#kfluffnet

You usually do these scavenger hunts with Jongdae. Soo's been partnered with Sehun for years. But this year they paired up with each other, grabbed a list from Baekhyun in a flash, and ran off to their car before you could blink.

A knot of fear and excitement forms in your gut as you think about an entire night spent with just Kyungsoo. When you’re in larger groups it’s easy to pretend you haven’t thought about him as more than a friend since… oh, probably the day you met him. But a long night, just the two of you, is going to be exquisitely painful.

Baekhyun holds up the last of his lists and looks over, noticing you and Kyungsoo standing there on opposite sides of the circle with a mischievous smirk. You restrain yourself mightily from rolling your eyes and stare him down instead, silently begging him not to make a scene.

Of course, he ignores you, sauntering over to Kyungsoo. He throws an arm across Soo’s shoulder and points to you.

'My friend, you know, it helps if you actually stand NEXT to your partner,' Baekhyun says loudly and gives him a gentle shove in your direction, handing him the list.

Kyungsoo grabs the paper with more force than necessary and glares at Baekhyun before walking over to you with a nod and a tight smile. In his typical manner, Baekhyun is unphased. He blows you both dramatic kisses before grabbing Chanyeol’s arm and running off to their car, the other teams already in their cars heading out.

Now that you’re alone the awkwardness is amplified, the air thick with tension. It's been like this for weeks, months even. Ever since New Year's Eve, you think.

'Do you want to me to drive?' he asks carefully, giving you a full smile this time. He comes to stand next to you and blows out a deep breath. He’s determined to be calm, even if his heart feels like it's about to beat out of his chest.

'Sure, that would be great, thanks,' you answer, moving closer to him so you can read the piece of paper he's holding.

You’ve all been doing this for years now, ever since became friends in college. Baekyun and Chanyeol’s annual School (now replaced by Work)-Is-Boring-Let's-Have-A-Crazy-Night Scavenger Hunt is a tradition. The items on the hunt Freshman year were fairly tame.

Steal a tray from the dining hall without Clarence the night guard catching you.

Climb to the top of the stadium and yell 'penis' as loudly as possible. And get it on video.

Get a photo of one of the girls from Kappa Kappa Alpha kissing you. 

That one was a piece of cake for you and Jongdae; one of the KKA's was in your English lit class and she happily gave you a smooch on the cheek. Baekhyun and Chanyeol were paired together and apparently had to do all sorts of begging and pleading to get one, you remember with a laugh.

Every year since then the tasks have become more over the top and harder to achieve. There was the memorable year Jongdae almost got arrested for running across the intersection of Pike and 5th in only his boxers. The time Baekhyun almost set himself on fire while trying to start a bonfire on the beach near campus. Two years ago Yixing and Jongin almost went to the ER after attempting to eat ten entire bags of marshmallows for the chubby bunny challenge, completely missing that it said ten INDIVIDUAL marshmallows.

Last year Minseok and his girlfriend Jess had dropped out of the hunt, due to the fact that he proposed to her during the challenge to break into the music conservatory downtown and sing on stage. No one minded in the least though, the hunt just morphed into an all-night impromptu engagement party instead.

Every year, Baekhyun and Chanyeol go down to their favorite dive bar, have an insane number of shots, and come up with the list of things to find and do. They normally try to keep it fair and impartial, but this year you know some of the list is directed specifically at you and the man standing next to you.

Given the adorable pouting face he’s making at the list, you know he’s picked up on that as well.

In the years since you've known Kyungsoo there's always been the question of whether you liked each other. An unspoken tension that neither of you have ever acknowledged openly or acted on. Many times you’ve convinced yourself it was just you, pining away for him.

But you’ve caught him looking at you. Across parties, dinner tables, front seats of cars. Caught him looking at you with something inscrutable in his eyes that could be merely warm friendship, or could possibly be something more.

This isn't to say that your group of friends haven’t picked up on the attraction you’ve had to him for the past seven years. At various points they've all asked you about it. Every single one of your group has told you that he’s attracted to you as well.

But he’s never said anything, or tried anything, and you’ve followed suit.

In the many years since you met him, there's only been one time when you thought something genuinely might happen. New Year's Eve, a few months ago, at Baekhyun's apartment.

You were standing out on the balcony, watching the fireworks along the skyline as it ticked closer to midnight. Even though it was far from freezing cold, Kyungsoo had still shrugged out of his jacket and silently put it over your shoulders as he joined you.

Neither of you were in a big talking mood that night, preferring to exist silently together in your observation of the world among the revelry.

It always seemed to be your way together. Quietly discussing the latest books you'd both been reading, tucked away in the corner of bars while your friends played pool. Enjoying music together as you wound your way through roads on the way home, your friends passed out with exhaustion in the backseat. Meeting up for lunch at a cafe equal distance between your two offices.

Neither of you were big on dramatics, though sometimes you wish that one of you was willing to take a big leap for once. If he was interested in you. Which you still were absolutely unsure about.

For years you've been wondering why you didn’t just ask him how he feels, finally ending the long years of back and forth. Sure you'd both dated people here and there over the years, but it seemed that the two of you kept getting thrust together by fate. Randomly being on the same dorm floor in adjacent rooms Sophomore year. Both majoring in sustainable development and having almost all of the same classes.

And now, being Scavenger hunt partners by ‘accident’ with all the other couples paired up. Perhaps the last one has to do more with my friends interference than the vicissitudes of fate, you think wryly.

His hand brushes your shoulder and you come out of your thoughts. 'Shall we tackle the uhh... ‘adult’ challenge first?' he says with a laugh and you could hug him for not making this more awkward than it has to be.

You take another look at the list and smother a laugh as you see that indeed the first item on the list is to acquire 'the most hilarious sex tape title you can find.'

'Sounds good to me,' you reply with a shake of your head, motioning toward the car lot next to the park. You pull out your phone to send a message to Jongdae while you walk.

Y/N 3:17PM: i hate you guys, just so you know Y/N 3:17PM: i know what you did JONGWAEEE 3:17PM: sorry!!! JONGWAEEE 3:17PM: everyone kinda decided that you guys needed some alone time *shrugs* Y/N 3:17PM: ???????? Y/N 3:17PM: SERIOUSLY? JONGWAEEE 3:17PM: sehun wants it known that he had no part in this JONGWAEEE 3:18PM: and yes JONGWAEEE 3:18PM: seriously

You sigh and get in the car. The two of you spend the drive discussing Kyungsoo’s latest project at work, carefully skirting around the fact that you two were obviously put together on purpose. Both of you are more than happy to discuss neutral topics.

A few minutes later you see a notification pop up on your phone and resist the urge to whine out loud.

JONGWAEEE 3:26PM: it’s time Y/N, don’t you think? JONGWAEEE 3:26PM: it’s been 7 years JONGWAEEE 3:26PM: you deserve to know if it can work 🤷🏻

After pulling into the Lover's Oasis parking lot, the nearest 'adult' store you could find, you and Soo get out of the car and look at each other and roll your eyes.

‘I can’t believe they’re still picking things like this,’ he sighs.

‘True. But we’re all the ones that go along with it,’ you reply, shutting your door.

He lets out a laugh that turns into a groan as he takes in the garish pink and white building. ‘Let’s just get this over with.’

The store is filled with couples and the occasional solo person browsing. The woman behind the counter has a shock of fuschia hair and looks up at the bell when you step inside.

'Oooh aren't you two a cute couple?' she says in a strong Midwestern accent. 'What can I help you find?'

You wince at the implication, feeling raw and exposed in such a place. Giving her a friendly smile you turn around to face something, anything, rather than have this woman walk you and your ‘partner’ through their selection.

With a noise of surprise you come face to face with a wall of handcuffs. Well, that’s not helpful, you think dryly.

Kyungsoo saves you, reaching over confidently to grab your hand, as though he’s done it daily for years; the easy intimacy of a couple who doesn’t feel whole without touching in some way. The thought sends a shock of longing through him as he walks, subtly feeling the skin of your palm and committing it to memory. He smiles to himself, thinking that the night will be bearable if it gives him moments like this to break up his undiluted longing for you.

With a small wave to the clerk he leads you back to the videos section. Desperate to get out of here as soon as possible you both scan the titles quickly, giggling to yourselves at their hilarity. The Dark Knight Comes. Raiders of the Lost Vagina. The perennial favorite: Assablanca.

He reaches forward to grab one from the back; he holds it up so you can read: Lawrence of A Labia. You make eye contact and both break into grins as you struggle around your laughter. He takes it up to the counter and pays quickly and you both jump back into your car.

The scavenger hunt is mostly an excuse to let loose and have fun, to take a break from everyday life. But there is actually a grand prize: the winning team gets to decide what movies the group watches for Friday movie night for the entire next year.

Normally Chanyeol and Baekhyun or Kat and Ali, the two most competitive teams, trade off winning. There was a memorable year in which you and Jongdae won when most of the other teams were held up by attempting to get a photo with a giraffe, but a friend of your father's happens to work at the local zoo, so you were able to accomplish that task easily.

Once you’re back in the car you and Soo look at the list. The first was definitely humiliating so you choose a more low-key challenge next: heading down to your group's favorite Denny's and convincing Pearl, the ancient, grandmotherly waitress you all love, to give you an extra serving of ice cream with your oreo sundae. She's always friendly with her customers, but ruthlessly stingy with her ice cream supplies.

Kyungsoo’s phone beeps as he holds the door open for you to go in first.

sagittalius 4:18PM: are you guys making out yet Soo 4:19PM: umm Soo 4:19PM: no, wtf? Katthegreat 4:19PM WHY NOT Soo 4:19PM: you two have met me before Soo 4:19PM: right? Katthegreat 4:19PM: okay fair Soo 4:20PM: did everyone just get together and decide to force me and Y/N to be alone tonight Soo 4:20PM ? sagittalius: yeah basically haha Soo 4:20PM: i’m- Soo 4:20PM: friendship cancelled Katthegreat 4:20PM: rudé sagittalius 4:21PM: its like a bandaid my friend sagittalius 4:21PM: just rip it off Katthegreat 4:21PM: we believe in you Soo 4:21PM: *deep sigh*

The restaurant is fairly empty on this late spring afternoon. It doesn't get crowded often, aside from early mornings and late evenings. Taking a seat at the counter Pearl greets you with her usual gravelly hello and asks what she can get you and Soo. In a masterful move he asks about her grandkids, somehow remembering their names from the times you guys have come in here before.

After ten minutes of hearing about Jackie and Crystal's elementary school progress and oohing appropriately over the photos she has in her wallet, she doesn't even bat an eyelash when he asks for extra scoop of ice cream with a warm smile on his face. You happily snap a photo of him with his victory sundae and each shove a few bites in your mouth before paying and dashing out the door.

Next you decide to choose an easy one. Or at least, you assume that to any other team this would be considered easy, but you know that Baekhyun and Chanyeol intended this one for you and Soo. ‘get your photo taken carrying your partner bridal style over the entrance to the famous Xavier Hotel by the doorman.’

When you point to that task Soo glances down at your legs, tastefully revealed by the red patterned romper you're wearing on this warm day. After a moment he swallows and nods before starting the car, asking you about a seminar you’re both attending in a few weeks to distract himself from wondering how the skin behind your knees will feel.

He parks on the side street and you approach the easily 6'5" doorman, clad in a fancy looking navy uniform. His expression is so stony you hesitate before speaking to him, trying to come up with some believable explanation for what you're about to ask him.

'Excuse me, sir?' you start, trying to catch his attention.

'How can I assist you, ma'am?' he replies in a booming voice.

'Would you mind taking a picture of me and my... husband?' you continue, purposely avoiding Soo's gaze. 'We stayed here on our anniversary last year and wanted to recreate a photo that was lost when our computer crashed,' you ask with a friendly smile.

He raises an eyebrow at you and looks around. The lobby and sidewalk aren't crowded, so he’s not needed for a moment. He thankfully shrugs and says sure. You hand him your phone and finally turn to look at Soo and find him giving you a knowing look, impressed at your quick thinking.

He holds out his arms to you and you step close, smelling his aftershave. You pause for a moment, distracted as always by his presence. But before you can think he bends down and lifts you into his arms so swiftly that you let out a squeal.

You throw your arms around his neck to steady yourself, meeting his intent stare, feeling heat spread through your limbs where his arms hold your knees and back. The moment stretches and you try to think of the last time you were this close to him; close enough to see the flecks of amber in his eyes. New Year’s Eve… you think sadly, yet again.

The guard coughs and breaks the silence. You both turn back to him, putting wide smiles on your faces as you pose for the camera. He holds you as long as he feels he can, the seconds stretching on after the click of the photo. With a sigh he sets you down, smoothing his pants down in an effort to compose himself back into a person who can pretend he doesn’t think about kissing you every second you’re together.

You grab your phone from the guard and confirm the photo is there, giving him a thank you before heading back to the car.

You quickly tag out two more challenges: finding a stranger willing to let you post ‘BYUN BAEKHYUN IS GOD’ on their facebook page, thanks to a friendly 7-11 cashier who ‘really doesn’t post much on there anyways so whatever,’ and grabbing a quarter out of the top of the Smith fountain at the center of campus. Thankfully you’d both packed towels, prepared for anything.

The setting sun casts a warm glow in the car as you lean over to look at the list he's holding while you dry off your legs. His breath catches in his throat at your nearness. Once again he wishes he’d kissed you on New Year’s, or any of the hundreds of times you’ve been close since then.

He considers it for a second while you scan the list; considers just burying his hand in your hair and pulling your lips to his. Considers telling you that you’re his perfect match, the other half that makes him whole. Considers asking if you want to be more than just best friends.

But then you speak and he curses himself for missing yet another moment to act.

‘Shall we do this next?’ you ask tentatively.

He nods and holds open the door so you can get in the car, raising his eyes skyward, cursing Baekhyun and Chanyeol. Have someone take a photo of you and your partner dancing to a busker on the Devon Ave Boardwalk, thanks guys.

In college it was one of the best outings on a weeknight. Buy cheap wine and beers and pre-game before wandering along the boardwalk and dancing while tipsy to whoever happened to be playing. Following the musical procession down the popular promenade as the night went on. He’d danced with you countless times, living for the smile on your face and the feeling of his hand on your waist.

‘Let me just find a good place we can park,’ he says into the open window, pulling up his phone. ‘I haven’t been there in years.’

Soo 5:38PM: i am Soo 5:38PM: so INCREDIBLY pissed off carlosCHANtana 5:39PM: you got to the dancing part didn't you carlosCHANtana 5:39PM: baek says 'sorry not sorry' Soo 5:40PM: i'm going to kill you both carlosCHANtana 5:39PM: or carlosCHANtana 5:39PM: you'll be thanking us carlosCHANtana 5:39PM: 😘

~~~~~

Y/N 6:14PM: that was such torture :( HYUNstoppable 6:14PM: chanyeol yelled 'I BET HE HELD HER CLOSE AND STARED AT HER LOVINGLY' Y/N 6:14PM: i mean kind of???? Y/N 6:14PM: idk???? Y/N 6:15PM: it still doesn't mean he has any feelings for me beyond friends!!! HYUNstoppable 6:17PM: oh my god HYUNstoppable 6:17PM: will you just tell him you've been in love with him for years HYUNstoppable 6:17PM: its like watching a horror movie and watching the protagonist trip every 2 feet Y/N 6:18PM: 😡😡😡 HYUNstoppable 6:18PM: you know we did this because we love you guys right? Y/N 6:18PM: sigh Y/N 6:18PM: if i look beneath the 52 layers of WTF Y/N 6:19PM: i know you guys did it from a good place HYUNstoppable 6:19PM: good luck buttercup HYUNstoppable 6:20PM: we're all rooting for you 💜

'Do we want to go for the Deschutes Hill one next?' you ask once he’s back in the car. You take a deep breath to steady yourself, still shaken from having his hands on your waist during the dance. You chose an adorable college student who was singing ‘Sweet Caroline’ enthusiastically, if horribly off-key.

'Sounds good to me, we should do that one before it gets too dark,' he replies, his eyes lingering on your hand resting on the center console.

He asks about your sister and her new husband’s honeymoon and you catch up on each other's families on the drive through your old college. There's a large, wooded hill behind South campus and the boys have tasked you all with climbing to the top of the hill and taking a photo with the enormous tree that grows there.

After parking in the visitor lot you and Soo both take large drinks from the water bottle. You swap your flats for the tennis shoes you packed and head out into the growing evening. At the entrance to the Deschutes trail you pass Kat and Ali coming out both looking happy to be out of the thick trees.

'How is it in there?' you call out. 'I haven't been up there in ages, is it still a hot mess getting up the trail?'

'Ho boy, it’s definitely less well maintained than when we were in school,' Kat says, pursing her lips and pulling some leaves from her hair. 'Good luck getting up that last slope, I swear Ali and I both fell a billion times.' She gestures to the dirt smeared on her black leggings with a wry grin.

'Thanks,' you laugh and look down at your nearly bare legs anxiously.

Soo motions his head to the trail and you start walking. Ali and Kat both give you knowing looks as they pass by. In the years that you've all been friends they've heard the entire saga of your feelings for Soo. The missed chances, the 'almost' times, and everything in between.

The early evening is nice and cool as you wind your way along the nature trail, both content to enjoy the setting and the walk. After about ten minutes you come to the final incline and you blanch at how steep it is.

'God, how did we used to do this?' Soo asks in amusement.

'We were young. And often drunk,' you laugh. 'I remember we used to take this at a run? Or was that just Baekhyun when he'd had too many shots?'

'No, I think there's definitely some velocity required to get up there,' Soo says with a sigh, rolling up the sleeves on his shirt. 'Why don't I go first and I can give you a hand at the top?'

You nod and agree, watching as he eyeballs the best footholds on the slope. Steady and sure, that's always his way, you think as he sprints and manages to get up over the final rise successfully. He breathes deeply and beams down at you, clearly invigorated from the challenge.

Much less confidently than him, you take off and manage to get within a few feet of the top before you feel yourself start to slip. Kyungsoo plants his feet and manages to grab both of your arms in his and pull you over the edge. He's stronger than you realize, and you fall on the grass together in a heap, your leg between his and your face buried in his neck as you cling to him.

You feel his hand run along your hair, pausing briefly to cup your head. Lifting yourself up you look down at him and give yourself a shake, pulling back. You already know that the image of him looking up at you, pressed together, will be burned into your mind for a long while. It helps that he seems just as shaken by the moment as you and he quickly eases himself up to standing and holds out a hand.

He pulls out his phone as you walk over to the gnarled, sprawling tree. Generations of students have carved their names into its trunk, a record of loves and would-be loves spanning decades. You lean in together and smile for the camera as he takes a selfie of you both with a clear shot of the tree in the background.

'Did you ever come here with anyone?' he asks softly, looking at the carvings and running his fingers along an indentation.

'You mean did I ever carve my initials in?' you reply incredulously, assuming he knows your sparse dating history like the rest of the group.

'I know pretty much everyone has, at one point. I never had anyone I dated that seriously, but I'll admit I thought about it; the times we'd all come here to drink and celebrate,' he says quietly.

'Me neither,' you admit with a shrug, staring up at the leafy branches.

The unspoken words hang in the air, the thing he’s dancing around and carefully not saying. That if he had carved anyone's name into this tree, he’d want it to be yours. In the silence he thinks back to New Year’s Eve.

The cheers of the people in the living room were getting louder as it gets closer and closer to midnight. With a start he’d realized how close he’d gotten to you, your shoulders nearly touching as your elbows leaned against the railing. When he's this near to you everything else floods from his mind; worries about work, plans with friends for the weekend, endless lists of trivial things that need to be done.

The world seems to shrink to your warm eyes and the way they seem to see all the way down to his soul. He meets your gaze as the time ticks lower, a fire spreading along his veins, a warmth growing low in his body as his mind runs wild with thoughts of finally kissing you. Reaching out his hand to rest on top of yours, he turns to face you.

'THREE! TWO! ONE!' the group inside called in unison.

The cheers rose to a fever point as everyone yelled excitedly, welcoming in the new year with clinks of glasses and kisses between loved ones and friends. But Kyungsoo was still standing, frozen.

He’d stared at your lips for a flash before meeting your eyes, moving his thumb across your hand. But before you’d even had a chance to enjoy the moment he’d turned and walked back inside.

As he disappeared into the crowd you realized that you still had his jacket on your shoulders, but by the time you finally convinced yourself to move, he was gone. The mixture of longing and sadness in his eyes still leaves you confused all these months later.

In the five months since that day things have been fine; achingly, painfully normal. As if the tension of what almost was that night didn't drive him as insane as it did you. As if you don’t want to scream ‘WHAT WAS THAT??’ at him non-stop.

You’ve thought about just asking, but you perpetually sigh and shake your head, never seeming to find the words when face to face with him; preferring to find comfort in his steady friendship instead of pushing for something more. 

The two of you would be amazing together, everyone says so. With how similar your personalities are and how diverse, yet complimentary your interests run. The trust and friendship you’ve built over the years would be the perfect springboard into something… more.

You shake your head, dropping your hand from the tree. Before you can get lost in this familiar train of thought you motion back down and he nods. The two of you carefully get down the slope and start the walk back to the car. Evening is falling fast and it gets harder and harder to see through the thick trees. Kyungsoo pulls out his phone and turns the flashlight on so you can follow the path.

As you walk, you realize the night is almost over. You only have a few challenges left to go. Maybe it’s all the crazy things you’ve done that night or the fact that your friends are right, you are tired of waiting and wondering. At the very least you want an answer for what happened a few months ago.

You can see the entrance to the car park, illuminated by street lamps, just up ahead. It feels desperately important to act now, as if stepping out of the woods and into the real world would rob you of your bravery. With sudden boldness you find his hand in the dim light, turning him to face you.

'Can I ask you a question?' you start, voice surprisingly confident.

'Always,' comes his reply from the darkness to your left. You can see the outline of his smile, the intimate one he always seems to save just for you.

'Why didn't you kiss me?' you ask in a rush, before you can chicken out.

'On New Year's,' you add unnecessarily, feeling the need to fill the space.

You can feel his shock and watch with amusement as his jaw drops. After a beat he finally replies. 'We’re friends Y/N, I’d never do anything to risk losing that,’ he says, his voice low and thick.

‘Oh,’ is all you can reply, dazed. ‘Okay.’

Taking a step back, you drop his hand. Well, at least I know, you think despondently, fighting the ache that feels like it’s burrowing a hole in your heart. Before he can say anything else you turn and start walking as fast as you can back to the car. You reach the door with a shaky breath, tugging on the handle, willing this night to be over as fast as possible.

He runs to catch up with you, gently reaching out a hand to turn your shoulder as he steps next to you. The depth of feeling is evident on your face when you meet his; every line of your face radiating a love and desire that’s a perfect match to his. It takes hardly a thought for him to position you fully in front of him, to cup your face in his hands.

With a quiet laugh he finally realizes suddenly how utterly ridiculous this all is. He’s been yours and you’ve been his since day one. He decides it’s high time to make it official, leaning down, sure and steady, to kiss you full on the lips.

You freeze for a beat and he can almost taste your surprise. Fear mixes with the adrenaline in his blood as he waits in limbo to see if you’ll move and take him up on the offer he’s so clearly made; an offer to give this a real go. Or if he’s just ruined the best friendship he’s ever had.

But gratefully, after a second, you begin to move against him. Your hands coming to hold his hips as you step closer, sighing at finally getting to know what it’s like to experience all of him.

Eventually you pull back slightly, looking instantly down, a blush coming to your cheeks at the realization of what just occurred. But his hand on your chin guides your eyes back up to meet his.

'I'm sorry,' he says on an exhale. 'I just... wanted to finally know.'

Your face breaks into a warm grin. 'I'm so glad you did. I've had feelings for you for years, but I didn't want to pressure you or ruin what we have.'

He nods, feeling his whole body light up. 'I can't believe it took us so long to finally give this a shot, we really are a perfect match,' he laughs, leaning down to kiss you again.

When you finally break apart a considerable time later it's fully dark. He seems to be unwilling to let go of you, only allowing you a few inches of space left for you to pull out the list. Neither of you care much about the hunt anymore, but you take a look just for fun. He scans the few items left and grins when he gets to the last one.

'How about we skip to this one instead?' he offers.

'Sounds perfect to me,' you reply. You're more than willing to drop out of the race and go straight to 'have a champagne toast at the Aldrich Club.'

It really is one thing to have someone out you just to being a nosey shit like you know Jin has been aching to. But to out yourself without even an ounce of alcohol in your system and in a defenseless state with Hoseok seems so unbearable to think that Yoongi might’ve heard everything in that practice confession makes you want to burrow deeper underneath the covers and never see the light of day. You hate that part the most.

Everything has been so good up until now. To think that anyone could doubt the strength of yours and his relationship just because roommates are a different tier was, again, laughable. Nothing could change the close-knit relationship you and Yoongi share. Ever the cuddle bugs, the two of you could just as easily snuggle up together on the couch or in the other’s bed on lazy morning. Most of the cleaning switched off between you two, though he always liked kitchen duty. Cooking was his favorite and you could compromise easily with dishwashing and prepping all the ingredients. If ever the two of you found yourselves swamped with work, you would remind one another that living took maintenance, too.

It was perfect. So damn perfect that, of course, life had to go and fuck it all up. (Read: you had to go and fuck it all up.)  Of course, you had to just fall in love with you best friend slash roommate. Of course, he had to be the invasive type that won’t let shit go. Of course, that’s because he likes to resolve conflict before it gets out of hand, even if sometimes there isn’t any conflict to begin with. Of course, of course, of fucking course.

You let out a groan, only somewhat muffled by the thin summer bedsheet meant to keep you and him separated.

“Do we have to?”

At the very least it can be your safety blanket through all of this. You just don’t know when the rejection will come. But you’ll be prepared for it. Hopefully…

Yoongi grunts, “Move over.”

Even though he can’t see you, he doesn’t miss the hiss of confusion that leaves your lips without a second though. And in response, he simply repeats himself. He even adds in a soft please that makes your defenses weaken by a smidgen. You move over.

It isn’t long after he finds the corner of the blanket that you weren’t able to tuck away underneath your body and slithers his way inside. He stops once your shoulders touch and he feels the way you stiffen beside him. You think that this is the best way to stifle the erratic beating in your chest, but you’re probably wrong. Maybe he can hear it after all. Maybe he’s thinking of how to let you down gently just to salvage the pieces of this friendship.

In your head, it’ll be over. All that comfort, domesticity, and god, the warmth. You won’t have your best friend anymore. That’s the worst one. Not having him even as a person as your life. Maybe it’s dangerous how much you’ve found solace in him; that by burrowing him so deeply in your heart, there may only be a him-shaped hole if he decides against this all. But you’ve always been one for dramatics. Your mind likes to play up simple scenarios.

Yeah, it’ll hurt. Like a bitch for sure. But change is what you fear most.

“Hey.” The sound is clearer now that the sheet is gone and residing on both your chests. Yoongi looks over at you before letting loose a sigh when you do. “Should I repeat my earlier question or are you done trying to think of a way out of this conversation?”

“I mean, we should talk about it. Do I want to? Not really. Will I? Yeah.”

“Why don’t you want to?” He sounds confused and your eyebrows furrow. If you could just look at him, then you might understand why but you’re too nervous to chance it.

“Why do you sound so confused?”

“Why not? My best friend just confessed her love for me to my other best friend and she hasn’t even heard my answer.”

“Well, I suppose… it depends on your response. Then, maybe she might be interested in talking about it.”

“Would she—I mean would you look at me? Confessing feels weird if you’re doing it to the side of someone’s head.”

“Wait, what?” You turn to face him and meet his eyes as if searching for some kind of indicator that he is simply pulling your leg to get you to look at him. But Yoongi isn’t like that. He looks at you with sincerity and softness. There’s even a small quirk at the corner of his lip when you turn completely on your side.

“You heard me.” He tries to be stern, but he follows your move so he can face you properly and uses one arm to rest underneath his head. “But I want to do this right.”

“I went first, so by all means, go for it.”

He smiles fully and takes in every inch of your visage in one, laborious sweep. For a moment, he rests a little too long on your lips, but you opt to ignore that in favor of hearing his familiar and since timbre. “I think it takes an idiot to not see how madly I’m in love with you.” You have to stifle a snort and the urge to call him a copycat for stealing your opening line. “There’s no one else I would rather cohabit with than you. Even when you make me do all the cooking and the cleaning and steal my warmth, hey, why are you laughing? Be serious here! I’m trying to profess my love for you.”

“I think you deserve a C minus for that bare minimum effort, Min. At least my confession had spunk. Now you’re stretching truths and plagiarizing. What would all your SoundCloud fans say to this, huh?”

He snorts and then shakes his head at you.

“It got you laughing didn’t it? And, I mean it’s true to the extent that I do love you as someone that I would be greatly honored to spend the rest of my life with. You do the dishes like no other and you even cheer me on when I do performances in the shower.”

“I mean, your Celine Dion needs work but ‘My Heart Will Go On’ loving you regardless of your Titanic hating ass.”

“I’m not sure what I’m in most disbelief over… the fact that you consider Titanic a masterpiece with a shit ending like that, or that pun you just made.” He lets out a resigned sigh while his fingertips tuck some stray locks behind your ear. “But I don’t mind it so much coming from you.”

You place your hand atop of his, allowing the warmth of his palm to rest on your cheek. Your other hand presses onto his chest, and you instantly break out into a broad smile. Your heart can’t seem to stop fluttering, but you don’t mind it so much.

Not when you know that his heart beats just as loudly yours. 

/

(“Okay, from the top.” Hoseok instructs you through the phone screen. “And this time, keep the pausing to a minimum. We want fearless and self-assured.”

“Have you ever fearlessly professed your love to somebody, Hobi?”

He looks away from the screen if only to formulate a comeback that earns laughter from you. “Not if I can’t nail down a simple ‘I love you,’ I haven’t! Now this is about you, not me.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll leave your loveless love life out of this.” He shoots a glare your way and you can’t see him purposefully edge his finger over the front camera just to hover it over the “end call” button. “I’m kidding! Look, I mean it when I say that this is harder than it looks. I can’t just say, ‘Hey Yoongi! I’m in love with you.’”

“Well, what would you say then?”

“I dunno. Maybe something like… I think it takes an idiot to not see how madly I’m in love with you. And, I mean there isn’t anyone else I spend as much time with than you, Yoongi. If I could somehow describe the way you make me feel, then maybe it’s like when we spend nights in during rainy days when we don’t have anything else to do. It’s just comfortable. It’s the kind of comfort that I’ve never had as strongly as I do with you. I love it. I love yo—’”

“Y/N?” Hoseok says, looking nervous.

“What?”

“Yoongi’s behind you.”

the large green umbrella that was currently shielding you from the merciless sun hung above you as the pair of you got comfortable on the patio of the cafe. while joohyun was inseparable from her iced americano, you decided to settle for their iced tea to gather energy for the long outing your sugar mommy had planned.

“so where are we going first?” you asked curiously, gnawing lightly at the end of your straw as you leaned onto the table to gaze adoringly at the woman. her guarded eyes softened at the sweet expression you sent her way. you were paid to behave this way, to give all your attention and love and affection in return for her money, and joohyun knew better than to let her heart flutter; she wasn’t naive. but still…

“it’s a surprise,” she answered and chose to sip at her drink to conceal the smile that nearly spread across her lips. when you pouted, she had to fight the urge to lean across the table and steal a kiss. “come on, you haven’t seen the best parts of LA yet.”

oh, right. would it be too cliche to think that you’ve forgotten nearly everything because of her? you stole a glimpse of your surroundings and you were taken aback that you actually forgot you were in LA, or more specifically, beverly hills. sooyoung had a photoshoot nearby and joohyun decided to take the weekend off to fly you out with her to see the gorgeous streets and luxurious high-end shops.

the young ceo stood from her seat and offered you her hand (which you eagerly took, lacing your fingers together), swinging them before she started the walk towards the cobblestone steps of the inclining shops. while joohyun simply stared ahead, your head was about to suffer whiplash with how quickly you were looking around, trying to take everything in. because of it, you accidentally tugged at her hand and joohyun glanced at you to see exactly what you were doing. when she noticed that you resembled a puppy, there was no stopping her of pulling you close to land a quick kiss against your temple. joohyun was then rewarded with a laugh and a shy blush.

“tell me if something catches your eye,” she murmured and you nodded, not quite able to meet her eye as you tried to smother the warmth in your cheeks. for a couple moments, nothing seemed to fit your style but when a gorgeous dress seemed to call out at you, you had to stop for a moment. joohyun noticed your apparent awestruck expression and tugged you in, much to your pleasure. you were instantly met with a soft scent and beautiful summer hues of different styles everywhere. the dress you had your eye on was put on a tiny pedestal but it still stood out amongst the rest of the clothes and while you were staring at it, joohyun had stepped aside to talk to the saleswoman nearby to get a dress for you to try on.

“come,” the ceo whispered in your ear, her slender arm sliding around your waist to tug you to the fitting room areas. in an available booth, the dress hung on the wall which you eagerly ran in to try on. it fit perfectly and as you looked upon your reflection, you heard joohyun calling for you outside. you slid the thick, velvet curtain aside and you couldn’t help but feel like a million bucks with how she gazed at you.

“we’ll take it,” she told the saleswoman, not breaking eye contact with you. when a string of incoherent ‘thank yous’ slid from your mouth, joohyun quickly shushed you with a soft kiss. “you don’t have to thank me, love.”

“a-are you sure?” you asked once you’ve caught sight of the price tag but joohyun handed her platinum card without flinching. “you know i’m fine with–”

You rolled your eyes at his motherly words. "Well, Taeyong, I'm far from being done so keep 'em coming." It was his turn to roll his eyes, but he complied regardless. It was around 2 am when you finally left, waiting by the street to hail yourself a cab. You were too far gone to even notice one stopping right in front of you. The chauffeur honked and you hopped in. You had work tomorrow and you knew for a fact you were going to regret this night out in the morning.

The rest of the week hadn't been too bad, your boss was being his usual rude self. It was finally Saturday night and you felt like going out, for once. You called some of your friends and they gave you the address of the bar they wanted to go to. To your surprise, it was the one you had been to that previous Monday night.

You wore a simple beige dress and put on some minimal makeup. Your friends were already waiting when you arrived, greeting you with a hug. You glanced over at the bar and noticed a guy you hadn't a few nights ago. With a face like that, you were sure you'd remember having seen him. He was handsome, you could admit that. You were staring and he noticed. He blushed and looked away. Cute, you thought.

Maybe this night would get a little more interesting after all.

Walking towards the bar and taking a seat, you ordered a martini and signed your friends to follow you. “Y/n, already on the strong stuff? Oh well, whatever. The same for me, bartender!” Your friend Mina screamed while she was literally one seat away from you.

Weird, you were pretty sure she couldn’t handle her alcohol very well.

And after only thirty minutes and two drinks, it became clear you were right about that. Mina had fallen off of her chair three times, and you couldn’t even remember the amount of times she had hiccupped.

“Is… is she alright?” The handsome bartender from earlier asked you shyly, and you nodded in reply. “She just can’t handle her alcohol very well. Do you think you can get her a glass of water?” You asked him, and he was already on his way to the sink to grab what you had asked.

In no time, a glass of water stood on the counter, and you tried to give it to your friend. Tried, because the second you let go, it landed on the floor with a loud crash.

The bartender, who was now serving some other people, turned around instinctively hearing the sound. “I shouldn’t have put it in a glass, right?” He chuckled slightly and started to grab a broom to clean up the mess your friend had just made.

“It’s alright, let me do it.” You said, taking the broom from his hands, touching the tips of his fingers a bit. With a creeping blush evident on his face, he just nodded and got back to other people who tried to order drinks.

“Y/n, he totally has the hots for you!” Mina screamed, much to your own displeasure. “Shhh, he’ll hear you!” You shushed her and continued cleaning up the mess.

Surely, when it was all cleaned up, you all agreed it was time to go home, especially for Mina. “We’ll grab a taxi for her, can you pay? We’ll pay you back, promise!” One of your friends screamed while practically dragging Mina to the door.

Grabbing your wallet, you placed the correct amount of money on the bar, with an extra not included.

When you were already gone, the cute bartender put the money away, and curiously turned around the light blue card you had left behind.

“I wanted to give you this.” It read, followed by your number.

The handsome bartender had been debating whether or not to text you for the remainder of the evening but decided against it. After all, you hadn't even exchanged names yet. He paced around his apartment for a while, pondering the best way to approach you. He wasn't very good at this, to begin with, he thought.

He went to bed that night with an idea in mind.

You woke up the next morning with a light headache, nothing too intense (thank god). You had a bad history with hangovers and you sure didn't want to add another one to the list.

Making your way to the kitchen, you quickly got dressed and made yourself some coffee. Just as you were about to take your first sip, your cellphone vibrated making you groan in return.

Unknown number: Hey, it's the bartender from last night. I didn't catch your name, mind telling me over coffee?

You smiled to yourself. You didn't think he'd be so smooth, he had come off as quite shy just the previous evening.

You: I'm free today if you want.

He texted back almost immediately which made you giggle. Someone's eager, you thought.

Unknown number: How about at 3 o'clock? I'll text you the location.

You: It's a date.

You bit your lip in an attempt to stop yourself from smiling, in vain. You hadn't been this excited for a coffee date in a long time. Something about him just captivated you. It was 3 o'clock before you knew it. After having taken the time to choose the right outfit (not too sexy, not too casual) and the right makeup, you were on your way.

He was already seated when you got there, waving you over casually. You stuck out your hand invitingly and you saw a flicker of hesitation pass through his features before he shook your hand. "I'm (Y/N)."

"Jungwoo." You placed your order and Jungwoo -being the gentleman that he is- took care of your bill. You had always appreciated small gestures. He was getting on your good side already.

The more you talked with him, the more at ease the two of you seemed to be. He was easy to talk to and you liked that. He was sweet, caring and he was passionate about his job. It was like you had known each other forever, however cliché that may sound.

Before you knew it, you had been chatting for hours on end and it was time for you to part ways. You pouted slightly and made your way to the exit. Jungwoo looked at the ground nervously. "Does this mean I can take you out on another date?" Your heart warmed at his cute self.

"It sure does." You leaned in and pecked his cheek briefly. His cheeks were overcome with a pink color and you waved him goodbye. You definitely hoped to see him again.

And it seemed that your little wish came true. Only a day later, you were shopping with some friends at the local mall and just as you were to turn around a corner, you bumped into someone. Bowing and apologizing, you heard some giggling.

Looking up, the person in front of you was none other than Jungwoo. “Hey, long time no see!” He winked, and you blushed a bit. “Yesterday is not that long ago, you know. Did you miss me already?” You joked back, and now it was his turn to blush.

Suddenly, applause could be heard and you looked past Jungwoo to see he was here with a few of his friends too.

Glancing back, an idea came to you. “We were just to go laser gaming, but our group is a bit on the small side. What do you think, yours against mine?” You challenged, and you saw a confident glint take over his eyes.

“Just know I never say no to challenges. It’s a deal.” Jungwoo answered before thinking about it. “So… we just have to agree now?” A tall friend of his responded, which caused you all to laugh. In the end, everyone agreed so you all made your way to the laser hall.

“Ready… start!” The signal could be heard through the dark room, and soon enough all types of green and red dots could be seen walking around you. Your team, the green one, was currently leading with two points, but that wasn’t enough to ensure victory.

Just when you were about to crawl out of your hiding spot, you were stopped. Turning around, you saw Jungwoo stand in the door opening, leaving no chance for you to get out without being shot.

“Just shoot me already.” You sighed, putting your hands up in the air for defeat. “I didn’t think you would admit defeat that easily, Y/n.” Jungwoo smirked, and started walking towards you, until your back hit a wall.

He was so close, you could feel his breath on your neck. “Just as your lips were about to touch, a scream could be heard, probably from Mark, a friend of Jungwoo. “Yo lovebirds! Just kill one another already, this is taking too long!”

Apparently, you two were the only ones left and all of your friends were waiting for you.

Taking Jungwoo by surprise, you shot him while his attention was still on your lips. “I won!” You giggled, and proceeded to walk back to the entrance. Just as you were about to grab the handle, you were pulled back by a hand.

“Did you think you can kill me that easily?” He smirked while leaning in again. Every time he made a move, you were shocked by his dominant nature. He really did strike you as a shy guy.

This time, you closed the gap, and pecked his lips shortly before retreating again. “Beat me if you want another kiss.”

Despite having tried his best to uphold his end of the bargain, your team had won resulting in a sulky Jungwoo. He walked with his head hanging low, a pout evident on his lips. You smiled at the adorable boy before taking his hand in yours. Noticing this made Jungwoo look up and his infamous smile appear.

The rest of the afternoon had gone smoothly, your group of friends getting along with Jungwoo's. Before you knew it, you had to leave and your friends almost had to drag you out of the mall. You had stayed back to talk more with Jungwoo, hoping that maybe he'd actually kiss you this time.

Much to your dismay, he had been interrupted by your friends coming to get you. You had merely waved at him, cursing your friends inwardly for having ruined the moment. Jungwoo was disappointed with himself too as he had really wanted to kiss you for real. He promised himself he would do it right next time. Whenever that next time would be.

A few days later, you were on your way to the library when you ran into Jungwoo. "Hey stranger", he smiled. "Hey Jungwoo, where are you off to?"

"I was just going to meet up with the guys, but I can walk with you a bit more." You smiled at how much of a gentleman he was. Sometimes he could act so pure and innocent towards you, yet there were times when he was protective and tough. You smiled thinking that maybe, just maybe, he acted tough to try and impress you. You weren't counting on it, firmly believing that he was too good for an average girl like you. You wouldn't let that stop you from enjoying his company though.

As you were nearing the library, you were the one to pout. You halted in front of the building, signalling him that you had arrived. "Well, this is me." He looked at the building, then back at you and for a split second, you were sure you saw a hint of nervousness in his eyes. You shrugged it off, waiting for him to say something.

Anything. You didn't want to be left hanging again.

He took a step towards you, his hands in his pockets. He towered over you, brushing a loose strand of hair back into place. Your breath hitched in your throat, knowing where this was going. He licked his lips as his gaze shifted to rest on your lips. His hands cupped your face and he brought your lips to his in a gentle kiss. You smiled into the kiss, your hands resting on his chest. He was the one to break the kiss, forehead resting against yours. He smiled and you swore it lit up everything around you two.

"Did you think I was going to let you beat me to it, (Y/N)?" You laughed at this, pecking his lips one more time before heading inside. He watched you walk away and felt his heart flutter just a little.

Just then, a loud ringing noise could be heard. Fishing his cellphone out of his pocket quickly, Jungwoo clicked on the answer button and held the phone next to his ear. Bad idea.

“Jungwoo, where the hell are you? You promised to take over my shift, didn’t you?” A loud Doyoung could be heard on the other side of the line. He should have checked who it was first, then he wouldn’t be deaf, Jungwoo thought.

“Yeah calm down, I’m almost there. I was taking… a little detour. Sorry for the delay!” Jungwoo said as enthusiastically as possible and hung up before more curses could be swung at his head. He knew he was in for a scolding, but looking at your figure retreating in the library, it was worth it.

To be honest, you didn’t see Jungwoo for a while after that. You had thought about messaging or calling him, but you didn’t want to come over as possessive, needy or even clingy. And even thought you missed the cute boy like crazy, the worst thing was that you couldn’t forget that one kiss.

Throwing your thoughts out of the window, you decided to do something about your sulky state. Only a few minutes later, you were on your bike, going to the regular bar in town, where you two had met, hoping he would be on shift.

Just as you had arrived at the building, a thought held you back, resulting in you freezing before touching the door handle. “I’m not even his girlfriend… what if he really does find it weird if I show up here randomly?” You mumbled, not noticing someone was standing behind you and listening to your little conversation.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t mind at all, Y/n.” A chuckle could be heard, and you turned around at the speed of light to see who had startled you.

“Mark?” You questioned, seeing the smaller boy stand in front of you. “That would be me! Oh and don’t worry, Jungwoo is just as sulky as you. He is at the dorms though.” The boy continued calmly, and brushed past you to enter the bar.

Getting back on your bike, you rode for another good half hour before you were finally standing in front of the doors. Your hand automatically reached up and pressed the doorbell. Not even ten seconds later, a confused Jungwoo opened it, shock evident in his deep brown eyes.

Before you could even utter a word, he pulled you in by your shoulders and guided you to the direction of the couch, sitting down with you in his lap. “Is it okay if I-” He started, but before he could say what he wanted, you knew what he meant.

“Is there nobody else in the dorm?” At the moment that Jungwoo shook his head as a form of saying no, you tilted his chin up and planted a kiss on them. Just as you wanted to retreat again, Jungwoo grabbed a fistful of your hair and kept making the kiss deeper and deeper.

You didn’t fully know how long you two were in that position, but after a while, the turn of a key could be heard. Practically jumping off of his lap, you jumped up and jogged to the kitchen, pretending to busy yourself with grabbing a glass of water.

“We’re home!” A voice you recognized as Taeyong’s sounded through the dorm, and was followed by silence. Walking out of the kitchen to see what was going on, you stopped in your tracks when you noticed every single gaze was on you.

“I figured Y/n must be here.” Doyoung chuckled, and you shot him a confused glance. “Don’t say you thought we wouldn’t notice Jungwoo’s dishevelled hair?”

Too embarrassed to stay after being caught, you came up with some lame excuse to explain why you had to leave as quickly as possible. Jungwoo didn't blame you as a thin layer of pink now ghosted over his own cheeks. He kissed your forehead before bidding you goodbye, leaving you all giddy.

It had been a week since the incident and you had been texting Jungwoo day in and day out. You hadn't managed to find time for each other this week, but you both were okay with that. It didn't keep you from missing him, quite the opposite. Especially since you weren't sure if the two of you were "a thing". You had made out at his place that one time, but you hadn't seen him ever since, so were you meant to take that as a sign?

You were starting to overthink when you heard knocking on your apartment door. "(Y/N)!" "Mina?", you frowned, "what are you doing here?" "Will you please go out with me, I don't want to go alone and everyone else is busy." "Mina, it's 3 in the afternoon. Who day drinks except alcoholics?" She sneered in response. "Always such a party pooper. Come on, I'm asking you nicely. Pleaaase."

"Fine. But only because I'm scared for your safety." The biggest grin made its way to her face and she leaped at you. "Okay, yeah, let go, please. I'm gonna get changed then."

She sat down on the couch and you proceeded to your room. You came out with a silk top and your comfiest shorts before Mina dragged you out like an excited puppy.

To your surprise, she decided to go to the bar where Jungwoo was working. You wondered if he had a shift today, but your question was answered the second you walked in and spotted him at the counter. You watched him in awe as he prepared the drinks, his hands skilfully pouring the required amount of each liquor. He narrowed his eyes in concentration and you couldn't help but admire how handsome he looked doing what he loved. It took

Mina waving her hand in front of your face to snap you out of your daze. She linked her arm in yours and walked over to where Jungwoo was bartending. He hadn't seen you yet and you weren't sure if he would approve of you day drinking like this. It's not like we're a couple, so screw it, you thought.

Another bartender, who you recognized as Doyoung, made his way over to you seeing as Jungwoo was already occupied. You sighed in relief and Mina ordered shots which made you cringe in expectation. You were more a cocktail kind of girl, shots were too strong for your taste.

You grabbed the small glass and brought it your lips, sighing before downing it reluctantly. You coughed, wiping your mouth in disgust. You shook your head and felt eyes on you. You looked up and were met with Jungwoo's curious gaze. He made his way over in no time.

"(Y/N)? I didn't think you'd be here, especially not at this hour." You chuckled. "Yeah, well, Mina here forced me to come. I didn't know you were working today, for the record." "Do you think we could talk? My shift ends in 30." You nodded slightly, scared that maybe he wanted to tell you whatever you had was over. "Great, see you then." With that, he went back to his side of the counter.

The fear made you down 4 more shots. Your legs felt kind of wobbly now and you couldn't for the life of you recall where Mina had gone. You rested your head on the counter, tired of everything spinning around you. Your eyelids suddenly felt heavy and you closed your eyes.

"(Y/N), come dance with meee, I'm bored." You opened an eye tentatively, recognizing the brunette before you as Mina. You huffed in annoyance before standing up. Unfortunately, the alcohol had made its way to your brain and it seemed like you had forgotten how to walk. Strong arms caught you just before you fell which made you look up at their owner.

You recognized Jungwoo and a blush crept across your face. "It's okay, I got you. Come on." You stood up with difficulty, but you managed to find somewhat of a balance. You walked towards the exit -with Jungwoo's help.

He hailed you a cab and got in next to you. "Why did you drink so much, (Y/N)?" He asked, concern evident in his eyes. You hung your head low, embarrassed that he had to see you like this. "I just- I was confused. I really like you and I was scared you wanted to tell me it was over-"

"What? Oh god, (Y/N), that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." You looked up, still pouting. "Then what?" His hand cupped your face, his thumb gently caressing your cheek. "I wanted to ask you to be my girlfriend, stupid."

Your eyes lit up at this, your mood lightening. "Is that a yes?", he asked hesitantly. "Of course it is, Jungwoo! I'm so happy." You hugged him as best as you could given the fact that you were in the back of a cab. He laughed at how adorable you were, even when drunk. He broke away from the hug and looked into your eyes lovingly. "Can I kiss you now?" You nodded shyly and in an instant, his lips were on yours. The kiss was slow and sweet, just like your relationship would reveal itself to be.

And at that moment, you swore you were the happiest girl in the world.

You small throwing your arms around his waist “I’m doing well!” the words pour from your mouth with excitement, you can hardly contain yourself it's the first time in a long time that you got to see your boyfriend since he has been on a promotion tour recently and you welcome any time you can get with him. You flash a grin at him, “I hope you like the date idea I chose” a small giggle comes from your lips, as you know that a walk on the beach and holding hands is his ideal date, you have not told him that at the end of the walk you set up a picnic with fresh home  cooked kimchi as part of it.

He moves his hand down to yours and starts walking down the beach the sun drowning in the water to your left, J-hope looks over at you “So I am curious as to why you were so determined to come to this beach?”  he smirks after asking the question “and to answer your previous question, you know this is my ideal date, I absolutely love it.” He gives you a small kiss on the head smiling down at you.

Getting flustered you stutter a little bit “this is the beach that I first met you on, and I just like they that it looks like the ocean is swallowing the sun as it sets and the sky turns violet” you say the words turning your head to look over at the sun as it is still half way from being completely set, rays of it striking through the clouds giving them a calming purple glow.

J-hope clears his throat and you see him looking forward into the distance. “Hey” he calls out getting your attention “do you see that it looks like someone’s picnic was left here” you seem him scan the beach most people are taking stuff to their cars getting ready to head home for the night.

A smile spreads across your face “that is actually a thing that I set up” you pull his hand a little bit pulling him towards the picnic “I wanted to try my hand at cooking because I know something that you always say is ‘If you don't work hard, there won’t be good results’ and I feel like even if this time it is not good then next time it will be.” you tug on his hand some more trying to get him to speed up a little bit.

He sighs and follows you picking up speed running behind you but managing to hold on to your hand as you race towards the blanket he gets there and sits down he reaches for the basket but stops about halfway from it. “No way” he looks up at you shocked. “No way did you really make kimchi?” he continues reaching forward throwing open the basket. He pulls out the  setting the pot on the blanket he looks over at you beaming.”This is amazing thank you so much”

You continue pulling out the contents of the basket you hand him a plate and serve him a generous portion of his favorite meal, you both continue to eat talking back and forth throughout the whole meal, laughing and sharing in a great time. As the night continues to slip on by you cuddle with J-hope staring over the ocean as the moon reflections into it, J-hope rests his head on your shoulders, smiling you start stroking his hair a thing you know he has loved since your first date you hear from under your hand a soft almost purring sound come from the man that you love more then your own life. You speak to him again breaking the silence, “so did I deliver the perfect date for you, or did I deliver?”

After several minutes filled with colorful swearing at slow moving cars in front of you, you pull into the parking lot and snag a spot a few spaces down from the shop. 

It’s simple, yet well laid out, you think as you squeeze inside. Just after six pm on Mother’s Day and it seems you’re far from the only person to wait until the last minute.

Dodging fellow shoppers you manage to find the peonies and choose a nice looking bouquet. There’s a long line waiting for the two cashiers and you tap your foot while you wait, trying your best to be patient but feeling the minutes ticking away. Your family is definitely going to be wondering where you are if you aren’t home for dinner soon.

Finally, you’re the next one in line. When you look at the cashiers you notice that one of them is a handsome man around your age ringing up a pair of women

He smiles brightly at you, his eyes crinkling in an adorable way. You turn, looking behind you, but the man behind you is at least eighty. Heat rushes to your cheeks when you turn back and realize he’s looking at you in between ringing up the customers at his station. You return his smile and hope you’ll be called up to his station.

‘Helloooo. Next!’ comes an insistent voice.

You turn and notice the other cashier, an older woman with long black hair and very similar features to the good looking guy. She’s pursing her lips and motions you forward with an impatient wave of her hand. 

You think about waiting for the guy, letting the man behind you go first. But that would be too forward, wouldn’t it? And crap, I have to get home or I’m dead, you think sadly.

With a sigh you step forward, paying for your flowers quickly. 

By the time you’re done the old man is being rung up, loudly yelling about not being able to find the flowers he wanted. The sweet cashier meets your eyes again, giving you another smile and a wink. With an amused shake of your head you finally turn and dash out of the store.

Finally, a pause in the day, he thinks as two girls run out the front door, their hair and makeup done up, but wearing tee shirts and sweatpants. He sighs, leaning an elbow on the glass counter and resting his chin on it.

Prom night at the high school three blocks away is always insanity. No matter how many pre-orders and day before pick up options they’ve tried, the afternoon of the event is always a madhouse. Teenagers coming in various states of dressed up to procure boutonnieres and corsages.

With a tired laugh he grabs a few more corsages and fills the display on the counter. He can hear his mother in the back ranting to his aunt with amusement about kids these days who leave everything to the last minute. The front bell dings and he looks up to greet the customer.

You walk quickly up to the counter, blowing a hair out of your face. He grins at the unexpected surprise, he didn’t think he’d get to see you again.

‘Hi. Do you have any corsages left?’ you ask with a laugh, resting your palms on the counter and looking stressed.

He blinks, frozen for a moment, his eyebrows pulling together. He’d pegged you at his own age, and is momentarily thrown off by the request. A second later he snaps out of it. 

‘Oh, yes. Yes. Of course. We have some right here, in a couple different colors,’ he says, motioning to the display.

‘Umm.’ You consider the options briefly and then grab the yellow one, setting it on the counter and pulling out your wallet. ‘This one, thank you.’

‘No problem at all, thank you for your business,’ he says politely.

He still smiles at you, though perhaps a little less animatedly than before. When you came in the first time he was blown away, anxiously trying to wrap up with his customer so he could be the one to talk to you. He tries not to feel disappointed while he rings you up, but fails miserably.

‘Have a great day,’ he says with a tight smile, handing you the container.

‘You too,’ you say brightly, walking back towards the door.

With your hand on the door you pause, hesitating a second even though you’re obviously in a rush.

‘It’s for my younger brother, by the way,’ you say with a lopsided grin. ‘I volunteered to get it for him cause he’s trying to get toothpaste off the lapel of his jacket right now.’

He laughs, relief and renewed excitement flooding him. ‘Ah, poor kid. That’s very nice of you.’

‘I’ll see you around,’ you say with a wink, pushing out the door and disappearing.

He returns to his restocking and starts humming.

‘What else do you want to get? Lunch maybe?’ your friend Becca says, putting the box with the earrings she just bought in her purse.

‘Hmmm, let’s wander and see?’ you say, weaving through the crowds of the farmer’s market.

‘Sounds good,’ she replies, linking her arm in yours to avoid being separated in the Saturday morning crowd.

You stop to look at another jewelry table and narrowly avoid buying an amethyst necklace that’s way out of your price range. A man with an orange mohawk tries to convince you to buy an antique mirror he’s restored. 

Becca talks you into getting fair scones and you happily agree. The flaky pastry and jam creations are a staple of the fair every year and you wouldn’t miss them for the world.

After another couple of hours you’re just about ready to go, when you spot a familiar face in the crowd. 

Through the mass of people you spot the handsome man who works at the florists. Choi Florals has a small stand and is selling bouquets at the market. From this far he can’t see you, and with a hint of alarm you notice he’s waving to the man at the stand and turning to walk the other direction.

‘I’ll be right back,’ you say to Becca and start working your way through the crowd.

Unfortunately, by the time you emerge he’s nowhere to be found. With a sigh you drop your arms. It seems that the two of you will never meet properly, you think with a laugh. The customer at the stand finishes paying and you approach the young man working there.

‘Excuse me,’ you ask and he smiles warmly at you. ‘Is the man that you were just talking to coming back?’

He looks off in the direction your mystery man went and smacks his knee. ‘My cousin? Nah, he’s done for the day. He’ll be very sorry to hear there was a pretty girl asking about him though. Do you want to-’

‘Why’d you run off? Everything okay?’ Becca asks, coming up to you with a confused expression.

You turn back to the man at the stand and nod your head. ‘Thanks so much for your help.’

He laughs and shakes his head. ‘No trouble at all.’

You slip your arm into Becca’s and steer her off back to the rest of the farmer’s market. ‘Oh it was nothing.’

‘Hurry up with those Youngjae, we’ve got two more weddings to get to today. No time for slacking,’ his mother calls, heading into the venue to find the wedding planner.

He laughs and wipes the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. The July sun is unforgiving, beaming down as he unloads crate after crate of table displays. 

With his cousin’s help he manages to unload and position the two enormous vases that frame the arch at the end of the aisle. Finally, the only thing left is the bouquets for the wedding party.

‘Youngjae, run those inside to the big table by the couches,’ his mother instructs with a point of her finger.

He nods and gathers them up in his arms, heading off in the direction she pointed. With the enormous lilies in the bride’s bouquet his vision is severely limited. Finally, he finds the door to the room she’s talking about. With a groan he realizes that the door is shut, and he has absolutely no space to get a hand free.

‘Here, let me help you,’ a pleasant voice says from inside.

The door blessedly opens and he maneuvers himself inside with all the bouquets. As carefully as he can he lays the flowers out on the table. He turns to thank his rescuer and you both are surprised to find each other, yet again. Instinctively he reaches a hand up to fix his hair.

‘Thanks for the help,’ he says with a grin. ‘Nice to see you again.’

A flush comes to your cheeks and you let out a laugh, smoothing a hand down the pale pink of your bridesmaid’s dress. ‘You too. We’ve got to stop meeting like this,’ you joke.

‘Right? I’m -’ he starts.

His attempt to finally introduce himself, to ask your name, to get your number, or to say anything other than a cursory greeting is interrupted once again.

‘Time to go, what’s taking so long?’ his mother says, peeking her head in the door. ‘Two more weddings to go, remember?’

She purses her lips and strides off to the car. He opens his mouth to quickly speak again, but another woman wearing the same dress you are comes down the hall.

‘Oh, awesome! The flowers are here. Perfect timing. Help me grab these, we’re about ready for pictures,’ she says, not seeing Youngjae there.

You both sigh, looking at each other with amusement.

‘I’ll see you around?’ he says with a laugh, moving to the door.

‘Definitely,’ you reply, hoisting several bouquets into your arms, following your friend down the hallway.

A week later you park your car out front of the shop. Drumming your thumbs on the wheel you hesitate. What if he was just being nice and he’s not interested in you at all? You bite your lip and consider your options.

Eventually, his handsome face, smiling at you comes to mind. ‘Better to know than to keep wondering,’ you say to yourself decidedly and get out of the car.

You push into the shop in a rush, as seems to be the general trend when the two of you meet. Blessedly, there’s no customers in the store, and no family members in sight. As you approach the counter he comes out from the back room with an armful of yellow sunflowers. 

He jolts in surprise when he notices you. ‘Oh, it’s you again,’ he says with a grin, setting his flowers on the counter.

‘Yep. It’s me,’ you laugh, coming up to the counter. ‘I decided it’s time we finally meet.’

With a considering look he nods his head. ‘That sounds like a fantastic idea.’ He looks dramatically behind him, around the store, and out into the parking lot.

‘What are you doing?’ you say in amusement and join him in looking around.

‘I’m just waiting to see what’s going to interrupt us this time,’ he deadpans and you laugh.

You both stand there waiting with grins on your faces. Once it’s clear nothing is coming you stick your hand out to him and introduce yourself.

He takes your hand and shakes it, his warm palm sliding against yours. ‘Youngjae. Since this might be a limited opportunity… will you go out with me?’

‘Absolutely. We’d better act fast,’ you say mischievously, pulling out your phone.

He does the same and you exchange numbers, leaning close over the counter. A beat later and a noise is heard in the back.

‘Youngjae, where are you? Come help me unload this delivery?’ a male voice calls from the back.

You both sigh in amusement. ‘I’ll see you soon, okay?’ you ask, turning and sliding your hair behind your ear.

‘Deal. Wait, take one of these with you. On the house,’ he says warmly. When you turn he’s holding out one of the long, uncut sunflowers. ‘They’re so bright and happy they remind me of you.’

With a blush you reach out and take the flower, your fingers touching his briefly. ‘Thank you,’ you reply, holding the flower delicately as though it might break.

‘Anything for you, sunshine,’ he counters with a wink, heading into the back.

By the time you get back into your car you already have a text waiting. How does tomorrow sound? Better get in a date while we can ;)

You pull your wayward hair behind your ears and consider pulling it back with a hair tie for a moment before dismissing the idea and letting it free. The railing is shockingly cold beneath your palms so you slip your sweater down over your wrists before resuming your post.

The twilight blue of the night sky makes the land around Seattle take on a mystical glow. It's this frantic city you're so desperately escaping this Friday evening. Too many people, pushing and shoving and existing near you had started to make you feel trapped.

With a groan you'd looked up from your desk at lunch time, taking in the hustle and bustle of the busy crowds, and decided you needed a weekend off. Somewhere quiet where you could hear yourself think and feel yourself move without dozens of people in your personal space.

Your family had taken trips to the San Juans several summers growing up. A slice of heaven only a short ferry ride away. Homey boardwalks with cute little shops selling driftwood art or stained glass creations. Ice cream shops, staffed by friendly married couples who retired to the islands. Local bookstores with small selections that felt like a relief after rows upon rows of selections in the stores on the mainland.

Pulling up google you'd found a small bed and breakfast on Whitman Island. You'd never heard of it before, but Wikipedia listed the local population at 765. Perfect, you’d thought and booked two nights. A quiet weekend getaway with nothing to do but write and explore the town and walk on the (hopefully) deserted beach. 

You'd dashed the few blocks home from work to your apartment to fill a small bag with a few clothes, toiletries, and your notebook. One of the benefits of living downtown was that the ferry terminal was just a few blocks away. The six o’clock ferry was easy to board as a walk-on. 

The loud horn of the ship makes you flinch and you laugh to yourself. You see the dark water churn below as the ship starts to make it's way out from port. 

With a deep breath you feel yourself start to relax already, as if you were leaving all your worries and cares behind for good, instead of just a weekend. Normally this trip is only made once a day, in the morning, but it looks like popularity had caused them to add a once-weekly Friday night trip as well and you were thankful they had.

Two families with kids brave the cold to come out and join you on the deck for take off and you give them a small smile as they squeal excitedly. 

They abandon their post after a few minutes, slowly trickling back inside leaving you once again alone out in the almost complete dark. Well, almost alone. A movement in your periphery startles you and you turn your head to see a man standing at the other end of the deck. 

His thick, long wool black jacket and shock of black hair make him nearly blend into the night. He's not looking at you, but straight ahead at the landscapes moving by quickly, now that the ferry is up to it's fully speed. A messenger bag is slung over his shoulder and a long black notebook is held protectively in his hands as his shrewd gaze, framed by strong brows, takes in the scenery.

He turns around to look back at the ferry itself, lit up by warm yellow beams casting their glow out into the night. He's devastatingly handsome, you admit to yourself, before turning your attention back to the water ahead of you. Before you lose consistent service you pull out your phone and text your best friend and your mom about the trip, just to give them a heads up.

Both reply within minutes, telling you they hope you enjoy yourself. You smirk, feeling the concern that underlies both of their messages. You can practically hear them, worrying about how little you go out. How single you are. How long it's been since you dated anyone. 

You sigh and roll your eyes before lifting them skyward.

The ferry is almost far enough past the city for you to really be able to see the stars, but the little taste you can see past the light pollution is a balm to your soul. 

Is it really such a crime that you prefer the quiet? You enjoy simple pleasures like a good cup of tea in the morning, an evening spent with your laptop toying around with the beginnings of your next novel, and a nice stroll through the city on early Sunday mornings when it's blessedly quiet.

It's not that you hate company. On the contrary, you love your colleagues in the publishing world and relish the work that you do. You and your best friend passionately spend your lunches talking about the latest books you're representing. 

But when the day is done, you want your time to yourself. And that, apparently, is a fate worse than death according to your mother, you think with an amused sigh.

'I didn't think anyone else would be crazy enough to be out here,' comes a low male voice, shouted to be heard over the noise of the wind and the churning waters of the Puget Sound.

You turn around at the sound, battling the wind and your hair to look at the handsome man. Up close he's even more stunning, his lips tugged up into an friendly smile, his deep eyes meeting yours with a spark.

'I never miss the chance to be out here,' you reply loudly over the wind, returning his smile. 'Crazy is definitely the word for it.' With a shrug you wrap your arms around your chest against a surge of icy drizzle.

He tucks the notebook he's holding inside the fold of his jacket and flips up his collar against the rain. 'Want to grab a cup of coffee?' he asks with a motion of his head back to the appealing warmth of the indoor cabin.

You nod and lead the way back inside. When you're halfway across the deck a huge surge of wind almost knocks you sideways. You'd forgotten how tempestuous the storms out on the Sound can get. 

You stumble a step and collide with the man next to you who's also trying to find his footing in the gale. His warm eyes are crinkled as he laughs and tries to right himself. His hand finds yours and you both steady yourselves and hurry inside, bodies jostling each other in the rain.

The two of you emerge into the bright main area with a relieved sigh. You pull your hair back and twirl it around your finger, throwing it over your shoulder to see clearly. He's shaking droplets of water from his hair, huffing out a laugh.

'Well, that escalated quickly,' he quips, pointing over to an empty booth facing out to the water with a raise of his brows.

You nod and follow him, taking off your overcoat and laying it on the bench to dry along with your bag before sitting on the bench with a sigh. He follows your motions, dropping his notebook onto the table as he slides into the seat opposite you.

'So how do you take your coffee?' he asks, pulling a wallet from his back pocket.

'Oh, you don't have to buy it for me, I can-' you start but he waves you off and stands up again.

'It's my treat, please,' he replies, his tone decisive, his eyes bright and daring you to challenge him.

'All right then, thank you' you concede with a laugh. 'Cream and two sugars please.'

'Coming right up,' he says, tapping his wallet to the table before walking off to the small cafe on-board the ship.

When he disappears around the corner you turn, resting your elbow on the window ledge, watching the seas and the night sky with interest. Something unwinds within you as you take in the wild weather and the raw cliffs of the small, uninhabited islands the ship passes. You feel the stress and anxiety drain from you the farther you get from the city.

He returns after another minute, setting two steaming to-go cups of coffee on the table and sliding back into the booth. After offering him another thanks and a warm smile the two of you settle in to drink your coffees in amiable silence, watching the world pass by out the window. 

You do your best to keep your attention off of him but eventually give up and let yourself notice him. The warm-looking grey knit sweater he's wearing. His thick, long lashes. The mysterious notebook on the table. You wonder if he's perhaps an artist, coming to the island to find inspiration.

'So what brings you to Whitman island?' he asks before taking another sip, turning to you.

It occurs to you that you're a woman traveling alone to a remote island, and you consider for a moment telling him that you're meeting family or a lover. 

But the way he asks is friendly and not pushy, and you find none of the warning in your gut that you can always trust to tell you when something isn't quite right. So instead you take another sip and figure out how to word it, eventually just settling on the most straightforward.

'Just taking a weekend to get away from the city,' you eventually reply with a shrug.

He nods, reaching out a hand to tap a finger to his notebook. 'Same. I've been so slammed at work I've been too drained to make anything that I want to.'

'Are you a writer? An artist?' you ask. Perhaps far too eagerly, you think as he lifts an eye and smirks at you.

'Graphic designer by day, artist by night,' he says in dramatic voice that draws a laugh from you.

'I'm a writer myself. Makes sense that the two crazy people out on the deck are both artists,' you reply. 'What kind of art do you make?'

'Mostly charcoal,' he says, pursing his lips in consideration. 'I've tried my hand at water colors and some other mediums. But the rough, dark lines of charcoal always feel the most natural to me.'

Your eyes dart back down to his sketchbook, your curiosity rising. For a moment you think about asking him if you can see some of his work, but immediately rule it out as too presumptuous and private.

As if sensing your question he speaks again. 'I'd be happy to show you some of my work.'

'If I can read some of your writing, that is,' he continues with a grin.

Your eyes go wide at the challenge. You normally don’t let anyone read what you're working on except for your editor and your best friend. The first novel you published was well received and you’re excited to have time to find inspiration for the next.

'I'm not really sure it would be up your alley,' you laugh.

'And why is that?' he counters in mock offense, drawing his hand to his chest dramatically.

'It's a romance,' you answer with a grin.

'Are you seriously telling me that you think someone who has a soft spot for charcoals isn't a romantic?' he rebuts with a smirk, his deep brown eyes fixing on you over this rim of his coffee.

'Okay, you got me there,' you say, reaching a finger down to hook in the back of your shoes. 

You slip out of them and fold your legs underneath you, desperately willing warmth back into your frozen toes. 'I haven't written much yet, I mostly just have an outline though. Sorry to disappoint.'

'Don't worry, I'm a patient man,' he replies, quirking up one of his brows. 'I can't wait to read some.'

Your cheeks heat in response, at the implication that he'll be around by the time you'll have written something. True, the two of you are going to a small island and it would be incredibly easy to run into each other this weekend. Even easier if you plan to meet, you think with a small smile. But there's at least another two and a half hours of this ferry ride, so you're in no rush.

He acquiesces 'for now,’ to show you his work on the promise that he can read yours as soon as you have a sizable chunk. You lean your heads together as he flips through his sketchbook. He's incredible, you can tell right away. Portraits, landscapes, abstracts; everything he creates is infused with his unique style. Raw, blunt lines, somehow rendered sweeping and cohesive by his blending.

You mention an exhibit you saw last year at the Seattle Art Museum, an artist you can't quite remember the name of, who also works primarily in charcoal. He immediately lights up in recognition, telling you the artist is a friend, and the conversation flows easily into discussions of your favorite artists in the Seattle area.

All too soon the horn for the ferry blows and you realize it's nine thirty and time to dock on Whitman Island. You lean back up, just now noticing how close the two of you had been over the table while you spoke. The distance between your hand and his on the smooth surface of the table is easily less than an inch, you notice with a flush as you quickly pull it back so you can slip on your shoes.

'Time to go already?' he echoes your thoughts as he grabs his coat and shrugs it back on.

'Yeah, wow. That went by insanely fast,' you say softly with a shake of your head as you throw on your coat and grab your bag.

'So, where are you staying?' he asks with a furrow of his brow, motioning you to go ahead of him to make your way to the dock that is fast approaching, lit up through the inky black night.

'Why?' you ask, perplexed. Yes, there's obviously an attraction between you two, but he can't seriously think you're going to take him to bed tonight.

He laughs and rests his hand on your waist while you walk, leaning down to speak close to you. 'It's late. I want to make sure you get safely to where you're staying,' he says in a low voice that sends heat down your spine. 

'My intentions are pure, I promise,' he says with a grin, leaning up and putting his hands in the air in mock defense.

You laugh, tilting your head back. When you look over you meet his eyes and feel something inside you melt, something frozen and solid you weren't aware of until this moment. Even after a full day of work and a long evening of travel your insides feel electric at his nearness. 

'It's the Country Inn Bed and Breakfast,' you answer, pulling out your phone to open your email and find the address.

When you meet his eyes again he's closed his own for a moment and a wry smile is gracing his full lips. He holds open the heavy door out to the walkway off the ferry for you and joins you a moment later. 

'Well, that will be very easy, since that's also where I'm staying,' he supplies with a laugh.

'Perfect,' you say, meeting his gaze.

Your hands brush against each other as the two of you walk together down the narrow ramp to the pier. Without a trace of awkwardness he gently slides his palm against yours and you clasp your hand in his.