hello angel 🪽

chanyeol is staring at you like you're unreal.

like he can't believe he's in a small apartment of a tiny coastal town. the sun seeps through the light pink curtains, highlighting every curve on your body with a golden glow.

his hands were cupping the sides of your hips, rubbing them up and down. "just like that, baby." he encourages and you smile down at him.

oh how happy you looked to be bouncing on him right now.

he gestures for you to come down with two fingers. you follow, lowering yourself to connect your lips. your tongue slowly dances with his, taking your time with each other. because you have all night.

chanyeol wraps his arms around your body, pulling you even closer to feel each other's heart beat for one another. his hands cant stop moving. they run around all over your body until they find the comfort of your cheeks and help you move your hips to chase each other's high.

"my baby, my love, my wife." his eyes scan every corner, every wrinkle, every inch of your face. he wants to remember this when you're 70.

when every wrinkle has grown deeper. when every inch of you has grown older and softer. he cant wait to grow old with you, start this new life with you.

"cum for me, my love." he kisses the side of your neck, eliciting a moan from you.

your hips move a lot quicker, rocking back and forth. you're smiling brightly at him, watching the sun paint his skin a pretty gold.

"i love you." you sigh in his ear when your orgasm hits you and you're tightening around him. chanyeol grabs your head in his large hands and kisses you hungrily. his hips don't stop, slowly thrusting into you as if you didn't just come.

"you sound so lovely, darling." he smiles so innocently.

It was a Wednesday afternoon when you matched with the Taurus. He’s cute. He looks smart. You tilt your head curiously, already imagining what your first date will be like. 

A pen taps against the top of your phone, snapping you out of it. 

“Study.” Kyungsoo says, not even looking at you. His eyes stay glued to his textbook, highlighting notes. 

“What do you think of him?” You ignore his nagging and shove your phone in his face. 

Kyungsoo sucks in his cheek before he sighs and takes your phone. He scrolls through this new guy’s profile.  

He likes to hike, you don’t. He’s a finance major; you’re an education major. He likes wine, you think wine is for the rich and snobby. 

The more he reads, the deeper his frown gets. He scrolls a bit more, “Oh, he’s a Taurus. You like those.” 

“Exactlyyyyyy~” You sing, taking back your phone with a wide smile. 

“But you have nothing in common.” Kyungsoo says, concern in his voice.  

You ignore him. 

“I already asked for his birthday. He has a Leo in Mars and Cancer in Venus. Do you know what that means??” You test him, holding your pencil as a mic to his face.  

"That you’ve gone insane?” He blinks at you. 

“Noooo,” You draw out the word, lightly tapping his nose with your pencil. He frowns, making you smile at how cute he looks. Any girl would be lucky to have Kyungsoo, you think to yourself. “It means that we’re compatible in bed and in relationships.” 

Kyungsoo stares at you in disbelief. He tries to go back to his studies. You don’t let him. 

“Kyungsoo~” You whine, wanting his attention back on you. “This could be the one.” 

His eyes look up at you then back to his textbook. “Kyungsooooo~” You wave your pencil in his face. 

"I’m giving you 10 minutes to get it out of your system and then you’re giving me a good half hour study session.” Kyungsoo says, very annoyed and stressed. There is a test next week and he’s only gotten through the first chapter. You have the same test, yet you did not seem to be a bit concerned.  

“Okay deal,” You agree, smiling at him. “He has a Capricorn in Mercury so you know he’ll be a good communicator.” 

“I’m a Capricorn.” Kyungsoo says matter-of-factly, giving you his full attention. You nod excitingly. 

“That’s what I’m saying. I get along very well with Capricorns.” You say like it’s something Kyungsoo should already know. Your friend nods, like you’re suddenly making sense to him. You don’t. But you’re a breath of fresh air so he pretends for you.  

"When are you seeing him?” He asks, entertaining the conversation.  

“Tomorrow! So that way, we can debrief on Friday.” You say happily. The debriefs are your favourite parts of dating. “You’re available Friday, right?” 

Kyungsoo nods, “Yeah. I can be free.” He takes his phone out to add you to his calendar. 

“Such a Capricorn.” You say before you pencil him in your own agenda. 

“Okay, Virgo.” 

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Friday does not come fast enough. You’ve been anxious to tell Kyungsoo all about your date on Thursday. It did not go well. You wait for Kyungsoo to finally get home from his classes, choosing to sit in the hallway instead of the lounge downstairs. 

You stand up to ring his doorbell again. “Kyungsoo, can you come a little faster please?” You whine into the camera, hoping he was watching the footage. 

“I’m there in 2 minutes.” He says through the camera. You smile, “Thank youuuu!” 

You clean up the organized mess you made in the hallway. There were textbooks and various highlighters and pens laid on the floor. Kyungsoo’s neighbour came out and had to hop around your chaos. “Sorry Auntie!! I’m just waiting for Kyungsoo.” You apologize, smiling at the nice lady who lives across from Kyungsoo. 

“Next time, just knock. You shouldn’t have to wait on the floor.” The nice lady, whose name you forget, smiles sweetly before leaving.  

Kyungsoo arrives just as she leaves. He bows to her and she doesn’t even acknowledge him. “Why does she hate me? But loves you?” Kyungsoo whispers, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. 

“My aura is just that good.” You say, putting the last of your things in your bag in order of when you might need them and keeping the ones you do need out. Kyungsoo picks up a highlighter you dropped and stuffs it in your flannel’s pocket. “Thank you.”  

“You’re welcome.” He smiles, before unlocking the door to his apartment. He lets you in first, following behind. “I’m just going to change really quickly.” 

You nod, finding a spot on his dining table to leave your stuff. The fridge calls you, begging for it to be opened. You follow that small voice in your head.  

“Yessss!” You exclaim, grabbing your favourite soda can from his fridge. Your eyes shift to the stove, finding a pot filled with dumpling soup. Hungry, you turn on the heat and grab 2 bowls. 

“Oh good, you’re heating up the food.”  

You turn to Kyungsoo who is currently putting on a white shirt and wearing baggy flannel pyjama pants. Your eyes flick to his stomach. Your breath gets caught in your throat when you see a hint of his skin, and are those abs? You shake your head. That’s Kyungsoo. 

He notices the way you pause. “What?” He asks, pulling his shirt all the way down. 

“Nothing.” You say, turning back to the soup. “How many dumplings do you want?” 

“Mmm, 5.” Kyungsoo is beside you, grabbing the chopsticks and spoons. So close, you can smell his laundry detergent. You ladle the soup and dumplings into the bowls. Kyungsoo grabs them before you could and places them on the table. You turn off the heat before following him in the dining area. 

“Okay so, basically,” You start before you even get to your seat. Kyungsoo smiles at your eagerness to share. “He’s an unhealed Cancer Venus.” 

“I don’t know what that means.” He takes one sip of the soup.  

“It means that he’s a fuckboy.” You say like it’s obvious to everyone but Kyungsoo. A lot of what you say should make sense to Kyungsoo in your head. You shove a dumpling in your mouth. “He said every cliché in the book, Kyungsoo. He was all like you’re not like those other girls. And, and, oh, i’ve seen you around campus but I was too shy which is bullshit because why would he be in my building. Oh my god, and then he kept going on and on about whatever the fuck - what’s a bond?”  

“Stop talking with your mouth full.” He says, handing you a napkin. His expression shows disgust and concern that you’ll choke on your food with how passionately you’re speaking. “He’s exactly who I told you he would be. 

You roll your eyes before taking the napkin and wiping your mouth quickly. “I just can’t believe how boring he was. He was supposed to be grounded and exciting.” You sigh; the stars have failed you once again.  

“Grounded and exciting are antonyms.” He raises an eyebrow at you. “I told you you guys didn’t have anything in common. He’s in finance.” 

"And I’m in education; you don’t see me educating on a first date.” You complain before shoving another dumpling into your mouth, this time, making sure to chew properly. You swallow and wipe your mouth with Kyungsoo’s napkin. You catch a small smile appear on his face, making you smile too. 

“Fair.” Kyungsoo blows on his spoon and takes a clean sip, quietly. It’s a bit psychotic that he doesn’t slurp his soup. It makes you wonder if Kyungsoo has ever choked on his food. “Eat, it’s gonna get cold.” Kyungsoo says, noticing your stare.  

You nod, eating as fast as you could so you could rant some more. Kyungsoo’s mouth is hanging open at how quickly you golfed down the scalding soup. “You’re insane.” He says, dumbfounded. 

“Anyways, I’m done with Tauruses. I’m moving on to better things.” You struggle to open the can of soda, your nails too long to do so. 

“Like?” Kyungsoo asks, curiously because you have proven yourself to be a wild card. He opens the can for you. 

“Like a Scorpio!” You declare with all your might, grabbing the soda and slamming it down on the table. Kyungsoo’s eyes widen when the soda fizzes out of the can and instinctively grabs the napkins to clean the liquid mess on the table.  

“A Scorpio? What’s that?” He asks as he cleans up the fizzy drink. 

“Yes, I hear they’re emotionally intense and would be perfect romantically.” You explain the reasoning behind your outburst, now finding a napkin to set your can on. He gets up to throw the wet napkins away, taking your empty bowl too. 

“You’re already emotionally intense.” He says before disappearing into the kitchen. He comes back with a dessert in hand. A chocolate slice of cake shines in his hand. You gasp dramatically. 

“You take such good care of me.” You almost cry, grabbing the fork from Kyungsoo. He laughs at you before setting the cake in front of you.  

“See, emotionally intense.” Kyungsoo says again. You roll your eyes, digging into Kyungsoo’s cake instead. 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁

Life is written in the stars for you. It has to be. If it wasn’t, you would not be trying to pick up your books after bumping into a stranger. If it wasn’t, you would not be locking eyes with this ridiculously handsome stranger who is helping you pick up said books. If it wasn’t, you would not be flirting with this stranger with the most insanely attractive smile. 

“Hi,” He smiles, handing you back your books. “I’m sorry, I should watch where I’m going. I’m Hyungjun.” He extends a hand out to you. You reach out, trying to balance yourself with the books in your arms. You both giggle at the awkward introductions.  

“Wow,” He pauses, tilting his head a bit. “You’re really pretty.” 

You blush, “Oh, thank you.” He looks at you like you are the most amusing person in this hallway.  

“Could I get your number?”  

Your heart melts. You’ve really manifested this man into your life. You grab his phone and enter your number in his contacts.  

“Perfect, I’ll call you to set a date.” He smiles and waves before leaving you alone with emotions you cannot handle. You really wish Kyungsoo was almost done with his study group. 

You sigh, turning around to meet the very familiar chest of your friend. The excited gasp escapes your lips as you look up to find Kyungsoo. “What was that?” He asks, looking behind you. 

“I think I just met the man of my dreams.” The smitten look you get when you meet someone is back on your face. Kyungsoo has a deep feeling in his chest. It’s heavy like bricks are stacked on it. It’s a bit hard to breathe. He dismisses it. He must be nervous for the group project, the meeting he had was not very productive.  

“Man of your dreams? Really?” He says, adjusting your backpack strap on your shoulder. It slipped when you turned around.  

“Yes! We bumped into each other like it was a movie and then, he helped pick up my books. His name is Hyungjun. I gave him my number. Oh shoot, I forgot to ask for his birthday.” You ramble on and Kyungsoo laughs at how cute you look. Wait, cute? He shakes his head. 

“What I’m hearing is that he lacks spatial awareness.” He says as you both start walking side by side, heading to your favourite coffee shop.  

“No, that was destiny intervening. It heard that I wanted a Scorpio romance and it gave it to me. Wouldn’t it be insane if he turned out to be a Scorpio?” You’re smiling at him, eyes scrunching in excitement.  

“Bonkers.” He says sarcastically. He grabs your books and puts them under his arms. He doesn’t understand why you bring a backpack if you’re just going to hold these books. You always tell him that Virgos are organized, but Kyungsoo finds that you have the weirdest ways to organize yourself. You told him that you like to have the books you need to use right away outside of your bag, so you didn’t have to look for them. Kyungsoo has repeatedly told you that you should just bring the ones you need for that day. You refused, telling him “you never know what you’re going to need that day”. And Kyungsoo always ends up carrying your books because you shouldn’t have to carry your entire semester alone. 

“Very bonkers!” You say, accepting his mockery. Kyungsoo laughs at you, grabbing the door to the coffee shop for you. You happily walk in and greet the baristas. “Thank you.” You smile up at Kyungsoo when he hands you your books back. You don’t hear Kyungsoo’s heart race.  

You do hear him exhale loudly. 

“What’s wrong?” You ask, concerned. 

“I think this group project is stressing me out a bit. The team I got is a bit disorganized.” He says, releasing another sigh before leaning back in his chair, shuffling his hand in his hair in frustration. 

“Can’t be worse than that Aquarius girl. Remember?” You grin, reminiscing about the first and only project you shared with Kyungsoo. It was a general course you both needed to do for credit. That was the first time you ever met someone so competent and so organized. Lights sparked when Kyungsoo appeared in your life. It’s a shame he was a business major. You would’ve shared every course with him if you could. 

“Of course. How could I forget our origin story?” He smiles widely, the deep feeling in his chest finally leaves his body. “She was so...” 

“Flighty?” You finish his thought. “She didn’t even finish her part on time. She just left.” You laugh, still in disbelief of the situation. “I wanted to cry.” 

“You did cry.” He laughs, his smile reaching his eyes. The memory of you bawling your eyes out in the study room at midnight will always make him chuckle. You looked so helpless. It was so cute. He couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Whatever! I’m just saying it can’t be worse than that. You handled everything so smoothly.” You confess your appreciation to him. Kyungsoo’s gaze softens. You feel like crying, thinking about the immense love you have for Kyungsoo and your friendship. Maybe you are emotionally intense. “Honestly, I don’t know how I got through life before you.” 

“You got by just fine.” He assures you, reaching over to tap your hand lightly.  

“No, seriously, I was spiraling and you took over so easily. You’ll get through this group project. I have faith in you.” You pause. “Thank you for being my friend, Kyungsoo.” 

Kyungsoo winces, unsure why.  

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁

Emotionally intense. 

The words ring in your mind as you curl up in your bed, crying your heart out. Turns out, Hyungjun is a Scorpio. He did live up to be as emotional and romantic as you fantasized. Unfortunately for you, it ended as strongly as it started.  

You don’t have the courage to call anyone for help, choosing to isolate yourself to heal the pain away. Your heart wants Kyungsoo to sense something is wrong and take care of you. But Kyungsoo is dealing with a lot of stress with his final group project; you can’t bear the thought of bothering him. 

Hyungjun and you had been dating for almost a month. It was a real life whirlwind romance. He brought you to the most romantic spots. You experienced so many movie clichés within the time you were dating. It felt almost too good to be true.  

And it was. 

Hyungjun had made the mistake of leaving his phone on the table. You should have minded your business; you weren’t even official yet. His phone pinged and your curiosity got the best of you. You had peeked and found a notification from a dating app. Your stomach dropped at the sight. You fought the entire night until you decided that it was too exhausting and stormed off alone. 

Your phone is filled with messages from him. Numerous apologies that are all starting to blob into one big blur. You throw it far from you on your bed, frustrated and angry at him. 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁

Kyungsoo glances at his phone. 10:52 pm. He thinks it’s a bit late for you to not be home yet, especially for a Thursday night. You should be texting him to confirm tomorrow. He frowns; he doesn’t feel good. 

Before Kyungsoo could even think, he was already walking out of his door and into the cold air.  

His mind is racing to a million things. No matter how the date went, you were always quick to update him. He’ll just check on you quickly.  

No one could have warned him of the heaviness he would be feeling in his chest when you opened the door, eyes red, nose sniffling and blanket wrapped around your shoulders. Kyungsoo is quick to come inside and hug you as tightly as he could. You find yourself melting in his embrace, crying even harder because thank God Kyungsoo always knows. 

“Why didn’t you call me?” He asks, rubbing your back comfortingly. You struggle to say the words, hiccupping every second word that he just shushes you and brings you back to your bed. You curl back up and rest your head on his lap; his legs extended to get comfortable on your bed. He has his hands in your hair, stroking it lightly. And he looks at you. Maybe for the first time. Because for the first time, he thinks to himself: how could someone hurt such a beautiful person like you? 

His heart is hurting at the sight of you like this. His lively, cheery, and always optimistic friend. You didn’t deserve this. It made him so, so, so upset. He spent the rest of the night stroking your hair until you both fell asleep. 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁

The light shines through your cheap curtains and serves as an alarm clock. Your nose finds a fresh aroma, almost like laundry detergent. You inhale the clean sun-dried smell one more time before your eyes shoot open.  

Sometime in the night, somehow, in some way, you had moved to lay your head on his chest. His hand is still tangled in your hair while yours rested on his stomach. You feel your heart race at the domestic scene.  

Panicked, you shake Kyungsoo out of his sleep. 

His brows furrow, but his hands have moved from your hair to stretch above his head. Your eyes instinctively peek at the skin revealed from his stretches. You inhale sharply, “Thank you for staying with me.” You’re sat up now, far far away from his chest.  

A smile reaches his face, “Always.” He sits up with you and looks at you softly like you’ll break easily. “Next time, you call me right away. I don’t care what you think I’m doing. You call me.” He reaches for you absentmindedly and softly brushes a thumb on your cheek. You were leaning into his touch a bit too comfortably, not realizing what line you two had just crossed, until Kyungsoo’s thumb halts.  

Kyungsoo is the one to notice it first. How different everything was changing. How he wasn’t just being protective anymore. How he might be – He can’t say it. 

His hand drops slowly to his side. You feel a bit disappointed at the loss of his warmth.  

He clears his throat and moves out of your bed. “You should drink some water.” You watch as he navigates around your place like he lives here, easily finding the glass and the water in the fridge. Something feels weird inside your chest. It’s beating a little too fast at the sight of Kyungsoo preparing a glass of water for you. 

“Thank you.” You say, finding it hard to look at him. Your eyes avert to your phone instead, wincing at the multiple messages from Hyungjun. “You’re going to be late for your 9am.” 

“It’s fine. I’ll ask for notes. What do you want to do today?” The bed dips as he sits down next to you. You’re playing with the glass in your hold, deep in thought. Kyungsoo notices. He always does. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I just...” You finally look at him. His eyes are already on you. You take a sip of the water to avoid them again. You don’t see Kyungsoo that way, but your body seems to think differently. “Maybe... Can you stay and watch movies with me?” 

“Of course.” He smiles, grabbing the remote from your nightstand and instantly putting on one of your favourite romantic comedies.  

You stare at him. And really see him this time. 

The pounding in your chest grows louder and louder. Afraid Kyungsoo will hear, you grab a pillow and hold it close to you, hoping it muffles it. Kyungsoo mistakes it as you being cold and pulls the blanket over you. It worsens the loud pounding. 

You spend a little too much time looking at Kyungsoo instead of the movie that day, in pure disbelief of what you were currently feeling. 

You like Kyungsoo.  

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁

The semester was finally over. Kyungsoo survived his group project. You survived your love life. And all you want to do is celebrate with your best friend. 

“Some friends are inviting me to their place. Do you wanna go?” Kyungsoo asks, looking down at the text on his phone. At this point, you are down for anything to kickstart the summer.  

Kyungsoo and you hadn’t spent actual quality time alone together since that day. Since you started feeling things you should not be feeling for a friend. It was all frustrating to you. You weren’t able to be in a room alone with him. Not when you were in constant agony, wanting to touch him like you did when you were resting on his chest. You were yearning for Kyungsoo and it was becoming physically painful. 

You had always managed to find another person to add as a buffer. It was easier to distract yourself from staring at him too long when you had other people there to stop you. 

“Yeah, I’m down.” You say, not really looking up at him in his passenger seat, pretending to scroll on your phone. Being in the car with him was probably the first time you’ve truly been alone. You can see him nod in the corner of your eye before shifting the car into drive and off to his friend's house. 

The radio plays quietly. 

“Remember Jongin? He’s going to be there.” Kyungsoo says, very casually. 

You look up at him, confused.  

“He’s, uh…” He thinks for a second, finding the word. “A Capricorn. I think you two would get along.” 

You furrow your brows even further. Kyungsoo is avoiding your stare, focusing on the road. But you can tell that he’s nervous. Like he knows this isn’t what he wants to say. 

"I don’t want to date anyone right now.” You say bluntly. You’re not sure why Kyungsoo would suddenly want you to date again after the disaster that happened to you last month. 

"Ah, sorry...” He apologizes, letting the radio take over the silence once again.  

The car goes to a halt at the red light. 

“Are you mad at me?” He asks, turning his head slightly to check on you. 

That question is enough to make your heart sink in guilt. You finally look up from your phone and find his eyes. They’re already set on you.  

"No,” You say simply. “Are you mad at me?” It comes out softly, afraid of the answer. 

“Of course not.” He replies quickly. “But things feel different. Like you can’t even look at me properly.” 

The light turns green and he continues. “I’m sorry if I did something wrong.” 

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” You quickly defend him, looking at him for the longest time since that day to prove a point to yourself. His brows furrow at your response. He knows something is wrong. He just can’t quite place it yet.  

“Then why does it feel like you’ve been avoiding me? You haven’t been waiting for me after class anymore and it’s like you don’t want to be alone with me. You’re always inviting people to our study dates.” His observation is impeccable, as usual. You can’t hide anything from Kyungsoo. He knows everything about you. He notices the small things. He notices you. And that makes you fall even harder for him.  

“I’ve been busy studying for finals. And you had that big group project too.” You attempt to defend yourself to him. But he doesn’t buy it. He finally pulls over to the side and shifts the car into park. 

“You’ve never been too busy before.” His body turns to you. His face shows concern. Normally, he would reach out to you, but you look so much like a wounded puppy that he’s so afraid you’ll flinch and run away. “What’s going on with you?” 

You shake your head. “I can’t tell you. You’ll get mad at me.” 

Kyungsoo’s head tilts, trying to find your eyes and beg them to look at him. “I can never be mad at you. I just miss my best friend.” 

“Just tell me.” He says with a straight face and voice strict now.  

“Can’t we just go to this thing and pretend I’m not being weird?” You make him snort. He misses your humour. It felt like you were restraining yourself these past few weeks. 

“Fine.” He says, unable to say no to you when he got to see you be you, even for just a second. A smile finally reaches your face when you see him laugh. His heart settles. “We’ll pin it.” 

“Deal.” You smile, extending a hand for him to shake. He raises an eyebrow before he grins and shakes it affirmatively. 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁

There are people scattered everywhere in Kyungsoo’s friend’s house. You thought it would be a small get together to celebrate the end of the semester. Kyungsoo and you were so wrong.  

The music was blasting through some very powerful speakers. You can feel the bass on your skin. It felt like you were at a club. You’ve never been to a club before. You don’t even know if you can dance. You observe the crowd in awe. Everyone seems to know what to do and where to go. You watch carefully as Kyungsoo greets his friends, making sure to stay close to him. He seems so outgoing and cheery. He’s very different with you, a lot quieter with you. He acts like you do with him. You suck in a cheek, jealous that his friends get to have this Kyungsoo.  

“Is this your girlfriend?” A friend asks, breaking you from your overthinking bubble. Your eyes dart to Kyungsoo who is smiling but shakes his head in response. Your heart breaks a bit when he introduces you as his friend. 

“This is Jongin.” Kyungsoo introduces his friend: the Capricorn he’s been talking about. Before you could say anything, Kyungsoo disappears from your side, muttering something about getting drinks which you knew was a lie. There is no reason for Kyungsoo to be pushing you this hard to date again. And yet, he was. 

“So,” Jongin grins at you, looking you up and down. “Have any plans for the summer?” 

You blink, your eyes unintentionally drifting to Kyungsoo near the drinks table. “Not really.” You say, your mind focused elsewhere. A girl has now found her way to Kyungsoo’s side, helping him pour drinks into his cup. You frown. 

“Earth to you.” Jongin snaps you out of it again, waving a hand in your face.  

“Sorry.” You apologize quickly, darting your eyes back to Kyungsoo’s friend. He is cute. Kyungsoo really knows your type. “I don’t really have any plans for the summer. Just gonna play it by ear.”  

Jongin nods, still grinning at you when you get distracted again. “You’re looking at him a lot for someone who isn’t his girlfriend.” Jongin finally catches your attention. You can feel the heat rush to your cheeks in embarrassment.  

“He’s my best friend.” You say simply, but Jongin looks unconvinced. He hums as he takes a sip from his cup. Your eyes flicker to Kyungsoo who is bending down to hear that girl speak to him. Apparently pouring drinks requires conversation. 

“You’re frowning.” Jongin is smiling at you teasingly. “Quick, he’s on his way.” He laughs; you don’t. You do remove the frown and watch Kyungsoo come back to your side.  

“Do you have any plans for the summer, Jongin?” You ask, pretending like you’ve been engaged in this conversation this whole time. Jongin finds this amusing, unable to hide the grin on his face. Kyungsoo hands you a cup as he darts his eyes between the two of you.  

“Not really.” Jongin mocks your previous answer. If you weren’t so in love with Kyungsoo, this would have won you over. You miss the old you who was blind to her own feelings. She would have loved to flirt with Jongin.  

“I think I’m going to get some air.” Kyungsoo suddenly says. Your attention turns to him immediately then back to Jongin who nudges you to follow him with a simple nod. Your legs move faster than your mind, already trailing behind Kyungsoo.  

He slows down and, like a choreographed dance, you end up by his side. 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁

You slide the backdoor close before following Kyungsoo to the porch swing. He follows your form, his expression unreadable. You sit beside him. 

“You didn’t have to follow me.” He says, breaking the silence. It’s quiet outside. If you didn’t know anything, you would never suspect a party was going on in the house.  

“I wanted air too.” You shrug, lying to him and yourself. You remove your shoes and bring your legs on the swing to sit criss-crossed. He watches you settle comfortably at his side, a small smile creeping up on his face.  

“You didn’t like Jongin? He seemed to be interested.” He asks, focused on you, waiting to see your reaction.  

You shake your head. “Not really.” You laugh to yourself. Kyungsoo doesn’t quite get it, but he chuckles with you.  

It slowly gets quiet again. You breathe in and exhale. 

“You can’t leave me alone like that.”  

Kyungsoo laughs a bit before realizing that you’re serious. “But you like meeting new people.” He’s looking at you with a very confused look on his face. You can’t blame him. You’re confused too. 

“I just... I don’t like it when you leave me.” You feel like throwing up. It’s becoming harder and harder to express how you feel without spilling everything.  

“I told you I went to get drinks for us.” He says, unable to tell if you’re mad or just upset. His brows are stuck together in confusion. You’ve never been upset to be left alone before. 

“Yeah, but then you were talking to everyone with a much different energy than you do with me. And that girl-” You pause, fidgeting nervously. You realize you’re just spewing out nonsense at this point. None of this is making any sense to you. None of it has ever bothered you before. “You just acted different tonight. I’m not used to it. It made me feel out of place.” You force a laugh. “I’m sorry. We’re pretending I’m not being weird.” 

Kyungsoo doesn’t respond immediately, giving himself time to think.  

“I feel like you’re hiding something from me.” Kyungsoo clocks you immediately. Your mouth tightens to a flat line, unable to respond. He’s studying your expression. Then takes a deep breath in.  

“I don’t think you’re upset about being left alone at this party.” He pauses, watching you rub your hands on your pants nervously. His fingers reach out to yours. You feel his touch, soft and fragile against your skin. It’s comforting. You bring your attention to him and he smiles. Your breath hitches at the soft way he’s looking at you.  

“I think that little Virgo brain of yours,” He continues, interlacing his fingers with yours. “is overthinking a million tiny things and trying to organize them into little folders in that weird filing system of yours. I don’t think any of those things actually bother you.” 

You snort, laughing at him trying to make an astrology comment.  

“I’m sorry for not noticing it sooner.” He says seriously, squeezing your hand reassuringly. You can feel your palms sweating profusely. You blink at him, still confused as to where he is going with this but holding him like this is feeding into that craving for him you’ve been trying so hard to push down. You wish you could stay like this with him forever. 

You exhale. The air is still. The sounds of the party aren't audible. The leaves on the trees are moving ever so slowly. It’s peaceful.  

Kyungsoo reaches for your cheek, lightly nudging you to look in his direction. There’s a twinkle in his eye when your own pair fall on his. 

"Kyungsoo?” You can barely make a sound, your voice stuck in your throat.  

“I love you.” His voice is quiet and low, meant only for you to hear. You feel yourself melt into his touch with the sound of those three words. Your eyes flick to his lips then back to his own pair of brown eyes. You lean in closer, slowly pressing your lips to his. His hand moves from your cheek to the back of your neck. The kiss starts off gentle, afraid to scare one another away. He pulls you in, applying more pressure to your mouth. And it hits you. You’re kissing Kyungsoo. 

The corners of your lips lift slightly to form a small smile. Kyungsoo chases after your lips, wanting more. “You’re laughing.” 

“I can’t believe I’m kissing you.” You cover your mouth to hide your growing grin. Kyungsoo laughs with you, pulling your hand back down so he could kiss you some more. You let him. This time the kiss is playful. You can’t stop chuckling between kisses, in complete disbelief of tonight’s turn of events. 

“I can’t believe you got jealous of that girl helping me pour drinks for you.” He says, laughing at you. You playfully pout at him.  

“She did not have to be talking to you with googly eyes.” You warn him. “Only I can googly eye you.” Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow at you. 

“You’re so weird.” He teases before he leans back into the swing and pulling you with him. His arm is around you and he pulls you in so your head is right under him, the perfect angle for him to kiss the top of your head. “My weird little Virgo.” 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁

Epilogue 

You can’t prove it. But you know the ring exists. 

Kyungsoo watches over his phone as you scan the room suspiciously, vacuum still in hand. He’s looking at you amusingly, trying to figure out what your brain is up to this time. The frown on your face is so prominent. He’s afraid you’ll stay like that forever if he doesn’t fix your problem. 

“What’s wrong?” He asks, breaking the trance you were in. Instead of answering his question, the most mischievous smile appears on your face. He can’t stop smiling as you find a comfortable spot on his lap. You’re holding him affectionately while he settles a hand on your lower back. “Can I help you?” He laughs as you grin down at him.  

"Where is it?” You finally ask, lashes fluttering cartoonishly. He bursts out laughing. He knows what you’re looking for but he can’t believe you’d have the audacity to ask. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He smiles sheepishly, pretending to be oblivious. You narrow your eyes on him, highly suspicious.  

“You’ve been calling my sister an awful lot lately.” Your eyes lower, darkening as you try to get to the bottom of the mystery.  

“She’s nice.” He rubs your back fondly, his cheeks starting to hurt from how much he’s been smiling. You massage his shoulders lovingly. He loves it. He loves you. 

“Suddenly, my Pisces sister is nice? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you two hang out without me.” You’re both looking at each other, amused by the other. It’s been 4 years of complete bliss. All you want to do is find that stupid ring and see if Kyungsoo bought the correct shape and band for you. It was driving you insane. 

“Yeah, we like to talk about you.” Kyungsoo moves your hair aside and lightly kisses your neck. You hum, getting distracted by the pecks.  

“Mmm, did you ask anything about a pear? Or princess?” It’s not enough for you to forget your mission. 

“Yes! We talk about your favourite movie Princess Diaries all the time, love.” 

You shove him playfully, getting off his lap and grabbing your vacuum from the floor. "You’re so annoying!”  

"What’s the point of a surprise proposal if there is no surprise?” Kyungsoo gets up to snake his arms around your waist. He kisses you on the cheek. “I promise you’ll see it soon.” 

Kyungsoo is very glad that your spontaneous need to reorganize the whole apartment hasn't decided to tackle the miscellaneous box of “important random things” sitting at the bottom of your closet.