My worst audience is my mirror, I put on quite a show

“How long have you been sitting there?” Jinyoung’s voice broke the silence in the apartment, startling you. “All morning?”

“Maybe,” you simply stated, eyes still glued to the streets below. “I think I’m slowly losing track of time.”

With a towel wrapped around his waist and a smaller one on his head, Jinyoung lay down on the plush queen-sized bed you shared and let out a deep breath, letting his eyes close for a moment. Noticing the soft creak of the bed behind you, you turned around and crawled onto the empty space beside him, resting a cheek on his chest as you took in his steady heartbeat. Perfect.

“It’s pouring out there,” you said, turning your head to face him. “Are you sure you’ll make it to the studio on time?”

“Jackson texted me, said he’s gonna pick me up,” he told you as his fingers began to play with the ends of your hair. “Which is why I should probably continue getting ready.”

“You’re really gonna let him be behind the wheel? In that weather?”

Jinyoung looked at the window behind you, shrugging as lightning struck from afar. “He’s old enough not to speed in the rain and if he does speed, I’ll just smack him behind the head.”

You looked up at the clock that was at the corner of your eye. “Well, look at the time,” you said, patting him on the chest and standing up. “Go get changed, tiger.”

Chuckling and shaking his head, he stood up and walked to your shared closet, where Jinyoung’s side was on the left and yours on the right. You leaned back against the wall, enjoying the sight of his bare back, muscles firm and toned from all the hours spent in the gym and years as a performer

“What time do you get out today?” Jinyoung asked as he shimmied into a pair of faded blue jeans and zipped up its fly.

“Six, as always… but I got half-day off, so I won’t head in until lunchtime,” you said. “I’ll never get tired of this.”

“Get tired of what?” he asked as he eyed his reflection in the mirror, slipping on a black denim jacket over a white T-shirt.

You stood up from the mattress and settled behind Jinyoung, wrapping your arms around his waist and resting your head on his shoulder. “Mornings with you,” you said as you looked at him in the mirror. “One of these days you’re gonna be done with the album and the comeback and go on tour to spend your days in sold-out arenas and swanky hotels without me. I need to savour this.”

“Trust me, honey, you’re going to be there with me,” he affirmed, placing a hand over yours on his torso. “I’m bringing you all around the world, I promise.”

“You don’t need to promise me anything,” you reassured him. “As long as you’re doing what you love, I’m happy.”

Just as you were about to give Jinyoung a kiss on the cheek, his phone rang and vibrated in the pocket of his jacket. Startled, he turned out of your grasp and pulled out his phone, answering the awaited call. “It’s Jackson,” he muttered and put a soft hand on your lower back as he took the call.

“Jackson?… You’re downstairs, already?… No, I thought you said you’d be here at 9.30… Yes, I’m ready… I’m not late, you’re just early!… Fine, fine, I’ll be down in a minute… See you.”

Sighing, Jinyoung hung up and placed his phone back in his pocket. “Sorry about that… and you were saying?”

“Babe, he’s already here,” you said, walking him to the door, past the dining room and the kitchen. “Have him wait there any longer and the security guards will shoo him away.”

“Wait,” he exclaimed rather suddenly.

“What?”

“How do I look?”

You wanted to roll your eyes and smack him on the shoulder, but you resisted. “Handsome as always,” you answered, straightening his shirt with your hands and tucking a stray strand of his hair back. “Now go get them, tiger.”

Opening the door, he finally gave you a proper kiss on the lips. It was short, sweet and you could feel the warmth of his skin. “Stay safe out there. Love you.”

“Love you more,” he said, walking out as he waved goodbye, heading down the corridor towards the elevator.

Just as you saw his figure disappear from sight, you shut the door behind you, facing the rest of your day alone before you had to get ready for work. Walking over to the kitchen, you sighed, mentally preparing yourself for the mountain of dirty dishes from last night’s three-course dinner, only to be met with an empty sink and a drying rack full of plates, cups, and pans. Of course, Jinyoung took care of the dishes late last night. He always did.

Time alone at home was not new, but weekday mornings without any responsibilities were a once-in-a-while treat. You could fit in a last-minute mani-pedi appointment, maybe even go on a grocery run or head to the gym.

You ended up crashing back down on your bed, back flat on the mattress as your legs rested off the edge. You closed your eyes; the silence was nice, comforting and meditative. The sounds of rain began to fade out as the sunlight poured through the windows, brightening up the space around you. Your mind began to wander as you opened your eyes, only to be met with the spinning ceiling fan.

“Fuck,” you muttered as you rolled onto your side. You had mulled over it once, all while being alone when Jinyoung was working with the band on their music. Going on tour with him and following GOT7 around the world, in theory, was a dream but in reality, it was anything but ideal for you. Truthfully, you wanted a sense of normalcy in your life, which was one of the reasons why you had not left your job for something else that would fit Jinyoung’s lifestyle.

You yearned for stability and consistency, and to tell Jinyoung to slow down, especially when he could afford to.

As one would expect, it had come across your mind before, about finally giving up and leaving Jinyoung for good but it was a big decision to make… and you knew it. Huddling up in a pile of pillows and a blanket, you grabbed the remote and turned on the television before aimlessly scrolling through different shows to watch. You paused on a preview of a drama that he was in, sighed, and continued on scrolling.

While keeping up with Jinyoung had been the hardest part of being with him, you had always admired how the arts were just so effortless and second nature to him. He made it seem so easy. The way his voice got everyone wrapped around his finger, how he got the audience to sit on their seats with his acting. He was powerful on whatever stage he was on.

Nonetheless, power was not enough. There were discrepancies that needed to be addressed and you needed to let him know.

–

Jinyoung walked into the apartment, placing his jacket on the coat hanger and keys in the cupboard by the door. He made his way to your bed, finding you lying in a fetal position, half-dressed in your work clothes.

Blinking, he stopped and stared for a moment – half-day or not, work must have tired you out that day, he thought. He quietly put the bag of fried chicken and beer he had bought on the way home down on the vanity, toeing out of his socks and taking off his T-shirt before tossing it somewhere in the corner behind him. Walking slowly, he approached the bed with caution and as softly as he could, lay down beside you. You did not move as he carefully lifted your arm and draped it over him, scooting closer to your sleeping frame.

Staring down at your face, Jinyoung drank you in. How serene and relaxed you looked in sleep, even when life had been so hard on you, especially when he was the brunt of the issue. Even though you never told him, he had a gut feeling that there was something wrong. His fingers itched to touch your face, to feel the warmth and softness of your skin, but he remained still. Your lips were slightly pursed and some strands of hair were stuck on your cheek as soft puffs of air escaped with every breath you let out.

A small grunt left his mouth as you suddenly pulled him closer and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “I missed you,” you mumbled against his skin. “Work okay?”

He nodded, flush against you now, your body straightened out beside him and he couldn’t help but slide a hand underneath your shirt, feeling the warmth of your skin against his palm. You shivered slightly at his touch but mimicked him, snaking a hand and resting it just above the waistline of his jeans.

“I’m sorry I got home so late,” he said, capturing your lips in a kiss. “Fucking last minute interview at the radio station.”

“I understand. You’re home now and that’s all that matters.”

You curled up beside him, resting your head on his shoulder as he started running his fingers through your hair. You sighed in contentment and he let out a soft laugh.

“Is there a problem here?”

“You’re gorgeous.”

“No problem, then.” He leaned his lips closer and placed a kiss on your forehead before pulling you more securely against him. “Babe?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t think I’ve brought this up before, but, you need to catch a breath and take a break from work… I need you around here. When was the last time we went on our morning walk together? Whatever happened to that ritual, huh?”

“Y/N, I–”

“You got too busy. When it’s not GOT7, it’s your acting, and if it’s not that, it’s some sort of ambassadorship or sponsorship thing. You’re so go, go, go when the pause button has been in front of you this whole time. We’re more than well-off… a break won’t hurt you.”

His warm hands caressed your upper arms and he closed his eyes to avoid your searching gaze. You left him speechless because deep down, he knew you were right. “I… I’m sorry. Maybe I didn’t stop to realise just how much I was doing.”

“I love you and I love that you’re doing what you love but promise me one thing,” you said, sticking a pinky finger out.

“What?”

“No more projects after this comeback, at least not for some time… so we can spend some proper time together.”