๐๐ welcome to the dream fraternity! seven dreamy boys, seven absolutely cheesy love stories where youโre the main character! warning: you might hate yourself during the processโฆbut whatโs love without a little chaos?
contains 18+ content
I. STUPID CUPID
pairing: fuckboy! na jaemin x secret identity! reader
synopsis -> mr. cupid โ anonymous radio host. running the #1 most popular radio show on campus. famous for his thoughtful advice and classified as a true hopeless romantic. na jaemin โ photography major, the sweet fuck-boy. described to be affectionate and gentleโฆbut donโt fall for his tactics! once heโs done with you, heโs gone with the wind. your best friend unfortunately happened to be on the receiving end of this. what happens when you find out that the anonymous radio host is none other than na jaemin himself? sweet revenge.
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II. FLYING KISS
pairing: childhood best friend! lee jeno x nerd! reader
synopsis -> you and lee jeno go way back, as in diapers and all that. before he was known as the chill fuckboy, he was an all time nerd! just like you! tired of being a loser who canโt even get the guy you wanted, you badly needed tips and a makeover. whoโs better to ask for help than your childhood best friend, who has proven that a nerd can be sexy?
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III. SORRY, HEART
pairing: friends with benefits! mark lee x tutor! reader
synopsis -> sex helps him focus. focus he needs for your tutoring sessions. it was a win-win for mark lee when you proposed to add a stress-relief session to the schedule. the favorite fuckboy and the girl who doesnโt believe in love equals the ultimate friends with benefits set-up. itโs the perfect dream team! but uh ohโฆit seems like mark has been shot by cupidโs arrow. will mark survive all of your attempts at pushing him away?
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IV. IRREPLACEABLE
pairing: enemy! lee haechan x ex bff! reader
synopsis -> lee haechan, theatre major, absolutely hated your guts. you felt the same exact way. the only girl in this whole university that hasnโt fallen for the most popular fuckboyโs charms. which is why it sucks that you have both landed the main roles in the theaterโs upcoming play, romeo and juliet. what was that saying about love and hate being a thin line?
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V. MY FIRST AND LAST
pairing: bff! zhong chenle x fake gf! reader
synopsis -> zhong chenle, the lowkey fuckboy, captain of the basketball team, doesnโt believe in romance. flowers? chocolates? handwritten letters? ew. too cheesy. but he canโt seem to shake this crazy girl off of him so he goes to you, his best friend, cheerleading captain, for help. will you be his fake girlfriend? sure. the catch? it has to be believable so for the first time in his life he buys the flowers and the chocolate and writes the handwritten letters.
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VI. BREATHING
pairing: fuckboy! jisung x convenient gf! reader
synopsis -> park jisung has sworn off love after being cheated on. heโs been doing a really great job breaking hearts and not looking back. the boys are worried that theyโve taken fuckboy101 too seriously and have now created the ultimate fuckboy. this conversation was heard by your group of friends who never backs away from a challenge. and so the bets are on: get the ultimate fuckboy to fall in love with you and youโll get $125 from each friend. deal?
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VII. I HATE FRUITS
pairing: fake bf! renjun x best friendโs gf! reader
synopsis -> huang renjun, the fuckboy by association, couldnโt care less about romantic relationships. heโs perfectly fine with being single โ prefers it, actually. when he accidentally drops a box on your head and you wake up with temporary amnesia, heโs forced to finally take care of a person other than his own self. whatโs worse? you think heโs your boyfriend.
authors note: this is a work of fiction only and should not be taken seriously. the way the dream boys are portrayed in these stories are obviously not a representation of who they are in real life. thank you and have fun reading!
โฆ๏พโก๏ธ likes, reblogs and comments are not required but is very appreciated โฆ๏พโก๏ธ
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โWho do I gotta fuck for barricade tickets to Sabrina Carpenter around here?โ
PAIRING: Chenle x Fem!Reader
SYNOPSIS: Four days, three broke girls, two possible outcomes, and one solution. What are you willing to sacrifice in exchange for a night seeing a long-awaited Juno pose five feet away from your eyeballs? Your dignity, probably because it just so happens that one (1) Chenle Zhong could be the solution to your current girl problem. Only, you donโt really do well with charity. Nothing in life was free and everything had a price, but Chenle likes to think differentlyโthat he's simply helping a friend out. Like the many times he did before. There should be sugar-daddy-sugar-baby joke around here somewhere.
alternatively: โthree dumb bitches telling each other โexactlyyyyโ.โ โ โA sugar-daddy (kinda) au with no age-gap, but with a financial gap that no one asked forโ.
WORD COUNT: 15.5K
NOTE: first Chenle fic kinda nervous but also excited because I've been wanting to write for pookie for a loooong long while!! So I gathered all the remaining brain cells I have and came up with this hot garbage (affectionate). This is legitimately the most unserious piece of fiction Iโve written so far, so if youโre in the mood for some fun and entertainment centered around vibes n mild-horniness youโve come to the right place! The title comes from a song with the same title which is funny to me because the song itself (Credit Card Baby by Wham!) is the complete opposite of the story I'm telling here LMAO
CONTENT TAGS & WARNINGS: mildly suggestive themes (as in, there's very little implication to sex and masturbation here if it bothers anybody. Just to put it out there so proceed with caution), crude jokes and language, crack treated seriously, comedy, college au, fluff, friends to a secret third thing, sugar daddy au (kinda), Chenle majors in business, MC majors in architecture, everyone yaps a lot... for some reason, Chenleโs also a micro-celebrity (streams and posts on TikTok), brief discussion of OnlyFans, but I am in no way encouraging it.
DISCLAIMER: none of this is meant to represent anyone in real life. This is purely fictional and for entertainment purposes only.
According to an article youโd come across, an OnlyFans creator earned an average of one-hundred-eighty dollars a month. Multiply that four or five times, youโd have enough for one ticket.
โAlright,โ you sighed, bringing your knees up as your eyes glued to what laid out in a neat pile right before you and the girls you lived with. โhow much do we have all together?โ
โTwenty-seven dollars and thirty cents. One banana flavored condom. Three sticks of gumโa chewed piece of gum, ewโa crumpled tissue and aโฆ hairball.โ
Jesus. This was getting ridiculous.
โFantastic!โ You clapped, looking at both girls with a wide smile and desperate eyes. โAnything else?โ
โA maxed out credit card,โ Minjeong sniffed as she threw the offending piece of useless plastic onto the pathetic pile. โThatโs all we have to our names combined. Weโre broke as shit.โ
No, really. You had everything you needed for a flourishing career of flashing your nether regions to the world behind a paywall.
A laptop with a webcam. A pretty face. A small collection of toys. Very small. A pink two-in-one vibrating dildo the girls had gotten you as a gag gift for your birthday still in its packaging type of small. Vaguely resembling a swirly ice pop youโd get on a hot summer day, and you had lovingly named it โPinkyโ before it had gotten shoved into the depths of your drawer, never to be seen again.
Your imaginary audience probably wouldn't mind, right? So long as theyโd get an eyeful of a pretty girl playing out starved menโs depraved fantasies.
Then again, the idea didnโt seem too hard in theory considering how far gooners were willing to throw a couple of dollars for aย five seconds long clip. They wouldnโt even notice the difference between an overexaggerated moan resembling a catโs mating yowl and a genuine moan of pleasure, far too busy jerking it until their keyboards were dank from their own mess. Youโd be earning enough to broaden your pathetic sex toy collection.
Simple-minded people were easy customers and you sure had no problems capitalizing off of that.
It was a good plan. A perfect long-term plan even, if it didnโt earn less than minimum wage and if you werenโt racing against time.
โThis sucks,โ Yizhuo whined, throwing her head back and staring forlornly at the ceiling. โWhere the hell are we gonna get that kind of money in four days?โ
Minjeong raised a groomed eyebrow. โCanโt you ask your parents? Say itโs an emergency or something.โ
Yizhuoโs head lolled to the side, frowning at her. โThey still have me cut off, remember?โ
And the thought wasnโt just devastating to Yizhuo who, up until a few months ago, had been living the life of a spoiled princess with the world right in the palms of her dainty, never-worked-in-her-life hands. Naturally, being the closest to Yizhuo where you all were practically sisters, you and Minjeong were tangled up in the punishment as well. That meant leeching off of her and her unlimited access to her parentsโ money was ineffective until she learned her lesson.ย
After all, she was the reason why you and Minjeong had a roof above your head because apparently buying a house out-of-pocket was much more cost-efficient than renting, leaving you girls the responsibility of paying for groceries and sparing you just enough to spend for personal items. Yizhuo handled the rest as she had become somewhat of a sugar mommy.
โApparently Daddy thought I was being very irresponsible with their money.โ Yizhuo rolled her eyes. โWhatever that meansโthat I spend most of my time shopping rather than studying, which is so stupid when I already know the business like I know Daddyโs card details by heart! Why should I go to university when Iโm set for life?โ
She had gotten a job a week after spending what was left of her savings in a fit of panic. Lavishly, one could say, where the amount of clothes, bags, makeup and accessories had your eyes bugging out at the exorbitant prices printed on each receipt. Minjeong hadnโt been responsive all throughout. You didnโt think she was breathing either when she stared hard at a receipt from Prada.
Lucky for Yizhuo, Minjeongโs job at a thrift store had recently let go one of their former employees after her boss had caught them doing lines in the break room.
It was perfect for Yizhuo, low effort as sheโd be manning the cashier and would occasionally keep the racks in stock. And best of all, she wonโt be alone. Sheโd be with Minjeong which also came as a relief to you since it was a huge adjustment from not lifting a finger all her years on Earth thus far, to suddenly contributing enough to keep your mouths fed for at least twice a day.
โWow,โ Minjeong drawled, โyour life must be so hard.โ
โUgh,โ Yizhou groused, crossing her arms as she leaned against the foot of the couch with a moue reminding you of a spoiled child being told โnoโ. โYou donโt even know.โ
Judging by the look on Minjeongโs face, she was not having Yizhouโs tone-deafness in the slightest, and while you silently shared the sentimentโthat the youngest of the household could have refrained from flaunting her privileged life, you didnโt want any casualties that could potentially turn into a court case. Because as sweet as Yizhuo was, she could be just as evil and vindictive to anyone that wronged her in some way.
โAt least your parents let us keep the house,โ you joked, patting Yizhuoโs knee with a smile. She at least appeared genuinely apologetic by the situation. โAny ideas on how we could get at least fifteen hundred dollars for three barricade tickets inโโyou glanced at your calendar appโโfour days?โ
โGirl, you are asking for a goddamn miracle,โ Minjeong sighed, โeven Jesus took three days to resurrect.โ
You nodded sagely and added, โtook him six days to create the world,โ which got a confused noise from Yizhuo.
โI thought it took seven?โ
Minjeong shook her head. โNo. He rested on the seventh day. Didnโt you go to Sunday School?โ
โNot really. I barely lasted half a day.โ
Well, all of you were definitely losing the plot here, quoting holy scripture, or whatever, but Minjeong was right; none of you were divine beings capable of pulling miracles out of your proverbial asses in time when the goddamn concert was in four days.
One could argue that you were given a long enough timeframe to save up for pre-sale, but when you had a friend like nepo-baby heiress Yizhuo Ning who had connections everywhere, it was guaranteed that you'll get the best seats at a concert of a big-named artist with her influence regardless of the limited time frame. Perhaps backstage passes if Yizhuo liked them enough. And she liked this one. A lot. She could never resist Sabrina Carpenterโs big blue eyes and bouncy blonde curls.
So, no. None of you had the forethought of pulling out the โSaving Up For A Concert For Dummiesโ manual. Not when you had Yizhuo and her endless pockets full of hard cash to fall back onto.
Then she lost access (temporarily) to the Ning family vault, with barely anything saved up from her job because her spending problem wouldnโt vanish with just a snap of her fatherโs fingers, apparently. Now here you were: sitting in a circle on the plush, mauve, floral embossed carpeting that must have costed a fortune with crumpled dollar bills and junk you found deep in your purses like you were all trying out a crude summoning ritual for fat wads of cash.
Nothing could get worse than this. Youโve been through worse than this.
โWe could sell feet pics?โ
โHell no. Feet freak me the fuck out,โ Minjeong shivered.
You plucked the condom from the pile and lifted it up at face-level. โWould a used condom sell a lot to some weirdo freak out there?โ
โMaybe,โ Yizhuo replied the same time Minjeong said, in absolute disbelief that one of you would ever think of something so unhygienic, โI wouldnโt know, Iโm a lesbian.โ
โYeah, no.โ You wrinkled your nose. โYou would not catch me pulling out a condom with some guyโs jizz in it from the trash. Ew.โ
โHow about a sugar daddy?โ
โEh. Iโm not really into older men.โ
โYou saying you wouldnโt let the guy who played M-C-U Bucky Barnes hit?โ
โOh sure,โ you said, sarcasm dripping thickly with each word that followed, โlet me just hit up my buddy, my pal, Sebastian Stan on Instagram. Maybe I should call his phone number too! Yโknow, the number that I donโt have.โ
โOkay, sheesh. You donโt need to be so mean about it,โ Minjeong mumbled.
โOh! OnlyFans!โ Yizhuo suggested with reverence as if she figured out how to attain world peace, earnest as her eyes rounded with excitement. โIโve heard plenty of success stories. It canโt be too hard for any of us.โ
A beat of silence, and thenโ
โNot it!โ Minjeong exclaimed, touching the pad of her index finger to the tip of her nose.
โNot it!โ came Yizhuoโs shrill voice a close second, copying Minjeong.
โNot itโfuck!โ you wailed, half from being the sacrificial lamb and half because you smacked yourself in the fucking face from momentary panic which the girls didnโt seem to catch, too busy shrieking and hugging each other in relief. โNo fair.โ
โOh, I think itโs plenty fair,โ Minjeong shrugged, pressing her cheek against Yizhuoโs. โYou were just slow.โ
โAnd if anything, thisโll be easy for you!โ Yizhuo cheered.
โEasy? okayโthisโโyou motioned wildly to your own bodyโโisnโt for the masses.โ
Minjeong snorted. โOh, sure. Tell that to the three guys you keep on rotation.โ
โTheyโre just three guys. God forbid a girl has a healthy sex-life,โ you whined. It was either wither away when you werenโt agonizing over your Architectural Design courseโany of your courses, reallyโor fuck around with the guys youโve met through mutual friends as your mode of relief.ย โand why does it have to be me? Iโm sure either of you could pull off being an O-F model.โ
โOne,โ Minjeong raised a finger, โdonโt ever call me that. Even if itโs in a hypothetical sense. And two, the thought of men being the majority of my audience unnerves me. I donโt think you could make it so only women could see me, so fuck that.โ
โFine. Iโll allow it.โ You turned to Yizhuo with an expectant look. โWhat about you?โ
She returned it with an unimpressed one, bordering on disbelief the longer you stared at her, waiting to say her piece.
โYouโre kidding, right?โ No, you were not. Was there a joke hidden in those three words forming a question? Not that you knew of, so you gestured for Yizhuo to get on with the program. โIโm like, the last person you should send to the wolves.โ
โWhy not?โ You pouted. โYouโre like, the most charismatic of us three. Got a pretty face too, if that wasnโt obvious enough.โ
โUh-huh, yeahโcalling me pretty wonโt change my mind,โ Yizhuo said, firm and that meant she wonโt tolerate any more of your pushing, yet the pretty blush tinting her cheeks told you enough that you almost got through her. โIโm an heiress to one of the largest Chinese conglomerates back home. Howโd you think that would look for me?โ
Bad, Iโm guessing, and you knew this first-hand.ย
There was an approximate six-thousand mile distance from where Yizhuo was brought up to where all three of you resided, yet that didnโt stop the Chinese media from getting their updates on how Yizhuo Ning was faring as an international college student.
You had a few run-ins with the paparazzi just dying to get dirt on Harbinโs sweetheart, fought with some too which had caused quite a buzz on both Weibo and Xiaohongshu when pictures of Yizhuo stumbling down the stairs of a frat house, looking drop-dead gorgeous were shared. No one could tell she was barely clinging onto sobriety. Or that she had already emptied her stomach twice in one of Sigma Chiโs bathrooms and a plant that surely had seen better days being under the care of jaunty frat boys who barely knew the concept of photosynthesis.
There was also a handful of you elbowing one of the paparazzi in the face when they had gotten too close. Your face, thankfully, had been blurred out. Same with Minjeongโs who had been trying her absolute damndest to keep you from getting aggravated assault charges while being tipsy herself.
If they had somehow caught wind of Yizhuo being involved in something so obsceneโand you knew they would eventuallyโher life would be over. And yours. And Minjeongโs, because God forbid her parents might as well treat you as their own children with how often their darling daughter talked about you during their weekly check-up calls.
โAnd my parents would literally kill me if they found out their only daughter isnโt as virginal as they thought!โ
โBut you havenโt been a virgin since sophomore year.โ
Yizhuo rolled her eyes. โThey donโt know that, obviously.โ
โAnd so that leaves me to be the breadwinner of this fucking household,โ you said, heaving a conceding sigh. โGod I hate you rich people.โ
โI know you do. You say โeat the richโ at least three times a day like itโs โgraceโ.โ Yizhuo didnโt even sound remotely annoyed by your diss, basking in the relief of not taking your place and sacrificing her dignity. โItโs just until we get the tickets. Then you can be boring and gate-keep yourself until we have to slut you out again.โ
โMy body is a temple,โ you said, feigning offense as you crossed your arms, cupping your breasts in a protective hold while Minjeong cackled. โBesides, OnlyFans might be easy on paper, but executing it? Four days wonโt be enough. There are many factors involved and engagement wonโt be that easy from how oversaturated it is. Iโd be a no name. Itโd probably take me months to get the amount we need and Miss โhave you ever tried this one?โ would be in Europe by then.โ
โAnd you did the math for that?โ
โOnly since we took all the shit out of our purses.โ
โRight, because you always do the math for everything.โ
โItโs a reflex.โ You shrugged. You could even say it had been ingrained in you, haunted by the fact you almost failed Calculus I. You struggled less with it now, spending all summer drilling numerous Youtube tutorials into your brain and electing one of your classmates as your tutor. โHow do you think weโve survived this long without your parentsโ money?โ
Yizhuo shrugged. โFair enough. Nerd.โ
She gets a pillow to the face for that.
โWell,โ you said with a clap. โIf thatโs all, I gotta go inโโyou glanced at your watch and then panicked as you scrambled to get upโโfive minutes ago. Fuck, Iโm gonna be late!โ The pop in your knees made you wince when getting on your two feet, making a bee-line towards your bedroom and stumbling over Minjeongโs thighs in the process.
โFor a dick appointment?โย
โIf you count AutoCad fucking up my chances for a four-point-oh, then sure.โ
So maybe you had lied about the dick appointment, but in your defense, you actually had shit to do.
It just so happened Renjun also majored in Architecture, and that you shared all of your classes with him because if you were walking into five years of hell, you sure as hell werenโt going to suffer alone. You were simply hitting two birds with one stone.
If only those two hypothetical birds you hypothetically murdered coughed up fat wads of cash enough for three tickets, then youโd be set.
You let out a defeated sigh. โI need fifteen hundred bucks.โ
Renjun, who just got back from a shower, blinked at the bold request.
โSay that again? You need how much?โ
โFifteen hundred bucks,โ you repeated.
Renjun's face twisted as he stuck his pinky into his ear and wiggled it around. โIโm definitely hearing things โcause thereโs no way.โ
You rolled your neck to blankly stare at him. โI can say it again in Mandarin, if you want.โ
โPlease donโt,โ Renjun shook his head, not minding that you were trying really hard to set him on fire with your eyes. โThatโs like, using what I taught you for evil.โ
โWell thatโs too damn bad,โ and you repeated what you said in near flawless Mandarin.
The conversation should have ended there. He just had the most underwhelming orgasm to-date due to whatever weird headspace you were in throughout yourโahemโsession that made it less passionate and more robotic, but getting blue-balled was considerably worse than having to act as your last-minute financial adviser.
He simply could ignore anything that had just left your mouth when your attention was set onto the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to his ceiling, but the unfortunate thing was that Renjun was nothing but indulgent at the moment.ย
Dregs of lust in his brain prevented any of his usual no-nonsense approach and it certainly didnโt help that he could never say no to a girlโa pretty girl, no lessโno matter how insufferable they were. Specifically you with his sheets wrapped around your still naked body. Renjun was still a man, and his IQ could still lose a few points if a girl so much looked his way.
Since you were both things, a girl and pretty, he calmly graced your dilemma with an answer.
โI can only give you orgasms, Iโm afraid.โ He said with a pout you knew was meant to be patronizing, mocking almost, especially with a detached lilt to his voice.
This wasnโt new to you as it was one of his methods to get under your skin. He knew you hated it, and you could definitely tell heโd prefer to discuss something else. Or nothing at all, but he had already poked the bear which meant he had to listen to you whinge until you either 1.) get it out of your system yourself or 2.) or he did something about it, and Renjun knew exactly the choice he made, yet that obviously didnโt work.
โWhatโs the fifteen hundred for anyway?โ he conceded, barely tampering down the reluctance of circling back on your current financial struggles while rubbing his hair dry.
โBarricade tickets to Sabrina Carpenter,โ you said shifting onto your side so you could face him properly. โVIP too if possible. For me, Ningning and Minjeong.โ
He closed his eyes, jaw clenching. Saying other girlsโ names post-coitus should be considered an act of violation or something, but he digressed.
โI thought Yizhuo got you tickets already?โ His eyes snapped open to regard you with a lost look. โBefore the whole cutting her off from her parentsโ money fiasco?โ
โWell, no one was really expecting her to go broke. She didnโt think it was a priority when she could just get the tickets last minute.โ
โAnd since they took away accessโฆโ
โNo money for us until further notice.โ
Both of his eyebrows rose at the sheer ridiculousness of Yizhuo, self-proclaimed number one Sabrina shooter who could not go one day without singing Feather as much as her lungs could take, not being able to cop tickets. โThe concert is in four days.โ
โOh donโt I know it.โ When it rang like a giant alarm in your head, it was hard to not think about it. โIโm thinking of taking out a loan from my bank.โ
โAbsolutely not,โ he snapped and tossed his damp towel onto your face. You shrieked and clawed it away because, ew, gross. โNo way in hell are you going into debt because of a concert. Are you fucking crazy?โ
โItโs not like I can ask someone to buy them for me either!โย
Renjun just barely resisted the urge to groan at the fact your persistent yapping almost ruined your then stellar bed chem.
โLike, who would be dumb enough to buy me a ticket? Let alone three?โ
Itโs surprising how you were able to come up with coherent sentences aftergetting your brains fucked out, but Renjun had always thought you were a weird one. Stamina on good days, yet a common cold could have you acting like you were knocking on deathโs door.
โIโm sure I can name at least one person,โ he said, thoughtful.
โDoes this person have two-toned hair, perchance?โ you wheedled, rolling onto your stomach to cup both of your cheeks with your hands looking like a flower in bloom for him. โIs his name Renjun Huang? A-K-A my favorite guy in the whole wide world?โ
โYouโre cute,โ Renjun snorted, sitting on the foot of his bed. โBut no.โ
Your bottom lip jutted out in a pout. โYouโre no fun.โ
โThereโs Jaemin,โ he offered.
You grimaced. โToo needy.โ
โHaechan?โ
โToo mean.โ
โAnd you still go to that asshole?โ Renjun asked, incredulous.ย
โHeโs a good lay?โ you offered, sheepish almost under the glare of his disbelief and the full force of his eyebrows. โCโmon, at least one ticket for your best girl?โ you cooed, laying it on thick with a flutter of your eyelashes. โThe other two can probably work something out.โย
Minjeong and Yizhuo were your girls. No one could ever doubt the love you had for them, being housemates for two years and counting, but desperate times called for desperate measures. Itโs every man (well, woman) for themselves and if there was an opportunity right in front of you, might as well take it.
โYeahโฆโ he trailed off with a wince and you already didnโt like what he was about to say when he glimpsed at you and then at some random spot behind. โabout thatโโ
โWhatever youโre about to say, donโt,โ you ground out.
Renjun pretended like he hadn't heard you. โSomeone from the student association gave me a ticket.โ
โAnd youโre going?โ You hoped he wasnโt.
As if he read your mind, Renjunโs mouth parted in offense. โItโs Sabrina Carpenter. Itโs a great opportunity to clout chase.โ
Oh he was definitely going to be insufferable on Instagram, talking about it for days on end. Just like you would be.
โSeriously?โ you exclaimed, both hands covering your face, muffling your scream. This felt way worse than the time you almost didnโt meet the deadline of a plate submission that made up a large chunk of your grade. โIs everyone and their goddamn moms going except me?โ
โGuess so.โ
You peeled your hands away to Renjun scrolling through his phone in mild interest.
โCan you at least pretend to feel sorry for me?โย
Renjun let his phone drop in between his crossed legs. โMy condolences that you wonโt get to see Sabrina do her Juno pose five feet away from you.โ
โYouโre the worst,โ you groaned, sitting up and holding the blanket tightly to preserve your modesty. โIโm literally out of options and youโre already kickstarting the FOMO.โ
โAnd what were yourโโhe waved absently to the airโโoptions exactly?โ
โThere was the OnlyFans routeโand before you say anything else,โ you gave Renjun a look that was sharp enough to make him think twice about his needling. He said nothing, thankfully, but his pursed lips and scrunched eyebrows said a lot. โyes, I did the math and we all agreedโsurprisinglyโthat it would be impossible to earn that amount of money before the concert. Then Minjeong suggested a sugar daddy, but Iโm not really up for being a geraitricโs pretty play-thing. What if he dies mid-sexโโ
You got cut off from Renjun doubling over with laughter. โSugar daddy? Why donโt you just ask Chenle then?โ
โWhy should I ask Chenle?โ
โWhy shouldnโt you ask Chenle?โ
โThatโs why Iโm asking you,โ you quipped back.
Renjun laughed again. A rich, belly-deep equal parts loud and grating. โYou cannot be this dense,โ he said as he calmed down. โI just meanโyou guys are close, right? Close enough that he bought you a replacement T-square.โ He watched you, amused, as you considered the question. Renjun can almost see the gears turning in your head, chin resting in his palm and using his leg to balance his elbow.
โIt was an emergency,โ you stressed with an eye-roll, though you didnโt exactly fight the fond smile settling on your lips at the memory of Chenle getting rung up for a new sixty-four-inch long acrylic T-square while you perused the rows upon rose of cute stationery. You hadnโt meant for your old one to snap cleanly in half, but when there was a guy who didnโt take โnoโ for an answer and, well, there was a reason why the running joke of a T-square doubling as a weapon was still relevant to this day.
โDoesnโt he pay for you guys when you hang out?โ
Renjun snorted. โSure. If you count him demanding us to Venmo him later.โ
โHuh. He usually just pays for us both.โ
Actually, now that youโve thought about it, his housemates hadnโt ever gotten the privilege of Chenle covering for any of their expenses, much less a cheap meal from a well loved hole-in-the-wall restaurant. You didnโt think it was favoritism either. Was that a thing in friendships too? You had no idea, and you never had to ask when Chenle never thought twice to remind the waiter or waitress that he was paying for two. For me and herโhe would nod his head towards youโonly and leave the rest to settle their shared bill among themselves.
โHuh.โ you repeated.
โYeah-huh,โ Renjun echoed with one corner of his mouth lifted up in a smirk. โSeriously, if youโre that desperate to see Sabrina up close, Iโm sure he can work something out for you. Whatโs fifteen hundred gonna do?โ
You both knew the answer to that. Nothing, because although Chenle wasnโt as high profile as Yizhuo and her family was, you had a vague idea on how deep his pockets ran if he barely spared a glance at his receipt from Gucci for a track-suit set heโd been meaning to get. He might as well have slapped you in the face with a thick stack of one-hundreds.
It would have invoked the same feeling of being too poor to even breathe inside the store and it had been a relief you thought of dressing up that day too despite the fact youโve pulled an all-nighter to complete a handful of plates for design class the night before. You were at least spared from any judgment from the sales reps.
Still.
Renjun clicked his tongue, sensing your mental turmoil. โJust ask him. If he says no, then thereโs your answer.โ
Just ask him. Easy for Renjun to suggest when he wasnโt the one stewing away in a puddle of anxiety. He already had a ticket! Of course heโd think nothing of it.ย
Walking into Yizhuoโs obscenely large living room, you were once again reminded how excessive it was.
There was a grand piano in there, for fuckโs sake, in the far end after the actual living area with the plush seating, yet none of you could play any elaborate musical pieces except for Twinkle Twinkle Litter Star. Right next to it was a sunken conversation pit with a modern fireplace built into the large concrete column and there were a series of floor-to-ceiling windows and glass sliding doors encompassing the pit.
Other than overlooking the luscious, grassy backyard, the doors led straight to the deck where a round pool resided as its main attraction. There was a goddamn fountain just beside it, too. Who needs a fucking fountain in this economy anyway?
Actually, everything about the house was ridiculously extravagant for three college girls to live in. Your bedroom included. Yizhuo ended up giving you one of the bigger rooms and you were sure the drafting table you bought off of a grad student for cheap would do its job and cramp it up, but you knew the saying about gift horses and Mom raised you better than complaining about convenience being handed to you on a silver platter.
The round floor table of the conversation pit was vacant, though there were scattered papers, notebooks, textbooks and all sorts of pens on top of the reflective glass surface. That meant either one of the girls was home. Or both, as Minjeongโs and Yizhuoโs voices grew louder by each step towards the kitchen.
โGuess who might have found a solution to our ticketing problem!โ
You slid onto the cushioned seats of the breakfast nookโa breakfast nook, Jesusโright across from Minjeong sipping her to-go cup of thai milk tea. She wordlessly slid on towards you. You took a generous drag of the stuff.
โActually, it was more of Renjunโs ideaโwhich I am effectively stealing.โ
Yizhuo, who was in the middle of plating a hefty amount of pad see ew, looked like she swallowed something toe-curlingly sour. โOh so you were with Renjun-ge.โ
An easy smile curled on your lips as you lifted a shoulder to shrug, sweetly batting your eyelashes. โWhat can I say? The guy gives good headโโ (โI did not need to know that.โ) โโanyways, my idea.โ
โMine was probably better.โ
โOh yeah?โ you drawled, egging Yizhuo on. โLetโs hear it then.โ
โBreaking into the thrift store and stealing everything from the cash register.โ
โWhat?โ
โShe claimed if her parents found out about her crimes, theyโd have to bail her out from prison and then restore her money privileges,โ Minjeong glared at the youngest who simply whistled to Espresso as she carried on with the food. โThen I had to remind her of her reputation.โ
โGood thing you did โcause thatโs the dumbest fucking idea Iโve ever heard,โ you said and you made sure it showed on your face as Yizhuo wilted underneath your tangible disappointment that she would even risk an integral part of her privileged life when she had used it as a counter-argument to the whole OnlyFans thing. โSo weโre going with my solution to our broke-nessโChenle Zhong.โ
Yizhuo did not look pleased whatsoever. โWhat does Caillou have to do with Sabrina Carpenter?โ
You ignored Minjeong shrieking with laughter. โChenleโs got money,โ you said as if you were talking to a toddler barely getting a grasp on words having their designated meanings. โAnd do you know what we need to get tickets? Money, and Chenle has a lot of it.โ
โIt took Renjun for you to realize that Chenle could be our solution?โ Yizhuo exclaimed in disbelief, head in her hands. โOh my Godโit took Renjun telling you, then you telling us that he could be our solution? How could Iโve been so stupid?โ
Her head jerked upwards, ponytail swishing along and gave you a look so sharp and abrupt that you jerked in surprise. You fixed your posture so fast that your grandmother would have been proud. For once. โYouโre definitely asking Chenle.โ
โUhโfirst of all, why me? Donโt rich people have, like, some sort of kinship with one another? Like, hey, can I borrow ten-thousand dollars? Iโll pay you back with five-percent interest.โ That definitely wasnโt how deals between rich people were made, but whatever. โSecond, why not you, money bags?โ
โHeโll never say yes to me,โ she said brusquely, clicking her tongue. โI kicked his ass a bunch of times in PUBG and heโs still bitter about it. Itโs not my fault he sucks absolute balls. Thereโs like, a compilation of him complaining on stream about how I was cheatingโโYizhuo made air quotationsโโon TikTok. Itโs so funny. Actually, Iโll send you the linkโโ
You turned your gaze towards Minjeong for help, eyes widened a fraction for an added pathetic flair as the younger one focused on scrolling through the damn app.
โDonโt look at me. Chenleโs just cheap with everyoneโactually, maybe except for you,โ Minjeong pointed a long, black almond tipped nail in your direction. โthe favorite.โ
โYou say it like itโs an insult.โ You slurped your milk tea at an obnoxious volume, shrinking in your seat. โMaybe heโs just nicer to me because Iโm nice to him unlike you two.โ
โIs that what weโre calling it these days?โ Minjeong said, eyeing you curiously.
โWhatโs that supposed to mean?โ
She moved her gaze elsewhere. โNothing.โ
You squinted. โUh-huh.โ
โAnyways,โ she said, pointedly keeping her gaze forward. โHe started it. I asked him if I could borrow money for my Lyft and he laughed in my face.โ
You pressed your lips together to keep yourself from laughing too because, yeah, the image was a little funny. โYouโre exaggerating,โ you said evenly.
Yizhuo made a half-wince, half-smile sorta thing with her face. โAre we though?โ
โLeleโs not that much of an asshole,โ you defended. โHe drives me home. You could have hitched a ride with us is all Iโm saying. And if I can remember correctly, he still gave you more than enough for your Lyft.โ
โHe didnโt have to laugh at me, then.โ Minjeong looked like she was heavily debating whether she should smack you upside the head, or not. โFor someone smart, youโre real stupid.โ
You frowned. โHey.โ
The argument still carried on deep in your weekly โeverything showerโ.
โFace it, babe. Heโs like your personal A-T-M.โ
โChenle doesnโt always get me things.โ
You were aching in places you never knew existed as you passed the foamy loofah over your skin, yet the girls had denounced what it meant to have boundaries, making themselves at home in your bathroom to prove their joint points.
Yizhuo scoffed from where she sat on top of the closed lid of the toilet. โThe shampoo you used earlier? That was imported from Japan.โ
โSo? He noticed I ran out the last time he was here. Itโs just shampoo.โ
โFrom Japan,โ Yizhuo countered.
You pulled a face. โIs that supposed to mean anything? Itโs fucking shampoo.โ
She just threw her hands up in the air, visibly annoyed.
โAnd the body wash youโre using? From Chenle.โ Minjeong piped up from the separated bathtub, pointed at the towels hanging on the towel warmer and added, โThe bath towel set? Chenle.โ
โAlright, fine, maybeโโ
โThe yearโs supply of assorted sheet masks in the fridge we use?โ she offered.
โThe gargantuan tin of tea leaves youโve mentioned you liked.โ
โOkay. I get itโโ
โA new backpack because your old one ripped at the seams.โ
โYour underwearโโ
โHah!โ You pointed triumphantly in Minjeongโs direction. โNo, he hasnโt bought me any.โ
โNot yet,โ girl-in-bathtub emphasized, resting her chin on top of her arm propped on the tubโs edge. โShit, he probably bought everything you own.โ
โOkay, now youโre definitely exaggerating.โ You snorted, walking into the spray of the shower to rinse off the suds. โIโm not that broke.โ
โShould I also mention that if it werenโt for him, you wouldnโt have met us? Or that you would have been homeless?โ Well, yeah, and you would have figured something out eventually, but you werenโt expecting Yizhuo to bring that up to one-up you in an argument.
โI canโt believe you would use the โyou wouldโve been homeless if it werenโt for meโ card against me.โ
โIf it werenโt for Chenle, you mean,โ she corrected, propping her cheek on top of her bent knee. You glared at the needless addition, though the usual effect wasnโt as strong with warm water sluicing down your face. To Yizhuo, you were definitely doing an almost perfect rendition of โwet catโ. โYou canโt be this stupid. Youโre literally his favorite. I doubt thereโs another guy out there that would willinglyโagain, listenโwillingly spend money on you.โ
โDoes Jaemin buying me a pack of gum the other day count?โ
โOh my fucking God, youโre hopeless.โ
Minjeong shrugged. โMaybe he was lowkey telling you your breath stinks.โ (โEx-fucking-scuse you?โ) โDidnโt Chenle buy you a ring that looked like a bent nail?โ
โAs a gift, yeah?โ Your wince was immediate the moment Yizhuo gasped at your confirmation.
โThat was Cartier!โ She whipped out her phone from fuck knows where and showed you the website and its price. Did she have that tab open all this time just for a โgotcha!โ moment? Jeez, she scared you sometimes. โLookโJuste un Clou ring. Classic model. I wouldโve given you rose gold, personally, but the white gold looks pretty too,โ she mumbled, nodding approvingly. โHe knows his stuff, at least.โ
โViola!โ You turned to Minjeong making jazz hands with flourish. โIf he can blow three grand on you without blinking, fifteen hundred would be nothing.โ
You let out a heavy sigh, rinsing the loofah free from the suds. โHow sure are we that there are any tickets left? Last I heard, three nights sold out.โ
โItโs Chenle. He has connections everywhere. Heโll probably end up tracking scalpers too if he could help it.โ She weighed her own words for a moment. โAs long as youโre the one asking.โ
โIf you say so,โ you trailed off, still not entirely convinced even by her radiating certainty.
โUh-oh.โ Yizhuo promptly sat up. โThatโs not good. Whatโs wrong?โ
โItโs justโI feel kinda weird. Asking him. Like, Iโve never really had to ask him forโฆ stuff before.โ
โWhat,โ the girls said in a way so dry that you most likely would have broken out in sweat with how serious their faces were right now. Thunderous even.
โWhat do you mean by โnot having to ask himโ?โ Minjeong asked, deathly calm.
โJust as I said. He just does it on his own. Without me telling him.โ
In hindsight, Chenle might have been an option right from the very start if the thought of simply asking for help financially didnโt bother you in the slightest, but thatโs the thing. The idea did bother you to your very core because, again, it wasnโt like you were broke. A victim to capitalism? Absolutely.
Once you broke the news to your parents and brother about your acceptance to one of the top universities in the state on a full-ride scholarship, they had insisted on a monthly allowance. They hadnโt minded extending a helping hand at all, and it was the least they could do to lighten the burden with the condition that you should be devoted to your academics.
Consequently, you were also good with multi-tasking, so youโve managed a healthy work-play balance so far. What your parents and brother didnโt know wont hurt them and you hadnโt given them a reason to not trust you on your own, miles away from home, either. Not yet at least.
Deciding for a part-time job was after the realization that majoring in architecture was a bit heavy on the pockets from the consistent need for materials and printing out your designs brought to life by the handful of software provided by your department. The cafรฉ pay was decent, you were tipped just as okay, and you wouldnโt say no to some cash on the side. Adding that to the remnants of your monthly allowance, it was enough to buy a thing or two at the end of the month as a treat.
And then came Chenle, guns ablazing, with no qualms swiping his card on your behalf.
You never really had to ask him.
Literally.
He would already have it taken care of before you could even pluck your wallet out and split the cost. You couldnโt remember if you had a time where you outright asked (begged) him for a few bills, and if you did, you always always promised to pay him back.
That being said, Chenle wouldnโt let you fight him on it either. When his mind was already made up, it was like talking to a brick wall, standing tall and impervious to almost everything. A losing battle when youโre up against someone headstrong yet so goddamn stubborn.
Thatโs where your hesitation had stemmed from, because it could either go two ways: he could say no and you could kiss your chances of brushing hands with Sabrina Carpenter goodbye, which would be the best case scenario, or heโd say yes, and once he said yes, there was no turning back. A yes from Chenle was lawโsigned and sealed that not even expressing the preconceived regret of asking a favor would shake him.
This was entirely different from Chenle just doing whatever the fuck he wanted with his own money without any of your persuasion. You never had to ask him for anything before and the fact of the matter was, you were damn terrified of asking if Chenle could be a bro one last time and drop what was equivalent to the price of a newly released iPhone for you.
Asking him would literally be so detrimental to your conscience that you would probably go insane with guilt and you couldnโt afford getting thrown into the nearest psych-ward when you had tons of deadlines to meet.
Minjeong leaned back to stare forlornly at the ceiling. โLord, I see the luck youโve bestowed upon this girl so stupid.โ
โHey!โ You whined.
โCongratulations on getting a sugar daddy,โ Yizhuo said, dry. โCan you ask him for tickets now?โ
Oh God, you thought with abject horror. What if Chenle is my sugar daddy?
Technically speaking, though, you both fit the description. Minus the โsugarโ part so, quasi-sugar-daddy then?
Okay, no. Thatโs definitely not a can of worms youโre gonna open, like, ever. Chenle just happened to be there whenever you had to go out and buy shit. Just happened to be faster whipping out his wallet than you were. After all, heโs the spry athlete while you were five cans of Monster Energy away from keeling over.
What youโd like to get into now was how this conversation developed backwards where you had to be naked and wet to get some sort of pep-talk. Was this even considered pep-talk? This was somebody elseโs form of nightmare for sure.
โThis is really weird,โ you said, neither confirming or denying Yizhuoโs so-called congratulations as you glanced between the two girls unabashedly staring at you in your birthday suit, expecting. โCan you guys leave?โ
โNothing weโve seen before.โ You met Minjeongโs eyes for a second before they strayed to your naked breasts and back up again. โBet Chenle would love to see you right now.โ
For whatever reason, Yizhuo mirrored Minjeongโs sentiments as she bobbed her head so fast you would think the idea was exciting for her. โOnly right for you to give him some sugar, too.โย
โOrโget thisโI donโt do that?โ
โWhy not?โ Minjeong frowned. โYou fuck anything that moves.โ
โCorrection: I do not. Iโve only been with, like, five guys my entire life,โ you said, brandishing one hand so they would get the picture. โAnd Chenleโs my friend! Weโre like thisโโyou crossed your fingers, shaking them for emphasisโโtight, yโknow? Literally everythingโll change if I goโฆ do that.โ
โYou and Renjun are alsoโโshe copied your crossed fingersโโlike this, but youโre still fucking.โ
โWellโฆ thatโsโthatโs obviously different! He doesnโt count!โ you said with each word increasing in pitch.
โOh pray tell why you wouldnโt sleep with Chenle Zhong,โ Minjeong goaded. โI may not like guys, but looking at him through an objective lens, heโs one of the good ones.โ
โThereโs no risk with Renjun because itโs strictly casual and platonic, and I know I wouldnโt get attached and developโโ you quickly clamped your mouth shut. Shit. โUhโumโyouโre breaking up,โ you blurted, closing your eyes as you stepped into the heavy downpour of the rainfall shower. โI canโt hear you,โ you said, though that likely sounded like incoherent blubbering. You were sure youโve got your point across with that piss-poor save anyway.
โWe can literally see you.โ
You turned your back to them. They could talk to your ass if they wanted. Out of sight, out of mind. โNot anymore, you donโt.โ
You hoped that was the end of it, though it was made clear time and time again that the girls werenโt satisfied with your hedging. A growl was heard, followed by the quick plap plap plap of feet against the cold tiles. As the glass door squeaked, the brief water prison youโve enclosed yourself in stopped soon after and you opened your eyes to a hand retracting from one of the knobs.
There was barely a second for you to complain before an undignified yelp was forced out from your throat when you were spun around to find Yizhuoโs dour face, her hands clamping down on your shoulders.
โYouโre just admitting this to us now?โ she said, incredulous, and a little surprised that youโve managed to keep a crucial detail from them for this long.ย
โIt wasnโt like an immediate thing I needed to resolve!โ you argued, โbut the thought was always there, I guess. Just sitting in the back of my mind until you brought up sex with Chenle. And Iโm busy, in case it wasnโt obvious enough to you non-architecture majors. Never had the chance to explore it, yโknow?โ
Busy was the biggest understatement of the year. Your life revolved around sketching, drafting, renderingโhell, even printing your designs on sheets of paper almost (more or less) half your height had never been this stressful. Adding a part-time job to that? It was a miracle you were still kicking.
With all that combined, you didnโt have the time to give a damn about relationships running deeper than casual, less emotionally charged flings. Those were easier to manage without the messiness of feelings involved.ย
โWell, Dora the Explorer,โ Yizhuo tendered as she handed you your heated towel. โyou better start explorinโ because youโre gonna fuck him either way.โ
You swiped the towel from her. โNo Iโm not.โ
โNo youโre not,โ Yizhuo agreed, and maybe the shrewd glint in those beady eyes of hers was only your imagination, toweling yourself dry and wrapping it around you once you were less damp. โbut at least keep it as your trump card if he gets difficultโwhich Iโd doubt, really.โ
โYou guysโre that confident heโd say yes?โ you mused, pushing past Yizhuo to grab the other towel for your head. โItโs gonna be so embarrassing if he says otherwise.โ
โTo the tickets? Or the sex?โ Minjeong then heaved a dramatic gasp, eyes wide as her voice dropped to a staged whisper. โOr worse, your alleged feelings.โ
You puffed out your cheeks, ignoring the rush of warmth blooming onto your face. โNow Iโm hoping he says โnoโ.โ
โOh, girl, trust me when I say โnoโ is the last thing heโll say to you.โ Yizhuo said, looking very sure of herself. โSo. How soon can you get to him?โ
โGod I hate you rich people.โ
Yizhuo beamed. โI know.โ
Well, it wasnโt like you were a stranger to testing your luck.
You: wyd
Lele: ?
Lele: Iโm not one of your groupies
Lele: need something?
You: wanna get groceries with me? :D
Lele: be there in 15
Lele: need to grab Daegalโs kibble too
You: ur the best โจโจ
Lele: i know i am
You: girl whatever.
Lele: โค๏ธ
โYou know, when you said groceries, I was expecting personal stuffโlike skincare or some shit,โ Chenle said loftily. โPads? Tampons? God forbid a menstrual cupโโ
โHow do you even know what a cup is,โ you muttered. โand my period ended a week ago.โ
โI know.โ You looked up from your work to Chenle squinting down at his phone. He caught your eye and beamed, pocketing the device. You were too afraid to ask what that was about. โWe could have gone to Sephora after.โ
Oh you definitely could have if you had been more specific with what groceries meant, but you simply said to take both your asses to the nearest H Mart. Cute as the thought was, you werenโt exactly in the mood to watch Chenle try and figure out which products were on your current rotation. It would have made good content for him though, a sure hit for his predominantly female fanbase, yet the looming three days left to secure tickets above your head kept you from suggesting that.
โWell, I canโt exactly cook you a five-star meal with hyaluronic acid now can I?โย
He blinked and answered with a bland, โI have no idea what that is.โ
You squinted at him, taking in the way heโs got his head tilted at an angle where the lighting hit one side of his pale face just right. No texture whatsoever, like a smooth, almost blank canvas marked by a singular mole on the cheek.
โโCourse you donโt,โ you grunted, envious of his near perfect skin.
Chenleโs gaze slid towards the pot on the stove, then to his wooden chopping board where a humble spread of your additional ingredients had been neatly organized in small piles with two open noodle packets. โAlso, thatโs just your classic Shin ramyeon and some crab balls.โ
โWell damn, Chenle, Iโm no Gordon fucking Ramsay,โ you snapped, swatting at his arm. โSo ungrateful.โ An elaborate recipe was out of the question when you were too busy panicking about how the hell you were going to pull this off.
(โThe one thing youโre gonna โpull offโ is your top,โ Yizhuo instructed as she followed you out the gargantuan front door. โYou know how guys are with boobs. Theyโre like catnip for them.โ
โPlease donโt compare my tits to catnip.โ)
He cackled, tucking himself into your side with an arm thrown around your shoulders in a side-hug. โThank you,โ he cooed, and like a cat, rubbed his head against yours. โYou didnโt have to do all this, but Iโd never say no to food.โ You couldnโt exactly see his face like this, but you could hear his appreciation. Your heart squeezed at the press of his cheek against your temple.
See, itโs little moments in time like this were what jump-started the on-going betrayal you would never expect from your own beating heart, and Chenle made it extremely hard for you to not entertain any straying thoughts formed by the casual intimacy between you. It really didnโt help that Chenle was physically affectionate, and it especially didnโt help that you spent most of your time with him despite majoring in vastly different programs.
Starting the day with Chenle waiting in his car to take you to school, ending it with him driving you home and everything in between was a sure gateway for neutral feelings to gradually do a one-eighty. Reaching that level of comfort where you felt safe with him was just as inevitable, too. Chenle was safe. Always has been.
But for both of your sakes, it had been a conscious choice of burying yourself into your workโletting yourself get fucked over by the workload you had to do. The minor breakdowns youโve had every time your calculations went wrong, or when color or material swatches didnโt seem to go together than youโd originally thought saved you from overthinking every single interaction with him.
You wouldnโt risk it. You couldnโt risk it.
โWhatโs the occasion?โ Chenle prodded. Still there. Still close. Still trying his hardest to weld himself to your side that he would soon figure out something was up the moment you went stiff in his hold, but you were just as quick coming up with some bullshit excuse to save your own ass. Though it begged the question whether it will hold up against Chenleโs incessant need to stick his nose into anyoneโs business.
The longer he stayed quiet, the more your nerves fried. His houseโhouse because Chenle was a loose cannon with money like Yizhuoโwas always set to a cool temperature and you wore an outfit that wasnโt meant to cover up much at all, yet you could feel yourself break into sweat the moment he pulled himself away from your space. You still stood there frozen and the pot was taking too long to fucking boil.
โNo occasion!โ you exclaimed, spinning on your heel to face him with the sweetest and most disarming smile you could muster at the moment. A drop of sweat trickled from your temple down to your cheek when all Chenle did was wrinkle his nose as he took a step back. โโwas just in the mood to cookโฆ something. For youโuh, for us. I was craving ramyeon.โ
โYou were craving Shin ramyeon,โ Chenle echoed, not looking at all convinced. โShin ramyeon that Yizhuo has stocked in her pantry.โ
โThatโs why I asked you to get groceries with me,โ you replied in haste. โWe were running out.โย
Which wasnโt a lie. Technically.
The three of you used to gorge on whatever there was in the kitchen, fridge or pantry, or DoorDash when any of you craved something specific. Key words were โused toโ because snack options had been limited to cheaper alternatives and what was cheaper and filling than a packet of noodles that took less than five minutes to cook? Really, it was like you were back in your freshman dorm, living off of instant noodles.
โRunning out.โ The more Chenle repeated whatever you said, the more you started to realize how deep of a grave you had dug for yourself. โYou bought just enough for two people to eat.โ
โRight.โ You drawled, snapping your fingers and hitting him with the finger-guns. Might as well make yourself look even more like a jackass than you already are with the dogshit lying. โRightโso no plans later? I could use another H Mart run.โ
Chenle cracked this time. โYouโre a shitty liar,โ your name tapered off into laughter. โYou want something, donโt you? Youโre never this nice to me.โ He simpered with a certain type of fondness youโd usually see in people witnessing a puppy scaring itself with its own barkโhe should really stop that. You were already kind of a mess from the way heโd freely insert himself in your bubble like he owned the space. You didnโt need the ooey-gooey, cavity-inducing stares to go with that too.
This was all clearly very amusing to himโyou stumbling over your own words picked out from throwing darts at random in an attempt to gaslight him. He shouldnโt find any humor in this, really, but Chenle had always been chill like that. Marching to the beat of his own drum or however the saying went that the ease of falling into character, the jester to his court, wasnโt surprising.
If it made him that happy, then youโd continue shaking your foolโs cap for him. As a friend, of course.
โWhat? Me?โ you said, guileless and with a hand flat on your sternum, eyes rounded with that faux gleam of innocence for the full effect. โI have never wanted anything in my life.โ
โAnything?โ he pressed and received a firm nod. โNot even barricade tickets to Sabrina Carpenter?โ
You gaped at him, stuttering out words that werenโt even qualified to be in the English dictionary until you settled with a broken, โwho told you that.โ
Chenle smiled serenely in kind, not at all fazed by your brain blue-screening in real time. โRenjun.โ
The mention of a name sobered you up in record speed.
โThat snitching bitch,โ you seethed, pinching the bridge of your nose. โI only told him because I was hoping he'd help me think of options, or buy me a ticket himself. The girls could figure something out.โ You paused, absorbing the situation as your hand fell back to your side. โLess work for me, though. I've been shitting my pants since, like, yesterday.โ
โYeah?โ
You huffed a short laugh. โOh yeah. Thereโs this theory going aroundโnot that I believe itโthat itโd be easy convincing you.โ
โEasy,โ he huffed, amused.
โEasy as inโI just have to ask you.โ
Chenle tilted his head, considering you for a moment. โAlright. Ask away.โ
You balked, grasping straws for a response.
โAsk away?โ Nod. โJust like that.โ Nod. โIโm not asking just for me, yโknow? Iโm also asking for Minjeong and Ningning. Since weโre broke and desperate girls who just happen to love the same singer.โ Chenle only raised an eyebrow, slowly nodding in a way that said, โyeah. I know. What are you trying to say?โ.
โAre you not worried how much itโs gonna cost you? Even just a little bit? Iโm already feeling sick just thinking about it.โ You grimaced.
โNot really, no.โ He shrugged, slanting an easy smirk.
You pursed your lips. Right. Okay. So maybe you had severely underestimated how disposable money was to him, then. It didnโt seem like he minded at all, barely showing any negative emotion sans the boredom slowly coloring his features.
You, on the other hand, were already knee-deep in a bog of guilt and regret that you could honestly spit-up todayโs lunch from how nerve-wracking this was; standing in front of him while carrying as much audacity a human being was allowed to and asking for something so expensive.
โYouโre insane if you actually say yes. I donโt know about you, but if someone asked me for a thousand bucks and told me, โoh, bee-tee-dubs, Iโm not gonna pay you back. Like ever.โ, Iโd consider suing the hell out of that person until they have to file for bankruptcy.โ
โI mean, moneyโs never been an issue so I donโt see why my attorney should be involved.โ The fact that he actually has an attorney (or a full-blown legal team. You never know) at the ready did not bring you comfort in the slightest. Chenle still tried though. You could at least appreciate that. โI wanna circle back on your so-called theory, though.โ
โDonโt look at me.โ Both of your hands raised in defense. โIโm not the one who came up with the โIโm Chenleโs favoriteโ theory. The girls did.โ
โDid they?โ And for some ungodly reason, he looked delighted by the claim. โWell, canโt say theyโre wrong.โ
โChenle,โ you warned with a tone so biting you would think itโd have him think twice with this blasรฉ approach.
Though maybe there was something on your face that betrayed the annoyance youโve vocalized when all Chenle did was smile genially as the syllables making up your name passed through his lips in smooth succession.
โIโm not a charity case,โ you muttered, flexing your fingers then curling them into fists. You werenโt too sure if you were pleased hearing it from the source. That you were Chenleโs favorite, confirmed by the man himself. Whatever that meant, or more annoyed that he really couldnโt care less about the money heโd wasted on you because you were his favorite. โYou know I donโt take charity as well as normal people would.โ
โWhy do you think I never let you argue?โ He said cheekily. โItโs easier and faster that way. And itโs no big deal! Seriously,โ Chenle emphasized quickly at the sight of your deepening frown.
โBut it is to me! If thereโs one thing I know, itโs that nothing is ever just free. People these days are always expecting something in return. Maybe not right away and what if youโre just letting me rack up enough debt so you could ask me for my soul, or something.โ
Chenle snickered. โSo this is an exchange, then. Your noodles for concert tickets. You drive a hard bargain,โ he wondered with an impish quality to his words, giving you a once over. Twice. It made you a little self conscious, shifting from foot to foot the longer sharp, cat-like eyes passed over your form. โIs that why youโre dressed like that? In case your cooking didnโt make a good bribeโoh, sorryโexchange?โ
โLike what, exactly?โ You asked, a little offended that he wouldnโt completely foldโor at least creaseโat the first bite of a dish that earned its Michelin stars back in Yizhuoโs kitchen. Or that your chosen outfit wasnโt creaming any pants.
โDidnโt you wear this exact outfit when you skipped class to meet with Haechan that one time?โ
โIt was a different top, I think.โ A top that was just as fast to remove too, so you understood the confusion. โHow do you even remember that?โ
โI remember lots of things,โ he clarified, closing the distance until you could make out the top notes of his five-dollars-per-spray perfume with each inhale. โLike how you dress differently whenever you meet with one of your guys.โ
โGee what a coincidence. I wonder why Iโm dressed like I am about to meet with one of my guys while in your kitchen.โ
This time itโs Chenle who got the surprise of a lifetime, eyes almost bugging out of his skull as those lips you had once imagined yourself kissing just to see how theyโd give under the soft pressure parted in a delicate โoโ. He was quick to recover though, with a sly uptick of his mouth replacing the initial shock of finding out that, yes, youโd probably sleep with him if it came to that.
โDidnโt think youโd be that desperate for tickets.โ Heโs closer now, too close for comfort that you backed into the edge of the kitchen counter. โIs that how youโre gonna repay me?โ
โItโs charity work,โ you answered blithely, emboldened by Chenleโs interest because, fuck, might as well. โFuck knows if youโve been getting your dick wet or not. Iโd literally be doing you a favor.โ
Chenle didnโt seem to take offense to that as he threw his head back in raucous laughter.
โCharity for charity.โ He grinned. โSeems fair.โ
And the words had never sounded sweeter until they came from Chenleโs mouth. You could already hear yourself screaming with the crowd filling up the arena, with your girlfriends who you absolutely did not resent for essentially pimping you out to the one guy who could arguably make your dreams come trueโ
โIโll think about it.โ
Both Minjeong and Yizhuo were dead to you.
โThink aboutโโ you paused, taking steady breaths until you were calm enough to start talking again. โChenle. Lele,โ and out came the big guns, being sweet to him and using the cutesy nickname the girls from the Chinese Students and Scholars Association would croon to get at least five seconds of his attention. Watching that play out from the sidelines always left a sour aftertaste, how they all would go as far as touching him when they decided holding eye-contact wasnโt enough to fuel their delusions.ย
Youโve soon come to realize that it was jealousy that caused your eye to twitch when Chenleโs capitalistic smile turned honeyed towards his junior. Because there wasnโt a day where you were short of his attention.
Perhaps the thought was a little unhealthy, but what if you said it was what you were used to? Can anyone fault you for being a little catty after that interaction?
Calling him Lele worked, you thought. Or so you hoped. You werenโt sure rendering him silent was a good thing, actually. Silence never bode well with larger-than-life Chenle Zhong whose entire personality was being loud, especially with eyes as expressive as his. Dark as shots of espresso youโve brewed countlessly at work laced with something you couldnโt quite put your finger on.
โThe concert is in two fucking days! Thereโs no time to thinkโyou know what? This was a bad idea. I donโt know how Ningning talked me intoโโ you shook your head, pressing the back of your hand to your cheek with a heavy sigh. โWe can just eat the goddamn noodles and forget all this. Iโll just tell the girls they were wrong, and you said noโโ
โOh, no no no,โ you would never admit to making such an undignified sound when Chenle pulled you back by his steady grip on your wrist. โyou canโt make that offer and leave just like that, cโmon.โ And he had the audacity to whine on top of it.
โWell thatโs before Iโwhat are you doing.โ
โMaking sure I am getting something out of this,โ he murmured, crowding in on you further where all you could see right in front of you was Chenle, and whatever you could see over the slope of one hoodie-covered shoulder.
Which by all means wasnโt a lot to begin with, him being taller and broader than you. And Chenle wasnโt even super tall. You knew plenty of people that exceeded the one-hundred-and-eighty centimeter mark, like that Jisung kid who hung out with you both on occasion. Wasnโt even built like a brick shithouse like Jaemin and his friend, your on-and-off tutor, Jeno.
Yet the way he had you cornered, hands planted firmly on the polished quartz countertop boxing you in, kind of screwed with your perceptionโmade him appear bigger than he actually was. Perhaps it was the intensity of his gaze, pinning you down with deep pools framed by gradually thinning rings of brown the longer this stare down went on.
Coupled with the heat radiating off of Chenle, from standing so much closer where it totally crossed the limits of what it meant to be platonic, something just as heated unfurled beneath your navel.
โWhatโwhatever you want,โ you stuttered, swallowing thickly when the soft material of his jacket brushed along the strip of skin left exposed by your cropped top.ย ย
โWhatever I want?โ Chenleโs tongue darted out, wetting his lips as he studied you. โEven outside of sex?โ
It was really hard trying not to not stare at his mouth. โI think being your errand girl will get you your moneyโs worth than a regular pump nโ dump.โ
โThe mouth on you.โ Chenle cracked a lipped smile, wide enough that a hint of teeth peeking between the soft rosebud pink of his lips. โโMy girlโ does have a nice ring to it.โ
Warmth creeped up your neck. โYou forgot the word โerrandโ.โ
โI know what I said,โ he murmured, coming in closer that the tip of his nose gently nudged yours. โKiss me.โ
Your breath hitched, eyes growing into saucers because kiss me could imply anything. Everything.
โWhatโโ
โYou said whatever I want,โ Chenle pointed out. โand I want you to kiss me. Or I want to kiss you, actually. Real bad.โ
Words, apparently, werenโt enough to prove how much Chenle could want something as simple as a kiss.
Slender fingers splayed themselves along your waist, just marveling that youโre allowing him to touch you like thisโwith reverence. Palms cooled by the counter and the calluses earned from years of basketball raised gooseflesh along your skin when dragging them along the expanse of your stomach. The dips of your waist againโlike he couldnโt resist how softer you were thereโyour back, until one of Chenleโs hands settled beneath the curve of your spine, the other just shy under the side of your breast.ย
Chenle was impossibly closer now and your bodyโs natural response was to arch into him andโoh, heโs hard. So hardโstraining against the fly of his jeans pressed against your stomach, and youโve barely done anything except letting him feel you up, leaving phantom brands of his touch along the way.
โFeel that?โ Chenle said, voice low and gravely, delivered like it was a secret only you two should know. He pushed his hips further into yours causing him to groan quietly as you gasped, your hands laying flat on his chest to steady yourself. โYouโre definitely getting your tickets if itโs the last thing I do.โ
Somehow, out of everything Chenle said, that knocked the breath out of you. The utter conviction. How positive he was in his own right that he will get those tickets for you, one way or another.
Frankly, you couldnโt care less about them now, nor what you had to do in exchange for what was essentially overpriced pieces of paper. All you cared about was who you were getting them from: Chenle, his mouth just a couple of centimetersโall yours for the taking, how secure his hold was around you as if the mere thought of you drifting away any second unnerved him, and the fact that he wanted to kiss you.
Because maybe, just maybe, this wasnโt at all one-sided. Maybe what Minjeong and Yizhuo had been speculating held some substance that, yes, it wouldnโt be too hard if it was you appealing to Chenleโs sweeter side. Maybe the notion was that gratifying to your dwindling self-esteem because how could you deny his simple request?ย
So with a breathy, almost breathless, โjustโjust shut the fuck up about the tickets for a second,โ you cupped his face with both hands and yanked him down for a kiss.
Chenleโs kisses were syrupy-sweet, if not purposely drawn out as though he was savouring a once in a lifetime opportunity; uncertain if heโd ever get the chance again. The most surprising thing about kissing Chenle, other than the act itself, was the unhurried pace. So unlike the man you would see loping over with this restless energy ready to leave him bursting at the seams, harrying his friends (anyone, really) to play ball with him.ย
It had been near impossible, forcing him to sit still when all Chenle knew was to keep on moving. Keeping close at his heels was a fixed workout you didnโt remember ever signing up for. It was only to your relief that he made sure to keep you right behind him. Beside him, rather. There wasnโt a time where Chenle would knowingly leave you behind and if that ever happened, he would always wait for you to catch up.
There was no rush, and maybe that was the point of it all. Chenleโs willingness to adjust for you with no terms and conditions applied, and you have yet to see him stop.
With each push and pull, worrying teeth on lips and a shallow press of a warm wet tongue, Chenle kissed you like he was a man starved, stumbling upon an oasis and letting himself drown after a drought lasting so long. He kept with the pace, not doing too much or too little, lips slotting together like perfect puzzle pieces. Sweet and deliberate, each movement holding intention. Chenle really wasnโt fucking around when admitting he wanted to kiss you.
You shared that want too. More than you had initially allowed yourself, but that was to be expected when youโve basically repressed every not-so-platonic thought regarding Chenle for a long while. And you know what they said about bottling it all up.
It came bursting in a flurry rush of movement. From their tender cradling, your fingers reached up to curl into Chenleโs freshly dyed jet-black hair just as he mirrored your own growing need, lithe arms coiling around your torso as your mouths grew greedier by the second. A show of teeth pulled an airy moan out of you turned muffled the second he licked into your mouth.
From there, kissing just became a mere afterthought. Devolving into a carnal dance of tongues, lapping it all up to get your fill.
Chenle tasted just as sweet as he kissed before, like the lemon ginger candy he had stocked around his house, his car and sometimes you would catch him plucking a piece or two out of his pockets. And it was quickly becoming a problem where you just knew there was no coming back from this.
That nothing will ever be the same once you walk out of that door when all of this is over. You couldnโt go back, not when youโve gotten a taste of what it was like swapping spit with the guy, the same guy who you had thought wasnโt worth the risk.
Fuck it, might as well risk everything, then. Youโve already kissed him, already bulldozed past that boundary you swore you would never cross. So long as Chenle wouldnโt mind a kiss, or two, or threeโuntil he has to pry you off of him and say enough is enough, youโd let yourself crave the sensation of having his mouth give under yours.
Just like how you chased after the plushness of his lips with a meek whine when he drew back, grinning at the state he reduced you toโa needy little thing this high strung over a kiss.
Please. As if he didnโt pop a boner at the thought of kissing you.
Just as you were about to voice out the retort, one of his hands raised to cup your cheek. You leaned into the touch, feeling small under his thoughtful gaze as his thumb swiped over your kiss-swollen lips. You chased after that feeling, too, each drag winding the coil of your self-control tighter and tighter โtil it snapped like you did, catching his thumb in between the edges of your teeth.
Chenleโs gaze darkened then, no traces of the playful glint you were used to seeing as he surged forward and kissed a searing path from the corner of your mouth, all the way up to the swell of your cheek. Then lower, and lower until the scrape of teeth under the hinge of your jaw made your knees buckle from the sensation with a gasp.
You gripped his hair tighter, though you made no move to pull him off. โThatโthis is more than just a kiss,โ you lightly chided, voice shaky. โGreedy.โ
โSo what if I am?โ He mumbled, mouthing his way down your neck. Your fingers left his hair and curled around his nape. โWant me to stop?โ
Pulling him in further by his neck told him enough. The vibration of his pleased humming against where your pulse was at its strongest made you shiver. You could feel him smirk. Like a knife to your neck.
โThought so.โ
Staying true to his words, he didn't stop. Chenle latched onto your mouth again and youโve quickly grown familiar with his rhythm. Only this time, his hands joined in the fray, seemingly needing more than just having you secured in his arms.
Though perhaps you bit off more you could chew.ย
Like, yeah, getting fucked by Chenle wasnโt the most horrible idea youโve had so far in your early twenties, but thinking about it was vastly different from actually doing it.
So you were definitely in your right to squeal when one of your best friend's wandering hands went up your skirt.
Chenle stilled and pulled back with his eyebrows knitted together. Your face was on fire, both from his bold move and the embarrassing sound you made.
โYou okay?โ He asked, the same hand that was under your skirtโright below your ass cheekโrubbing soothing circles. It was anything but soothing. When youโve got thighs as sensitive as yours, the only thing Chenle was helping with was making you hornier.
If he moved his hand a little further up and a little further in, he would have felt just how soaked your panties were.
โIโuhโIโm not ready.โ
He blinked. โMy hand is literally up your skirt thatโs barely covering your cute little butt,โ he pointed out as his hands trailed higher and squeezed the plump flesh. โand youโre not ready.โ Now heโs looking at you like youโre crazy. Shit, maybe you were. And itโs his fault. Heโs just as crazy for calling your ass cute to your face, too.
โI mean yeah, thatโs nice and allโyour hand is really warm, umโbut I may or may not have been talking out of my ass about fucking you.โ
Chenle snorted. โI dunno. Your outfit clearly screams โfuck me!โ. Cute shirt, by the way.โ A stray hand wedged itself under the tight fit of your tube-top, earning him a sharp intake of breath when his fingertips grazed the underside of your tit. His touch didnโt go further than that, hand simply splayed across your ribs. โIf you can call it that.โ
โYou bought me this shirt, dumbass.โ
โEven better,โ he said, delighted by the thought. โFeeling cold?โ Chenle wondered, almost in an innocent, offhanded manner you wouldnโt think much of if the twitching of his mouth slipped under your radar. You caught his leering stray south, too. Just what could he possibly be intrigued by when he was quite literally sharing your breathing space?
With eyebrows furrowed, you let your curiosity get the best of you, tracing his line of sight.
You should have stayed curious.
Better yet, you shouldnโt have acknowledged the change of his focal point because of course heโd take notice of your nipples poking against the soft material of your shirt; as if they were saying โhiโ to the man who had come so close to giving them some attention.
Chenle dissolved into a fit of cackles. You could only imagine how embarrassed you looked to him. Why were you even embarrassed? You chose to forgo a bra in hopes of distracting him with your boobs if all else failed.
โYeah, yeah,โ you acquiesced, keeping your chin up as you blindly reached for his hands. โHands where I can see โem, pervert.โ
Only, you donโt exactly take his hands off of you. This was like, casual touches here and there dialed up to an eleven, right? It wasnโt a foreign concept to you, being held by him. Being friends with him for this long and counting, hugs were a thing you were frequently subjected to, and Chenle loved those, so you did your due diligence of settling his hands on your hips as a pseudo form of it.
A peace offering, if you will, for cutting the closeness short and a little because you were starting to like the warmth emanating from a more intimate touch.
Seemingly pleased by your initiative, Chenle graced you with the sweetest of smiles, squeezing you. That got him a snort and a fond shake of your head, though the amusement dimmed into contemplation as you lingered on the silver padlock-shaped pendant hanging from the dainty chain of the same metal around Chenleโs neck, not knowing where to go from here.
Eventually, you found your voice. โThat better be worth fifteen hundred bucks,โ you joked because if there was one thing about you is that you had a knack for making light out of an emotionally charged situation.
โIโve spent more on you before, and you're worth every single penny so far.โ
That shouldnโt have flustered you. Really, it shouldnโt have you hot in the face when you werenโt sure if he meant the dig towards you unintentionally milking him of his fortune. But Chenleโs ease of letting weighted words spill from his mouth was the sure contender here, and to deliver the final blow was the charming grin that ensured you everything was going to be just fine. Heโd make sure of it.
โThatโs definitely something a sugar daddy would say,โ you said with a wry curl of your mouth. โAre you my sugar daddy? Because I canโt remember the last time I had to pay for my shit when youโre around.โ
There was one time you went out for a bagel on your own, though that didnโt seem like a big girl purchase compared to your ergonomic chair he had ordered from Amazon. The look he had given you when you told him you made do with the many dining chairs Yizhuo had around her huge glass dining table had been the funniest thing you had ever seen. Like stiff chairs having multiple uses was a foreign concept to him.
You didnโt have the heart to tell him that you were mostly on your feet when you had to (by hand) draft floor plans and vignettes that took up almost the entire space of your choice of paper. And the chair was comfy. Good for your back too.
โIt does look like that, huh?โ Chenle laughed at that, shaking his head as he did so out of endearment because you just wouldnโt get it. โWhat if I just like taking care of you?โ
Now wasnโt that an insane thing to say out loud? Granted that you could kind of see where he came from as he did save your sorry ass a bunch of times with either a tap or a swipe of his card, this was Chenle you were dealing with. The likelihood of him just pulling your leg under the guise of flattery was great and backing down that easy had never been your forte. No matter how sweet he was being about it.
You could count the serious conversations with him on both sets of your fingers and this regularly scheduled bout of psychological warfare wonโt even count.
โYou just want to get in my pants,โ you accused with a defiant raise of your chin.
โYou almost let me in your pants,โ Chenle pointed out, his fingers gently grasping your chin so he could tilt your head back at its normal angle. โMy hand was literally up your skirt and I heard no complaints until you got stage fright.โ
โFair,โ you allowed with a shrug. โStill not gonna fuck you though. Not now at least.โ
โWhatever you want,โ he said softly as he bent down to catch your gaze. โand you know I wonโt do anything you donโt want to.โ
You hummed, thinking Chenleโs words over. โIโll give it a few days until youโre on your hands and knees begging to stick just the tip in.โ
Chenleโs smile wobbled then turned pained. โIf I have to.โ
It took three whole seconds for his admission to register in your brain before you sputtered a laugh, falling forward until his shoulder cushioned your forehead. No wonder you and Chenle worked so well. There was not a serious bone in any of your bodies and you wouldn't want to change it for the world.
โDown, boy,โ you teased, still cackling as you nuzzled into his neck. โWhoโs desperate now?โ
He huffed. โLike you werenโt trying to eat my face moments ago.โ
You pulled back with a pout. โI could say the same about you.โ You poked him in the chest. โWere you actually trying to suck my soul out?โ
โRegret anything yet?โ Chenleโs question was posed as playful, but there was undertone of uncertainty to it too and over the years, youโve gotten good at figuring out his tells. The uncharacteristic sudden stiffness in his frame, the way he chewed the inside of his cheek (subtly as he could) and the tightness around his eyesโhe thought you did. Regret it, that is, but it was the farthest from what you were feeling right now.
โThe only thing I regret is not seducing you sooner.โย
And that did it. Anything that fell in the same vein of uncertainty gave way to the radiance you were much more familiar with.
Chenle looked like an absolute winnerโthe cat that caught the canary and washed it down with cream in celebration of his win before diving in for his prize.
Until Daegal barked at the sound of jingling keys the moment your lips were a hair breadth away from touching, her excitement piercing through the bubble and granting you awareness from beyond it; namely the pot barely having any water being left on the burner for too long.ย
There was a flash of white from your peripheral as you shared a panicked look with your qausi-sugar-daddy when the front door opened, followed by one of Chenleโs housemates, Beomgyu, announcing his arrival with a loud, โIโm home!โ
โShit,โ you whispered and the two of you set into motion. Harried, if anything, yet still efficient with the swiftness Chenle displayed in fixing your clothes just as you smoothed stray strands of his hair back in place.
For a quick moment, he took a good look at you, a crease in the middle of his eyebrows before he was shucking off his hoodie and urging you to wear it.
โDidnโt take you for the protective type,โ you teased, yet took it without question as Chenle rolled his eyes with a gentle shake of his head, watching you pull on the sleeves; a smile equal parts warm and mischievous playing on his lips.
With the zipper in place, you glanced at him then down to his very obvious problem beneath those denim jeans. โYou gonna do something aboutโโChenleโs eyes blew wide in alarm and stuck his hand in his pantsโโyeah, okay,โ you mumbled.
His smile widened into something annoying and you quickly pushed him towards the kitchen sink, a silent command to wash his hands once Beomgyu walked right into the kitchen, surprised that you were here. Daegal trotted closely behind, her tail wagging happily as you bent down to pick her up.
โWeโre going to get groceries after some noodles,โ Chenle answered the silent question for you while pouring water into the pot. โWant some?โ
โHope youโre excited for Shin ramyeon and crab balls, then.โ
Over Beomgyuโs shoulder, Chenle winked at you and you nuzzled into Daegalโs fur, hiding your smile.
In the end, after letting Beomgyu devour most of your noodles, Chenle did take you out for another H Mart run.
โAre the two carts necessary?โ
You didnโt think so. One full cart was pushing it, but two? For a second, you feared he might just buy out the whole store if you dared him. Then again, Chenle wasnโt familiar with the concept of limiting oneself and it seemed like it applied to you too. Well, in a way where he showed you it was okay to want things. That it was okay to ask him for things.
Because itโs Chenle who did most of the shopping. Fresh produce, different kinds of meat that didnโt need to be cooked in complicated ways for it to come out edibleโnamely the humble samgyeopsal. Quick, easy and absolutely deliciousโhe glossed over most of the condiments seeing you still had them at home, then he absolutely went insane when it came to the snacks, ice cream and, of course, packets of instant noodles.
Chenle had another pack of a different variant in his hands, tossed it into the snack-filled cart he was pushing around.
โYouโre really playing into the sugar daddy thing,โ you said as you mentally calculated the amount of debt you were in now with the addition of groceries that could last you and the girls the whole month.
โBetter than you starving,โ he said cheerfully, grabbing a dozen of Buldak Carbonara noodles and dumping them into the cart like a dad finding out their kidโs favorite snack. โWouldnโt want you living off of shin ramyeon and crab balls.โ
You scowled. โIt wasnโt that funny.โ
Chenle laughed and laughed and laughed anyway because your failed seduction plan was that hilarious if he was still making jokes about two-person groceries.
The drive home was quiet. Peaceful. Less awkward than you had initially expected when the soulful drone of music filled in the spaces with you sat in the passengerโs seat, reaching over to feed Chenle the Pepero you elected on sharing. When it all ran out, you relaxed in your seat and justโฆ watched.
Watched your best friend in his element with his hand on the wheel while the other patted his thigh along the beat of the current song. He looked good. Unfairly so. With the lights glinting off the watch that likely made up your yearly university tuition and the high points of his face, the ruffled look of his hair and the way his jaw flexed every time he sang along the melody.
All this filled you with the urge to kiss him. Reach over and plant one on him and the thought still lingered even as you drove past the houseโs gates opened with an app on your phone.
As Chenle helped put away the groceries while you pretended not to notice the leering from the peanut gallery.
As he helped himself to a Melona while keeping up with the verbal spat between him and Yizhuo munching on something yoghurt and blueberry flavoured.
It was all you could think about as you saw him out the door, and if you couldnโt help yourself and acted on itโa quick peck to the corner of Chenleโs plush mouth as thanksโleaving a sheen of your lipgloss, then that was between you, God and the security camera angled to where you stood.
Yizhuo wouldnโt notice if you deleted a few seconds of footage anyway.
Late into the night and you could still feel it. Feel himโthe ghost of his kiss, his touch as everything that had transpired in the afternoon played on loop in your head.
You couldnโt sleep. Not when your mind was chanting Chenle Chenle Chenle like a mantra set to summon him. Like an itch you couldnโt get rid off no matter how hard you scratched.
If onlyโฆ
That night, you decided to get well acquainted with Pinky, fishing her out deep within your drawer.
Mornings like this were rare, where all of you were awake at the same time. Even rarer that you were all up before ten, quiet. Relaxed.
No sense of urgency found on anyoneโs person. No school, no jobs to clock into, no not-so-secret meetingsโnone of you girls had anything of priority today.
There was breakfast, arguably the most important meal of the day, though it seemed Minjeong and Yizhuo werenโt exactly in a rush demanding their eggs be cooked just the way they liked. Just fine with nursing a steaming cup of whatever energized them for the day ahead as they sat at the island counter.
Your phone chimed in the middle of cooking Yizhuoโs scrambled eggs. A text from Chenleโa sent photo to be specific andโ
You screamed, nearly dropping the spatula.
fine shyt: [IMG_6969]
You: WWHAT THEBFUCJ
fine shyt: got your tickets ๐ค
You: YEA I SEE THAT???????????
When you screen faded into Chenleโs caller ID, a photo of him holding up Daegal, Minjeong immediately took over the cooking as you rushed towards the living area.
โYou got the tickets,โ you said as you accepted the request to FaceTime, half in wonder and in disbelief that he was able to nab tickets in less than twenty-four hours and a day before the concert. You really should stop doubting Chenle and his ability (see: privilege) to get whatever, whenever. โNot that I doubted you, but the first night usually sells out quickโso how the hell.โ
โYou underestimate how far money can get you,โ Chenle laughed. He looked sleep-ruffled, like he had just woken up. This was his cutest state yet and you really wished you were with him right now. โThink youโre ready to find out?โ
โAs Iโll ever be.โ As long as he held your hand through it, sure. What the hell. You could survive future heart attacks caused by six figures by sheer will alone, you thought. โI asked for three tickets though. Who's the fourth one for?โ
โMe,โ he answered, beaming. โSomeone has to drive you girls.โ
โWhat? I meanโthanks.โ That was one less thing to worry about then. โBut since when do you listen to Sabrina?โ
โSince last night. Still at it, by the way.โ he clarified, a little too happy and if you listened closely, you could make out Sabrinaโs crooning of Read your Mind on his end. โAn enlightening experience, I might say.โ
โGood luck on memorizing twenty-one songs then.โ
โOh, Princess. I released an album when I was eight. Memorizing the setlist is light work. Bet I could sing louder than you.โ
โYeah, okay. Iโll grill you on the album thing next time because what the fuck.โ The โPrincessโ thing you elected to ignore, too early and dire to suffer an aneurysm when a concert was waiting for you.
โIโve lived quite the life,โ he mused (โoh Iโm sure.โ) combing his fingers through his hair. โSo what do we say?โ
You scoffed, fond and grateful for his generosity whether you were deserving or not. โThank you.โ
โThank you what, baby?โ
Your face twisted in horror, quickly clocking what he was trying to get you to do. โBye Chenle.โ
He was cackling when you hung up, your face on fire, yet you didnโt put in any effort to tamper the giddy grin threatening to split your face.
The tickets were yours. Chenle got the tickets and they were yours. Gosh, this was probably the best morning in your life so far and nothing could dampen your mood from doing your girls proud.
โNow do you believe us when we say youโre Chenleโs favorite?โ Yizhuo asked with a mouthful of scrambled egg.
You laughed, cheeks aching from how hard you cheesed at a simple fact. โIโm starting to.โ
And selfish as it sounded, you hoped that it would remain that way for a long time because you couldnโt remember a life so dull when Chenle walked in with colors so bright that it sung, and because he was your favorite, too.
a/n: waow you've reached the end! Here, have a cookie ๐ช as always, thank you soo so much for reading until the end! I'd like to thank the girls: Aria, Moon and Aeriel for letting me talk my shit about this fic and help with ideas! and yes, brainstorming with them is an almost daily occurrence and it's great mental exercise imo lol! I hope you had fun reading the chaos that was this fic. I know I had fun laughing to myself writing all this ๐ and please please please let me know your thoughts! Likes, reblogs and comments are always appreciated <3
TAGLIST: @jaylaxies @hoondrop @gojosmojodojo @justalildumpling @dammit-jjk @learnthisfeeling @90s-belladonna @spacejip @ykvdani @drunkhee @neozon3nha @dinosaurtoothbrushwithninjasauce @sunghoonsgfreal @champagne1221 @yuyita-rosier @grimlinshere @jvngw0n @nanaxwi @kissesfromdarling @peterm4rker @haechology @evergreeneyesx @bbina @nctseventeensworld (special thanks to those who asked to be part of the taglist!)
bf!dreamies reacting to you forgetting that they can see your 'close friends' story
pairing | idol!dreamies x fem!reader
content | fluffy, suggestive
notes | this was just a shameless excuse to use that haechan photo... anyways i'm trying to get back into writing so hopefully you'll see some more content from me soon!! i'm also trying out a bit of a new formatting style, so lemme know what you think ^_^
โโ ๐ชฝ. ึดึถึธ แกด๊ชซใ คnct dream kiss placement
or alternatively, nct dream playing the poison kiss challenge. saw it on tiktok, had to. fluff. library
haechan. a kiss on your cheek. โno?โ a sigh after, โno.โ this had started to seem like a bad idea as time went on and he just didn't guess. after a couple of kisses, your answers had begun to stop sounding so smug and ironic to become... this. โno?โ his mouth barely leaves your neck when he asks this time, and you only look ready to shake your head. โam i cold or hot?โ you swallow, โyes.โ before feeling him grinning. breathlessly after, a kiss on your jaw. and a chuckle. โgotcha.โ
jeno. it's a little game you usually play without telling him. most of the time, he doesn't know he's participating, and you think it's not necessary to tell him either; โwhat?โ the way he always looks so clueless when you walk away from him with a smile from ear to ear it's too endearing. him joining with a confused chuckle is more so. โnothing.โ for the last few days, he's been choosing the same place. it's a game you usually play because there's no specific right answer: for jeno, your whole face is his favorite place for kissing.
jisung. at this point, he's just playing a completely different game. โare you sure it's not on the lips? 'cause i like them a lot.โ you think there's not a spot on your face that hasn't been kissed yet, but he just looks at you with wide doe eyes, still waiting for your answer. you are... a little busy trying to shake off your daze from the previous make out, and most relevantly, you don't think you remember the answer to the question anymore. he doesn't wait for it anyway: he just puts his mouth on yours and kisses you again. โlike sure, sure?โ
mark. sometimes you feel a little coy about bombarding him with nonsense when you know how tired he is after sessions. you're starting to regret having suggested it in the first place after seeing the puffy bags under his eyes, but it's a little too late. โforget it, it's a silly game...โ all your thoughts crowd together and fall silent when he draws you to him without hesitation and places a kiss on your neck, staying a little longer, guessing it right away. โwanna guess mine?โ
renjun. a small giggle gives you away right away. โwait, are we still playing?โ he's so tired that his words come out in a soft whisper. dimly room, and past bedtime, he had made it through the entire evening knowing and just not giving in because he wanted to win, and just when he's about to fall asleep, and love overflows and levitates in the space between dreams and you, he places another kiss on your forehead. โwe'll discuss this in the morning.โ he mutters as he snuggles closer. โyou tricked me.โ
chenle. โyou literally picked my favorite, didn't you?โ fun police have been in for five seconds and have already ruined the whole game... โif you didn't want to play, you couldโve just said so,โ you mutter under your breath as you retreat in defeat, hearing his silly laughter blast your ears. you shouldโve guessed this would happen but you still wanted to try. nothing gets past him, and now you have to deal with hands turning you around on your heels and bringing you closer to him, kissing the exact spot you had imagined, because, as always, heโs right.
jaemin. heโs taking this game way too serious. โchill out, minesweeper,โ you mutter. nervous, your cheeks gets warmer when a smile spread across his mouth. โcan i have three guesses?โ you shrug, so confident he wonโt get it right you cave in his request. smugly, you shake your head he kisses your cheek. and then you taste the glory on both sides when he goes for your lips; oh, youโre so sure he wonโt get it. โyou only have one last guโฆโ flustered, he cups your face with his big hand and places a kiss in your ear. โyou knew?โ lethargic, you see him shrug. โa hunch.โ oh, of course he did.
in the depths of the cityโs hidden fight scene, seven boys rise as kings of the underground. their fists speak louder than their fears, and their hearts get them into more trouble than their enemies ever could. step inside the circle if you dare, because every punch has a story, and every champion has a girl worth bleeding for. pick your fighter, keep your secrets, and whatever you doโฆ donโt look away.
i. rookie fighter [in progress]
synopsis โฒ mark lee is an up-and-coming boxer with a strict rule: no distractions before a fight. but when you slip past the ropes in hopes to finish an already decided match, you realize a tad too late that you're now in a ringโฆ with him. when unwanted eyes begin to get a glimpse of the girl who is slowing him down, you step back into the ring, this time not to stop a fight, but to knowingly fight him.
ii. maze of alleys [in progress]
synopsis โฒ youโre wandering through the city, trying to track down the speakeasy your friend swore was the best spot in town. instead, you push open the wrong door, and the sharp smell of iron and the roar of a cheering crowd hits you all at once. your eyes lock on the center of the roomโฆ and is that huang renjun? don't let his doll like face fool you! because he grew up fighting - first on the streets, then in the ring.
iii. probability and risk [in progress]
synopsis โฒ on the rise, cocky, and the face of every white collar fighter who avoids his gazeโfight club's favorite prodigy. when you watch two men fight at the gym, you don't notice how loudly you declare that based on his patterns, the boy with the blonde hair has a 73% chance of losing the upcoming round. now lee jeno is making his way to you, demanding how the hell you're breaking down his career in numbers.
iv. please no questions [in progress]
synopsis โฒ no celebration, no locker-room talk, no attachments. he's the underground fighter with a reputation for vanishing the second the match ends. no one knows where he goes, and he likes it that way. you're the night-shift student worker at the campus library, the only place open late enough for lee haechan to slip in unnoticed. you're not supposed to ask questions; and heโs not supposed to answer them. but one night, when he collapses between the shelves, you become the only person he physically canโt push away.
v. i'll fix it myself [in progress]
synopsis โฒ na jaemin is an underground boxer with a reputation for physically never going down. one night you find him at a campus party, bloodied and bruised from a fight no one else knows about. heโs tried to patch himself up, but his self-stitching is messy and dangerous. hesitant at first, you carefully redo his wounds, and for the first time, he lets someone touch him gently, and you realize heโs the first patient whose blood doesn't make you flinch when you see it.
vi. guinea pig [in progress]
synopsis โฒ the undergrounds championship fighter with a spotless record- zhong chenle is the daredevil that knows no limits. you're just someone who is never satisfied with the taste of your creations and can't seem to pinpoint what's missing. you're worlds collideโliterallyโwhen he crashes his body into you one night trying to outrun an officer. he hates people, hates fussing, hates slowing down, but something about the flour on your hands and the way you don't treat him like a criminal throws him off balance.
vii. obsession [completed]
synopsis โฒ park jisung is the nationโs (secret) newest boxing obsession. hushed whispers, feared stares and his forgotten bloodied bandages left in the ring after every match. you're the girl living in the apartment next door because you can barely afford anything better while finishing your degree, and you can't help but notice the boy who comes home bloody and bruised every night. so what do you do? you follow him.
a/n: aaa first series (and first fic that im posting), im excited to share this considering how stoked i am with the comeback. i've listened to the entire album and tricky alone was going platinum in my room. i hope those who do end up reading this, you guys enjoy and do let me know what u think!!
im going to do my best to be uploading this on a weekly basis starting next week, so this series list will be updating as i write. if theres a title that you guys want to be tagged for specifically, lmk! enjoy! แฆ( โกฬ๏นโกฬ)แค
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โคท the boys wanting a kiss from you and wondering how to get it
โกเพเฝฒ โ ft .โฟ dream ot7 x reader
โกเพเฝฒ โ genre && warnings .โฟ fluff + a smudge of suggestive in jaeminโs part
โกเพเฝฒ โ miaโs note .โฟ I wanna kiss jisung so bad, heโs literally everything omg
โคน โน mark lee .แ
๐ค mark is not one to admit when he wants a kiss. you would think being the leader of nct dream would make him more outspoken but with you, he becomes almost the complete opposite. not that heโs scared but heโs still learning how to not stare at your lips and just ask for a kiss. as for now, heโll stare at your precious lips and smile mindlessly until you ask him if he wants a kiss :)
โคน โน huang renjun .แ
๐ค renjun would drop small hints or be innuendo with kisses but not flat out say that he wants a kiss. would it lean to stubbornness? yes of course but itโs renjun so itโs okay. renjun would throw out his body is sore or how low the day has treated him, only โcause he knows youโll spoil him with kisses. let any complaint or concern be said from renjun and youโre giving him a kiss on the cheek saying, โdoes that make it better?โ. to answer for him, yes, yes it does
โคน โน lee jeno .แ
๐ค lowkey resident babygirl of the relationship so expect an infinite, and I mean infinite, amount of pouts from jeno. he tries to put on this cool guy act for his fans but immediately melts around you, especially when heโs gifted with kisses. he will one day admit that heโs addicted to your kisses and wanna be smothered in them at all times. though, sometimes he does get impatient, if youโre busy, and sneaks a kiss from you himself
โคน โน lee haechan .แ
โถ there is no waiting, there is no โhold onโ, when haechan wants, no demands, for a kiss, he wants one now. this man is so impatient and is always urged to kiss you himself but he knows that whatever youโre attending to is important as well. he is in love with your kisses but will never invade your space for a kiss. however, he can get extremely whiney when he is in the mood for some kisses. heโll latch onto your body and pucker up the second youโre not busy
โคน โน na jaemin .แ
๐ค jaemin is always determined to get his kisses one way or another. not only that, he prefers feeding you with kisses but gets shy (and needy) when you kiss him. just one kiss would have jaemin smiling shly but also asking for one more. โplease one moreโ and itโs never one more with na jaemin. even when you try to pull away and reject his pleas, he pulls you back for more and kisses you until your cheeks hurt from smiling so much. certain times, the kisses jaemin gives turn into something more ;)
โคน โน zhong chenle .แ
๐ค donโt ever tell chenle that youโre not busy cause heโs always ready to plop down on you and demand a kiss. in his head, you say, โIโm not doing anythingโ translates to โyes you can get some kissesโ (idk the man just loves his kisses). also, heโs straightforward when it comes to kisses, chenle donโt play, he gets DOWNNN about his kisses! he will turn to beg for kisses but in the same breath, become slightly petty when you reject his pleas. he acts brokenhearted and denies your kisses when you decide to give him some. but we all know in his heart that he never wants you to stop kissing him
โคน โน park jisung .แ
๐ค everyday jisung prays that you become a mind reader so you can kiss him without having to hesitate. not because heโs too stubborn to ask for a kiss but because he is shy whenever it comes to affection. he doesnโt wanna come off as clingy or needy so heโll just swallow up his needs for your kisses and take them whenever you feel like kissing him. though as your relationship grows, jisung becomes a bit bold as the days go by; it becomes more than often of him asking to kiss you. likewise, heโll sneak in a cheek kiss when heโs admiring your beauty or kiss your forehead just because <3
เฑจเง me personally, I would kiss jaemin every half hour if I could. even in my sleep idccc
๐ข๐ ๐ณ๐ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฆ๐ค song. falling in reverse
ongoing | (rival) chenle & (fem) reader social media au with written (โ) portions rom-com enemies to lovers one night stand gone wrong | cursing sexual humor / innuendos dark humor (kys jokes) main plot revolves around the topic of sex and excessive drinking nothing explicit for now โ additional tags included with each chapter
๐๐บ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐บ๐ ๐๐บ๐๐ ๐๐๐พ๐ :)
PROFILES. โ
NIGHT 1. morning after โ
NIGHT 2. the devil you know โ
NIGHT 3. three's a crowd โ
๐๐๐บ๐ผ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐บ๐ for everything not what it seems adjacent!