#ankathia

Amongst the spectators, of course, was you with your hands gripping the announcer’s microphone, usually dedicated to relaying every single move. And although you were initially excited to be at the game, where you would hear the angry swish of brooms along with the cheers and jeers, you were now hating every little second that passed. Why? Because, no matter how unfiltered your thoughts were when it came to Quidditch, it seemed that this time around, you were on another level.

“There goes number seventy-seven, Jaehyun Jeong of Gryffindor, hitting the Bludger away from his side of the field and onto the other. Oh, how I would let him beat me with his sti—” Your comment was interrupted by a wand poking your side. Professor Changmin Shim, the Gryffindor head, simply glared at you before jerking his head to the current game on the pitch. “Sorry, Professor!”

It wasn’t like you wanted to make comments such as that one out loud—your crush on the handsome Quidditch player was something you wanted to keep to yourself and your small group of friends. The thing was, no matter how hard you tried to restrain them, they just spilled out of your mouth. The words flew out faster than the Golden Snitch zooming around the field—there was no way of stopping them. 

You couldn’t catch your words. 

Merlin’s beard, you could barely keep your mouth shut to begin with. That was how you ended up at the next Hogwarts Quidditch Announcer, following in the footsteps of the loudmouth  Lee Jordan and the mischievous Baekhyun Byun. Despite that fact, you were never that explicit when commenting on plays. The unfiltered thoughts resonating through the microphone was all thanks to your idiot friends, Donghyuck Lee and Chenle Zhong.

“You are dead to me,” you whispered harshly at your friends.

“You always say that, mate,” Donghyuck said as he stretched, resting his palms behind his thick head of hair.

“When are you going to actually act on your threats?” Chenle added on with a smirk.

“Today. Say your goodbyes, boys,” you say with an evil glint in your sharp eyes, doing their best to follow the plays. You leaned forward and made a comment about Slytherin’s swift Keeper blocking the Quaffle from entering the middle hoop, earning a cheer from their fans. 

“How long does this potion last?”

“Six hours, give or take,” Chenle recited from memory. Two hours had passed since you consumed it and each game lasted around two hours. Hypothetically, you would have to deal with the effects of the serum for two more hours. “Why?”

“Time to find your crushes and blurt every dirty little secret you rascals have.” 

There was a reason you three got along. You were all menaces. Their eyes widened and before they could beg for your forgiveness, your eyes caught the Pitch’s referee making a call. Leaning into the mic, your voice boomed throughout the yard. “FOUL!” Your volume increased as the passion for the game overcame you. “Slytherin was just issued a foul for cobbing, rightfully so! KEEP YOUR SHARP ELBOWS TO YOURSELVES, YOU DAMN SNAKES! I’M LOOKING AT YOU, NAKAMOTO! I HOPE YOU DON’T MAKE IT TO THE HOUSE FINALS!”

“Hey!” Donghyuck placed his hand over his heart, pretending to be offended by your comment.

“Oh, don’t get all soft on me now,” you roll your eyes at him. “You’re a damn snake for pulling that stunt and you know it.”

“Hiss hiss, motherfucker.”

“Ten points from Slytherin,” Professor Taeyeon Kim blurted out from the bench behind you.

Donghyuck and Chenle’s big eyes became circles at their own house head’s betrayal. “Professor Kim, what gives?!”

“No need to curse, Lee, hold yourself with dignity,” your instructor held her ground, her eyes not even leaving the field to give her two students a chance. 

Smart yet dumb was how you would describe your meddling friends. Much like every friend group, each person had their own strengths. Donghyuck and Chenle’s strong suits just so happened to be Potions and they always used it to their advantage. Because you were afraid to confess your feelings to Jaehyun, the two decided to take matters into their own grimy hands. They slipped Veritaserum—a truth serum—into your morning coffee that you chugged before rushing to the Pitch. 

Your liking towards Jaehyun developed over time. It didn’t hit you all at once like your other crushes. In fact, you didn’t like him at all at first. His cockiness when it came to his athletic ability irked you in your previous years as a Quidditch fan. Jaehyun’s confidence grew throughout the years, his second-year benchwarmer days long behind him once he had a chance to debut his skills. Some people wanted to be him, others just wanted him. 

Others much like yourself.

Especially when all he would do was blush in your presence. (And yet, you still couldn’t bring yourself to confess.)

If anything, it made Jaehyun all the more attractive in your eyes. He could barely make it through a Friday Potions lesson with you as his partner once, stumbling over his words as he read the recipe out to you. It turned your cauldron into a ticking bomb, the gooey substance exploding all over your robes. Jaehyun, who was never a klutz when it came to these things, flushed with embarrassment while you stared blankly at him, hands filled with what was meant to be your exit ticket at the end of class. Professor Yunho Jeong made the two of you stay behind to clean the mess up as he graded your papers. The Gryffindor coach, who doubled as the potions professor, was secretly entertained by his star athlete’s lack of coordination and words the whole time.

“God, I’m so sorry, I really don’t know how I mixed up the words like that,” Jaehyun reiterated while he scrubbed the sticky floor. His red and gold tie dangling too and fro with each miniscule movement. The athlete was on his hands and knees right next to you with his long, white sleeves rolled up above his elbows. His robe and sweater vest were long forgotten, settled on his assigned lab bench, mingling with your own belongings. 

“Jaehyun, it’s okay. People make mistakes like this all the time–”

“I know but–”

“Jae,” you said, clearly exasperated, “for the last time, it’s okay.”

When your classmate failed to reply, you turned to see a redness spread from his ears, down to his cheeks, and dot his precious nose. He blinked slowly, pretty mouth opened just a tad. 

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” you wiped your face with the back of your palm, pushing your loose strands out of your sight. “Is there something on my face? I thought I already wiped it all off.”

Your comment pulled him from his thoughts, his hands shaking in front of you. “No, there’s nothing on your face. It’s not that.”

“Then what?” you poked the bear, shifting your attention until it was fully on him. Jaehyun looked at you with a bashful expression and you jutted your jaw towards him, giving him that silent reassurance. 

“You called me Jae,” he said after a beat, “you’ve never done that before. Only my friends call me Jae.”

“Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to, it just slipped.” 

“Wait, no, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just surprised,” Jaehyun laughed nervously, “that’s all.”

“If you don’t want me to call you that, Jaehyun, you can just say so, it’s alright.” Gritting your teeth, you went back to work, adding an insane amount of pressure into your scrubbing. You wanted the cold floors to swallow you whole.

A warm hand rested itself on your forearm, halting your movements. “You can call me Jae.” His soft and sweet brown irises found yours, the tiny corners of his eyes lifting up as he smiled. 

“Are you sure?” 

“As sure as I can be.” Jaehyun’s hand gave you a little squeeze and a giggle escaped you. Turning away from him, you shyly continued your work, way too flustered to maintain eye contact.

Another second passed before Jaehyun’s low voice spoke again, “Call me whatever you like.”

Even after that exchange, Jaehyun still felt extremely apologetic for putting you through that on a Friday. He felt so bad that he went out of his way to find your friends to ask for your favorite dessert. The same dessert Donghyuck and Chenle mentioned showed up via owl delivery with the sweetest note on a Sunday morning. You found Jaehyun in class the next week, thanking him for the thoughtful gesture, failing to mention that you saw him frantically fighting a younger student for the last dessert in the case at Honeydukes. The moment remained in your head years later, when you did, in fact, call him whatever you liked.

“He certainly has quite the Bludger, doesn’t he? Jeong is so hot,” you swooned as Jaehyun leaned back on his broomstick, padded arms stretching towards the sky. He snuck a glance towards you, eyes meeting across the way, and you just knew that his red ears were hiding underneath his brown helmet. 

Your focus wasn’t even on the game anymore as the seekers dove towards the grass in an attempt to catch the snitch. You had tunnel vision with the student that claimed your heart. 

Number twenty-nine of the Gryffindor team, Chaser John Suh, decided it was high time to stop right in front of your stand. His shouting voice was loud enough for your microphone to pick up, projecting his comment throughout the field. “He really does, I’ve seen it with my own two eyes!”

Ripples of laughter moved through the audience like a wave.

“I’d like to take a ride on seventy-seven’s broom, if you know what I mean,” you shot back, eyes trailing said player as he swung his bat to deflect a Bludger. 

Fuck, why couldn’t your brain just shut up? You cringed at every single lewd comment that escaped your motor mouth, slapping your forehead repeatedly without end.

As that comment rang throughout the stadium, Jaehyun’s broom shifted in your direction so quickly, the boy almost lost his steadiness. Known for his insane balancing skills, Jaehyun wasn’t one to be easily knocked off his feet; after all, his job in the sport was to maintain his balance while handling his hat to ward away unwanted Bludgers. You, however, were the only one who could make him this way. 

Johnny knew it and so did the rest of the Gryffindor team. And as his best friend and fellow teammate, it was Johnny’s job to embarrass Jaehyun, even if it cost their team losing the game. The Gryffindor members grew tired of Jaehyun’s flustered state whenever he came near you. The confidence in him disappeared every time the beater flew past you and Johnny knew pushing the buttons of your thoughts would do the job.

“I think everyone knows what you mean, sweetheart,” Johnny laughed, “I’m sure he wouldn’t be opposed to it!”

“Suh, don’t you dare make me take points away from my own house!” Professor Shim hissed, pointing his wand towards the center of the field.

“Sir, yes, sir!” The Chaser saluted with a grin, zooming back into position. 

The game continued with your usual distracted commentary, the animated remarks amplifying tenfold when it came to player seventy-seven, which made the match all the more interesting. For an opening game of the season, it was the closest match the school had seen in years: 210-200 with Slyterin barely in the lead. 

“Slytherin Chaser trio–Nakamoto, Ten Lee, and Yangyang Liu–speed their way through in the famed Hawkhead Attacking formation, to force the Gryffindor Chasers aside. A great tactic for the snakes, may I add and OH–Chaser Suh is on their tail, zooming in behind–NO, WAIT–next to them, fast enough to break their tight triangle! AMAZING WORK, SUH! The Quaffle is now in his hands. He’s going towards the other end of the field with Jeong following behind, deflecting all the Bludgers Slytherin throws Suh’s way.” Your eyes never left the dynamic duo as they inched towards the hoops belonging to their opponents. Your vision flitted to your crush, who fell into place right next to Johnny, broom in one hand and bat swinging around in circles on the other. His gaze resembled a radar, grazing the Pitch for the incoming hardballs that were most definitely going to fly Johnny’s way. Jaehyun barely managed to knock out another ball that was aimed to harm Johnny with his bat before the elder took the clear shot in front of him. 

“AND HE SCORES! GRYFFINDOR AND SLYTHERIN ARE NOW TIED AND IT’S ALL TO JEONG’S BEAUTIFUL ASSIST DURING SUH’S THROW!” Your fingers pressed on the button of the scoreboard, increasing the number on Gryffindor’s side. Your loyalties were as clear as day. “Jeong, what else can those hands do? I’d try ‘em out for size.”

“Bloody hell, someone please get her off the mic before I do it myself,” Professor Shim muttered more to himself than to anyone else.

“Ah, but where’s the fun in that, Professor?” Donghyuck smirked, the gleam in his eye glowing as brightly as ever. 

“Ten points from Slytherin,” the teacher announced, eyes still focused on the game. He swore that particular duo reminded him of the legendary Weasley twins that were in his year during his time at Hogwarts. Donghyuck’ s grin immediately dropped. 

“Professor!” Chenle tried to protest.

“Each.” Both Slytherins felt their shoulders sink. They could practically picture the green sand in their hourglass decrease. 

There was barely time to chuckle at their misery when a power play occurred right before your very eyes. You felt the two Seekers–Renjun Huang of Slytherin and Mark Lee of Gryffindor–fly past you before you saw them, the athletes riding their brooms faster than the speed of light. There were no questions asked when they were picked to be their team’s representatives. Both boys, although young, were lithe speedsters that were hard to spot with a normal eye. Even the hardcore fans at Hogwarts had a rough time keeping their eyes on their teammates. 

“Off the Seekers go, towards the Slytherin’s end of the Pitch, following the Snitch wherever it may go. Whoever gets it first will break the tie and win the game. Lee’s on enemy territory with almost no one to defend him–a bat just hit a Bludger right in Mark’s direction with two Chasers locking him in–AND A QUICK SAVE FROM JEONG ALLOWS LEE TO BREAK FREE AND CONTINUE ON HIS QUEST FOR THE SNITCH! Great work, Jeong! Goodness, I’d kiss you if I could. Hell, I’d do whatever you want me to!”

A collective hiss of your name came from the professors surrounding you but at this point, you didn’t care.

The force of Jaehyun’s swing causes his broom to propel him straight in front of your stand. Jaehyun hovered before you with that dimpled grin and even though the wacky flying goggles blocked his cheeks, you just knew that they matched the color of his Gryffindor uniform. Maybe the surge of confidence came from his plays. Maybe it came from your unending compliments, but it was enough to make him draw his broom closer to where you sat, look straight into your eyes, and say, “Do whatever you want to me. I’d love it all.”

His act of courage caused your eyes to widen, grip the microphone in your hands with whitened knuckles, that you missed Mark Lee doing a deep dive straight for the grass with an outstretched hand, his fingers finally grabbing hold of the Snitch after two hours of flying.

A sharp jab to your side–courtesy of Donghyuck–snapped you back into reality.  You were able to guess the results of the game by the way all the Gryffindors surrounded Mark, who was lifted on Johnny’s shoulders. But even as you announced the winners of the game–Gryffindor with 260 points–your eyes did not falter from Jaehyun Jeong. He did not rush to join his teammates. He stayed there, ripping his goggles off his eyes, to look right at you. 

Jaehyun reached over to change the score on the board, his face loitering so close to yours. His lips were close enough to taste and the victory glow made him look like an angel in red. Jaehyun’s post-game look, with his messy helmet hair and sweat-slicked skin, was a sight for sore eyes, you couldn’t look away from him. You couldn’t even try.

“How about this Saturday?”

“What?”

“Saturday. You and me. Hogsmeade. How ‘bout it?” 

“Really?” 

Jaehyun’s pretty grin widened as you questioned him. “Really.”

“Okay, this Saturday. It’s a date.”

Jaehyun backed away to clear enough space to do a quick, nerdy little spin on his Starsweeper, making you laugh wholeheartedly at his cuteness. His broom led him straight to you once again. “I should head over to”–he jerked his head in the direction of his team–“celebrate with the rest of the guys but be my date to the afterparty?”

“That’d be a dream come true,” you admitted, the truth serum still working its wonders. 

“Brilliant,” he chuckled in both awe and disbelief. “I’ll wait outside the Common Room for you.”

“Sounds wonderful.”

Jaehyun flew away to join the rest of the Gryffindors, still throwing Mark in the air. He stopped midway on his path, when the crowds around you were thinning out and you were beginning to pack up your belongings. Like acting on instinct, his Starsweeper brought him back to you one more time. He yelled out your name, grabbing the attention of everyone still on the Pitch. They all turned into onlookers as he floated on air. His body was on the front end of the broom, hands resting at the tip and torso leaning towards you. 

“One more thing before I go,” Jaehyun said. On his face was a lovesick expression, one that no one else could mimic. 

You cocked your head to the side. “Yes?”

Jaehyun closed the distance between your lips with the slightest bit of pressure. You sighed into it, meeting him with a bit more eagerness that had him smiling into the kiss. He pressed another one and then another one, with a strong arm wrapping around your middle and the other snaking up to cup your jaw. It was the best victory kiss he could ever ask for.

His lips lingered and you could still feel his breathing as he balanced on the broom. His lashes tickled your skin before he drew back from your personal bubble. Jaehyun’s whole face was red, from the tips of his ears to the bottoms of his apple cheeks as he flew backwards, the broom already leading the way. “I’ll see you later, alright, lovely?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Jae.” 

One truth serum was all it took for you to get the boy. For once, your blabbering mouth didn’t lead you to trouble. As much as you wanted to kill Chenle and Donghyuck for making you suffer, you supposed a thank you was in order as well.  After all, they led you to the best feeling in the world, falling head over broomstick for Gryffindor’s all-star Beater, Jaehyun Jeong. 

Even with twenty points taken away from your house for your lewd comments and your unexpected public display of affection, it was a great way to kick off another year at Hogwarts. With your mind and heart fluttering like the Golden Snitch in Mark’s hand, you couldn’t wait to see what else was in store. 

AUTHOR’S HOWLER. Happy Jaehyun Day, my loves! My Valentine self is back, writing for Jaehyun again. I really missed writing for him <3 I hope everyone enjoys this lil fic. It’s been sitting in my drafts for years and I’m so happy it’s finally being released. I tried my best to make OC sound like Lee Jordan and stay true to the characters in the books. Please tell me what you think! 

TAGLIST. @johtenrecs @emmybyeakitty @ppangjae @sokkigarden @kaepop-trash @suhnnyskiess @baekhyuns-lipchain @bebsky @bat-shark-repellant @renjuunsz @ferxanda @lebrookestore @yutaholic @alluringjae @justsayk @itsapapisongo @ashes23 @hyperfixationficrecs @bebskyy @misakiise @iwishiwasthemoontonight​ @inlovergirlsworld​ @tyongblr

NETWORKS. @neowritingsnet

The one thing you hated about your university though wasn’t a thing at all. It was a person who went by the name of John Jun Suh. People in the English department, whether it be faculty, staff, or fellow students called him by Johnny but you wouldn’t succumb to calling him by his preferred name. It made you seem closer to him than you really were and you despised that even being a possibility. You weren’t close. You were far from that. 

Johnny Suh was your rival in every sense of the word. The top two students in the entire department—he concentrated in Literal and Cultural Studies while you dabbled in Creative Writing—you never saw eye to eye. 

Even in a shared lecture hall, you and Johnny were miles apart, distance fueled by your competitive spirits and mutual distaste for the other. 

Miles apart and still butting heads as academic rivals were destined to do. The discussions in the courses you shared were led by your volleying, voices only increasing in volume as you challenged each other’s thoughts and cruxes. Fighting for the attention of the professors. Competing for the highest grade on the latest paper or the spot of tutor in the Writing Lab. 

And just how you had a certain way of doing things, Johnny did the same, using a completely different method. 

In other words, the two of you were complete opposites. 

While you preferred the lighter side of fiction, he longed for the darker bookish themes. The same went for your style of dress—your academia-themed wardrobe was filled with whites, off-whites, and the lighter colors of the spectrum whereas Johnny’s clothes consisted of darker statement pieces including black turtlenecks and dark brown slacks with matching coats. Dark shades and fits that only accentuated his devastatingly handsome figure. 

When you felt comfortable studying during the light of day, you always caught Johnny entering the library in the dark of night as you left for home. 

He was a bookish social butterfly, his wings fluttering about here and there around the English department building and in any club that sparked his interest, while you stayed in your tightly-knitted group of friends. 

Your friends never understood why you hated him. Yes, you were rivals when it came to grades and other educated-related things, but they truly believed you would get along if you really got to know him.

You hated him because it seemed as if he was blessed with everything in life—intelligence, a light and friendly attitude despite his dark attire, physical features that rivaled ones belonging to the gods. Thick hair that looked good in any color. Eyes that shined behind the glare of his rounded specks. Proportions that made both men and women alike swoon. A voice filled with a variety of colors. Johnny was almost perfect without even trying and you despised him for it. 

They were wrong about you and him. So completely wrong.

You knew it. You were almost certain Johnny knew it too.

There was no way you could get along with John Jun Suh. Never in your wildest dreams.

You thought you would find solace working in the town center’s bookshop. Clearly, as Johnny stood before you, with his brand new name-tag pinned against the expanse of his chest, you thought wrong.

To make matters worse, you were the one assigned to train him, to show him the ropes. According to your boss, there was no one better to show the giant how everything works around the store. Your boss wasn’t wrong, you just hated the fact that you had to share one more thing with Johnny Suh. 

With and without your help, Johnny picked up quickly and worked his way up to one of the shop’s top sellers list. Once again, you two were tied for a title. Your boss, sensing your drive to compete, fueled the fire even more in the form of commissions. 

As one of the only bookstores in your college town, your place of employment was quite a popular place. People of all ages flocked to your store to find the book they were seeking and it was time to take advantage of it. In order to engage with customers, your boss launched a loyalty program in which people could earn points that led to discounts. An employee of the shop would earn a commission every time someone signed up for the program under their recommendation. The staff member who received the most commissions within three months after launch would get an extra bonus. It was a fantastic plan, one that was well-received by the staff and the public, especially by you and Johnny.

The two of you found it as another way to compete, especially when you were the highest performers in house. A bet resulted from this “friendly” competition, the loser having to do whatever the winner wanted of them. You remembered the day the bet was established, the rage festering inside you egging Johnny on.

“I’m going to get that bonus, Suh, just you wait,” you said, pushing yourself off the shelf you leaned on. “Just you fucking wait.”

Johnny’s face whipped straight to you with a smirk permanently etched on his full lips. With raised brows, he answered, “Oh, I think you’ve got it all wrong, sweetheart, because that money is mine.”

He tried to distract you with silly nicknames and it didn’t work. “Stubborn as ever, aren’t you?”

“I’d say the same about you,” Johnny lowered his lids, lashes brushing against the tops of his cheeks. He crossed his arms against his chest, muscles straining against his tight shirt’s form hugging fabric. You willed yourself to look away from the bulging muscles that caught everyone else’s attention.  “I’d suggest a bet but everyone knows I’ll win.”

“Oh, please. You’re too confident in yourself!”

“And you’re not?”

“I’ve been here longer and I have more customer service experience than you, John, so I clearly have the upper hand,” you argued as your feet led you to him. 

“And yet all the customers come to me when we’re servicing the same area, I wonder why that is,” Johnny shrugged, “Must be your resting bitch face scaring them away.”

You scoffed, “Is that supposed to be an insult? You need to try a little harder to actually hurt my feelings.”

“Believe me,” Johnny paused to say your name and you tightened your fists to fight the shiver his words caused, “I’m only just getting started.”

“Okay, if it’s a bet you want, fine. I’m in. Loser gets to grant the winner’s wish, no matter what it is.” You stuck your hand out and it lingered in the air for a second too long. 

When you tried to pull it away, Johnny’s hand reached out to join them together. You ignored the electricity that shocked your brain. The feeling of warmth his touch gave you. 

“Fine,” he agreed.

“Good!”

“Good.”

Neither you or Johnny announced what you wanted as punishments, saving the surprise for when the three months concluded. Despite that, you were not one who took losing well. So, you did whatever means necessary to win. Johnny did the very same.

Your coworkers gave up on winning that bonus because no one was as passionate as you both were, parading around the grounds while sabotaging each other. Johnny hid your online orders and you stole his customers. You had yelling matches in the stock rooms, ones others could hear if they passed by the back doors. They never stopped you–they knew better than that–instead, they just let it all unfold, wondering where your arguments would lead you next.

“Stop taking customers away from me!” you screeched at him one day when the shop was devoid of people. It was a slow day so far with no one else but Johnny and a few more coworkers to keep you company.  

You passed the point of annoyance and almost grabbed the closest hardcover within your reach. A good hit on the back of Johnny’s head would do your coworker some good. Johnny deserved it, especially when that specific guest signed up for the program right in front of you. You caught Johnny double checking the person’s entered information on his computer screen, reading everything back to him to check for accuracy. 

You couldn’t believe he ripped another one away from your fingertips. According to the data up till then, tallied on a whiteboard in the break room, Johnny was five commissions ahead of you. You were in the lead last week but he intercepted so many of your customers in the past two days, Johnny saw catching up as child’s play. That last customer made it six. 

Johnny simply rested his sharp chin, “You were taking too long so he came to me. Seemed like he was in a rush.”

“I was trying to find him the perfect copy,” you spat back. “A lot of the covers were damaged during shipping.”

“And some people don’t care about that stuff.” 

“Are you saying you don’t?” you asked.

“No, I do. But others, like that guy who just left, don’t.” 

“Whatever, fucker,” you turned away from him, logging back into your computer that kicked you off during your time away. 

“Such eloquent words coming out of that pretty mouth of yours,” Johnny laughed, satisfied with the irritation in your voice. Your mind fixated on the compliment and you did your absolute best to ignore minuscule, barely-there thump in your chest. “Wonder what other insults you can come up with. Maybe you’ll dive into some Shakespearean ones, those are always fun.” 

“Watch your back and your customers, Suh,” you threatened, fingertips pressing harshly against the keys. 

He heard the anger with every little click. “Sure, sweetheart.”

“Stop calling me that!”

“Just for that,” Johnny smirked, “I don’t think I will.”

“Thief.”

“Slowpoke.”

But as the months passed, there were times when Johnny would get a little too close to you and his presence didn’t bother you as much as before. 

His voice wasn’t as irritating from near or far. Your eyes stopped twitching when Johnny would change his commission count on the communal white board. 

Sometimes, you would feel his large, warm hand on your back as he tried to get to his register. Other times, you felt his breath hitting your cheek while he leaned down to look at your computer. When you argued, you were suddenly hyper aware of how his body was less than an inch away from yours. How he, at times, would stare at your frowning lips for a beat too long. Or how his biting words turned a little kinder when you were having an off day. 

Those things shouldn’t have affected you in the way that they did, making your heart rumble in your chest like an earthquake shaking your entire world. But as much as you wanted to deny it,  Johnny tugged on your heart strings. Unknowingly, his actions made you revisit the chapter of your story that focused on love. Little by little, they added words to pages left untouched for many years, bringing the paper to life. And you weren’t sure of where this plot point was taking you next.

“I didn’t know you liked this genre,” you approached him one day as Johnny sat in the break room. His nose was stuck inside one of your favorite novels, one that you recommended to anyone who asked for a romance suggestion. The book itself came out two weeks ago and it sold out within hours. 

You, being an avid reader and book reviewer, received access to an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. And an honest review you gave that had everyone who followed you buzzing until the release date. 

“Well, there’s a lot of things you don’t know about me,” Johnny smiled softly at you, his long fingers coming up to slip a bookmark in between the pages he left off on. He slid past you, gently placing the novel back into the small crevice of his work locker. “It’s really good so far, I see why you’ve been raving about it. I’d keep reading but my break’s up,” he said to you, his hand grazing at the small of your back to move you out of his way, “but I’ll talk to you more about it later, yeah? I marked some quotes I liked.” 

Your gaze followed him out, not knowing why that touch and his words made you freeze in place. It made him seem like a romantic, something that you really wouldn’t have guessed. 

There were a lot of things you knew about Johnny Suh. You knew how he irritated you to death and how he always came in early for his shifts. He hated being late. He was always on time. 

You knew how he preferred darker neutrals than your lighter colors when it came to wardrobe palettes. How he belonged to a different English concentration but still took creative writing courses to expand his verse. 

But there were a lot of things you don’t know about him, too. You didn’t know how he took his coffee in the morning or who his favorite author was. His favorite genre of book or his preferred type of music when he studies so diligently on his breaks. You didn’t know how he liked to spend his time away from school and work. Whether he preferred plain sticky notes or the Disney Princess ones he was currently placing on the pages of your favorite book.

You didn’t know if he was dating anybody or remotely interested in anyone at the moment. Not that you actually cared.

There were a whole lot of things you didn’t know about Johnny but just looking at him with your beloved novel in hand, marking the pages with his own inklings, you felt your heart wanting to learn more about the coworker you came to hate. Yearning to occupy the spot in front of him and exchange his current thoughts on the book. Longing to hear how his mind interpreted fact and fiction.

You didn’t know much about John Jun Suh but the book of your heart had already opened its pages up, ready for him to fill you up with words and maybe, his love.

It was the second to last week of the bet and you were working the busiest shift of your life. 

There was a signing with a popular author earlier in the day, flooding the store more than usual. It ended around an hour ago but the weening crowd from the event lingered in between the aisles. Some of your coworkers already clocked out for the day, only assigned the hours of the signing. But you, of course, were not able to leave as you were that day’s shift lead. So you carried on, starting your rotation as the customer service stand in the middle of the store. 

You smiled at a customer who approached you, grabbing their sheet of confirmation paper for a book on hold. Gesturing to the back room with the paper in hand, you said politely, “Wait right here. I’ll be right back with your book.”

The customer nodded at you in reply and with that, you were off. Johnny, who was manning the other customer service computer next to you, followed suit. Rolling your eyes, you attempted to walk faster but with daddy long legs behind you, it didn’t take long for him to catch up to your pace. Pretending the tall boy with the stupid round glasses and the stuck-up dark academia fit wasn’t there, your focus remained on the paper in your grip. Studying the printed font, you maneuvered through various bookshelves without looking up until you reached a door that read “Employees Only.” 

Swiping your employee card to grant you access, you hurried in to keep Johnny out. Kicking the door closed you didn’t work–Johnny’s long foot caught it before it shut and you cursed. You wished it slammed against him, inflicting some sort of pain—much like the pain he caused you. 

Sighing, a realization hit you. He was never going to leave you alone no matter how hard you tried. But did that truly upset you or did it leave your body buzzing with nerves? 

“You’re ignoring me,” Johnny deadpanned as your hands ghosted against the spines of many books lining the shelves. His heavy footsteps echoed in the room; it was louder than your nervous breaths. Being alone with him did make you nervous, not that you would ever admit it out loud.

You would never admit to the butterflies you felt when he was around or the way your heart pounded erratically against your breastbone. You would never admit the way the scent of his perfume drove you a bit mad—almost as mad as the famed hatter—or how irritatingly handsome he looked when he studied at the counter, full lips in a pout and rounded glasses sliding down the slope of his nose.

Or how much you liked when he did little things like holding the door open for you when you had a dolly filled with merchandise. Making sure you got a worksheet that you missed during a class discussion. How you grew sweet on him when he’d drive you home after a shared closing shift, expressing his concern for your safety. 

Johnny said he wouldn’t want any girl to wait out in the dark for an unreliable bus. He’d rather see you home so he was one hundred percent sure you made it back to your apartment in one piece. Johnny wouldn’t leave the lot until he saw your bedroom light turn on. He memorized what floor you were on the day he took you all the way to your door. It was the night some loiterers were being loud and obnoxious at the front of your building. You didn’t feel safe walking past them on your own, frightened by the drunken catcalls they threw at people passing by. So like any good person would do, Johnny draped a protective arm around your shoulder, told you to keep your pretty little head down, and led you to the elevator. 

You even caught yourself dreaming about him during the day and night, random thoughts of him streaming into your consciousness. They were like little movie reels playing in your head. Scenes of him sitting in the corners of the shop, reading and annotating the books you recommended to guests, or him sipping on that large cup of iced americano that he consumed daily.

You would never admit to any of those things, especially not to him.

“I’m not ignoring you, you’re too insignificant to ignore.”

Johnny laughed a light chuckle as if he thought your response was cute. You hated it. 

“I just don’t want anything to do with you, and also— I. Am. Working,” you hissed as you finally reached the shelf you were looking for. The customer had ordered a new contemporary romance novel—one you found yourself indulging in during your breaks before it was released—but it was nowhere to be found in your stock. 

“That’s a lie and you know it,” Johnny’s voice came from behind you. You felt the heat of his body and you clenched your hand, ultimately wrinkling the paper you held. That was fine; the customer didn’t need it after your interaction anyway. It was going straight to the trash, just like your heart was. 

Your not-so-fragile heart was going in the damn garbage because you were letting a stupid pretentious English major rile you up over the dumbest things. An ounce of hate consumed you as you came to this epiphany. You were supposed to hate him, despise him for challenging your position as the top seller in the store, and for stealing your spotlight from the English department. So why didn’t you?

“God—where is that damned book?” Your irritation seeped through your words and the way you slammed the metal shelves. 

Johnny chuckled, easily snatching the paper from your hands, earning a small huff from you. He took a glance at it before shifting his gaze to the higher shelves--the ones you needed a step stool for. Your co-worker, smug as he could be, found it easily and with confidence, he reached for it. The action pressed you against the shelf, your hands immediately finding purchase on the metal to steady yourself from the unexpected weight. His strong, hard chest was against your back and his hot breath hit your ear. “Looking for this one?”

You stiffened against him. You could not move, not when Johnny’s weight trapped you between his arms. Not when the sweet scent of his cologne was flooding your senses. Not when his low, husky voice whispered in your ear. 

“I don’t need your help,” you hissed back, fingers gripping onto the edge of the shelf. 

“You need my height.”

“There’s a step stool right there for me to use so no, John, I don’t need your help.”

“Clearly, you do, sweetheart, you couldn’t even find that book for that sweet customer that’s waiting for you out there.”

The nickname, although a bit heart-fluttering, was also somewhat degrading and it set you off. Fire seeped through your veins. With a breath, you turned so that you were chest to chest. With furrowed brows and a piercing glare, you said, “I don’t need you—“

“You sure?” Johnny leaned closer, his hazed eyes dipping down to your frowning lips for a fraction of a second. 

You caught the action and again, your heart tried pushing its way out of your body, “—or your help or your teasing here and in class. I’m tired.”

“I’m not.” Of course, he wasn’t. He never was. That’s what made him so annoying—his persistence. 

“Give me the book, John.” 

“Nah, I think I’ll hold on to it for you.”

“Hand it over.”

Lowering down to her level, he smirks and says, “Why don’t you make me?”

“Don’t think I can do it?”

“Oh, I’d really like to see you try.”

Johnny’s challenging words pulled you to do something unexpected. Instead of replying with words, you accepted his provocation by yanking him to your level and fitting your mouth against his. Your fingers curled in his long, soft hair while his free hand drifted to your waist. It wrapped around your middle, further trapping you in between his build and the cold metal shelf. 

Johnny kissed you like it was something that he wanted to do. Like it was something he was meant to do. Whenever you moved, he followed. Every little tilt of the head or breath you took was followed by him finding his way back to you. There was no escaping his lips, his scent, his whole entire being. Johnny was all around you and for once, you let yourself indulge in the moment. 

When Johnny swiped his tongue against your bottom lip, you opened yourself up to him. You allowed him to explore parts of you that had been closed off for many years. The levels of passion were on an equal scale, the tiny noises escaping you matching the level of Johnny’s eager groans. He made you forget where you were once his grip found its way to your chin, pulling you to close the space you created as you took a needed breath. The task of helping the customer was temporarily erased from memory as he pulled away just enough to whisper your name against your lips.

But it all came back to you once you felt that book–the one you fought him for–press against your middle. It was wedged in between your bodies, distracting you from the pleasure that came from kissing your rival. 

So, as Johnny went back in for another kiss, you grabbed the book out of his loosened grip and shoved him away. 

Taking a good look at him, Johnny’s face was red and his lips were all kinds of swollen. There was a dazed look in his eyes, one that was so hazy, it was the dreamiest thing you had ever laid eyes on. His hand remained at the level of your head, fingers twitching, as if they wanted to grab hold of you once more. Your name barely escaped his lips when you slowly retreated towards the exit. You created a wider space between you, with the coveted book in one hand and the other blindly reaching for the door handle.

“There. See?”

“See what?” Johnny said breathlessly.

“I tried,” you replied, staring right into his eyes. If you looked elsewhere, if your gaze wandered back down to the lips that tasted so addicting, you would have folded and ran back right to him. Shaking the book within his view, you continued on, “And when I try, I always get what I want.”

Giving him no time to talk back, you opened the door and made your great escape. 

His brown eyes remained on the door long after you left, waiting for his heart to calm itself. His fingers rubbed against his lips, mind still clouded with no one else but you. That wasn’t an odd occurrence to him, it was actually quite a normal one. Not that you had to know.

Johnny opened up to the thought of you long before that kiss occurred. 

It happened earlier in the year, when he saw you tutoring his friend Mark in the English department’s writing center. You diligently helped the struggling student, offering him constructive feedback with a high amount of patience. You stayed hours after your tutoring shift ended, making sure Mark hit every point on the grading rubric to ensure that he would get a passing grade. 

There was no need for you to go out of your way like that but you wanted to out of the goodness of your heart. And just like you assisted Mark, you continued to go above and beyond in your bookstore clerk duties to guarantee that every customer left satisfied. 

Your dedication to your work was admirable. It made you all the more charming in Johnny’s eyes, even more charming than the first time he laid eyes on you during first year orientation. 

A new book opened way back then, the love story in his heart practically writing itself. But as your treatment and obvious distaste towards him worsened over the years, he shelved that book away. Despite the harsh treatment he didn’t deserve, Johnny’s heart always held a soft spot for you; the page he left off on dog-eared for him to return to. It remained folded, the crease pressing a permanent indent into the page in case Johnny wanted to explore his feelings in depth once again.

And as you rang up the customer that you fought over, Johnny went through the library of his mind, searching for that book he filed away. And once he found it, he pried it out of the shelf and opened it back up, undoing the crease that bookmarked where he left off. 

Johnny was ready to fall in love again but more importantly, he was ready to fall in love with you. 

EMPLOYEE BULLETIN BOARD. Hey, everyone! I’m back. Long time no chat <3 First of all, happy new year! But more importantly, happy Johnny day!!! I went through my archives to find this. It was originally planned to be a longer fic but I lost inspiration for it. Maybe I can come back to it one day and fully flesh it out. But until then, this is all I’ve got (until Jaehyun’s birthday). Please tell me what you think of it. I feel like I’m a bit rusty ;;;

A big thanks to @lavendersuh for reading through this multiple times and editing/suggesting things when she saw fit. You’re the best, Em <3 @smileysuh you’re the king for also skimming through this. And @yutaholic for indulging me as I spam her with all my ideas uwu. You’re awesome!! 

TAGLIST. @johtenrecs @emmybyeakitty @ppangjae @sokkigarden @kaepop-trash @suhnnyskiess @baekhyuns-lipchain @bebsky @bat-shark-repellant @renjuunsz @ferxanda @lebrookestore​ @tyongblr

NETWORKS. @neowritingsnet​ 

You’re not nervous because you’re traveling by yourself. You’re not nervous about visiting a new place. You’re nervous because this trip was six years in the making—four years of exchanging letters throughout your high school career and two college years continuing on the tradition while also adding on phone and FaceTime calls into the mix. 

You’re nervous because you’re meeting your penpal—your best friend—in person for the first time. You really shouldn’t be because it’s Mark Lee you’re talking about. He knows the ins and outs of you. Despite never meeting you in real life, he knows how you drink your coffee in the morning, all the movies and shows you watch when you’re having a rough day, and the things you need to hear when you’re feeling down. Mark knows that your favorite color switches depending on your mood, how you relieve your stress by screaming into a karaoke microphone for hours, and that you like to use an old hoodie of his (one that he sent to you via care package) when you’re looking for a comfortable fit. The English literature major probably knows you more than you know yourself but you can’t help but feel this way. 

You can’t help but let the butterflies in your stomach fester and float and fly while your heart does backflips inside your chest. You can’t help but heat up at the thought of finally being able to hug him after years of thinking about what it would feel like to be in his arms. Lastly, you can’t help but like Mark Lee when he has been nothing but sweet to you. So sweet that he invited you to spend time with his family for the holidays when your parents decided to go on vacation without you. 

In fact, the feelings you carry for Mark surpassed the word like. You think they’re closer to the word love instead. And sure, some may call you crazy for falling for a person you’ve never met but they never saw the letters you exchanged, how deeply you dove into different topics, or how much Mark cared for you. They had no say in your relationship because they didn’t know him or the playlists he created just for you. They didn’t know about the countless songs he uploaded on SoundCloud that were all written about you. They knew nothing. But you and him, you knew everything.

Your phone begins to vibrate erratically in your pocket. Pulling it out, you see that it’s just Mark, your sweet, handsome boy, endearingly spamming your message thread with text after text. You can practically hear his excitement through the capitalized words and extensive use of punctuation and emojis. 

Baby Cheetah: [1 attachment] Baby Cheetah: waiting right here besides this huge ass Christmas tree!! It’s so tall, dude, like wtf?? It even makes Johnny look small! Baby Cheetah: If you can’t see me through the crowd, that’s okay!! That’s why I brought Johnny with me!! Baby Cheetah: PUPPYYYYYYYYY Baby Cheetah: PUP PUP Baby Cheetah: Did you get your bags yet?? AH I’M SO EXCITED Baby Cheetah: Johnny keeps telling me to calm down but I can’t because you’re HERE! In Toronto with me! How fucking crazy is that?? Baby Cheetah: Oh my gOD I’M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE BIGGEST HUG YOU BETTER GET HERE FAST! Baby Cheetah: People are coming out of the gate, where are youuuuuu? Don’t chicken out on me!!!! 

You laugh, quickly typing a reply that you’re about to walk through the gate. The text you sent raises and you see the three little dots at the bottom of your screen appear, disappear, and reappear again. Waiting for his answer only prolongs your time apart so you swiftly lock your phone, inhale deeply, and take your first step through past the point of no return, or as the airport calls it, the arrival gate. Five steps later and you’re descending on the world’s longest escalator, standing on your tippy toes while scanning the waiting crowd below. Like Mark said, there is a large sea of people, which is expected for the holiday season, so you narrow your search by looking around the large Christmas tree you saw in Mark’s photo.

It doesn’t take you long to find Mark, or rather, Mark’s friend, Johnny. The man stands tall right next to the tree with a wide, teasing grin. His large arm is wrapped around a shorter boy’s shoulder. Mark doesn’t spot you right away, too busy bouncing on his heels while keeping his eyes glued to the escalator, but Johnny does. Despite never meeting you in person either, he’s gotten to know you as well through your FaceTime calls with Mark. Johnny’s smile widens as you wave at him, which is all the confirmation he needs. The guy nudges Mark’s side and points straight towards you. 

You catch Mark’s face beaming, his thin lips forming into the world’s biggest smile with his cheeks squishing against his sparkling eyes, as he makes his way through the tough crowd to meet you in the middle. The look on his face is practically fluorescent, the way it shines brighter than his Smurf blue hair that you can’t help but adore.

The second you’re getting off the ramp, you rush towards him, your bags tangling behind you in a weird sort of mess you don’t pay any attention to. He does the same, his sneakers squeaking against the floor tiles until he’s right in front of you. The anticipation leading up to this moment is so much that you disregard the luggage you packed and jump straight into Mark’s arms. He catches you with a little groan that turns into a jingle of laughter that is music to your ears. 

You snuggle into his neck and you can feel the warmth radiating through his clothes from his body and he’s here. Mark’s here with you. You’re not looking at him through a screen or a printed photo or talking to him through written stationery that gets beaten up along the way. He’s right here with you, touching you, hugging you. Mark’s arms are around your body and your legs are warped around his legs. The breath from his low chuckles are hitting your neck and his cheek is pressed into your shoulder. You feel him nuzzling into the fluffy sherpa material of your jacket and hear his satisfied sigh as his hold tightens. 

“Hi there, Cheetah Lee,” you say fondly as you push yourself back to really take him in. 

The giggle that you’ve only heard over the phone blesses you as his cheeks are tickled with red. “Hey there, Puppy,” Mark replies before pulling you back in for another long hug. 

“This is so weird,” you whisper while sinking into his warmth once again. 

“I know, man, like I can’t believe it. You’re here—”

“I’m here in Toronto!”

“—with me.” Mark reaches out to touch your hair and it slips through his fingers. The unique scent of your shampoo fills his being and it causes him to draw you even closer in his arms. His eyes search yours and the white fluorescent airport lights seem to cast a halo around his pretty face.  “My god, you’re real. Like, you actually exist.”

“And if I didn’t, who could have possibly written you those letters, hmm?” you can’t help but tease back. Does he feel you shaking in his hold? You’re trying to play it off but you’re so happy, your knees could give out any second now. 

“I don’t know but I’m just...” he seems so into this moment and it causes you to fall into it too. You ignore the phone camera aimed your way—you can always greet his best friend Johnny later—because all you could think about, all you can focus on, is the sweet boy in front of you. “I’m just so glad you came. My Christmas wish came true.”

You bump your forehead into his and the hand resting against your back finds its way up to keep your head in place. The courage you have been building up takes advantage of this precious moment and urges you to press a lingering kiss on his soft cheek. Your lips brush against his skin as you whisper, “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” 

AUTHOR’S NOTE. This had been sitting in my drafts for a while so I made a few little changes to fit the Christmas season and tadah! Here we are. I believe this was based on a Tiktok I saw awhile back (I don’t have it saved) and I thought it was so cute, I had to write something on it. But yes, here’s my little contribution for the holidays! I hope everyone has a safe celebration, no matter what or how you are celebrating this special time! 

taglist. (tagging my general + people i think would enjoy this <3) @keemburley @johtenrecs @bat-shark-repellant @kaepop-trash @bebsky @donutswithjaminthemiddle @suhnnyskhies @baekhyuns-lipchain @emmybyeakitty @moonctzeny @sokkigarden @inlovergirlsworld @iwishiwasthemoontonight @stvrrynight @loeycity @itsapapisongo @tyong-blr @jenosuh​

networks. @czennienet @neowritingsnet @ankathi-a 

To combat the emptiness you felt, you decided to put yourself out there. Find and catch one of the many fish in the sea. Sadly, out of all the reels you threw with your best pictures as bait, you swiped and caught one of the worst ones. The man sitting across from you was attractive, sure, that’s why you swiped right on him. But as you got to know him under the dim bar lighting, every little thing that came out of his mouth turned you off. 

His advances were downright sleazy. His eyes just lingered on certain body parts with no shame. A dry hand that scratched you grazed your bare skin before he threw his arm over your shoulder not even ten minutes into your first meeting. Even as you tried to create some space and voiced out how uncomfortable you were, your date ignored your concerns and kept you as close as humanly possible. His fingers hovered right next to your chest and you swore he would twitch his digits on purpose just to cop a feel. 

Thirty minutes into the date, you figured enough was enough. Shuffling underneath his hold, you shrugged the heavy weight of his arm off your body and blindly searched your purse for your cell phone. 

“What’s wrong, baby?” he asked, reaching over to pull you into his arms again.

You laughed nervously and backed away. Scared of how he would react, you didn’t want to provoke the drunk man. “My name’s Y/N,” you answered back.

“Sure, babe,” he clearly dismissed you. “You headed somewhere?”

With your cell phone in your hand, you did your best to smile. “Yeah, I’m just going to the bathroom real quick. Fix my lipstick.” Turning on your heel, you didn’t bother waiting for a reply and headed straight towards the back. Once you turned the corner into a narrow hallway, your cell phone was already unlocked and your fingers were scrolling through your contacts.

Mind reeling with who your options were, you began to cross people out of your mental list. Out of all the times your older brother had to be out of town, it had to be when you had a shitty creeper for a date so he was out. Mark was nowhere near intimidating--the boy couldn’t even hurt a fly--so he was out of the running as well. Your roommate, Jeno, could probably beat this guy to a pulp but he was working late that night. 

Fuck. Who else could help you out? You were running out of time. 

And just like magic, your phone’s screen blew up with an Instagram notification from an account you spent a little too much time on--johnnyjsuh. This was not a coincidence. This was a sign from a higher power. 

The man behind the account had been your not-so-secret crush since the beginning of time. With Johnny as your brother’s best friend since they were in middle school, he watched you grow up throughout the years and vice versa. You were close, not as thick as thieves close like he was with your brother, but Johnny saw you through your good and your bad. If Yuta wasn’t there to hold your hand, Johnny was and because of his kindness, you fell. Hard.

Generally, harboring feelings for your brother’s best friend was breaking an unspoken rule. You knew that. That’s why you never shared your feelings out loud. But some people were better at reading the room more than others. Yuta might be oblivious to your crush on Johnny or at least, he appeared to be. However, you were pretty sure the man himself had caught on one way or another. And there were times--like this one-- you thought he might’ve shared the same sentiment. You were just never one hundred percent sure because he never made an outright move. You assumed it was because he respected you and your brother too much.

Clicking on the banner, the screen shifted to Johnny’s DM. He replied to your latest story--a mirror picture of your outfit. A tight white bodysuit that hugged your body paired with flared leather pants and black heels. This look was a classic that never failed to turn heads. Unfortunately, it worked a little too well tonight because your date was not able to take his nasty hands off of you. 

johnnyjsuh: you look all dressed up. little bunny’s not so little anymore, huh? 

If you weren’t so crunched on time, you would’ve taken the time to let his flirty words fully sink in. 

you: john, how fast can you get to cherry bomb? please. 

As soon as you sent the text, you rushed into the women’s restroom and anxiously tapped your foot against the sticky floor. Your eyes remained on your bright screen as the line moved along. Johnny saw your message and the three little dots appeared at the speed of light. The flirty atmosphere shifted with his reply. 

johnnyjsuh: i’m at home so about 15 min. everything okay, y/n? need me to come and get you? you: please. i’m on a date and he’s giving me the creeps. he keeps touching me even though i keep backing away. sorry to bother you but you’re the only one i could think of.  yuta’s still out of town and jeno’s working late. i let the bartenders know but i don’t know what else to do. i just want to go home. i can only hide out in the bathroom for so long.  johnnyjsuh: fuck. make that ten. i’m coming, okay, bunny? don’t worry. just stay in the bathroom a little longer.  you: hurry.  johnnyjsuh: see your pretty lil face soon.

A sigh of relief escaped your lips once you secured a way out. You waited in the bathroom for seven more minutes, taking your sweet time in the small space. Damp paper towels were used to wipe off all the cold sweat that accumulated on your skin. You touched up your makeup, cleaning up the smudged corners of your liner and reapplying lipstick. The kind girls in line before you noticed your uncomfortable situation as they were close to where you were seated and offered their company as another way to make you feel safe. You thanked them for their kindness and you walked out all together with linked arms.

“What took you so long?” Your date grumbled as you arrived back at the bar. His grip reached out for you again and the girls you befriended stealthily pulled you back to their area.

“I ran into some of my friends in the bathroom and we were just catching up,” you lied through your teeth. The room seemed hot all of a sudden and sweat began to form once more. Gaze drifting to the entrance, you wondered when Johnny would arrive. You were the world’s worst liar. You could only hold up for so long.

“Yeah, it’s been so long since we’ve seen Y/N, we just couldn’t stop talking,” one of the girls, Sooyoung, said as she squeezed your arm in reassurance. 

“I think it’s been since last semester in that English class, right? God, remember that final project we had to do? Ugh, it was the worst thing ever,” Yerim continued on, not giving your date the time of day to reply. Her mouth kept running, spitting anything and everything she could possibly think of while swiftly shifting ever so slightly to grab your jacket and purse hanging on the hook below the bartop. While still talking, she made her way back to you and handed off your belongings behind your backs. A seamless transition. “And then you accidentally deleted the whole damn file and we had to do it over again!”

“That was one hell of a finals week,” you added, thankful that the two girls you met in the bathroom were going above and beyond to keep you safe. 

Your asshole of a date rolled his eyes and reached for you again. “Yeah that’s great and all but can I get my date back now? We were having a good time before you two showed up. You were interrupting something.” 

“How about no?” Sooyoung replied with the same amount of attitude, her tall body stepping in front to cover yours. She stood taller than your date and her brown eyes burned lasers into his skin. “I think it’s better if she stays with us.”

“Oh but you want to stay with me, don’t you, baby?”

“No, actually I don’t, and my name is Y/N not baby.”

“Aww, you don’t mean that, do you, sweetheart?” Your date reached around Sooyoung fast enough to grab hold of your wrist. His pull was strong enough to make you stumble forward no matter how hard you resisted. It grew tighter and tighter with every passing second. You could feel heat pooling in the area he held you and you willed your tears back. “We were just having fun.”

In your struggle to get out of the creeper’s grip, you failed to notice Johnny entering the bar, hardened eyes scanning the entire room until he found you. His towering figure stomped his way to right where you are, placing himself between you and your date. With an unexpected shove to the chest, your date yelped and fell back, releasing you from his hold in the process. “Bro, who the fuck are you? What’s your problem?”

“No, who the fuck are you to put your hands on her like that when she’s clearly saying no?” Johnny hissed, shielding you and your new friends behind his build. 

“I’m her date!”

“Not anymore, you’re not.” Despite the rage stemmed by his overprotectiveness, Johnny turned his body to face you and gave you a gentle smile. His large hand rose up to cup your cheek. “Hi, bunny.”

“You came,” you said, tilting your head to rest against his warm palm.

Johnny chuckled softly, swiping his thumb across your soft skin. “You called. Ready to go?” 

You nodded in reply. Johnny’s hand slid from your face and down your arm to tightly clutch onto your hand. All of a sudden, the tension that ran through your entire body dissipated. You uncurled your fist, releasing your dented palms from the tips of your nails, and wrapped your digits around the back of his hand. Releasing the breath you were holding, you fell into step with him, much like you had done all of your life. This time, though, it was a lot easier because Johnny deliberately slowed the pace of his stride to keep in time with you. His grip around you was reassuring. It was right.

Not even five steps into your escape, you were harshly yanked back towards the bar. “Now, where do you think you’re going, sweetheart?”

“I’m going home,” you fought back. “Let me go, creep!”

“You’re going home with this guy instead of me? C’mon, I’m so much better than him,” your date tried to convince you, his nails digging into your wrist.

“What the fuck? Let me go! You’re hurting me!” you screamed, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. Eyes from all around the bar tuned into the situation. 

Your struggle ceased the moment Johnny stepped forward to grip the man’s shirt collar. Fire in his eyes and an uncontrollable rage unfurling within him, he lifted your date up with ease. The look in his usually soft brown eyes could cut like a knife. It was almost murderous. You knew Johnny was intimidating but you didn’t know how far the intimidation went. The fact that he was dressed in black leather from his head to his feet didn’t help either. In his haste, a sleeve of his motor jacket slipped from his shoulders, showing his angry biceps that would have anyone running for the hills. 

Now trapped in Johnny’s grip, the man you began to hate let go in order to reach for his neck. 

“Touch--no, talk to Y/N again--and I will end you. Got it?” Johnny whispered harshly. The man could only nod back. “Good.”

Like he was nothing, Johnny dropped your date. The pathetic man dropped to the floor and scrambled to get up before running out of sight. A beat later and the bar’s volume increased again, the customers most likely gossiping about what had just occurred.

Johnny’s harsh glare melted into a more concerned one. The rough hands that scared away the predator were so soft with you. He smoothed down your hair before resting his palms on your bare shoulders. Unlike your date’s touch, Johnny’s hands spread warmth throughout your body. Although there were cartwheels in your stomach, you were still at ease. He began to scan your entire body for injuries and the love you had for him increased by tenfold. “Bunny, did he do anything to you? Are you hurt?” 

“No, no. I’m a little shaken up but I’m okay, I promise. The girls helped me before it escalated.  I just want to get out of here,” you reassured him, your hands reaching up to cup his own. You scaled your thumbs over his knuckles. “Can we go?”

“Of course, whatever you want, bun.” Johnny slipped his jacket off his shoulders to drape the piece over your body. A woody scent with the hint of leather hit your senses as you put your arms through the sleeves. Hugging the fabric closed, you were surrounded by his scent and it was as if you were sheathed in a blanket of security. As Johnny enveloped you in his arms, he  looked past you to speak to the girls that came to your aid. “Yeri, Soo,  thanks for helping my bunny out.”

“Always here to help a girlie out, John,” Yeri grinned, her gaze locked on the way he held you close. “So this is Bunny, huh?” She wiggled her brows in a teasing way. Johnny flicked her on the forehead in retaliation. That action alone was enough to shut her up.

“Wait, you know them?” you questioned.

“That’s a story for another time,” Johnny sighed. “Let’s get you outta here.”

Your brother’s best friend steered you out the door in a flash and straight to the motorcycle parked haphazardly in the lot. It wasn’t the best parking job, you’d seen him do way better, but you supposed he was in a rush to get to you. That sent a different sort of rush through your veins. Johnny took the better helmet dangling off his handlebars and crouched down to your level. With the softest touch possible, he sank the helmet down onto your head. He affectionately knocked on the top of it twice. “Feel alright to you?”

“It feels perfect.”

“Good.”

Johnny wasted no time fetching the spare helmet from his seat compartment and slipping it over his head. Even with a bulky helmet over his head, your crush was still as handsome as ever. His warm eyes, highlighted by the cut out of his flipped up shade, bled through yours. You almost melted like honey at his almost loving gaze.

He swung his long legs around to straddle the seat and you followed suit, scooting all the way forward so your front depressed against his sculpted back. Looking back at you, he grinned and said, “Hold on tight, bun,” before slamming his shade down to protect his eyes. 

The engine came alive, revving in the quiet of the night, as the bike sped off into the empty streets. Circling both arms around his waist, you rested your head against his shoulder blades. A gloved hand reached behind to press the top of your covered head more into his back for just a moment--a second long enough to make your heart jump--before it found its path back to the handlebar. Hugging him tighter, you closed your eyes and let the sound of the rushing wind fill your ears. 

Johnny pulled into your parking lot ten minutes later, twisting the key to turn off the engine. He took your helmet off before he ripped his own off his head, ruffling his hands through his messy strands. With the intention of seeing you home safely, he walked you right to your door on the third floor of the building. 

From what you were able to see when you first arrived, the lights were still off, meaning that Jeno still wasn’t home. He must’ve been forced to extend his shift. You guessed you were riding solo that night. After an eventful night such as the one you had, you were hoping your roommate was home. Having someone home with you would bring you another layer of comfort that you needed. 

You inserted your house key into the lock, slowly turning it until the door clicked. Pivoting on the ball of your foot, you smiled at Johnny. “Thanks again for coming to get me, Johnny.”

“Of course, bunny, I came because you called,” Johnny put your mind at ease. His fingers came up to the crown of your head to fix your helmet hair. They traced a line down the side of your face and landed under your jaw. Lifting your chin, he made sure to retain eye contact with you. His words were genuine when he said, “Anytime you need me, call me and I’ll come running.”

Johnny was so close to you now. So close you could almost taste him. It was impossible to keep his stare without you falling back. The only solution to not losing your balance was to place your hand against his solid chest to steady yourself. Your palm rested right over his rapidly beating heart. Was he as nervous as you were at that moment?

Your gaze shifted from his left eye, down to his pretty lips, and back up to his right eye.“Promise?” 

You could’ve sworn Johnny moved even closer to you when he muttered softly, “Cross my heart and hope to die.” 

You giggled, “I wouldn’t want you to die.”

“Well, what would you want me to do then? What do you need?”

Gathering up all the courage you could muster, you gulped. You asked Johnny to do it in the past, years ago, and he gave in to your wishes. Would he give in a second time? “Kiss me.”

“Kiss you?”

“Yeah,” you said breathlessly, “Kiss me.”

Johnny was the one to close the distance, pressing his lips lightly against yours. His touch tilted your chin up even more to meet him in the middle. The contact between your lips gave you an overwhelming feeling, a rushing tingle that ran from your heart all the way to the buzzing tips of your fingers and toes. You released a sigh, relaxing in his hold as a strong arm coiled around your waist. The sweet kiss deepened the second your fingers gripped onto the collar of his sleeveless shirt, bringing him nearer to you. Although there was barely any space between your two bodies, there was this need to fit against him like pieces of a puzzle that belonged together. Your sharp nails indented his skin as you refused to let him go, testing how far you could go without coming for air.

Johnny was the first to break away with you blindly following his lips. Although separated, his lips still grazed against your own as he let out a deep chuckle. “I should let you go inside. You need to get some rest, bunny.”

“Yeah, you probably should.” Reluctantly, you let go of his shirt and the death grip you had on his arm. Reaching behind you, you found the knob and pushed the door open. God, you didn’t want him to go. “Umm, let me know when you get home?”

“It’ll be the first thing I do.” He placed a tender kiss on your forehead. “Text or call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

“Go in and lock the door now,” Johnny reminded you. As soon as you did what he was told, he grinned to himself before making his way down the steps. 

Hurrying to the window of your apartment, you watched as Johnny made his way to his motorcycle. There was a little ache in your heart without him beside you. You played with a thought in your head as Johnny warmed up the engine. Your brother’s best friend didn’t even notice you watching him from your windowsill with his large jacket still embracing your frame. 

“Fuck it,” you said to yourself. Fiddling around the jacket pocket to find your phone, you quickly tapped on his name and placed a call. You observed him as he dived into his pants for the vibrating device and caught his huge smile upon seeing your face pop up on his screen.

“Bunny?”

“Hi.”

“Hey, did you forget something?” 

“Yeah, I think I did.”

 It was then Johnny looked up from where he was standing to see you by your window, peering down at him with a shy sort of grin. “What is it?”

“There’s something else I needed.”

Johnny leaned his back against his bike, one leg crossed over the other and a hand pressed against the cushion, just to look up at you. “And what’s that?”

“You.”

you: don’t hate me brobro: i mean i already do but what’s up? you: i kissed someone you: well not just anyone, he’s an important someone and idk how to tell you brobro: oh my god, you’re so dramatic, it’s like you think i’m going to kick his ass or something you: you’ve done that before, yuta brobro: not the point brobro: now who’s the guy you: fuck okay okay  you: it’s um brobro: spit it out, woman, so i can decided whether i want to beat his ass or not you: for the love of god pls dont you: fuck okay it’s johnny brobro: WTF?? JOHNNY??! you: yes. brobro: as in MY JOHNNY??! you: please don’t kill him omg i wanted it too brobro: AS IN MY BEST FRIEND JOHNNY? JOHNNY SUH??? you: are there any other johnny’s we know? brobro: FUCKING FINALLY you: wait what brobro: do you know how hard it was to see you two go around in circles for years? FUCK MAN. i’m happy for you guys. you: really? brobro: really. you: oh thank god i thought you were gonna freak the fuck out because we slept together brobro: YOU DID WHAT???!  brobro: I’M GONNA KILL THAT BASTARD WHEN I GET HOME you: YUTA NO

AUTHOR’S NOTE. hi, friends! i am officially on break from grad school! i have one more week until my students go on break too but with my grad school trimester out of the way, i have so much more time to write <3 this little one was based on a tiktok i saw (can’t find it tho). i’ve always wanted to write the brother’s best friend trope but never had a good enough plotline for it haha. this came out of nowhere but hope y’all like it! (also, consider this my annual birthday release hehehe)

taglist. (tagging my general + people i think would enjoy this <3) @keemburley​ @johtenrecs​ @bat-shark-repellant​ @kaepop-trash​ @bebsky​ @donutswithjaminthemiddle​ @suhnnyskhies​ @baekhyuns-lipchain​ @emmybyeakitty​ @smileysuh​ @moonctzeny​ @sokkigarden @inlovergirlsworld @iwishiwasthemoontonight​ @stvrrynight​ @loeycity​ @itsapapisongo​​

networks. @czennienet @neowritingsnet @ankathi-a

“Yeah, I’m only a few minutes away,” you replied as you stopped at the red light. Just as you finished that sentence, you saw a couple of charter buses drive past you as the other light turned green. You grinned, knowing that Mark and your other friends were finally home. “Hey, you just drove past me!”

The sounds of material shuffling around echoed through the speakers and you knew Mark made for the closest window to catch a glimpse of you in his car. “Oh shit, you weren’t kidding!”

“Would I ever let you down, Marky?” you laughed as green flashed before you. Feeling the wheel slip in between your fingers, you continued your way across campus and followed the path the buses took. 

“Actually, you—”

“Finish that sentence and I’m turning this car around,” you joked as you pulled into the lot where all the buses parked. As you drove closer, you saw all the athletes disembarking and gathering their belongings stored in the compartments. 

Every summer, your university required all student-athletes to attend a two-month-long training camp at a high-class sports facility. Your school wasn’t the only one in attendance, many others were invited as well. It was something every athlete looked forward to and dreaded at the same time. They loved being in their own bubble and meeting other teams to form a sort of friendly camaraderie but hated the long hours of training this camp asked of them. By the end of the month, they usually came back to school exhausted but in the best shape of their life. 

“Yes, ma’am,” he said and you could almost see him saluting you. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Yeah, I’ll come and find you, I just have to park.”

“Don’t be so shocked when you see Marky, Squirt. He’s a whole-ass man now,” a voice other than Mark’s responded. Johnny Suh must’ve been his seatmate during the ride back. The outside hitter of the men’s volleyball team always found joy in butting into other people’s conversations. The tall guy could never keep to himself.

“Dude,” was the last thing you heard before the line went dead. 

Johnny’s sentence left you wondering what he meant. Why would you be shocked?

You found out soon after as you stood by buses, standing on your tippy toes to catch a glimpse of your best friend amongst the crowd of athletes. Johnny, being the tall giant he was, spotted you first. Your friend gave you a shit-eating grin as he exited the bus alongside Ten Lee, a member of the ice hockey team, and another friend of yours. It was funny how you were friends with so many athletes but did not carry one athletic bone in your body. 

“Hey there, Squirt,” Johnny teased as you approached him. God, if you had the skills and accuracy, you wanted to spike a volleyball right in his devilishly handsome face. 

“Shut up, you menace,” you said as you avoided his hand that aimed to ruffle your hair.

“Yo, Marky, I found her for you!” he yelled over his shoulder. Johnny bent down ever-so-slightly to whisper in your ear, “You’re welcome, by the way.”

“For what?” 

“You’ll see, young one,” Ten chuckled, pressing a little kiss to your head before dragging Johnny to find their duffles and gear they brought with them during the course of the summer. 

And see you did as the athlete you didn’t recognize as Mark popped into view. You caught sight of him from afar but dismissed him because there was no way that man was your best friend. His shoulders were broader than you had last seen him. His chest and arms filled out the shirt he wore so well. As your eyes raked over his bigger build, you could not pinpoint that the shirt he wore was the very shirt you gifted him for his birthday last year.

When Mark first received the present, his lean build made the shirt appear fashionably oversized. It draped nicely over his shoulders and drowned the rest of his body in the softest fabric with a design that was so undeniably Mark you couldn’t resist buying it for him. His arms were thin compared to the large holes in his sleeves, he looked nothing but cute in the shirt.

But now, the design of the shirt was stretched out against the wide planes of his chest. A line appeared down the middle, drawing attention to his pecs, you could barely take your eyes away from the sight. The only things that caught your attention were the arms Mark frantically waved in your direction. Although not completely hugging his biceps, you could see his arms taking up more space in the sleeves. You couldn’t even bring yourself to blink when his flexed muscles hauled his hockey bag behind his back. 

And his face. Dear God, his face was even more chiseled than before, amplifying the good looks others would swoon over.

If someone were to ask you before Mark left for the summer, you would’ve called him your cute friend. If they asked you the same question now, at this very moment, you would say that Mark Lee was fucking hot. 

“You look different,” was all you could say as he approached you. A snort came from beside you. It was another athlete scouring through piles for their own gear. To him, you probably sounded like a lovestruck idiot. That was what you would call yourself at that moment anyway. 

Mark paused a few steps away from you, appalled at the first sentence you uttered to him since his return. “Like a good different? Or a bad different?” With the way his voice tilted up at the end of his second question, you could tell your friend (and crush) was beginning to pick at his new appearance.

Your eyes scanned his body again, appreciating the way his shirt was so deliciously filled in all the right places and how the curve of his butt still stood out in the soccer pants that hugged his toned legs. “No, uh, it’s a good different. Yeah, definitely—definitely a good different.” Since when were you the type to stutter? 

“Oh, good. Cool, yeah, I mean cool.”

“Cool.”

“Yeah, um, Johnny took me under his wing while we hit the gym during camp and he showed me a couple of things I could do,” Mark chuckled shyly, “I’ve got a solid gym routine now.”

“I mean yeah, it’s really working for you.”

“Y-yeah, you think so?”

Before your brain could spit out your big fat crush on your best friend, you quickly changed the topic and flashed a bright smile at him—the one that he called sunshine. “I’ve missed you, Marky.” You opened your arms for a hug and waited for him to approach. 

“Oh my god, dude, I’ve missed you so much,” Mark practically sighed as he dropped his bags filled with expensive gear just to pull you into him. Being in his strong arms, feeling his chest against yours, and smelling the fresh scent of his cologne set your heart and skin ablaze. You were so in your feelings that you couldn’t bring yourself to respond. Instead, you shut your eyes and wound your arms around his waist to press him even closer to you. “I’m so glad to be back.” His voice was low and raspy, his breath hitting the shell of your ear, as he said those words and it sent a shiver down your body. 

“Glad you’re back too,” you whispered into the crook of his neck.

A loud slap rang in your ears and you felt Mark wince in pain. The hit broke your contact with Mark as you both shifted to see who inflicted the uncalled-for strike. Your neighbor, Jeno, just laughed as he hauled his gear over a shoulder. A shoulder that appeared wider than the last time you had seen him. Summer did him good as well. But not as good as it did for Mark. 

“God, you two are disgusting. Just get together already,” Jeno chuckled as he walked by, playfully shoving your head into Mark’s chest. 

Instead of denying the chemistry Jeno insinuated, Mark simply said, “Bro, shut up.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Jeno ignored Mark’s comment. “See you lovebirds at the beach later?”

The local beach was around one and a half hours away. A small group of friends—including Jaemin, Renjun, and Chenle—left earlier in the morning to secure a spot at the beach. You and Mark were going to stop by his apartment so he could drop off his hockey gear and change into beach attire before heading over to the rest of them. The remainder of the ice hockey team as well as some volleyball, soccer, and basketball folks were coming as well. 

“Yup, see you later, Jeno!” you waved him off before leading Mark to his parked car. Tossing Mark his keys, he caught them in his hand with his swift reflexes. You got into the passenger seat a bit sulkily. Your friend had a newer model than your beat-up, hand-me-down car; you were going to miss taking his car around the city. 

As Mark put his belongings in the trunk, he bit back a grin to see your things already there. It was such a weird thing to smile at but seeing your things mingling with his felt so domestic and right that it just brought him joy. The hockey player slid into the driver’s seat and you were off. 

It took ten minutes to get to Mark’s place. His apartment complex was closer than yours, which was why you crashed there half the time during the school year. You were there so often that you left extra sets of clothes in case of emergencies—meaning unplanned sleepovers—and Mark even had an extra key made for you. You could’ve gotten Mark’s things on the way to pick him up but your best friend insisted that he wanted to drop off his hockey gear first. It made sense, seeing as how expensive his gear was. No one would want to leave a bag as valuable as that in the back of a car trunk.

“Wait here, I’ll be quick,” Mark said as he unbuckled his seatbelt. Before completely sliding out of the car, he turned to face you with a shy expression on his face.

“What’s up, Marky?”

His face shifted from shy to determined, like he was hyping himself up to do something. You’d seen your best friend make that face many times in all the years you knew him—before a game, right before a test, or asking a girl out—but it didn’t make sense as to why Mark would do it at that moment. 

Light pressure on your cheek pulled you out of your inquisitive mind and back into the present. When you took a deep breath, the smell of clean, fresh laundry took over your senses followed by a whiff of his birch and eucalyptus shampoo that you used every time you stayed over. His shoulder brushed against your own as he pulled away. And that was when you realized what had just happened. Mark kissed you on the cheek. 

“What was that for?”

His eyes gleamed and his bashful smile widened. “Nothing, I just missed you a lot.” Leaving you no chance to reply, Mark slipped out of the car and slammed the door behind him. You watched as he ran inside, his hands slapping his reddening cheeks while he entered the building.

Mark’s unexpected action left you in a dizzying haze for who knows long, time slipping away while you replayed that moment over and over and over again in your head. Sure, he had done questionable actions to show affection before, like nuzzling his face in your hair or tugging you by the arm into a big hug, but Mark never went as far as kissing you on the cheek. He pet your hair, shouting “cute!” in the most endearing way with the other younger boys following his lead but a kiss on the cheek? Never been done before. But that didn’t mean you didn’t like it. 

The hour-and-a-half drive to the beach didn’t feel so long to the two of you, not when you were shouting into a Bluetooth microphone you saved for road trips. Singing in the car with Mark was one of your favorite past times. Whether it was headbanging (and almost losing control of the car) to a hard rock song or slowing it down with an R&B track that showcased Mark’s husky vocals, you loved every second of it and wouldn’t do it with anyone else.

It didn’t take you long to find where your friends camped out for the day, their loud shouts carrying over the waves crashing into the shore. They were the biggest group on the beach, with three canopies and two smaller tents all huddled in a circle. You saw Johnny and Jaehyun’s surfboards sticking out of the sand, the boys standing right by them with their rash guards hanging loosely around their waists. Ten was controlling the music while Jeno and Jaemin tag-teamed on grilling the food. Your other friends were either lounging about in their chairs, drinks in hand, and you swore you could Donghyuck shouting at Chenle from the shallow end of the water. 

Jaehyun, noticing how much you were struggling to make it through the sand with all your bags, ran to help. “Shouldn’t Mark be helping you with these bags?”

You shrugged as you handed the heavier belongings over to the star basketball player. “He sent me ahead with all the snacks and said he forgot something in the trunk.”

“How was your summer?” 

You elbowed Jaehyun’s side with a teasing grin. “Boring without you by my side.”

Jaehyun chuckled, elbowing you right back. “Don’t let Marky hear you say that.”

It was a weird comment to make. “Why?”

The basketball player shook his head knowingly before throwing an arm over your shoulder and pulling you to his side. “Ah, that’s for me to know and you to find out, Squirt.”

“And when exactly will I find out?” 

You heard Mark’s voice yelling your name, causing you and Jaehyun to turn around. The boy ran through the sand towards you with a grin brighter than the summer sun, bags tangled in his grip, and an unknown item tucked into his side. Jaehyun released you from his grip and with a gentle shove in Mark’s direction, he replied, “Soon enough I hope.” Your friend went ahead with the rest of your belongings, leaving you to wait for Mark. What did Jaehyun mean by “soon enough?” Was there something you weren’t aware of? Was Mark keeping something from you?

“Sunshine! Look what I brought for us!” Mark pulled out the item pressed against his side to reveal a kite. Your heart swelled with joy and all the feelings you carried for Mark increased tenfold. In the past, you expressed that you always wanted to fly a kite but never had a chance to. It was something shared in passing, nothing memorable by any means. But the fact that Mark remembered that tiny, childlike wish you carried touched you.

Mark stopped in front of you, setting his bags down, to hand the kite over to you. He gently placed it in your hold, giving you the time to admire it.  Its design was simple, just a diamond with rainbow stripes and a matching rainbow tail, but it was beautiful. Your fingers ran through the tail of the kite, feeling the thin fabric slip through the cracks. The breeze picked up, causing the tail to go with the wind, and the childish excitement inside you bloomed. “Can we try it now?”

“Yeah,” Mark laughed at your how your eyes grew brighter and brighter with each passing second. “We just need to drop off the rest of the stuff first and then give it a go.” 

Your gaze never left the kite.

“You like it?” Mark asked.

You shifted your gaze to look him in the eye. “I love it. Thank you, Marky.”

Tucking it to your side, you picked up half of Mark’s belongings. You used your free hand to tug Mark, causing him to stumble in the warm sand. “Now, what are we waiting for? Let’s go already!”

Mark wiggled his hand in your hold, twisting it so your fingers interlocked like it was nothing out of the ordinary. You felt heat rising within you and it had nothing to do with the warm weather. There were little catcalls here and there as you approached your group of friends. Jaehyun and Johnny, the ones who started it all, snickered as you shot death glares at them. You shoved the rest of the belongings into their hands. “Here take care of this stuff, will you?”

You dropped your beach bag under a canopy, quickly stripped yourself of your outer layers, and grabbed the pretty kite once again. Mark wasn’t too far behind you, chatting it up with Renjun and Doyoung, who preferred to stay under the shade. Taking your place beside him, you smiled at the other two. 

“You ready, sunshine?”

“We’ll be back!” you called to Renjun and Doyoung, who simply waved you off.

Mark led you to the shoreline, your feet sinking into the damp sand. You bounced up and down as you waited for your next step. As you held onto the kite, Mark unwinded a bit of the line from the kite spool with certainty. “Now, there isn’t enough of a breeze down here for the kite to launch, so you have to make a run for it.”

“That I can do.”

“As soon as you feel like you’re fast enough, let it go and run back to me. I’ll do the rest.” At that moment, Mark sounded so reliable and it made you melt into goo. “Sounds good?”

“Sounds great,” you whispered back, nodding at him before you broke into a run. You felt the tension of the kite line as your speed increased. And when the wind made its way through your strands, you lifted the kite up in the air and let it go. Your eyes followed its every move as it made its way up, up, up high into the sky, the tail of it fluttering so pretty below it. 

Mark called your name, motioning you to come back to him as he angled the kite to fly above the water. In no time, you were back at his side. Wordlessly, he handed you the reel and you held it with two hands. Mark’s toned arms wrapped around you so that your back pressed against his built front. Every little instruction that he whispered to you brushed against a weak spot of your neck, sending the slightest tingle down your spine. At times, his large hands would land on top of your hands to help you control the reel. When no further instruction was needed, Mark didn’t back away. Instead, he just rested his palms on your hips and watched you as you continued to control the kite. 

You flew the kite for the majority of the day, only taking a few breaks to eat or dive in for a quick swim with your friends. The others invited you to play a round of beach volleyball but there was no way you wanted to go against Johnny or Yuta in the sport. That was a losing game and you knew it. Besides, kite flying was more relaxing than chasing after a ball in the sand. 

When the sun began to set and the temperature dropped, it was time to set up the bonfire. When the breeze picked up, Mark handed you his hoodie and insisted that you needed it more than he did. Plus, unbeknownst to you, your best friend always left an extra jacket in the car for you in case you got cold. He took hold of the reel as you slipped it on, smiling ear to ear as you covered yourself in his clothes. Mark liked the sight of you in his hoodie so much, he loosened his grip on the kite and the flimsy item was picked up by the wind. The spool dragged on, leaving a tiny path on the sand, as the kite continued to drift away.

“Oh shit!” He yelled as the two of you chased after it. The kite landed right in the water, floating along with the waves. You laughed at the ridiculous situation, stopping right where the water met the sand, while Mark ran full speed ahead into the ocean.

“Mark, hey! It’s okay!” You yelled but your best friend didn’t listen. “Just leave it!”

Determined to get it back for you, Mark dived right into now freezing water and swam towards the floating item. He fought the cold temperature that was prickling his skin and the seawater that got into his brown eyes as he reached out for the rainbow kite. Once he latched onto the tail, he pulled it towards him, hugged it to his chest, and led himself back to the shore.

You met him as he made his way out of the water, immediately draping his beach towel over his wet shoulders. His teeth chattered as he winced at the breeze that wiggled its way through his wet layers. Feeling him shiver against your side, you wrapped your arm around his shoulders and ran your hand up and down his side. “You idiot, why would you go after it? It’s just a kite. Now you’re gonna get sick.”

Mark tucked his wet mop of hair into your shoulder, lips brushing against the skin of your neck. “Because you love the kite,” he muttered.

“You’re a dummy,” you whispered back, leaving a little kiss at the top of his head. His free arm circled around your middle, drawing you closer to him. If it was anyone else, you would easily shove them away for dampening your dry clothes. But because it was Mark, you didn’t mind how the cold fabric tickled your skin. It was nothing compared to the way Mark clung to you. “Let’s get you to the fire.”

If Mark Lee was an endless ocean, you would easily dive into his embrace. And much to everyone else’s knowledge but your own, Mark would do the very same. 

If you were a siren, he would heed your dangerous call, no matter the risk. If you were the breeze that pushed the sails, he would go along with the wind. And if you were the bottomless sea, filled with the unknown, Mark Lee would willingly submerge himself into rough waters and dive into you.

AUTHOR’S NOTE. harvest break from work and school means i finally have time to relax and unwind by writing <3 i haven’t released anything mark lee related in a while and thought this would be a good time to drop a mark fic! please let me know what you think. proofread but i may have missed some things!

TAGLIST. @keemburley @johtenrecs @bat-shark-repellant  @bebsky @donutswithjaminthemiddle @suhnnyskhies @baekhyuns-lipchain @emmybyeakitty  @sokkigarden @inlovergirlsworld @iwishiwasthemoontonight @stvrrynight @loeycity @ppangjae @luvenshiti @renjuunsz @ferxanda @jaembby @jenosuh​ @mxrcayong-main​

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