#hanniescookie

“It's not that surprising, okay?” He groans, tightening his arms around you. You laugh in disbelief. “No, it is! You went on a run?! That's like saying the grass is blue.”

Jeonghan moves to look up at you, and you breathe a little easier now that he's no longer completely on top of you. You'll never tell him that, though. “That's an exaggeration. Grass being blue is impossible. But I went on a run so that's not impossible. Maybe you could say it's like spotting a meteor. Rare, but possible.”

You laugh more as he quickly plops back on you. This time, you're strangely less suffocated and more comfortable so your arms hold him again. “No way you moved your tired muscles just to argue.”

“I had to make my point,” he mumbles, his voice slow and lazy the longer your fingers stay in his hair.

“Okay but how did this rare occuring even take place, hannie?”

He sighs. “Stupid Seokmin.”

Your mouth forms an O in understanding, and you can't help laughing again. “He took you? He's too much of an angel to force you, though.”

“He said it'll be fun.” Jeonghan grumbles, drawing random patterns on your exposed waist with his droopy eyes falling shut. “It was only tiring. I'm like 5% charged right now.”

“Aww,” you coo, cradling him softly and pressing a kiss on his head. “You did well. I'm sooo proud of you.”

“Those are bland words, baby. I stopped running after ten minutes.”

The laugh that escapes your lips is inevitable, and you try to not make it sound like you're mocking him. Jeonghan huffs in offense, anyway.

“It's okay, you can recharge now. Sleep for a while, I'll go freshen up and make—” you begin shifting to get up but Jeonghan pins you in place, looking up at you with a look that passes as scolding. “You're not going anywhere. I won't be able to recharge if you're not here.”

You sigh, smiling softly at him and almost squishing his face. “I can't believe I am dating such a big baby.”

He drops his head back in your neck with a smile, pressing a featherlight kiss on your exposed collarbone. “Are you complaining?”

“No,” you shake your head, sniffing the scent of his lavendar shampoo. “I love my big baby who gets low on battery after a ten minute run.”

“You're mean.”

You giggle and kiss his forehead, caressing his head till his breathing evens out.

You blinked at your phone with your mouth agape as the fan taken video played on the screen. Your heart jumped to your throat, and you couldn't believe what you were seeing.

There was no way your boyfriend was bald.

Especially not without you knowing.

You knew he was going to meet Soonyoung and Jihoon, and that he had dinner with Cheol. You knew he was going to come home to you after that. But he did not mention shaving his head off even once.

The more you squinted at the low quality video, the more you died a little inside.

Jeonghan knew how much you loved his hair and how happy you were when he didn't have to shave it all off. But now, it made sense because he had to go for basic military training. He could have shaved his head.

Why would he not tell you, though? You were beyond mad. You wanted to be prepared for the sight. He even promised you he’d let you shave it all off if he ever had to.

Now he couldn't just show up to your apartment without a strand of his pretty hair on his head.

You were going to cry.

You dialed his contact in a hurry, your teeth gritted as the phone rang.

“Are you not asleep yet, love?” His voice met your ears through the phone, and it was so sweet that you almost melted. Almost. Not entirely.

“Where are you?” You asked, your tone dangerously low and the line went silent for a while. You almost thought he ended the call, but then his voice came, still as soft as cotton. “I'm on my way back. Is something wrong?”

You shut your eyes, trying to contain your frustration but failing at it. “First, you spend your whole damn day off with Cheol as if he's your girlfriend, then you don't even call me once in the last four hours, and then you go bald without even telling me?! Really Jeonghan?!”

There was silence on the other end again before you heard his soft laughter. It took you a few seconds to realize that the sound of his laughter was not just coming from your phone.

Your head whipped to the door of your bedroom where he was standing with a shit-eating grin on his face.

His head was covered with his hood, and you couldn't help melting on the spot this time. Any thoughts of his hair or his day not spent with you flew out of the window when he walked closer to the edge of your bed and opened his arms.

You jumped into his embrace, melting in his warmth that you missed beyond your own comprehension. It had been long since you both had time for each other, and with his service it was even harder.

His arms wrapped around you firmly, and you could feel him smile as he pressed a few kisses in your neck. “I spent the day with Seungcheol because you were busy and I needed company. I didn't call you in the last four hours because you told me you were at a team dinner,” he paused, pulling away to see the pout on your face before continuing as he pulled the hood off his head. “And I'm not bald.”

You gasped, backing away from him a little to properly examine his new look. It made your jaw drop to the floor.

“You—”

He rubbed the side of his neck with his palm sheepishly, his smile turning hesitant. “The boys said I look more manly. What do you think?”

It had been long since you were dating Jeonghan, yet you felt your heart beat in your throat at the sight of him. “Wow— you… you look so hot, hannie. I'm not even kidding.”

Any hesitation he had on his face flew right out of the window. He smirked slightly, adjusting his spectacles. “Really, baby? You think so?”

You sighed, not really believing how attractive he looked. You loved his long hair so much, and you always asked him to not cut it short. But right now, you felt a little too feral, and a little too lucky to have him all to yourself.

“Oh God I need to kiss you right now, come here,” you took a step close to him but he laughed and stepped back. “No no! I need to shower first. I stink, and I didn't want to hug you like this too, but I couldn't resist. Now let me wash up first. Be nice and wait for me, yeah?”

You looked at him astonished as he grabbed his spare clothes from your closet. You wished you could smack him right across his beautiful face. “Jeonghan. It's not fair how you always make me chase you, you know?”

He bit his lip, a mischievous grin spreading on his face. “I'm not making you chase me, love. You wouldn't like kissing your stinky boyfriend. It's for your good.”

You whined. “You're not stinky! You smell like yourself! Cotton candy and marshmallows and—”

You paused when you felt his lips against yours, warm and soft as he briefly kissed you. He giggled against your mouth, pausing to take off his spectacles. “Do you think you'll be fine if we shower together after this?”

Your arms wrapped around his neck, cheeks reddening slightly as you nodded. “Yes because you're too hot right now for me to let you go.”

“Yet you said I smell like cotton candy and marshmallows.”

You giggled, running your hand on his extremely short hair. “Good lord, hannie how in the world do you look so good?”

He laughed, hugging you tighter against him. “Stop this or I'll call you a simp.”

“I am a simp.”

“You stopped me from showering to kiss me. Where did that go?” He looked at you, his eyes narrowed in disappointment. You smiled innocently. “I'll do a lot more than just kissing, baby. Are you fine with that?”

“As long as you shower with me later.”

Your lips found his within an instant.

Now, you're not one of those people who hate kids, but you're also not among the ones who stop by kids in the park to coo at them. But as you bang on the door of your neighbour's apartment, you're really irritated by the crying noises that sound even closer now.

The door swings open and the first thing you register is how gorgeous the man in front of you is. His hair falls on his forehead, his white tee compliments his physique, and he looks slightly disheveled. Pretty, nevertheless.

For a second, you regret your state. You probably look like a ghost—eyebags adorning your face, hair messy and clad in your pajamas.

The regret (and attraction) fades when you hear a loud cry again, and sigh. “Can you please get your child to lower it, Mr Yoon? Or better take her out? Give her a snack? Anything to not disturb someone's sleep?”

The man in front of you widens his eyes, and despite the weird situation, he smiles. “I'm not Mr Yoon. I'm Joshua Hong, his friend. I'm just babysitting Yuwon for a while and she's started crying for no reason. I can't even figure out why and she won't tell me.”

His voice, despite being soft and calm, has an agitated edge to it—like he's trying to handle the situation but he desperately needs help. You bite your lip, trying to peek in to see where the kid is, but then just sighing aloud. “Whatever it is, please handle it. I have work early morning and I—”

“Uncle Josh!”

You hear a tiny, cracked voice call out to him. Yuwon is standing right beside Joshua now, fisting his pants and looking up at him with teary eyes.

You practically watch Joshua melt like an ice cream as he kneels down in front of her, softly caressing her cheeks to wipe her tears. “Yuwon baby, will you please stop crying and tell me what's the matter? I'm—”

Yuwon only cries harder, making your head spin. Joshua looks helplessly at you, like he's telling you his situation without words. You shut your eyes tight, then step in.

The door beeps shut behind you as you crouch down beside him, looking at the little girl with all the patience you had. “Yuwon-ah?”

Yuwon does move her head to look at you, but doesn't stop crying. In fact, she fists tighter onto Joshua’s shirt now, and he tries his best to caress her into quietening down.

“Yuwonie, do you want candy? Or chocolate?”

She shakes her head vehemently, sniffing. Joshua’s knee touches yours as you both sit in the doorway, trying to soothe a crying kid, and you have half a mind to ask the attractive man to give you babies of your own.

Fuck, no.

You shut your thoughts up, focusing on the task at hand. Your hand softly cradles Yuwon’s face, pulling her in for a hug that surprisingly loosens the tension in her muscles. You glance at Joshua over her shoulder, and mouth, “She needed this!”

Joshua continues to smile, as if he's fascinated. He has a look in his eyes that makes your heart flutter, and you're grateful for the baby’s embrace that grounds you a little bit.

“It's okay baby,” Joshua mutters, rubbing Yuwon’s back with his large hands. “Uncle Josh is here, yeah? Now you have Aunt—?” He raises his brows at you, and you mouth your name, watching his smile widen. “—Aunt Y/N as well. Tell us what's bothering you, okay?”

Yuwon’s cries slowly dim to sniffles that wet your shoulder, and carefully you pull away from her. She's hiccuping at this point and Joshua quickly rushes to get a glass of water while you usher the kid inside onto the living room's couch.

As she chugs down the water, you continue to stare at Joshua shamelessly who's watching Yuwon, hoping she doesn't cry again. He takes the glass from her, and keeps it on the coffee table before sitting beside her. “Do you feel better?”

Yuwon looks at him, her big eyes swollen and still a bit wet. “I don't want you to leave, uncle.”

Joshua's eyes widen, and he smiles harder, more beautiful. “I am not leaving, baby! Who told you—” he pauses, realizing he made a few quick calls to Jeonghan, asking him to come back because he got an urgent call from work. It clicks to him all while you're watching him pull Yuwon into his lap, kissing her cheek. “If you want me to stay, I won't go anywhere, okay?”

That earns him a smile from Yuwon finally, and the victory grin on his face is priceless. You forgot all about your sleep and annoyance, meeting his eyes as he realizes you're still there.

“You can sit. I…do you want some tea?” He offers, and you chuckle, shaking your head. “It's not even your house.”

“Practically is,” he says, softly running his fingers in Yuwon’s hair while you plop beside him. “I could raid anything from Jeonghan's kitchen and he won't say a word.”

“Is he that nice?” You ask, supporting your head with your hand as you look at him. He chuckles, shaking his head. “Not at all. He just won't have a choice if I’ve already used something.”

“That's not nice,” you remark, smiling at Yuwon when she looks at you. She smiles back and points at you. “You're beautiful, Aunt Y/N.”

You feel your heart fill with adoration for the little kid as you reach out to fix her hair, accidentally (or not) brushing your fingers against Joshua’s. “I think your uncle is more beautiful.”

“He's handsome,” she pouts, looking at Joshua’s face up close and drawing stars on his cheek. “Daddy says he's a handsome man. Right, uncle?”

Joshua laughs, and you love the gentle sound so much that you forget where you are. For a while, you're lost in a dreamy land, twirling between flowerbeds while his laughter rings in your ears.

“Yes yes, baby. Your daddy sure likes me.”

Before you can say anything, the door beeps open and a panting Jeonghan rushes in. He's a picture of surprise when he sees the view on his couch, and folds his arms quickly in amusement.

You immediately stand up, fixing yourself in horror as embarrassment creeps up on you. What the heck were you doing in your neighbour's house at an unusual hour with his friend and daughter?

Yuwon runs into Jeonghan's arms, babbling something about how she's found a new aunt when you decide to sneak away. Not meeting anyone's eyes in the room, you slide past Jeonghan and make a dash for the door.

“Are we quite serious, Shua?” You hear Jeonghan say when you open the door, and your wrist is held in a warm hand. You turn to see Joshua standing behind you, his eyes wide and breath ragged.

“Uh— can I have your…number?” He asks, and you swear you hear a low whistle from somewhere in the apartment. Jeonghan is nowhere in your sight, but you shut your eyes tight in embarrassment and nod, extending your hand for his phone.

He quickly hands it over to you, and you enter your contact before stuffing it back in his hands. “Very bad time and place, but call me.”

And you run away like you are being chased by a bear.

It felt like an eternity since you'd last seen your boyfriend, the days marked only by work deadlines and the quietness of a hotel room in another city.

Now, finally, there he was, stepping out of his apartment building. You sighed in relief, and a wide, unrestrained smile bloomed on your face.

“Hannie!" You called, your voice a little louder than intended.

He turned, a small, tired smile flickering across his lips. The long coat he wore swished behind him for a second as he walked towards you.

“I missed you so much!” You said, smiling at him and in your own excitement, you failed to notice the exhaustion on his face. “How—”

Your words were snatched right from your mouth when he closed the remaining distance and simply melted into your embrace. His arms wrapped around your waist, a tight, almost desperate hold, and his head found its place on your shoulder.

You blinked, your smile dimming as you felt his weight on you. It was as if he was utterly drained, like all the energy had been leached out of him.

"Hey," he murmured into your hair, his voice a low, hoarse sound that tugged at your heart.

"Hey." You whispered back, your own arms automatically tightening around him in a comforting pressure. You could feel the tension in his body as you asked, "You okay, hannie?"

A long, shaky sigh escaped his lips and you felt the soft puff of air against your neck. "Just...hold me for a bit?" he requested, his voice barely audible.

Your heart ached tenderly. The planned date – the cozy restaurant, the movie you'd been wanting to see – could absolutely wait. Right now, this was what he needed.

"Of course," you murmured, stroking the back of his head, your fingers tangling in the short strands of his hair.

You stood with him in a comfortable silence before he shifted slightly, lifting his head just enough to look at you. His eyes were still clouded with fatigue, but the softness in them remained.

"Sorry," he murmured, with a little chuckle. "I'm being a mess, aren't I?"

You cupped his face, your thumbs gently stroking his cheekbones. "Nope, I think that you're just tired. You've been working so hard, and I know this past week was crazy for you."

He smiled softly, nuzzling his cheek in your palm. You asked again, “Is there something else?”

He shook his head, inhaling sharply. “You saw right through me. I'm really just exhausted. And not just physically.” He paused, licking his lips and looking down for a while, as if contemplating his words. You hummed encouragingly, letting him know that you were listening.

His eyes met yours, and this time you could clearly see the sadness in them. “I feel so— I don't know. They miss me. The fans, the members. And I miss them too, so much. I feel like…I feel like I want to go back to that life. I want to be with them. Even if it's double exhausting, I don't care. I'm just not used to this.”

You broke into a pouty smile, listening to him rant like that, and observing the endearing sadness on his face, in his voice. It made you want to protect him from the things that tired him, and give him all that could bring his effortless smile back.

“I don't even know if I make sense. This is weird. I feel like I desperately want to be on stage and perform and fly across countries every other day even if my whole body aches. Does it— why are you smiling?”

You ended up giggling, tiptoeing and kissing his cheek a couple times because you were so endeared it was physically hard to stop yourself.

“I'm so sorry,” you muttered, scanning his confused but nevertheless, smiling face. “I promise I have been listening. Oh my God, don't think I'm a bad girlfriend, making fun of your feelings. No no no, I just kind of fell in love with you right now because you rarely rant like this.”

His smile only grew wider with easy passing word of yours, and he clicked his tongue at the end of it. “You’re making fun of me.”

“Hey! No,” you protested, squishing his face between your palms. “I know that you miss being on stage and the members and the fans and music.” Your voice turned softer, more calming. “And it's very understandable. You've spent every day of a decade doing something. A sudden void of it can feel overwhelming.”

He bit his lower lip, nodding his head as he listened to you. Your fingers gently ran along his hair, a comforting smile touching your face. “But you’ll eventually return, hannie.” you paused, wrapping your arms around his neck. “I want you to remember that even if you're away for a while, you belong to that place. And everything returns to where it belongs.”

He smiled, almost with a little fascination at how you knew exactly what to say. The tension in his shoulders seemed to ease ever so slightly.

He leaned down, pressing his lips against yours in a soft kiss because he didn't have any words to convey his feelings. You weren't taken aback, you knew this was how Jeonghan responded in times of overwhelm.

He chuckled softly against your lips, making your heart flutter inevitably.

"You know," he murmured, his voice low, "You just did the same thing. You made me fall in love with you because you rarely ever offer words of affirmation."

You laughed softly as he pressed another kiss to your lips before pulling back slightly. “And you're right," he said, his eyes sparkling. "Everything does return to where it belongs. And right now," he took your hand in his, his grip warm, "I belong with you."

He squeezed your hand, his gaze softening. "So," he said with a playful glint in his eyes, "About our date? I think I might have just gotten a little recharge. What do you say, baby? Shall we conquer that restaurant after all?" He winked, and the familiar mischievous charm that you adored was back in full force.

“Are you sure, hannie?”

“Not cheesy at all,” you persistently shake your head, tiptoeing and pressing a kiss on his nose. “I'm just so exhausted.”

Seokmin’s eyebrows pinch together in concern, his arms holding you a little closer. You find his instant worry so adorable that another tired sigh leaves you. “No. Don't worry. I'm okay. I’m just tired of you.”

Seokmin genuinely feels like the ground slipped beneath his feet.

His arms loosen a little around you, and a shaky gasp escapes past his pretty lips. “Love, are we okay? I'm sorry. Did I do something—”

You tiptoe again to place a lingering kiss on his lips, successfully shutting him up. When you pull away, Seokmin’s eyes are still wide and full of terror. You giggle. “I'm just tired of how handsome you are, Seok. Can you help with that?”

Seokmin continues to look at you in disbelief before his lips tilt in a charming smile. A subtle pout touches his lips, “You scared me!”

“I intended to,” you answer, dusting a little at his collar. “You look really really handsome today. And I'm mad that everybody gets to see it for free!”

He chuckles, wrapping an arm around your shoulder and walking ahead to sit on the spare bench. There's a little bit of doubt in the way Seokmin smiles at you, though he tries to hide it. You stand in between his legs, stopping him from making you sit with him. Before he can say anything, you furrow your brows. “Spill.”

“Hm?” He looks up at you, confused. You sigh, absentmindedly running your fingers along his shoulders. “I know something is bothering you. What is it?”

He smiles, shaking his head dismissively. Seokmin knows you know him like the back of your hand. He's better off sharing his worries with you than hiding from you.

“I just think I didn't do well today.” He says, his fingers fiddling randomly as he avoids meeting your eyes. “I practiced a lot, you know? But I just got nervous and went off-target.”

You smile almost fondly, holding his face and making him look up at you. “Did you enjoy it though?”

He blinks at you, not expecting the question, but nods nevertheless. “Yeah. I love doing this.”

“Exactly!” You beam at him, softly running your fingers in his hair to intentionally mess it up a bit. “That's what should matter. In my eyes, you did great anyway. I don't even care about all those professional players. To me, and to so many of your fans, you are the best.”

Seokmin breaks into a smile that hides his eyes completely, and you wish to make him smile like this every day of your life.

“Besides,” you lean down a little, brushing your nose against his. “Who cares if you went off target? You served looks. That's enough.”

Seokmin pulls you down by your waist, kissing you softly. “Thank you, love. You flatter me.”

“I can tear open the sky for you, honey. What's a little flattery?”

Seokmin laughs.

Hence, he’s sure he won’t regret this either. It’s just a small prank, right? He just has to keep a straight face in front of you—something he’s not bad at.

You plop down on his couch, keeping the bag of takeaway on the coffee table as you call out his name loudly. You can’t see him anywhere, but when he does appear with a mug in his hand, he looks disoriented.

You have half a mind to make fun of him, but it dawns on you that he still looks beautiful with his messy hair and droopy eyes. So you just observe him from head to toe, ignoring the incessant beating of your heart. “You look like you went on a hike.”

“Worse,” he falls down beside you, keeping his head on your shoulder and successfully making your breath catch in your throat. No matter how long you’ve been friends for, you can never get used to Jeonghan’s proximity.

“What’s worse?” You ask, eyes fixed ahead at the bag of food you had been so hungry for.

“I don’t know,” he sighs, “Maybe the fact that I’m dying?”

You roll your eyes at him, shifting a little so his head drops from your shoulder. He whines begrudgingly, looking at you with the same sleepy eyes. “What?”

“Just because you’re sleepy doesn’t mean you’re dying. Cut the dramatics and go get some rest. I’ll eat by myself.” You say, moving to take the food when he holds your wrist. His touch is so soft, more gentle than it has ever been as he looks down at your intertwined hands, and you catch him swallowing thickly.

“Y/N,” he mutters, not meeting your eyes. Your heart nearly drops to your stomach. Yes, you’ve seen Jeonghan’s down times, but this feels different. He’s entirely different from how he usually is, and something about that makes you hold your breath.

“I want to tell you something,” he finally lifts his eyes to meet yours, making you pinch your eyebrows together. “Jeonghan I swear to God if—”

“Shh,” he keeps a finger on your lips, momentarily making your brain shut off. It's a two second touch, but you feel it for longer as he sighs, rubbing soft circles on your palm. “I want you to promise that you won't freak out or cry.”

You shake your head, a terrible terrible feeling sinking in your stomach. “I can't promise that.”

“Then I won't tell you,” he shrugs, leaving your hands and sitting back. You lurch forward quicker than ever, as if you need him like oxygen, holding his hands tightly in yours. “Okay, fine. I promise. Now tell me.”

Jeonghan sighs for the nth time, running a hand through his hair like he's frustrated. He makes a show of breathing deeply a few times before meeting your glassy eyes again. The first, tiny, very unconscious wave of regret hits him, but he fails to back off.

“I have about three months left to live.”

The silence that follows his stupid words is deadly.

You continue to stare at him, your heart pounding so loud in your chest that you barely hear any other sound. A massive weight sits on your chest, pressing down harshly on your vulnerable heart. Your eyes sting with hot tears, and you watch Jeonghan look away before they fall.

“I'm sorry, I know I should've told you earlier. But I knew you'd be upset and I didn't want that honestly. I just wish I can spend this time happily with— are you crying?!”

The sobs that rip out of your throat shoot Jeonghan's heart like a bullet, making the conscious wave of regret pool in his stomach. He tries to remove your hands from your face, blinking astonishingly. “Hey! Hey, Y/N, stop crying. Oh my God, I'm not dying. I'm not actually dying!”

You pause, your hands dropping as you look at his concerned face. He has the audacity to give you a smile—one that looks involuntary. “I was…oh my God, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—”

“You lied?” You utter the question out in disbelief, studying his features to understand how foolish you've been. “You—it was…you were fooling me?”

Jeonghan shuts his eyes tight, attempting to hold your face but you quickly swat him away. Your face is devoid of the earlier sadness, instead replaced by insurmountable anger. Your hands itch to slap him across his face, but you manage to hold yourself back, instead cursing yourself internally for falling for his obvious lie. And even crying.

“I'm sorry!” He whines, pointing to the ground. “Do you want me to kneel? I'm really sorry. Stop crying, at least!”

“SHOULD I LAUGH INSTEAD?” You yell against your best behaviour, watching him visibly get startled. But you're extremely angry, and you cannot stop the many what ifs from invading your mind.

“WAS THIS EVEN SOMETHING TO PRANK ABOUT?! DO YOU THINK THIS IS FUNNY IN THE SLIGHTEST?”

Jeonghan freezes, taking all your wrath as you hold him by his collar, hot tears streaming down your face. “YOU THOUGHT YOU'LL COME TELL ME THAT YOU'LL DIE ON ME AND I'LL SMILE WITH YOU? CELEBRATE?”

He shakes his head weakly, licking his lips and desperately hoping to make you stop crying somehow. Because if you don't stop crying, he feels like he'll actually die.

“I thought you won't even believe me.” He says in a low voice, making you chuckle dryly. You stand up from the couch, frustratingly pushing your hair away from your face. “Yeah, right. I'm the fucking fool. It's my fault that I ever believed you—my fault that I ever even fell in love with you. Now I can’t stop thinking about your dead face and it's making me want to fucking kill myself.”

One more thing that Jeonghan takes pride in is never being speechless. He's never encountered a situation so surprising that he failed to form words, but right now as he looks up at you from the couch, he doesn't know what to say.

You continue to cry and pace the narrow space between his couch and coffee table, rambling on and on about how much you hate him, and how you want him to stop fucking with your head or you'll strangle him yourself.

One turn and you bump into his sturdy chest. He's looking down at you with the same serious face he had before he started with his stupid prank, and you have half a mind to really punch him on the mouth.

“Get away from me,” you grit your teeth, shoving at his chest to push him out of your way, but he grabs both your wrists, keeping you in place. “What did you say?”

You look up at him, confused. “Jeonghan. Let me go. I’m going to go back home and never see your stupid face again.”

“You said you fell in love with me.” He says, his voice barely a whisper. You feel like you'll burn under his gaze, and your mind automatically repeats all that you said in the past five minutes.

You were wrong. You don't want to punch him. You suddenly want to punch yourself. How could you just say that?! So many years of hiding and not crossing the line only for you to spill it like this?

“I never said that,” you stutter out, looking away from his eyes. “You cannot gaslight me into this shit now. I see through your games and I'm going to—”

“Y/N.” He interrupts in a shaky voice, making you look straight back at him. He smiles, as soft as cotton, and you feel weak in the knees.

He exhales, his hand moving to cup your face. “I am in love with you too.”

Oh no.

You laugh in his face. His smile disappears as he watches you laugh for a while before you grab his collar and yank him close, glaring in his eyes. “I said do not fucking play games with me.”

The smile that reaches Jeonghan's eyes makes you weak in the knees again. His arms wrap around your waist, locking you in place as he quickly presses his lips against yours.

You levitate.

You don't know if you're floating in the air, or dangling from a cliff, or worse, burning in hell. All you can feel is the softness of his lips against yours, and his scent that sends you into an overdrive.

Once he pulls away after about seven seconds, you blink up at him in a daze. He smiles sweetly again, “You know me as much as to know that I wouldn't just kiss you if I wasn't telling the truth.”

You open your mouth several times to speak, but you only feel tears prickling your eyes again. “I hate you so much,” leaves your lips in a whisper as you drop your head on his chest. “I was—I was going to cut ties with you. You can't just do this now and make me stay.”

“I'm sorry,” he wraps you completely in his warm hold, and you can hear him smiling like a fool. “But if I never played the prank, you still wouldn't have confessed to me.”

You hide your face more into his chest, feeling your face heat up. “It's really not true, right?”

“Don't worry angel,” he kisses the top of your head. “I won't die. Not after I've finally gotten the chance to wife you up.”

You pull away in complete astonishment, looking up at him with wide eyes. “People usually…date first?”

“I'm not like usual people,” he shrugs, a ghost of a smirk plastered on his face. You pat your cheeks to lessen your blush, but it doesn't work under his gaze. “Shut up and look away.”

“I'm sorry for making you cry,” he mutters sincerely, making you meet his eyes. “Really. It was a stupid prank. I shouldn't have done that.” You fail to not smile, bringing your hand up to remove a strand of his hair falling into his eyes. “It's okay. Like you said, I wouldn't have…confessed.”

He smiles wide, pulling you closer to himself again. “So like, what are we now? Best friends who kiss?”

You roll your eyes playfully, giving into your wish of smacking his shoulder. “Shut up.”

“Girlfriend boyfriend?” He asks, cooing like you're a toddler standing in front of him. You wish to shut him up, and the only thing that you can rightfully do now is kiss him.

So you shut him up, and to your surprise, he cooperates.

Being a successful makeup artist had been your dream since you were a teenager. Your love for makeup only grew with your age, and you made yourself proud after finally landing your dream job.

Being Jeon Wonwoo's makeup artist, however, was certainly not your dream. It might be a privilege, never been a dream.

It isn't that you mind seeing his beautiful face every other day while you doll it up with makeup that suits his outfit of the day. Never that. It's just that you're always too distracted to focus on your job. And Wonwoo doesn't help.

It falls out of your realm of professionalism. You've never been someone who struggles with balancing your personal and professional life, but with this man? You're terrible. Miserable.

He is too good looking for his own good, and being so close to his face half the time serves you no good. It takes everything in you to not just kiss his lips everytime you swipe some lipstick across them.

Wonwoo is not very expressive — that's a known fact. But what people might not know is that Wonwoo is a tease, a little close to a flirt. At least towards you, he is.

You hate how he licks his lips right after you're done applying lipstick just to make your job harder. What's worse is that he does it with a straight face, muttering an aplogy within a second like he didn't realize what he just did.

But you have seen it far too much to know that he does these things deliberately. You don't know if he likes seeing the huff of annoyance you let out, or if he just genuinely hates you.

Either way, you've decided that your work ethics have been compromised enough. You don't like these feelings you've harbored for the idol overtime, and if nothing is down the drain, you'll take your shot today.

When Wonwoo arrives on set an hour before his schedule, you're glad that the whole group isn't here. It's his solo schedule for the day — a photoshoot for his brand deal.

The look for today has to be a little bold, and requires more time than usual. So you start slow, focused on work and trying your best to make him look exactly like the concept demands.

And you're also focused on another task today.

"I'm quitting." You say as nonchalantly as you can, dabbing some concealer to hide a tiny acne mark on his skin.

"Huh?" He raises his brows, unsure if you talked to him.

You meet his eyes for a few seconds before focusing back on his cheek, watching the acne mark slowly disappear. You hope your game plan can work, and if it doesn't, then you're really never seeing this place again. "I said I'm quitting this job."

He continues to look at your face while you turn back to the vanity, fumbling through some eyeshadow palettes. Your heart is throbbing at the weight of his gaze, but you keep going. "I'm telling you because I know you don't get used to changes easily. You'll be more prepared when you see another MUA starting tomorrow."

You turn back, meeting his surprised gaze and you smile a little. "Close your eyes."

He takes a little while to process what you said, and you gladly wait till he does. You can see the effect of your game, and you like it so far.

He closes his eyes slowly, exhaling through his nose. It's quiet for a while till you play with a combination of two dark shades on his eyelids.

"Must you leave?"

You almost don't catch it with how quietly he speaks. Keeping the palette away, you stare at his face with his eyes closed, his question echoing in your head. Your heart swells, and a smile forms on your face. "Did you say something?"

He mutters a quiet no without opening his eyes. You know he's doing it because you haven't asked him to open them yet, and involuntarily, you feel a flutter in your chest. Usually, he would open them before you're even done, but right now he's trying to not upset you. How cute.

"I heard you, though." You say again, leaning against the vanity with your arms folded. He slowly opens his eyes, looking at you with eyes full of uncertainty. "Do you have an answer then?"

"Must I leave?" You echo his question, humming thoughtfully. "Good question. The problem is—" you pause, grabbing an eyepencil and leaning down on him. He instinctively closes his eyes, and you smile. "—that my professionalism is threatened here. I can't properly focus on my work with you, Wonwoo."

His eyes snap open before you're even done lining the pencil on his eyelid, earning a sharp wince from you. "See! This is what I mean."

"Sorry," he breathes. "I don't understand. What do you mean?"

"I don't know," you say, folding your arms neatly once again. "You tell me."

He stares at you blankly for a while, unable to pinpoint exactly where you're coming from. Then his expression shifts, as if he's reminded of something. "Scratch that. Just don't quit?"

You arch an eyebrow despite the little victory dance your insides do at his statement. "Hm? Why?"

"Because—" he pauses, trying to find words. "Because like you said, I'm not good with accepting changes. I am used to you."

You sigh, shaking your head. "Is it that hard?"

"What?"

"Saying the truth."

"What truth?"

"That you like me."

Suddenly, there's pin drop silence in the makeup room. Even the humming of the aircon feels distant, as if coming from a faraway land. All you can hear is your own pulse beating wildly in your ears.

Then with calculated certainty, Wonwoo speaks. "It is."

You feel your throat running dry, and though you know you orchestrated this little game, you have no idea why you're nervous. Do you like him that much?

"But if I say it Y/N, will you stay?"

You can't help but smile. He's cute, and you'll do anything to make him happy. You nod. "I will."

He inhales a mouthful of air, and deeply exhales it all. Licking his dry lips, he looks up in your eyes, taking your hand in his large one hesitantly.

"I like you." He says, as quiet as the room. "I've liked you since the day you first put an insane amount of blush on my cheeks and I complained about looking cute. Please don't quit on me."

You've known that Wonwoo likes you, but nothing could've prepared you for the way he admits it in his low voice while holding your hand gently. You feel your pulse quickening even more if it's possible, and a blush dusts your cheeks.

"You did look cute, though."

"I didn't want to!" He groans, and you end up giggling. He sighs then, smiling along with you nevertheless. "Is that what you say to my confession?"

You shrug, grabbing a lipstick and turning to him. "If you don't mess your lipstick up this time, I'll think about going on a date with you."

He smiles, fingers hooking in yours to tug you closer. You lean closer to him as a result, eyes widening slightly. "Whatever happened to professionalism now?"

"I can compromise a little if I get a boyfriend as handsome as Jeon Wonwoo." You answer, poking his forehead so his head rests back before you begin applying lipstick on his lips.