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"𝑫𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝑫𝒐 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑴𝒆" (𝑳𝒆𝒆 𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒉𝒐)

𝘚𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘴: 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵. 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴: 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘵?, 𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘓𝘦𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘰 𝘹 𝘺𝘰𝘶

𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘱 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘎𝘙𝘈𝘏𝘈𝘔 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴, 𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴. (Masterlist here)

Minho is the type of boyfriend who….

I can't stop thinking about Minho being the kind of shy boyfriend who, when he's in public, keeps quiet and doesn't touch you too much, but always keeps an eye on you to make sure you're okay and happy. But when you're at home or alone, he's so sweet and gentle, smiling silly at you and doing whatever you want.

Minho who doesn't usually call you affectionate names or say "I love you" all the time, but in the morning when he thinks you're still asleep he whispers how much he's in love and how much he loves you. Who wakes you up with a slight smile and says "good morning, my kitten", giving you a kiss on the forehead.

Minho who is extremely needy when he's sick or very tired, wanting to lie next to you all the time, giving you hugs and asking for kisses to help him get better, because for him your kisses are the best medicine.

Minho who isn't much of a talker because he loves to listen to your voice while you talk about your day and the things you like, who loves to sit in silence watching you do even the simplest things because to him you're so beautiful that he could spend eternity just appreciating you.

Minho who won't verbally ask for affection but makes a cute face every time he wants you to hug him, who will always roll his eyes and grimace pretending he doesn't like it when you hug him or shower him with kisses but who secretly loves it when you do.

Minho who will tease you in front of others, calling you needy for always hugging him and wanting his attention, but who would be very sad if you didn't, because he loves being in your arms.

Minho who gives you a little kiss every time he leaves the house or comes back, and who would be hurt if you left without saying goodbye.

Minho who asks you every day if you've eaten and who likes to cook you his favorite foods. Minho who is always trying out new recipes and saving some for you.

Minho who loves to sleep on your lap or with his head resting on your chest while you stroke his head, and who, on days when he's feeling vulnerable or exhausted, asks to be the smaller sleeper while you give him light kisses on the neck.

Minho who always misses you when you're on tour and calls you every day, sometimes just to be quiet or to hear you talk about something. Who secretly takes one of your coats to wear when he misses you so much that he can feel closer to you.

Minho who loves to see you wearing his clothes or accessories but who always teases you about it just for fun and to see you smile.

Minho who has thousands of photos of you with his cats saved on his cell phone, and who carries a cute photo of you in his wallet.

Minho who always looks at you in such a passionate way that it makes you shy, who always kisses you with such passion that it makes your legs weak and your cheeks blush, which makes him laugh softly and kiss your forehead gently.

Minho who loves you very much exactly the way you are and who tries every day to be the best boyfriend in the world for you

jealousy, jealousy || Lee Know x Reader

Summary: "Sure, Minho missed an opportunity to spend more time around you in a relaxed setting, but is he upset about it? Does he get annoyed when he hears you talk with the guy behind him? Does hearing you chuckle at the guy’s stupid jokes, probably just to be polite, ‘cause he’s not that funny, make him want to claw the dude’s eyes out?

Well. Yes."

Or: You're working with a different partner for a group assignment, and Minho's totally chill about it.

Word count: 4.9k

Genres: college AU, coffee shop AU, strangers to lovers

Warnings & Tags: jealousy, kissing, minor language, tooth-rotting fluff, seriously this is so fluffy, reader is implied to have social anxiety, Thunderstorm

series masterlist

A/N: This is the second story I've written where Lee Know's a barista and cats are involved. It probably says something deep about me, but what? I hope you'll enjoy the fic, please consider letting me know your thoughts and reblogging the fic if you do~

Minho doesn't know exactly when he noticed you, or when you started appearing in his life. It’s kind of annoying actually, because he knows he noticed you because he kept seeing you around, but he has no way of pinpointing it. What he does know is that you started showing up at the coffee shop where he worked, twice every week. That wasn’t that big a deal, you were far from being the only one the only one, but it was a shop that was pretty out of the way, near an old building that was only used for a few classes, as far as he knew, so it wasn’t that frequented.

In fact, you could almost say that the people who bothered to come here were the weirdos who wanted to avoid the other permanently full coffee shops on campus. Which was fine by Minho, who wasn’t paid enough to deal with that sort of crowd.

Anyway, at some point, Minho’s brain had to have put together he was seeing you around quite a bit, and finally he managed to figure out that it was because you were in one of the classes he was rudely forced to take outside of his major. In his defense, it took him so long because he didn’t really like people, as a rule, and he paid as little attention to them as possible. His friends were enough of a hassle to deal with already.

It makes it all the more frustrating that he can’t tell what it was about you that caught his attention. It has to have been something. Once he starts trying to understand it, more things come to light. Like the fact that your lips move but your voice doesn’t come out when you thank him for giving you your order, or the sigh of relief you always seem to heave out when you let yourself fall at your favorite table, the one in the corner, where you sit with your back to the window.

Actually, from what he can see, you appear to do your best to stay out of people’s way. It’s a multitude of little things, from how you always sit in the middle of rows in the amphitheater and wait until everyone’s cleared out to leave, to how you keep close to the walls in the hallways, eyes usually on the floor, to how, on the couple of occasions when your voice can be heard in class, it’s only after the professor’s been waiting for an answer for an increasingly embarrassing amount of time.

The first time it happens — the first time Minho notices it happening, anyway — he has to make you repeat yourself louder, and it seems almost painful for you to raise your voice.

Then there’s that time when someone accidentally backs into you and the books and papers you’re carrying spill onto the floor.

“Shit, sorry,” they say, and you reply immediately, like it’s a reflex, “Oh, it’s nothing, don’t worry about it”, but afterwards, as you kneel next to the papers, you let out a defeated sigh, just staring at the mess for a few seconds. And that’s when Minho can’t stay in place anymore.

“Oh, thanks, you don’t have to do that,” you say, again, with that cadence that makes him feel like these are sentences that pour out of you without you getting much of say, so deeply ingrained in you that you can’t control them.

Then you glance up at him, and your eyes widen, little mouse caught in the cat’s gaze. He feels his lips curving into a grin. You recognize him, and you’re being very obvious about it too.

Cute.

“Thank you,” you repeat, taking your stuff from his hands and dipping your head to stop looking at him once you get control of yourself again.

“Vanilla latte, right?” he asks, and he probably shouldn’t be this amused by the way your head snaps back up and you freeze, but it’s— It’s kind of adorable. Though you’re obviously trying to reign yourself in, there is something so sincere about it that he can’t help but be enticed by it.

“Um,” you say. “Yes.” And then you visibly search for something to say next, rolling your lips together as if they’ll figure something out of a list of socially acceptable answers. As fun as this is, Minho decides to put you out of your misery.

For now anyway.

“I’ll give you a discount on the next one,” he says, and then he’s gone before you can start saying “You don’t have to do that”.

He actually slides the next one to you over the counter and tells you that it’s ‘on the house’. You hesitate for a few seconds, and he thinks you’re going to refuse, before you bow your head politely and thank him for it. You don’t quite look up at him after that, but a bright smile has spread on your lips.

Cute, he thinks, again, and then he doesn't think of it much at all. A part of his brain was intrigued by the novelty that you represented, and that part has been satiated now.

At least, that’s what he assumes.

You get his attention again a few weeks later. It’s fairly early in the morning and, as Minho does whenever he gets a chance, he’s behind the half abandoned building near the café, setting up some food for the cats that have taken residence here. It’s something he’s not really allowed to do, but also he’s never asked permission, so no one's told him that yet, which means that he’s not not allowed to do it either.

Still, when he hears footsteps approaching as he’s surrounded by a chorus of meows, there’s a part of him that considers making a run for it.

But then he’d have to run.

Which he doesn’t like doing.

You appear at the corner of the building before he’s made his decision. When your eyes meet, he half expects you to turn around and pretend you haven’t seen him. He’s pretty sure you’ve done that after a class, recently. You swallow, but you keep walking towards him, kneeling by his side and petting the cats as the braver ones rub themselves against your legs.

Whoever said that the surest way to a man’s heart was through his stomach clearly wasn’t obsessed with cats, because liking cats is maybe the most important requirement for Minho.

“Hi,” you say, at a surprisingly normal volume, and then, cadence a little too fast, “I have some cat food.”

Is it weird that he finds that attractive? It’s probably weird.

“Have you been stalking me?” he says more than he asks, vaguely aware of the fact that there’s something ironic about him saying those words.

Your eyes widen and you quickly shake your head.

“No! I— have classes in there,” you point at the building, “and I’ve— seen you come around here. We’ve been told we couldn’t feed the cats,” you add with a slight pout. “We still do it when we can get away with it, but it's good that someone is also taking care of them.”

And you break the law for the sake of cats. Isn’t this amazing.

“I can help you buy food,” you say. “If you’d like.”

He doesn't reply right away, and when the silence stretches a second too long, you start speaking again, faster and your voice lower now.

“Or not, you know, I don’t want to impose anything, I mean, I didn’t want to intrude—”

On the one hand, that seems more like you, based on the glimpses of you he’s been getting, and on the other, he’s not sure how to shut that down. The truth is, he can barely fit the expenses in his budget. He literally can't afford to refuse your help — but he doesn't think he’d do it if he could.

“You can help,” he says, interrupting you in the middle of a sentence where you’re basically apologizing for existing, and that seems to knock the breath out of you.

“Oh,” you say, “that’s good.”

He wonders if you walk into interactions with a prepared set of sentences and panic when anyone goes off script. That sounds kind of exhausting.

“I’ll bill you,” he adds, and the feeling he gets when you let out a light laugh is one he can’t quite explain. There’s a sense of pride in it, but also some much deeper satisfaction at the feeling of having gotten you to let that guard slip, even for just a few seconds.

“I have to go to class,” you say, getting up while you rummage through your tote bag to hand him a package of dry food. “But I’ll, uh, see you around?”

There’s an expectancy to your tone, a hope even. He wonders if you’re aware of it. Either way, that sincerity, which he’d noticed before, remains pleasantly refreshing.

“Sure,” he says.

The next time you show up at the coffee shop, Friday a few minutes after six, like always, he has your vanilla latte ready.

After that, Minho finds it fascinating to see how differently you react to him, depending on the situation. Every now and then, you meet him behind the building, usually early in the morning, before there are too many people around. They would probably recognize you, and then you’d get in trouble, you explain. Your voice is lighter then, your body more relaxed. You manage to chat with him, to make small talk.

‘Manage’ really is the word for it, because your behavior is worlds apart when he sees you in class. It’s clear by now that this just isn’t your element, so you stick to your script, and Minho just isn’t a part of it. He doesn’t take it too personally, considering that no one else seems to be either.

It’s obvious to him that you get there with the objective of being in and out of the building as efficiently as possible, and with as little interaction with others as you can get away with. He does approach you still on a couple of occasions, one of them being when the classes before yours ran late and everyone was waiting in the hallway. You're focused on your phone then, and you jump when he says your name.

“How are you doing?” he asks, leaning against the wall next to you.

“Oh,” you say, which he thinks is just your filler word to give yourself time to figure out what to say next. “Um. Good. How are you?”

“Good.”

Someone else would bristle at the awkwardness of the exchange, but Minho is mostly amused by it. After a few seconds of very visibly searching for something to say, you come up with “…and how are the cats?”, though your tone is hesitant, unsure.

“They’re good too,” he grins. “Went to visit them this morning. Also, I might have found an association that could them spayed.” He certainly can’t afford to pay for it.

“That’s great,” you say.

This time, he’s the one who takes it upon himself to save the conversation, casually pulling his phone out of his pocket.

“Wanna see my cats?”

You light up at the question, and Minho feels the same sort of pride he does when Dori jumps into his lap to ask for pets — instead of ungratefully evading him like the little shit he is.

It doesn’t last long, the class before yours ends soon, and after that you get back to your ‘just getting in and out’ state. It’s almost physical when it happens. The smile disappears from your lips as you press them together, you straighten your back, but the most impressive change is the way your eyebrows tighten, a small line forming between them. Minho almost wants to reach out to wipe it from your forehead, but he doesn’t. Baby steps, that’s what you need, not him invading your personal space by that much.

He doesn’t ask himself, even for a second, why he’s willing to go through that much trouble to get closer to you. He just goes with the flow, as he always has, and that works fine for him.

He doesn’t sit next to you in class, thinks it would only stress you out more, make you too aware of his presence and of how you react to it. Instead, he takes a spot right in front of you, where he can’t see you but can easily check on you if he wants to — which he does. He refrains from doing it too much though, because on more than one occasion, he caught you looking at him, and you averted your eyes quickly, acting a little too invested in your note taking.

He still thinks it’s cute, but he doesn’t want to make you go in hiding, so he holds himself back.

Which comes back to bite him in the ass, rudely, when the teacher announces that he wants people to work in pair for an assignment.

He turns around to ask you to work with him, and sees, right in front of his eyes, as the guy sitting next to you asks you the same thing in a casual manner. You reply too fast, one of your knee-jerk answers, he can tell, but it’s still done before he even got the time to open his mouth. He also knows, instinctively, that you’ll feel embarrassed if he asks you now, so he doesn’t, turning to his own neighbor while holding back the strange urge to hiss at the guy.

…maybe he spends too much time with cats, actually.

Minho’s fine with the situation. He is. He still gets to be around you some mornings, and you now look him in the eye when you place your order at the coffee shop. You also don’t recoil as much as you used to when he leans over the counter, ostensibly to flirt with you — though he’s like, 98% sure you haven’t realized that’s what he’s doing. He’s making progress in getting you to feel more comfortable around him.

Sure, he missed an opportunity to spend more time around you in a relaxed setting, but is he upset about it? Does he get annoyed when he hears you talk with the guy behind him? Does hearing you chuckle at the guy’s stupid jokes, probably just to be polite, ‘cause he’s not that funny, make him want to claw the dude’s eyes out?

Well. Yes.

He’s been moody about it for days, to the point that Jisung pouted at him, asking him “what was wrong with him these days”, and Changbin looked him dead in the eyes to ask him if he needed help to get a girl, because he clearly needed to get laid.

A conversation he got out of by replying “do you want to die”, which is a card he’s maybe been playing a little too much these days.

He’s been in a good mood today, though. He’d seen you in the morning, and you’d helped him try to make a small shelter for the cats, because it had been announced that there would be heavy rain over the whole week-end. It had been a fun time, and maybe he’d used the opportunity to get closer to you than usual, enjoying how flustered it made you. Just brushing against you as he grabbed some planks you’d sneaked out of the building, totally accidentally touching your hand when you handed him something, that kind of things.

He had somewhat ruined the effect by accidentally dropping a plank on his foot, but that had made you laugh, so, it was— No, it still wasn’t worth it, he didn’t enjoy pain, but it made him slightly less annoyed about it.

So, as he waited for you in the coffee shop, as the skies outside darkened and fewer people than usual showed up, he wasn’t in as bad a mood as he’d been lately.

It started to rain at around half past five. He would have loved to run to get you with an umbrella, but he, unfortunately, needed his job. He did get a towel ready to hand to you, in case you didn’t have anything to protect yourself from the rain.

And then you came in.

Under an umbrella.

Which was in the hands of the one guy that was your partner in that one class.

Violent thoughts of murder flash before Minho’s eyes.

“Hey,” you say as you walk to the counter, giving him a bright smile, “this is Jooyeon, he’s in—”

“Class with us,” Minho completes with a smile that’s very much fake, “yes, I recognize him.”

Actually, technically, Jooyeon hasn’t done anything wrong, but it doesn’t help that he’s been looking at you and following you around like a damn puppy. What annoys Minho the most is probably the fact that you seem a lot chiller around him, a lot more natural than you are whenever Minho’s around. That’s— upsetting. He wants to see these sides of you, too, and not just from afar.

One vanilla latte and an americano later, you and Jooyeon sit by the window, in your usual spot, and Minho can’t stop himself from glaring. Jisung, or anyone, really, would call him out on it in a matter of seconds, because he’s not being subtle about it, but there’s no one around right now. The room, which is rarely full, is emptier than usual because most people rushed to get home to try to avoid the downpour.

That means that there is nothing to distract him from the intrusive thoughts that are trying to convince him to just throw something at Jooyeon. Anything would do.

When it starts becoming a little too tempting, and considering that he doubts anyone would brave the rain that’s falling at the moment, as thick as a curtain separating the coffee shop from the outside world, he decides to grab his computer and try to get some work done.

Of course, because some divinity out there must have decided to target him today, he’s just getting started and finding his rhythm when the lights flicker above him. He glances up. In the distance, the thunder rumbles.

There’s a flash outside.

And everything goes dark.

Fuck. His. Life.

With a sigh, he pulls out his phone to turn on his flashlight. At least, in this day and age, most people in the shop have the same idea, and soon enough he can see what’s happening.

“It’s probably just a power cut because of the storm,” he announces loudly, because it’s his responsibility to reassure the clients — if that had been something they’d tested for when he was interviewed, he would never have gotten the job. “Lights might come back on soon.” Or not, how would he know. “No reason to panic.”

He scans the faces of students, though he’s not sure what he’s looking for. Some people look worried, others, no doubt those who know that this happens semi-regularly on campus when there’s a storm, because why would your tuition pay to ensure that you have reliable electricity in here, just seem prepared to wait it out. Someone’s already gone back to tapping on their keyboard, though the sound of it is swallowed by that of the rain.

But then, he does a double-take, just to check on an impression that he had, and that confirms what he thought.

You’re not in the room. Most likely explanation is that you’re in the bathroom, but he has to imagine that it’s a pretty freaky experience, when all the lights turn off without warning and you’re all alone.

So, without thinking much about it, he makes his way in that direction. He’s hesitating in front of the door when it pushes open, and he’s suddenly blinded by cellphone light.

“Sorry!” he hears you apologize before he can make out your face. “I, uh, is the power out?”

“It looks like it,” he answers, and then his tone softens. “Are you okay?”

There’s a few seconds of silence, and he can’t quite discern your expression, because you’ve both lowered your lights. He resists the urge to reach for you, to inspect you to see for himself that everything is fine.

“I’m fine,” you answer. “I just—”

Then there’s the crack of thunder, and you jump, gasping, before closing your eyes in obvious annoyance.

“Fuck,” you say, and he wonders if it’s the first time that he’s ever heard you swear. And if it’s weird that he’s kinda into it.

“You scared of storms?” he asks, trying his best to contain the amusement in his voice.

“No,” you protest, a little defensively. “I don’t like being surprised— Fuck!”

Minho knows he shouldn’t laugh, that making fun of you could ruin the trust he’s been trying to build this past month, but at your annoyance for letting yourself be taken by surprise, and considering your obvious lack of fear, he can’t help it. It comes out higher than his usual pitch, a little airy. You roll your eyes at it, but you don’t seem to miss the humor in the situation, because a smile forms on your lips as well.

At that point, because he isn’t one to let an opportunity slip, he reaches out to take your hand in his. Your palm is soft, if somewhat calloused on the spot under your fingers, and after the first moment of surprise, you squeeze his hand in response.

“It’s okay,” he says. “It should be over soon.” Then a pause. “Or maybe we’ll be stuck here until we have to decide who we’re going to eat.”

You laugh at that, brief and light, and as cliché as it is, Minho thinks that is quickly becoming one of his favorite sounds in the world. Especially when he’s the one making you laugh, and not that jackass Joo— Ah, the kid hasn’t technically done anything, and it feels silly to blame him when you’re here with your hand in his.

So he’ll let it go. For now.

As much as he would like to stay here with you, in the dark, away from everyone else, Minho unfortunately has stuff he needs to take care of right now.

“Wanna go back with the others? I think I have to keep an eye on them.”

“Sure,” you say. You don’t attempt to take your hand from his, and so he pulls you along with him. He’s not going to let go if you won’t.

Things in the café are still quiet, and people don’t pay a lot of attention when the two of you come back, except for Jooyeon, who gets up from his seat.

“That must have taken you by surprise,” he says with empathy. “Everything okay?”

“All good,” you reply warmly, and there’s a pinch in Minho’s chest again. “I think we’ll have to postpone the session though. I’ll let you know when I’m free, if that’s okay with you?”

Ugh. Minho tunes Jooyeon’s response out, only waiting for an opportunity to whisk you away. He probably shouldn’t feel this strongly about it, is aware that you’re entirely within your own rights if you want to pick Jooyeon over him, but from his perspective, that doesn’t mean he has to let it be an easy decision to make. He’s not the type to lie down and just watch as that happens.

So the second Jooyeon’s eyes flick back to his computer, Minho’s taking you towards the counter with him. He checks the register once he’s there — which he definitely shouldn’t have let unattended without verifying that it couldn’t be accessed without electricity, oops, his bad — and after having confirmed that everything’s fine, his eyes go back to you.

The spike in his heart rate when he finds you already staring at him surprises him a little. He supposes that he can’t be that jealous without also having that sort of reaction to you. It’s not… unpleasant, actually, though the strength of it surprises him. It’s not the kind of emotion he usually welcomes, he’s used to them feeling less sharp, duller. But he doesn’t reject that one.

Gently, he rubs the back of your hand with his thumb, enjoying the feeling of your skin against his.

“Is there an issue between him and Jooyeon?” you ask, voice soft.

Ah. For someone who’s so completely oblivious about his interest in you, you were sure quick to notice that.

“You could say that,” he replies, and you frown.

“I didn’t know that,” you say, words coming out slow, like you’re figuring out what to say as you go, instead of defaulting to your usual pre-built answers. “Can I ask why?”

Minho raises an eyebrow. Then, wordlessly, he shifts himself so that you’re against the counter, with him standing in front of you. It’s interesting, because he’s almost exactly in the spot where he is every day, and every time he steals glances at you to make his day marginally better. He puts his hands on either side of you, hears you take a sharp breath.

“Is it okay if I kiss you?”

His voice comes out soft and muted, and as he asks, he feels something squeeze at his heart. Maybe because he’s not sure of what you'll answer. Maybe because he could have misread you, thought that you were oblivious when the truth was that you weren't interested. He could be keeping you away from your one true love, Jooyeon, who you’re going to go on to marry and have three k—

“Yes,” you squeak.

Ok, never mind.

Technically you’re in public, but it’s not like anyone’s looking your way, or like they'd see something other than silhouettes when he leans towards you.

It feels so natural when he kisses you. You lift your arms to wrap them around his neck, his hands find their place on your hips. Much to his surprise, you’re the one who presses yourself into him, lips moving softly against his, and it sends a jolt of electricity through his body. Suddenly there’s urgency running through his veins, desire, and his fingers dig harder into you. He kisses you with more intensity, like he’s trying to get rid of any space left between the two of you, and the soft sigh you let out only spurs him on further.

He’s seconds — fractions of seconds — away from doing something stupid when laughter and claps fill the room.

He parts from you, feeling his ears and cheeks turning red already, and discovers that the lights treacherously turned back on, and everyone is looking at the two of you. Protectiveness rushes through him, and he’s about to say something snappy, thinking that you’d be uncomfortable with it, when he realizes that you’re doubled over in laughter. Yes, you look a little embarrassed, but mostly, you seem fine with it.

Which is good, because otherwise he thinks he might have lost the shop a number of customers.

Everyone looks amused and happy for the two of you. Even Jooyeon’s grinning, though the look he gives Minho says, essentially, “Oh that was your problem”. It doesn’t capture people’s attention very long, but there’s something very sweet and human about the moment and how happy it seems to make everyone. Some regulars even exchange glances that seem to mean ‘I told you so’. Ha, he didn’t think he’d ever become campus gossip.

Once there are fewer eyes on the two of you, Minho leans towards you.

“I’ll take you on a date anywhere, as long as it’s not to get coffee.”

Your face lights up.

“I’d love that.”

Working at a coffee shop is not something that Minho finds very fun. Someone who enjoys human interactions more than him might, but it just feels very repetitive to him. Doing the same movements, asking the same questions, having to deal with the same issues from asshole customers who are different but also fundamentally the same person. The ding of cash register, the one of no contact credit cards, the buzzing of the coffee machine. It’s repetitive, but in a way that fills and numbs the mind.

There’s just one sound that he minds a little less now, and it’s the one the door makes when it opens.

Because, every now and again, it means that you’ve just come in.

“Hey,” you say as you reach the counter. You’re smiling so bright, and he loves it because he knows that it’s another one of those things that you can’t help. You’re smiling because he makes you happy, and isn’t that the best thing in the world?

“Dating the barista doesn’t entitle you to free coffee,” he says as he slides your vanilla latte over to you, though he has used his employee discount on everything you’ve ordered lately and he would very much give it to you for free if you didn’t insist on paying for your own stuff.

“We’re still on for tonight?” you ask, taking the coffee from the table.

“You think I’d let you get out of it?” he replies, and you laugh, before taking off to go to your usual table.

After that, he keeps going, keeps doing the same movements, asking the same questions, hearing the same noises. But sometimes, he glances in your direction and finds you focused on your computer, biting your lower lip as you’re deep in thought, or looking at him with a smile, and it makes it all more bearable.

Because you give him something to look forward to.

Taglist: @lethallyprotected @jisuperboard

Conversations with Minho

or what i imagine dating Minho would be like (very fluffy and soft). I'm thinking of making this a series for all the boys, let me know if you'd like that!! :)

warnings: some curse words, brief talk about kids and being a parent.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback <33

"Are those flowers for me?", you squeal when Minho enters the living room, a huge bouquet of baby's breath in his hands. 

"No, they are for the neighbor next door", he smirks and you swat his arm playfully, before grabbing the dainty white flowers from him. 

"What's the occasion, baby?", you question as you carefully place the bouquet in a vase filled with water. 

"They were on discount", he winks and you roll your eyes, humming a "sure sure" under your breath.

When you're done, you skip toward Minho who was watching you- a soft smile on his face. You lace your hands around his neck, and he holds your waist; his thumbs swiping gently on your exposed sides.

"Sooo... Do you know what baby’s breath represent?", you singsong, a huge grin etched on your face.

It all started when you and Minho went on your first date, and he brought you tulips instead of the classic roses. Intrigued, you searched up their meaning and you found out that tulips are a promise of love.

From that moment, you've taken interest in what each flower means- since Minho seemed to express his feelings through every bouquet he brought you. This is how you came to learn that baby's breath represents everlasting love.

"No idea", he grumbles and you laugh at his blushing cheeks.

"I love you too Minho", you whisper, cradling his face between your hands and peppering it with kisses.

"Who said anything about love?", he jokes, eyes closed as if he was savoring the feel of your lips on him.

"So you don't love me?", you lean back, pouting, and ceasing your merciless attack on his face.

"The flowers are never on discount. Now come here", he holds your jaw gently, beckoning you closer to him and meeting your lips in the softest kiss.

'You don't have to bring me flowers', you wanted to say- his lips tell you everything you need to know.

----------------------------------------------------------

"I'm so tired", you whine, hitting your head repeatedly with a book and Minho laughs, looking up at you from the bed.

"Is my baby tired?", he coos, and you throw a pen at him, "Stop teasing".

"Never mind, deal with your tiredness alone", he says, poking his tongue out at you and you do the same.

You stay silent for a few minutes, before swiveling around in your chair, "Minnie, I'm really tired".

At your words, Minho quickly walks toward you and presses a lingering kiss on your forehead. "Is there anything I can help you with?".

"I doubt you know how to write essays on behaviorism", you pout and he places a hand on his heart in mock offense, "I am very good at writing essays. In fact, I am so good at it you should be glad I'm not studying, and leaving you a chance at succeeding".

"Shut up", you laugh and he smiles softly at you, his hand patting down your hair. "You did well today, my yn".

"Even if I only wrote 50 words for a one thousand words essay?".

"Even then", he smiles, grabbing your hand into his and pulling you up, "Come to bed with me? We'll take a nap and then you'll wake up feeling better and you'll work on your essay".

"Will you wake up with me?", you ask, feeling needy.

"I will", he says, pulling you into the bed with him.

"And will you make me that super delicious ramen only you can make?", you pout, snuggling closer to him and he laughs, "Anything you want".

----------------------------------------------------------

"I’m craving ice cream", you tell Minho while you are walking hand in hand at the park near your apartment. It was a newly established routine between the two of you; whenever he'd come home late, you'd go on a quick walk before sleeping.

"Didn't you eat ice cream yesterday?", he laughs and you glare at him playfully, "fuck you".

"Wouldn't you like that", he smirks and you pinch his side in retort, before shaking his arm like a child, "come onnnn, let's play tag and the loser has to buy the other ice cream".

"Fineee. Start running!”, he grins and you do as he says. Minho chases you around and you can't stop the stream of happy giggles that escape your mouth.

Being with Minho healed your inner child, you've learned. You could be 8 years old with him, playing tag in a deserted park. You could be 10, holding his hand tightly when you go to the dentist. You could be 5, sobbing in his lap as a child does. And he has never judged you for it, not once.

Minho quickly catches you, and this time, you are the one chasing him. You almost reach him when suddenly, your ankle twists and you fall to the ground.

"Fuck", you mutter, tears welling up in your eyes.

"Show me where it hurts", Minho kneels in front of you, speaking softly. 

You turn your palms around, which were all scraped and bloody from softening your blow. He grabs them in his, blowing on them gently to ease the pain.

"Here", he squats down in front of you, "piggyback ride, and I'll buy the ice cream".

You jump on his back, his hands securely holding your thighs. "But I lost. I'll buy it", you say in a quiet tone.

"Touch my arm", he tells you and you do as he says.

"See, now I'm tag. You won".

----------------------------------------------------------

"Yn.... yn....", Minho pokes your side gently and you lean away from him. "I'm sleeping, leave me alone".

"I can't sleep", he whines and you open one eye to look at him. "Sounds like a personal problem".

"You are dating me so my problems are your problems", he states in a matter-of-fact tone and you can't help but chuckle.

"Fine. What do you want me to do?"

"Tell me a story", he grins and you roll your eyes at his words. "You literally know every single thing that has happened in my life".

"I know, but I want to hear them again".

"You aren't bored of my stories?".

"No. I like the sound of your voice".

"Just like?", you tease and he smiles, brushing his nose against yours, "I love the sound of your voice, kitten. My personal lullaby".

You beam at his words before squinting your eyes when you realize what he's doing. Minho knows that you can't say no to him when he's this soft with you.

"You really are a menace", you chuckle lowly and he grins.

"Your menace".

----------------------------------------------------------

"Soonie loves me more", you tell Minho and he snaps his head toward you, frowning.

"You're clinically insane if you believe this".

"Look at him, he's all cuddled up against me and not you".

"Because you have that blanket on that he loves".

"Okay let's test it out", you sit down on all fours and Minho follows suit. "Soonie come to me baby. That's right".

"Nooo, Soonie come to daddy".

"Soonie, here, I have a treat for you", you coo and the cat finally comes running to you. 

"That's not fair you bribed him".

"Just accept that he loves me more", you singsong and Minho crosses his arm in front of his chest, sulking.

You giggle and lean down to whisper in the cat's ears, "Go give some love to dad, he's feeling sad". and as if Soonie understands, he runs to Minho, mewling at his feet. Your boyfriend can't resist- of course- and he scratches his shin, just how Soonie likes it.

You sit down behind Minho, wrapping your hands around his waist and your legs around his torso. "Is this how we'll be with our kids?", you chuckle and Minho smiles mischievously.

"Yes, I hope they say dada first". 

"That's so mean of you", you pout and he laughs, head tipped back, "I really really hope our children are just like you, love". 

"Do you want them to whine all day?", you tease and he nods.

"I want them to have your smart eyes and loud laugh, and your competitive spirit and your gentle soul. This way, anyone who looks at them will see all the reasons why I fell in love with you".

You silently kiss his shoulder; overcome by an emotion too strong to be encapsulated in mere words. Thankfully, you don't always need to talk- he knows.

----------------------------------------------------------

"I made you pudding", you tell Minho as soon as he opens the door to your home. He grins at you, kissing the top of your head softly.

"I tried three different flavors, this way you can tell me which one's your favorite and I will redo it for you", you explain and he looks at you, a huge smile on his face, "Did I ever tell you how much I love you?"

"You did... but say it again", you grin cheekily and he giggles, "I love you".

"I should make you pudding more often", you say as you lead him to the kitchen. You take a spoonful of the first flavor and you feed it to him, before having one yourself.

Minho suddenly pulls you in, kissing you wildly as if the only way he could taste the food is through you. When he pulls away, he smacks his lips in satisfaction, "Mm, strawberry. Delicious".

You chuckle and bring out the second one. This time Minho doesn't take a bite; he waits until you eat to kiss you again. "Chocolate, my favorite", he whispers against your lips and you giggle at his antics.

As soon as you taste the final pudding, Minho's lips come crashing down on yours once again; and when he leans away, he furrows his brow as if in deep thought. "Vanilla might be my top one, but I think I should try it again to be sure".

You can't help but laugh at his words, and he drinks your giggles in; the puddings long forgotten. As he hoists you up the kitchen counter, you think to yourself that no dessert compares to the sweet taste of his kisses.

----------------------------------------------------------

"Good morning", you smile at Minho, eyes still half closed.

"Good morning, kitten", he whispers, his hand gently pushing your hair away from your forehead.

The warm sun rays are pouring through your windows, casting an ethereal glow on Minho's face. You stare in wonder at him- you couldn't believe that this man is yours.

"You are so pretty", you tell him, kissing the tip of his nose.

"Even like this?", he chuckles, gesturing to his untamed hair bed.

"Especially like this".

Minho smiles at you, before sneaking his cold hands under your shirt. You yelp, scooting away from him, "What was that for?".

"You were making me all shy", he mutters under his breath as if he didn't want you to hear it.

"I was making you shy?", you laugh, straddling his lap and tickling him. He's quick to flip you over and now he's the one tickling you until you can't breathe.

"Fine, fine, I'm sorry. I won't make you shy again!"

"Compliment me again and I'll stop", he grins mischievously.

"You are so beautiful", you manage to say through your laughter.

"What else?", he asks still tickling you.

"You are the best dancer I've ever seen!"

"I've heard that one before, be more creative", he chuckles as you squirm under his touch.

"I love who I am when I'm around you", you shout and he stops, caging your body with his arms and looking down at you.

"Do you, now?"

"I do", you say seriously.

Minho leans in to kiss you, but he's stopped by the sound of scratching on the door. He curses under his breath as he stands up and opens the door for the cats. "I love you guys but you really need to learn how to read the room".

"Come back to bed", you giggle and he obliges, lying next to you and bringing your body to his once again. The cats hop on top of your legs and you sigh contently, "I want all of my mornings to be like this".

"I can hypothetically marry you and make this happen".

"Is this your hypothetical proposal?", you ask, turning around to face Minho.

"Are you hypothetically saying yes?"

"I am".

"Then, yes. This is my pre-proposal", Minho smiles, his thumb grazing your cheek softly.

"Why not make it a real one?"

"Do you not want a grand proposal?"

"No", you reply instantly. All you really needed was Minho.

"Okay then", he stands up and walks to his closet, taking out a pretty black box from it. He already bought the ring, you realize.

He then joins you again in bed. The look in his eyes is worth a thousand fireworks and fancy dinners- he is looking at you like you are the only sight he wants to see for the rest of his life.

"The cats love you and they can't be children of divorce", he starts off and you laugh, happy tears already gathering in your eyes.

"And I happen to love you too. I want to love you for the rest of my life". You smile softly, whispering a "me too" to him.

"And I promise that even if we grow old and I start to forget everything around me, I won't forget the way you like your coffee, and what your favorite season is. Even if I forget my name, I won't forget you, yn. Because my heart is yours more than it is mine". 

Tears are falling freely from your eyes now, and you make no effort to stop them. You felt as if you could combust from the amount of love you held for this man. And if someone were to gaze upon your body, they'd find his name written all over you. 

He owned you, just like you owned him. 

"Marry me? Say yes".

As the cats nuzzle against your legs, and your feelings for Minho submerge your being- you are sure that what binds your atoms is your love for him; you can't think of a universe where you'd possibly say no.

The only exception

barista Minho x reader. strangers to lovers. slow burn. if you can, listen to The only exception by Paramore while reading :)

Minho was content with straying away as far as possible from love. That is until you stumbled into his café on a rainy night, and unwittingly, into his life.

skz song series masterlist

i.

Minho sweeps the countertop with a blue rug, wiping away the scattered droplets of spilled coffee. He grabs a pastry from the showcase- a blondie with a raspberry drizzle on top, placing it on a plate decorated with dainty flowers. And then he gives it to the middle-aged man sitting near the back of the café. 

Minho is in Aurora, completing his mid-day shift, and yet it feels as if he's only physically there. His body is moving on auto-pilot, mechanically performing the familiar tasks etched into his memory by now. And he likes it, since it drowns out the tumultuous thoughts plaguing his mind.

Minho used to look forward to the days when Marta- Aurora's exceptional baker, would prepare blondies. The alluring aroma of the freshly made pastry would waft through the café, enveloping both Minho and the customers in a soothing embrace. He enjoyed preparing the coffee and drawing different pretty patterns on top of it. He also liked the music playing, and sometimes, the manager would even let him play some of his own playlists. 

But that was before Minho got his heart broken, torn in half, carelessly, as if it didn't belong to a breathing human, but rather to an unfeeling entity. Now, his lattes are void of intricate designs, the blondies prepared by Marta remain untouched, and his mind doesn't register the music playing. 

He's just existing, in a stillness he perfectly curated. He's a placid river, undisrupted, running its usual course day after day. 

Minho watches as the man clad in a polished suit finishes his treat, before getting up and leaving Aurora with hurried steps. He eats alone now, Minho has noticed, and his ring finger is void of the gold band he used to wear.

Perhaps that's what Minho's fate would also be. Eating alone in cafés he used to bring his lover to, basking in the chatter surrounding him, in the desperate hope that it'll fill the void inside him. 

ii. 

it's a Thursday, which means Minho is working the night shift at Aurora. It's pouring rain outside, the incessant water droplets a misty veil that fogs up the café's windows. Amidst the downpour, he catches sight of a couple dashing through the rain, hands tightly clutched into one another. They're giggling, as if the rain falling isn't a nuisance, but rather an elixir heightening their love. Minho looks the other way. 

The door to Aurora is pushed open, and Minho watches as you set foot inside. You're drenched in rain, from head to toe, strands of your hair sticking to your cheek. You exhale in relief, closing your eyes for a split second as the warmth of the café surrounds you- like a childhood blanket tightly wrapped around your being. There is a hint of a smile as you walk to the counter. It only grows when your eyes set on Minho. 

"Hi!" you greet cheerfully and he simply nods in return. The weather was horrible and you were probably uncomfortable from the clothes clinging to your skin, so what were you exactly joyful about?

"Can I have hot chocolate, please? Oh, and a piece of that brownie," you point to the showcase, and he follows your line of sight. 

"Sure, anything else?" 

"No, thank you," you smile, and he nods once again. "That will be 10 dollars." 

"Here," you hand him a crumpled bill and he takes it from you carefully, ensuring your hands don't brush against one another. 

You sit down on a chair near the window, and Minho dutifully prepares your order. He brings it to you once he's done, and you grin at him once again. You smile a lot, he thinks to himself. 

Minho goes on with his tasks, cleaning the dirty cups in the sink and grounding the coffee beans. When he's done, he can't help but notice you grabbing some napkins from the table and dabbing your neck and face dry with them. He sighs to himself before retreating to the café's backroom.

"Here, to dry your hair with," he says, handing you a clean towel.

Minho leaves before you could smile at him again. 

iii. 

It's Tuesday, and Minho has just served a freshly baked cinnamon roll to Mark- the middle-aged man who just introduced himself to Minho after months of frequenting Aurora.

Minho liked having regulars in his shifts, familiar faces to look into. This was part of the reason why he picked being a barista as a part-time job- he enjoyed people-watching. Not in a noisy way; he simply liked imagining the lives of the people surrounding him. It served as a distraction from his own. 

Among the regulars was a woman in her thirties who only ordered a chaï latte with a blueberry muffin. Then there was that one student, with blonde hair and freckles dusting his cheeks. He really despised bitter coffee, always ordering his with abnormal amounts of syrup.

And now, there was you too. You've been coming to Aurora regularly for the past few weeks since your initial visit. Minho still hasn't memorized your go-to order because you don't have one. You pick a new drink each time as if you were on a mission to taste everything on the menu. 

You come here alone, occupying the same seat by the window with your chin resting on your palm. He suspects you enjoy people-watching too since you often gaze outside. You also bring books with you, reading them while sipping on your beverage. Sometimes you write too, in a tiny sage notepad. 

And you smile, god do you smile a lot. At young children passing by in the street, at an elderly couple holding hands, at the black cat that sleeps on the edge of the window. And you smile at Minho. Each time you order, each time your eyes meet his from across the café. Minho likes to believe that happiness was so deeply ingrained within you, it became the very essence of your soul- an intrinsic part of your being you could not part with.

The door to Aurora is pushed open and Minho isn't surprised to see you entering once again, your bag loosely hanging from your shoulder. 

"Hi!" you greet excitedly as you usually do, and Minho simply nods, as he usually does. 

"I'm sorry if this is a bit weird," you preface, piquing Minho's curiosity. "I'm not really craving anything today, so can you make me your favorite drink?"

"My favorite drink?" he repeats, a bit incredulously and you nod eagerly. "Yes, I drink anything and I don't have any allergies, so whatever you prepare is fine!" you smile hopefully at him.

He stays silent, mulling over your request. He goes to say no, but the smile slowly slipping from your face makes a strange pang of guilt wash over him.

"On second thought, I'll just have-"

"Okay," he interrupts, "I'll bring it to you when it's done," he quickly says and the smile etches itself on your lips once again. Minho feels an unexpected relief dawn on him at its sight.

"Thank you! I'm yn, by the way," you introduce.

"Minho," he says, although you can read it on his nametag. 

"Minho," you repeat, and he finds himself itching to hear his name dripping from your lips again.

Minho prepares you an iced americano with cold foam, and two pumps of white mocha, since you seem to enjoy drinks on the sweeter side. He watches breathlessly from the counter as you take a sip of it, closing your eyes to fully relish in its taste. Your nose scrunches up in delight before you quickly turn around to shoot him a thumbs up from afar. 

Minho nods, before turning his back to you. Unwillingly, a small smile tugs at his lips. He's glad you liked it. 

iv.

Another Thursday unfolds following its usual routine. Mark occupies his customary spot in the rear of the café, while the scent of Marta's lemon madeleines permeates the kitchen.

Except you're not smiling. 

Minho finds it odd, how there was no cheerfulness in your steps as you walked to the counter. You did not smile while ordering, and your voice carried a tinge of sadness when you thanked him.

You did not ask about his day, nor about his cats- that was also something unusual for you to do. You've asked about them each time since Minho told you about them. He didn't plan on doing so, he just saw you one day eyeing the stickers of his three cats on his phone case, while he was counting your change.

"Are they your cats?" you asked, pointing at them and he nodded, a faint smile dancing at the corners of his lips.

"They are."

"You must love them a lot. They almost managed to make you smile," you teased, grabbing the rest of the money and walking to your usual seat. 

Minho steals brief glances at you, as he prepares your matcha latte, a drink you seemed to enjoy a lot lately. You're gazing at the window almost soulfully, your back slightly hunched as if there was an invisible weight crushing you underneath it. 

Minho nibbles on his lower lip, contemplating his next move, before grabbing the frothed milk. For the first time in months, he draws a little cat on the surface of your drink, just like he used to do a long time ago.

He brings it to you, and his heart flutters nervously as you gaze down at the cup. He almost second-guesses his action, that is until you beam at him, and Aurora suddenly feels brighter than it did seconds ago. 

v. 

"When does your shift end?" you ask Minho as he sets your perfectly crafted matcha latte on the table- an order he has committed to memory by now.

"In an hour, why?" he asks curiously and you wave your hand dismissively. "Just wanted to know." 

The seconds trickle by slowly, as the hour almost comes to an end. You watch as Minho takes off his apron, running a hand through his hair. It's gotten longer now, silky bangs he tucks behind his ear to keep them from obstructing his vision.

He talks a bit to Seungmin, the other barista that works there. And then he steals a quick glance around the room, where he finds you already looking. You wave him over, and he tilts his head slightly in confusion, before walking to your table. 

"Sit down," you smile, gesturing to the chair in front of you. Minho complies silently.

"Here," you take out a container filled with brownies from your bag. "I never properly thanked you, for the towel and for the little cat you drew on my coffee last week. So, here, thank you," you beam at him while sliding the box in his direction.

"I don't- it's nothing, you didn't have to," he says, and you notice a tinge of pink blush covering the tips of his ears.

"I wanted to. I hope you'll like them, I'm not as good as your baker, but I tried," you confess, smiling sheepishly, and Minho feels a sudden urge to vehemently contradict you, to tell you that they must taste good. And even if they didn't it wouldn't matter, because you baked them for him. And that is enough. 

But he bites the inside of his cheek harshly, physically stopping this rush of words eager to escape his mouth.

"Let's eat them together, hum?" he simply suggests, opening the container and placing a brownie on your plate before taking one himself.

"Is it good?" you ask tentatively and he pretends to contemplate your question for a moment.

"They're horrible, right? I shouldn't have taken creative liberties with the recipe and-"

"Yn, I'm just kidding," he stops you, a soft smile on his face. "They're delicious, see," he says, finishing the brownie in one bite. "Really good," he compliments, reaching for another piece. 

"Okay," you smile in relief, eyes crinkling closed. The sunlight is streaming through the window, casting a golden shadow on your face. You are swaying contently in your place, as you take another bite of the brownie. And you look happy, with him. Minho thinks the brownies are the best he's ever had because he's sharing them with you. Because he got a taste of your happiness through them. 

vi. 

"Can you believe that professor? He failed half the class and he still thinks he isn't the problem." 

You are venting to Minho about your stuck-up Economics professor, while leaning against the countertop. He's listening intently to you, drinking in the details of your face as you talk to him. For some reason, he finds the smile lines on your face mesmerizing, that and the way your eyebrows move with your every word. 

These subtle details have been engraved into his memory since the day you gave him the brownies, two months ago. He has grown fond of you, sitting at your table at the end of his shift without you having to ask. You also hang out outside of Aurora, going on frequent walks and discovering new food spots. He never felt that the conversation between you two was strenuous, or forced. It flowed naturally, like a waterfall knowing exactly where it should go.

He also finds that smiling is easy with you. At your jokes, your stories, and your existence. He's lost count of the times he found himself grinning widely at your words, or smiling softly to himself at the thought of you coming to Aurora soon.

"He's too full of himself to admit he's the one who sucks at teaching," Minho comments and you clap in agreement. 

"Right! And it's so funny because..." You're still talking but your words go unheard by Minho, like a mindless buzz in the back of his mind. He's frozen in his place, his heart beating wildly in his ribcage as he notices the couple who just came in.

His ex, with the man she cheated on him with. 

"Minho? What's wrong?" you call out, snapping him out of his daze. You're eying him worriedly, and only then does he realize how tightly he's holding the countertop. 

"Nothing," he curtly replies, as he plasters a neutral expression on his face. 

He watches as his ex's eyes widen slightly when she sees him. She forgot he was working here. Of course, it'd be easy to do so since she never visited him at Aurora anyways. Despite the flood of emotions cursing through him, Minho maintains a stoic facade, taking their orders as if she's a mere stranger and not the one behind his shattered heart.

As Minho attempts to prepare their coffee, his hand trembles uncontrollably, forcing him to stop before dropping the milk.

He didn't love her anymore, he was certain of it. But still, the sight of her brought unpleasant memories back to the surface. Ones he tried so hard to bury in the back of his mind. And Aurora was his sanctuary. One, she never tainted with her presence. Has she not taken enough from him already? 

"Minho?" you call out softly, and Minho feels guilty because he left you alone with no explanation. Still, when he turns around, he can tell you aren't upset. You are worried, looking at him cautiously. 

"Is everything okay?" you ask once again, and this time Minho can't find it in him to lie to you, so he simply shakes his head no. 

"Your hand is shaking," you observe, before gently grabbing it in yours. You cover his hand with both of your palms, squeezing it lightly to steady the tremors cursing through it. 

Your hand is warm, and very soft, a stark contrast to the sharp emotions surging within him, like pine needles puncturing his heart.

"Would you like me to serve them?" you ask softly, and Minho isn't surprised you picked up on his unease. You're perceptive, it's one of the things he likes about you. 

"Please," he responds quietly. You simply smile, reaching for an apron and wrapping it around your waist. You look adorable, intertwining yourself with his world, and the sight of you eases the ache in Minho's soul.

A few minutes later, you grab the tray from his hands and walk over to their table. Minho chuckles inwardly when he notices that you didn't smile at them, serving them with a blank face, and his chest warms a little.

He has you on his side. 

Five days later, you're sitting besides Minho on a bench; watching the sun as it dips into the ocean, painting the sky in hues of orange and yellow. Yet, the dazzling colors are the last thing on Minho's mind. All he can think about is you. How you helped him with serving the rest of the drinks that day, how he taught you how to work the coffee machines- a solace from the ugly feelings that roared in him.

"Thank you," he abruptly says and you turn to look at him, perplexed.

"For what you did the other day, with the couple that came in. That was, um... my ex and the person she cheated on me with," he confesses quietly, fiddling with his earlobe. He didn't need to tell you, but he wanted to. "I've moved on, it's just... seeing her again hurt. I don't know why." 

Your eyes soften at him, not in pity, but in care. And Minho doesn't mind being vulnerable with you. It's scaring him, but he doesn't mind.

"It's normal for it hurt, it would honestly be weird if it didn't," you smile gently and he sighs in reply, running a hand through his hair. 

"I wish it didn't."

"Love is a powerful feeling, it consumes our entire beings. That's why it hurts when our hearts are toyed with. But love itself doesn't hurt, I feel like it's what makes our world move. You know, the little gestures humans do for one another, that are fueled by love. Like, um... scratching someone's back or peeling someone's fruit. You don't have to do those things, but you do. Because you love the person, and it makes your existence feel gentler, and softer on the heart." You explain, the words leaving your mouth and wrapping around Minho's soul, healing parts of him that he didn't know were bruised.

"My point is, it's normal for you to be hurt. But I hope you don't close your heart entirely to the feeling. Because we may not have grand things in our life, but if there is a hand that brushes our tears away and one that folds our laundry, then that's enough for us to lead a beautiful life."

Minho blinks repeatedly, in a desperate attempt to keep his tears at bay. He felt as if the letters you uttered unfolded and stretched in front of his eyes, morphing into a gentle hand patting his back. Yours.

You smile softly at him, the water's reflection shimmering in your eyes. And Minho thinks that he's standing on the edge of a cliff, ready to dive into the unknown- into you. 

"How do you do it?" he chuckles in disbelief, as he leans a bit closer to you. "You make me want to believe in love again," he pauses, before adding quietly, "but only if it's with you." 

You remain silent as Minho fidgets with his fingers, before tentatively grabbing your hand in his. He doesn't look at you, his gaze fixated on the way your fingers naturally intertwine with one another- as if finding each other after a lifetime of being apart.

"You know, I'd thought I'd always live like this, keeping a comfortable distance between me and people," he says, raising his head to finally meet your eyes, "and up until now I thought I was content with it, with loneliness, I mean. But... but brownies taste sweeter when I'm with you, and Aurora is brighter when you are in it, and smiling feels like second nature around you. And I don't... I don't think I can go back to being lonely again, not when I've had a taste of you in my life." 

Minho's heart is beating wildly into his chest, and he can hear the blood rushing through his ears, frantically, as if to warn him against what he's about to say. But your thumb caresses his palm reassuringly and he wants to try again. With you.

"I- I never wanted to love again, because no one, none of it was ever worth the risk, but you... You are the only exception."

Minho exhales breathlessly and you wrap your arms around his shoulders, pulling him to your chest. You hoped that your warmth would ease his nerves a bit, that your hand on his back would feel gentle on his soul. You didn't want to rush your answer, trying to think of something that will patch up the deeply carved scar in his heart, a perfectly made band-aid in the shape of syllables.

It's a foolish hope, you realize, to instantly quiet the cries of a bruised spirit. So you simply settle on saying the truth sitting on the edge of your tongue.

"It will be quite hard, and scary for you," you whisper placing a tender kiss on his shoulder blade. "But I'll help you, if you'd let me. I'll take care of your heart better than I do with my own."

vii.

"Hey, baby," you smile at Minho, slipping behind the counter to be by his side. He pulls you by your waist, kissing your cheek softly.

"I missed you," he pouts, and you giggle, playing with strands of his hair, "I missed you too."

"Do you know what day it is today?" he asks, a shy smile gracing his face.

"No...?" you trail out and he chuckles, taking your hand in his.

"Don't worry, you didn't miss my birthday. It's just... it's been a year since you first came into Aurora."

"You remember?" you ask in amazement, your heart swelling with love for the man standing before you.

"Mm, how could I forget you? Also," he sneakily points to a table near the back, "my favorite couple is back."

You turn around, a soft gasp escaping your mouth as you find Mark gently holding the hands of his date. You smile happily when you finally notice it- the wedding ring, finally back on his finger.

GHOST OF YOU (PT.1) | lee minho x fem ! reader

cursing & smut & slight angst & fluff & dad ! minho & mom ! reader & more under the cut !! MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

minho is not a man who lives his life looking backward. he doesn't want to regret a moment of his life. he knows he can't change the past. and in most aspects, he would never want to. minho's greatest joy in his life is his daughter. minho's only regret is her mother.

there are so many things you wish you could change about the past. in many ways, you've spent a lot of time looking back instead of looking forward. the one thing you would never change is having your son.

minho--a man so focused on moving forward he refuses to look back. you--someone so focused on the past that you can't bring yourself to look forward. both of you have had your fair share of past hurts. but maybe together, the future will be brighter than it has been for a long time.

SEE PART TWO HERE !!! // read on AO3

want more of this story ? see texts w dad ! minho here ! (coming soon)

for better visualization, find the pinterest board here & spotify playlist here !

GENERAL WARNINGS | mentions of death (no major characters), mentions of reader being previously married, mentions of food / eating, reader gets drunk at one point, slow burn, sexual tension (?), sweet pet names, reader has a son, SWEARING, reader wears minho's shirt at one point, dad minho (please let me know if there is anything else)

SMUT WARNINGS | (NO SMUT IN PART ONE, THESE ARE FOR PART TWO) oral (m receiving), penetrative (p in v) sex, unprotected (consensual) sex (reader mentions she's on birth control & both state they are clean BUT please practice safe sex irl), a lot of praise, minho reassures yn of insecurities, fingering (f receiving), sweet aftercare (please let me know if there is anything else)

WORD COUNT | 15.5k , approx. 1hr 5min read

NOTES | at long last, the first part of dad minho is OUT <33 thank you to everyone for your support and patience <3 i hope you'll enjoy this <3 keep ur eyes out for part two coming in a couple of hours !!

dedicated to all the people who have felt like the past is too much to carry alone. and also to everyone who let me share snippets of this before it was finished only to get as giddy about it as i am. this is for anyone who needs a little extra comfort in a hard place and for anyone who has felt heartbreak so big you worried you’d never come back from it. so actually, what i mean to say, is this is dedicated to all of you. enjoy ♡ 

one

There weren’t many things that Minho regretted in his life. 

Minho had always believed in leading a life lived with no regrets—after all, you can’t change the past once it’s happened, so why would he care about it? He did the things he wanted to, wore what he wanted, said what he pleased, and laughed and enjoyed himself often. There weren’t many things that Minho regretted in his life. But there was one.

“Dad!” Jiyeon whined as Minho carefully tied her shoes. “Hurry! We’re going to be late for class!” 

No, Minho didn’t regret having his daughter. She was the greatest joy of his life. She was his biggest pride. Minho had never loved anyone the way he loved Jiyeon. What Minho regretted was her mother. 

“I know, I know. I’m hurrying. Just want to make sure your shoes are tied properly. Can’t have you tripping over your feet today.” 

Minho thought his daughter was the most beautiful little girl in the world, but sometimes, she looked so much like her mother that it hurt. He could never be upset with Jiyeon for this, of course. It wasn’t her fault at all that her mother’s genetics had been strong. And most of the time, he hardly noticed. But sometimes Jiyeon would make a face that was so reminiscent of the woman he’d once known… It just made his heart ache a little. 

“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” Jiyeon tugged on Minho’s fingers as he slipped into his own shoes, pulling him toward the front door of their apartment. 

Minho laughed a little as he followed her. “Alright, alright, we’re going.” 

Jiyeon’s mother had left when Jiyeon was barely six months old. Or more like… Minho had kicked her out. Sometimes he wondered if that was a big mistake. He wondered if he was really cut out to handle raising a child, especially on his own. He wondered if he was too hasty in his decision. Jiyeon was fine without her mom now, but would she always be?

“Dad, why are you being so quiet?” Jiyeon looked up at Minho as she walked beside him, her tiny hand in his. “You usually talk the whole way to class.” 

He shook his head, smiling down at his daughter. If only she knew just how troubled his mind was. “It’s nothing. Just thinking about the day ahead of us, sweetheart.” 

“Oh. Well, you do have that new class you’re teaching today, right? Is that what you’re thinking about?” 

“Yeah,” he lied, looking ahead of him and clenching his jaw as he breathed deeply. “Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking about.” 

“Haru, are you almost ready to go?” You called down the hall towards your son’s room. He had his first dance class today and had been so excited all week. Now that you were about to leave for the class, though, he seemed to be dragging his feet. 

“Yeah, one minute!” 

At the sound of your son’s voice, you relaxed. He didn’t sound sad or upset, he just sounded rushed. Maybe he just had first-day jitters. You finished packing his backpack with snacks, his water bottle, and anything else you felt like he might need. 

The class you’d signed him up for was an intensive summer course for beginners and it was more of a dance camp or workshop. It would last about seven weeks, and the students would spend four hours a day for four days a week learning the basics of dancing as well as a few routines. It was the perfect way to keep your son occupied while you were at work. 

You could have always left him with a babysitter, but you weren’t sure if you could find someone you trusted. At least this way you knew your son would be doing something fun and active. 

“Mom, do you think this is okay to dance in?” Haru came running out of his room in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. It didn’t look any different than the other three outfits he’d tried on before that, honestly, but you still nodded and grinned at him. 

“It looks perfect, Haru, but if we don’t leave now, we’ll be late. Go put your shoes on, okay? I’ve got your backpack all ready for today.” 

Haru nodded and skipped toward the front entryway of your apartment where his shoes were stored. He sat on the floor and pulled on his tennis shoes. You double checked his bag had a different pair of shoes—you’d read online that the students were asked to bring fresh tennis shoes or dance shoes that would be reserved just for dancing. Apparently “street shoes” would leave a lot of scuffs and marks on the (expensive) floor of the dance studio. 

“Are you excited for your first day of dance classes?” You asked as you ushered him out of your apartment, making sure you had all of your things before locking the door behind you. 

He grabbed your hand and followed you out of the apartment building. “Yeah! I’m really excited! Just wait, Mom, I’m going to be, like, a pro dancer when I finish the class!”

“Of course you are, baby,” you smiled and squeezed his hand in yours. “You can do anything you put your mind to.” 

It didn’t take long for you to arrive at the dance studio—you’d purposefully chosen one that was close to your apartment. When you stepped into the studio, you were immediately struck with how nice it was. Too nice, it felt, for the price you would be paying for your son’s class. Everything was shiny and clean, the decorations were minimal and subtle but still stood out. And what caught your eye the most were the rows of trophies around the room. 

That was another reason you’d chosen this studio. If your son ever decided he wanted to compete in dancing, he would be on a great competition team. This studio was renowned for doing exceptionally well in competitions while also having compassionate coaches. 

You got Haru signed in at the front desk, and the receptionist assured you that in the future, he wouldn’t need to check in, he could just go into his class. You thanked her and then pulled Haru off to the side. “How are you feeling?” 

“Excited! I’ll be fine, Mom, don’t worry about me!” Haru pushed at you a little, seemingly embarrassed by how emotional you were getting over him. 

So you nodded and stood. “You’re right. You’ll be fine. More than fine. You’ll do great. Just have fun, okay? I’ll be back in a few hours to pick you up.” 

Haru hugged you and waved goodbye before changing his shoes and running into the first dance studio where his classes would be taking place. You watched him go before turning to clarify with the receptionist what time his class ended. Once you were certain he was fine and everything was sorted out, you left to go to work. 

On your walk to your office, you allowed your mind to wander. 

There were a lot of times you wished you could change the past. 

There were so many things you would have done differently if you could. You wouldn’t have gotten married so young. You would’ve taken more time to travel and enjoy your youth. You would’ve spent more time with the people you loved. And you would’ve spent less time being angry. There were a lot of times you wished you could change the past. But there was one thing, you would never even dream of changing. 

Having Haru. You’d been young when you had him, sure, but you loved him more than anything. He made all of the hard days easier, made all of the long hours spent working worth it. He was your motivation, your reason for being. Haru was everything to you. 

So you would never wish you could change the fact that you’d gotten pregnant young. You would never change having Haru. 

You were so caught up in your thoughts that you didn’t notice there was someone riding their bike right in your immediate path. At least, not until someone was tugging you out of the way. 

“Watch out!” 

You blinked in surprise, pulled from your spiraling thoughts. You looked at the man who had one hand wrapped around your bicep. His eyes held a concern you hadn’t seen in a long time. And when you looked in his eyes, really looked, your heart stuttered in your chest. You pulled yourself away hastily, fixing your clothes and hoping the embarrassment didn’t show on your face. “Oh, s-sorry. And thank you.” 

You turned to leave before he could say anything to you. You felt warm all over. You couldn’t help thinking about the man’s eyes. About his caring expression. And it made you feel silly. You would never see him again. You didn’t even know his name. Why was he affecting you this much?

Minho watched as you left, his hand still holding Jiyeon’s tightly. Something about you was so intriguing. Jiyeon’s small hand pulling on his again pulled him from his distracted thoughts. He looked down at her, smiling sheepishly and continuing to walk with her to the dance studio. 

“That lady was clumsy, wasn’t she dad,” Jiyeon giggled. “She wasn’t even watching where she was going.” 

Minho laughed and nodded, “Yeah. She was kind of clumsy.”

The receptionist greeted him warmly when he ushered Jiyeon into the studio, sending her to class while he checked in at the front desk. “Good morning Soomin. How has everything been this morning?” 

“All good here! We got the new class all set up and everyone’s been checked in. Jana had me cancel her classes for today since she’s not feeling well, so it looks like it’ll just be your classes today!”

“Perfect,” Minho smiled at Soomin and sat on the corner bench to change his own shoes. “Thanks Soomin.” 

Minho stood and waved at Soomin cheerfully before walking into the studio. He couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face at the sight of the studio full of small children. He hadn’t realized how much he loved kids until Jiyeon was born. Sure, he’d taught dance classes to children in the past, but he’d never harbored such a fondness for them until after he had a daughter of his own. 

“Good morning,” Minho greeted them, standing at the front of the room. “Let’s get started with some stretches and then we’ll do an activity to get to know one another before we start dancing!”

“So, you got Haru dropped off at his first dance lesson today?” Your coworker, and best friend, Ryujin asked, glancing at you as you sank into your desk chair. Your office was right across the hall from hers, so she always saw when you got in and often came to talk to (pester) you at your desk. Everyone in the office knew you were friends, but since you always finished your work on time, no one had any issues with you gossiping from time to time. 

You nodded as you unpacked your bag. You knew you’d have to pick Haru up in just a few hours, but you were determined to get as much done before then as you could. “Yeah. He seems really excited about it. I just hope the dance class is as good as the reviews say. I would hate for him to get discouraged because of a shitty teacher or feel like he’s not learning anything.” 

“Makes sense.” Ryujin agreed as she leaned against the door frame of your office. “What studio did you take him to again?” 

“5-STAR. Fitting, seeing as pretty much all the reviews on their website were five stars. Do you think they paid people to leave all those five star reviews?” You turned your desktop computer on, sighing as you began overthinking again. 

Ryujin shook her head, laughing a little at your downward spiral. “Nah, I’ve heard good things about 5-STAR. I actually danced with one of their teachers growing up. Lee Minho. He’s a phenomenal dancer. Didn’t realize he liked kids though.” 

Ryujin had grown up dancing and had even had the opportunity to dance professionally, but she’d turned it down to follow her dreams of becoming an architect alongside you. She insisted that dancing was just a hobby and she was afraid she’d lose her passion for dancing if she made it her entire career. She didn’t seem to regret her decision, thankfully, and she even led a women’s beginner dance class on the weekends in her spare time. 

“Oh, I didn’t realize you knew Lee Minho. He’s the instructor teaching Haru’s class and summer workshop.” 

“Really?” Ryujin’s eyes widened. “Haru's definitely in good hands. Like I said, Minho is a great dancer. He was offered a chance to dance professionally too. He even did for a while. But then… ah, that’s not my story to tell, I suppose. I should get back to work.” 

Ryujin didn’t say anything else before turning quickly and leaving your office, closing the door softly behind her to give you some privacy and peace to work. You thought for a moment about what she could have meant. But then, what? You shrugged it off. The reason your son’s dance instructor hadn’t continued his professional career was the least of your worries at the moment. You had a project to get done. 

“And, it looks like we’re finished for the day!” Minho clapped his hands together after watching the kids work on the small, easy routine he’d just taught them. Truthfully, he had students with a lot of potential in his class. And of course, a few who may take more time to master the art of dancing. But one boy in particular struck him as someone with a natural talent for dance. Haru. Maybe he’d have to speak with his parents before the end of the summer workshop in a few weeks. 

Minho watched the young kids scramble to get water and finish the last of their snacks while they waited for their parents to arrive. Slowly, parents trickled in, thanking him for teaching their children before herding them out. Time passed and then there was only Jiyeon left and one other student. 

“I’m so sorry!” You panted, peeking into the studio, careful not to step onto the dance floor with your shoes, remembering what the website had said about street shoes. “I was at work and lost track of the time. Haru, sweetheart, are you ready to go?” 

Minho’s eyes widened when he looked at you. You were the woman from earlier that morning. Before he could say anything Jiyeon skipped over to you, voice cheerful as she spoke. “Hey, you’re that lady from this morning! My dad pulled you out of the way of a bicycle guy on the sidewalk! Are you Haru’s mom? You’re really pretty. Haru is nice. And he’s a good dancer. And—”

“Alright, Jiyeon, that’s enough.” Minho interjected, smiling at you apologetically. “We’d better let the nice lady get back to work.” 

“O-oh, I didn’t even realize you were… Um, thank you again for pulling me out of the way.”

He shook his head, shrugging it off. “It’s no problem, really. Although, to address something else Jiyeon said… Haru really does show great potential as a dancer. Obviously, it’s only the first class, but he picks up on routines very well, his form is good, and his movement is great. I’m looking forward to the rest of the class with him.” 

“Really?” Your eyes lit up. Minho took a mental note. “That makes me so glad to hear. He was really excited to start dance classes and I had hoped he would do well so he wouldn’t feel discouraged at all. I think if this summer workshop goes well I want to get him enrolled in some other, more long-term, classes. If that’s what he wants, of course.”

“I think that would be a great idea.” 

“Ah, by the way… I wanted to ask,” you hesitated before continuing, looking away sheepishly. “Did you maybe dance with a woman named Shin Ryujin at one point?” 

Minho looked surprised but then he nodded. “Yeah. We danced together for a while. Why do you ask?” 

“Ryujin’s been my best friend since I was eleven,” you admitted, grinning a little. 

“No shit?” Minho whispered, careful not to let either of the children hear. “Damn, how’s she doing? I didn’t really keep in touch with her after we both stopped dancing together.”

“She’s good! She said you used to dance professionally. Honestly, I’m honored that Haru can learn from you. Ryujin said you’re an incredible dancer.” 

Minho shook his head again, crossing his arms as if closing himself off would chase away his embarrassment. “Ah, she’s giving me too much credit. I’m glad she’s doing well.” 

“If you want, I could bring her by tomorrow when I drop Haru off for class? Maybe you two could reconnect.” 

You weren’t sure why you were trying to push your best friend and your son’s dance instructor together. Ryujin was happy on her own, not interested in relationships, and you didn’t even know Minho. But maybe you actually did know why you were trying to play cupid. You were trying to force away the butterflies in your stomach, the racing of your heart. 

“That would be great, actually! I’d love to talk to her again.” Minho uncrossed his arms and instead pushed them into the pockets of his sweatpants. “And I’d love to talk to you some more. J-just about… Haru and dancing and… maybe get to know you a bit?” 

Oh you were so fucked. 

“Yeah! Uh, yeah. I’d like that. I have to get back to work now, but I’ll see you tomorrow morning! When I drop Haru off for class. A-and I’ll bring Ryujin!” 

Minho offered another kind smile as you gathered your son’s things and led him to the front door of the studio. “Yeah. See you tomorrow morning.” 

So, so fucked.

two

You woke in the middle of the night, heart racing and covered in a cold sweat. Another dream. Always the same one. Always about him. You missed him. But you knew you would always miss him, at least a little bit. 

You brought your knees to your chest, laying your head against them and trying to calm your heart rate. You took a deep breath, willing yourself not to cry. It had been almost four years since everything happened, you couldn’t understand why you still had nightmares about him. 

You stood slowly on shaking legs, making your way quietly down the hall to your son’s bedroom to check on him. You peeked through the crack in the door, feeling your heart calm at the sight of him sleeping peacefully. You smiled a little to yourself as you watched him. You saw so much of his father in him. 

With a sigh, you turned and made your way to the kitchen to get a glass of water before trying to sleep again. As you filled your cup with water, you let your mind wander to a man you had known once. A man you had called your husband once. 

You could see his kind eyes when you closed your own. Could see his gentle smile when you dreamed. Could feel his arms around you when you laid in bed alone at night. Your heart panged painfully in your chest at the memory of him. You could still picture him dancing around your living room, a newborn Haru in his arms. You could still hear his laughter echoing in the halls of your apartment when you were quiet. 

Would there ever be a day when you didn’t think of him? Didn’t miss him? Would you ever be able to live without seeing the ghost of him everywhere—traces of him in everything you did? You weren’t sure you wanted that, if you were being honest. You didn’t want to forget.

You checked the time on the stove. 3:26 a.m. You sighed again and finished your water, placing your empty cup in the dishwasher before going back to your bedroom to try to sleep. You stared at the ceiling in the dark, thoughts of your past lover still running through your mind. 

“Mom?” The sound of your son’s voice from down the hall pulled you away from your reverie and you were quick to get up. 

You opened the door to his room fully, quickly sitting on the edge of his bed beside him. “What’s wrong, baby? Why are you awake?” 

“Had a nightmare,” he mumbled, sniffling sadly. “Mom, will you tell me about Dad again?” 

Your heart clenched. It seemed you were both thinking of him tonight. You smiled at your son, brushing the hair off of his forehead and nodding. “Yeah. I’ll tell you about Dad.” 

Haru closed his eyes, settling into his covers again as you began to tell him about the man he’d never had a chance to really meet. About the man who loved him more than words could express. 

You told Haru about all the times your husband had made you laugh. You told him about your adventures together, about your wedding, about the first day you’d lived in your new apartment. You told Haru about how much his father had loved him. How much he would have wanted to be there with you both if he could be. If it was possible. 

When Haru fell asleep, you kissed him on the forehead and trudged back to your room, heart heavy and mind cloudy with the thought and memory of your past lover. 

Sleep didn’t come easy, and by the time you’d fallen asleep again, your alarm was going off to wake you up. You woke Haru up as well and the two of you got ready quickly so you could get him to his dance class on time. Ryujin texted you to let you know she was on her way to your apartment with coffee.

The two of you met Ryujin downstairs. She handed you the drink she’d gotten you and then reached down to ruffle Haru’s hair. “Hey bud. Excited for your second day of dance?” 

“Yeah! Yesterday was so fun! And Mr. Minho says that I’m a natural!”

“Of course you are,” Ryujin gasped dramatically, smiling at your son. “I’ve been dancing for you since you were in the womb! You must have subconsciously picked up on it.” 

Haru nodded and continued to talk with Ryujin while you walked. You watched them, smiling a little to yourself. It always made you happy to see the joy on Haru’s face when he talked to Ryujin. 

When you walked into the studio, Minho was leaning against the front desk, talking to Soomin, the receptionist. He looked over at you, Ryujin, and Haru when the bell above the door jingled. The gentle look he gave you was enough to make you feel like you were melting into a puddle. And the grin he gave to Ryujin when he noticed her standing next to you made your legs weak. You wished he would grin at you like that. 

“Ryujin!” He cheered, leaving Soomin and giving Ryujin a hug. “Oh my god, it’s been so long. How are you?” 

Ryujin laughed and hugged him back. “I’m really good. Yn and I work together as architects and I teach a beginner women’s dance class on the weekends.” 

“And what about you and Yeji? Are you guys still together.”

“No,” Ryujin shook her head, but the smile didn’t leave her face. “We broke up a while ago. A mutual agreement. We’re still friends though.”

You stood there awkwardly as the two old friends caught up. You thought about maybe talking to Haru and helping him change his shoes, but you had to remind yourself he was already four years old and could take care of himself in this regard. He didn’t need your help like he once did. And you couldn’t only talk to toddlers. 

“Yn?” 

You realized Ryujin was talking to you, both her and Minho looking at you expectantly. You felt warm and you looked down in embarrassment. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“Minho asked if you would want to get together at the park this weekend. Him and his daughter, you and Haru, and me. And then I could host dinner at my apartment for all of us.”

“O-oh.” You looked from Ryujin to Minho. His eyes were kind, as always. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t want to get to know him just a little bit. “Yeah, sure. That sounds nice. I’m sure Haru would enjoy spending time with someone his age anyway.” 

Minho nodded, “Then it’s settled. We’ll meet on Saturday. Around 2:00 p.m.? And afterwards we’ll all go to Ryujin’s for dinner.” 

“Perfect!” Ryujin agreed, clapping her hands together happily. “Well, yn and I will get out of your hair now. We’d better get to work anyway. Yn will be back in a few hours to get Haru.” 

“Yeah. I’ll make sure to be punctual this time.” 

Minho waved it off and laughed a little. “Don’t worry about it. I don’t have a class right after theirs anyway, so there’s no need to rush.”

“I’ll be on time anyway.” 

“I’ll look forward to seeing you, then.” Minho grinned at you, the same grin he’d shown Ryujin when he saw her. 

You grinned back. 

“Do you like Minho?” Ryujin asked when you were halfway to your office from the dance studio. 

“I don’t even know him.” 

“Yeah, but…” She hesitated but then shrugged and continued anyway. “Do you think you could like him? Do you like what you know of him so far?”

“I guess.” You felt slightly embarrassed that she was able to see through you so easily. Then again, you’d been friends since you were eleven. There wasn’t much about you she didn’t know about, not much she couldn’t read.

She nodded in affirmation, humming a little to herself. “He’s a good guy.” 

“I can tell.” 

“I just mean,” she sighed, stopping on the sidewalk and making you stop with her. “If something happens… if you develop feelings for each other, you shouldn’t feel guilty. You deserve to be happy as much as anyone. Don’t sabotage a good thing for yourself.”

You looked at her, blinking slowly. You knew exactly what she was talking about. You knew. You wished you didn’t. You wished there wasn’t that voice in your head that told you to be guilty even thinking about something coming out of getting to know Minho. You wished you believed her, wished you could follow her advice.

You didn’t say any of that. You just nodded. “Yeah. You’re right.” 

Minho would be lying if he said he wasn’t attracted to you. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t even a little bit interested in you. But he’d also be lying if he said he didn’t feel guilty for thinking about trying out a relationship. Not because of you, just in general. Because he was so much more than just a man. He was a father. 

And more than that, he was scared. He didn’t have the best relationship track record, honestly, and he was so terrified of getting hurt again. Of Jiyeon getting hurt. He couldn’t do that to her. And he wasn’t sure he could go through another bad relationship either. 

He tried to put his thoughts behind him when class started, tried to focus on the kids and on dancing and teaching. He thought he was doing a decent job of masking his thoughts and emotions, actually. Until his daughter tugged on the bottom of his shirt. 

“Dad, it’s time for our water break now. We should take a pause.” 

Minho blinked a couple of times and nodded in agreement. “Yeah. You’re right, thank you Jiyeon. I got distracted. Everyone, let’s take a five minute water break!”

Minho sighed as the kids scattered to drink water. He took a drink from his own bottle, trying desperately to clear his mind. He couldn’t believe he was getting so worked up over the thought of a relationship—he’d been fine the past four years, so why were these feelings being stirred up now? 

Minho looked over at Jiyeon. She was giggling beside Haru who had his chest puffed out proudly since he’d made her laugh. Minho couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face at the sight. He couldn’t lie, seeing Jiyeon getting along so well with the other kids made him wish, just a little bit, that Jiyeon had a sibling. 

He’d been an only child growing up, but he’d found brothers in his seven best friends so he’d never truly been alone. But Jiyeon… she didn’t really have anyone other than the friends she made in dance class who came and went often, never sticking around for very long. His heart ached a little at the thought that she might be secretly feeling lonely.

“Okay, water break is up! Let’s finish up the last of this routine before class ends!”

three

Before you knew it, it was Saturday. 

Haru had been bouncing off the walls all day. He had been over the moon when you told him you’d be meeting up with Minho, Jiyeon, and Ryujin at the park that afternoon. He’d quickly gotten close to Minho’s daughter during their dance classes, and honestly, the sight of them giggling together as they put their shoes on had warmed your heart. 

“Mom, I’m so excited to see Jiyeon!” He cheered to you as you helped him put his shoes on and get ready to go to the park.

You smiled gently at him, “Yeah? You guys are pretty close now, aren’t you?”

“Jiyeon is my best friend!”

You were honestly relieved he’d found friends through the dance class. That was always something that had been hard for you, especially after your husband had passed. You worried he wouldn’t find friends, worried he’d feel lonely, worried he’d resent you for being reclusive. But things seemed to be looking up now. For the first time in almost four years, things were looking up. 

You wondered if it was time to start looking forward instead of backward. 

When you arrived at the park, you quickly spotted Minho. He was sitting on a bench, watching as Jiyeon played on the playground. Ryujin didn’t seem to be there yet. You pointed Jiyeon out to Haru and watched as he ran to say ‘hi’ to her. You sat beside Minho on the bench.

Minho looked over at you when you sat next to him, nodding a little in greeting before turning again to look back at his daughter and your son. “Hey.”

“Hi.” Your voice sounded strained to your own ears, though you weren’t sure why. “Is Ryujin here yet?”

“No. I haven’t seen her.” Minho shook his head but didn’t look at you.

You didn’t say anything else, suddenly feeling a little awkward and self conscious around him. He kept his eyes fixed forward, so you snuck glances at him out of the corner of your eye. You never really took the time to look at him before, always so embarrassed, keeping your eyes on your shoes. But now that you did look at him, you couldn’t stop your heart from fluttering. 

His hair was light—sort of blond—but dark brown at the roots. He must have dyed it. His eyes were dark, though the brown glowed honey when the sun shone on them. His skin looked smooth—soft—and you made a mental note to ask him if he used a specific kind of moisturizer. Your eyes wandered over the rest of his body—broad shoulders, strong arms, big hands, muscular thighs. He wore a t-shirt and shorts due to the summer heat, but somehow he looked so stunning, so attractive.

“Hey guys! Sorry I’m late!” Ryujin’s voice pulled you away from your shameless staring. You quickly looked over your shoulder at her and smiled, grateful for her presence so she could save you from the awkward silence. 

Minho stood, giving her a hug. Your stomach flipped uncomfortably. “No worries, Ryu. Yn and I only got here a few minutes ago too.” 

Ryujin sat on the bench beside you and you hugged her. Though when Minho sat back down, you could feel him pressed against your side. The bench really wasn’t made for three people, so you all crowded together. You tried to ignore the way your heart sped up when his bare thigh brushed against yours. 

“Yn, did you know that our company actually designed Minho’s dance studio?” 

“What?” You looked at Ryujin, eyes wide in surprise. You hadn’t realized your company had been the one to design the studio Minho worked for. Fate seemed to be thrusting the two of you together more than you thought. “I didn’t know that… Wait did you say Minho’s studio—”

“Yeah! Minho owns the studio.” Ryujin grinned slyly and Minho looked away, cheeks darkening in embarrassment. 

You turned to look at Minho fully. “Wow, that’s incredible!”

“A-ah I just… love to dance. I wanted there to be another place for people to dance and feel safe doing so.”

You nodded in understanding and turned to watch your son and Jiyeon play. They were swinging from the monkey bars now, laughing as they went. You listened as Ryujin and Minho caught up, talking about all they’d missed in each other’s lives over the past four or five years. 

Ryujin explained how she’d become very career driven and didn’t have time to date. Minho explained he was very focused on taking care of his daughter and also wasn’t interested in dating at the moment. You chimed in, agreeing with Minho. Taking care of a child all on your own was hard work—you certainly didn’t have the time for a relationship.

“So, how is Haru doing in class?” You finally asked Minho. “Is he behaving? Making friends? Dancing well?”

Minho nodded, looking out over the playground as he spoke to you. He hadn’t made eye contact with you the entire time you’d been sitting together. “Haru is one of my best students. He’s well behaved, of course, and gets along well with the other kids. They all like him. He’s easy to be friends with. And his dancing, as I mentioned before, is fantastic for his age and for this being his first dance class. If he wants to continue on, I would recommend getting him enrolled in some more permanent, long-lasting, classes after the summer workshop ends.” 

“Ah, that’s great to hear!” Ryujin sighed happily, leaning back against the bench and smiling as she watched Haru play with Jiyeon. 

“He seems to really enjoy dancing. He talks about it all the time now.” You grinned, pride filling your chest. “I think the chances are high that he’ll want me to enroll him in further classes.”

“You know, it’s no wonder he’s a good dancer. He has me for his aunt!”

“You didn’t pass him any genetics, Ryu—”

She scoffed, glaring at you playfully. “That doesn’t matter. I’ve been dancing for him since he was in the womb. He picked it up from that.” 

“... Like osmosis?” Minho tried to hold back his laughter as he spoke. 

Ryujin nodded, matter of factly. “Yeah. Like osmosis.” 

“I don’t think that’s how it works—” You stopped when she looked away, pouting. “But, sure. He got his dancing skills from you, Ryujin.” 

Minho laughed finally and Ryujin glared at him. He didn’t care, he kept laughing. You adored the way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed fully. You adored the way he got along well with Ryujin. You adored the way he cared for his daughter. 

“Anyways,” Ryujin said loudly, cutting off Minho’s laughter. “I just remembered I don’t have any food at my house. Minho, could we do dinner at your place?”

He nodded and smiled at her reassuringly. “Yeah, it’s no problem. Yn, are you or Haru allergic to cats?” 

“No, why?”

“Well,” he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I have three of them.”

Your eyes lit up, “Really? How precious. What are their names?” 

“Sooni, Doongi, and Dori!” He looked proud when he spoke of them. “I’ve had them since before Jiyeon. They’re getting older now, but… they were my first babies.”

You nodded, smiling along with him and Ryujin as he spoke about his pets. “That explains why you’re so good with kids, then.”

He shrugged but didn’t say anything else for a long moment. After sitting in silence for a few minutes, he clapped his hands together and stood. “Jiyeon and I should probably go if we’re hosting dinner. I need to pick up some groceries.” 

“No!” Ryujin stood too, crossing her arms. “Let Jiyeon stay and play. And Haru too. Take yn to help you with the groceries! I’ll stay and watch the kids!”

“Oh, Ryujin, I don’t know if—”

She pouted harder at you, “Please? You know you can trust me! And they’re having so much fun right now. Plus, you’d be a much better help with the groceries than Jiyeon. No offense, but she’s four. She can’t exactly carry as much as yn can.”

“Well, she’s not wrong about that,” Minho laughed and looked at you, his eyes tender and kind. “Do you want to come help me with the groceries?” 

You looked at Haru playing with Jiyeon. Then back at a pouting Ryujin. And finally, at Minho. You stood, dusting yourself off to play off the way you shivered when Minho grinned at you. “I guess it’s alright. But promise you’ll call if anything happens, Ryu, okay?”

“Of course,” she saluted at you and sat back down. “I’ll call if anything happens.”

You looked at Minho, the butterflies rising in your stomach again. “Should we go now?” 

He nodded, “Yeah. Let’s go.”

The grocery store, thankfully, wasn’t far from the park or from Minho’s place. So the two of you planned to walk to the grocery store from the park and go straight to his apartment afterward. He would start on dinner and Ryujin would come back when the kids were done playing.

While the part of you that was just a woman was thrilled for this time alone with Minho, the part of you that was a mother spoke louder and the nervousness took over. Minho kept a distance between the two of you as you walked, careful not to let your shoulders brush or invade your personal space. You appreciated the respect he had for you.

“Sorry to drag you along with me,” Minho apologized. He still wasn’t looking at you. You wished he would.

You shook your head. You didn’t mind coming with him, really. “I don’t mind, honestly.”

“Okay.”

“Can I ask you a question?” 

“Yeah,” he breathed, eyes still fixed ahead. “Sure.” 

“Why won’t you look at me?” 

That seemed to surprise him. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “Do you want me to be honest?”

“Yeah, of course.” 

“I’m trying to be good.” He looked at you, eyes dark with some unknown emotion. “It’s hard for me to behave when I look at you.”

His jaw clenched as his eyes raked over you. Your stomach fluttered again, but it was different this time. You looked away first. He started walking again and you followed behind him. 

“Let’s just get the groceries and get back to my apartment.” 

Neither of you said much else as you got the groceries. Minho didn’t look at you for longer than a few seconds. And you didn’t look at him. The walk back to his apartment was silent too. He texted Ryujin to tell her he was starting dinner and that she could bring the kids back whenever they were all ready. 

“So, this is my place.” Minho placed the groceries on the kitchen counter, turning around to watch your reaction. He crossed his arms, leaning against the counter as you looked around. 

It was a decently sized place and was decorated nicely. The styling of the house reminded you of the way the studio was styled—clean and minimalistic. There were plants on the window sills, a cat tower in the corner of the living room, and the counters were all clean. A part of you thought it looked too clean for a single man with a toddler, but you remembered Ryujin mentioned he liked to keep his space tidy. 

“I’m kind of a nervous cleaner,” Minho murmured as you joined him in the kitchen. “I clean when I can’t sleep or anxiety is eating at me.” 

“You’re better than I am,” you laughed, swiping a finger across the countertop and admiring the lack of dirt there. 

He shrugged, biting back a smile. “Maybe. It doesn’t matter though. Being a single parent is hard, even if my apartment doesn’t show it.”

“Yeah,” you sighed, leaning against the counter opposite him. “You can say that again.”

“Mmm. I should start dinner now.” Minho hummed and opened the pantry where he had an apron hanging. 

Minho put the apron on and washed his hands before gathering all of the food and ingredients he would need. You moved out of his way, sitting at the barstool behind the counter to watch him. He moved with a familiar ease in the kitchen and if you hadn’t gathered before that he was in his element there, you could certainly see it now. 

“Have you always liked cooking?” 

He laughed a little but didn’t look back at you. “Yeah, I guess. In college my friends always came to my place and asked me to cook because they either hated doing it or were shit at it. Eventually it just kind of… became my thing. And after Jiyeon was born, I enjoyed it even more.” 

“I might have to have you teach me a thing or two someday, then.” 

“I’d like that.” 

You could hear the smile in his voice and it made you feel a little better. Truthfully, you were still reeling from his confession earlier. What did he mean it was hard to “behave” when he looked at you? You hardly knew each other. Your son had only been going to dance classes for a week and you’d hardly had a full conversation with him. Though, you supposed you could sort of relate in a way. You hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him the entire week. Maybe that’s what he meant. 

Your thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and the sound of Jiyeon calling for her father, your son and Ryujin not far behind. 

four

The saying goes, ‘time flies when you’re having fun.’ You could verify first hand that that was true. The next six weeks of Haru’s summer dance workshop passed quickly, and it was time for the recital where the students would show off what they’d been working on over the past seven weeks. You were more than excited to watch Haru dance. He’d been working so hard, even practicing at home in the evenings. 

And you had a surprise for him. Your parents would be coming to watch his recital and taking him to spend the weekend with them. You weren’t sure what you would do with a whole weekend to yourself, but you knew it would be good for Haru to spend some time with his grandparents. 

There was one other surprise that not even you knew about, however. Your late husband’s parents were also coming to the recital. You had, of course, invited them but they’d told you they were going to be out of town unfortunately. Little did you know they were coordinating with your parents to surprise both you and Haru. 

When your husband had passed, you had expected to be cut off from his family. It had been quite the opposite—they supported you more than you could have hoped for. You were as much family to them as he was, they said. And of course, they wanted to be in Haru’s life as well. You didn’t see them nearly as much as you would like to these days, but you were grateful for them just the same. 

You sat beside your parents in the auditorium, waiting for the recital to start. You looked over when someone sat beside you and your jaw dropped. It was your mother-in-law. 

“I thought you were going to be out of town!” You hugged her and she laughed as she hugged you back.

“Yeah, we might have fudged the truth a little.” She pulled away and you hugged your father-in-law next. “We wanted to surprise you and Haru. I know your parents are taking him for the weekend, so we might spend some time with the three of them as well this weekend, if that’s alright?”

“Oh, yeah, of course! Haru would love to spend some time with you guys.”

Before anyone could say anything else, the lights in the auditorium dimmed and Minho stepped out onto the stage, a pleasant smile on his face. You relaxed a little when you saw him. Over the past seven weeks, you’d gotten a lot closer to him. You met up regularly to let your kids play together and also to get to know one another better as well. 

“Good evening,” he started, leaning forward to speak into the microphone. “I’m so pleased to see all of you here tonight, supporting the hard work your children have put in to prepare for the recital. My name is Lee Minho and I am the owner and lead dance instructor here at 5-STAR Dance Studio. I’ve worked personally with many of the students who will be performing tonight and can attest first hand to their talent, dedication, and growth. 

“I hope, as you watch your children dance tonight, you will see all of their countless hours of hard work, all of their determination, and all of their passion for this art. Thank you for supporting our studio, but most of all, thank you for supporting your children and helping them to accomplish everything they’ve been hoping for and dreaming of. Without further ado, let’s start the recital.”

The recital started off well. You were enjoying yourself, happy to be watching such talented young dancers while also getting to sit beside some of the people you loved most in the world. Anticipation welled up inside of you as you watched and waited for Haru’s class to perform their routine. 

After several dance numbers, it was time for Haru’s class. You watched as the young students, ranging from four to seven years old, shuffled onto the stage. You could see Minho standing on the floor directly in front of the stage, ready to lead the students in their routine. When all the students were in their correct positions, the music started and the kids began to dance. 

Many of them (most of them) skipped around the stage, their movements not completely memorized or accurate—it was to be expected after only a short summer course full of young first time dancers. But your eyes were glued to your son. He was on time, he knew the dance, and he was good at it. Sure, it wasn’t the most difficult choreography, but he was four and he was dancing and he was good. Pride welled in your heart as you watched Haru dance. 

Your parents filmed Haru’s entire performance from beside you and when the dance was over, you clapped and cheered louder than anyone else in the auditorium. You beamed the rest of the night, even though you hardly paid any attention to the other dance numbers. 

When the recital ended, you were quick to find your son, hugging him tightly and congratulating him for his achievements. “You did so good my love!” 

“Mom!” He giggled, pushing you away a little so he could breathe properly without you crushing his lungs. 

It was then he noticed your parents and your husband’s parents. His face lit up even more and cheered as he gave all of them tight hugs. He already knew he would be spending the weekend with your parents and his bag was already packed. Though, his other grandparents being there was a surprise to him. You watched, smiling, as he chattered cheerfully with his grandparents. 

“Yn!” You looked over your shoulder at the sound of your name. Minho. He waved at you as he made his way toward you, a small smile playing on his lips. 

You smiled back. “Minho! Hey! These are my parents and my in-laws. Guys, this is Minho, Haru’s dance instructor.”

Minho’s smile faltered a little at the mention of your in-laws, but if anyone noticed this, they didn’t say anything. He extended his arm for them, bowing slightly when he clasped hands with each of them. 

“It’s lovely to meet all of you. Haru’s been great in class. And he’s a very talented dancer. It’s been a pleasure to teach him.” 

“He’s loved your class Minho,” you chimed in, hand finding its place on his bicep. “And we decided to enroll him in a more long-term class. I’ve already filled out all the paperwork and turned it in to Soomin.” 

He smiled wider at that. “Ah, really? I’m looking forward to it then! I should probably keep making my rounds. Great job tonight Haru. I’ll talk to you later, yn.” 

Once he’d left, your mother-in-law turned and shared a look with your mother. Then she looked at you pointedly. “He seems like a charming young man.” 

“What do you mean by that?” You narrowed your eyes at that, poking her teasingly. “He is a charming man, but I have a feeling that’s not quite all that you’re saying.” 

“He just seems charming.” She shrugged, grinning at you. 

“You two would be good together.” Your own mother interjected. “Is he single?”

“Mom!” 

“What? I’m just asking!” 

You scoffed, crossing your arms and hoping they couldn’t see how flustered you were. “He’s single but he doesn’t have time for dating. He has a daughter to take care of. And quite frankly, I don’t have the time either.” 

“You don’t have time,” your mother-in-law spoke softly, reaching out and touching your shoulder, “or you feel guilty?” 

“I—” You breathed in sharply, freezing in your place. 

Her face softened. “Yn, you deserve to move on. He would want you to move on. There’s nothing wrong with finding new love.” 

“Grandma!” Haru spoke before you could, tugging on the hem of your mother-in-law’s skirt. “Are you going to come with us for ice cream?” 

She nodded. “If your other grandma says it’s okay for us to come!” 

You were not included in these plans. It marked the start of his weekend with his grandparents. You didn’t mind though. You smiled at them, moving on from the words that had shaken you to your core. You crouched down in front of Haru.

“Be good this weekend, okay? I’ll see you on Monday.” 

Haru hugged you and you had to resist the urge to break into tears. It was hard to part with him even for a weekend. He smiled at you and you knew you would be alright. “Okay! Bye Mom! I love you!” 

“I love you too, sweetheart.” 

You watched as your son left with all of his grandparents, smiling fondly at the group of them. As you prepared to leave yourself, you felt a hand on your shoulder. You turned to look at the person to your left and relaxed, seeing Minho standing there again. 

“Sorry to startle you,” he mumbled, looking away shyly. “Um, Ryujin invited me to go out for drinks with her since my parents are watching Jiyeon this weekend. She said your parents are watching Haru and I should ask if you want to come with us.” 

You tried to think of the last time you went out for drinks—the last time you did so with Ryujin at that—and couldn’t remember. Your son would be gone all weekend. Going out with friends would be better than staying alone in your bed all weekend… right? So you nodded. “Sure, I’d like that.” 

Minho took his hand off your shoulder. “Did you drive here?” 

“No,” you shook your head, crossing your arms over your chest. “We took the bus.” 

“You can ride with me then. I have a car.” His easy grin never faltered as he offered to drive you.

“Okay,” you smiled back, stomach filling with butterflies again as you looked at him. “Should we go then?” 

He grabbed your hand and began to lead you through the crowd. “Yeah, let’s go.” 

Once you were outside of the lobby of the auditorium, out in the fresh night air, you breathed deeply, closing your eyes and taking in the freedom the open space brought you. It was still a bit warm from the heat of the day, and despite being in the city, it felt easier to breathe out here than it did inside the stuffy auditorium. 

Minho let go of your hand. You tried not to show your disappointment.

“Mmm, it’s easier to breathe out here,” he murmured, closing his eyes and tilting his head up for a moment.  

You watched him, tilting your head back as well and looking at the stars as you breathed deep again. “Yeah. It’s nice.” 

“It’s been awhile since I’ve had the chance to just… breathe like this. Kids don’t really… stop to just enjoy these moments—this stillness.” 

He was right. Kids were always on the move, never stopping for more than a second. They didn’t quite appreciate the quiet of a summer night, the breeze cooling their skin. You nodded in agreement. “When I was younger, I didn’t understand why my parents lingered in doorways instead of leaving right away. I didn’t understand why they wanted quiet. But I understand now. Life moves so quickly. I wish I’d appreciated it more early on.” 

Minho was quiet for a long moment, staring at the stars alongside you, hands shoved deep in his pockets. He sighed a little, content, and looked over at you. You were still looking up, eyes scanning the stars for familiar constellations. He looked away and started walking again. You followed in silence.

“So, uh, your… in-laws? I didn’t realize you’re married.” 

His voice sounded strained, awkward. You realized it was because he felt a little guilty for flirting with you over the past seven weeks. You cleared your throat, willing the tears pricking the back of your eyes away. “I’m not. Not anymore, anyways. My husband… he passed away in a tragic accident a few months after Haru was born.” 

“Oh.” Minho wanted to slap himself in the face. He felt terrible for bringing it up—why couldn’t he let his curiosity fade? “I am so sorry. I-I didn’t know. I shouldn’t have asked—” 

You shook your head, smiling weakly at him. “It’s fine, Min. You didn’t know. It’s okay, really. It still hurts to think about him, but… it hurts a little less each day.” 

Minho didn’t say anything else on the topic and you were grateful. He led you to his car and helped you in, making sure you were safe before he started to drive. “Ryujin told me to meet her at a place ten minutes from here. It’s kind of close to all three of our apartments.” 

You nodded and stared out the side window as Minho drove. That didn’t last long—your eyes were pulled to Minho in the driver’s seat. He had one hand on the steering wheel and the other rested on the gearshift. His eyes were fixed ahead, focused entirely on driving. You could tell he was trying not to say the wrong thing. 

“I haven’t gone drinking in a long time,” you murmured, looking away from him so he didn’t catch you staring. “I might be a lightweight now.” 

He laughed a little and you smiled to yourself, proud that you’d made the ever stoic minho laugh at something you said. “I’ll take care of you tonight, don’t worry. I’ll be designated driver.”

“Don’t you want to drink too?” You frowned a little at his statement, looking at him curiously. 

“I don’t really care,” he shrugged, not sparing you a glance. “I don’t mind not drinking tonight. There will be other nights for me to drink with you and Ryujin, I’m sure.” 

You liked that answer—liked that he seemed to be admitting he wanted to grow closer to you and spend more time with you. So you nodded, not saying anything else the rest of the drive to the bar and grill where Ryujin was waiting. 

She was sitting at a table outside when Minho parked. She watched the two of you through narrowed eyes as Minho helped you out of the car, grinning slyly when she caught your eye. You scoffed and crossed your arms, hoping she couldn’t see right through you (even though you knew she could). 

“Nice of you guys to finally show up,” Ryujin teased, standing and giving Minho a quick side hug before pulling you into a longer, more heartfelt one. “I was starting to wonder if maybe you stood me up to go out together.” 

“Never, Ryu.” Minho chuckled lowly, sitting across the table from you and Ryujin.

Your face felt hot as you looked at the menu Ryujin placed in front of you. “I didn’t think we took that long.” 

Ryujin bumped your shoulder with her own, still smiling wide. “You didn’t. I’m just teasing you.”

“Order whatever you want,” Minho said softly as he inspected his own menu. “It’s on me tonight.” 

“Oh, no that’s okay! You don’t have to—”

Minho looked at you and your words died in your throat. “I want to. So order whatever you want.” 

“I’m getting the most expensive thing then!” Ryujin joked, leaning back in her seat comfortably. “The most expensive beer and this expensive bulgogi.” 

Nothing on the menu was very expensive, actually, as it was a small local place. That was the joke though—even the most expensive thing there was hardly anything out of Minho’s pocket. You were still a bit hesitant to accept his kindness, but he was sincere and when he looked at you the way he was looking at you right now, it was hard to say no. 

So you pointed out what you wanted. Minho waved a server over to your table and ordered for the three of you. He thanked the server as they left to give the order to the cooking staff. 

“How did our little Haru do tonight?” Ryujin asked, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin on the palms of her hands. 

“He was great!” You beamed proudly as you spoke of your son. “You would have loved to watch him. I can’t believe he’s only been dancing for seven weeks.” 

“He’s pretty incredible,” Minho interjected, nodding along with a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. 

Ryujin pouted dramatically, “Damn, I really wish I could’ve been there to see him. If only I didn’t have to finish that stupid work project.” 

“Don’t worry, Ryu,” you patted her reassuringly on the back. “There will be other recitals for you to come to. I enrolled him in one of the long-term classes at Minho’s studio.” 

Ryujin’s eyes lit up at that and Minho tried to hide his proud grin. 

It wasn’t long before the server returned with your food and drinks. Minho, true to his word, only had water. When Ryujin asked him why he wasn’t drinking with you, he just shrugged and said he was going to be the designated driver. The three of you talked and laughed well into the evening, and several drinks later, you were feeling a bit delirious. 

“Minho,” you slurred as he helped you to his car, “Listen to me!” 

“I’m listening.” 

His voice was calm, quiet. In the midst of your alcohol induced haze, you were grateful for the softness of his voice and demeanor. It relaxed you. “You are, like, the prettiest man I’ve ever met but shhhh don’t tell that to my husband.” 

“I won’t.”

“It’s not like you could anyways,” you frowned slightly, but you didn’t feel sad thinking about him like you did when you were sober. “He’s not around anymore. I guess, don’t tell Ryujin either, then.” 

“I won’t tell Ryujin.” 

“Minho, are you taking me home now?” 

“I am.” 

You hummed a little to yourself, eyes drooping tiredly as he started to drive. You hadn’t been this drunk in a long time. Ryujin had thought it was funny—she hadn’t seen you like this in years. Minho was soft and quiet and concerned, but he didn’t voice that to you. He just helped. 

When you arrived at your apartment, Minho helped you there as well. You kicked your shoes off and frowned when you didn’t see Haru’s shoes by the door. “Where’s Haru? Haruuuuu?”

“He’s not home right now,” Minho spoke gently, helping you to the kitchen to get a glass of water. 

“Why not?” 

“He’s staying with your parents for the weekend, remember?” 

“Oh,” you frowned deeper and took a sip from the glass of water Minho handed to you. “I guess I forgot. Must be the alcohol. Minho, I’m tired.” 

“Let’s get you to bed then.” 

Minho helped you to your room, catching you when you tripped over your feet and almost fell to the floor. When you got to your bedroom, he helped you to your bed, about to tuck the covers in around you when you whined and thrashed below him. “No, I can’t sleep in these clothes! You have to take my jeans off.” 

“Yn,” he sighed and you missed the lust that flashed momentarily in his eyes. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Can you do it yourself? After I leave?”

“No,” you pouted. 

“Please?” 

You shook your head. “No. I need your help.” 

He sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re going to be pissed at me in the morning when you remember this.” 

“No, I won’t be.” 

He clenched his jaw and watched as you pouted up at him with big round eyes. He dragged his fingers through his hair and then gave in. “Okay. Lift your hips for me, sweetheart.” 

“Oh,” you giggled a little and lifted your hips. “I like when you call me that.” 

He didn’t respond as he focused on dragging the zipper of your jeans down and unbuttoning them. He took a deep breath and hooked his fingers through the belt loops before tugging them over your hips and down your legs. He glanced at your underwear for a split second, then looked away in shame. It was too late, though. The image of your lacy black underwear was seared onto his brain.

You kicked your jeans the rest of the way off and sighed in content. The happiness didn’t last long, though. You were pouting again as you sat up. “Need this off, too.” 

Minho watched with wide eyes as you tugged your shirt over your head and threw it across the room. His eyes dropped to your chest and the lacy black bra you wore that matched your underwear. He wondered for a moment who you’d worn it for and why you’d worn it tonight of all nights. But then the guilt crept up his neck in hot waves again and he looked away, clearing his throat awkwardly. 

“Okay, I should probably go now.” 

You whined, pulling your covers around you, “Don’t want you to go.” 

He looked at you again, relaxing as he saw you covered by your blankets. He sat on the edge of your bed, running his fingers through your hair gently. “I’m sorry. It’s for the best though, darling. I’ll text you in the morning to see how you’re feeling, okay?” 

“Okay,” you nodded sadly but yawned, heavy eyes closing and breathing relaxing just a bit.

Minho stood and left your bedroom to refill the glass of water for you. He also searched your medicine cabinet and found some medicine you could take when you woke to hopefully ease the hangover. He placed the medicine and water on your bedside table and left a note also explaining what had happened and why you were only in your underwear. He didn’t want you to be worried when you woke up. 

He took one last look at your sleeping form, smiled a little to himself, and left your apartment, lost in thoughts of you as he drove to his own home for the night. 

five

Your head was killing you and the sunlight peeking through your bedroom curtains was too bright. You groaned as you sat up and looked around the room, trying to clear the fog in your brain and remember what had happened and where you were and what day it was. Your eyes fell on the folded piece of paper, water, and medicine on your bedside table. 

You took the medicine and drank the water before grabbing the paper and unfolding it. Minho’s neat handwriting greeted you. 

Yn, You insisted on taking your clothes off to sleep last night. I helped you with your jeans but we didn’t do anything. Drink water and take the medicine and text me when you wake up. - Minho

Your stomach churned a little. Minho had seen you in your underwear. Minho had taken your pants off. You closed your eyes and tried to remember it happening. You wanted to remember. 

The night flashed in your mind. Minho’s dark eyes looking you over. His fingers brushed over your bare legs as he pulled your jeans off. A sharp intake of breath as he looked away. You felt your cunt throbbing as you opened your eyes. 

If you had been sober, you were sure you would have kissed him. Maybe more than kissed him. 

You found your phone on the charger beside your bed. You scrambled for it, quickly opening your phone to your texts with Minho. Your finger hovered over the screen until you finally decided to just call him.

It only rang twice before he answered, voice deeper and thicker than usual. Had you woken him up? “Hello?”

“H-hey, sorry… Did I wake you up?” 

You heard rustling in the background. Presumably his bed as he adjusted to a more comfortable position. “No.” 

He was lying. You knew you’d woken him up. Instead of saying that though, you pulled your knees to your chest, suddenly nervous about talking to him. “Um, I read your note. Thank you for taking care of me last night. A-and sorry for being such a bother—”

“It’s no problem,” he interrupted, voice still soft and raspy. “I didn’t mind. You weren’t bothersome.”

“Still—”

“Do you want to hang out today?” 

His question caught you off guard. It was the last thing you’d expected him to say when you called him. “What?” 

“Do you want to hang out today?” He repeated himself and you could hear the small smile in his raspy voice. “Just the two of us. Without Ryujin. Without the kids. You and me.” 

“Oh.” 

“I mean, we don’t have to if you don’t want to or you’re uncomfortable, I just—” 

“No, I want to!” Your voice was too loud, but you didn’t care. You couldn’t care. Not when you could hear your heartbeat in your ears and feel yourself pulsing against your underwear at the thought of spending time alone with Minho. “I want to.” 

“Okay,” he breathed. 

“Um, where? And when?” 

He hummed, contemplating for a moment that felt just a bit too long. “I could come to yours. You should relax today. I’m sure you’ve got a gnarly hangover.” 

As if in agreement, your head pounded painfully. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to have to go out of your way.” 

“I’m sure. I want to. I can be there in an hour, if that’s okay with you.”

“I-it might take me a little longer than that to get ready—” 

He laughed a little and you stopped talking. “Don’t worry about that. You don’t have to get all dressed up for me to hang out at your house with you. Wear something comfortable, don’t worry about your hair or makeup. I don’t mind.”

“Okay…” You hesitated a little, your stomach flipping at how domestic this felt. “If you say so.”

“I do. So, see you in an hour?” 

“Yeah,” you nodded even though he couldn’t see you. “See you in an hour.” 

When you hung up, you sat there, staring blankly into space for a moment before the reality of what was happening hit you and you scrambled out of bed. You looked at yourself in your bathroom mirror and cringed a little—your hair was a mess from sleeping on it, you still needed to wash your makeup off from the night before, and you could taste how awful your breath was. 

You showered, washed your face, brushed your hair, brushed your teeth, and changed into comfortable clothes to prepare for Minho’s arrival. He had said you didn’t have to get ready, so this should be fine right? You half hoped he’d be wearing comfortable clothes too so that you’d feel a little better about your own choice of outfit. 

You cleaned your room up, tidied up the living room and the kitchen, and sat down on the couch just in time for him to knock on the door of your apartment. You took a deep breath and stood again, making your way to the front door to let him in. 

When you opened the door and saw him standing there, you had to remind yourself to breathe. It was unfair how good he looked barefaced, in just sweatpants and a t-shirt. His hair looked soft—fluffy—as it hung down in his eyes. He grinned at you—a smile you’d recently found he only showed you when you were alone or no one was looking. In one hand he held a grocery bag. 

“Hey,” he murmured, eyes flicking down to your outfit and back to your face.

You stepped out of the doorway to let him into your apartment. “Hi.” 

“I’m glad you listened to me,” his voice was still soft, lower than you thought you’d ever heard it. “It’s nice to see you like this. Comfortable. Not putting up a front with me.” 

“Well, you make it easy.” You couldn’t believe you were freely admitting to him how comfortable you felt around him, even after only knowing him for seven weeks. Usually you wouldn’t open up so much to someone you hadn’t known for very long, but Minho was different. His experiences were similar to yours, his hurts were similar to yours, and his (mostly) calm demeanor was exactly what you needed. 

He hummed a little in response, trying (and failing) to hide his smile from you. He made his way to your kitchen and set the grocery bag on the counter. When he opened the bag, you saw it was filled with snacks—many of which were your favorites. “Good. You make it pretty easy to let my walls down too.” 

Your heart swelled at his words and you watched as he started pulling the snacks out of the grocery bag. You couldn’t help but smile as he organized everything on your counter. He looked proud of himself as he finished organizing the snacks and he looked back at you. He leaned against your countertop and smirked at you, waiting for you to say something else. 

“So, uh, what do you want to do?” You finally found your voice. You felt nervous with him looking at you so intensely, but you tried to hide that as best you could. 

“Well,” he pushed away from the counter, smirk still plastered across his face. “We could watch a movie. Or I could make you something to eat. Or we could just sit and talk. Or we could do all of that. We do have all day.” 

Minho’s implication that he would be spending the entire day with you at your apartment made your stomach flip and you felt like you stopped breathing. You hoped he couldn’t see how clearly he affected you. You knew he probably could. 

“We could start with something to eat and go from there,” you mumbled, feeling the heat starting to creep up the back of your neck. “I am kind of hungry.” 

He nodded and brushed past you, making his way further into your kitchen. You helped him find ingredients he needed to make you the meal he wanted to make you and then you watched as he prepared everything to be cooked. 

“How did you sleep?” Minho asked as he chopped vegetables. 

“Mmm, okay. To be honest, I slept through the night for the first time in awhile. Could’ve done without the hangover when I woke up, though.” 

Minho laughed a little at your admission and bobbed his head in agreement. “Yeah I bet. Did you take the medicine I left you?”

“Yeah, I did. Thanks for that by the way.”

He hummed in acknowledgement and continued cutting the vegetables. You watched the way he moved with ease, reminded again of how in his element he was when he cooked. You admired his hands as he worked as well as the way his forearms moved and flexed. He was so beautiful and he didn’t even know it. Or maybe he did. Maybe he was teasing you on purpose. 

“I want to tell you about my ex,” he finally said softly.

Your eyes widened in surprise. That wasn’t something you had expected. You wouldn’t have forced it out of him. You didn’t need him to tell you about her. But the fact that he was willing to and he wanted to made you feel fuzzy inside. “Y-you don’t have to.” 

“I know,” he nodded, looking over at you with a gentle smile. “But I want to. I think it’s time I talk about it with someone.” 

“Okay.”

Minho sighed as he finished cutting the vegetables and put them off to the side, setting a pot of water on the stove so it could start to heat up and boil. “I thought she was the love of my life. I was going to marry her someday, when I had the money for a ring. But it was hard to save much for it since we were taking care of a newborn baby. Jiyeon wasn’t planned, but when we found out, we both decided to keep her. 

“I thought everything was fine. She never mentioned feeling overwhelmed by taking care of Jiyeon, never mentioned she wasn’t happy with me. So I thought it was all fine. But then I noticed that things were off. She would hide her phone when she was texting around me, she wasn’t as excited to interact with Jiyeon, she slept on the very edge of the bed at night. I wondered if maybe it was just postpartum depression. Or maybe she was having a hard time taking care of Jiyeon all day without as much help from me since I was at work.

“I came home one night and I could hear Jiyeon crying. I thought maybe she had just started crying and my girlfriend would be in the nursery taking care of her. But when I went to check on them, it was just Jiyeon. Then I thought, maybe she was just asleep and hadn’t woken up because of over-exhaustion. So I calmed Jiyeon down and brought her with me to the bedroom to greet my girlfriend.” 

Minho paused and added vegetables, meat and other ingredients to the pot of, now boiling, water. He swallowed thickly, eyes averted as he struggled to form his next words. You placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and squeezed, urging him to continue when he was ready. So he took another shaky breath and kept telling his story. 

“When I opened the door, I felt my heart drop into my stomach. She was there, yeah, but she was with someone. They were so shameless. They didn’t notice my daughter crying, so they certainly didn’t notice when I opened the door and walked in on them. I’m sure you can imagine what was happening. He was… well that part doesn’t matter. I asked him to leave. I wanted to yell so badly, but I had to be quiet since I’d just gotten Jiyeon to calm down.

“The guy left and I put Jiyeon back in the nursery before going back to confront my girlfriend. At first she tried to ignore everything but I eventually got her to admit she hated her life. She hated her life with me. She hated that she had to give up everything she loved to do because of Jiyeon. She hated that she had no social life. She hated that she didn’t get to have sex anymore. She just hated everything. 

“I told her she needed to leave too. I couldn’t stand the thought of her sticking around and making our daughter feel like shit just for being born. She didn’t even argue. She packed her things and left that night. I haven’t heard from her since. But I think she’s married and living in the States now. 

“You know, sometimes… I wonder if I made a mistake. I thought it would be better if she wasn’t around to make Jiyeon feel terrible about herself but… is it worse for Jiyeon to grow up without a mom at all? I don’t know what I’m doing half the time and I’m so terrified of fucking everything up. I love her so much. She’s my entire life. And I’m so scared I’m going to do a terrible job and she’ll grow up to hate me. I’m the one who kicked her mom out. When she finds out about that… will she hate me?” 

You were quiet for a long moment, not wanting to interrupt him, not wanting to disturb the moment. You watched as Minho finished the meal he’d been working on. He served you the food and got some for himself and sat down beside you at the counter. 

“Minho,” you whispered, looking at him intently. He looked over at you at the sound of his name. “She could never hate you. You’ve done so much for her. Anyone can see how much she loves you. That won’t change. And when the time comes where you have to explain this to her, she’ll understand. And you know what? Fuck your ex. She’s a bitch. You didn’t deserve any of that. Jiyeon didn’t deserve that.”

“Thanks, yn.” Minho smiled weakly at you. “I get so in my head sometimes—so worried. Thank you for grounding me.” 

“Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this.”

He nodded and chuckled halfheartedly. “I don’t know what it is about you but you just make me feel so… comfortable? You’re very trustworthy. It’s easy for me to talk to you.” 

“I feel that way about you too.” You and Minho ate in silence for a bit longer before you spoke again. “You know, there’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now.” 

“And what’s that?” 

You took a deep breath and turned to face him. “I want to learn how to dance. I… want you to teach me.” 

“You want… me to teach you how to dance?” He looked at you with wide, curious eyes, excitement hidden in their depths. He set his utensils down and looked at you, trying to keep his face neutral. “When?” 

“W-wait, you would do it?”

“Sure,” he shrugged, unable to hide his grin anymore. 

“Oh. I didn’t expect you to agree so quickly,” you laughed a little, smoothing your fingers over your lap nervously. “Well, when are you free?” 

He opened the calendar on his phone and scrolled through it, searching for any availability. “Mmm, I’m free after the studio closes on Wednesday. Does that work for you? It would be more of a one on one, private lesson, but that’s all I can manage without getting you signed up for a class.” 

“Yeah, Wednesday would work for me. I’m sure Ryujin wouldn’t mind watching Haru for a little bit.” You knew Wednesday would work. Ryujin was free that evening. You knew that because she’d already planned to come over for dinner with the two of you. 

“Okay,” Minho grinned at you. “Wednesday then. Just meet me there around 8:00, and we’ll get started.” 

“Okay.” You smiled back and you hoped he couldn’t see just how excited you were.

“Now, how about that movie?” 

six

After your day spent with Minho, you almost couldn’t wait until Wednesday. Haru had a week off dance since the class you’d signed him up for didn’t start right away. You had to take him to the daycare at your office, which he didn’t enjoy as much but put up with nonetheless. You didn’t realize how much you enjoyed seeing Minho almost every morning until you didn’t see him at all until Wednesday. 

When you told Ryujin about your dance lesson planned with Minho on Wednesday, she was over the moon. She asked you to tell her what happened when you hung out alone probably fifty times and then made you promise you’d spill all the details of your lesson once you returned from it. She even agreed to watch Haru while you were gone since she had been planning to come over anyway. 

With your plans set in motion, all that was left to do was wait for Wednesday. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday were the longest days of your life. When Wednesday finally rolled around, you were antsy and couldn’t wait to be finished with work. You weren’t sure why you were so excited about spending more time with Minho. You felt ridiculous—like a teenage girl again. 

But then, it was time. You were dressed in a new workout set Ryujin had bought you and you had your water bottle and everything else you’d need. You took a deep breath as you looked at the sign about the studio door. You went inside. 

“Hi,” Minho grinned at you as you stepped into the studio after hours. No one else was around, you noticed. Even Soomin had gone home for the night. He locked the front door of the studio behind you and ducked his head sheepishly. “I-I’m not trying to be a creep and lock you in here, I’ve just had people try to come in after hours for various reasons and I don’t want us to be interrupted.” 

You tried not to read too much into what he had said. Obviously, he just meant that he didn’t want your dance lesson to be cut short since he had a lot to teach you. At least, that’s what you told yourself. 

You smiled back at him, reassuringly. “It’s okay, I get it. And I trust you.” 

His chest swelled with pride at the simple statement. You trusted him. It wasn’t really a special sentence by any means, but it still made his mind fuzzy and made his heart leap in his chest. He nodded and led you into the smallest room in the dance studio he and the other instructors used for one on one lessons. 

“So what do we do first?” You asked, standing awkwardly in the middle of the floor and watching as Minho walked over to the speaker system set up in the corner, attaching his phone and putting music on. 

“First, we stretch.” Minho turned back to you, slowly sinking to the floor and starting to stretch. “You can’t dance without stretching, otherwise you could hurt yourself.” 

You followed suit, sitting on the ground across from him. “R-right. That makes sense.” 

Minho led you through a few stretches from the front of the room, still hesitant to get too close to you. The last thing he wanted was to make you uncomfortable in any way. Even if he had trouble admitting it to himself, he did like you and your comfort was the most important thing to him, especially right now. 

After the two of you finished stretching, Minho changed the music. It was sweet and soft and Minho’s gentle smile put you at ease. “We’ll start with something easier, yeah?”

He showed you simple steps—a ball change here, a little spin there. He never got too close to you, adjusting your movements from a reasonable distance. You were grateful that he didn’t push your boundaries, no matter how much you kind of wished he would. 

“I think I’m starting to get the hang of it,” you laughed, copying Minho’s movements. You hadn’t had this much fun in awhile, to be honest. 

“Why don’t we step it up a bit, then? Do you want to try something else?” 

You nodded, your smile never falling from your lips. Minho scrolled through his playlist until he found a song he liked. You weren’t sure you’d ever heard the song before, but it started off slow and sensual and made you shiver with some unknown desire. Minho turned to look at you, expression unreadable. 

“Is this okay?” 

“Yeah,” you agreed, breathless, hands at your sides awkwardly. “Though, I’ll admit, I’m not entirely sure I’ll be good at dancing to something like this.” 

“I’ll teach you.” 

His voice was low—soft, but darker than usual. And his eyes. They bore into you and caused goosebumps to rise along your arms, sent a shiver down your spine. He stepped a little closer to you, but still kept his distance as he demonstrated the moves he wanted you to try. You were mesmerized, albeit a bit nervous. You weren’t sure you could recreate his movements to be as beautiful as they were when he did them. 

“So,” you took a breath, trying the movement, “like this?” 

Minho watched silently and then shook his head a little. “You have to roll through it a little bit more. You’re stopping before you finish the entire movement because you’re trying to rush into the next one. Take some time to really make the body roll more languid. Like this.” 

He demonstrated again and you willed yourself to pay attention. You forced yourself not to become too distracted by thoughts of how else he might be able to use his hips or the way his lip looked tucked between his teeth when he concentrated. Forced yourself to look at him only analytically, ignoring the voice in your head that repeatedly screamed about how attractive he was. 

You tried the movement again but he shook his head and you sighed. “Still wrong?” 

“You’re overthinking it a little,” he murmured. His voice was gentle but not condescending. He stood behind you, looking you in the eye through the mirror in front of you. “Do you mind if I…?” 

You shook your head. “N-no. You can… Yeah. Show me properly…” 

Minho nodded and gently grabbed your hips. He adjusted your stance, moving one hand to the small of your back and pushing lightly. 

“You’re really stiff. For this movement to work, you need to loosen up a little. Just feel the music.” 

You tried to loosen your body, but it was so hard when he was so close to you—when his hands were on your waist and you could feel his breath against the shell of your ear. You could feel his body pressed against yours and you hoped he couldn’t tell you were finding it hard to breathe with him right up on you. 

“Roll your hips like…” Minho held your hips as he rolled along to the music helping you follow along. You could feel his dick through his pants and you bit your lip as you watched the two of you in the mirror. Minho exhaled, voice breathy as he spoke again. “Yeah, like that.” 

Minho didn’t move away from you and you didn’t move away either. Your eyes held his through the mirror and his hands squeezed your hips. He rolled his hips slightly, rutting his hardening dick into you from behind. You shivered and pressed your own hips back further into him. 

“Fuck, yn, I—”

He was interrupted by the sound of your phone ringing. It was like your mind cleared instantly in that moment. You jumped away from him, hurrying over to your bag in the corner and answering your phone. “Hello?”

“Hey, yn, I hate to cut your thing with Minho short but, Haru isn’t feeling well and he wants to talk to you—”

“Mom,” Haru’s voice overlapped Ryujin’s and the sadness in it filled you with regret and broke your heart. “Are you coming home soon?” 

“Yeah, baby. I-I’m coming now, okay?” You stood, gathering your things and leaving the room so you could put on your regular shoes.

After reassuring Haru that you’d be home in only a few minutes, you hung up and turned to Minho. He leaned against the wall, watching as you hurriedly changed your shoes and got ready to leave. You tried to ignore the way your chest squeezed at the hurt look on his face. 

“Leaving?”

“Y-yeah, Haru needs me—”

“Look, yn, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

“Thanks for the dance lesson. I’ll see you later.” 

Minho watched as you left. There weren’t many things that Minho regretted in his life. But now there were two.

seven

Everyday you took Haru to dance class consisted of finding new ways to avoid Minho. You didn’t think you’d be able to look him in the eye if you saw him. The embarrassment was eating you alive just thinking about it. After you’d run out on him a couple weeks ago, he’d sent you a few text messages and called twice before finally stopping to give you space. He figured you’d come around eventually. It was starting to look like he was wrong. 

He was also embarrassed. He couldn’t believe he’d let lust take him over like that. It’d just been so long since he’d been touched—since he’d touched someone. He was, after all, a human. Giving into his desires was his worst mistake. He should’ve been more respectful. Now you couldn’t even look at him. 

If he could go back in time, he’d keep his distance. Keep his hands off your hips. He sighed, dragging a hand through his hair as students filed in. Another day of you ushering Haru in and leaving before he could even say hello. At least, that’s what he thought. 

His eyes widened in surprise when he saw you make your way through the door, take a deep breath, and walk right toward him. You crossed your arm and he frowned a little, taking note of the physical barrier you were putting up between the two of you. “Hi.” 

“Hey,” he breathed. 

“So,” you started, taking another deep breath and looking up at him. “Haru said he would like to invite Jiyeon over for a sleepover. Obviously, I said I would check with you before I promised him anything.” 

Minho’s frown deepened as he thought about it. “Oh, well… I’ve never really left Jiyeon with anyone overnight except for my parents.”

“Yeah. I thought you might say that.” You nodded and uncrossed your arms, sighing a little as you looked at him. “Haru really wants this. And I think Jiyeon would have a lot of fun too. So… if you would feel more comfortable, you’re welcome to stay over too. I-I don’t have a guest room or anything, but you can sleep in my bedroom and I’ll sleep on the couch or something.” 

Minho didn’t really have a reason to say no anymore. He thought it over a little longer and determined it would probably be good for Jiyeon to have the time with her friend. And you were offering to host him anyway. What could really go wrong? “Okay. When did you want to do it?” 

You had been cleaning the same spot on the counter for almost ten minutes now and even your son was starting to notice. “Mom, why are you just cleaning that spot?” 

“Oh,” you blinked and looked at the counter. There wasn’t a spot in sight. It was squeaky clean. You sighed and put the rag away, offering a tired smile to your son. “I’m just a little distracted.” 

“Because Mr. Minho is coming over?” 

You hated how he could see right through you. Hated that even at four years old he knew you better than anyone. You hated that it was hard to hide things from him sometimes. There were things he didn’t need to carry. 

“Mmm, maybe a little. I just want our house to look nice and clean for our guests.”

“Yeah, because you like Mr. Minho.” 

You chucked quietly and shook your head. “No. I-I don’t.”

You cursed the waver in your voice. You were spared your son’s teasing when the doorbell rang. You put the rag away and wiped your hands on your pants nervously. With one final deep breath, you opened the door and smiled at Minho and Jiyeon. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Minho smiled warmly at you and ushered his daughter inside. She kicked her shoes off and dropped her overnight bag on the floor by the door before running off with Haru to play in his bedroom. “You have a lovely apartment.” 

You looked away, feeling the heat of embarrassment creeping up your spine. “Ah, it’s nothing. Thank you.” 

He nodded and stepped inside as well. He took his shoes off carefully, grabbed Jiyeon’s bag and moved it somewhere out of the way, and then set his own things down. He watched as you smoothed your shirt. It didn’t need to be smoothed. He could tell you were nervous.

“Um, are you… are you guys hungry?” You asked softly, turning to walk towards the kitchen. “Haru and I ate, but I can make something else if you guys would like.”

Minho shook his head, gentle smile still tugging at the corners of his lips. “We ate before we came so we’ll be fine.” 

“Okay.” 

You and Minho stayed silent for a long moment, listening to the faint sound of your children playing together in the other room. You wanted to say something—the silence was too loud—but you couldn’t bring yourself to say anything meaningful. Minho watched you carefully, gauging your comfort around him before he said anything. 

“Yn.” His voice was soft, so you looked at him, feeling more relaxed at the gentleness in his eyes. “I wanted to say sorry about a couple weeks ago. I-I shouldn’t have—I’m sorry.” 

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about.” 

“Are you sure? Because you’ve been ignoring me for, like, two weeks now—”

“I’m just scared.” You looked away again, chewing on your bottom lip anxiously. How much were you willing to admit to him? “You didn’t do anything I didn’t want. But I… I have to think about Haru. I’m sorry for ignoring you, I just… I’m not strong enough to resist.”

He nodded and stood, making his way toward you. He stood next to you, leaning his shoulder into yours. It was a small action but it was comforting. “You don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for. I would never force you.” 

“I really appreciate that.” 

The rest of the night, you and Minho got comfortable with each other again. It wasn’t hard. Minho was such an easy person for you to open up to and relax around. You watched a drama while your kids played, pausing it whenever they’d come out to show you something they’d made. 

Bedtime went smoothly too, and as you both got your children ready for bed, you couldn’t help the thought that this was what it would be like if your family was complete. Briefly, you wanted that completeness with Minho. You pushed the thought away. You couldn’t be thinking things like that. 

“Goodnight kids,” you said softly as you turned off Haru’s bedroom light and turned to leave the room. 

When you turned, you saw Minho leaning against the doorway of the bedroom, watching you, a gentle smile on his face. You liked him there. In your apartment. Watching over you and your son and his daughter. Everything felt right. It felt natural to have him there, to have his daughter there. You felt like a family. 

You left your son’s bedroom. “So, you can sleep in my room and I’ll—”

“No,” he shook his head, “I already set up the living room for myself. I don’t mind sleeping on the couch. You should sleep in your own bed.”

“A-are you sure?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Okay…” You watched as he started toward the living room to settle down for the night. “Goodnight, Minho.” 

“Goodnight, yn.”

You didn’t know where you were. Everything was dark, but you could hear someone talking somewhere you couldn’t see. There was a pinprick of light far in the distance—two of them, actually. They reminded you faintly of headlights. They seemed to be getting closer to you. You felt rooted in place, heavy, unmoving. 

They were headlights. It was a car. It raced towards you—the lights grew. There was a long, loud honking, like someone was just continuously pushing down on the horn. Your head hurt, something akin to anxiety grew in your chest. The car was closer now, the horn was louder, the lights hurt your eyes. 

You wanted to move—to get out of the way—but you were stuck. You thought the car would hit you, but it swerved at the last moment and as it passed you, you caught a glimpse of the man behind the steering wheel. When your eyes met his, you felt sick to your stomach. 

It was him. 

You could feel yourself screaming but no sound was coming out. You screamed your husband’s name but you couldn’t hear it. Your feet still felt like they were stuck in quicksand. You wanted to run to him, to save him, but you couldn’t move. 

“Yn?” 

The voice of an angel. You couldn’t see him. His voice calmed you down, though, you tried to stop screaming, tried to find the angel who was saying your name.

“Yn!” 

You sat up, gasping. You brought a hand to your face and realized your cheeks were wet. You were shaking and that’s when you realized you weren’t alone. 

“Minho?” 

“You started screaming,” he said softly, one hand on your shoulder and the other rubbing soothing circles on your back. “The kids are still asleep but I woke up. You were dreaming. But you’re home. You’re safe.”  

You were home. You were safe. And you were with the angel. Minho.

“I’m sorry.” You felt small under his gaze. You knew he wasn’t judging you, wasn’t upset with you, but you couldn’t help but feel terrible for worrying him and waking him up. 

He brushed your hair out of your face with the hand previously on your shoulder. His eyes were tender. Your heart clenched painfully. “Don’t be sorry. You can’t help that you had a bad dream.” 

“Yeah, I guess.” 

“How are you feeling now?” 

“Honestly…” You sighed, and leaned into his touch a little, subconsciously. “I’m still shaken. I don’t think I can sleep again.” 

“Do you want to talk about it?” His voice was still soft and you scooted closer to him on your bed. Something about him made you feel comfortable—at ease. 

You shrugged and sniffled a little, wiping the remnants of your tears from your cheeks. “What can I say, it was about my ex-husband.”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you’re not willing. But if you need to get it off your chest, you know I’ll listen.” 

“I think maybe I should talk about it, I just… don’t know where to start.” 

He continued to rub your back, pulling you close to him. “Start at the beginning.” 

“We were high school sweethearts.” You smiled a little at the memory, leaning your head against his shoulder. “We dated all throughout high school and I knew I wanted to marry him. He proposed to me a couple weeks after we graduated and we got married not long after. Even though we were married young, I still wanted to get my education so I could get a good job and help provide for my family.

“We were both almost finished with college when I found out was pregnant. We were both over the moon. I graduated with my degree and he did too and then Haru was born not long after. Both of our families were thrilled also. And you know, he was the best father. He loved Haru so much and he was so good with him.”

You paused for a moment, swallowing thickly and willing the tears away. “It happened unexpectedly. Haru was only a few months old. My husband stayed late at work one night and on his way home, he was hit by a drunk driver. Neither of them made it out alive. So I’ve just been… raising Haru on my own.” 

Minho was quiet. He didn’t want to interrupt you. He didn’t want to invalidate the pain you were feeling. You looked up at him and the tears fell from your eyes again. He wasn’t pitying you, like you had thought he would. Everyone always pitied you when they found out. But Minho… he just looked sad. 

“I am so sorry you had to go through that. But you know what? You are so strong. It was a horrible situation to be thrust into, especially so young. But you’ve proven how brave you are. You’re such a good mom. It’s hard to do it alone, I know. But you’re doing so well. And you’ve come so far.” 

You cried harder. How did he know the perfect thing to say? How was he so perfect? You felt like meeting him was a dream and you were going to wake up from it all too soon. “I’m so worried I’m going to mess it all up. What if he doesn’t grow up happy?”

“He’ll be happy. He already is. He loves you so much.” 

You laughed a little to yourself and wiped your tears again. “God, what are the odds I’d meet you? How do you always know what to say?” 

“I’m just telling the truth,” he shrugged a little, but you caught the smile that gleamed on his face despite his nonchalant attitude. 

You sighed a little and closed your eyes. “I think I’m getting tired again.” 

“Okay.” His voice was soft and he ran his fingers through your hair soothingly. “Do you want me to go?”

“No. Stay?” You looked up at him, pouting a little to convince him to stay. You didn’t know it, but he didn’t need any convincing. All you had to do was ask him to stay and he would do it in a heartbeat. 

“Okay.” 

You laid down, pulling him with you. He laid with his arms wrapped around you carefully. You closed your eyes and relaxed in his arms. “Thank you, Minho.” 

“Of course.” 

Minho listened for your breathing to even out, still stroking his fingers through your hair to soothe you. When your breathing was soft and even and you were completely still against him, he spoke softly. 

“I think I’m really lucky to know you. I didn’t think it was possible for me to love anyone romantically again after my ex. I just… I was prepared to spend the rest of my life alone, taking care of Jiyeon. I would’ve been fine with it. Until you. Now I want more than anything to have you. To have a family with you. You’re a great mother, you know that? Haru is lucky to have you. I hope someday I can tell you this when you’re awake. For now, I’m not brave enough. There’s so much I’m afraid of. But I think I’d be willing to step into that fear if it meant you were waiting for me.” 

You didn’t tell him, but you were still awake. You smiled a little to yourself, your own thoughts of being brave enough to confess lulling you to sleep. Wait for me. Soon enough, I’ll be brave too. 

(  💌  )   〃   taglist ⌗ 1

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⭑ bolded & blue means i am unable to tag you !! this is usually an error with your visibility settings ! once you have fixed those, you should be able to be tagged ! to be tagged in future works, fill out my taglist form here !

This fic was tooo good 🥹 definitely tugged on my heart strings all throughout 💖💖💖

GHOST OF YOU (PT. 2) | lee minho x fem ! reader

cursing & smut & slight angst & fluff & dad ! minho & mom ! reader & more under the cut !! MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

minho is not a man who lives his life looking backward. he doesn't want to regret a moment of his life. he knows he can't change the past. and in most aspects, he would never want to. minho's greatest joy in his life is his daughter. minho's only regret is her mother.

there are so many things you wish you could change about the past. in many ways, you've spent a lot of time looking back instead of looking forward. the one thing you would never change is having your son.

minho--a man so focused on moving forward he refuses to look back. you--someone so focused on the past that you can't bring yourself to look forward. both of you have had your fair share of past hurts. but maybe together, the future will be brighter than it has been for a long time.

SEE PART ONE HERE !!! // read on AO3

want more of this story ? see texts w dad ! minho here ! (coming soon)

for better visualization, find the pinterest board here & spotify playlist here !

GENERAL WARNINGS | mentions of death (no major characters), mentions of reader being previously married, mentions of food / eating, reader gets drunk at one point, slow burn, sexual tension (?), sweet pet names, reader has a son, SWEARING, reader wears minho's shirt at one point, dad minho (please let me know if there is anything else)

SMUT WARNINGS | penetrative (p in v) sex, unprotected (consensual) sex (reader mentions she's on birth control & both state they are clean BUT please practice safe sex irl), a lot of praise, minho reassures yn of insecurities, fingering (f receiving), sweet aftercare (please let me know if there is anything else)

WORD COUNT | 14.8k , approx. 1hr 2min read

NOTES | and now the second part of dad minho is OUT <33 thank you again to everyone for your support and patience <3 i hope you'll enjoy this <3 WARNING IT STARTS OFF SPICY FDKFJ literally right from the start of this part hahah

dedicated to all the people who have felt like the past is too much to carry alone. and also to everyone who let me share snippets of this before it was finished only to get as giddy about it as i am. this is for anyone who needs a little extra comfort in a hard place and for anyone who has felt heartbreak so big you worried you’d never come back from it. so actually, what i mean to say, is this is dedicated to all of you. enjoy ♡ 

eight

He was panting in your ear, strong arms caging you underneath him. He groaned a little as he pressed himself further into you. “Yn.” 

You gasped, your own hands coming up to wrap around his neck and pull him closer to you. “Fuck, Minho.” 

He moaned softly as you clawed down his back, trying to hold onto him as he rolled his hips into you harder, faster. “God, I’m so fucking close.” 

“M-me too—”

“Mom!” Your eyes flew open and you sat up quickly, looking at your son in the doorway. It was a dream. Fuck. 

“Haru, what’s wrong? What time is it?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged before leaving your room again, “but I’m hungry!” 

It was 9:00 a.m. Saturday. Three weeks after you bared your heart to Minho. Three weeks after he admitted to wanting you. Three weeks after you’d finally admitted to yourself that you wanted him. It was Saturday and you’d had a dream about Minho. A wet dream. 

You buried your face in your hands and groaned loudly. You could still feel yourself throbbing. You’d never had your release. You could almost feel him on your skin. But that was impossible. You’d never been with him like that. 

You climbed out of bed and made your way to the kitchen to make breakfast for Haru and yourself, pushing all thoughts of Minho and your dream about him out of your mind. 

Yet, as you pushed Minho out of your mind, you seemed to be infiltrating his. 

He felt terrible, but he just couldn’t stop. He hadn’t felt relief like this in too long. It was hard to do anything with a toddler around, so the shower had become his solace. 

It was early, too early for him to be awake on a Saturday, and yet there he was in his shower with a hand wrapped firmly around his hardened dick. What had started this, one might ask. He’d have to be truthful and answer that it was the dream he’d had about you. 

He’d dreamed of you and woke up with his dick harder than it had been in a long time. And he felt awful. What would you think if you saw him right now? If you knew what he was doing? But the thought didn’t exactly stop him. It only turned him on even more. 

He moaned your name softly, in the solitude of his shower, careful not to wake his daughter. He kept quiet, also, to keep the shame from bubbling up his throat. If he was quiet, maybe it would go away. 

It didn’t. Not even when he came all over his hand, immersed in pure ecstasy. The shame only grew. What was he doing?

Minho couldn’t look you in the eye the next time you dropped Haru off for dance. You didn’t notice because you couldn’t look him in the eye either. You quickly dropped your son off, said a brief hello to Minho and turned to leave again. You didn’t get far before he grabbed your wrist. 

“Hey.” You finally looked him in the eye and you had to look away again. He looked at you so tenderly. You couldn’t take it. “We’re not doing this again. What’s going on, why are you avoiding me?” 

You couldn’t exactly tell him you were avoiding him because he made you insanely horny to the point you were having vivid dreams about him. But there really was no other reason. “I-I’m not avoiding you. I’m just busy today.” 

“Okay.” He frowned but didn’t press it. 

“Actually…” You paused, unsure if you should finish your thought. But the attentive way he looked at you pulled the words out of you with ease. “Haru and I were going to go camping next month. I-If you’re not busy, would you and Jiyeon like to come with us?” 

His eyes lit up again. “Camping? Sure. I’d like that. I know Jiyeon would enjoy it too.” 

“Okay,” you nodded, swallowing your nerves and looking him in the eye again. “I’ll text you the details. We can figure out all the logistics together.” 

“Together,” he whispered. He watched as you left the dance studio waving a little as you went. He couldn’t stop smiling the rest of the day. Together. 

He couldn’t wait to go camping with you. 

As soon as you got to work, you told Ryujin everything—from the realization of your feelings for him to your dream to asking him to go camping with you. Ryujin listened with wide eyes, her smile growing as your story continued to progress. When you finished, she just leaned back in her seat and looked at you. 

“I knew this would happen.” 

“What?” 

She looked at you intently. “From the moment you told me Haru was going to 5-STAR, I knew you’d fall in love with Minho. And ever since that time at the park, I had a feeling he would fall for you too. Damn, I’ve been waiting for you guys to realize it too. Didn’t think it’d take you both so long.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault I was scared!” You pouted at her and she laughed a little, nodding in agreement. 

“That’s true. Anyways. When are you going to tell Minho that you have feelings for him?” 

“I don’t know,” you shook your head. “Maybe when we go camping.” 

Ryujin looked thoughtful and nodded slowly as she mulled it over. “That would be a good time I think. Do it when it’s just the two of you around the fire after the kids have gone to sleep. I think that would be perfect.”

“I’ll tell him when and how I want to,” you huffed, crossing your arms and glaring at her playfully.

She shrugged, “If you say so. I was just trying to give you some advice. You haven’t confessed to someone in a long time, so you’re probably out of practice.”

“Hey! Don’t be mean!”

“I’m not being mean,” she laughed and stood, making her way back to her own office. “Just honest.”

You rolled your eyes at her as she left, but deep in your heart you knew she was right. You were out of practice. Even though you had heard Minho confess that he liked you romantically, you were still terrified to admit to him out loud that you felt the same. So, all you could do was take her advice and hope it went well. 

If only you knew you had nothing to fear. Minho was head over heels for you and was also out of practice. Any confession would be good enough for him. More than good enough. 

“Jisung,” Minho breathed when his best friend answered the phone. “Hey. So, you know that girl I’ve been telling you about?” 

“Yeah, yn, right?” 

Minho nodded, dragging a hand through his hair as he sat on his bed, phone still pressed to his ear. “Yeah. She, uh, she invited Jiyeon and me to go camping with her and her son next month.” 

“That’s great, isn’t it?” 

Jisung was excited for his friend. Truthfully, he thought it was long overdue for Minho to open up his heart to someone else. Of course, who was he to say that to him? So, he kept silent. Now, Minho was opening up his heart, but something still seemed to be holding him back. 

“I-I mean, yeah it is. The thing is… I want to tell her how I feel about her, but I just… don’t know how or when.” Minho paused when he heard a crash from Jiyeon’s room. He got up and peeked into her room to see her bin of Legos on its side, thousands of the tiny, colorful, plastic bricks spilling out onto the floor. He went back to his room. 

“Why don’t you tell her while you guys are camping?” Jisung suggested. “You guys will be more relaxed there and it’ll be a kind of romantic setting don’t you think? Out in nature, practically alone, sitting together by the campfire, potentially huddling together to keep warm—”

“Okay, yeah,” Minho laughed as Jisung started to ramble. He sighed a little and smiled to himself. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.” 

“Of course I’m right. Have I ever led you astray?”

“I mean there was that one time when you—”

“Hey!” Minho could hear Jisung pouting through the phone, “We agreed not to talk about that.” 

“You’re right, you’re right.” 

Jisung sighed, “Anyway, man, I have to go. Haneul is sick and I left a date with a really hot girl to take care of her. So, if I have to leave a hot date for my daughter, I definitely have to leave this call with you.”

“Sounds like duty calls. Tell me about your date later, yeah? Thanks for your help.”

“No problem, hyung.” Jisung laughed and Minho could envision him nodding his head as he got ready to hang up. “Talk to you later, bye!”

“Bye.”

Minho was about to set his phone down and check on Jiyeon when his phone started buzzing in his hand again. When he saw the name displayed at the top of his screen, he couldn’t help the smile that spread across face. He was quick to answer. 

“Hey, yn.” 

“Hi,” you breathed back. You always felt breathless around Minho these days. You supposed that came with the newfound realization that you were quickly falling for him. 

“Did you need something?” 

“Uh, yeah, actually. I was wondering if now is a good time to talk about the camping trip next month? I just want to make sure we plan ahead and have everything worked out ahead of time and—” 

“No, yeah, for sure,” Minho interrupted your rambling and you could hear the tender smile in his voice. “Yeah, now is a good time. Give me just a second, I’m just going to check on Jiyeon and make sure she’s still doing okay.” 

“Okay.” 

Minho set the phone down and made his way down the hall to check on his daughter. When he poked his head into her room again, she was still playing with her dolls and Legos. “Hey, sweetheart. You doing okay?” 

“Yeah!” 

“I’m on a phone call right now, but I’ll start making dinner soon, okay? Are you hungry?” 

“Yeah, a little bit.” Jiyeon turned to look back at her dad. “I know you’re on the phone with Haru’s mom. I heard you say her name. You like her don’t you?” 

“Of course I like her. We’re good friends—”

“No, dad. You like her. Like, you want to marry her!” 

Minho shook his head and chuckled softly at his daughter’s antics, leaning against the doorframe. “I don’t know if it’s that extreme yet. But you’re right. I do like her.”

“Good. She’s nice. I like her. You should go talk to her now.” 

“Okay,” Minho took one last look at his daughter before turning to leave. “Okay. I’m just going to be in my room, yeah?” 

When Minho got back to his bedroom and picked up his phone, he could hear you on the other end, singing a song to yourself softly. It was some children’s song he recognized from a CD he’d bought to play for Jiyeon on long car rides. He listened for a moment longer before speaking softly. “Hey, are you still there?” 

“Oh, yeah! Hey. I’m here.” 

He couldn’t help but chuckle to himself at how cute you were. “Hey. So, you were saying?”

“Right!” You pulled out your notebook and a pen so you could write down any plans you made together. “Well, usually, Haru and I go tent camping, and our tent is big enough to fit a family of five so, if you wanted to save on space and didn’t mind it, you could share the tent with us. I have a big air mattress we can blow up and… share… if you want. And I have a smaller one for the kids.” 

His heart fluttered and squeezed in his chest at the thought of sharing a bed with you. Having to cuddle up to you to keep warm. In a tent, out in the open, under countless stars. “Sure, I don’t mind sharing. That sounds perfect.” 

“Okay, great.” Minho could hear you exhale softly in relief. He could picture your eyes lighting up. He wished he could see you. “So as far as food, do you want to, like… divide and conquer?” 

“Yeah, we could do that. I can bring meat and all of the seasonings needed for it. Vegetables too. And drinks?” 

“Alright, then I’ll bring fruits and sides, like chips and stuff.” 

“Perfect,” Minho agreed. He wasn’t sure what to say—he didn’t know what other planning things you needed from him. But he wanted to keep talking to you. 

You hummed a little as you wrote in your notebook. He could hear the scratching of your pen on the paper, could imagine your lip tucked between your teeth as you wrote. “So, there’s this campsite I usually book this time of year that’s absolutely beautiful and I can reserve that place if you want! Unless you would prefer we look around a little or something—”

“No! Th-that sounds great actually. We can reserve a spot there.” 

Minho wished he was better with words. He wished he could tell you how much he loved your laugh, how much he loved your voice. He wanted to listen to you talk forever. But he also wanted to tell you all the things he loved about you. He wanted you to feel loved. He wanted you to know just how much he adored you. Every part of you. Everything about you. 

But he wasn’t great with words. He didn’t know what to say. And all he could do was listen as you wrote in your notebook, preparing for the camping trip a month away. 

nine

As the weeks went by, anticipation grew in your chest. All you could think about was spending the long weekend out in nature with Minho and sharing a bed with him and curling up to him to stay warm. Would he want that? Would he prefer you keep your distance? Would he still be scared to admit how he felt for you? 

“Yn, you’re daydreaming again.” Ryujin’s voice pulled you out of your thoughts. You looked over at her from where you were sitting on the floor packing your bag for the camping trip. 

You shook your head and went back to folding your clothes and adding them to the bag. “Sorry.”

“Are you thinking about Minho?” Ryujin smirked at you and moved to sit closer to you, helping you fold your clothes and pack your toiletries. “Are you thinking about what it’ll be like to sleep next to him?” 

You shoved her playfully, but you couldn’t deny she was right. “Yeah, kind of. What if… what if I fuck this up?”

“How could you possibly fuck this up? He is so into you, yn.” 

“I’m just… worried I guess. Overthinking.” 

Ryujin grabbed your shoulders, forcing you to look at her. “Listen to me. He likes you. It will not go wrong.”

“Okay,” you nodded. “Okay, yeah, you’re right.” 

“Of course I am,” she grinned proudly at you and stood. “I’m going to hang out with Haru. He’s more fun than you, Mrs. Mopey McMoperson.” 

You stuck your tongue out at her, not caring how childish you seemed. “Whatever. Have fun playing cars with my four year old.” 

“I will!”

Minho, in his apartment ten minutes away from you, found himself in a similar state of mind. He’d been thinking about you almost constantly for the past month—ever since he’d realized his feelings for you. Ever since you offered to share a bed with him on your camping trip.

“Hey, lover boy,” Jisung snapped his fingers in Minho’s face, pulling him from his state of deep thinking. Jisung’s over dramatic whining was pretty hard to ignore. “Pay attention when we talk to you!”

Minho looked around the room at the friends he had over. He’d invited Chan, Jisung, Hyunjin, and Felix to bring their children for a playdate with Jiyeon and also to help him prepare for the camping trip he’d be going on with you that weekend. All four men were staring at him expectantly, as if waiting for him to answer some question he hadn’t heard.

“Uh, sorry. I’m just distracted.”

“Yeah, because you’re thinking about yn,” Chan snorted, shaking his head and grinning to himself. “Never thought I’d see the day when our Minho fell in love again.” 

“Okay, let’s not get ahead of ourselves—”

“You do love her though. We can all see it. We’ve seen you crushing on people before, we’ve seen harmless romantic feelings, and we’ve seen you in love. You’re definitely in love with her.” Hyunjin’s words logically made sense to Minho but he still felt like he was hearing a foreign language. Him? In love? He hadn’t thought it was possible either. 

Felix nodded in agreement. “Please, hyung, I haven’t seen you smile so much in a long time. You’re head over heels for her.” 

“You guys should have heard the way he talked about her on the phone,” Jisung piped in, laughing loudly, “He was swooning!”

Minho glared at him, about to snap some harsh remark at him when five young children marched into the living room in a line, as if there was something serious to talk about. Chan’s son Yunseo, the oldest, led the line of children followed by Hoyeon, Haneul, Jiyeon, and Eunji. Eunji toddled along behind them, much smaller than the rest, but none of them minded. They’d all been best friends since birth, so their age didn’t really matter. 

“We would like to perform a dance for you,” Yunseo declared, voice sounding very formal and clipped. 

Jiyeon practically jumped up and down as she nodded. “Yeah! Yunseo and I taught the dance!” 

“Go ahead and show us, then, sweetheart,” Minho cooed, the glare instantly melting from his face as he watched his daughter speak with such excitement. 

“Here, dad, you play the music,” Hoyeon said, matter-of-factly, guiding Felix to pull out his phone and turn on the song they’d decided to dance to. 

Haneul shuffled shyly over to Jisung, whispering softly in his ear. “Dad, will you hold my tiara? It kept falling off when we were practicing.” 

“Of course, baby,” Jisung smiled widely at his daughter, helping her take the tiara off of her head. “I’ll keep it safe for you while you dance.”

The music started and the five children began to dance. Honestly, the dance was pretty good considering it was choreographed by a six year old and a four year old. They weren’t the most coordinated, but Minho thought it was still the best performance he’d ever watched. Maybe he was a little biased, though. 

When the dance finished, Minho and his friends clapped and cheered loudly for their children. Hyunjin’s daughter, Eunji, hopped over to her dad and gave him a hug. “Did I do good, Dad?” 

“You did great, my love. Should we get you into some dance classes this fall? Would you like that?” 

Eunji nodded, grinning widely. “Yeah! I can take classes with Jiyeon at Uncle Minho’s studio!” 

“Yeah?” Hyunjin looked up at Minho. “Would that be alright? I’d pay for her, of course but—”

“You know you guys don’t have to pay. Family is free.”

Family. 

The smile on Hyunjin’s face said everything he couldn’t express with words. “Right. Family is free. Then I’ll call tomorrow and get Eunji enrolled in the classes for the fall.” 

“Dad, can I do it too? Please?” Hoyeon whined, pouting cutely as she clung to Felix’s knees. And how could he ever say no to her?

“Of course. I’ll call tomorrow too.” 

Haneul opened her mouth to beg Jisung as well, but he was one step ahead of her. “I texted Soomin already, sweetheart. You know I would forget if I had to do it tomorrow.”

“What about you, Yunseo? Do you want to dance at Uncle Minho’s studio?” Chan asked, fixing his son’s disheveled hair. 

Yunseo shrugged, seemingly unbothered. “Sure. Just for a little bit though. I want to try baseball too!” 

Minho laughed and reached down to scoop Jiyeon into his arms from where she was seated on the floor in front of him. “I’m sure your Uncle Seungmin would be more than happy to help you out with that dream.” 

A knock on his door interrupted the conversation they were having. Minho stood, a bit confused. He hadn’t been expecting any guests. 

But when he opened the door, his heart soared. There you were. 

“Yn, I wasn’t expecting you!”

“Ah, yeah, sorry.” You looked around him nervously, hearing laughter from inside his house. “I-Is now a bad time? I can just call or come back another time? It’s nothing important, I was just wanting to… talk to you. Actually, I’ll just go. I don’t really know why I came, I—”

“You don’t have to go.” His voice was soft and you looked up at him, wide-eyed. He looked at you so gently, so full of emotion you felt your heart beating in your throat. 

“Are you sure? Looks like you have a full house right now.” 

He shook his head. “I’m sure. Why don’t you come in?” 

“Okay.” You took a breath and stepped in hesitantly, bowing politely to the group of men in Minho’s living room. 

“They’re just over for a playdate. These are my brothers and their kids.” 

You caught onto the way he called them his brothers. You’d talked to him before about how he’d grown up an only child. These must be the best friends he spoke so highly of. You smiled at them and waved a little. “Hey.” 

“Where’s Haru?” 

“Ah, he’s with Ryujin. A-actually, Ryujin was the one who told me I should come over.” 

“Do you think he’d want to come over and play with the kids?” Minho asked carefully, not wanting to overstep any of your boundaries. “If he wanted to, maybe Ryujin could bring him? Ryujin could stay if she wanted, too.” 

“You know, maybe I should have her bring Haru over here. Ryu was wanting to meet up with some of our other friends at her apartment anyway.” You pulled out your phone to text Ryujin, nibbling on your bottom lip as you did so out of nervousness. You could feel the four men in the living room watching you. It made you anxious. They meant a lot to Minho, so you could help but want to impress them. 

“They’re all welcome here as well, if they want to hang out with us.” Minho offered, rubbing at the back of his neck awkwardly. “I-I mean, only if they want to.”

You looked up at him and smiled softly. Your smile put him at ease. “You know, what? That sounds kind of awesome. Let me ask Ryujin what she thinks.”

You texted Ryujin and after some back and forth, she decided she’d bring the girls and Haru to Minho’s apartment to hang out as one big friend group. You told Minho and he smiled so widely you thought your heart would melt. He finally brought you over to meet the guys, guiding you to sit beside him on the couch. When Jiyeon saw you, she ran and gave you a hug and it made your heart ache in a way you didn’t understand. 

“This is yn. She’s who I’ll be going camping with this weekend.” Minho’s hand fell on your knee and he squeezed it once to comfort you before gesturing to each of the men in the living room and naming them as he went. “Yn, these are my best friends, Chan, Felix, Hyunjin, and Jisung. I’ve told you about them before.” 

Jiyeon climbed onto the couch on your other side and curled into you. It was so cute you had to resist the urge to coo at her. “She’s Haru’s mom! Haru is my bestest friend from dance class! He’s really nice and he’s good at dancing too!” She turned to look at you intently. “Is Haru coming over?” 

“Yeah, he is. He should be here soon!” 

Jiyeon hummed happily and turned to look at her friends all chattering with each other and playing together all over the living room. She slid off the couch and joined them, so you looked up at the men sitting around you. They were all looking at you already. 

“So, yn,” Chan started, leaning back against the couch and positioning himself more comfortably. “Minho says you met at his dance studio. What made you want to enroll your son in dance classes there?” 

Minho groaned in embarrassment and buried his face in his hands. He didn’t say anything though. He knew nothing could stop his friends’ interrogation of you. You looked at Minho before looking back at Chan and answering. “Well, it was the dance studio that was closest to my apartment and it also had the best reviews. When I took Haru to Minho’s studio, I also found out that my best friend, Ryujin, is also an old friend of his, so there was that connection also.” 

“So you became friends because you had a mutual friend?” Felix asked, head tilting to the side cutely as he spoke. 

“Sort of,” you laughed and nodded. You felt yourself relaxing bit by bit as you spoke to them. “But we also became friends because our kids were friends.” 

Hyunjin was about to say something when his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and then smiled sheepishly at all of you. “One second, it’s my girlfriend.” 

He stood and walked into Minho’s bedroom to take the call. Everyone watched intently as he walked away. Felix hummed thoughtfully. “She had her last final last week. Do you think she got the results back and that’s why she’s calling?” 

“Probably,” Chan shrugged. “I’m sure she aced it. She’s fucking smart.” 

You felt a little awkward listening to them talk about people you didn’t know at all. But then there was a knock on the door. You and Minho both stood up quickly and then laughed at how you had mirrored one another. You followed him to the door, anticipating it being your friends and your son. 

“Mom!” Haru yelled when the door opened. He hugged you tightly, looking up at you with big, starry eyes. “Auntie Ryujin told me that we’re here for a playdate with Jiyeon.” 

“That’s right, baby.” You brushed his hair out of his face and then gestured to where all the kids were playing. “Jiyeon’s over there with her other friends. Why don’t you go play with them?” 

Haru slipped out of his shoes and all but skipped over to Jiyeon to greet her. You turned to find your friends talking to Minho. He looked at them kindly, but it wasn’t the same look he’d had when he greeted you. You smiled at that. It made you feel special. 

Ryujin hugged you first before squeezing past you to come inside. Your other friends, Yeji, Sohee, and Chaehyun followed, each of them squealing a little and hugging you. It had been too long since you’d all hung out together. Minho watched attentively and then ushered all of you back into the living room. He was running out of places to seat people. 

“These are my friends,” you said proudly, pointing each of them out as you introduced them. “Ryujin, Yeji, Sohee, and Chaehyun.” 

Each of them waved a little before finding places to sit. Sohee was the first to speak up. “It’s nice to meet you guys.”

Chan nodded and smiled warmly at her. “It’s great to meet you as well.” 

Hyunjin came back into the room with a huge smile on his face. “She passed her final! She’s done with her classes for the semester!” 

The guys all cheered happily. You figured they must all be close with Hyunjin’s girlfriend for them to be so excited about her passing her final. You wondered, for a brief moment, what it would be like to be with Minho like that. If his friends would be excited about your accomplishments like they were for Hyunjin’s girlfriend right now. 

“I told you, she’s fucking smart!” Chan cheered, patting Hyunjin on the shoulder as he sat back down beside him. 

“I’ll have to tell my fiancee when I get home,” Felix chimed in, wrapping an arm around Hyunjin’s shoulders as well. “She’ll want to celebrate with her.” 

“Tell her congrats from me, Hyun.” Jisung added, smiling widely as Hyunjin texted his girlfriend excitedly. 

You looked over at your friends, smiling a little when you saw them all chatting happily with one another. Ryujin and Yeji sat side by side, hip to hip, as they spoke in hushed tones. You would have to ask Ryujin if things were really strictly friends between them later. Chaehyun and Sohee giggled over something on Chaehyun’s phone. You looked at Minho. He was looking at you. 

“Mom!” Haru was in front of you suddenly, holding his hand out to you as his bottom lip wobbled and his eyes filled with tears. “I hurt my finger.” 

“Oh, baby,” you said softly, taking his small hand in yours and inspecting it. He wasn’t bleeding, but you could tell the finger was red and definitely sore. “Do you want me to kiss it better?” 

He nodded quickly, “Yes, please.” 

“Okay, sweetheart.” You brought his hand closer to you, kissing his finger gently. You smiled at him and combed your fingers through his hair soothingly. “All better. Be careful when you play, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

He ran off to play again and you realized the other people in the room had gotten much quieter. You looked around at everyone already looking at you. “Sorry, he just likes when I kiss it better…” 

“Why are you apologizing?” Jisung asked, confusion taking over his adorable features. “We just think you’re so sweet with him. It’s nice to watch.”

“Oh,” you looked away shyly. Minho pressed his shoulder into yours. It was something so small, but it comforted you more than you cared to admit. 

“Yeah, yn’s pretty much like, the best mom ever,” Chaehyun bragged on you, grinning up at you proudly. “Maybe I’m just a little biased though.” 

Sohee nodded in agreement. “She’s the best with Haru. Yn’s always been like… the mom friend of our little group, but even more so after Haru was born.”

“You can always count on yn to bring sunscreen to a beach day,” Yeji laughed and leaned into Ryujin as she talked. 

“Or for her to bring mosquito repellent when you’re camping!” Ryujin added, giggling and leaning back into Yeji. 

You felt slightly embarrassed that your friends were talking about you like this, but you were also happy to hear they loved you so much and thought you were a good mom and friend. You looked at Minho again out of the corner of your eye and saw that he was still looking at you. 

“So I can count on you to bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent, hm?” He teased, leaning close to you so he could speak softly in your ear. “What if I get hurt, will you kiss it better?” 

You looked at him fully at that, feeling the heat creeping up your neck at his words. Suddenly, his living room was too warm. You swallowed thickly. “Would you want me to?” 

“Yeah,” he grinned slyly and leaned away from you. “So will you?”

“I-I mean, yeah, sure.” 

He nodded, satisfied with your answer. You stared at him as anticipation filled your chest again. You would be camping with him, alone except for your children, in just two days.

ten

Usually, you rented a car to pack all your camping gear and food into, but Minho offered to drive all of you this time. His car was big enough for the four of you and all of your collective camping gear and food. You, of course, agreed. Not only did this save you a little bit of money, it meant you got to spend more time with Minho. 

Minho met you at your apartment, early in the morning on Thursday. You’d taken off Thursday and Friday so that you could have more time to camp with Haru, Minho, and Jiyeon. When Minho knocked on your door at 7:30 a.m., you were practically vibrating with anticipation. You were excited. 

You enjoyed camping anyway, especially when it was with your son. But adding Minho and his lovely daughter into the mix? It all just felt so special. Especially with how big your feelings for him had become. And knowing he liked you too.

“Hey,” he grinned at you, leaning against the door frame as he held a sleepy Jiyeon on his hip. “Ready to go?” 

You nodded, smiling back, “Yeah. We’re ready.” 

Minho set Jiyeon down and the two of you gathered the camping gear and food that you would be bringing. You only had to make two trips before you were ushering your kids out the door and getting them buckled into their car seats in Minho’s car. 

When you were all settled in the car, Minho started to drive. Since you’d been to the campsite before, you were his navigator. He also put you in charge of the aux cord, but you took music requests from Haru and Jiyeon (until they fell asleep, not even twenty minutes into the drive). While the kids slept, you put on a playlist of slow R&B songs for background music. 

“Take a right here to get onto the interstate, and then take the first exit.” 

Minho nodded and adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. You found your eyes drawn to his hands again—one stationed on the wheel and the other on the gearshift. You almost wished he’d reach across and put his hand on your thigh. You shook the thought from your head and directed your gaze to your phone again to check the directions. 

“So, do you go camping here every year?” Minho’s voice was soft as he spoke. He didn’t look at you, eyes fixed on the road in front of him, occasionally flicking to check his mirrors. 

You nodded, even though he wasn’t looking at you. “Yeah. My… ex-husband started the tradition before Haru was even born. He wanted to turn it into a family reunion sort of thing one day when our family was big enough for that.”

“It’s really…” Minho huffed as he tried to find the right words to say. He was frustrated that they seemed to elude him. “It’s really lovely that you’re still continuing it.” 

“Yeah I… I think he would want me to.” You sat in silence for a long moment and then decided to break it with a question. “Have you and Jiyeon ever been camping?”

Minho sighed softly at that and shook his head. “No. I mean, I have been camping before, but not with Jiyeon. Honestly, it kind of slipped my mind. I think she’ll really enjoy it though, so I think it’s something I’d like for us to do more often.”

“Haru really likes it,” you agreed, nodding a little. “Though, I think maybe he likes it mostly because he can get as dirty as he wants without having to take a full bath.”

Minho laughed and you smiled to yourself. You really loved hearing him laugh. “Yeah, kids are like that.” 

You looked at the navigation on your phone again and hummed happily. “At this rate, we’ll make it to the campsite by lunch time.” 

“Perfect.” 

You and Minho made small talk as you drove. Not the kind of tedious small talk that usually annoyed you. This was nice. Though maybe that was just because it was Minho. Haru and Jiyeon woke up when you were about an hour away from the campsite, so you switched the music to songs they liked and turned it up a little bit. 

Minho watched out of the corner of your eye as you sang along to the children’s songs and danced a little in your seat, turning around occasionally to make faces at Haru and Jiyeon. He tried to hide his smile but he was sure you could see it anyway. All he could think about was how right he felt with you in the car beside him, both of your kids in the backseat. 

“Okay, turn left here… aaaaand we’ve arrived!” You cheered, grinning widely as you surveyed the campsite you’d reserved ahead of time. 

When Minho parked the car, you were quick to get out so you could unbuckle Haru from his car seat. Minho did the same for Jiyeon and then the two of you unloaded the car as the kids played. Minho pulled the tent out first after you decided to keep the coolers with the food in the car so they’d be shielded from the sun. 

“Have you put together a tent before?” You asked Minho cheerfully as you started to unzip the bag the tent was in so you put it together. 

He grinned and nodded. “Yeah. It’s been a while, but I’m sure it can’t be that hard.” 

“It’s not,” you confirmed, smirking at him a little as you continued. “Especially not with me, a professional camper. I’ve set this thing up alone for three years now, it’ll only be easier with the two of us.” 

He agreed and then the two of you got to work setting up the tent. You were right. It was easier with two of you. It was more fun too. You’d already laughed more than you ever had while setting up the tent. Minho struggled a little at first, but he got the hang of it pretty quickly. He bragged that he was a fast learner. You agreed. 

After you got the tent set up, Minho offered to make lunch while you blew up the air mattresses. So the two of you parted ways. Minho started a fire to cook on and you started his car so you could plug in the pump to blow up the mattresses. You glanced over at him at one point, smiling at the concentrated look on his face. He pouted a little as he worked and you couldn’t help but notice how cute he was. 

Once the air mattresses were both blown up, you gathered all of the pillows and blankets both you and Minho had brought and set up the beds. You put everyone’s bags in the tent and then zipped it up, satisfied with your work. 

“Okay kids, let’s get some bug spray on you!” You called, grabbing the can of mosquito repellent from the car. 

Haru and Jiyeon ran over to you and sprayed them both with the repellent, careful not to get it in their eyes or mouths. Haru coughed dramatically anyways. When you were done with them, they ran off to play again. You set the can down on the picnic table as you move to stand beside Minho at the fire. 

He looked over at you for a moment, a peaceful smile stretched easily over his face, before directing his attention back to the food over the fire. “You better not spray that around the food or the fire.” 

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” you giggled, watching as he cooked. “I’ve done this enough times, Min, I know what I’m doing.” 

Min. You’d never called him that before. He liked it.

He held his hands up in surrender and laughed with you. “You’re right, you’re right. Camping queen.” 

“Mom,” Haru whined, running over to you. You stopped him, chastising him about running so close to the fire, but then let him continue. “Is lunch almost ready? I’m hungry.” 

“Yes, honey, it’s almost ready. Why don’t we clean our hands with a wipe really fast, okay?” 

Haru nodded and let you clean his hands with a wet wipe. Jiyeon held her hands out to you silently and let you wipe them clean. Minho watched as you took care of your son and his daughter, his heart feeling fuller than it had in a long time. You helped the kids sit at the picnic table and then stood beside Minho again, ready to get plates of food ready for the kids when he was finished. 

“Try this?” 

Minho held some of the meat he’d been cooking out towards you so you could try it and you nodded, opening your mouth wider as he fed it to you. You hummed happily, dancing in place as you chewed. “Mmm, Min, have I told you how much I love your cooking?” 

“You know,” he teased you, poking you in the side gently. “I don’t think you have.” 

“Well, I’m telling you now. I love your cooking.” 

He looked away shyly, pulling the food off the fire, “Thanks, yn.” 

Jiyeon clapped her hands excitedly as you prepared food for both children. Haru watched with wide eyes, his mouth practically watering. You couldn’t help but laugh a little at their eagerness. When you placed the paper plates in front of them, they cheered and started eating. With how fast they ate, one would think they hadn’t eaten in years, though you and Minho both knew they’d eaten breakfast earlier that morning. 

The rest of the day seemed to go by quickly. Time does fly when you’re having fun. And time spent with Minho and his daughter was always great. His smile made you insanely happy, her sweet little laugh warmed your heart, and the best part of it was how much Haru adored them both as well. 

When it was time for bed, you and Minho got Haru and Jiyeon ready to sleep, made sure they were all tucked in, and then left them in the tent to settle down on their own. You sat beside him in your camping chair, seated so close to him your shoulders brushed against each other. You liked being close to him like this. You liked how comfortable you were with him in silence. 

“Yn I—”

“I have to tell you something.” 

You looked at Minho and laughed. He shook his head, smiling at you gently. “You go first. What did you want to tell me?”

“I…” You took a deep breath, and looked at Minho a little more intently, hoping he could see how genuine you were in your eyes as you spoke. “I heard you that night… when I had a nightmare and you thought I was asleep.”

He blanched, pulling back a little bit. “O-oh. Yn, I—”

“I’m not done yet.” Your voice was soft and you reached out for him, hand finding his cheek. He leaned into your touch and breathed out in relief. 

“Okay.” 

“You thought I was asleep and you… confessed you had feelings for me. Did you mean that?” 

“Yeah. I did.” 

You nodded and slid your hand from his cheek to the back of his neck, threading your fingers into the hair at his nape. “Do you still feel that way?” 

“I do,” he breathed out, swallowing thickly as you got closer to him. 

“Minho,” you whispered, looking up at him through your eyelashes. “I didn’t think I’d ever find someone after my husband died. I didn’t think I wanted to. But then I met you. Something about you is so comforting and wonderful. You’re kind and compassionate, tender and understanding and attentive. You are loving to your daughter and careful with my son and the other children you teach. You are so full of every wonderful thing I could ever dream of finding in a man. And I like you. I like you so much. I think that I might even… love you. But I haven’t taken the time to really unpack that one.” 

“I like you so much.” His eyes were swimming with emotion, so many all at once. Happiness, hope, confusion, fear, love. “I like you more than I think I’ve ever liked anyone. I like you more than I ever liked her. You are so admirable and beautiful and amazing. And god, the way you love your son so fully… that might be one of my favorite things to witness. You’re everything I wish my ex was. And you’re good with Jiyeon too. You’re so good with her. 

“And you know,” he laughed a little bit to himself, smiling at you wider than you’d ever seen him smile. “I think I was meant to meet you. To have you in my life. I’ve spent so much time running from the past—running from bad memories with my ex. But since I’ve met you, I’ve allowed myself to… feel. I haven’t thought about how hurt I was back then… like, ever. It just hurt too much. But because of you, I’ve been able to think about it and really get over it.

“I’m not great with words, yn. I don’t really know how to express myself. But I know that I care about you so much. More than I’ve cared about anyone. I-I mean, except for Jiyeon, but that’s different. I’m sorry. I’m rambling so much. Fuck, I told you I’m not good with words.” 

You laughed a little and leaned your forehead against his. “Do you want to know something? I am so scared, Lee Minho. But I think I can be brave if it’s you I’m chasing after. You better not break my heart.” 

“I wouldn’t dare.” 

“Minho?” 

He exhaled and you could feel it against your lips. “Yeah?” 

“If I asked you to kiss me right now… what would you say?” 

“I’d say yes,” his voice wavered, even though he tried to keep it steady. “And then I’d kiss you.” 

“Minho?” You asked, voice barely more than a whisper. He hummed in acknowledgement and your eyes fluttered closed. “Kiss me?” 

He laughed breathlessly. “Yes.” 

When his lips finally touched yours, it felt like fireworks. He was sweet and tasted like s’mores and his lips were soft and plush as they moved against your own. His hands were quick to wrap around you and hold you as close as he could with you being in a completely different chair than him. Your hands wrapped around his neck, tangling in his hair as you kissed him deeper.

He whined low in his throat when you pulled away. “It’s kind of hard to kiss like this.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, frowning a little. He looked around the campsite and then his eyes lit up. “Wait here, sweetheart, I have an idea.” 

You watched as he pulled the picnic table nearer to the fire with ease. You smiled. You’d be able to sit on the bench and still feel the warmth of the fire. Maybe if you were lucky, he’d let you sit on his lap. 

He helped you up and led you over to the picnic table. You sat down next to him and he immediately wrapped an arm around you. “How is it? Is it close enough? Can you feel the warmth?” 

“It’s perfect, Min.” You nodded and turned to face him, eyes focused on his lips again. “Thank you.” 

“Fuck, I want to kiss you again,” he whispered, watching you with hazy eyes as you swung a leg over him and settled on his lap. 

You leaned in, whispering in his ear. You didn’t think you’d ever been so bold in your life. “So, kiss me.” 

Minho’s hands fell to your hips and he pulled you impossibly close. “We should probably talk about this.” 

“We should,” you agreed, but you didn’t move away. 

He chewed on his bottom lip, looking at you intently. “Can we… talk about it later?” 

You couldn’t help but giggle as you leaned into him further, holding on to him tightly. “You want to kiss me that bad, hm?” 

“Kind of,” he smiled sheepishly, but didn’t move away from you. 

“So then, what are you waiting for?”

“For you to say yes.” 

You shook your head, scoffing a little. “You don’t have to ask anymore.” 

“I should always ask,” he whispered, one of his hands coming up to brush over your forehead tenderly. “I would never want to make you uncomfortable or make you do something you don’t want to do.”

You melted into him, his words putting your heart at ease. “God, I think I love you.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” he brushed it off, embarrassed and shy now that you were admitting just how deep your feelings were for him. “I think I love you back.” 

“Kiss me, Min.” 

“Okay.” 

You shuffled closer to him and he was quick to attach his lips to yours again in a sweet kiss. You could feel the warmth of the campfire on your back. Minho’s hands were warm too, and you could feel the heat even through your clothes. Stars twinkled in the inky sky above you and all you could think about was how magical everything felt. 

“Wait, yn, I have to tell you something.” 

“O-oh, what is it?” You were worried by the tone of his voice. He suddenly sounded frantic as he pulled away from you, looking at you with wide, conflicted eyes. 

He took a breath and opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He closed it again. And opened it. And spoke. “I-I… I think about you sometimes when I… get myself off…”

“I—you—what?” You blinked slowly, trying to process what he had said. 

He groaned, burying his face in his hands. He was mortified. You probably hated him now. “I don’t mean to, it just kind of happens—”

“Damn.” You frowned a little, crossing your arms. “You mean you don’t think of me on your own free will?” 

He blinked at you, confusion written across his face. “Well, I-I just—”

“Min,” you whispered, uncrossing your arms and placing your hands carefully on his chest. “I have dreams about you. So I’m not upset or disgusted or anything. It’s human to be attracted to someone sexually, and considering I am so into you, I’m honestly kind of flattered.” 

“You… you are?” 

You hummed and nodded, pushing his hair off his forehead and pressing a gentle kiss there. The fire was slowly dying behind you. You knew you’d have to get up soon and put it out completely so you could go to sleep, but for now, you were content as you were, in Minho’s arms, knowing he loved you back. 

“You’re so amazing,” he murmured, looking up at you, awestricken. He cleared his throat and looked away from you, cheeks darkening with embarrassment. “Ah, don’t get used to me being nice to you. I’m only being like this because you just confessed.” 

“You’ve always been like this to me, Min.” You laughed, climbing off his lap and giggling harder when he pouted. 

He stood and helped you clean up the campsite for the night, grumbling to himself all the while. “What do you mean? All my friends tell me I’m mean to them.” 

“Maybe you’re just soft when it’s me,” you teased, even though you figured there was some truth to it.

“Me?” He gasped, looking almost offended as he crossed his arms. “Soft?”

“Mhm. You’re very soft for me, you know. I think you try to hide it, but I can see it in the way you look at me. The way you smile a lot when we’re together.”

He looked like you just told him he’d grown ears and a cat tail. He almost didn’t believe you. But when he thought back, he knew you were right. He hadn’t been nearly as harsh with his words, hadn’t made unnecessary jabs (not even the playful, joking ones), and had been smiling so much more. You brought out a side of him he didn’t realize he had. A side not even his ex-girlfriend had ever seen. 

Once you’d cleaned up the campsite and put the fire out completely, you followed Minho into the tent. Haru and Jiyeon were sleeping on the mattress, bundled up in a pile of quilts and pillows. The tent was small, but still big enough that you could change into your pajamas standing up. Minho turned his back to you, offering you privacy without you having to ask. 

You were grateful. You weren’t sure you were ready for him to see you yet. 

When you were dressed, you slid under the blankets on the air mattress and Minho joined you moments later. He kept his distance, still wary of crossing any boundaries of yours. 

“Min?” 

“Yeah?” 

You took a deep breath and scooted a little closer to him. “I’m cold.”

“C’mere, sweetheart,” He rolled over and faced you, pulling you into his arms. You instantly sunk into his warmth, sighing contentedly. 

“Thank you.” 

“Of course.” 

You were quiet for a long moment and Minho thought maybe you’d drifted off to sleep. Until you spoke again, voice still soft so you didn’t wake up either of the sleeping children. “Min?”

“Yes?” 

“Will you still love me in the morning?” 

“I’ll still love you in the morning,” he whispered against your hair, squeezing you just a little closer to him. “And I’ll love you at the end of tomorrow. And the day after that too. I love you. That won’t change from one moment to the next.” 

“I love you, Minho. I really didn’t think I’d fall in love again, but you make it so easy.”

He could hear you sniffling, could hear the way you were getting choked up as you spoke. He hummed softly, rubbing your back and trying to soothe you. “Shhh, don’t cry. We’ll talk more about this in the morning. Sleep, for now.” 

You nodded. Everything felt so right. Having him so close to you felt right. “Okay. Goodnight, Min.” 

“Goodnight, yn.” 

The weekend went faster than you wanted it to. Before you knew it, you were packing up camp and driving back home. The weekend was full of laughter (usually because of your children), sneaky glances between you and Minho, and relaxation. That was maybe what you appreciated the most. Ever since you and Minho had confessed your feelings to one another, you’d felt so much lighter. 

You almost didn’t want to go back to the real world. You didn’t want to go back to work. And honestly, you were kind of scared to. What if your magical moment with Minho was just some sort of weekend fling? What if things changed when you got back?

But Minho held your hand the entire drive home, and that eased your nerves a little bit. 

When you got home, Minho helped you unpack the leftover food and camping gear and sat with you on the couch in your living room while Jiyeon and Haru played a little longer. “So I probably won’t be able to see you much the next three weeks or so.” 

You frowned a little at Minho’s admittance but nodded, trying to be understanding. “Oh, okay.” 

“It’s not that I don’t want to,” Minho was quick to ease your mind, hoping it would keep you from looking so sad. “I was asked to be a part of a showcase including multiple dance studios where the instructors will each perform one or two dances to promote their studio. It’s a great opportunity to gain new students. And I haven’t performed in a long time… I’m kind of looking forward to it.” 

“Oh. Min, that’s great! When is the showcase? Can I come?”

His ears reddened and he looked away. He was getting shy again. “Of course. I’d love for you to be there. I’ll text you the details.”

“Okay,” you nodded. “Maybe that night… I could have my parents watch Haru. W-we could, like, go out afterwards or something. If you wanted to.” 

He grinned at you and reached out and squeezed your hand. “I’d really really like that. I usually leave Jiyeon with my parents when I do stuff like this because they tend to go later into the evening and Jiyeon gets bored after a while anyway.”

“I’m excited to see you dance,” you curled into his side, pressing a sweet kiss to his jawline. “Maybe someday you can teach me to dance again.” 

“Only if you don’t run out this time.” 

You slapped him on the arm, pouting a little at the reminder. “I’m sorry, I just… got scared. My feelings were overwhelming and I didn’t know what to do. I shouldn’t have just run like that but… well we’re here now, at least, yeah?” 

“Yeah,” he laughed a little, hugging you a little tighter. “Yeah, I know. I’m not upset. I’m just teasing you.” 

Jiyeon ran out of Haru’s room and you pulled away from Minho. She stopped in front of him, pouting and whining as she spoke. “Dad, can we go home soon? I want to change my outfit and I’m hungry.” 

“Okay,” Minho nodded and stood, squeezing your hand as he got up. The small gesture went unnoticed by Jiyeon and Haru who had come out of his room after Jiyeon. “We can go home now, my love.” 

Jiyeon looked from Minho to you and back to him. “Are you sure? You can still talk if you want. I just want to go home soon.” 

“It’s okay,” you interjected, smiling gently at her. “We’re done talking now, so it’s okay, really.” 

Jiyeon nodded and grabbed her dad’s hand after saying goodbye to Haru and giving you a quick hug. She’d never hugged you before, and you would never make her, so the action warmed your heart. You looked up at Minho to see him already grinning down at you. 

“I’ll text you when I get home, yeah?” 

“Okay.” 

“Bye, yn.” He turned to your son and gave him a fistbump. “Bye, Haru.”

“Bye.”

eleven

One week turned to two, two turned to three, until it was the night of Minho’s showcase. You really hadn’t talked to Minho over the past few weeks. You missed talking to him, but you understood why he was so busy, and you were proud of him. 

You had texted him good luck a couple of hours ago, knowing he’d be at the venue for a final rehearsal, costuming, and hair and makeup. He hadn’t responded, but you didn’t mind. You were excited to watch him dance. Memories of the time he started to teach you to dance flashed in your mind. You pushed them away, trying to ignore the tingling in your fingertips. 

You had also called your friends, asking them for advice on what you should wear. When you told them that you’d be spending the evening with Minho after his dance showcase, both of your children with their grandparents, they’d all but freaked out.

“You guys are spending the night together? Alone?” Ryujin practically screamed through the phone. You held it away from your ear, cringing a little at the volume of her voice. 

Chaehyun’s voice came next, also practically screaming. “Oh my god, yn! Please tell me you’re going to wear the lacy black set! Not the basic one, but the one with all the pretty designs. You look so good in that one. Please say you’ll wear it.” 

“I-I don’t know, Chae. I don’t think we’re going to—”

“Do you want to have sex with him?” Sohee chimed in, her voice much calmer than Ryujin’s and Chaehyun’s. 

“I… I mean, yeah, I want to, but I don’t know if he wants to have sex with me.” 

“He’s an idiot if he doesn’t,” Ryujin grumbled and you could almost picture her with her arms crossed, pouting as she sat on her bed, scrolling through Instagram as you spoke. 

“Wear the set, yn,” Yeji urged. “Even if you guys don’t do anything, it’ll make you feel more confident. So you should wear it.” 

Everyone was silent, waiting for your final verdict. You sighed and rummaged through your closet for the set they were talking about. “Fine. I’ll wear it. But I’m telling you, I don’t think anything is going to happen.” 

There was a cacophony of cheering over the phone as your four best friends praised you for your “wise decision.” You rolled your eyes and loudly announced you were hanging up. You tossed your phone on the bed and got ready for the dance showcase. 

Despite your racy undergarments, the outfit you wore over it was simple and nice. You didn’t think you had to dress up much for a dance showcase. And it wasn’t like you’d really know anyone there other than Minho anyway. 

By the time you were finished, it was time to leave. You made sure you had all of your things and left to catch the bus. You could hardly sit still the entire ride to the venue—you were excited for Minho’s performance. You’d been eager to see him dance again since the time you’d run out on him. 

You sat near the front of the audience, watching each dancer from various dance studios perform. You frequently checked the program, silently counting how many dances it was until Minho. He was second to last. His turn couldn’t come soon enough. 

As the dance before his ended, you kept your eyes fixed on the stage, waiting for him to come out onto the stage. A few days ago, he had called you and told you that you would like his outfit but refused to tell you what it looked like. So you were even more eager to see him. You hadn’t seen him for more than five minutes at a time in person since your camping trip and, needless to say, you missed him.

In the darkness of the auditorium, you saw the dark shape of him coming onto the stage. You leaned forward a little, watching intently and straining your eyes to try and make him out despite the lack of lighting at the moment. 

When the lights came up, you lost your breath. You knew he was beautiful, obviously, but there was something about seeing him like this—in a special outfit, hair done up off his forehead, a little bit of makeup—that made him look so surreal. How was he even real? 

Your eyes stopped on the zipper positioned at his throat, zipped almost all the way up. You thought about what it would be like to just… unzip it and kiss his pretty chest. You shook your head, you had to focus. And then, the song started—it was one you recognized. You vaguely remembered it was called “Taste.” And it was the song Minho had tried to teach you to dance to when you’d run away. 

Your mouth felt dry all of a sudden and your eyes zeroed in on him. His eyes met yours at the perfect moment and he smirked as dragged his hand up his body, thrusting his hips slightly into the air. You shifted in your seat, suddenly hyper aware of the tingling in between your legs. 

You tried to pay attention to the rest of his dance, but the fuzziness in your brain made it a little hard to focus on him. You found your eyes drawn to his hands, thoughts of having them all over you taking over. When you realized, you blinked and looked at him again, but seeing the smirk on his face just made it even more difficult. He knew he was hot. Knew what he was doing to you. 

You watched as the zipper, once positioned at his throat, slowly unzipped as he danced, revealing more and more of his smooth chest. You hoped the people around you were actually focusing on the dance and not taking note of the way you ogled your… boyfriend? You’d have to ask him when you were thinking more clearly if he wanted to be exclusive. 

The dance ended too soon for your liking. You wanted to see more of him. Maybe your friends were right. Maybe you would have sex with Minho tonight. 

You didn’t pay attention to the dance that came after his. You hardly registered the showcase ending. You barely noticed when you stood and followed the crowd out to the lobby where you would greet Minho. You almost didn’t recognize him when he was in front of you, skin still damp with sweat, shirt halfway unzipped, hair still pushed off of his forehead. 

You wanted to kiss him. 

“You did so good, Min.” 

“Thanks,” he grinned shyly, looking at his feet for a moment. “I messed up on the bridge but—”

“I didn’t even notice. I doubt anyone else did. You were mesmerizing.” 

He raised an eyebrow at that, crossing his arms so he could tease you. “Yeah? You sure you’re not just saying that because you think I look hot dressed up like this?” 

You smacked him on the shoulder, looking around you incredulously. “Minho, we’re in public.” 

“So?” He shrugged, laughing as you continued to look around, paranoid that people were listening to you. “It’s not like anyone is listening. And I didn’t say anything that bad. Certainly nothing that wasn’t true.” 

“Whatever,” you grumbled, rolling your eyes and looking away.

He leaned in closer to you, whispering in your ear, “Want to get out of here?”

You nodded and let him lead you out of the building and down the street to his car. When you were safely buckled in and Minho had started to drive, you looked over at him, admiring how he looked like this. He looked relaxed. He looked happy. “That was the dance you tried to teach me, wasn’t it?” 

“Yeah,” he laughed a little. “Yeah, that’s the one.”

“I really want to kiss you.”

His eyes widened, almost imperceptibly, but you knew him well enough at this point that you caught on to his tells. “You can kiss me when we get back to my place.” 

“Really? You’ll let me?” 

He nodded, eyes still focused forward as he swallowed thickly. “I’d let you do just about anything to me.” 

“Yeah?” Your voice was quiet. Both of you felt the shift in the atmosphere. “Can I unzip the shirt all the way?” 

“If it’s what you want.” 

“And, can I kiss your chest? Maybe mark you up a little?” 

“Fuck, yn,” he groaned, hands tightening their grip on the steering wheel. “You can mark me up as much as you want if you let me do it back.” 

You hummed, satisfied with his answer. You turned to look out the window. “Okay.”

He shook his head, opting not to say anything. The tension in the car for the rest of the ride was so thick you were sure you could cut it with a knife. You didn’t look at him, worried you wouldn’t be able to hold yourself back if you looked at the damned zippered shirt any longer. 

Minho parked the car and the two of you made your way to his apartment in complete silence. The second the door was closed behind the two of you, you were pulling him down to kiss you. He groaned a little against your lips. Where your first kiss with him had been sweet and had carried all the love you felt for one another, this one was more intense, filled with desire and need. 

You were quick to run your tongue across his bottom lip and he didn’t hesitate to open his mouth. You slid your tongue against his and he moaned again. He couldn’t get enough of you. He held your face in both of his hands as he kissed you. 

He kissed you until you couldn’t breathe. And you kissed him back, equally as fervent. He pulled away to look at you. “Babe, this is going to sound so unsexy, but I still have the fucking dance belt on, so can I change—”

“Why?” You frowned a little, kneeling in front of him. “I can just take it off for you.” 

He squeezed his eyes shut as he bit back a groan at the thought of you undressing him. “Okay. Yeah, okay. J-just, not here. Can we—can we go to the bedroom first?”

You stood and he pulled you along behind him, leading you to his bedroom. Every part of your body vibrated with anticipation. Before, you’d been scared when you’d thought about maybe having sex with him—not because you were scared of him, but because you were scared of what he would think of you. Now though, you were just excited. 

When you were in his room, he leaned in and kissed you again. You had hardly made it over the threshold, but you didn’t mind. He closed the door behind him and your hands roamed over his shoulders and down the expanse of his exposed chest. Your fingers paused on his sternum and you could feel his heartbeat, racing almost as fast as yours. Then, you grabbed the zipper, pulling it down ever so slowly, teasing him. 

You pushed one side of the shirt out of the way so you could kiss his chest. He groaned lowly when you sucked, leaving a pretty purple mark. You drew back to admire your work, humming in satisfaction before leaning in and leaving more hickeys across his chest, on his collarbones, on his throat. He threw his head back, biting back his noises, embarrassed at how much you affected him. 

“Need this off now,” you muttered, reaching for the bottom of the shirt so you could pull it off of him. You pushed him so he was leaning back against the door. 

He pouted a little, teasing you. “Aw, thought you liked the shirt though?” 

“I do, but I like it better when it’s on the floor and I can see you.” 

He laughed at your eagerness and watched as you started to undo his pants. He stopped you, teasing pout on his lips again. “I want to see you too.” 

You swallowed and looked down at yourself before looking back at him and looking away again. “M-Min, I…”

“Hey,” he reached down, tilting your chin up so he could see your eyes. “You don’t have to if you’re not comfortable. We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with.” 

You didn’t even realize the tears welling up in your eyes until he was kneeling down in front of you, arms wrapped around you as he pulled you to his chest in a warm embrace. You sniffled and breathed him in. He still smelled so good. “I-It’s not that I don’t want to, I’m just nervous.” 

“Why are you nervous, darling?”

“I don’t look the same as I did before. M-my body is so different now, and no one has seen me since Haru was born. N-not even my ex-husband because he—well, you know. A-and the night I was drunk you didn’t really look at me and—”

“Look at me, pretty.” Minho’s gentle voice calmed you down and you took a few deep breaths before looking at him. “You are so beautiful, no matter what. And do you want to know my personal opinion?” 

You nodded silently and he smiled so tenderly at you. “I think you’re even more beautiful because your body is different now. That’s proof of a miracle in and of itself. You carried another human inside of you, you birthed him, and have cared for him ever since. Stretch marks? So fucking hot. A body that doesn’t look the same as when you were young and hadn’t had Haru? Gorgeous. You are beautiful. Bodies change, even when they’re not carrying literal humans. It’s normal. You don’t have to be scared of what I’ll think. I’m so in love with you and that makes you automatically ten times hotter, which means you’re actually one hundred out of ten because I already thought you were a ten out of ten.” 

You laughed and wiped the tears from your eyes. It made him smile too. You leaned your head against his shoulder and sighed. “I’ll start with my shirt then.”

“Okay.” 

“Stand up first,” you said, scooting away from him so you could tug your shirt off. “So I can suck you off.” 

The sudden realization that your pretty mouth was going to be wrapped around his dick in only a few seconds made him groan again and he stood, leaning against the wall once more. You tugged your shirt off over your head and tossed it somewhere behind you. You looked up in time to see Minho suck in a breath. 

“God, you’re beautiful.” He whispered, reaching down to gather your hair away from your face. “So fucking pretty, baby.” 

You smiled shyly at him and then started to unzip his pants again, pulling them down his legs carefully. You giggled a little when you saw the dance belt. It was almost like a padded thong, you thought. Minho nudged you with his knee when you started laughing, so you stopped, humming to yourself eagerly as you pulled the dance belt off of him. 

He sighed in relief as his hardened dick was released from the confines of the dance belt, and you blew on the tip, enjoying the way his jaw dropped open at the sensation. You held him in your hands, licking at the tip a couple of times before taking it in your mouth and sucking a little. Minho had to resist the urge to buck his hips into his mouth. As much as he wanted to feel good, he cared about you and your comfort more than anything else. 

“Ah, you’re so good.” His eyes were screwed shut, head back against the wall. 

Warmth spread through your body at the praise and you took him a little further into your mouth. The sounds he made spurred you on, so you sucked him off as best you could. You were a bit rusty, not having had much “action” since your son was born and your ex-husband had passed away. Minho didn’t seem to mind or notice though. You were grateful, in that moment, that he also hadn’t had sex in a while. 

“Fuck,” he pulled you off, “I don’t want to cum yet. I’m sorry.” 

You shook your head, grinning at him as you leaned back on your heels. “It’s okay. Don’t be sorry.” 

Minho helped you to your feet and kissed you again. You were addicted to the way he tasted, to the way his mouth felt against yours. Everything about him was perfect. How did you get so lucky? 

“How far do you want to go?” He murmured, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to your shoulder. “I can make you feel good, however you want. And if you don’t want that we don’t have to do anything else.” 

“I want you,” you whispered back.

“How do you want me, pretty?” 

You thought for a moment and then your eyes fixed on his hands, now holding your waist. “I want your fingers.”

“Yeah? Are you sure?” 

“Yes,” you whined playfully, walking away from him to sit on his bed. “I’m sure.” 

“Do you want to take your pants off?” His voice was still gentle, tentative, ready to stop whenever you said the word. 

You swallowed, nerves coursing through you, but after his sweet reaction to you when you took your shirt off, you knew you could trust him, so you nodded. “Yeah. Will you take them off for me?” 

He looked into your eyes, searching for any hesitance. Finding none, he helped you out of your pants. He didn’t look down at first, which made you nervous. You laughed anxiously, looking away from him. “Y-you can look at me… if you want.” 

His eyes flicked downward and you watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed thickly. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” 

He maneuvered so he was in between your legs on his stomach and you laid back against the pillows on his bed. He pressed sweet kisses over your thighs, sucking dark marks onto them. He kissed up, up, up, until he was pressing gentle kisses over your stomach as well, leaving marks there too. 

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, yn. I mean that.” His voice was genuine as he spread your legs a little more. “Can I take your underwear off?” 

You nodded, not trusting your voice. With how emotional he was making you, you didn’t think anything coherent would come out if you tried to speak. 

He hooked his fingers under the band of your underwear and tugged them down slowly. You watched him practically salivate over you when you were exposed to him. He rubbed a thumb through your folds, spreading you open and gathering your wetness before dragging it over your clit in gentle circles. He moved carefully, but skillfully. You were already writhing under his touch, wetness gathering between your legs. 

“You’re so hot. So perfect.” 

You whined a little as he slowly pushed his middle finger into your heat. “M-Min—”

“I know,” he whispered, “It feels good doesn’t it? Been so long since someone touched you like this, hm?”

“Yeah…” 

“Don’t worry, baby, I’ll make sure you feel so good.” 

You whined as his finger pumped in and out of you, thumb still rubbing your clit. You clung to his shoulders as he pushed a second finger into you. “O-oh. Min, you’re so—feels so—” 

“Shh, it’s okay, sweetheart. You don’t have to try and say anything. Just moan for me yeah? Want to hear how pretty you sound.” 

You moaned, clenching around his fingers and scratching at his shoulders as he started to scissor you open. It wasn’t long before he was adding a third finger, stretching you out perfectly. He curled his fingers upwards, rubbing against your g-spot and making you see stars. You gasped, digging your fingers into his back. 

“Hm, is that it? That’s the spot?” His tone was teasing but still gentle and you nodded as he continued to curl his fingers into the same spot as before. 

“I-I’m so close, Min. I’m gonna—”

“Cum for me, sweetheart.” He kissed you, fingers never stopping. 

His words and the sweet kiss were all it took to send you reeling over the edge. You moaned loudly, burying your face in his neck as you spasmed around his fingers. He pumped his fingers in and out, thumb rubbing at your clit, as you came down. When you whined at the overstimulation, he pulled his fingers out carefully. 

“You did so good, my love,” he whispered, kissing your forehead tenderly. “Are you all done, or do you want to keep going?” 

“I want you,” you whimpered, hands sliding down his back to rest on his hips. You pulled his body into yours. “Want you so bad. Inside.” 

Minho nodded but then stopped. Face falling and head rolling back in annoyance. “Fuck.” 

“What’s wrong?” You sat up, concern painting your features as you made him look at you again. 

“I don’t have any condoms. E-even if I did, they’d probably be fucking expired—”

“I’m on birth control,” you whispered, still holding his face in your hands. “I started taking it a while back to help regulate my periods and such. I’m not ovulating right now either. And I’m clean. Even though I trusted my husband, I still insisted we get tested together. A-and then I got pregnant and we didn’t really have sex and then Haru was born and… W-well, what I’m trying to say is… if you’re clean, we can do it raw… if you want.”

He looked at you, eyes wide as you spoke. Your voice trailed off and he blinked slowly, processing your words. “I could… I could fuck you raw?” 

You looked away shyly, slowly letting go of his face to let your hands fall to his shoulders. “Yeah.” 

“Fuck… yeah I-I’m clean. I got tested after I found out she was cheating on me and I was clean and… yeah I haven’t had sex since then so… I’m clean.”

“Okay,” you laid back down, pulling him with you. 

“W-wait, are you sure you want to?” 

You ran your fingers through Minho’s hair, heart clenching at how sweet he was being. “I’m sure.” 

Minho nodded and reached across you to grab lube out of the drawer of his bedside table. He squirted it into hand and jerked himself off a couple times before positioning himself at your entrance. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” you breathed, wrapping your arms around his neck.

He pushed into you slowly, watching your face to make sure you weren’t hurting. He paused when he bottomed out. You gasped, walls fluttering around him at how full you felt. 

“You can move now,” you murmured after you’d adjusted to the feeling of having him inside of you.

“Fuck,” he groaned, dropping his head into the crook of your neck. He pressed chaste kisses to your skin and moaned softly. “Fuck, I forgot how good sex feels. You feel so good. Thank you for letting me feel you. Thank you for trusting me.” 

You held him impossibly close as he rolled his hips into yours, angled perfectly to nudge that perfect spot inside of you with his tip. “Thank you for being patient with me. For loving me. I am so lucky to have met you.” 

He cried out a little at your words, and you weren’t sure if it was because of what you had said or because of how good you felt. You didn’t care either way, you were becoming too lost in your own pleasure. 

“I love you,” he whispered. “Fuck, I love you so much. I’m not one to say it that often, but with you, I feel like my chest will burst if I don’t tell you all the time. I love you, yn. So much.” 

“M-Min,” you gasped, clinging to him as he continued to thrust his hips into you perfectly. 

You hadn’t realized how much you’d been craving intimacy. You hadn’t realized how much you craved the feeling of being wanted. You didn’t know you were missing out on something so special. You thought, surely, it could only ever feel like this with your first love. Your ex-husband. But with Minho, that specialness felt like it was tenfold. 

Minho was something else entirely. Minho made you feel wanted in a way you couldn’t remember ever feeling. The intimacy you craved came so easily with Minho. He was just as desperate to feel good as you were, and yet he made a point to tell you that it was more than that for him. He loved you. You loved him. 

“I’m close,” you moaned. “D-do you think you can cum with me?” 

“Yes. God, yes.” He groaned low in your ear and reached between your bodies to rub at your clit.

The stimulation was almost overbearing. You felt the knot in your stomach tightening more and more and more until it snapped. You moaned, holding onto Minho tightly, as if he would disappear if you let go. You clenched tightly as you came and it sent him over the edge too. He bucked his hips into yours weakly as you rode out your highs. 

Even after you were both finished and his cock was softening inside of you, he was reluctant to pull out. His voice was soft, face still buried in the crook of your neck. “I love you.” 

“I love you back, Min.” 

“Okay,” he murmured, bracing himself against the bed. “I’m pulling out now. Gotta take care of you.” 

Your heart melted at his words and you sighed softly as he pulled out. He disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a warm, wet washcloth so he could clean your body of the remnants of both of your releases. He helped you up, guiding you to the bathroom attached to his bedroom so you could pee. He changed the sheets while you did, grateful his spare sheets were clean. When you were finished and he had successfully changed the sheets he helped you back into the bed. “Do you need water?” 

“Yes, please,” you nodded slowly, “But first, lay with me.”

He burrowed into your arms and sighed, content with having you close to him. He wondered if you could feel the love that was radiating off of his body. He wondered if you could hear the ‘I love you’ in every beat of his heart. He looked at you through heavy eyes, admiring how beautiful you were in this afterglow. 

“You’re glowing,” he mumbled, reaching up to trace a finger over your face. “So pretty.” 

You reached your own hand over and massaged his scalp which made him relax further into you. “You’re prettier.” 

He shook his head and laughed quietly. “That’s not possible.” 

There was a quiet meowing at the door of his bedroom. Minho looked over his shoulder at the door, as if looking at it would make it open. He grumbled and then stood to open the door for the cats. He shivered a little, cold now that he wasn’t in your embrace. He decided that while he was up, he might as well get the two of you water, so he made a quick trip to the kitchen.

When he returned with two glasses of water, Minho grabbed a pair of sweatpants from his closet and tugged them on. He grabbed one of his oversized t-shirts and brought it to you along with the water. “Put this on.” You looked at him, eyebrow raised and he looked down timidly. “Please. Want to see you in it.” 

“Okay,” you smiled gently at him and took the shirt, pulling it over your head. “There. Now come back and cuddle with me.” 

You didn’t have to tell him twice. He was already exhausted. “What time do you need to get Haru tomorrow?” 

“I told my parents I’d pick him up around one.” You murmured, hands finding their home in Minho’s soft hair again.

He nodded a little against you. “Okay. I’m picking Jiyeon up at three… Can’t wait to wake up next to you.” 

“Well,” you giggled, closing your eyes, “you kind of have to sleep first for that to happen.” 

“Mmm,” he hummed. “I’m getting there.” 

“I know I’ve already said it a lot, but… after everything that happened with my ex-husband… I’m scared something will happen and I just really need you to know that I love you so much. I’m so grateful for you, Min. Really, I am.” 

He was already halfway asleep when he answered. “I love you so much more. I’m so lucky to have met you.” 

twelve 

Minho decided his favorite thing was waking up next to you. He decided his second favorite thing was coming home to you at the end of the day. You weren’t always at his apartment with the kids after work, but when you were it was his favorite way to end the day. 

You had decided to stay the night. Three months ago when you started dating, staying the night wasn’t too common. You didn’t want to make the kids feel weird. Now, though, you were all close enough that they didn’t mind. They enjoyed the frequent sleepovers of their own. 

Minho opened the door to his apartment and was instantly greeted with music playing in the kitchen. He followed the sound and laughed as he saw you dancing around the kitchen with Haru and Jiyeon. You hadn’t heard him come in, and he liked that he was getting to see this side of you. He liked that you were comfortable around his daughter, liked that you were silly and fun and kind, liked that you were happy. You looked up then, eyes meeting his. Your heart skipped but the smile never fell. 

“Hi,” you breathed. 

Minho crossed his arms as he leaned against the counter, smiling back at you. “Hey.” 

“Dad!” Jiyeon cheered, skipping over to him and wrapping her small arms around his legs. “We’re dancing, Dad! Do you want to dance with us?” 

“Of course I do!” Minho bent down and lifted his daughter up off the ground, dancing around with her in his arms. 

You couldn’t help but giggle as you watched him. And then you took Haru’s hands in yours and spun him around. He was laughing and Jiyeon was laughing and so was Minho so you laughed too. You hadn’t been this happy in a long, long time. You were grateful to Minho, and to Jiyeon, for bringing so much laughter and joy back into your life.

“I love you,” you whispered as Minho danced closer to you.

“Not more than I love you,” he whispered back. 

You rolled your eyes at him. He always tried to make it some sort of competition. But you didn’t mind. You couldn’t mind. Because he loved you. At the end of the day, being loved in return by the man you loved was all that mattered to you. 

And you certainly loved Lee Minho.

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day 1 · 「sex gratia」

❝𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚏𝚊𝚛 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚘 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗?❞

➥ Boss!Minho x Girlboss Employee!Reader (f) — 2.6k

➥ The author chooses not to tag every single act to preserve some element of surprise where applicable. By continuing, you accept to read at your own risk. Read full disclaimer here.

⚠ — Quid pro quo, morally corrupt characters.

➥ Your boss has never really doubted your skills, but he does think you’re so fucking hot when you’re angry.

The world of investment banking may have been cutthroat, but so were you.

You worked hard, for sure. You worked your ass off just to break the legs of the high horses these scotch-drinking, steak-eating, country club-frequenting smug motherfuckers were sitting on. To rub it in their faces that not only could a woman make it in their world, but also she could do it better than them. That being said, in order to get what they got, you had to play by their rules.

You didn’t end up where you were by making friends and being a vanilla goodie-two-shoes, which meant your understanding of professional ethics and morals loosened up over time like pants after Thanksgiving. So what if several hundred dollar bills appeared on some notary’s desk? So what if a little flirtation occurred during a negotiation lunch? All that mattered to your boss was that shit got done. He was actually very encouraging of your little misdemeanors as long as you brought those millions to your firm, and like the employee of the month you were, you listened to him.

It had nothing to do with the fact that he was hot as fuck.

Lee Minho was the youngest associate that ever made partner, and you may have been heavily thirsting behind his back ever since he stepped foot in here, much like the entire floor he was commanding. His sex appeal reached beyond his mesmerizing looks—it was the way he carried himself. The serious, mysterious aura around him, his brief manner of speaking, and the way he took no shit from people… He would cock a single brow when he was annoyed at somebody, and you would feel yourself get physically wet.

The power he held, jesus…

Nevertheless, you never made it obvious to him how weak he got you in the knees. If anything, you looked so convincingly unfazed by his presence that Minho wasn’t able to figure out why you weren’t throwing yourself at him like the literal rest of the company. 

You knew it was annoying him a bit because his flirting was getting gradually aggressive with you, and this had become your singular source of entertainment lately.

Workplace seduction meant class. You would never be like one of those regular bitches openly salivating right in front of his face and stroke his already massive ego. He was going to get on his knees for you, or you didn’t want it at all.

And things were going pretty much on your terms until all the unholy thoughts you had about him turned into pure murderous intent with a company-wide email blast.

REF: Division 25 Appointment Starting October 1, Jennifer Pratt will serve as the new Division 25 head. Please fill out the form linked below for organizational flowchart restructuring.

Your blood went freezing cold before it turned into molten lava in your veins.

Division… 25… Your division… that you had been… waiting… for a promotion… to be the head of…

Who the absolute fuck was this Jennifer cunt anyway?! Was this one of Lee Minho’s side pieces? How come you had never heard of this person before? Was he fucking blind to your track record?

“Oh, hell to the fucking no.”

You immediately jumped from your desk, fuming out of your ears and ready to throw hands, and stormed into your boss’ office, not giving a single fuck about what he was doing inside. He could be talking to world leaders for all you fucking cared. Minho looked up from his laptop when his door banged open and witnessed his associate panting through her nose.

“By all means, you didn’t need to knock,” he put his pen down and held your gaze with sheer displeasure on his face.

“Mr. Lee, I’m so sorry!” his secretary dashed after you utterly apologetic, “I tried to tell her—”

“It’s okay, Yun. Please close the door and lock it from the outside,” he instructed in a dangerously calm tone. You didn’t even wait for the door to be fully closed before you started your confrontation.

“Can I have a fucking word with you?”

“You already are,” he reclined in his leather chair.

“Let’s cut the bullshit, shall we, Mr. Lee?” you approached his desk and slammed your hands on it, “I want an explanation.”

“Since when do I provide explanations to you?”

“Since you took my goddamn promotion away from me,” you spat, not even paying any mind that he could, in fact, fire you on the spot, “You know how high my billables are. I’m the reason you moved into your ridiculously expensive condo!”

A very brief silence followed after your blaring declaration. All Minho did was raise his brows and break into the faintest of smiles. 

“Didn’t know you were interested in my personal life to that extent,” he tilted his head and clasped his hands on his lap.

Busted.

Why the heck would you even bring that up? Now he was going to have ideas that weren’t exactly false, especially with your ‘unaffected’ façade loudly cracking.

“It’s not exactly classified information,” you stood tall on your feet, suddenly much calmer than your initial rampage, “Everybody’s talking about that.”

“Are you?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Fine,” he crossed his legs into a more comfortable position, “How far are you willing to go for your promotion?”

“Excuse you?”

“If you want something from me, you need to give me something in return,” Minho shrugged, “How far are you willing to take it?”

It was at that moment that you knew you lost. Months of dragging him through hell, teasing him, verbally or accidentally physically, just to get him to kneel for you, but now he had the upper hand. On his face, there was the exact same smile you flashed him every time you scored a goal against him. You could either say fuck you and walk out, throwing everything you had ever worked for into the trash, or you could accept defeat and hand over this promotion to some cunt.

But there was a secret third option. 

You knew it, he knew it, and he was smirking at you all satisfied, thinking he got you cornered whereas it just meant that the cost of getting what you wanted was to fulfill a raging fantasy of yours. 

This wasn’t a doomsday scenario. It was fucking payday.

“You can’t deny there’s this thing between us,” Minho stood up and put his hands in his pockets, “Did you know every time we’re in the same room, they issue a DefCon 3 warning? It’s that dangerous.”

He started walking towards you with slow steps, staring you down the entire time. If he thought his intense gaze on you was supposed to be intimidating, he would be sorely mistaken. This was a lot more like torturous foreplay for you where he would deny you any contact until you forced him to touch you.

“Interesting. Every time we’re scheduled for a meeting together, you wear pencil skirts like this,” he stopped right behind you, “I can see the shape of your ass perfectly.” 

Your eyes automatically closed when he stole a whiff from your hair and let out a content hum. You felt his hands on your waist and they started sliding down.

“Who told you I have a thing for g-strings?” he caressed your ass, his breathing seeping into your body down your nape, “Is everyone also talking about how I’m an ass man?” 

“No,” you swallowed, hoping he wasn’t able to hear your pulse.

“So it’s your personal observation after seeing me drool over yours.”

Why, yes, it was. It didn’t take a genius to notice how he always checked you out when you walked past him, or when you dropped something around him, which happened way too often when you two were alone.

“What’s it gonna take for me to eat your pussy? Your promotion?” he breathily whispered into your left ear, “I just wanna watch how wet I get you. You know I do.”

“No.”

“Pity,” he tutted and let out a disappointed exhale, “In that case—”

“No, I’m going to watch you,” you finally turned around and faced him, “If I like what I see, you can eat my pussy.”

His lips parted in contentment. Too much of it. You could literally see all the mischievous lights flickering in his eyes.

“You should know, that hard-to-get thing you’re playing with me turns me the fuck on.”

“I know,” you subtly wrapped your fingers around his tie and started dragging him back to his chair.

You made yourself comfortable on the smooth surface of his desk as Minho sat down in front of you and spread his legs wide. His hard on was straining his slacks, and you couldn’t help the urge to drag your high heels around the outline of his cock. Minho’s hands were running up your legs and caressing them all over, but you stopped him before he could reach your thighs.

“Shh,” you pushed your heel on his chest, “Let me see you.”

He unbuckled his belt for you, eyes keenly focused on your impending reaction, and sprung his erection free. It was fucking impossible not to drool at his delicious girth, and you licked your lips out of complete instinct.

“You like what you see, huh?” he grinned, satisfaction in his voice palpable.

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t.”

All he did was stare into your eyes, and you were hypnotized. He slowly spread your legs as wide as he could and pressed his thumb on your underwear, just to feel some dense moisture on his skin.

“Then how come you are this wet if you don’t?”

There was no point in pretending you didn’t want to fuck this man’s brains out anymore.

Eyes still holding yours captive, Minho slid the piece of stained garment down your legs, and your skirt up your waist to put the sight he was yearning for on display. Your pussy, glistening with a thick coat of slick he was the cause of.

“Lick,” you commanded him firmly.

He buried his face between your legs and licked several long drags on your folds, then chuckled to himself.

“You’re dripping on my desk,” he briefly looked up at you again, “I’m never gonna clean this up, you know.”

Then his ministrations turned even more torturous. He wasn’t even licking you anymore—it was only the tip of his tongue touching your clit in frequent intervals.

“Stop teasing!”

“No,” he spread your lips further apart, “You told me to lick. I’m licking.”

You were getting so frustrated that you started rolling your hips on his face to get a bit more friction. It felt a bit too good, and you couldn’t control the volume of the moan that spilled from your lips.

“Shh, quiet,” Minho squeezed your thighs to warn you, “Do you want somebody to walk in on us?”

“If it’s Hyunjin, he’s welcome to join. I have three holes,” you shamelessly grinned at him, “Come on, give me more.”

Minho trapped your clit between his lips and gave it a strong suck before completely ceasing all stimulation.

“If you want more, I’m fucking you.”

“Not if I fuck you first.”

That was all it took. He basically jumped from his seat and aligned his cock with your dripping entrance, currently ruining some documents you were sitting on. His hands immediately held onto your ass to pull your body close.

“So… fucking… wet…” he groaned while he was sinking into you, “Did you want me that much?”

“As if you’re not rock hard and throbbing inside me right now.”

“I never once denied how much I wanted this pussy. You’re in my worst fantasies.”

Minho threw his head back once he bottomed out whereas your eyes were rolling back. Now you knew for a fact how fucking stupid it was not to fuck him any sooner.

Way sooner, for that matter.

“Oh fuck, this— It’s so— So fucking good!”

“Too full?” he grabbed you by the nape, “You can’t get this from the Hwang guy.”

Once he started moving inside you, his kisses quickly turned into a sloppy makeout session where you were biting into each other’s lips. His growls in your mouth were forcing you to clench around him.

“Do people also talk about how many surfaces I have in my new condo?” he panted against your lips.

“No?”

“A lot, and I wanna fuck you on all of them. You’ll leave a trail of cum everywhere,” he shoved three of your fingers inside his mouth and licked all over them, “Rub your clit for me.”

The space Minho gave you to comfortably pleasure yourself allowed him to see your torso better. He started salivating at how your tits were bouncing in your blouse, and he loosened a couple of your buttons in a rush to free them. To fondle them. To suck on them to his heart’s content.

“Call me Minho. I wanna hear you moan my name.”

When he latched his lips on your neck, leaving open mouth kisses everywhere like a vampire’s last chance for survival, you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself even if you wanted to.

“Minho!”

“Just like that,” he inhaled your lips again, “Ride it, baby. Take what you need from me.”

You squeezed his jaw between your thumb and index fingers, then started declaring your demands.

“You’re gonna give me my promotion.”

“Yes, I am.”

“You’re gonna increase my commission rate.”

“Yes, I am.”

“You’re gonna give me an expense account.”

“Yes, I am.”

“And you’re gonna eat my pussy whenever I want. Day or night.”

“Sit on my face in a board of directors meeting for all I care. Total free use for you,” he gritted his teeth, “but you’re going on at least one date with me.”

You inadvertently laughed and kissed him. As you were melting in each other’s mouths again, Minho found a delicious fucking spot inside you.

“Fuck, I’m gonna cum,” you leaned on the desk to support yourself and started rubbing your clit fervently to your climax, “Hit that hard. Faster. Faster!”

When you finally snapped, you clenched so hard around Minho that it forced him to cum. He rode out both your orgasms at a declining pace, and his movements eventually came to a halt. He stole one last kiss from you before pulling out, then snagged a couple of wet wipes suspiciously sitting on his drawer to clean you up. 

“You’re sorely mistaken if you think I’m gonna let this go,” you declared while putting your underwear back on, “That promotion is mine.”

Minho sighed in exasperation as he buckled his belt, then buttoned your blouse for you.

“It’s fake,” he emphatically uttered, but all you gave in return was a blank stare.

“What is?” 

“The announcement you threw a tantrum about,” he sat back on his chair, “We’re doing phishing tests. You should learn to check your incoming email extensions.” 

You had done quite a few pretty impulsive and stupid things in your life, but never once did you feel like an utter dumbass like you were feeling right now.

“So the promotion was…”

“There’s no Jennifer Pratt. It was yours all along.” 

You felt played. It wasn’t even played; you felt scammed, but you weren’t able to help your laughter anyway. Minho laughed along with you, then asked you the question he was after all along.

“So do I pick you up at 8 on Saturday, or what?”

「© 2023, exxxtraoddinary · No translations, rewrites, or reposts permitted」

✉ Enjoyed this? It would be cool of you to reblog so that my work can reach more people.

💭my baby

pairing: lee minho x gn!reader

an: some hurt/comfort for you guys !! please remember its okay to cry and feel down, your emotions are valid<33

“hi honey, what’s up?” you heard a familiar voice on your phone. “can i come over?” you asked in a weak voice, sniffing and it startled minho a bit, since it was pretty late in the evening. “of course. did something happen?” “i don’t wanna talk about it. i just wanna be with you now,” you said, more tears spilling from your eyes. “where are you?” “on my way to your apartment.” “did you take a taxi?” minho said in a firm tone. you didn’t answer. “yn, please tell me you’re not taking a walk here at this hour.” you could hear something rumble in the background, as if minho was looking for something. “where are you?” he asked again. “near the train station…” you finally whispered, knowing that it was useless to lie to him. “alright, sit somewhere safe, i’ll be there in 10 minutes.” “no, you don’t have to pick me up. it’s okay, i can just walk,” you uttered. after all that happened today, the last thing you wanted was to be a burden to your boyfriend. “well, it's too late because i’m already in the car. stay there and wait for me.”

after a few minutes you saw minho’s car stopping at the parking spot next to you. he was quick to get out of the car and hug you tightly. you broke down in his embrace, feeling all the emotions escape you. minho placed his hand on the back of your head and stroked your hair a few times, rocking you gently in his arms. after a long while you finally broke the hug and looked minho in the eyes. he took your hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly, leading you to his car. he was acting so soft and caring that it caused you to cry even more, especially when he fastened your seatbelt for you. he whispered something along the lines of “you’re my baby and i’ll make sure you’re safe.” then he drove you to the nearest convenience store, buying you all the food you wanted and then finally after the terrible day you were able to cuddle with your boyfriend, slowly but gradually forgetting about all your problems.

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"... Who Is This?"

✮ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆｡°✩ SKZ Hyung Line x Reader ✮ ⋆ ˚｡ ⋆｡°✩

Summary: Texting the wrong number and getting a surprisingly pleasant reply

Warnings: (Mention of) Cheating, Established Relationships between Reader & Someone Else/Failed Dates

Bangchan:

Lee Know:

Changbin:

Hyunjin:

77 lee know 🫶🏻

Bboki's Ask Game!!

Lee Know + #77 : Body Writing. What would they write on their partner's body? What would they want written on them?

Ohohoho. I think Minho would SO be into body writing. He'd love taking a thick black sharpie and writing the most disgustingly sick words on your perfect skin. Writing 'Free use' on your upper stomach, 'MY pussy' with an arrow pointing right at your clit, and 'Property of Lee Minho' all over your tits. He's also prone to writing 'MINE.' on your back right above your ass because, let's face it. You belong to him. That ass belongs to him.

Writing on him? Mm, rare that it happens - but there was on time you wrote 'My Man' with a little black heart in pen near his left thumb and he got so frustrated when it washed off each time he went to the bathroom. After that instance, though it was innocent, he was a little more open to the idea of you writing on him. <3

The way i can see virgin hyunjin and minho both lowkey like ..... bullying (?) Experienced reader? Like kind of guilting her. Minho would do it in a teasing way, mainly to bait her into showing her full devotion to him.. but i can honestly see hyune getting toxic w it 💀❤️‍🔥 like a "i waited for you but you didnt wait for me" kind of thing and him being a clingy miserable mess who needs constant reassurance and holds it over her head (oohhhh the way hyune would go from crying fake tears to tearing her apart in the bedroom ... hard dom jinnie 🤤) delusional hyune beloved

Yeah - I can see that happening.

Feel like I can see Minho teasing you by saying, "You liked other guys before me - how do I know you're not just gonna move on if you don't like my dick when the time comes? Huh?" but he'll be giggling while he says it because to him, it's all good fun. He teases everyone because he's an actual menace -

But Hyunjin,

Keeping the smut aside, I do think he can go a little too far with it. Saying shit like, "Don't know why I bothered getting with someone who couldn't wait because they were desperate." and "You're greedy. You just couldn't wait to do it 'til you found the one person you want to spend your life with."

Which makes you feel fucking awful. (I mean I know I'd feel like shit if someone acted that way towards me.) But in turn, he feels bad too. Sometimes his teasing goes too far and it gets personal for him - which he then takes out on you. And then you cry, you two kiss and make up, and then its a constant repeat of him getting insecure because he's afraid he won't be what you like in the long run.

(But for the smut,,, yes. He's got legit nothing to be insecure of because A) I know he's packing at least 7 inches I've seen it w/ my eyes, and B) He's a BEAST in the bedroom. So yes, he ruins you. and you ruin him. And he's literal perfection. I take no criticism.

S/O being stressed

Hey everyone! Welcome to CharmedChaos!

I'm JJSTAY, writer #1 who loves bringing your favorite characters to life in exciting and imaginative ways here at CharmedChaos. So, sit back, relax, and dive into the world of fantasy with me!

Group: SKZ

Type: X Reader/X Member/N.A

Age Restriction: 13+/16+/18+/N.A

Word Count: 370

Request Status: Requested by: {no one}

Pairing: OT8

Genre: selected in purple

Romance, Angst, Fluff, Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller, Action, Adventure, Horror, Smut

Trigger Warning: reader is stressed, mentions of food

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons{outside of stated idols}, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Got it! Let's dive into the reactions of each member of Stray Kids to their stressed significant other:

Absolutely, let's switch it up:

Bang Chan:

Sees you stressed, immediately starts brainstorming solutions.

Pulls out a whiteboard and markers, ready to map out a plan of action.

Suggests a "stress-busting" dance party in the living room, complete with impromptu choreography sessions.

Lee Know:

Notices your stress and decides it's time for a DIY spa day.

Sets up a makeshift spa in the bathroom, complete with cucumber slices and soothing music.

Accidentally spills a face mask on the floor, leading to a slippery (but hilarious) cleanup mission.

Changbin:

Takes one look at your stressed expression and declares it's time for a "stress-eating" session.

Whips up an assortment of comfort foods, from ramen to chocolate chip cookies.

Accidentally burns the cookies, but insists they're just "extra crispy."

Hyunjin:

Sees you stressed and decides to unleash his secret weapon: a collection of adorable animal videos.

Pulls up YouTube and starts playing a marathon of baby animal compilations.

Ends up getting distracted by the videos himself, leading to a competition to see who can find the cutest puppy.

Han:

Notices your stress and immediately whips out his collection of dad jokes.

Launches into a series of puns and one-liners, determined to make you laugh.

Ends up getting so caught up in the jokes that he forgets why you were stressed in the first place, but hey, at least you're both laughing hysterically.

Felix:

Sees you stressed and decides it's time for a spontaneous dance party.

Pulls out his phone and starts blasting your favorite songs, dragging you into the middle of the room.

Ends up accidentally knocking over a lamp in the process, but insists it's just part of the fun.

Seungmin:

Notices your stress and immediately starts listing off random facts and trivia to distract you.

Launches into a passionate monologue about the history of paperclips, complete with diagrams.

Somehow manages to turn the mundane into the hilarious, leaving you in stitches by the end.

IN:

Sees you stressed and decides it's time for a "stress-relief" scavenger hunt.

Starts hiding random objects around the house, leaving you clues to find them.

Ends up getting lost in the chaos himself, leading to a hilarious search mission to track him down.

skz - lee know boyfriend texts

pairing: lee minho x reader warnings: crack, fluff, reader has long enough hair to braid summary: texts with your boyfriend lee know screenshot count: 5

©amyysfics (2023) All Rights Reserved - Reposting/Modification of any kind is not tolerated.

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