Nct Dream Timestamps - Tumblr Posts - Page 3
[3:02] "Stop being cheesy in front of me," you glare at your best friend and sister as they steal kisses and candies from each other. You huff, focusing back on the video game and violently hitting Jaemin's character instead of killing the enemy, leading to your defeat.
Game over.
You groan, "Freaking lovebirds bring me bad luck!"
They haven't said a word, not even daring to bite back at your playful remark, just looking at each other. You shake your head and smile fondly. You stood up, moving to the kitchen, where you take a glass of water and clutch on your heart.
It feels strange.
They didn't even notice you leaving.
Jaemin looked beautiful when he's with your sister. Honestly, he looks beautiful even when he's not, but... well, there's something else. He looks happier. Livelier. As if he wants to live for an eternity no matter how cruel the world is.
As children, it was the two of you against the world. It was you he played games with, stared at, smiled at. Only you. It was your name written on his wrist by glittery pink ink. It was his doing that your parents always scolded you both for wrapping your pinky fingers in red ribbons, saying you're both too young for such things. Things didn't change much even as you grew up.
Or, at least, until your sister came back home from a faraway land unfamiliar to you.
Maybe it's not jealousy in your heart. Maybe it's actually envy. It might not be 'why is it her?' and rather, 'why is it not me instead?'
Because yes, you'll admit, you love him. Your best friend who you love with more than a best friend would. You love him, but you don't say, you never will. You're in love with him, but it's nothing enough to change fate, alter the world. You see in his eyes, the same ones you fell into, that he could never look at you the same way.
He'd never love you. Not the same way you loved him.
But her... well, she put stars in his eyes. She hangs the moon in his night sky, lifts the sun to rise in his world. She was new. She didn't know him at all, hasn't been there in his ups and downs. She wasn't there for him when you were and she didn't comfort him like you did. It wasn't fair!
It wasn't fair...
But it made him happy.
And when it made Jaemin happy, why would it matter if was fair at all?
You take deep breathes, soft against the rim of the glass. It must be suffocating, the grip you have on it. A little stronger and it'll break under your fingers. Water drips down your neck, and it's not spilling from your lips because of the water you just drank.
You're crying. Were you happy? Were you sad? Or, were you tired of having to be both, happy for them and sad for yourself?
You would always be the best friend and her the girlfriend. He put a ribbon on your finger and a ring on hers. He promised to be by your side forever, and he promised to live with her for the rest of his eternity. No matter how you look at it, it didn't matter that he knew you deeper, longer. You're the best friend.
The girl he went to school with everyday, the girl he exchanged presents with every holiday. The first girl to tell him he's beautiful and it's fine to love flowers and the color pink. The first girl he brought home, introduced to his family. The first girl to know about his parents' divorce, the first one to comfort him, from then even until the funeral of his father and more times aside from that. The first girl who let him know it was okay to cry, to be sad.
And, years down the line, he'd realize that you're the first girl he's ever truly fell in love with. Rose petals scatter the red carpet, youthful whites against passionate red. He's come to regret the years he wasted looking at you like anything else but a woman, scared that if he saw you in any light other than his best friend, he'd fall irrevocably in love. Love scared him. Though, he realizes just then, loss scared him more. Loss of you. Loss of the chance to love you. To have you. To kiss you. To hold you.
To have forever with you.
Just then. He realizes just then.
As you walk down the aisle, a flower path leading to a man that's not him.
tw: cheating
[08:37p.m.] Oddly enough, the first thing you do after finding out from your trustworthy neighbor that your boyfriend brought a handsy lady to your apartment was to pick up a box of pastries and two cups of hot chocolate on the way home from a trip you were done early for.
As expected when you return, the lights were off and the TV was on. The AC was most likely on high, and you frown, remembering the sudden spike of your electricity bill. Maybe I should be grateful they at least turned off the lights?
They don't notice you, too immersed in kissing each other and lost in their wandering hands.
"Hi, boyfriend," you make your presence known, taking off your coat. "I suppose you're my boyfriend's other girlfriend? Hi, boyfriend's other girlfriend."
You watch in amusement as they part, horrified expressions on their faces. Your expression dims ever so slightly at recognizing her familiar face from the light the TV casts on her delicate features.
"Oh, apparently it's my boyfriend's best friend who happens to probably be his girlfriend," you nod teasingly. You sigh, walking closer to them, setting down the snacks you picked up on the way home. "I didn't know you were gonna be over, so I just got two hot chocolates. I probably got one of your favorite pastries, though, so please help yourself."
"Y/N, love, I—"
That was ironic and you'd be a liar to say bile didn't rise up your throat. The beast inside you feels a tickle of rage, of amusement, but you were never that person; no, you'd wreak havoc if you wanted to because you certainly could, but is there anything more maddening than the paranoia found in silence and the impending outburst that just wouldn't come? Yeah, exactly.
So you keep up your perfected calm smile.
"Please make yourself at home," you say kindly, "I'm going to gather my things."
"Y/N, I—"
"Jaemin," you tilt your head without your expression faltering once, "Let's live a life where we exist far, far away from each other."
Without a word, you turn around to the direction of your room, packing up your things. All his gifts, be it the dresses he gave you or the promise rings he put on your fingers, are left on the bedside. Your framed pictures are gathered in one section of your bag, none left to remind him that you existed in his life. There's no way you're letting a man like him be reminded of you.
You chuckled — how sweetly love felt like, almost like being fucked by a knife. Not that you know what that feels like, but it seems like an appropriate thing to say.
So he found someone, huh.
You smile to yourself.
Good riddance.
[6:47 pm]
“boo!” renjun grinned as you looked up at him from the open book laying on your lap.
giggling to yourself, you reached over to boop the fake nose extending from his face.
“my, my. you make a very scary pinocchio, babe.”
[11:51 pm]
“she’s so pretty what am i supposed to do?!” renjun’s hushed whisper echoes from your laptop, prompting your head to snap towards the screen.
it was late, your group had decided to work on your project that was due the next day. with you being the only girl in the group, a deep intense blush situates itself on your cheeks—was he talking about you?
“um… renjun, your mic is on.” jaemin grins secretly, your whole group watching as renjun’s eyes widen and his camera shuts off.
“s-sorry!”
[10:39 p.m.] (warning: dark humor since we’re talking cards against humanity lmfao) “okay, it’s my turn,” you breathed out, and set your cards down, picking up a black card. you read aloud, “what’s that smell?” a smile played along your lips as you watched your friends hurriedly look at their cards. you recently bought the game cards against humanity, which you think by far, has been one of your best investments. haechan grinned and set the first card down, before trying to peek at jisung’s cards. pushing him away, jisung slowly set down the next card, followed by jaemin, mark, chenle, jeno then finally your crush!renjun. you shuffled the cards, and began to read each card aloud, trying to show a minimal amount of reaction. “what’s that smell? coughing into a vagina; Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II; mouth herpes; poor life choices; bees?; Keanu Reeves; and Mr. Clean, right behind you.
“I have to say this is quite the bunch, but I narrowed it down to these three: the Queen one, the Mr. Clean one and poor life choices.” this made chenle and jaemin groan, while jisung said, “it was a shit card anyway,” with mark agreeing regarding his card. “sorry, but I think the winner is the Queen card.” renjun clapped at this, and taking the black card from your hand, fingers colliding gently with your own. the two of you blushed at this, and haechan simply groaned, “of course he wins! you literally love him!” renjun’s ears went red hearing this, and your eyebrows shot up, reaching for the pillow next to you and aimed it right for haechan, telling him “shut up!” the boys dodged it easily and everyone laughed at your antics, before quickly moving on to making mark the judge for the next round. you picked up your cards hastily, but throughout the rest of the night, you and renjun exchanged secret glances at one another, haechan’s words echoing in both of your heads.
༻ Timestamps NCT DREAM ༺
✎ [16:38 p.m] — Z.Chl
Encontrar seu ex, e amor da sua vida, Zhong Chenle em um mercado não foi planejado e definitivamente não saiu como queria ...
✎ [16:38 p.m] — Z.Chl
Meeting your ex, and the love of your life, Zhong Chenle in a market was not planned and it didn't turn out as she wanted...
[Masterlist] • [NCT DREAM Masterlist]
🍵🌿🖇..⃗. buy me a coffee?
〄 〯 PAIRING. Ex-boyfriend! NonIdol!chenle × fem!reader (ft. Chenle's new girlfriend...) GENRE. Sligh angst REQUEST. No WARNINGS. Mention of food, sadness and slightly angst, I guess...
೫ [16:38 p.m]
Seeing him so far and so close at the same time was painful. It wasn't a planned date (actually it wasn't even a real date), it was like a sweet surprise, like those several he made during your relationship… a cute note left in the fridge, your favorite candy left for you, a voice message wishing good morning when both of you couldn't be together… There he was, Zhong Chenle was standing in a supermarket aisle analyzing some product you couldn't quite see which one. All he could see was his profile, but that sight alone was enough to know he was even more handsome, and that domestic sight made your heart pound.
Chenle's beauty was always obvious. Many of your friends used to compare him to Leonardo DiCaprio — not that he knows — but as the days went by, he seemed to become even more handsome, and even all that time away from him, you couldn't stop wondering if the beauty of Zhong continued to expand… and the answer is a big yes.
And there you were, watching him from afar, completely forgetting that you were in a public place and that you could be mistaken for a crazy stalker behind the cute guy, but you couldn't stop looking at him. Holding what you wanted to take, you considered going to talk to him, maybe he would be happy to see you too, maybe you could talk, maybe... And then in the blink of an eye, the sweet surprise turned to a bitter surprise, and your heart skipped a beat, in a different feeling.
While you pathetically admired Chenle from afar, a girl approached the boy and hugged his back. All you can do is stand still in your place, while a beautiful girl takes your favorite place in the world, and hugs him warmly in public, smiling, visibly happy, and in love.
Your memory traveled directly to the many times it was you in the brunette's shoes. There were countless times they had meetings in the market, especially when you had the crazy idea of cooking together, even knowing from previous experiences that it would go terribly wrong. Someone finds something related to an inside joke and then laughing together, you unconsciously gravitate towards each other (a fact observed and commented on several times by your friends), and then Chenle draped his arms over your shoulders, pulling you closer to him, and hugged you. That was the way he used to say “I love you” to you, and you responded by squeezing him closer to you too.
But that's not you. It was, but not anymore. That's another pretty girl who hit the jackpot while you stood there watching them in their pathetic little world. That's when reality finally hits you, and the air goes out of your lungs, and you barely feel the can you were holding drop to the ground, making a huge bang. Wanting to hide more than anything, you reach down to pick up the same, and turn around completely ignoring the stares, and ignoring him on top of that. You don't know, but you expect your performance to be excellent when you get up “reading” the package label and going into the hallway but leaving it there, trying to get out without taking anything.
But with your desperation, and with only one goal in mind: to let him see her teary eyes and her regret at having let him go, she didn't see that the loud noise caught Chenle's attention, and once he recognized you, he couldn't control the euphoria that took over. What you also didn't know, is that even being with someone who cares for him and loves him, he can't respond in the same way, let alone in the same intensity. He knew that even trying to love her, the feeling would never be the same close to what he felt for you. And that's why even though you walk out of the market with nothing but aching memories, you don't see chenle running and screaming your name.
But he believes it's a sign. After all, he never forgot you, and the fact that what he was holding led him to memories (similar to the ones he had) of the two of you together and not five seconds later you show up, it couldn't be a coincidence, it couldn't be… it wasn't. And so, even though Kim Sunmi was calling him, even though he had to go home with her and not you today, he knew he couldn't let you go one more time. He wouldn't, and he won't, let you go one more time.
〄 〯 PAIRING. Ex-boyfriend! NonIdol!chenle × fem!reader (ft. Chenle's new girlfriend...) GENRE. Sligh angst REQUEST. No WARNINGS. Mention of food, sadness and slightly angst, I guess...
೫ [16:38 p.m]
Seeing him so far and so close at the same time was painful. It wasn't a planned date (actually it wasn't even a real date), it was like a sweet surprise, like those several he made during your relationship… a cute note left in the fridge, your favorite candy left for you, a voice message wishing good morning when both of you couldn't be together… There he was, Zhong Chenle was standing in a supermarket aisle analyzing some product you couldn't quite see which one. All he could see was his profile, but that sight alone was enough to know he was even more handsome, and that domestic sight made your heart pound.
Chenle's beauty was always obvious. Many of your friends used to compare him to Leonardo DiCaprio — not that he knows — but as the days went by, he seemed to become even more handsome, and even all that time away from him, you couldn't stop wondering if the beauty of Zhong continued to expand… and the answer is a big yes.
And there you were, watching him from afar, completely forgetting that you were in a public place and that you could be mistaken for a crazy stalker behind the cute guy, but you couldn't stop looking at him. Holding what you wanted to take, you considered going to talk to him, maybe he would be happy to see you too, maybe you could talk, maybe... And then in the blink of an eye, the sweet surprise turned to a bitter surprise, and your heart skipped a beat, in a different feeling.
While you pathetically admired Chenle from afar, a girl approached the boy and hugged his back. All you can do is stand still in your place, while a beautiful girl takes your favorite place in the world, and hugs him warmly in public, smiling, visibly happy, and in love.
Your memory traveled directly to the many times it was you in the brunette's shoes. There were countless times they had meetings in the market, especially when you had the crazy idea of cooking together, even knowing from previous experiences that it would go terribly wrong. Someone finds something related to an inside joke and then laughing together, you unconsciously gravitate towards each other (a fact observed and commented on several times by your friends), and then Chenle draped his arms over your shoulders, pulling you closer to him, and hugged you. That was the way he used to say “I love you” to you, and you responded by squeezing him closer to you too.
But that's not you. It was, but not anymore. That's another pretty girl who hit the jackpot while you stood there watching them in their pathetic little world. That's when reality finally hits you, and the air goes out of your lungs, and you barely feel the can you were holding drop to the ground, making a huge bang. Wanting to hide more than anything, you reach down to pick up the same, and turn around completely ignoring the stares, and ignoring him on top of that. You don't know, but you expect your performance to be excellent when you get up “reading” the package label and going into the hallway but leaving it there, trying to get out without taking anything.
But with your desperation, and with only one goal in mind: to let him see her teary eyes and her regret at having let him go, she didn't see that the loud noise caught Chenle's attention, and once he recognized you, he couldn't control the euphoria that took over. What you also didn't know, is that even being with someone who cares for him and loves him, he can't respond in the same way, let alone in the same intensity. He knew that even trying to love her, the feeling would never be the same close to what he felt for you. And that's why even though you walk out of the market with nothing but aching memories, you don't see chenle running and screaming your name.
But he believes it's a sign. After all, he never forgot you, and the fact that what he was holding led him to memories (similar to the ones he had) of the two of you together and not five seconds later you show up, it couldn't be a coincidence, it couldn't be… it wasn't. And so, even though Kim Sunmi was calling him, even though he had to go home with her and not you today, he knew he couldn't let you go one more time. He wouldn't, and he won't, let you go one more time.
[Masterlist] • [NCT Dream Masterlist]
〄 〯 PAIRING. Ex-boyfriend! NonIdol!chenle × fem!reader (ft. Chenle's new girlfriend...) GENRE. Sligh angst REQUEST. No WARNINGS. Mention of food, sadness and slightly angst, I guess...
೫ [16:38 p.m]
Seeing him so far and so close at the same time was painful. It wasn't a planned date (actually it wasn't even a real date), it was like a sweet surprise, like those several he made during your relationship… a cute note left in the fridge, your favorite candy left for you, a voice message wishing good morning when both of you couldn't be together… There he was, Zhong Chenle was standing in a supermarket aisle analyzing some product you couldn't quite see which one. All he could see was his profile, but that sight alone was enough to know he was even more handsome, and that domestic sight made your heart pound.
Chenle's beauty was always obvious. Many of your friends used to compare him to Leonardo DiCaprio — not that he knows — but as the days went by, he seemed to become even more handsome, and even all that time away from him, you couldn't stop wondering if the beauty of Zhong continued to expand… and the answer is a big yes.
And there you were, watching him from afar, completely forgetting that you were in a public place and that you could be mistaken for a crazy stalker behind the cute guy, but you couldn't stop looking at him. Holding what you wanted to take, you considered going to talk to him, maybe he would be happy to see you too, maybe you could talk, maybe... And then in the blink of an eye, the sweet surprise turned to a bitter surprise, and your heart skipped a beat, in a different feeling.
While you pathetically admired Chenle from afar, a girl approached the boy and hugged his back. All you can do is stand still in your place, while a beautiful girl takes your favorite place in the world, and hugs him warmly in public, smiling, visibly happy, and in love.
Your memory traveled directly to the many times it was you in the brunette's shoes. There were countless times they had meetings in the market, especially when you had the crazy idea of cooking together, even knowing from previous experiences that it would go terribly wrong. Someone finds something related to an inside joke and then laughing together, you unconsciously gravitate towards each other (a fact observed and commented on several times by your friends), and then Chenle draped his arms over your shoulders, pulling you closer to him, and hugged you. That was the way he used to say “I love you” to you, and you responded by squeezing him closer to you too.
But that's not you. It was, but not anymore. That's another pretty girl who hit the jackpot while you stood there watching them in their pathetic little world. That's when reality finally hits you, and the air goes out of your lungs, and you barely feel the can you were holding drop to the ground, making a huge bang. Wanting to hide more than anything, you reach down to pick up the same, and turn around completely ignoring the stares, and ignoring him on top of that. You don't know, but you expect your performance to be excellent when you get up “reading” the package label and going into the hallway but leaving it there, trying to get out without taking anything.
But with your desperation, and with only one goal in mind: to let him see her teary eyes and her regret at having let him go, she didn't see that the loud noise caught Chenle's attention, and once he recognized you, he couldn't control the euphoria that took over. What you also didn't know, is that even being with someone who cares for him and loves him, he can't respond in the same way, let alone in the same intensity. He knew that even trying to love her, the feeling would never be the same close to what he felt for you. And that's why even though you walk out of the market with nothing but aching memories, you don't see chenle running and screaming your name.
But he believes it's a sign. After all, he never forgot you, and the fact that what he was holding led him to memories (similar to the ones he had) of the two of you together and not five seconds later you show up, it couldn't be a coincidence, it couldn't be… it wasn't. And so, even though Kim Sunmi was calling him, even though he had to go home with her and not you today, he knew he couldn't let you go one more time. He wouldn't, and he won't, let you go one more time.
[Masterlist] • [NCT Dream Masterlist]
🍵🌿🖇..⃗. buy me a coffee?
〄 〯 PAIRING. Ex-boyfriend! NonIdol!chenle × fem!reader (ft. Chenle's new girlfriend...) GENRE. Sligh angst REQUEST. No WARNINGS. Mention of food, sadness and slightly angst, I guess...
೫ [16:38 p.m]
Seeing him so far and so close at the same time was painful. It wasn't a planned date (actually it wasn't even a real date), it was like a sweet surprise, like those several he made during your relationship… a cute note left in the fridge, your favorite candy left for you, a voice message wishing good morning when both of you couldn't be together… There he was, Zhong Chenle was standing in a supermarket aisle analyzing some product you couldn't quite see which one. All he could see was his profile, but that sight alone was enough to know he was even more handsome, and that domestic sight made your heart pound.
Chenle's beauty was always obvious. Many of your friends used to compare him to Leonardo DiCaprio — not that he knows — but as the days went by, he seemed to become even more handsome, and even all that time away from him, you couldn't stop wondering if the beauty of Zhong continued to expand… and the answer is a big yes.
And there you were, watching him from afar, completely forgetting that you were in a public place and that you could be mistaken for a crazy stalker behind the cute guy, but you couldn't stop looking at him. Holding what you wanted to take, you considered going to talk to him, maybe he would be happy to see you too, maybe you could talk, maybe... And then in the blink of an eye, the sweet surprise turned to a bitter surprise, and your heart skipped a beat, in a different feeling.
While you pathetically admired Chenle from afar, a girl approached the boy and hugged his back. All you can do is stand still in your place, while a beautiful girl takes your favorite place in the world, and hugs him warmly in public, smiling, visibly happy, and in love.
Your memory traveled directly to the many times it was you in the brunette's shoes. There were countless times they had meetings in the market, especially when you had the crazy idea of cooking together, even knowing from previous experiences that it would go terribly wrong. Someone finds something related to an inside joke and then laughing together, you unconsciously gravitate towards each other (a fact observed and commented on several times by your friends), and then Chenle draped his arms over your shoulders, pulling you closer to him, and hugged you. That was the way he used to say “I love you” to you, and you responded by squeezing him closer to you too.
But that's not you. It was, but not anymore. That's another pretty girl who hit the jackpot while you stood there watching them in their pathetic little world. That's when reality finally hits you, and the air goes out of your lungs, and you barely feel the can you were holding drop to the ground, making a huge bang. Wanting to hide more than anything, you reach down to pick up the same, and turn around completely ignoring the stares, and ignoring him on top of that. You don't know, but you expect your performance to be excellent when you get up “reading” the package label and going into the hallway but leaving it there, trying to get out without taking anything.
But with your desperation, and with only one goal in mind: to let him see her teary eyes and her regret at having let him go, she didn't see that the loud noise caught Chenle's attention, and once he recognized you, he couldn't control the euphoria that took over. What you also didn't know, is that even being with someone who cares for him and loves him, he can't respond in the same way, let alone in the same intensity. He knew that even trying to love her, the feeling would never be the same close to what he felt for you. And that's why even though you walk out of the market with nothing but aching memories, you don't see chenle running and screaming your name.
But he believes it's a sign. After all, he never forgot you, and the fact that what he was holding led him to memories (similar to the ones he had) of the two of you together and not five seconds later you show up, it couldn't be a coincidence, it couldn't be… it wasn't. And so, even though Kim Sunmi was calling him, even though he had to go home with her and not you today, he knew he couldn't let you go one more time. He wouldn't, and he won't, let you go one more time.
[Masterlist] • [NCT Dream Masterlist]
🍵🌿🖇..⃗. buy me a coffee?
〄 〯 PAIRING. Ex-boyfriend! NonIdol!chenle × fem!reader (ft. Chenle's new girlfriend...) GENRE. Sligh angst REQUEST. No WARNINGS. Mention of food, sadness and slightly angst, I guess...
೫ [16:38 p.m]
Seeing him so far and so close at the same time was painful. It wasn't a planned date (actually it wasn't even a real date), it was like a sweet surprise, like those several he made during your relationship… a cute note left in the fridge, your favorite candy left for you, a voice message wishing good morning when both of you couldn't be together… There he was, Zhong Chenle was standing in a supermarket aisle analyzing some product you couldn't quite see which one. All he could see was his profile, but that sight alone was enough to know he was even more handsome, and that domestic sight made your heart pound.
Chenle's beauty was always obvious. Many of your friends used to compare him to Leonardo DiCaprio — not that he knows — but as the days went by, he seemed to become even more handsome, and even all that time away from him, you couldn't stop wondering if the beauty of Zhong continued to expand… and the answer is a big yes.
And there you were, watching him from afar, completely forgetting that you were in a public place and that you could be mistaken for a crazy stalker behind the cute guy, but you couldn't stop looking at him. Holding what you wanted to take, you considered going to talk to him, maybe he would be happy to see you too, maybe you could talk, maybe... And then in the blink of an eye, the sweet surprise turned to a bitter surprise, and your heart skipped a beat, in a different feeling.
While you pathetically admired Chenle from afar, a girl approached the boy and hugged his back. All you can do is stand still in your place, while a beautiful girl takes your favorite place in the world, and hugs him warmly in public, smiling, visibly happy, and in love.
Your memory traveled directly to the many times it was you in the brunette's shoes. There were countless times they had meetings in the market, especially when you had the crazy idea of cooking together, even knowing from previous experiences that it would go terribly wrong. Someone finds something related to an inside joke and then laughing together, you unconsciously gravitate towards each other (a fact observed and commented on several times by your friends), and then Chenle draped his arms over your shoulders, pulling you closer to him, and hugged you. That was the way he used to say “I love you” to you, and you responded by squeezing him closer to you too.
But that's not you. It was, but not anymore. That's another pretty girl who hit the jackpot while you stood there watching them in their pathetic little world. That's when reality finally hits you, and the air goes out of your lungs, and you barely feel the can you were holding drop to the ground, making a huge bang. Wanting to hide more than anything, you reach down to pick up the same, and turn around completely ignoring the stares, and ignoring him on top of that. You don't know, but you expect your performance to be excellent when you get up “reading” the package label and going into the hallway but leaving it there, trying to get out without taking anything.
But with your desperation, and with only one goal in mind: to let him see her teary eyes and her regret at having let him go, she didn't see that the loud noise caught Chenle's attention, and once he recognized you, he couldn't control the euphoria that took over. What you also didn't know, is that even being with someone who cares for him and loves him, he can't respond in the same way, let alone in the same intensity. He knew that even trying to love her, the feeling would never be the same close to what he felt for you. And that's why even though you walk out of the market with nothing but aching memories, you don't see chenle running and screaming your name.
But he believes it's a sign. After all, he never forgot you, and the fact that what he was holding led him to memories (similar to the ones he had) of the two of you together and not five seconds later you show up, it couldn't be a coincidence, it couldn't be… it wasn't. And so, even though Kim Sunmi was calling him, even though he had to go home with her and not you today, he knew he couldn't let you go one more time. He wouldn't, and he won't, let you go one more time.
[Masterlist] • [NCT Dream Masterlist]
🍵🌿🖇..⃗. buy me a coffee?
[7:43 pm]
“i should go,” you say to secretlover!jaemin as you watch the late afternoon sun scatter its final light onto the flowers in the garden. it streaks across your face when you turn to glance back at him.
jaemin is already staring at you when you meet his gaze, a small peony delicately balanced between two fingers. the breeze sweeps through his clothes as he makes his way over to you, the gravel crunching beneath his shoes.
he tucks the flower into your hair so it won’t fall out, working carefully. “i’m sure you should,” he whispers, his words close to your ear, and his fingers brush over your collarbone, exposed by your dress.
jaemin doesn’t step back to admire the view before moving to capture your lips in his. you slide your arms over his shoulders and he finds your waist, kissing you softly to make up for lost time and time that will be lost without you.
his fingers caress your jawline and your dress billows in the wind, the last bit of sun disappearing behind the stone wall, becoming nothing more than a golden memory that will fade into the evening sky.
[11:46 am]
usually when your boyfriend, jeno, is over at your apartment, he isn’t this shy. yet here he stands, eyes averted as he holds out a box of pepero to you. “so i got you this... um, happy pepero day.” his gaze flickers to you momentarily before finding the floor again, as he’s too embarrassed to look at you.
it’s rare moments like these when jeno gets flustered, when he’s being cheesy yet sincere, that make you smile, and you take the package from his outstretched hand. “aw, thanks jen.”
at the top of the green box there’s a small note written in messy handwriting:
i like you or whatever <3 jeno
you resist the urge to roll your eyes but smile. “endearing. i like you or whatever, too.” you tear open the crinkly plastic and pull out a chocolate-covered stick for yourself as your boyfriend places his shoes down neatly by the door.
the two of you split the box, at last coming down to one left. odd number, huh? you hold it out to jeno. “you want it?”
he looks up, seeing the pepero you’re holding. “sure?”
immediately, you place one end of the stick in your mouth, holding the other side between two fingers.
“come and get it.”
“you —” he sighs, a smile playing on his lips. “you really have to do this to me, don’t you?”
“i’m giving you half the stick! or i can just be boring and snap it in half, if you’re too scared...”
there it is. the s word that makes jeno’s competitive spirit emerge. he sits down on the couch, lifting your chin up with two fingers. his eyes never leave yours, and you can’t help the tips of your ears from turning red. unfortunately for you, jeno lee knows exactly how to make you flustered.
he finds the opposite side of the stick and nibbles at the end, the one that isn’t covered in chocolate until maybe an inch or two down. you, on the other hand — you’re trying to focus on your breathing. you try not to think about his gaze, instead forcing yourself to wonder if you’ll make it to the middle first.
and then without warning, jeno takes a huge bite out of the stick, breaking it off at the part just before your lips. he eats it quickly, smirking when he sees your shocked expression. “you can have the rest,” he says. “i’m good.”
“hey!” you throw the box at him, and it bounces harmlessly off his chest. “we were supposed to share!”
“we did, didn’t we?”
“you know what i meant.”
jeno laughs and pokes your shoulder. “someone’s a sore loser —”
“well, someone didn’t play fair!”
“hey, you gave me the side without chocolate! maybe if i had your end then i would have let you eat more...”
you make a small “hmph” noise in partial annoyance (jeno has to stop himself from screaming, and his eyes turn into little crescents). “i’m going to the convenience store,” you finally say, getting up and making your way to the front door. “you coming?”
jeno watches you slip on your jacket with a small smile on his face. “why?”
“so we can do the pepero challenge right this time, coward.”
[7:23 am]
for you and boyfriend!jisung, holding hands is a big no-no. there’s something about the act that makes both of you kind of nervous — a mix of anticipation and shyness, much like the feeling that comes right before stepping barefoot onto sand wetted by the ocean.
but recently, it’s gotten more and more difficult for jisung to restrain himself from brushing his hand against yours. this morning, as the two of you are walking to school in the winter weather, your hand is just so tiny, dwarfed by your sweater sleeves that fall midway to your fingertips...
as the wind picks up, he notices that you rub your hands together to generate some heat. you breathe on them afterwards, the air around your mouth curling into mist, and you smile.
from behind his coat collar, jisung smiles, too. he finds himself biting his bottom lip to conceal his grin. it’s the little things that make you happy, and it’s the little things about you that jisung loves.
something similar to courage rises in him, and with a burst of impulsiveness, he takes your hand in his, slipping them both into his jacket pocket.
you stare up at him, eyes wide, and he realizes that he may have just made a terrible mistake. “oh —” he begins to pull your hand out, embarrassed that he didn’t think things through. “but if you don’t want to — sorry, i forgot to ask —”
“no, no it’s okay.” you keep your hand in his pocket, allowing the heat of the fabric to warm your fingers. “thank you.”
“well —” he stammers out a bad excuse. “um, you looked cold.”
the general positioning of your arms forces you to walk more closely next to each other, shoulders bumping occasionally. the two of you slow to a stop, waiting to cross an intersection, and jisung uses that pause to spare a glance at you.
you’re trying to see your breath again, exhaling in small puffs that creates fog in the air in front of you. after one particularly clear breath of mist, you catch his eye, grinning proudly as if to say, yes, i did that, and you give his hand a small squeeze, lacing your fingers with his.
jisung has to look away so you don’t see him smiling like an idiot. the winter chill blows over his face, and the redness from his nose spreads across his cheeks, all the way to his ears.
but if anyone asks about it, at least he can blame it on the cold.
[11:25 pm]
you know, you know. you should have thought about this sooner. you’re on a last-minute search for apple cider, an errand that has you dragging boyfriend!jaemin along with you to an outdoor mall. the two of you ended up getting somewhat distracted by some shiny things in the shop windows, and you’re slowly but surely running out of time before midnight.
still, you’re with jaemin, and even if you both get too sidetracked to remember the time, at least you’ll be spending new year’s with him.
“can you feel my heart beating for you?” he asks, pulling you to his chest.
there’s a sound as the fabric of your jacket comes in contact with his, and you scrunch up your nose. “nope. not underneath your two hundred layers.”
“hey!” jaemin pouts and lets go of you. “i’m not wearing two hundred layers!”
“sure looks like it, though.” you glance over his red windbreaker, which is even more puffed out from the scarf around his neck. “i can't believe i have a giant red marshmallow for a boyfriend.”
“shut up, i was just trying to be romantic.”
you sigh, blowing hair out of your face as you stare at the lights of the shops around you, most of which are dimming due to closing hours. “sorry jaems, but it’s hard to be romantic when you're wearing your weight in jackets...”
he bounces on his tiptoes, keeping his hands in his pockets. “but! it’s! cold!” and he throws a pout your way, the one that always gets paired with puppy dog eyes. “can we go home?”
“not yet, we still need to buy apple cider for tonight,” you say, pulling him with you as you continue your quest to find the right store.
“forget the apple cider! we can just have hot chocolate.”
“hot chocolate? on new year’s eve?”
“yeah, from those powder packets.” he huffs, mist appearing around his mouth. “apple cider’s probably sold out, anyways.”
“well, we don’t know until we try —” your sentence gets cut off by jaemin sweeping you off your feet, opting to carry you bridal-style back to the car. “hey!”
“oops.” he continues to walk, and the two of you earn a few glances from passersby. “my hand slipped.”
“put me down!”
“no.” he grins at your somewhat-annoyed expression. “it doesn’t matter what we have for new year’s eve, as long as i’m spending it with you.” his smile stretches when you visibly cringe at his cheesiness.
you respond with a “gross, disgusting, absolutely not”, but you’re blushing, which your boyfriend picks up on.
“babe, you signed up for this.” he gently places you back on your feet, noticing that your nose is red from the cold. “and imagine how it feels at home! we can wrap ourselves in fuzzy blankets and hold warm mugs of hot chocolate and —”
“okay, okay, you win.” a smile tugs at your lips, and you take his hand in yours. “let’s go home, then.”
as you walk the rest of the way back to the parking lot, jaemin proudly swings your connected hands back and forth. you can feel his pulse beating softly against your wrist.
hmm, i guess i can feel his heartbeat after all.
[12:25 pm]
you’ve been avoiding making eye contact with donghyuck through the mirror for the past half minute or so, pretending to busy yourself with brushing your teeth. the morning (afternoon?) has been slow, with you waking up first and him complaining when you laid across his stomach. now that you’re standing in the bathroom, you can see how you’re both sporting equally chaotic bed hair, and you try to ignore the pillow marks on your cheek.
for a split second, your eyes dart to donghyuck’s face, and he chooses that moment to wiggle his eyebrows at you—a great combination with his lopsided glasses and the toothbrush sticking out of his mouth.
you choke on your toothpaste, sputtering into the sink as you hear him laughing behind you. “you’re gonna regret that, hyuck.”
he merely smirks in response, gesturing to the toothpaste dripping down your chin. you quickly wash it off, cleaning your toothbrush and finishing your time at the sink with a flick of the wrist in his direction. he jumps, water droplets sticking to the lenses of his glasses, and he narrows his eyes at you.
you’re in for it.
he spits into the sink, and, ignoring the fact that you’ve started fixing your hair, he scoops you up, runs back to his room, and tosses you onto the bed.
“hey—!” your sentence is cut off as donghyuck sits on you, effectively preventing you from going anywhere. a devilish smile plays on his face as he leans down next to your ear and whispers,
“are you ticklish?”
[6:18 pm]
“haechan says i’m going to be his father-in-law,” chenle groans, shutting the door with his foot. the tall stack of cardboard boxes in his arms wobbles precariously, the objects inside rattling with the distinct sound of plastic hitting plastic.
you look up as daegal bounds out of your lap to greet your best friend. “haechan what? oh, do you need help with that?” you gesture to the stack in his arms and stand up, prepared to spot him if needed.
“nah, i’m good—” he’s interrupted by a poorly-timed box that falls from the top onto the floor, the contents (a few colorful bouncy balls and a stuffed lion toy) spilling out. daegal pounces on the lion, which is practically the same size as her, and you laugh, taking the top three boxes off of chenle’s hands.
“sure you are. what was that about haechan earlier?”
he sets the things down before collapsing onto the couch, sighing. “he says he wants to marry daegal. and i said no.”
“i see. so you, being daegal’s father, disapprove?” you ask, pulling the stuffed animal towards you. the dog continues to tug at the lion’s foot, and you smile. chenle had brought her home almost two weeks ago, and she’s already won over practically everyone’s heart at first sight (you included).
“i do disapprove,” says chenle, sniffing. “i don’t want haechan as a son-in-law.”
“must be hard being a pretty single lady these days,” you muse. “too many guys going after you.” daegal hops back into your lap, rubbing her face against your leg. over the past few days, she’s really warmed up to you, even starting to prefer your presence to mark’s (but he doesn’t like to admit it since he’s still bitter she ran into your arms instead of his yesterday).
“yeah, well, it seems to have worked out alright for you,” chenle mumbles.
your head whips up and you lock eyes with your best friend, who is only now beginning to realize he said that out loud. “what?”
“um, nothing.”
your heartbeat pounds in your ears. “you think i’m pretty?”
“w-well yeah...” chenle rubs the back of his neck awkwardly, wishing that he’d kept his thoughts to himself. what had originally started out as a small crush, a tiny “i like you” barely visible in his blushing cheeks, had over the years evolved into a vegas-worthy street sign with the same words flashing above his head. he thought he had it perfectly under control, and now he just blew it.
from your lap, daegal stares up at him, head tilted to the side, almost daring him to make the jump. you’re looking at him as well, your hand frozen behind the dog’s ears.
“you’re always pretty,” chenle blurts out, instantly bringing his arms up to hide his face. “and um, i like you.” he says it without thinking, his cheeks flooding with red regret. him and his big mouth, constantly getting him into trouble—
“i like you, too.” you say it quietly, like a secret meant to be kept between best friends, but you say it like you mean it. now chenle’s head is spinning, his braincells working overtime. what did you say?
“hey.” you wave a hand in front of his face, smiling softly in reassurance. “you alright?”
“y-yeah?” he blinks, coming to his senses when you gently place daegal in his lap. “yeah, i’m good.”
“um, you still need help with these?” you nudge a box with your foot, momentarily having forgotten the task that you were supposed to be doing.
“oh. oh right.” he slowly lifts the dog up and onto the floor, taking great care not to step on her, before making his way over to the boxes.
you glance one of them, which contains several pillows and yet another stuffed plushie. “daegal’s going to be so spoiled,” you say, “but i guess we can never fault her for being cute.”
chenle allows his hand to brush against yours, hesitantly locking both of your pinkies together.
“yeah, well, she’s not the only one.”
[1:04 am]
mark can’t stop telling you he loves you.
the first time he says it, it surprises you both. you’re standing on your tiptoes at midnight, stretching your arms to reach the chamomile tea on the top shelf. and mark watches in amusement as you struggle, fingertips brushing the bottom corner of the box to push it towards the edge. and when teabags rain down onto the countertop, the words tumble from his mouth as easily as he might have laughed.
“i love you.”
then it begins slipping out more often—the time when you surprise him with chinese takeout for dinner; when you decide to cram as many goldfish crackers as you can in your mouth at once; when the two of you choose to dye your hair blue and silver in the bathroom. even when you have your first fight, when a brief silence passes—through his tears, he says, “i love you.”
he will shout it from the pier into the waiting ocean waves, he will whisper it in the lull of an argument, he will murmur it against your lips while tracing patterns on the back of your hand. and, as many times as he says it, the phrase never loses its meaning.
because it’s true.
[10:52 pm] — tw: guns, knives
“not bad, officer.” criminal!jeno spits out the last word as if it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. he runs his thumb along the smooth hilt of his dagger, the other end pointed at your throat. “not bad at all.”
you stare back at him, your expression vacant, defiant. “empty threats.” the way you say it is almost casual, and he presses the blade to your skin, cold from the night wind chill.
“i can kill you.”
“you could’ve already,” you say, unfazed as you run your fingers over the rough concrete wall, your hands bound by the very cuffs you came here with. “last week, yesterday, tonight—but you haven’t.”
he eyes you skeptically, but you sigh, as if he was a child and you had explained this lesson to him a hundred times over.
“did you really think i came out here to kill you, jeno?” he doesn’t answer. “i’m not armed.”
“liar. you always keep your pistol hidden.”
“it’s empty. see for yourself,” you say, your tone confident (or is it arrogant?). “check the barrel.”
jeno reaches down to your boot and pulls out your handgun. clicking the barrel open, he tips it upside down and shakes it. the scene is almost comedic, and you’re fleetingly reminded that the gun was never his preferred weapon of choice. but granted, it isn’t yours, either.
he wordlessly drops the pistol and kicks it aside, the metal scraping across the ground as it skids away. “drama queen,” you say, leaning against the wall with a small smirk on your face.
“you expect me to trust you just because you came all this way without a weapon?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.
“yes. i came here to talk to you.”
“you’re a fool.”
“so are you.” pushing off the wall with your foot, you make your way over to him and turn around expectantly, holding out your wrists to be freed. “the key’s on my belt, if you don’t mind.” the way you converse with him is something similar to that of partners, but his behavior is more like that of a mere acquaintance. he takes the key in silence and, a moment later, the lock clicks open, the cuffs falling to the floor.
“what is it.”
“come back,” you whisper. “we need you.”
“you don’t,” he says shortly. his gaze bores into yours, and you’re not sure whether he’s trying to intimidate you. but after all these years, you’ve never been one to pin that quality on him, and tonight is no exception.
“i could get them to clear your name. you could come back to the department and—”
“and be a compulsive rule-follower like you? keeping the laws doesn’t mean you get to keep your head, you know.” the words don’t sting because you know he’s right. you could almost call yourself touched at the way he remembered your words, when it’s been years since you confided in him about it.
“it means i don’t run. if only you could see the bigger picture.”
he steps back, his expression grave. “if only you weren’t blind.”
the sounds of distant shouts fill the streets—your fellow officers are looking for you. jeno turns to leave.
“wait.” taking the dagger from his hand, you nick the skin above your cheek in one swift motion and hand the weapon back. “better to escape with this.” you were already preparing a story to tell the others—he had bested you, and you had barely escaped with your life.
you’re still in the middle of coming up with a decent explanation for how you managed it when jeno suddenly advances towards you. tilting your chin up, he surprises you with a quick kiss, one that lingers in the evening air.
“do you miss it,” you breathe, staring up at him. he only looks back at you, saying nothing, but in the dim light you watch his eyes.
yes.
the shouting is getting louder, and he slides the dagger into its sheath before taking off. you watch him cross the city rooftops, a dark shadow growing ever smaller as he melts into the night.
[1:15 am]
plink. there’s a pause. plink. followed by another three in rapid succession.
annoyed, you shove your chair back from your computer and turn on the balcony lights. if this is an awful prank some kids are playing, they’re about to get a piece of your mind. how dare they, when you have important procrastinating to do?
you unlock the glass door and step outside. “go away!” you shout, ready to return to the comfort of your room.
“you’re so mean,” a voice from down below says.
you rush to the edge, gripping the hand rail out of disbelief. “donghyuck?”
“don’t call me that, please,” your best friend groans. “it’s hae—”
“i’ll call you whatever i like,” you huff, crossing your arms. “why are you throwing rocks at my door? never mind that, why are you here?”
“oh, those weren’t rocks,” he says calmly. he’s wearing a t-shirt and pajama pants, completely harmless, and you see that he’s holding something, though the light from your balcony isn’t strong enough for you to tell what it is.
“shut up and answer my question!”
“i wanted to give you some of my starbursts!” he shakes the bag, the candies jumbling inside. “and i was in the area!”
you check to see whether he’s telling the truth, and sure enough, you see five unopened starbursts on the floor behind you: three pink, two red. how kind of him to throw your favorite flavors at your window while you’re trying to focus on rewatching ratatouille.
“see? i’m a good friend, aren’t i?” donghyuck gives you one of his trademark smirks and tilts his head to the side. “now where’s my thank you? i brought you food.”
“where’s the catch?” you ask, not missing a beat. (the fact that you’re asking this out of habit and not curiosity just goes to show the tragedy of having a demon child for a best friend.)
“the catch? you insult me, (name).” he tucks the bag of candy under his arm and stands stiffly. he’s cold, you realize. “what would i tell you to do in return, show up at my house tomorrow night? it’s not like there’s much to do.” the obvious follow-up hangs awkwardly in the air. are you ever going to invite me into your house?
“well i, um. it’s cold out here…” the words in your mouth are mixed together and you have trouble spitting them out. jerking a thumb over your shoulder, you try your best to not royally mess this up. “ratatouille is on, and if you wanna watch it with me—”
“hell yeah.” he moves towards one of the pillars supporting the balcony (as if he’s about to climb it? yeah, no way).
“no. you’re coming through the front door.”
“but where’s the fun in that?”
“do you want to watch ratatouille or not? wait here.” you turn and collect the candies on the floor, heading back inside and hurrying down the stairs.
you open the front door and lo and behold, he’s standing there with a family size pack of original starbursts. “i can’t believe you’re here this late,” you grumble.
“i can’t believe you’re making me wait for you to let me in.”
you step aside, rolling your eyes. “this was a lame way of asking if we could hang out.”
“you’re lame.”
“you’re an idiot.”
“please, you know you love me.”
at his comment, your ears grow warm. you’re glad he’s already passed you on the way to the stairs, because at least he can’t see your face right now. yeah, maybe i do.