surprise, baby
characters | ateez ot8 x reader
plot | you're surprised with a vacation to your dream destination.
genre | romance, fluff, idol au, slice of life, established relationship
warnings | kissing, physical affection, crying (from happiness), LOTS of sweetness
word count | 3018
a/n | so i was thinking about the destinations and just ended up choosing the places where I really wanna go to in the future. lavenders are my favourite flowers i love them. also i was really struggling with this i don't know why but i just don't really like it... anyway i posted it to post something
hongjoong_
it starts with a sentence you don't even remember saying.
the two of you are sitting in his studio late one evening, waiting for a track to export while rain taps softly against the windows. you're curled up on the couch, scrolling through pictures on your phone.
"...look."
he hums distractedly. "mhm?"
you hold your screen up anyway. pictures of Paris.little cafΓ©s tucked into side alleys. rows of books spilling out of Shakespeare and Company. you smile almost absentmindedly.
"...i don't even care about the tourist stuff."
he finally looks over.
"no?"
you shake your head.
"i just want to spend a day like normal"
your thumb slides across another picture.
"buy too many books, drink coffee somewhere, pretend i'm in a romance movie."
he chuckles quietly.
"that's specific."
"...i've thought about it."
he smiles before returning to work.
"...i can tell."
the conversation ends there. for you. but for hongjoong...
he starts saving restaurants. reading reviews while sitting in waiting rooms before shows. the folder on his laptop eventually becomes very detailed.
hotel confirmations. museum tickets. restaurants. backup restaurants. backup backup restaurants. a weather forecast tab.
he laughs at himself one night. "...this is getting ridiculous."
it doesn't stop him. three months later he walks into your apartment holding a black envelope.
"what's this?"
"open it."
"...why are you smiling like that?"
"just open it."
you narrow your eyes suspiciously before pulling out the papers inside. boarding passes. your eyes immediately stop on the destination.
Paris.
"...hongjoong."
he watches the realization slowly spread across your face.
"you're kidding."
he shakes his head once.
"...we're leaving tomorrow."
you look back down at the tickets. then at him.
"...you planned this?"
he laughs.
"...a little."
"a little?"
you flip through the envelope. printed reservations. museum passes. a handwritten list titled:
places she said she'd love.
your eyes immediately sting.
"...you remembered all of this?"
"of course i did."
you laugh through tears before throwing your arms around his neck. the impact nearly knocks the envelope from hands. he laughs, hugging you just as tightly.
"...careful."
"i can't believe you did this."
he rests his chin against your head.
seonghwa_
he wants you to rest more than he wants you to travel. the idea comes after one particularly exhausting month. you're busy. he's busy. the schedules never seem to line up.
when they finally do the two of you spend your day off asleep until noon. you laugh about it over lunch.
"we're becoming boring."
he smiles.
"i don't think sleeping counts as boring."
"maybe not."
you sigh.
"...i just wish there was somewhere quiet."
your eyes drift toward the television playing a travel documentary. old wooden streets. small cafΓ©s. temples surrounded by trees.
Kyoto.
"that," you point at the screen.
"...that's exactly where i'd disappear for a week."
he glances up. then back at you.
"you like quiet places."
"i like places where nobody expects anything from me."
the sentence lingers in his mind long afteryou've said it.
so he plans everything around one goal.peace. he books a traditional ryokan instead of a hotel. finds little tea houses away from crowded streets.
plans mornings with nothing scheduled because he knows how much you love sleeping in. even the flight is chosen because it lands early enough that you won't feel rushed.
on the morning of your surprise he gently shakes your shoulder.
"wake up."
you groan.
"five more minutes."
"can't."
"...why?"
he smiles softly.
"because our flight leaves in six hours."
your eyes slowly open. "our what?"
he places two passports on the blanket.
one is yours.
"...hwa."
"good morning."
"why do you have my passport?"
"because i borrowed it."
"without asking?"
"yes."
he can't help laughing as he hands you the boarding passes.
you read them once. then again.
Kyoto.
your mouth falls open.
"...you remembered."
he reaches over, brushing a loose strand of hair away from your face.
"you said you wanted somewhere nobody could rush you."
your eyes begin to fill.
days later the two of you are walking you're walking around. your hand slips into his. you look around with wide eyes.
"...it's so quiet."
he looks at you instead of the scenery.
"i know." that's also why he brought you here.
yunho_
he almost ruins everything. multiple times. keeping secrets from you is nearly impossible. because every time he gets excited he talks. a lot.
it starts after watching Christmas movies together one evening. you're both curled beneath a blanket while snow falls outside your apartment.
the movie cuts to New York City.
ice skaters. bright lights. the giant Christmas tree. you smile dreamily.
"it looks fake."
yunho glances over.
"fake?"
"too pretty to be real."
you laugh.
"i've always wanted to see it."
"...at Christmas?"
"especially at Christmas."
he nods thoughtfully. "yeah."
that night he quietly starts searching flights. the difficult part isn't planning. it's pretending he isn't planning.
he nearly blurts out, "when we're in New-"
before coughing dramatically halfway through the sentence.
another time, he accidentally leaves a Broadway website open on his tablet.
"...what's that?"
you ask. he slams it shut.
"nothing."
"why were you looking at musicals?"
"research."
"...for?"
"don't question me."
you laugh.
he somehow survives another two months. barely.
the morning finally arrives. you think you're meeting him for breakfast.
instead he slides a paper bag across the cafΓ© table.
"...what's this?"
"your breakfast."
you smile before reaching inside. instead of food there's your passport and two plane tickets.
"...yunho."
he's already grinning.
"go on."
you stare at the destination.New York.
"...YOU'RE LYING."
he immediately starts laughing.
"I'M NOT."
"NO."
"YES."
you stand so quickly your chair nearly tips over. people around the cafΓ© glance over as you launch yourself into his arms. he catches you instinctively. laughing into your shoulder.
"...good morning."
"YOU KEPT THIS A SECRET?"
"do you know how hard that was?"
he pretends to wipe imaginary sweat from his forehead. "i deserve an award."
you pull back just enough to look at him.
"you're unbelievable."
"i know."
later you're standing beneath the enormous Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. snowflakes drift lazily through the air. your cheeks are pink from the cold. you squeeze his hand.
"this is exactly how i imagined it."
he smiles. "better?"
you nod.
"way better."
yeosang_
he remembers the things you don't realize you've said. it's one of the reasons you fell in love with him. he notices details other people walk past.
passing comments. things said only once.
months ago the two of you stop outside a florist while walking home.
bundles of lavender decorate the entrance. you smile immediately.
"...it's pretty."
he follows your gaze.
"you like lavenders?"
"it reminds me of Provence."
"you've been?"
you shake your head.
"no."
your smile turns softer.
"...i've just always wanted to see those huge lavender fields."
a car passes. the conversation changes. you keep walking.
you forget about it entirely. he doesn't. he quietly researches the best season. which places are least crowded.
where the prettiest fields are. he even finds a tiny family-owned inn overlooking the countryside because he knows you'd rather stay somewhere cozy than luxurious.
months later he appears at your apartment.
"pack."
you blink. "...for?"
"four days."
"...where?"
"it's a surprise."
"...i don't like surprises."
"i know."
"that's exactly why i'm nervous."
he only smiles.
somehow you make it all the way onto the plane without discovering anything.
you spend the entire flight trying to read the documents in his lap.
he calmly tilts them away every time.
"you're annoying."
"thank you."
finally after the landing time was announced you whisper,
"babe i mentioned this once."
"yes."
"months ago."
"...yes."
"how do you even remember these things?"
he thinks for a moment. then quietly answers.
"...because they matter to you."
it's such a simple sentence. your hand finds his. he intertwines your fingers with his.
the smile spreading across your face is still the prettiest thing he's seen all day.
san_
san isn't exactly subtle when he loves someone.
he notices everything about you and reacts immediately.
if you mention wanting to try a cafΓ©, he'll save it before you've even finished talking. if you point at a pretty sunset on your phone, he'll already be asking where it was taken.
so when the two of you are watching travel videos one lazy evening, your excitement doesn't go unnoticed.
the screen fills with narrow streets lined by colorful houses perched against cliffs.
little fishing boats drift across impossibly blue water.
the camera pans over the coastline of Positano.
your lips part ever so slightly.
"that's unreal."
san glances away from the television. toward you instead. your eyes don't leave the screen.
"imagine waking up and seeing that every morning."
you laugh softly. "i think i'd cry."
he smiles to himself.
"really?"
you nod without hesitation.
"it's so pretty it almost doesn't look real."
the documentary continues. you forget about the conversation by the time dinner is ready. san doesn't.
he spends weeks researching hotels with balconies overlooking the sea because he wants your first view of Positano to steal your breath.
he looks up boat tours. restaurants built into cliffs. tiny family-owned bakeries.
he even messages a local photographer after deciding that someone needs to capture your expression the first time you see the coastline.
when the day finally arrives, he tells you you're leaving for a schedule together.
"do i need to dress nicely?"
you ask while grabbing your bag.
he shrugs. "comfortable."
"that's suspicious."
"why?"
"you never say comfortable."
he laughs nervously."just trust me."
it isn't until the airport that you start asking real questions.
"...san."
"hm?"
"why are we in international departures?"
"..."
"san."
he can't stop smiling. finally, he hands you your passport along with a folded boarding pass. you unfold it.
blink.
look again.
Naples.
your brows knit together in confusion.
"naples?"
he nods.
"keep reading."
beneath the flight confirmation is a printed hotel reservation.
Positano.
you stop breathing for a second.
"no."
your voice cracks.
"no?"
he laughs. "yes."
you cover your mouth with both hands as tears immediately well in your eyes.
"you remembered."
"you said you'd cry."
he reaches over, gently tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.
"i wanted to be there when you did."
later you're standing on the balcony of your hotel just after sunrise.
you don't say anything. you can't.
san simply wraps both arms around your waist from behind, resting his chin lightly on your shoulder.
"worth it?"
you laugh through the tears.
"you're so annoying."
"that's not an answer."
you lean back against him.
"it's even prettier than i imagined."
he smiles into your hair. he knows. he's been watching your face instead of the view the entire time.
mingi_
he accidentally turns the surprise into the biggest event of his life.
mingi has one problem.he gets excited. far too excited. and once he's excited everyone knows.
except somehow he manages to keep this secret. mostly because hongjoong threatens him repeatedly.
"if you tell her..."
"i won't."
"you almost told her yesterday."
"that doesn't count."
"you literally said, 'when we're in-'"
"I SAVED IT!"
he did. barely.
it all started because of a photo.
you'd been lying across the couch one evening, scrolling through your phone while mingi absentmindedly played with your fingers.
suddenly you held the screen in front of his face.
"look."
he blinked.
bright neon lights. crowded streets. bright signs everywhere
Tokyo.
"whoa."
you smiled.
"right?"
"that's insane."
"i've wanted to go forever."
you zoomed in on another picture.
"arcades."
"shopping."
"food."
"...everything."
mingi watched you talk for almost ten minutes without interrupting. you looked so happy just imagining it.
he quietly decided okay we're going.
the planning becomes surprisingly serious. he researches cafΓ©s.
books reservations at restaurants people recommend online.
finds the best observation deck because someone writes, "the city looks the best at night."
he immediately thinks of you.
the morning of the trip he can barely sit still. you're convinced something is wrong.
"why are you smiling like that?"
"like what?"
"like you committed a crime."
"...maybe i did."
"song mingi."
he laughs before handing you a small gift bag.
inside a tiny plush version of your favorite Sanrio character.
you smile immediately. "it's adorable."
"keep looking."
beneath it sits an envelope. you slowly pull out the boarding passes. your eyes scan the destination.
Tokyo
"you're joking."
he shakes his head his hair falls into his eyes.
"I'M NOT."
you look up. back down. up again.
"...we're actually going?"
"YEAH."
"...to Japan?"
"YEAH."
"...today?"
"YEAH."
before he even realizes what's happening, you've thrown yourself into his arms. he stumbles backward dramatically.
"thank you."
he hugs you impossibly tighter.
"i've been waiting three months for you to say that."
later you spin in a slow circle, trying to take everything in at once.
mingi smiles.
"you're doing the thing."
you blink.
"what thing?"
"your eyes."
"...my eyes?"
"they get all sparkly when you're excited."
you immediately hide your face.
"stop looking at me."
"...can't."
wooyoung_
he pretends the whole trip was your idea.wooyoung loves making you curious. he thinks it's hilarious. you don't.
"just tell me."
"no."
"why?"
"because this is fun."
"for you."
"exactly."
the teasing begins weeks before the trip. he starts randomly asking things like,
"how do you feel about seafood?"
or,
"can you swim?"
or,
"would you rather wake up early or stay out all night?"
you narrow your eyes every single time.
"why?"
"just asking."
"you're planning something."
"maybe."
"wooyoung."
"yes?"
"i'm going to fight you."
he laughs so hard he almost falls off the couch. the truth is... months earlier, you'd shown him a video while the two of you were lying in bed.
white buildings climbing hillsides. bright blue rooftops. the sea sparkling beneath the afternoon sun.
Santorini.
you sighed dreamily. "it looks like someone painted it."
wooyoung looked at the screen. then at you.
"you wanna go?"
"...one day."
that was all he needed. on the day of the surprise he refuses to answer a single question.
"where are we going?"
"outside."
"wow."
"you're welcome."
"how long?"
"...a while."
"internationally?"
"...maybe."
you groan dramatically.
"i hate you."
"no you don't."
"currently?"
"a little."
he grins.
"...that's still love."
by the time you're sitting at the gate you're convinced he's somehow managed to trick you into filming content for work.
"...seriously."
you sigh. "give me one hint."
he pretends to think. "it's blue."
"the ocean?"
"...maybe."
"the sky?"
"also maybe."
"you're the worst."
he beams proudly. "thank you."
boarding begins. you finally glance down at the ticket in your hand. your heart immediately stops.
Santorini.
"...jung wooyoung."
he looks up innocently.
"...yes?"
"YOU LITTLE-"
you smack his arm hard enough that he yelps.
"OW."
"YOU KNEW."
"I DID."
"FOR HOW LONG?"
"...five months."
"FIVE MONTHS?"
he bursts into laughter. "you should've seen your face."
you try to stay annoyed. you really do. it lasts approximately four seconds before you're laughing too.
later the two of you are watching the sunset from Oia.
everything around you glows orange and gold. you quietly lean your head against his shoulder.
"thank you."
his usual teasing disappears.
"happy?"
you nod.
"more than happy."
he kisses the top of your head.
"good."
jongho_
he doesn't tell you until the very last possible moment. jongho has never understood why people make elaborate surprises.
if something needs to happen it happens.
simple.
except when it comes to you.
somehow he finds himself keeping one anyway. it starts after a long practice day.
you're sitting together eating takeout when a documentary begins playing on the television.
vast green landscapes. waterfalls cascading down cliffs. black sand beaches stretching toward the sea.
the narrator mentions Iceland.
you stop eating.
"...wow."
jongho looks up.
"cold."
you laugh.
"that's your first thought?"
"yes."
you smile.
"mine is that it's beautiful."
the camera pans across the northern lights overhead.
your eyes immediately soften.
"i've always wanted to see that."
"the lights?"
"all of it."
you quietly add another bite of food. "i think it'd make me feel really small."
jongho says nothing. but later that night he searches,"best time to see northern lights in Iceland."
months pass. he arranges time off. books a cabin away from the city.
plans routes to waterfalls and glaciers because he remembers you saying nature always calmed you down. he never mentions any of it.
the morning finally comes. you're convinced he's taking you on another work trip. only when you're standing in front of the departure board does he hand you your passport.
"...check inside."
confused, you open it. a boarding pass slips out. your eyes fall to the destination.
ReykjavΓk.
"...jongho."
he nods once.
"we're going."
"...to Iceland?"
"yes."
"today?"
"yes."
"to see the northern lights?"
"hopefully."
your eyes immediately fill. "you remembered."
he looks at you quieetly.
"you don't say things unless they matter."
your lip trembles.
"so i listened."
the two of you stand outside your cabin.
the night sky is perfectly clear. for a while nothing happens.
then a bit of green slowly appears overhead.
it stretches across the dark sky before turning into waves of light.
your breath catches.
jongho reaches over, gently taking your hand inside his glove.
after several minutes you whisper,
"thank you."
he looks at you instead of the sky.
