his friends’ faces, lazy smiles echoing around the room feeding his ego. The content, sleepy look on your face was all Donghyuck needed to know he had succeeded. Leaning back in your chair with a crumb on the corner of your mouth, head tilted to the side as you giggled along to the conversation that Donghyuck wasn’t even bothering to listen to, you looked too perfect for anything else to be worth paying attention to. 

“C’mere,” Donghyuck motions to you, and you lean up, trusting him entirely as you turn to face him. 

He reaches over, thumb gently swiping over your lower lip to remove the crumb. Someone wolf-whistles, and you immediately turn away, shy. 

Donghyuck ignores it, already feeling victorious. His meal was a success, you’d sung his praises, and to top it off, dessert was about to be served. 

“Next up, we have–“ he pauses for dramatism, before uncovering the plate “–strawberry tarts,” he passes the plate around the table, handing out the sweet treats. He saves one especially for you, the one with the reddest strawberries and shiniest glaze. 

The dessert is crisp, the pastry melting in your mouth as the still-firm strawberries covered in sugar soak your tastebuds, slight citrus in the crunchy glaze, just right. 

“This is delicious, Hyuck,” you sigh. “Nowhere cooks strawberry tarts like this, I can never find anywhere that does them this well!” 

Donghyuck doesn’t answer, overtaken with the genuineness of your words. 

“If you like it that much, I guess I’ll just have to make it for you again.” He shrugs, acting nonchalant, as if his heart wasn’t pounding through his ribs. 

“You’d do that for me?” 

“I’d do anything for you,” he scoffs, impulsive taking over and the words spilling from his heart. 

“Anything?” You ask, redness creeping up the back of your neck. Like the strawberry dessert in front of you, ears pink dusted and glazed with the sweetness of the boy in front of you. 

Donghyuck, for once in his life, is at a loss for words. How could he not do anything for you?

“This wasn’t enough for you to see that?” He chuckles, gesturing to the table in front of him. His voice is lowered, slightly bashful as he tries to keep the prying ears away from your private conversation. 

“Wait–” you halt, realisation hitting you at full force. “This is… my favourite,” you gesture at the dessert in front of you. 

“Yeah, you told me in the cafe that day, but I had to call Mark to find out for sure.” Donghyuck rubs the back of his neck. 

“You did this….” 

“To impress you, yeah it’s embarrassing, I know.” 

“No, Hyuck, it’s,” your shoulders relax, leaning forward to soak in his aura. “It’s really, really kind of you,” the falter in your words is all it takes for

“It sounds like you're going to add a ‘but’ in there. Please don’t let there be a but,” Donghyuck groans, hiding his face in his hands. Fuck. Even if he had impressed you, it didn’t mean you liked him back. He’d kidded himself into thinking this meal was the ticket to your romantic affections, the edge he needed to push himself from the brink of a friend to something more. 

“No, I just…” You shake your head, leaning away. 

In the moment of quiet, laughter ebbs from the other side of the table, the conversation your friends are joined in clearly going better than the one you two are engaged in. 

“Donghyuck,” you touched his arm lightly, gently. “Why?”

“What do you mean, ‘why?’” Donghyuck is stunned. 

“I mean why,” you search his eyes for answers, the confused look mirroring your own ending only in more questions. 

“Why? Y/n, why?” He gestures vaguely, chin tilting upward in indignation. “You really don’t know?” 

“Know what?” 

“I like you,” he spills the truth. 

Hesitation crackles, the silence slipping desperately close to awkward. Donghyuck wants to hide, run away, and never be seen again. He watches as your eyes go from confused and focused, to wide and dreamy. 

“You?” One finger points to Donghyuck. “Like me?” The finger turns to yourself. 

“Yeah.” Donghyuck’s voice is weak, the weakest it’s ever been. Always one to quip, always argue back, have a snide comment or weaponised joke tucked behind his lips, for once, he doesn’t know what else to say. 

“Me…” you repeat, still pointing to yourself. 

Donghyuck hurries to clear it up, waving his hands in front of me, trying to act casual in the disaster that was spiralling out of his control. “You don’t have to like me back, I’ll get over it, it’s whatever–” 

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner, idiot? I’ve liked you since that time you spent a week walking round trying to interview everyone for the podcast you swore was going to be the next big thing!”

With no time wasted, your lips crash against his, a needy but tender kiss that fills more certainty in both of your hearts than any word could. One of your hands leans on Donghyuck’s chest, steadying yourself against his relaxing heartbeat. One of his hands is on the back of your neck, drawing you closer, holding you against him as he hopes to keep you for as long as he can.

Jisung’s voice enters your heads, deep tone breaking through the quiet high of your first kiss. “Did I miss something?”

#nct fluff #haechan fluff #donghyuck fluff #haechan x reader #donghyuck x reader #nct dream #nct dream fluff #nct dream fic #nct dream oneshots #nct oneshots #nct fic

[neophele]

230122 MARK IG Update

“tying up them rings”

#he so *.* #im swooning

[neophele]

happy lunar new year guys!!!

sorry for being so ia lately, it's been a busy few weeks! i'm hoping to get round to posting more regularly soon, starting with the haechan home cook request I answered a while back! it's been in my drafts a while, I just haven't been able to find a good way to end it yet >,< after that I have 2 new au series I've been working on, soulmate!au and badboy!au,, I may end up posting them concurrently depending on how the writing goes! and, as always, I'm taking requests!

Much love <3

#新年快乐 🎊🎊🎉 may u all have wonderful luck and goodness in the coming (lunar) year

[neophele]

#LMAO #literally what kinda crossover??? #when ????

[neophele]

Travelling Together - NCT Dream

genre: fluff, bf content, gn reader c:

No warnings, sorry if the formatting is strange I did this all on mobile :s

Mark

Would definitely love to visit somewhere new and interesting, especially if its somewhere you two can drive/rent a car/van and have a roadtrip. Driving past all the landscapes, architecture, freedom to come and go in your own time? Loves it. On that note, maybe even a campervan or mobile home type thing so you can go on a long roadtrip, sleeping in campsites under the stars. Would love to go somewhere where you can stargaze and lie there, hand in hand, tucked under his arm, whispering sweet words into your ear. But in general is just so incredibly happy to go along with whatever you want to do, he loves seeing you happy so everything makes him happy if you are! He also just loves to wander and find out where you guys end up, no destination, finding joy in the journey. One arm is always around your waist or shoulder, or your hands are interlinked, and when it gets busy he lets you put a finger through his beltloops or tucks a hand im your back pocket to ensure you don't get seperated. Definitely a sensible packer, and is willing to keep watch of important things like passports/money/etc but gets very worried about losing them so maybe ... just reassure him and help him keep track of things... Only a bit stressful to travel with, mostly because he tends to overthink, so probably needs you to be a calm, reassuring presence that reminds him this is a holiday — fun and relaxation is the whole point. Wants matching tourist shirts or something silly as a souvenir to remind you of the trip. Every time you wear it even if its just to go to bed or lounge around the house, his dreamy, hazy smile lets you know exactly how lost he is in the memories of your trip.

Renjun

Wants to look at the scenery and appreciate the views, probably gets a little melancholy watching the clouds passing across the sky in a new place, so you have to wrap your arms around him and re-anchor him to a tangible happiness. He would love to travel by train and watch the scenery rolling past on the way to your destination. Visits to historic sites and art galleries, linking pinkies with you and quietly wandering, preffering places with less crowds so you two can appreciate the stillness in silence — of course, he always whispers to you that you're more stunning than any of the art, more divine than any holy site, more brilliant than any natural or manmade wonder. Most sensible packer, brings anything he thinks you might forget and even things for emergencies (medicine, bandages, you name it — he has it). Insists on sharing dishes every meal, so you both get to try as much food as possible! Probably orders way more than you can finish because he gets excited about trying all the foods. Possibly wants you to pose for him so he can sketch/paint you as a present/souvenir, either that, or wants you to do some kind of activity together like pottery painting or making something and exchange the pieces as a souvenir.

Jeno

Introverted staycation type, but if you convince him, he'll go wherever you want — he can't resist when you talk so excitedly about the place you've always wanted to visit, and the warmth he feels inside when he thinks about being the one he accompanies you there? He's melting. Willing to pack for both of you, but wants you to take on some of the responsibilities so it's as stress free as possible for the both of you. Likes staying in a hotel where neither of you feel burdened to cook or clean, and of course how soft the mattress is. Wherever you go, you'll end up hiring bikes and trapsing the sights on two wheels. Whether it's a super bikable place or not he can handle it, but would probably give in to you if you weren't up for it (might suggest trying to find a tandem bike or put you in one of those lil carts you put kids in the attatch to the back of the bike). Also wants to try all the local delicacies. Does the cute thing where he feeds you his food and wants to hook his arm with yours when you do a cheers and drink something (even if it's literally just iced coffee). After a long day of biking, sightseeing, and eating, he enjoys coming back to the hotel to wind down by watching something on the hotel room TV, curling you into his side on the bed so you can't escape. Gets matching fridge magnets for both of you as a souvenir, and displays his proudly on his fridge as a daily reminder of the sweet vacation you both deserved, and seeing yours on your fridge reminds him of how much you enjoyed it too.

Haechan

Chaotic but in a good way? Spontaneous and poorly planned, but when you get there, you wouldn't have it any other way. Getting lost is an adventure that leads you to backroads with the most delicately beautiful architecture, booking a hotel two hours from the airport means you get to take a train across the area and see rolling landscapes you'd never imagined, even a miscommunication due to the language barrier means you end up trying one of the best dishes you've ever tasted but would otherwise never have tried. You get by even if you forget something, because Donghyuck is by your side with his tongue in his cheek and a clever response that. He navigates around an unfamiliar public transport system flawlessly, then whines that his feet hurt and you need to rub them when you're back in the hotel. It's impossible to decide if he's the best travelling partner or the worst. It's a misadventure that'll end up being one of the unforgettable memories you share, one that gets slipped into every conversation. Full of laughter (and maybe a few heated discussions that always end up in kissing away pouts and hands comfortingly rubbing your back), the only souvenir of the trip that you need is the train ticket you bought but never used, as it was for the opposite direction than you needed.

Jaemin

"Let's take one bag it's easier that way," type. Wants to share all the essentials (steal whatever you pack), but always carries the bag regardless of how little of it is his. Just picks it up and takes it, no questions. Constantly asks you if you're excited, because he's excited. Might even want to plan the trip himsef and surprise you with the location/accomodation because he loves seeing the pout on your face when he reminds you it's a secret, (and then of course the way your face lights up when you see the hotel room). Probably wants to stay in a nice hotel near a city centre so you're as close as possible to all the sights and attractions, and so he can stand behind you and hold you in his arms while you watch the sun go down from the hotels big window, pressing kisses into your neck as you sigh contentedly. Prefers to walk around and see what looks best in person rather than making plans beforehand, and whenever your eyes linger on a storefront or ask another question about a museum you've walked past, he'll squeeze your hand and lead you towards the entrance. Takes SO many pictures, and frames a lot of them when you get back so you can always look back on the trip. Even if it's a photo without either of you in it (although you are the subject of the majority of his shots), the way its a subtle reminder of the private memories you shared is more precious than any trinket or tourist trap.

Chenle

Chenle wants to pay for everything and feel like he's treating his baby u knoo. Wants to get a business class flight/train/cruise/whatever to the destination you've only ever dreamed of visiting, then rent out a whole airbnb house or apartment with the best view of the city. Part of the reason he does this is because he wants to have the option to cook for you in the kitchen if you don't feel like going out, and impress you with his chef skills (he loves the domesticity of it). When you do go out, he's not afraid to talk to locals and charm them into telling him where the best spots tourists don't know about are, and somehow gets you into all the best places, and spares no expense making sure you have the best experience. No matter how much or how little, he just wants to take away your burdens for the duration of the vacation and shower you with affectionate touches, exquisite food, and sentimental experiences. As much as you both love the expensive gifts, both of your favourite souvenirs would have to be the postcards of the city you bought, complete with notes handwritten by each of you. Even if he teases you after reading the touching words, he knows he'll treasure it forever

Jisung

Nervous about missing the plane, jittery on the way to the hotel, overthinks what he should wear for the weather. But despite the overthinking and nerves at your first proper trip together, your fingertips tracing patterns on the palm of his hand as you excitedly look out the window, he realise it's something he doesn't need to worry about — you're there with him. It's a traditional, fly somewhere nearby, mid-price hotel kinda deal, but everything is special and novel when you do it with hands interlocked and eyes darting to meet in the middle when you both remember it's really happening. Together, you do your best to make the most of everything, rinsing the overpriced hotel breakfast buffet for all it's worth, walking the streets and basking in the unfamiliar side of the sky, taking as many photos of eachother (and together) at historical or scenic sites as your phones allow. Jisung's hand pulls you along when you get tired of walking, his long legs and irresistible smile dragging you into another burst of energy as you cram in another museum before lunchtime. At first your dissapointed that in the blur of excitement and adrenaline, you forgot the get a proper souvenir. But when you realise its been months and the hotel shampoo and bodywash that sit in your shower are still untouched, you know that they'll stay that way, a soapy reminder of your first holiday together.

#nct dream imagines #nct dream #nct dream fluff #nct fluff #nct dream reactions #jeno fluff #haechan fluff #jaemin fluff #renjun fluff #chenle fluff #jisung fluff #mark lee fluff #nct reactions

[neophele]

hellooo sorry for being ia for a bit! my deadlines creeped up on my faster than i anticipated but hopefully ill get back to posting very soon !!

#the haechan home cook req is up next its so sweet ehehe

[neophele]

hi ! i was reading one of your works and wanted to tell you that jeno is actually a light sleeper ! he said in a video that he wakes up very easily during the night and can't really fall back asleep after lol, and jaemin confirmed it

loved reading your post btw it was adorable <3

oh worm i havent seen that !! i guess he just has big falls asleep and sleeps like a log kinda energy to me hahah,, bless him though being a light sleeper sucks, especially when sharing a room with someone it's a bit of a pain TT TT but im glad u liked the post 😆💕

#anon

[neophele]

BIKER HAECHAN / 2 BADDIES @ mbc music festival

#hes so 😳

[neophele]

HAECHANS HAVING HEART PALPITATIONS???

I KNOW 😥😥😥 POOR BOY NEEDS SOME REST bless his sweet heart i really hope he's okay :(((

#really mark and haechan are so busy its ... only been a matter of time until one of them had health problems 😓😓😥 #anon

[neophele]

my favourite soulmate au is having your soulmates first words to you written on you somewhere if no ones said that one yet 😄 especially when it's some misunderstanding or something funny

ooooh i hadn't thought about this one, i could def have fun with this !!! (*¯︶¯*)

#added to my planning doc !!!! hehe thank u #anon

[neophele]

any favourite soulmate au tropes ?? :0 i have some ideas but i'm only committed to like 2 of them ...

#this is for the soulmate au series im working on !!!! im working on like 5 things atm hehe im really happy #would love some more ideas to play with !!!!