Growl pt1
Genre: Fluff (will contain smut/angst in future chapters) Length: 4.5k Pairing: Jongdae x reader Other member’s stories ✼:*ﾟ:.｡..｡.:*･ﾟﾟ･*
part 1. part 2.
You run your fingers through your hair and stuff your keys in your jacket pocket, wind nipping at your legs. Leafs of the trees along the sidewalk ruffle loudly, and a thick choking smog scent is ever present. Even in July, the air is still cold this early in the morning. Despite all the complaints you could think of, you like the city. You like the liveliness and the fact that you get a new shot whenever you need it.
The air though, is a little much for someone with a sensitive nose like you. It's overwhelmingly gross, and you don't think you'll ever get used to it. You’ve lived in cities bigger than this one for long enough to at least appreciate that there’s small parks littered all in between the houses. A last remnant of the wild nature that used to bloom underneath the stone buildings. Strange how much you still long for the open woods, after being away from them for so long.
Moving through rows of people who all stand much taller than you, your eyes shoot across the street as if automatically. A pale man, tall, with pitch black hair. Your skin twitches almost uncomfortably, and with a knowing gaze he meets your eyes. He seems inconspicuous enough, and you know no human would ever notice him, but you're no human and sensing another is very easy. He disappears quickly, barely sparing you a thought, and so you step into the tram without a second glance. Passing through most likely, since most don't like spending time in the city like you do. Too many people, too many chances to get recognized. But, you think, taking a seat in the plush chairs, way more chances to just blend in and be normal.
Being a lone wolf, literally, isn't fun. It is not easy, and if you could do it again maybe you wouldn't have left your pack at the age of 17 to see the world. But you did, and now this is the life you've accepted. You sip your coffee slowly, sinking away into the mass of people heading to work. There's a lot of rich people here, you've noticed. CEO's, lawyers, men and women dressed in fancy clothes. If the city is just rich, or the people in it are, you're not quite sure. Your latest apartment is quite small, and definitely crappy, but it's cheap and that's what counts. The tram stops, making most of the properly dressed people get off. Here is where you've sensed some others of your kind before, when scoping out this city.
You're quite sure a pack lives around this side of town, down in the woods a few miles away. Not that you're going to go and check. They would just chase you out of their territory and you'd be forced to move again. The tram goes on further, away from the rich city center and towards the edges of town, where you spend most of your days. You drink the last of your coffee, and look at the beautiful views that pass. You really like this city. And you'd do anything to stay out of other's radar, for once, just living the life you've always hoped for. A normal one.
***
"Excuse you?!" A sharp voice yelps, right next to your ear. If you weren't a nice person, you would have smacked the bitch across the diner. A growl fights to make it's way up your throat, but you hold it down, and give the woman a forced smile. The bleached middle aged wench across you glares up at you with a huff, and shoves the plate in your direction. "I've been coming here for 7 years and not once have I had such a rude waitress. How dare you?!" Her blue eyes flick all over the plate, and back at you.
You swallow, fisting your hands into the skirt that's tied around your waist and blink at her a couple of times, before repeating yourself, artificial smile plastered on. "You asked for a veggie burger, but without any dairy, fat or salt. You wanted no sauce, no carrot or cucumber, and onions were too oily here. That's what I told the chef, and that's what he gave."
The woman points her manicured nail at your face, and then at the plate, which has a mountain of lettuce and nothing else. "I'm lactose intolerant! You are making fun of my diseases, aren't you, you rude scoundrel?!" Biting your lip, you have to look away. Did she just call you a scoundrel? "I want to talk to the manager!" The wench screeches, all up in your face when she stands up, and gives you a victorious eyebrow raise.
Of course, the asshole she calls for shouts your name right that instant, like a cosmic joke of the universe.
"Sunny!" His voice raises above all other noise in the room. "Get your ass over here."
You just sigh, rub your hand over your face once and give the blonde witch a smile. "He'll be right over, ma'am."
Stuffing your hands in your pockets, you stomp away, and into the back room, where the angry owner of the place is. He doesn't acknowledge you, keeping his eyes on the paperwork in front of him. His face is sweaty, even though this room is far from too warm, and the smell almost makes you want to throw up. "What the fuck is the problem this time?" He sighs, penning something down on a blue post-it note.
"Someone had a complicated order, and is not happy with what the chef made for her, Sir." You start, anger now morphing to annoyance. Knowing him, it'll be your fault again, even if you just brought out the plate you were served.
"What time do you get off, Sunny?"
You frown and look at the clock. 5:54. "At six, Sir. I've been here since 7 am."
He hums and puts his pen down, clasping his fat hands together on the desk. "You're working until nine."
Mouth dropping open, you dig your nails into your own palms, feeling them dig sharply into your skin. If you weren't a nice person, you would have smacked him across the diner as well. "But Sir-" Your last tram comes at 8:57, so you’d have to walk all the way back home.
"And next time I have complaints about you, I'm throwing your pathetic excuse of an employee out, understood?!" He lifts himself from the chair and has the audacity to come to loom over you, while you swallow and glare at the bookcases there.
"Yes Sir."
Your foot collects with the trash can so hard that it flies all the way against the back of the alley with a loud clang and drops to the floor in a mess of litter. "If you can't have lactose, maybe don't go to a diner which serves only dishes with lactose! Seven years my ass, what have you been eating all those years, tHe FUcKiNG NaPKiN?!!" You shout at no one in particular, stomping around the alley like a child throwing a tantrum. "'If I hear complaints about you one more time-', the only one who complains every time is you!"
You take a deep breath, and come back to yourself, trying to focus on finding your calm before you shift and ruin your entire day. The cold air helps, though your hands are still shaky and your heart beats too fast. It’s eight and a bit now, and when your colleague spilled an entire jar of water on your feet you just had to take a breather outside. The younger girl apologized profusely though, and you're not mad at her. She's basically still a child, anyway. A pretty girl, but you do wonder how she was ever hired. She looks underage.
Running your hands through your hair a few times, you groan. You hate your job so much, but you need to in order to pay rent. After another second, you give in and pull open the door, frustration settling and determination taking it's place. You wouldn't let yourself give up that quickly. No way you’ll let that arrogant prick get under your skin like that. You’ll show him how capable you are.
***
Jongdae flashes a small smile, and scans her face. The girl across him is, with her long black hair and cherry red lips, definitely pretty, but Lord- does she talk a whole lot. And that means something coming from him. He takes a sip of water.
"... so pasta with cream sauce would be fine! It will remind me of my time in Italy." She flicks some of her hair over her shoulder and smiles sweetly, beaming up at him. "So how do you know Sehun anyway? I noticed he's never one to talk to the girls in class but I think I would have noticed that he had such an attractive friend if you were in our major, right?'
Jongdae nods, really questioning the girl's need for air, and leans back in his chair a little. "We're long time friends. I finished my major last year. I'm still on part time with my mentor."
The girl responds with an enthusiastic hum, and clasps her hands together. "Psychiatry seems so interesting! You must be really smart too, then huh, along with funny and handsome? I couldn't do it, you know, listening to all those people's problems and thoughts." She leans into her hand when giggling, and blinks up at him.
"Really. Who would have guessed." Jongdae nods quickly, averting his gaze to look around the diner quickly. What was Sehun thinking, setting him up with this giggling schoolgirl? She seems nice, but he can't deal with someone who talks more than he does.
"I hope someone comes to take our orders quickly though, I'm starving." The girl mumbles.
His eyes zero in on someone then, as if drawn by a magnet, even in the slightly dimmed light. A waitress, bright copper wavy hair and her hands and arms balancing five plates at once. She's shining, sparkling almost, a fiery determination in her eyes as she moves through the tables and delivers everyone's food. He almost chokes on his sip of water there and then. She's smiling, but her eyebrows are bunched, a funny fighting expression on her flushed face. Jongdae thinks he holds his breath, but really, it's hard to know what he does when this tornado of a person comes speeding past, too absorbed in her work to notice him. His eyes follow her already leaving shape until she dusts off her sweaty palms and moves back into the kitchen. It's only then, that his senses start working again, loud cluttered noise of the restaurant filtering in and the acute feeling of his heart beating about a million beats a minute. "Sunny!" The younger waitress calls, "that one is for table 5!"
Jongdae can't help the huge smile that comes on his face when it registers. This whirlwind of a person, full of thunder and lightning and static jumping off her persona like that of dark clouds, is called Sunny? Cute, that.
She comes walking back into the room with only two plates this time, and as she does, her eyes meet his in confusion. Her blue silver eyes meet his, and then they widen as if she just figured out how to fly, plates almost falling to the floor when she comes to a very abrupt halt.
Without hesitation, he's up out of his seat, following her with his eyes as she backs toward the kitchen.
"...and that was the- Jongdae?" His date suddenly blinks, surprised by his movement.
"Your story is super interesting, Annie, but I have to go. Sorry." He hurries, giving her a real smile this time.
And he's off, chasing after his mate with the biggest grin on his face. It's impossible how warm he feels right now, and how much he wants to know her already.
"It's Angela..." The girl calls after him, pouting.
***
Not good. Not good at all.
You stumble into the kitchen, slamming the door behind you. With wide eyes you try to process what the hell just happened. The wave of burning heat, slapping you in the face, and the fact that every cell in your body seemed to tremble and twist in his direction. You put your hands against your flushed cheeks in an attempt to calm them down, and take a deep breath.
You just met your mate. Your actual mate, the person who has been your other half for 28 years and the person who you thought you'd never find. It feels so sweet, way sweeter than you ever imagined it, but also terrifies you. You really like your life the way it is. You don't need a man fucking it up. And that seems to go both ways because he was clearly on a date.
You don't get the chance to process everything fully because the door you're resting your back against is being pushed open. You jump and push back, only causing him to giggle. It’s warm and melodic. The sound makes your heart swell, and you wish you could hate it but it only makes butterflies erupt in your stomach.
The young man of earlier pokes his ridiculously handsome face between the door once he pushes it open wide enough, an adorable kitten smile on his lips. You just frown at him and take a step away, folding your arms over your chest.
"Hello." He grins, voice deep and smooth. "I can already see you don't like me very much, but at least give me a chance?" The giggle that passes his lips is almost childlike, and makes your heart all soft. What kind of dark magic...
"Did you just run away from your girlfriend to chase me?" You frown at him, as he regards you with shimmering eyes, as if you are the most precious thing he's ever seen. It's almost insulting. Almost. You’re a lot of things, but cute isn’t one of them.
Again he laughs. You can already tell that this man is going to ruin you, with his joyful spirit and charms spilling out of his pores. He shrugs, and stuffs his hands in his pockets while taking a little step closer to you. "It's kind of our first date. Safe to say I won't be seeing her again though."
"Yeah, because you left her in the middle of a shitty diner to chase after another woman on your first date." For a second you wonder why you are so seemingly angry at him. Your past hasn't been easy however, and it's hard to convince your heart of that. He doesn't seem to mind though. And that in itself makes you even more frowny.
"H- Well, yes, probably, but also because I just met the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes upon."
Turning towards some of the dirty plates on the table behind you, you start stacking them nervously. "Oh, really? Where is she?" You turn over your shoulder to look at the guy, only to jump when he's right behind you.
He doesn't say anything for a while, just smiling down at you with his stupidly adorable moon eyes, before humming softly. "How do you do that?" He mumbles then, smile slipping off to really look at you., "You're looking at me with eyes that could shoot lightning and still you're brighter than the sun. Sunny really fits you."
When your name slips out of his mouth, you feel the full force of why people love their mates almost immediately. The word sends warm shivers down your spine and makes you feel floaty like nothing ever has. "I- I w-" you stutter, stepping from under his chin to slide to the side with flushed cheeks. "I'm really focused on my job, and I don't really do soulmates."
He just nods his head cutely, and smiles. "That's okay, I don't either." He runs a hind through his black hair, and grins to himself. "Can't you just see me as a normal guy asking you out? Just one date."
You giggle nervously, running your finger along the metal table edge over and over. You're acting like a total love struck fool right now, but it's impossible not to when your heart mellows at every second you're near him. "I don't even know your name." You just sigh, a horrible attempt at an excuse and you know it.
"Jongdae." He grins, quick to respond as he walks a little closer to you again.
This is a shitty idea. A really shitty idea.
"I promise I'll be sophisticated."
A giggle escapes you then, making you roll your eyes. "I really doubt it."
He gives you another smile. "Pinky promise." He holds out his phone for you to put your number in, right as your colleague walks in. Her eyes widen considerably at the sight of a customer here, but she doesn't say anything.
"You better not break your promise then, Jongdae." You are an idiot.
***
He didn’t lie. He looks more than sophisticated, with fancy suit and gold rimmed glasses perched on his pretty nose. Jongdae picked you up at 6, three days after you two met. And you hated to admit it, but he hadn’t left your mind for a second since that day. The entire walk home, you were practically singing, that’s how stupidly happy you were.
You’re dressed a lot more, how should you say it, dead inside, than Jongdae is. You’re wearing a black pencil skirt with a beautiful colored dragon on the side, a lacy top and several black rings adorning your slim fingers. Older people stared when you walked past them, Jongdae only grinning when you gave them a wink.
“Why are you so quiet?” Jongdae turns to you, cheeks high with smiles. He always looks so deliriously happy, you wonder if that ever gets tiring. Probably not. “You’ve been all shy the entire evening.”
You huff and glare up at him from where you’re holding his arm hooked in yours, before grinning slightly as you come to a stop at another big photograph, displayed in this gallery. You don’t really know why Jongdae chose to take you here, but it sure is sophisticated. “That’s just because you’ve been talking so much that I couldn’t get a single word in.”
Jongdae pushes your shoulder, giggling. “Not even true at all. I’ve been holding back more than I have my entire life.”
A snort passes your lips before you can help it. “How sweet.”
“I know.”
Right when you want to respond, you two turn a corner, where a big group of people is talking animatedly. You immediately feel that most of them are wolves, humming in interest. Is this the group of people that lives at the edge of the city? You doubt it, they don’t seem familiar. Still though.
Some of the people are looking at the photographs on the wall, some others crawling on each other’s backs and hanging on top of each other like a huge mess of limbs. Most though, are crowded around a small girl who has a huge blush on her chubby face, apart from the one black haired couple to the side who just look at the group lovingly. “Guys,” the one girl mumbles, looking around at some disproving people walking past, “quiet down. Thank you but you are really too much.”
One of the smaller men, red-brown hair bouncing up and down as he enthusiastically speeds over to her and throws his arms around her neck. “I’m never quieting down. We’re so pROUD, dUNgi!!” She just giggles and swats him away, before taking a sip of her champagne and coming to rest her head on one of the other man’s shoulders.
This group fill the entire room, and you can’t help but snort as you lean into Jongdae a little more. “See, this is why being alone is better than being in a pack. What a mess.” Giggling, you pass by the room where the huge crowd is, continuing down one of the halls. You catch eyes with one of them for just a split second, as his eyes widen, but before you can notice you’re out of view.
Jongdae grins a little sheepishly, and rubs his free hand at the base of his neck. “Yeah, I guess they do look like a whole mess.” The smile doesn’t reach his eyes fully.
“Loud, too. I couldn’t do it, I think, even if I tried.” Stopping for yet another picture, you frown, this one a lot more dark than most of the other works displayed here. “Do you think that one girl was the photographer? She takes really good pictures.”
The man to your side hums, before turning towards the side. “Yeah, she is really talented. I don’t like this picture though,” cocking his head at the dimly lit, deep blue picture full of small bubbles, as if it was taken underwater, “way too sad. Her works are so bright and pretty, they shouldn’t have hung this one up.”
You can’t help but nod, noticing the fire behind his words. “It seems like this one was taken in a sad past, where she had no hope. Drowning, almost.”
Jongdae quiets at that, finding your eyes for a second and resting on your lips. It makes your whole body shiver, but he seems lost in thought. Maybe that hit a personal note, you don’t know. Though being around him feels like being around an extension of yourself, you don’t know of Jongdae’s past, much like he doesn’t know of yours. The entire evening has just been filled with happy teasing and occasionally letting him slip his hand into yours, before giggling and pushing him away.
He breathes deeply, before coming back to you and smiling softly. “You have freckles.” He says it so softly, like it is something that makes you a dainty little flower, brushing a strand of hair behind your ear and you don’t have your right mind to shoo him away. “I didn’t notice it before, but- they’re all over. Here-” he points at your nose than, smile returning fully, “and here-” he brushes his thumb softly along your cheek, “and right- there.”
He puts his finger on the one freckle you know you have right at the edge of your lips, a very light one. When you move forward, or if you even do, you don’t know, but suddenly he’s way closer than he was before and your heart is beating out of your chest. His hands come up to cup your cheeks softly, and then is lips press to yours.
And when you close your eyes, you see fireworks. It’s just a peck, and Jongdae soon pulls back, but you’re frozen in the moment for way after that. Your lips tingle with the feeling of his, so soft and warm and pillowy that you’re lost at what to do. In your entire life, you’ve never had a kiss this careful, this gentle and it’s like the entire world has yanked up the saturation when you open your eyes again.
He doesn’t say anything for a while. When he does, a shy smile comes to play at his mouth corners, one you’ve never seen on him before. He always seems so confident in all he does, and yet here he is, blushing after a single kiss. Not that you can blame him, you feel bright red as well.
“I’ll walk you home, they are closing this place soon.” He sighs, before slipping his hand into yours and pulling you into his side.
The whole walk to your house, which was luckily only a good couple of minutes, was spent in a comfortable silence, or with soft whispers and giggles. You don’t know when it became so late that the sun sunk entirely behind the horizon. It must be at least 11 pm right now, since the city has become almost completely silent. Surprising, for a Wednesday evening.
Jongdae has been playing with your fingers the entire time, giggling every time you glare up at him or give him little jabs in the side. You’ve never been like this with a person before, but here you are. He lets out a deep breath, the warm air painting off against the cooling down evening, and then smiles. “Don’t look.” He suddenly says, disconnecting your hands and placing the one over your eyes.
You yelp, and take hold of his arm. “How can I walk when I don’t see where I’m going, Jongdae?”
“I’ll lead you.” He says, while you can hear his take something out of his pocket. His hand drops from your eyes. “Don’t look, yeah? I’m serious.” He doesn’t sound at all serious, so you laugh, but do as asked. His hand wraps around yours again, warm and solid, and then you feel the distinct feeling of a pen on your skin.
You bite your lip and smile, still walking on as you lean into him a little more. “Are you writing your number on my hand? You do know that this stuff only works in movies when I don’t have your number yet, right?”
Jongdae laughs loudly at that, the sound ringing through the street, before huffing playfully. “I’m not writing my number.”
“Hm.” You smile, patiently waiting until you feel the pen still on your skin, and hear the click of it. Jongdae squeezes your hand softly. “Can I open up now?”
“Yes.” He nods, grin audible in his voice, while he wraps his arm around your shoulder.
You don’t know what you were expecting, but a soft smile comes on your lips. On the back of your hand is a little sun, accompanied with just two words. ‘Yours, Jongdae’. He doesn’t say anything when you glance up at him with shimmering eyes, and leads you to the side, where to your dismay, you recognize your door.
“We’re here.” Jongdae smiles, holding in front of you and taking both hand in his. “I don’t know if I still have to say it, because it seems obvious, but I really enjoyed my night with you.”
“I really enjoyed my night with you too.” You nod, looking at your feet. “Do you want to come in for a while?”
His eyes flick to your door, and then back to you, to your door again. He gives a pained smile, before shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I promised to be sophisticated and I really plan on keeping to that. Next time, maybe.” He leans forward and presses a sweet his to your forehead, and then nods. “Have a good night, Sunny. I’ll text you tomorrow?”
“Okay.” You just nod, and wave him out. “Have a good night.” When he walks away backwards, he sends you a last breathtaking smile, and then he’s gone. You almost melt into a puddle right then and there.
What did you say again? Not letting a man fuck up your life?
Well… you’re done for.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! New characters!! Yet again. By now you’re used to this, right? This au is going to keep going until it kills me. I really enjoyed writing Jongdae for once! I feel like I’ve been lacking a lot of him throughout the series so I’m very sorry toward any Jongdae stans.
Please leave a message about your thoughts, anything you noticed this chapter or what you liked in general!! Just know that if I get input I’m a lot more motivated to put out more content.
Thank you for reading! ♡♡
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