Chapter Text
You laugh and holler with your friends as you make your way home after a solid night out of eating your body weight in street food (tteokbokki is the superior Korean street food snack) and putting your vocal cords at risk of irreversible damage after 3 straight hours of karaoke. It was a good way to end the unrelenting, sticky summer nights with a walk along the river towards home. Eventually, you reach the fork in the street where you and your friends split off in different directions. You all come to a standstill and look at each other with pure elation at the amazing night you just had.
One of your friends made eye contact with you and jokingly did puppy eyes at you.
“Y/N… are you sure you don’t want to come for a sleepover at mine? I don’t want this night to end!” they said the last part of that sentence with a shake of their head as a squeal of joy erupted from their mouth. Your other friend nodded silently, also putting on the puppy eyes act. You rolled your eyes adoringly at them in response.
“Guys… you know I love you, but this is the first-ever time I’ve had the dorms to myself! All the other boys have gone on holiday across the country so I get the whole place to just me, and only me!” You laughed manically and spread your arms wide as you twirled on your tiptoes. You stopped twirling momentarily to beam at them, elated with the idea of having such a big area all to yourself. Even though you most likely would just be in your room the whole time, and perhaps the lounge area, but still! Your best friend cocked their head to the side, raven hair spilling over their shoulder as they looked at you thoughtfully. You could almost see the gears turning in their head.
“Then why don’t we have a sleepover at yours then?” their eyes gleamed with a familiar sense of mischief. “Oh come on! You’re all alone in that dorm, we won’t tell a soul that you stay there with the Stray Kids!”
You sigh, knowing you have to let your friends down. They mean no harm, of course, you know they won’t obsessively stalk the boys or leak their address. However, it was part of the contract that you signed, that you’re unable to tell anyone in your immediate circle where you live, and who you live with. Not even family.
Your friends saw the change in your face and immediately understood. They shrugged, their mouth pulled up at the corner to assure you it was alright. Both your friends spread their arms and you joined them in a 3-way hug, letting them engulf you. One of them couldn’t help but whisper in your ear, “Tell Felix to meet me at the library around 1 am,” they smirked as you let out a loud laugh and smacked their shoulder. Of course, you had to tell them you got with Felix Lee, after swearing them up and down and sideways to secrecy, and they happily obliged as you unearthed the torrent of words detailing the mischiefs of the night. You turned away and looked up at the dorms that will be yours for a couple of more blissful days. You walk towards it, letting the wind lift your skirt in the breeze as you wave a hand at your friends without looking back.
˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。*
You hummed ice.cream under your breath as you entered the password to the dorm. You stepped in and sighed in delight as you bent down to put your shoes away in the racks. By muscle memory, you step out into the lounge/kitchen area and immediately move to boil the kettle, still humming under your breath as you lean against the counter and take in the view of dorm #1 that’s all to yourself. You paused midway as a thought struck you.
You can see the couch, overstuffed with plushies that you begged the guys to keep, the TV, and the balcony where Hyunjin spends his time painting.
Why were the lights on? The place was dark when you left it.
Your eyes dart back to the shoe rack. The boys have a lot of shoes, but you keep notice of the ones that they use the most and the ones they don’t use that often. Under the rack, tucked neatly under your own shoes, were a very familiar pair. You sucked in a breath.
Hyunjin is home.
Your heart beats wildly against your chest as you come to terms with this new conclusion. Why is he home? When did he get home? Did he hear you humming his song? Why? Why? Why????? You bolted past the lounge area and turned the corner to the hallway to check if the light under his room was on until you collided with a lean and lithe body. You felt strong arms circle around you as the vague fumes of watercolour paints and the fresh scent of laundered clothes hit your nose, and you looked up.
Hyunjin looked straight down at you, his expressive brown eyes playful and teasing, with a mischievous glimmer that wasn’t there before. You were only a whisper away from his mouth, and you felt the air around you start to thicken with the inevitable tension that comes with being wrapped up securely in Hyunjin’s arms. He cocked his head to the side as a smirk carefully made its way across his mouth, and it was only then that you noticed that your gaze was locked onto his voluptuous lips. You caught yourself before you were going to do something you couldn’t take back, and you swiftly (albeit unwillingly) disengaged yourself from his arms, while clearing your throat. You stood a few feet away from him and let your eyes wander over his existence from head to toe. His newly dyed brown hair was dishevelled as if he just rolled out of bed, loose white T-shirt, grey sweatpants and bare feet. He definitely looked like he’d been lounging around for a couple of hours.
“You smell like tteokbokki,” Hyunjin stated, sniffing the air near him which you recently vacated. You rolled your eyes. “Yes, Hyunnie, that’s what happens when you go outside and stuff yourself with street food, enjoying the present knowing that you’ll come home to an empty dorm? Which by the way, what the hell are you doing back here?” you said this last part with mock annoyance, but also a slight twinge of real annoyance. Of course you miss the boys, and how boisterous and companiable they are. However, when you were promised a couple of days of peace and quiet and only managed to get one day only of said peace and quiet, it felt like you just got conned. Hyunjin leaned against the corner of the hallway, gazing at you thoughtfully. “You didn’t miss me?” he said, a playful lilt to his voice.
You couldn’t help it; you blushed.
To avoid the embarrassment of him seeing you blush, you turned away from him and walked briskly back to the kitchen, calling over your shoulder, “Tell me why you’re here!” you say as you go to the kitchen counter and grip the edges to stabilise your heart and mind. Hyunjin’s gaze never fails to undo the ribbons of your being, exposing you to him. In short, he made you feel as if he was undressing you with his eyes, and you don’t think you could take it any longer if he kept looking at you like that. You heard his footsteps coming towards you, and by then you’ve composed yourself once again. As you poured yourself a cup of hot water, he came up behind you and peered curiously over your shoulder. You felt the heat of his body inches away from pressing against yours as he leant forward even more, placing both of his arms on either side of you, bracing you against the counter. You let out a surprised gasp as your grip loosened on the kettle in sheer surprise. Hyunjin’s arm shot out like an arrow and closed his warm hand on yours, leading the kettle back to safety. No damage had been done.
Just as quick as you felt his heat from behind, it was gone. You turned around, brows furrowed in annoyance as you were about to ask Hyunjin what the hell he was thinking of doing that, and your gaze fell upon him a few feet away from you, hands in his pockets. He was looking out onto the balcony, and you noticed the tips of his ears were red. The annoyance flushed out of you just as quickly. You leaned back against the counter and sighed, placing a hand on your forehead.
“Hyunjin, tell me what was that for? We could’ve gotten hurt!”
Hyunjin cleared his throat, and his voice came out slightly strangled.
“I know, I didn’t mean to put you at risk of being hurt,” he looked down and started dragging his toe back and forth across the wooden floors. “I’m sorry Y/N..,” he padded towards you, a sheepish yet a determination in his eyes as he raised both his hands to rest on your shoulders. And squeezed. “I’m just glad you’re not hurt,” he muttered, almost under his breath. A small smile broke across your face as you looked at him. “It’s fine, but you still haven’t told me why you’re here,” you pouted in faux annoyance. Hyunjin’s hands slipped away from your shoulders as he let out a little chuckle.
It was no surprise that he evaded your question once more.
Hyunjin beckoned with his chin to the balcony outside, already set up with his easels and paints, the gentle summer breeze lifting the edges of the curtains. “Drink, read, paint?” he questioned you with a hopeful look in his eyes. Drink, read, and paint was something you both often do together if you have a moment to spare. You accompany him outside on the balcony and sit in companiable silence as you chat with bottles of soju around you, while you flip through the pages of the latest book you’re reading and Hyunjin paints whatever masterpiece he has in mind.When each of you take breaks from your respective hobbies, he joins you on the plush outdoor seating as you tell him about the book you’re reading and he tells you about what he’s painting. It’s one of the most precious moments you share together, and you don’t share it with anyone else.
You reached up and gently flicked his forehead adoringly. “Drink, read, paint,” you confirmed, sauntering off to the fridge to get the bottles of Soju with the shot glasses, and as you walked down the hallway to your room to get the oh so beloved Shadowhunter series, you shook your head and let out a small laugh as you wondered why he was evading your question of why he’s back so early. You didn’t mind it though, of course you didn’t. Maybe it’s nice to have some company after all.
Hyunjin watched you walk away to get the drinks and your books, and he watched the space you just vacated as you turned down the hallway. He let out a frustrated sigh. He thought he was being so coy to you, not answering your questions on why he came back early from his holiday. His heart soared in his throat.
How could he tell you that the only reason he came back, was simply because he missed you?