#Special Event Chocolate
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Custom Chocolate: A Personalized Touch for Every Occasion
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In today’s world of luxury gifting and culinary experiences, custom chocolate has become a unique way to add a personal touch to gifts, events, and even corporate branding. From weddings to corporate events, personalized chocolate creations have risen in popularity, allowing chocolate lovers to go beyond the standard flavors and packaging. In this article, we’ll explore the appeal of custom chocolate, how to create it, the various customization options available, and why it’s the ideal choice for special occasions.
What Is Custom Chocolate?
Custom chocolate goes beyond simply choosing a flavor or type of chocolate (such as milk, dark, or white). It allows individuals or businesses to personalize everything from flavors to packaging, shape, design, and branding, making each piece of chocolate unique to the person or brand it’s designed for. Custom chocolate can include initials, logos, special messages, unique fillings, and even specific colors.
At places like J Patrice Chocolate Studio, you’ll find the art of handmade custom chocolate that combines quality ingredients with a tailored experience, ensuring every piece meets the highest standards of flavor and design.
Reasons to Choose Custom Chocolate
1. Personalization Adds Meaning
One of the main reasons people choose custom chocolate is the opportunity to make the gift meaningful. Whether it’s for a loved one’s birthday, a wedding favor, or a corporate gift, adding a personal touch to chocolate shows thoughtfulness and care. Customization turns the chocolate into a memorable experience rather than just a treat.
2. Great for Branding and Marketing
Custom chocolate is an innovative way for businesses to promote their brand. By adding a logo or a unique design, companies can create an impression that goes beyond the ordinary. Custom chocolates are often used at events, tradeshows, or in gift baskets for clients. The presentation of branded chocolate elevates a company's image, making it both memorable and professional.
3. Special for Events and Celebrations
From weddings to baby showers, custom chocolates have become a staple at various events. Personalized chocolates make for unique party favors or centerpieces. Hosts can match the chocolate designs with the event theme, colors, or motifs, adding an extra layer of cohesion to the celebration.
4. Experimentation with Unique Flavors
Custom chocolates allow for creative flavors beyond the typical offerings. This could include specific ingredients that hold meaning for the gift recipient or match a theme, such as spiced flavors for the holidays, fruit infusions, or exotic ingredients like lavender or chili.
Types of Customization for Chocolate
1. Chocolate Type The base of any custom chocolate is the type itself—milk, dark, or white. Depending on your preference, you can choose single-origin or blended chocolates to create a specific taste profile.
2. Shapes and Molds For custom chocolates, choosing shapes and molds adds a unique touch. Custom molds can create chocolates in the shape of hearts, initials, corporate logos, or anything that reflects the theme of the event or the recipient's personality.
3. Unique Flavors and Fillings Another exciting aspect of custom chocolates is the ability to choose special fillings. Popular fillings include ganache, caramel, fruit, and nut combinations, but the possibilities are endless. For instance, mint, raspberry, or coffee fillings can elevate the taste of a custom chocolate, offering something beyond the standard.
4. Personalized Packaging Packaging is crucial for custom chocolates, especially for gifting purposes. You can opt for boxes that feature your brand logo, event theme, or the recipient’s name. The outer packaging plays an essential role in making the chocolate gift look luxurious and thoughtfully designed.
5. Add Messages or Logos Custom chocolates often feature messages or logos that are imprinted or engraved on the chocolate itself. For personal occasions, this could be a message like “Happy Anniversary,” while corporate chocolates might display a brand logo, a thank-you note, or even a hashtag for social media campaigns.
Creating Custom Chocolate: The Process
Making custom chocolate is an art that involves careful planning and creativity. Here’s a look at the typical process:
1. Consultation Most chocolatiers offering custom chocolate begin with a consultation to discuss the customer's needs, preferences, and any specific ideas they have. This is a time to choose flavors, fillings, packaging, and shapes.
2. Flavor Selection and Experimentation Once the general concept is decided, the chocolatier works on flavor combinations that suit the client’s taste and theme. During this phase, some chocolatiers provide samples to ensure the client is satisfied with the flavors.
3. Design and Branding After the flavor selection, it’s time to design the molds, if needed, and create branded packaging. This might include digital mock-ups of the packaging or samples of the molds to ensure they match the client's expectations.
4. Production After all details are approved, the chocolate goes into production. Handcrafted custom chocolate requires patience and precision, especially when incorporating detailed designs or complex fillings.
5. Quality Check and Delivery Once completed, the chocolates undergo a final quality check before being packaged and sent to the client. Many chocolatiers take great care to ensure every piece meets their standards of taste and presentation.
Why Custom Chocolate Makes a Memorable Gift
1. Thoughtful and Unique Custom chocolates show that you’ve put thought into your gift, making it unique and personal. Rather than a generic gift, customized chocolates reflect your care and appreciation for the recipient.
2. A Versatile Gift for All Ages Custom chocolates are versatile enough to be enjoyed by people of all ages, making them ideal for various occasions. Whether it’s a holiday, corporate event, or personal milestone, custom chocolate is sure to be a hit.
3. Indulgent Experience Handmade custom chocolate from reputable chocolatiers, like J Patrice Chocolate Studio handmade custom chocolate, offers an indulgent experience. Each bite is crafted to provide a rich flavor profile, showcasing the quality and skill of the chocolatier.
Conclusion
Custom chocolate is more than a sweet treat; it’s a creative expression that enhances the gift-giving experience. By choosing specific flavors, designs, and packaging, you can create a gift that is as thoughtful as it is delicious. Custom chocolate is perfect for adding a personalized touch to any occasion, from personal milestones to corporate events. With its luxurious presentation and endless customization possibilities, custom chocolate offers a memorable and indulgent experience for every recipient.
FAQs
1. How do I order custom chocolate? Most chocolatiers offering custom options require a consultation. It’s best to reach out directly to discuss your needs, including flavors, shapes, and any branding or packaging requirements.
2. Can custom chocolate include unique flavors? Yes! Custom chocolates often include unique or exotic flavors, depending on what the chocolatier offers. You can experiment with fillings like fruit, caramel, nuts, or spices to create a one-of-a-kind taste.
3. How long does it take to make custom chocolates? The time needed to make custom chocolates depends on the complexity of the design and the quantity ordered. Typically, it may take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, especially for large orders.
4. Are there vegan or allergen-friendly options for custom chocolates? Many chocolatiers offer vegan or allergen-friendly custom chocolates to accommodate dietary preferences. Check with the chocolatier to ensure they can meet specific dietary needs.
5. What occasions are ideal for gifting custom chocolate? Custom chocolate is suitable for nearly any occasion, including birthdays, weddings, corporate events, holidays, and anniversaries. Its versatility and personalization make it an ideal choice for celebrations of all types.
Whether you’re looking to celebrate a special occasion or promote your brand, custom chocolate offers a unique, memorable experience that goes beyond the ordinary.
#Custom Chocolate#Personalized Chocolate#Handmade Chocolate#Chocolate Gifts#J Patrice Chocolate Studio#Custom Chocolate Gifts#Unique Chocolate Flavors#Chocolate Party Favors#Personalized Chocolate Bars#Corporate Chocolate Gifts#Special Event Chocolate#Wedding Chocolate Favors#Custom Chocolate Packaging#Customized Chocolate Shapes#Chocolate with Custom Logos
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I think Luo Binghe should be allowed to have hot chocolate with marshmallows. As a treat.
#was having hot chocolate w marshmallows earlier and OMGGG THEY ARE THE YUMMIEST EVER ACTUALLY#I think he would love them guys#svsss#luo binghe#guys I know hot chocolate doesn't exist herr (probably) but it's okay#it can be like a holiday special system event idk#anything can happen if the system likes u enough trust
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SORA VALENTINES DAY IS REAL OH MY GOD
HAS ANYONE CHECKED ON THE VALENTINES DAY ANON THEYVE WAITED A YEAR FOR RHIS
#i will say tho..........#same switch outfit as their unit outfit but now valentines themed....... for our climax?#:') okay#this is fine im fine >seething#AT LEAST ITS CUTE!!!! ITS CUTE!!!!!!!! I WILL NOT COMPLAINyes i will BUT NO I WONT!!!!!!!!!!!#BECAUSE SORA LOOKS ADORABLE AND I CANT WAIT TO SEE NTMG TOO!!!!!!!!#i wanted something big and unique and special BUT WHATEVER WHATEVER WHATEVER I LOVE VALENTINES#EVERHINE SJUT UP#ALSO I HAVE MORE ASKS TO ANSWER BUT I LITERALLY JUST WOKE UP#I WILL ANSEER THEM IN probably an hour or two#WAIT FOR ME#ask#LOOKING AT IT SOME MORE AND AT LEAST IT HAS SOME ADORABLE FEATUTES#LIKE THE LIGHTNING BOLTS BEING CHOCOLATE DECO#AND THE FROSTING FRECKLES#omg and i think the cape thing are like. fairy wings?? or something????#LIKE AT LEAST EFFORT WAS PUT IN TO MAKE THIS SOMETHING MORE SPECIAL THAN THE PREV VALENTINES EVENTS IMO#BUT FUCK!#guys im going thru it#it is really creative and fun looking compared to the otjers but AUGHFHFHFHHGHGHHG#the BACKGROUND THO LOOKS SUPER INTERESTING#like an amusement park or something??#SO I LOOK FORWARD TO IT
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Best Mehndi artist in Delhi NCR-Nisha Chauhan Mehndi Artist
Looking for the best Mehndi artist in Delhi NCR? Look no further! We are proud to present you with the best Mehndi artist in the region, renowned for their exceptional craftsmanship and creativity. For more information visit-www.nishachauhan.in
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These are his cacao beans
#;c.amazotz#;ic#cacao had a huge importance in maya culture just like maize it was even refered to as the food of the gods!#(*the gods discovered cacao beans which is why it is called food of the gods)#/i think that having him be the main character in a valentine's event would be funny and interesting if they included his perception on#chocolate#cacao beans were also used as a form of currency and they even tried to counterfeit them by doing fake clay cacao beans!#they were also demanded as tribute (or tax); & were used on special occassions like marriage or the birth of a child#they also have associations with the gods like the ties they have with the god of maize in popol vuh#bc it was a food of the gods; it meant that it was something of high purity & high quality#which i assume is also why it was used in important ceremonies like marriage and the such#anyways there is a looooot more history behind it#so i think it would be fitting if he were around#MAYBE if ur insistent enough- then MAYBE he can share a bit with u- but dont tell others bc he is not giving them away so easily#my c.amazotz is like;; he might be chilling around but if u express u want something that he owns; then suddenly he grows more interested#and now its like;; 'you know what? maybe i want to keep this now'#<-was not really paying attention to it before#u'll have to give him something in exchange for those now
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#baking#breakfast#cake#chocolate#delicious#dessert#dinner#cooking#food#recipes#valentine's day gifts for her#valentine's day 2025#valentine's day flowers#valentine's day prompts#valentine's day special gemstone jewelry#hearts#love#pink#valentine's event#vday
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idk how i feel about the fact that many kids are no longer allowed to distribute candy and treats at school for valentine's day and halloween, but instead are now told if they bring something, it MUST be a toy or trinket because
1) buying toys for the whole class is more expensive than buying cupcakes and
2) the slimes and fidgets spinners and stamps are going to hold children's attention for all of two seconds before they go straight into the trash can. The candy is at least consumed, and the wrappers are less plastic than a literal plastic toy.
I understand this policy is likely for children with food allergies so severe they cannot be in the same room as them, and enforcing this policy school-wide is easier than reminding a class of kindergarteners not to bring in nuts, but still. It seems a little wasteful.
Instead of toys and stamps maybe people could send in school supplies like themed pencils and erasers? That seems more useful than a stretchy guy or a rubber duck.
#im speaking as one of those kids who couldn't eat certain things and thus had to have a 'special' option available#and yeah. the teachers DID often forget to have an alternative for me for group events like ice cream and pizza parties.#but when the kids gave out candies there would usually be something i could eat.#i didnt have allergies so bad i couldn't be in the same room as them though so its probably a different experience.#but i didnt feel ostracized for receiving chocolate from other kids even though i couldn't eat it. id simply give them to my sister#and eat the other candy i got.#the 'no food at all' policy rubs me the wrong way bc i feel like its encouraging kids to gift each other literal junk#i would encourage people to give out pencils and erasers instead of toys because at least those are useful even if the quality is ass#but are kids going to be excited to receive 30 pencils? 30 little animal shaped erasers probably yes. but 30 different pencils? idk.
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Best Bridal mehandi designs in Delhi-Surprises World
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By The Warmth Of The Oven
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Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Reader
Summary: You are baking cookies for the Avengers holiday party when a certain super solider comes into the kitchen tipsy for the first time...
Word Count: 1.1k
Warning(s): none. pure fluff. tipsy bucky.
Prompt/Event: @the-slumberparty december daze -> is it those cookies that smell delicious or is it you?
a/n: This fluffy drabble is my holiday gift to you my dear Bella @nickfowlerrr ♡ In honor of Can You Feel It? being the first of many beautiful fics I read of yours 🥹🩷 Thank you everyone for reading! ₊˚⊹♡ Likes, comments, and reblogs are much appreciated!! ♡♡♡
bucky masterlist ♡ || fluffy winter drabbles masterlist ❆
“Smells good…” Bucky’s voice comes out of nowhere from behind you as you grab another tray of chocolate chip cookies from the oven. You glance over your shoulder to find him sauntering into the kitchen, making his way over to you.
“Freshly baked cookies always do,” you reply with a gratified grin, placing the tray on top of the stove so the cookies have some time to cool off before you plate them. Your friends had already gone through three batches of them and they practically begged you to make more. It was a nice feeling, almost rewarding in a way, knowing something you made was so loved by your friends.
“‘m not talking about the cookies, doll,” there’s a bit of a slur in his cadence that catches your attention at the same time that your heart skips a beat at his words. You turn to him to see he’s staring at you with a dreamy smile and a twinkle in his eyes, propped up against the counter by his elbow. You frown at his unusual nonchalant demeanor. You’ve never seen him act this way before.
Your head tilts slightly as you examine him a little closer. There’s a bit of a sway to his stance and his cheeks are tinted pink. “Bucky, are you drunk?” Almost immediately he shakes his head at your question, “No. I can't get drunk,” he replies with an obvious tone, and yet the pouty frown on his face tells a different story.
“Right, you can’t…” you affirm, mulling it over for a moment,“Unless…did Thor give you some of his special Asgardian liquor?” You ask, stepping slightly closer to him, the apples of his cheeks getting rosier in response.
“I took a shot. I started feeling funny and came here—felt safe,” he mutters that last part reluctantly, sharing something with you he wouldn’t if it weren’t for the alcohol in his system.
“In the kitchen?”
“With you.”
Your amusement is replaced with a soft expression at his response. He most likely hasn’t felt the effects of alcohol in decades and a part of him doesn’t know how to cope with the resurfaced inhibitions. The fact that while feeling unwell his first instinct was to come looking for you—it made a warmth spread throughout you that could easily rival the heat of the oven.
You reach out to cup his cheek, soothing the flushed skin with your thumb. He instinctively leans into your touch, his eyes shining with a gentle vulnerability that causes your heart to squeeze in your chest. You and Bucky have always had a flirtatious friendship for as long as you can remember, but it's never gone past that. Seeing him so openly affectionate with you stirs emotions deep within you that you aren’t sure you’re ready to bring to the surface.
“I don’t think the alcohol is going to stay in your system for long, Buck. How about we do this…you wait for me here while I go out and serve the cookies I baked,” his eyes widen slightly and you can tell he wants to protest until you add, “I’ll bring back some hot chocolate for us to share and we can enjoy it along with some cookies while we wait for that liquor in your system to wear off. How does that sound?” You suggest softly and you can see the way he thinks it through before he agrees with a nod.
He doesn’t take his eyes off of you as you plate a few dozen cookies on decorative plates, leaving a handful behind for you and Bucky to share. You make sure to quickly take them out to your friends and serve up two piping hot mugs of hot chocolate before making it back to the kitchen in no time.
When you meet back with Bucky you find him sitting on the counter where he watches his legs as he swings them lazily to and fro. You observe him fondly for a moment longer than necessary. Trying to commit to memory how carefree and unguarded he is at this moment. When he notices you his face lights up in a way that makes you feel like the most precious person on earth.
“Here, as promised,” you hand him a mug of hot chocolate which he takes eagerly—too eagerly—as he immediately goes for a sip of it. Before he can, however, you stop him, placing your hand as a barrier between his lips and the mug. His mouth ends up pressed into your palm, and you ignore the heat that finds its way to your face at the softness of his lips brushing against your skin.
“Bucky, it's scalding hot! You’ll burn yourself! Wait until it cools down a bit, please.”
“It’s not gonna burn me, doll. I’m a super soldier. Watch—”
“Bucky!”
You use the cookies as leverage to coax Bucky into waiting for the hot chocolate to cool down before he drinks any of it. For the next hour or so, you enjoy each other's company. Between the sweet treats and the lighthearted conversations, time flies by in a heartbeat.
Then, while in the middle of a discussion over your last mission, Bucky does something that completely takes you by surprise in the best way possible—he kisses you. It’s short, but profound in the way he pours everything into it. Every flirtation you ever questioned could mean something more was proven here with this kiss, that it had meant so much more for more than just you.
You’re speechless when he pulls away beaming as if his heart might burst.
“Looks like I was right.”
“Huh?”
“I asked myself what was sweeter. You or the cookies. I knew it'd be you,” he states as a matter of fact, drinking up the way his words affect you as much as the kiss had. There’s a part of you that doesn’t believe him, but it's not because of him, but more so because you think you must be dreaming.
“That's the liquor talking.”
“I've sobered up a while ago, doll.”
You search his eyes for the truth of it all and you find it. This is real. This isn’t a dream. And the yearning that burns bright in his eyes is one you know all too well. It’s the same one reflecting in your eyes as your gazes lock on one another.
“I still think the cookies are sweeter,” you whisper, your eyes shining with a playful challenge despite the way your heart races in your chest with anticipation. He catches on, licking his lips as his flesh hand snakes its way to the back of your head to cradle it gently.
“‘m gonna prove you wrong, doll,” he declares in a huskier tone as he pulls you in for another kiss. And that night, by the warmth of the oven, Bucky continues to kiss you until he successfully proves you wrong.
#glimpses of love in the snowfall#elixirs snowfall daydreams#bucky barnes x reader#bucky barnes fluff#bucky barnes fanfiction#bucky barnes drabble#bucky barnes imagine#bucky barnes x y/n#bucky barnes x you#bucky imagine#bucky fluff#bucky x reader#bucky x y/n#bucky x you#bucky fanfic#bucky barnes fic#bucky fic#bucky barnes fanfic#bucky barnes oneshot
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too nice | hjs
Pairing: Hong Joshua x GN!Reader
Synopsis: Joshua Hong is nice. Too nice. He’s the kind of nice that makes people think twice about their relationship to him, wondering if they might be special. The answer is, no. Problem is, he's your coworker and your neighbor.
Content: Fluff | Coworkers to Lovers, Neighbors to Lovers | Office AU
Tags: slightly insecure reader, totally inspired by the youngji chocolate milk grandchildren interview, lots of elevators, lots of tension, a bit of drinking, mutual pining, "sweetheart" as a petname, gentleman agenda indeed, except he goes a bit mad at the end, seungkwan is a comedic genius, woozi is the wingman of the year, konglish w/ context clues, reader is scared of loud noises, no "y/n"
Word Count: 10K
Masterlist
────୨ৎ──── Monday
Joshua Hong is nice. Really nice. He opens the door for you every morning walking into work. He insists that he carries heavy file boxes from your boss’ office to your desk. He buys you coffee from the cafe down the street, knowing that the instant machine is almost always broken. Whenever he passes you in the hallway, he always smiles and mouths “fighting!” He notices when your enthusiastic mask slips and your tiredness peaks through. He tells you not to work so hard, and asks if you’ve been sleeping well.
He’s the kind of nice that makes people think twice about their relationship to him, wondering if they might be special.
But the answer is, no.
“He’s just like that. He’s nice to everyone. Get a grip.”
You sigh, staring at your reflection in the mirror hanging above your vanity. You’ve been absentmindedly rubbing moisturizer on your cheeks for the last three minutes, at least, thinking about your coworker. How have you gotten to the point of talking to yourself in attempts to rationalize the thoughts of him clouding your mind?
All of a sudden, your alarm rings. You jolt upright, reminded that you have to leave your tiny apartment and head over to your equally small office cubicle.
You quickly stand up from your vanity chair, then walk over to your closet to grab a jacket. Relying on muscle memory, your hand moves toward the hook it always lies on, only to swipe at air.
The one and only winter coat you own isn’t there.
You groan, remembering that you’d put it in the laundry bin after staining it with beer over the weekend, at that disastrous company “bonding” event. You look down at the taupe sweater you’re wearing, pinching the material to guess if it’d be warm enough. It’s barely a centimeter of fabric.
Glancing at the time on your phone, you decide that the thin sweater would just have to do.
You turn back to the mirror to do one last check of your appearance, when something catches your eye. Sitting on your bedside table is the plushie Joshua had won for you at the arcade. The bunny stares back at you innocently. You’d placed it there last night before crashing out on your bed, fatigued from the chaos of the company outing—or, more specifically, the secondhand embarrassment recalling your attempts at trying to be normal around Joshua.
You shake your head roughly. You could cringe at yourself on the way to work. Grabbing your work bag and shoving your shoes on, you rush over to the door.
Squaring your shoulders, you open it and walk out. And for a moment, as you’re turning your key to lock the door, you think that you’ll be alone for the commute to work for once.
But then you hear a familiar voice.
“Good morning!”
You tense, heart beginning to race, then turn around with a weak smile.
“Hi, Joshua.”
Somehow, you’re not only coworkers with your crush, but also next door neighbors.
“Hey,” he says, then takes a sharp breath. “It’s pretty cold today. Is that sweater going to be warm enough?”
“I’ll be fine,” you say, avoiding eye contact as you drop your keys into your bag. “It can’t be that cold.”
You adjust the bag strap on your shoulder and walk toward the elevator on your floor, pressing the down button. It immediately opens.
“You sure?”
You nod as the two of you walk inside the elevator.
Hoping he’ll stop pushing you on your lack of a coat, you ask, “Did you look into the McKinley and Lee file yet?”
“Come on, it’s not even 9am and you’re already attacking me with work!” Joshua dramatically clutches his chest, then lightly punches your arm. “What’d we say about 워라밸, huh?”
You feel your face getting hot, your right hand reflexively going up to where he’d touched your left arm. Was it always this toasty in the elevator?
Meeting his eyes for the first time today, you say, “Yeah, yeah, work-life balance. You’re right.”
His lips turn up and his eyes crinkle into bright crescent moons. You find yourself smiling back at him, despite having tried so hard to avoid his stupidly sweet gaze.
“I’m just teasin’, you know?” he says, leaning casually against the steel walls of the small elevator.
“Yeah, yeah,” you mumble again, rubbing the handle of your bag and tapping your foot to give yourself something else to focus on, suddenly aware that the two of you were alone.
God, could the elevator move any slower? Fidgeting with the loose threads of your sweater, you were on the verge of melting from being near his vicinity for so long.
Ever since Joshua Hong had arrived two months ago as a transfer from the Seoul branch, you haven’t gone a day without running into him. It was HR’s fault, really. The Human Resources department had placed him in yours, and also gave him the company-funded apartment next door to you.
He’d spent so much time around you that, if you didn’t see the people who regularly flocked to him, you’d think you were his only friend in the States. It was, and still is, ridiculous. His constant presence has meant that you are constantly aware of yourself. Of how you’re breathing too loud, and how your heart is beating too fast, and how you were in too much of a rush to do your full routine this morning. He makes you care more than usual about how well you perform at work, and, worse, he makes you think about how happy and funny you appear to be.
The way he teases you for being nervous (although that’s only because he’s around practically all the time) and the way he always notices when you aren’t feeling well—it’s as if he sees right through you. Yes, he sees right through you, and it’s incredibly scary knowing he could confront you at any time—maybe even in this elevator—and say that he’s known all along that you’ve had feelings for him. And what’s worse is that you know he’d be polite with his rejection. He’d be a gentleman, carefully letting you down with—
“Hello? Hellooo?” Joshua says, waving his hand in front of your face.
You jump, blinking rapidly. “Huh? Sorry, what?”
“We’re here, sweetheart,” he says gently.
“Oh,” you reply lamely.
He gestures with his hand for you to walk out of the elevator first. Inside the lobby, he walks by your side. As the two of you approach the door, he reaches it first, and opens it for you to head outside.
You’re immediately hit with a blast of winter and harsh winds. Your arms instinctively tighten around your stomach, trying to prevent the cold air from rushing up your sweater.
Joshua turns to you, brows furrowed. His eyes glance over your sweater again, and you can tell he’s about to say something. Certain it’s an I told you so, you quickly say, “Before you start, I’m fine. It’s really not that cold, and the bus is coming soon anyway.”
You march forward toward the crosswalk before the bus stop, knowing he’s following behind you. Once you reach the start of the white lines, you slow down to a stop, waiting for the signal to change.
Still behind you, Joshua says, “거기 있어봐.”
“왜?” Though confused, you listen to his request to stay where you are. You shift your weight from one foot to the other, feeling somewhat awkward just standing with your back turned to him.
He doesn’t answer your question why, but you hear a shuffle and the sound of fabric rustling. Then you feel a warm coat draped over your shoulders.
You turn back to face Joshua with a start, opening your mouth to protest.
But before you can get a word out, he takes his pointer finger and lightly presses it against your lips.
“Shh,” he says with a smile. “Tomorrow, wear a jacket, okay?” He pats the top of your head.
Speechless, you barely bring yourself to nod, then remember to shut your jaw. Let’s just survive this bus ride, you tell yourself. God, it was unfair how nice he was. It only made it harder for you to believe he was like this with everyone—or to stop hoping that, somehow, you might be the exception.
────୨ৎ──── Tuesday
Ever since you showed up to work on Monday wearing Joshua’s coat, your coworkers have been speculating nonstop about your nonexistent relationship with the man. More specifically, your two closest friends in the department, Boo Seungkwan and Lee Jihoon, have had a lot to say.
Today would be no different. Huddled around the coffee table in the break room with Seungkwan and Jihoon, you’ve been roped into listening to their comments.
Eyes darting between the two of them, you silently sip on your coffee.
“I’m a hundred percent sure now. I swear it’s real, he likes her,” Seungkwan says, waving his hands in the air like a madman.
Jihoon raises his eyebrows. “Are you sure? Remember when you said that the delivery guy had a crush on this one,” he replies while pointing at you, “only for it to be me? Your 촉 is trash.”
Seungkwan scrunches his nose, and huffs in your direction, as if you’re going to defend his skill of guessing office relationships. (You’re not.)
“Your hunch is horrible, I said,” Jihoon says, goading him.
“No,” Seungkwan frantically shakes his head. “That was a one off. Remember when I said the nepo baby in Finance liked Director Chun’s secretary? He kept staring at her and nobody believed me but I was right!”
Jihoon rolls his eyes. “Lucky guess.”
“No, no, no, my 촉 is excellent, thank you very much.” Seungkwan turns to you, all pouty. “You trust my 촉, right?”
Finding the entire conversation ridiculous, you can’t help but shake your head and laugh. Though Seungkwan prides himself on his supposedly superior hunches, he is really only accurate half the time.
You raise your coffee cup to your lips and sip on the liquid inside, a perfect state in between steaming hot and lukewarm.
“Kkah, this coffee is great,” you say to Seungkwan, ignoring his question.
His eyes suddenly widen, and he frantically waves his pointer finger at you. “Oh, oh! Another thing! He always gets you coffee from that expensive place next door, Cafe whatever. He never gets us coffee, but he always gets you coffee.”
Taken aback, you put the cup down, saying, “No way, he does that for a lot of people. He bought coffee for the receptionist like, last week.”
“That’s because it was her birthday,” Seungkwan says.
“And how’d you know that?” you ask.
“Because there were happy birthday balloons next to her desk?” Seungkwan says matter-of-factly.
“Well—” you retort, before getting cut off.
“You know,” Jihoon suddenly interjects. “I hate to agree, but it’s true. Joshua doesn’t do that for anyone else.”
“Right?” Seungkwan exclaims, nudging your arm with his elbow. “Come on, I’m so right. Woozi said I’m right. Trust the 촉.”
You rub your temples, feeling ambushed by your loud friends.
“Yeah, yeah, sure.” You wave them off as you stand up from the little coffee table chair you’d been sitting on for the last few minutes. “I’m going to head out.”
“Where are you going?” Seungkwan asks.
“Away from you,” you joke.
“I know you’re going to the vending machine,” Jihoon accuses. "You always get a snack after coffee."
You raise your hands in mock surrender.
“Can you get me a granola bar, then? You know the one I like, the blueberry one.” Seungkwan asks.
“Oh, and a Coke Zero for me?” Jihoon adds. “Y’know, not everyone has a coffee fairy named Joshua, like you do.”
You laugh, shaking your head. “You know it’s not like that. Besides, you guys just love using my money, don’t you?”
“Guilty,” Jihoon grins.
“Come on, I paid for karaoke last Friday,” Seungkwan complains. “That was way more expensive than a granola bar and a Coke.”
“Coke Zero,” Jihoon says, emphasizing the “Zero.”
“Tomato, tomato.” Seungkwan wrinkles his nose, enunciating the “ay” and “ah” in the two pronunciations of the word.
“Apples, oranges,” Jihoon insists.
“Okay, okay, let’s not fight, children. A blueberry granola bar and a Coke Zero, on your way.” You give a pretentious salute.
Grasping your coffee, you down the rest of it and get up from the table. You crumple the cup and toss it into the trash can before leaving.
Walking through the main hallway, you pass the vending machines on your department’s floor, which are known to swallow dollar bills without offering products in return. Between the youngest employees in the department—people like you, Seungkwan, and Jihoon—you’ve discovered a secret spot that has better machines.
Once you reach the elevator, you tap on the down button. When the doors open, you walk inside and press on the “G” and “Door Close” buttons.
The elevator doors close smoothly, and you tap your foot as you watch the numbers at the top right corner go down from 8. It reminds you of the awkward elevator ride from Monday morning, but you quickly shake those thoughts out of your head.
It’s best not to think of Joshua when you don’t have to.
The garage is a relatively far trek from floor 8, but it’s a worthwhile time sacrifice. The other floors (and by extension, their vending machines) are locked by key cards for employees of their respective departments, so it’s either you take a chance with the floor 8 machines or head to the basement. You, Seungkwan, and Jihoon have all found that you’d rather not take that chance.
The elevator announces your arrival to the ground floor with a ding, and as the doors open, you make a beeline toward the machines.
Seeing that someone is already using the vending machine closest to the elevator, you walk past it toward the machine closest to the doors leading out of the hall and into the garage.
“Blueberry granola bar, Coke Zero. Blueberry granola bar, Coke Zero,” you repeat to yourself under your breath.
Coming to a stop by the vending machine, you scan the snacks inside. Grabbing your wallet, you fish some dollars out and double check the numbers of the items before lifting your right hand up to the combination pad.
Jihoon first, because he was slightly less annoying than Seungkwan this morning: Coke Zero, number 405. You punch the numbers into the machine. When it flashes $2.00, your eyes widen.
“Two dollars for a soda is robbery,” you groan.
Still, you count two dollars out from the wad of cash in your left hand, then feed it into the machine. The machine begins whirring, the spiral in 405 moving forward. But just as you think the drink is going to come out, the spiral stops.
“Oh, come on,” you mutter.
You press on the small button next to the number pad that you guess is made for delivering change, but it doesn’t return your money.
Maybe putting in two more dollars would make the machine move and spit out two drinks? Immediately acting on the thought, you punch 405 in the number pad again and feed two more dollars into the machine, only for it to whir without delivering the Cokes again. Another two dollars later, and the same happens.
Taking matters into your own hands, you begin banging on the front of the vending machine. After around five seconds of failing to make the machine respond to physical force, your arms fall from the screen back down to your sides.
Clenching your fists, you sigh and count out two more dollars from your left hand. Then, your right hand stalls.
On second thought, you really don’t want to lose more money to the machine. Maybe you should try to force it out one more time? You shove the remaining cash into your back pocket.
You raise your clenched fists again, but before your hands meet the vending machine glass, a voice suddenly comes from right behind you.
“Whoa, whoa.”
Unfortunately, you’d recognize that honey-coated voice anywhere.
You spin around wide-eyed, coming shockingly close to Joshua Hong. His face is dangerously near yours, and his arms have wrapped around your body to clasp your hands in his.
“Shua? Wha—” Your voice is breathless, trailing off like you’ve forgotten how to speak.
“Hey, don’t fight the machine. You’ll only end up hurting your hands.”
His words are soft, but the way his thumb grazes your knuckles leaves a faint hint of warmth, like he’s lit a match against your skin. You should pull back—really, you should. But the closeness, the weight of his presence, keeps you frozen in place.
Your heart stutters in protest. This is nothing. He’s always like this. Always caring, always thoughtful. Always too close.
And yet, remembering what Seungkwan and Jihoon said, some part of you also wonders: Why does it feel different when it’s me?
Scowling, you drop his hands and take a step back, like distance will save you. "It's fine. I'm handling it."
His brow arches at your defiance, and for a moment, his gaze searches yours, like he’s looking for something you’re not ready to admit.
"Are you?" he asks, the words laced with amusement.
Your hands ball into fists at your sides, both in frustration and to keep them from reaching out for him again and betraying you.
“I am,” you insist, though the heat rising in your cheeks threatens to undermine your confidence.
But then, just as quickly, he tilts his head, and his lips curve into a smirk—soft, upturned at the corners, with those faint dimples that could bring a fortress down.
And for a moment, just a moment, you wonder if you’re the only one feeling this way.
But before you can think of a sharp retort, his voice cuts through the haze in your head.
“You should’ve just asked me for help—like always.”
The softness in his tone, the familiarity, pulls you up short. It’s almost unbearable how easy it is for him to say things like this. Like it’s normal. Like it’s not turning your brain into static.
It’s too much. He can’t keep getting away with this, with being so nice to you all the time. It’s not fair.
“Stop being so nice to me,” you blurt out, clenching your fists tighter. You’ve got to hold your ground.
Joshua cocks his head slightly. “I thought you like it when I help you?”
Your face gets, if possible, even hotter.
Honestly, what can you even say to that?
Desperately avoiding his face, you stare at the much safer collar of his shirt. It’s an off white color, like the fur of the stuffed bunny he’d gotten you at the arcade. It remains on your nightstand because you still have no idea what to do with it.
Realizing that you didn’t answer him, you finally deflect. “Where’d you even come from? I didn’t see you.”
“Over there,” he says softly, pointing at the vending machine by the elevator.
“Oh.” You press your lips together, belatedly realizing that the person you’d passed on your way to this vending machine had been Joshua all along.
“So, what’d you need? I’ll fix it for you.”
You feel your face getting hot again. “Coke Zero,” you mumble.
“I thought you didn’t like Coke?” Joshua asks.
He remembers?
“It’s not for me,” you explain. “For Woozi.”
“Woozi?”
“Oh, I mean Jihoon.”
Strangely feeling like you have to explain yourself to him, to let him know that you’re only friends, you say, “We went to college together. Me, Jihoon, and Seungkwan. We just happened to get into the same department here.”
Joshua hums in acknowledgment. “No wonder, I always saw the three of you together. Made me feel left out.”
Your heart drops. Eyes wide, you cross your arms repeatedly, saying, “I never—we never meant to exclude you at all!”
“That’s okay, I have you to talk to, right?” he says with what you can only describe as an upside down smile.
You swallow and nod.
“Y’know I was just teasing,” he says casually. “I wasn’t offended.”
Before you can confront him about the mental whiplash he’s putting you through, he grasps your shoulders and maneuvers you to the right, so that he can stand in front of the machine. His touch was fleeting, but your heart skips a beat anyway.
You watch as he grabs two dollars out of his wallet, then punches 405 into the keypad. As the spiral whirs, he sends two precise kicks to the bottom left of the machine.
Doubting his method, you raise your eyebrows in uncertainty. But just as you do, the whirring is accompanied by the sound of the soft drinks falling.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
That actually works?
Joshua bends down and sticks a hand into the bottom flap of the machine, pulling out the drinks that had just dropped from slot 405.
“Four Coke Zeros, at your service. Anything else?”
“Oh, a blueberry granola bar for Seungkwan. And those chips for me,” you say with mild surprise, pointing at slots 201 and 302.
“Sure thing.” He taps the corresponding numbers and slips some bills into the machine.
Thankfully, 201 and 302 are very cooperative, unlike 405.
“Thank you, you didn’t have to pay for those,” you say, your fingers brushing against his as you accept Seungkwan’s granola bar and your bag of chips. The faint contact sends an unexpected jolt through your chest, one you force yourself to ignore.
“Oh, it’s not for free,” Joshua replies, his lips curling into a smile that’s soft yet pointed. “You owe me a coffee from next door.”
You blink at him, caught off guard. “Tomorrow morning, then?”
He nods his head slightly, a gesture so casual it almost feels calculated. “How about today, after work?”
Your heart stutters. The way he’s looking at you—his eyes shining, eyebrows raised a little, with a faint crease between his brows—feels strange. It’s somewhat vulnerable, like he’s waiting for something.
No, surely not. Surely, he’s not—
The thought dies before it can fully form, drowned out by the thundering sound of your heartbeat.
“Sure,” you manage to squeak out, your voice embarrassingly small in the space between you.
His smile widens, but there’s a flicker of something else in his expression. Relief? Satisfaction?
You swallow hard and grip the snacks in your hands like they’re a lifeline. You need to get a hold of yourself. Joshua Hong is not asking you out. He’s just nice. That’s all.
────୨ৎ──── Wednesday
“You’re joking. You’re actually joking.” Seungkwan’s voice rings throughout his waterlogged apartment.
“Most unfortunately, I’m not.” You blink, feeling a droplet of sweat getting dangerously close to your eyes.
You carefully wipe the sweat that’s gathered at your forehead using your forearm, since your hands are gloved up. You definitely don’t want the nasty residue from the rubber gloves getting on your face.
Seungkwan glares. “You didn’t tell me that you were on a date with You Know Who! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have called you.”
“Well, you did,” you say exasperatedly, grabbing an antique-looking lamp and lightly placing it in the box of items to throw away.
“Tell me what happened, exactly. Don’t leave a single thing out!” Seungkwan barks, waving at you from across the room, where he’s dismantling a chair to put in the box.
In the middle of clearing out Seungkwan's damp furniture, your mind drifts back to yesterday afternoon, to the cafe where…
────୨ৎ────
…The soft hum of coffee grinders and the steady chatter of customers make you feel warm inside, easing the tension from earlier that morning. You sit across from Joshua at a tiny table near the main window, taking in how the late afternoon sun casts a golden glow over his face. He looks like royalty, and you think you could watch him for forever.
He’s nursing a cappuccino, his slender fingers tracing absent patterns on the side of the mug, while you sip on a mocha latte, its foam already starting to lose its shape. Staring at the latte, you think it’s about time you moved on from small talk.
“You really didn’t have to pay for my drink,” you say, though your voice lacks conviction. It’s hard to argue with him when he wields his secret weapon every time.
He smiles, that same boyish, disarming grin he always gives you. “It’s just coffee. I get you one almost every day, y’know?”
“Yeah, but I was supposed to—”
“Exactly,” he interrupts, eyes sparkling. “Think of it as payback. For all the mornings you made brighter just by showing up.”
Your cheeks warm at his words, heat spreading down your neck as you lower your gaze to the coffee table, suddenly fascinated by the faint scratch marks on its surface. “You’re too nice,” you manage, the words feeling as flimsy as tissue paper.
“Only to you,” he says, and though his tone is light, the words feel impossibly heavy. Like they’re carrying something you’re both too afraid to name.
Your heart twists violently as your eyes snap up to meet his. The way he’s looking at you—steady, unyielding—makes your breath hitch. This is Joshua, you remind yourself, the nicest guy you’ve ever met. And yet, you can’t ignore the way it feels like he’s waiting for something. For you.
“You don’t mean that. I don’t believe that.” The words spill out before you can stop them, shaky and uneven. But even as you say them, a part of you aches with the knowledge that it’s not entirely true.
Because deep down, you want to believe him. You want to hold onto the idea that he’s different with you, that the warmth in his voice and the way he looks at you isn’t just another facet of his kindness but something more.
But that hope is dangerous.
If you believe him and you’re wrong—if this is just Joshua being Joshua, warm and selfless to everyone he meets—it’ll break you. So instead, you tell yourself that it’s impossible. That he can’t mean it.
You clutch onto every reason why: the way he always holds the door open for others, how he buys coffee for the entire team sometimes, the way he seems to know exactly what to say to make anyone smile. It’s who he is, you think, not just with you.
The idea of reading too much into his words—of exposing your heart only to realize you’ve misunderstood everything—is unbearable. So you push it away, burying the small flicker of hope before it has a chance to grow.
But even as you deny him, there’s a quiver in your voice, a hesitation that gives you away.
He leans forward slightly, his arms resting on the table, shrinking the distance between you. “You should. Don’t you ever wonder why?”
Your breath catches. His words hang in the air, heavy and charged, and for a second, you think he’s about to say something that will upend everything you’ve convinced yourself to believe about him.
“Joshua, I—”
Before you can finish, your phone buzzes loudly on the table, shattering the moment.
You scramble to grab it, breaking eye contact as you glance at the screen.
It reads: “Kwannie Kwannie Kwannie.”
You sigh deeply but answer the call, putting the phone to your ear. “What?”
“Help!” Seungkwan’s voice comes through in a panicked shriek. You take the phone a few inches away from your ear, wincing at the sound, then stiffen. His tone did not sound like one of his regular, made-up crises. Bringing your phone closer to your ear, you hear him shout. “My apartment’s flooding! There’s water up to my knees, my coach is floating! I don’t know what to do! Jihoon’s useless with this kind of stuff, and you’re the only person who knows where my emergency shutoff is—”
“Okay, okay, breathe. 4-7-8 method. I’ll be right there,” you say, shooting up from your chair.
Joshua watches you, his brows knitting together in concern. “Everything okay?”
“Seungkwan’s apartment is flooding. I have to go help him,” you explain, grabbing your bag.
“I’ll come with you,” he immediately offers, already standing.
“No, it’s fine. I’ve got it.” You force a smile, though you’re still buzzing with the tension of whatever had just happened. “Thanks for the coffee.”
Before he can respond, you rush out the door, heart racing—not just from Seungkwan’s crisis, but from the words Joshua almost said. You hear him calling your name, but you’re unable to bring yourself to look back, afraid you’d cave.
If you had, you would’ve seen a crestfallen Joshua still standing by the table, frozen in place...
────୨ৎ────
...Seungkwan drops a chair leg.
If the water hadn’t already been drained (by you, yesterday, when you figured out how to use Seungkwan’s emergency shutoff valve), the metal leg would have made a small splash and floated in knee-deep waters. Instead, it fell obnoxiously loudly onto Seungkwan’s hardwood floor, ringing throughout the half-empty apartment with full force.
“Ah! Seungkwan!” You jump, nearly dropping your drill, which you had been using to unscrew the legs of the coffee table while retelling what had happened Tuesday afternoon.
“He was about to confess,” Seungkwan says slowly and robotically, as if caught in a trance.
You can’t bring yourself to deny it.
“He was about to confess,” he repeats.
Letting out a major sigh, you hop up onto the dining table, tapping it. “You know, we have to dismantle this too.”
“He was about to confess!” His sudden shout startles you again. “And where the hell is Woozi when we need him?”
“Probably on his way, as he was when you checked 20 minutes ago?” you say dryly.
“He needs to get a load of this. I was right!” Seungkwan waves the chair leg in the air triumphantly, far too close to the ceiling for comfort.
“Dude,” you laugh, “you’re going to scratch the ceiling, put it down!”
Seungkwan pouts. “But this is my victory leg.”
“Tell that to Woozi,” you grin. “I think you should show him the leg, first thing.”
He lights up. “Excellent idea.”
All of a sudden, you hear someone knocking on Seungkwan’s door. Jumping off of the table, you skip across the living room down to the narrow main hallway. Once you reach the door, you crack it open a few inches—as far as the chain link will let you.
“Woozi, you’re so late!” Your face breaks out into a smile upon seeing your friend.
“My bad,” Jihoon says with a chuckle.
“`Y’know, Kwannie has a big surprise for you?”
“I can’t wait,” he says with a sigh. “How bad is the damage?”
“See for yourself.” You take down the chain lock and swing the door fully open with a smile, only to falter at the sight of the one person you thought you’d successfully avoided all day.
Joshua.
For there he was.
“Here to help,” he says shyly, hands folded behind his back.
You give Jihoon a panicked look.
Jihoon explains, “I was heading out of the office when I caught him in the hallway. He said he was down to help Seungkwan, and I figured the more, the merrier.”
The sight of Joshua standing in Seungkwan’s doorway makes your stomach drop. It’s like all the tension from earlier has come rushing back in, this time amplified by the unexpectedness of his arrival.
You plaster on a polite smile, though you’re sure it looks more like a grimace. “Great,” you manage to choke out, turning on autopilot to lead him and Jihoon down the hallway.
But inside, your thoughts are spiraling. What is he doing here? Does he know you’ve been avoiding him all day? Did Jihoon tell him anything on the way over?
Your chest tightens as you think about Seungkwan waiting in the living room, blissfully unaware of Joshua’s presence. You can already imagine the chaos—Seungkwan, ever the open book, accidentally blurting out something incriminating.
What if he says something about the coffee shop? What if he mentions the way you couldn’t stop talking about Joshua just now?
You’re half a step ahead of them, your mind racing through ways to keep the situation from unraveling, but drawing nothing but blanks.
But then, out of the corner of your eye, you catch a glimpse of Joshua. He’s walking casually beside Jihoon, his hands tucked into his pockets, a beanie snug on his head. He looks different, less polished than usual, but still effortlessly himself. And for a moment, you falter.
Because despite your panic, there’s a part of you that’s almost glad he’s here. A part of you that can’t help but wonder what it means that he came at all.
When you reach the living room, you come to a hard stop, frantically making a small X with your arms.
But Seungkwan has his attention focused on that blasted chair leg, and of course, he immediately opens with: “Guess who has the biggest news of all time! The biggest action since the Great Orange Plaza Incident—”
Cue the obnoxiously loud laughter from you. “Joshua’s here! Say hi!”
Seungkwan turns to the hallway, where, indeed, Joshua is standing. Shocked, he drops the metal leg, and it announces its contact with the ground through a loud clang.
Wincing at the sound like earlier, you accidentally shift your body backward into someone behind you.
“Sorry,” you say, hoping it was Jihoon.
His arms come up to grasp your waist, holding you steady.
“No worries,” comes Joshua’s voice.
You shut your eyes, somehow both drowning in embarrassment and burning up at the spot where he’s touched you.
You quickly step out of his hold, trying not to let your flustered state show. “Right,” you say, clearing your throat. “Let’s go now.”
Joshua chuckles softly, his voice like velvet. “그래, 바로 가자.” Right, let’s go straight away.
Seungkwan, thankfully, is too caught up in his shock to notice the moment, though Jihoon raises a single eyebrow in quiet observation.
As you guide Joshua and Jihoon into the living room, you internally rehearse all the ways you can deflect or redirect the inevitable awkwardness. But before you can settle on anything, Joshua is already rolling up his sleeves. You avert your eyes from his biceps.
“What needs moving?” he asks.
You glance around the room, desperate for something to hand off to him. Your eyes land on the dining table—big, heavy, and far too ambitious for one person to handle. Perfect. “The dining table,” you say, trying to sound casual. “We need to get it downstairs to the lobby for pickup.”
Seungkwan perks up. “Oh, that thing’s a beast. Good luck.”
“I’ll help,” Joshua says immediately, a soft smile playing on his lips as he looks at you.
You blink, caught off guard. “Uh, okay. You and Woozi can move it.”
But Jihoon smirks, catching on. “Actually, I just remembered I promised to help Seungkwan with,” his voice trails. “Something else. You’ve got this, right?”
Before you can protest, Jihoon grabs the metal chair leg and joins Seungkwan in the corner, leaving you and Joshua alone with the daunting table.
“Looks like it’s just us,” Joshua says, his teasing smile widening.
You swallow thickly, resigned. “Okay. Let’s get this over with.”
Together, you begin maneuvering the table toward the hallway. It’s heavy and awkward, and you struggle to find a good grip on the edges.
“Here,” Joshua says, dropping his side of the table and moving closer. His hands brush over yours as he adjusts your grip, lingering for a moment longer than necessary. “That should help.”
The contact sends a jolt through you, but you force yourself to focus. “Thanks,” you mumble, your voice barely above a whisper.
By some miracle, the table fits in the elevator, though the tight space forces you and Joshua closer together. You’re much too aware of how little distance there is between you, the faint scent of his cologne making your heart race even faster.
“This reminds me of Monday morning,” Joshua says suddenly, his voice soft.
Your head snaps up to meet his gaze. What is he talking about? The elevator? The coat? Both?
He nods, his expression unreadable. “Yeah. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”
Your stomach twists. “What about it?” you ask cautiously.
His eyes searching yours. “I just,” he hesitates for a moment, before continuing. “I feel like we keep dancing around something. Don’t you?”
Your breath catches, and suddenly the space feels even smaller. “What do you mean?”
Joshua steps just a fraction closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “I mean,” he pauses for a second or two before picking up again. “This. Us. I feel like there’s something you’re not saying. And I’m not sure if I should say it first.”
The elevator dings, announcing your arrival at the lobby, but neither of you moves.
You swallow hard, your heart pounding in your chest. “Shua, I—”
Before you can finish, the doors slide open, and an older woman waiting outside peers in, her curious gaze snapping you both out of the moment.
“Uh, sorry,” you stammer, quickly stepping out with your end of the table.
Joshua follows, but you can feel his eyes on you, his earlier words hanging heavy in the air.
As the two of you set the table down near the designated pickup area, he leans in slightly, his voice low. “This isn’t over.”
Your heart threatens to jump out of your chest, but you force yourself to nod, avoiding his gaze. “Yeah. Okay.”
Even as you head back to Seungkwan’s apartment, your mind is racing with the possibilities of what he might say—and whether you’re ready to hear it.
As you reenter Seungkwan’s apartment, the weight of Joshua’s words hangs like a thick fog in the air. It’s almost suffocating, the way your heart beats erratically at the thought of what he might say next.
You glance over your shoulder, half-expecting Joshua to be right behind you, but he's still out by the lobby. The sound of Seungkwan and Jihoon’s voices floats down the hallway as they continue their discussion, oblivious to the tension that’s spiraling in your chest.
You step inside, but you can’t shake the feeling that everything is about to change. Joshua’s words—“This isn’t over”—echo in your mind, repeating with every beat of your heart. What did he mean? What does he expect?
“Everything okay?” Seungkwan calls from the living room, looking up with a raised brow as you walk in.
“Yeah,” you chirp, trying to act normal, but your voice comes out too high.
He narrows his eyes. “You sure? You look a little off. Everything go well?” It’s unsaid, but you know there’s a “with Joshua” attached to the end of his sentence.
You force a smile, but it’s shaky at best. “Yeah, the table's gone now.” You can’t tell him. Not yet. Not with the weight of Joshua’s unspoken words still pressing against your chest.
Seungkwan studies you for a moment, his gaze flickering toward the hallway. “I’ll take your word for it. So, you two, huh?”
Your eyes widen involuntarily, and you try to laugh it off. “아니, 아니! 그런거 아니야, it’s really not like that.”
Seungkwan raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Uh-huh. Sure. Anyway, me and Jihoon are going to go to the bar. Want to come?”
The offer hangs in the air, and you realize, suddenly, that it’s the perfect distraction. You need space from your own thoughts. You need to calm your racing heart. Maybe getting out of here will help.
“I’ll go,” you blurt, before you can second-guess yourself. “Haven’t gone weekday drinking in a while. Let me just grab my bag.”
Seungkwan gives you a knowing look but says nothing more. As you step into the hallway to grab your bag off a high-hanging hook, your mind is still whirling with the unanswered questions about Joshua.
Walking further down the hallway, you find Seungkwan and Joshua standing near Jihoon.
Jihoon’s already at the door, his hand on the handle. “Come on, let’s go. I need some drinks in my system after today.”
You nod, attempting to shove your thoughts away for the night. The cool air outside greets you, and the cacophony of the city feels like a welcome distraction. As you make your way to the bar, Seungkwan and Jihoon immediately dive into their usual banter, but your mind is elsewhere. You keep glancing over at Joshua, who seems uncharacteristically quiet tonight, his usually playful energy subdued.
By the time you reach the bar and order drinks, you’re beginning to relax. Maybe it’s the alcohol, or maybe it’s the fact that you don’t have to think about what’s going on between you and Joshua, but you can’t help but feel like you’re walking a thin line between tension and relief.
But as the night goes on, Seungkwan and Jihoon quickly fall into drunken antics, leaving you and Joshua alone on the quieter side of the bar. The air between you both is thick, like an invisible thread is pulling you closer, yet neither of you dares to speak.
You fiddle with your glass, wondering if you should speak up first. You only have so much courage, though.
Thankfully, Joshua clears his throat, his voice low. “넌 좀,” he hesitates for a bit, before deciding to call you out, “조용한데?”
Well, it’s no secret that you’re being quiet. He was, too, at least until now.
You glance up, meeting his gaze for the first time since earlier. His eyes are intense, his lips pulled into that soft, half-smile you know and adore.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier,” you murmur, your voice barely above a whisper. The words hang between you like a dare.
Joshua leans in just slightly, his breath warm against your cheek. “What part?”
Your heart races, but you hold his gaze. “About how this isn’t over?”
He’s quiet for a beat, then smiles—just a little. “I meant what I said.”
And in that moment, you realize you’re in way deeper than you thought.
You swallow hard, feeling the weight of his words settle in your chest, like a stone sinking deep into water. You want to ask him more, to press him, to demand answers, but the words feel trapped in your throat. Instead, you look away, fidgeting with the rim of your glass, your fingers tracing the condensation. The alcohol has started to mellow your nerves, but the tension still hovers in the air between you two, thick and almost palpable.
“You’ve been quiet too,” you manage to say, keeping your voice steady despite the jittery feeling in your stomach. “What’s on your mind?”
Joshua doesn’t answer right away, his gaze flickering toward the noisy group in the corner where Seungkwan and Jihoon are laughing too loudly, practically leaning on each other for support. The laughter echoes in the background, a sharp contrast to the quiet bubble that has formed around you and Joshua.
It’s the kind of moment that feels too intimate, too close to the edge of something that could change everything.
“I don’t know,” he says finally, and his voice is soft, thoughtful. “I guess I’m trying to figure out if you’re really as clueless as you act, or if you’re just pretending.” His eyes meet yours, and there's something almost vulnerable in his gaze, a flicker of hesitation that’s rare for him.
You feel your heart skip a beat, caught off guard by the question. “Clueless?” You repeat, the word tasting strange on your tongue. “I’m not clueless.”
“그래? Are you sure about that?” he asks, his smile barely there, his tone teasing but with an edge of something else—something deeper.
You narrow your eyes, a little irritated by how easily he toys with you. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you say, and then immediately regret it. It sounds too defensive, too much like you’re trying to cover something up.
Joshua leans in slightly, his expression serious now, no longer playful. “I think you do. I think you’re scared.” His voice drops, barely above a whisper, but it lands like a truth you can’t deny. “You’re scared of what might happen if you admit what you feel.”
Your breath catches in your throat. The world feels like it slows down, the noise of the bar fading into the background as his words settle in your mind. The truth in them stings, and you don’t know how to respond.
He’s right, but you don’t want to admit it.
Not yet.
Not to him.
Before you can say anything, Seungkwan stumbles over, dragging Jihoon along with him. “You two are too quiet,” Seungkwan says with a grin, clearly tipsy. “What’s going on here? Trying to plot against us?”
Joshua straightens up quickly, his smile returning to its usual playful, disarming self. “Nothing like that, we were just talking,” he replies, his voice smooth and easy.
You take a deep breath, trying to push the moment away, but the tension still lingers in your chest. You force a smile, though it feels weak. “Yeah, just talking.”
Jihoon gives you both a sideways look, too drunk to notice the underlying current between you and Joshua. “You two really are something, huh?”
Seungkwan laughs, waving a hand as if dismissing Jihoon’s comment. “Yeah, yeah, don’t mind them. They’re just having a little ‘moment,’” he says, emphasizing the last word with air quotes.
You don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Contrary to Seungkwan’s comment, the moment’s long gone now, robbed by the chaos of their antics. But you can’t shake the feeling that something has shifted, that you and Joshua are standing on the edge of something—something both terrifying and irresistible.
And for the first time, you decide that you’re ready to see where it leads.
────୨ৎ──── Thursday
You wake up on Thursday with a start, the events from last night already feeling faraway. Joshua had dropped you off, and you had spent most of the night restlessly thinking of him, going over how to confess.
The bright morning light filters through the blinds, causing you to squint at the time on your alarm clock. It’s much earlier than you’d usually get up. You fight the urge to go back to sleep.
With resolve, you push yourself up off your bed and run through your morning routine with extra care. And by the time your last alarm rings, you’re ready to tell him.
You walk over to the front door, waiting for the telltale signs of movement coming from the apartment next door. Only, you hear nothing. Not even footsteps shuffling around.
Your elevator ride is silent. Your bus ride is silent.
Joshua had left before you’d even woken up—and you’d woken up pretty damn early—and his absence only made you more aware of the pressing silence between the two of you.
When you reach your cubicle, your eyes graze over the desk repeatedly, finding something is wrong.
“Hey, what’s gotten into you?” Jihoon asks from the cubicle next to you.
“Nothing.” Everything.
You stare at the spot where Joshua puts a cup of coffee from the cafe next door every day. It’s empty.
“설마,” you whisper. No way. Did he decide to drop you because you didn’t answer him? But what else could explain his radio silence? You haven’t gone to work alone in over a month.
“설마 what?” Seungkwan asks, dropping into his office chair to the left of you at 9 on the dot.
When you don’t answer, he asks Jihoon, “What’s going on over here?”
Jihoon shrugs. “Probably drama with You Know Who.”
“Oh,” he says, and the two of them drop it.
Before you know it, the clock has hit 5pm, and you’ve spent the entire workday soullessly typing on your keyboard, lifting your head up every time you’ve seen movement in the room. Only, the man you were looking for was nowhere to be seen.
You miss the stolen glances and bright smiles you used to exchange. The silence had been stifling. You really did want to talk to him, to clear the air today, but he just never showed. Heart sinking, you pack up your bag and put on your coat. You stall for a moment remembering how he’d given you his coat just a few days prior. Did he really decide to give up because you weren’t responding well?
The bus ride back to your apartment is silent, but your head is full of speculative thoughts. When the driver announces your stop, your heart settles into a newfound determination.
Maybe he could let go, but you can’t. You won’t let him go.
“I’ll just barge in! Say my piece, then let him talk,” you mumble under your breath, pushing the lobby doors open.
Is it a good plan? You aren’t sure, but hopefully he’d forgive you for being hesitant for so long. You honestly don’t know how he did it—how he was able to stand your wishy-washiness?
Eyes tracing the ground, you make a beeline for the elevator, continuing your whispers. “And what am I going to say? God, I need a good opening line. Something like, please please take me back? Actually, we were never dating, so I guess that doesn’t make sense. Please please like me back? Is that too desperate? Well, I am desperate, so—”
Out of the corner, you see the elevator beginning to close.
“Hold the doors, please!” you shout, running as fast as you can. Speed is of the essence, so you can confront him as soon as possible.
You make it across half the lobby in record time, panting as you enter the elevator.
“Thank,” you say in between breaths, hands on your knees, “you—”
When you look up, your heart stops.
Joshua Hong. Dressed dapper in an all black suit and carrying, of all things, a briefcase?
“Shua?” you say breathlessly, immediately straightening.
Joshua looks down, his usual calm expression faltering for just a second when he sees you out of breath. For a moment, the two of you simply stand there in silence, the elevator’s gentle hum filling the space between you.
“Where were you?” you ask, your voice quieter than you'd intended, a hint of nervousness creeping in despite your earlier determination.
Joshua clears his throat, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks. “Director Chun had me accompany him to the Lee meeting. You?” he asks, his gaze softening as he watches you catch your breath.
Your mouth suddenly feels dry. The reality of the situation hits you hard.
This was it.
This was the moment.
But now that you’re face to face with him, you’re unsure of what to say. You should’ve prepared a real speech, practiced your words properly. Instead, the dreaded silence lingers.
“I,” your voice trails off. “I just—” You let out a shaky breath, then shake your head as if to clear the mess of thoughts swirling inside. “I’ve been thinking a lot. About things. About us.”
Joshua tilts his head slightly, a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes. “About us?”
You nod, trying to steady your breath. The elevator seems to be going slower than usual, as if the universe itself is giving you more time to process, to speak. You feel a strange mix of nerves and determination pushing you forward.
“I didn’t handle things right. I was,” you pause for a moment, carefully choosing your next words. “Unsure. Confused. And I thought maybe if I stayed quiet, I’d be able to ignore everything. But I can’t,” you say, the words finally coming out in a rush. “I can’t ignore you. I don’t want to.”
Joshua’s eyes soften, his posture shifting, his briefcase clutched tightly in his hands. “You’re not the only one who’s been confused,” he admits, his voice low, almost vulnerable. “I didn’t know what to do either, but I couldn’t let you slip away without at least trying. I care about you. A lot.”
The elevator jerks suddenly, and you both look up in surprise as the lights flicker. A loud noise rings through the space, and with a groan, the elevator comes to an abrupt halt. You both freeze, and your heart jumps into your throat.
“Shit,” you gasp, instinctively taking a step back from the elevator doors, but your foot catches in a brief moment of panic, and before you know it, you’re pulled toward Joshua.
He catches you effortlessly, his hand impossibly warm at your back, steadying you as you stumble. “괜찮아?” His voice is gentle but concerned.
You can’t help but laugh nervously, shaking your head. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
For a moment, the two of you simply stand there, him holding you in his arms, your heart still racing from the shock. Then you both realize the situation. No Wi-Fi. No way to call for help. Just the two of you, stuck in this tiny box, the tension thick in the air. The sound of your heavy breathing fills the silence as the elevator remains motionless.
Joshua clears his throat, his voice teasing again. “Well, if you think about it, this isn’t that new.”
In response, you lightly laugh, thinking back to all the times throughout the week where he's kept you steady. The you of Monday morning never would have thought you’d be in this position now, not to mention the you of two months ago.
You glance up at him, mind still racing. The unexpected turn of events had thrust you into a corner. And yet, in some strange way, you felt it was just the kind of moment the two of you needed.
Alone.
No distractions.
No running away.
“Well, at least we have some time to talk now, huh?” you say with a small, tentative smile.
Joshua meets your gaze, his eyes full of understanding. “Yeah. Looks like we do.”
And for the first time in days, the silence doesn’t feel suffocating. Instead, it feels like an opportunity, a moment to finally clear the air.
────୨ৎ──── Friday
You’ve been in the elevator for hours, but it doesn’t feel like it. Somehow, conversation just flows.
“I liked you first,” you find yourself saying, voice barely above a whisper as you rest your head on his shoulder.
“그래?” comes Joshua’s soft reply, so close that you can feel the vibrations in his chest. Really?
You can’t believe he even has to ask. Yes, really. You were so obvious about it. So affected by him that you couldn’t even look at the stuffed bunny he’d gotten you on Sunday, reminded of his soft, kind eyes.
So you nod, “Mm-hm.”
Your eyes flutter shut for a moment, your body still adjusting to the peaceful rhythm of being near him. You’d been thinking about this for the longest time, but now it feels so natural, so certain, and you can’t help but regret all the time you’d spent secretly pining over him. God, you’d even asked him to stop being so nice to you out of pure desperation. Who does that?
“Since when?” His voice is smooth, warm, like a soft melody, and you can’t help but feel drowsy with the way it lulls you into comfort.
You pause, eyes drifting to the floor of the elevator as you try to gather your thoughts. “Since when?” you repeat, the memory taking you back.
It was a chaotic day, the kind of day where everything felt so loud and full of people. You were at that welcome party for the new transfer—Joshua—but it had been too overwhelming. So, you’d slipped away, finding solace in the quiet of the cafe next door. You’d gotten a coffee to-go, and you sat outside on a bench, letting the world pass you by as you listened to your audiobook. That was your kind of perfect Saturday.
You never saw him that day.
But you did see him a week later, in the hallway of your apartment building. You’d just locked your door, ready to head out when you noticed the man next door fumbling with his own keys. His moving process had seemed slow, but that day, you finally got to exchange quick introductions before stepping into the elevator together. And somehow, in that brief exchange, you found yourself already falling, the way his laugh filled the space between you, the way you both laughed at the coincidences stacking up—the apartment, the floor, the building, the department. It was electric, the start of something special.
You glance up at him now, still leaning against his shoulder. “When we first met, in the hallway,” you finally say, voice soft.
Joshua smiles, a glint of fondness in his eyes. “That was when we first met?”
You furrow your brows, confused. “Wasn’t it?”
Joshua laughs quietly, the sound like a comforting hum in the otherwise still elevator. “I remember differently,” he says, poking your cheek gently.
You tilt your head. “If not the hallway, what was it?”
“The first day I came here, sweets,” he says, his fingers brushing a lock of your hair from your face.
Your mind races, wondering if you’ve forgotten an important memory. “But we didn’t meet, did we?”
Joshua hums, the kind of hum that carries a story behind it. “I guess you didn’t see me, but I saw you.”
You blink, unsure if you heard him right. “When?”
He leans back slightly, eyes distant as if replaying the scene in his head. “I remember being bombarded by all the office workers. God, it was so chaotic. I couldn’t breathe. I had to get out, so I said some BS excuse about needing a drink.” He chuckles softly, then his expression shifts, softer now. “I went to the drink station by the window, grabbed whatever they had, and just stared out. I was wondering how long I could hide before it was socially acceptable to go home, when I saw you.”
You shift, intrigued by his words.
“You sat outside on the bench. You weren’t even aware of the crowd inside, just focused on,” he pauses, thinking of the right word, before continuing, “Existing? Listening to something, I guess. I watched you for a while. You were so still, so peaceful in the middle of all that noise. It made me stop and think. I’ve never really done that before. I’ve always been in ‘go, go, go’ mode. But there you were, just being, and I don’t know. I think that’s when I started thinking about you.”
His words settle over you like a blanket, warm and unexpected.
“I decided then to keep giving you coffee after that,” Joshua adds with a shrug. “You’re my elevator to my small enlightenment, if you will. You made me slow down, sweets.”
At that, your heart flutters in your chest. “I never knew,” you murmur. “I thought you were just nice to everyone. All this time, you’ve been looking at me like I’ve been looking at you.”
Joshua smiles softly, his fingers brushing against yours. “I’ve been thinking about you for a lot longer than you’ve been thinking of me.”
“Only a week!” you protest.
Joshua’s eyes shine as he looks at you, crinkling into crescents. His hands steadily clasp yours, thumb rubbing against the back of your left hand. “Still think I’m too nice?”
“No,” you say, burying your face in his chest. “Keep being nice to me.”
When the elevator finally dings, and you can hear firefighters shouting things past the doors, it’s a few minutes past 12am. But neither of you moves, content in making up for lost time late into the night.
Masterlist
Author's Note: yes they were stuck in an elevator for like 7 hours from thurs after work to midnight, 내 마음이야
Disclaimer: nothing i write is representative of how svt acts off camera, take their names as stand-ins for oc's!!
Taglist: @syluslittlecrows - @junplusone
#joshua hong#gn!reader#fluff#neighbors to lovers#coworkers to lovers#10k#joshua hong x reader#hong jisoo x reader#hong joshua x reader#seventeen x reader#svt#seventeen fanfic#joshua hong fanfic#boo seungkwan#seungkwan#lee jihoon#woozi#joshua hong x y/n#joshua hong x you#joshua hong oneshot#joshua oneshot#joshua fanfic#seventeen#joshua hong x gn reader#female reader#joshua hong fluff#hong joshua fluff#joshua fluff#seventeen fluff#joshua
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SOON AS I GET HOME! ☆ 박종성
"soon as I get home, I'll make it up to you. baby, i'll do what i gotta do."
soon as i get home - faith evans.
c/w: suggestive!! yet extremely soft. husband jay...wow i love jay
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you had a good man. an amazing man even. the best man a woman could ask for. and you've been neglecting him.
when he tries to hug you, it only lasts for a second before you push him away. when he tries to give you a kiss, you barely reciprocate back. when he tries to initiate sex, you brush him off, telling him you're "too tired" to be touched. it's noticeably put a bit of a strain on your marriage, and you feel guilty.
you decide it's time to ignite the fire in your marriage again. remind jay why he married you in the first place. since he's always busy with work and so are you, you decided you would call off work the next day and spend it planning something special.
you hop out the tub and wrap a towel around you before starting your hair and makeup. you decided to wear it down because you remembered how much jay liked it. for makeup, you go with a natural glam with some red eyeshadow.
—
you slip into the lingerie and dress you bought, buckle up your heels, and check yourself out in the mirror one more time. "yup. i still got it." you say to yourself before you head downstairs.
the time is currently 6:30. jay is already off work and is probably on his way back. you use this time to set the food up and pour up some wine. you also lay out some chocolates and light some scented candles. and of course, you had some old school jams playing in the back. lord, if he didn't put a baby in you tonight, it'd be a pretty close call.
as time gets closer, you decide to hide behind the wall so when he walks in, you can suprise him.
around 7:02, you hear some keys jingle and the door opening.
"baby, i'm home. i got some take-out if you're hungry. baby..?"
you can't help but feel your heart swell at your husbands voice. even through your dry spell, he's so sweet. you take this as an opportunity to step out.
"hi jjongie.."
his mouth opens so wide you're scared a moth might fly out of it.
"do you like it..?" he gave you a look as if you just asked the silliest question on earth.
"baby. like it? 'like it' would be disrespectful. you look amazing, y/n."
you giggle and help him take off his work jacket, giving his shoulders a soft massage, feeling the tenseness from his shift today. his head tips back with a sigh. "did i forget something today, love?" he says, trying to scan his mind for any event that could've happened.
you grab his hand and drag him into the kitchen where all the food is prepared. "you're my husband. and I've been neglecting you. so i wanted to show my appreciation for all you do." you say pulling out a chair for him.
"baby...you don't neglect me. we've both been busy with work." he says still holding on to your hand.
"still. when's the last time we had sex, jay?"
"a few days ago, right?" he says trying to see where you're going with this.
"exactly! remember? when used to go at it like animals? one day out of the week would've scared us a few years ago." you say with a small giggle. "now eat up. i dont want the food to get cold!"
you guys spend some time talking about your week and enjoying the meal you made. it felt so nice to have this moment with your husband. you guys rarely ever got to eat real meals together.
"wow, y/n. you really went all out." he says finishing his last bite.
"there's leftovers in the fridge if you get hungry again." you say getting ready to put the dishes in the sink.
he stands up, coming behind you and wrapping his arms around your waist. "how could i ever repay you?"
you turn around and give him a look. "jay. you have been the most perfect man since the day i met you. i can't remember the last time i touched a door or a bill since our first date. you've done more than enough." you say pressing a peck on the corner of his mouth.
you dry off your hands before you turn back to him. "now, I have one more surprise for you upstairs. come on~" you say excitedly before dragging him up the stairs.
you finally make it to your bedroom and point his attention towards the bag in the middle of the bed. in it was a new cologne, a new tie and jewelry. as he opens the bag you dash into the bathroom to take off that tight dress and reveal what was underneath.
"baby, you didn't have to get me any of this. i'm so grateful, thank you. god, this is so cool." he says, examining his new items.
you finally step out the bathroom, heels still clicking as you call out his name.
he brings his attention up and his mouth is left open for the second time that night.
has he seen your body in ways you wouldn't even think was possible? yes. but everytime he did it felt like the first time.
you slowly make your way towards him before he reaches out his hands to touch you as if you'd dissappear right in front him.
"wow, i married a goddess. even years later you still make me feel like a teenage boy."
your eyes begin to water at his words and his touches, feeling like it's been an eternity since you've been touched like this. your hands begin to roam his body too, feeling underneath his shirt and caressing his stomach, your fingertips grazing the roughness of his happy trail.
"i love you jay. and i'll do whatever i can to make up for time we might've lost." you say leading him towards the bed so you can straddle him.
"we've grown a lot since we started dating, y/n. it's okay if sometimes we are too busy to do things with eachother. but even if we go months without touching eachother, i promise i'll always love you the same way I did back then."
and with that, he pulls you into a kiss, which leads into a night full of passionate lovemaking.
a/n: im foaming at the mouth.
#enhypen#enhypen reactions#enhypen smut#enhypen x reader#enha fluff#jay x reader#park jongseong x reader#enha x reader#kpop x reader#kpop#jay smut#enhaeil ☆ fic#enhypen scenarios
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Milk and Cookies
do you like my cookies? they’re made just for you. 𖥔. ˖ ࣪ ꒷ ࣪˖
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❁ pairing: chwe vernon x f.reader ❁ genre: friends to fucking, aphrodisiacs, smut (MDNI 18+) ❁ wc: 1.8k
— vernon doesn't know how badly you want him. hopefully the chocolates you bought will help him see you differently.
❁ smut tags/warning: DUBCON, buzzcut vern, aphrodisiac chocolate is used to coerce vernon, dryhumping, penetrative sex, creampie, thigh fucking?, choking, reader is manipulative, reader acts like vernon's sexual advances are unsolicited at first. ❁ a/n: read my guidlines. don't like don't read. block me if this isn't your cup of tea. vernon is meant to have a buzzcut but i couldn't find a good pic to make into a banner :( sry! thank you to @sunniques for beta reading ♡.
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it’s not your fault that your best friend doesn’t realize how much you want to fuck him.
despite how many times you’ve tried to make it obvious how badly you’ve ached for him to give you what you need finally, none of your plans have worked in your favour.
“hey, you ready?” vernon calls out for you.
after clearing your mind from your depraved train of thoughts, you turn to him from your kitchen to smile back at his awaiting figure that’s sat on your couch. leaning against the headrest, his arms propped up against the cushions with his legs spread.
it doesn’t help that he’s agreed to your remarks on how good a buzzcut would look on him. the lack of hair on his head is new and exciting, and you wish to feel the buzzed hair graze against your inner thighs.
“yeah, just grabbing a few snacks. gimme a minute,” you smile, although you can feel the way it doesn’t fully reach your eyes.
taking the box of chocolates from the fridge, you made sure not to forget the most important component of your plan. if anyone had found out about your idea, they would call you insane, but you couldn’t care less.
you’re not accustomed to being denied what you need, or what you crave either. it’s not your fault you’re tastebuds have been tingling for someone as sweet as honey.
staring down at the chocolate box in your hands, a smile begins to creep onto your face. vernon won’t be able to ignore the undeniable sexual attention after this.
the aphrodisiac-filled candy is cold in your hands, but in a few hours, it’ll be a warm memory of tonight’s events.
taking your designated spot beside vernon, you hand him the chocolate.
“here have one, i got it the other day and thought we could try them together,” you nudge the box of confections towards him.
“sure. these look expensive as fuck? where’d you get them?”
shrugging your shoulders you act as nonchalant as you can, “nowhere special, just some place downtown.”
𖥔. ˖ ࣪ ꒷ ࣪˖ 𖥔. ˖ ࣪ ꒷ ࣪˖
vernon’s skin is scalding. he isn’t sure what the hell is wrong with him, but his body temperature has gotten higher with every passing second. there’s an ache in cock that he’s so desperate to release but there’s no way he’s going to be able to go to the bathroom with the situation he’s in.
with you beside him on the couch, the two of you shifted into a position where you’re both lying down facing the TV. the sounds coming from the screen are nothing in comparison to the pulse that rings in his ears.
one arm is placed securely around your waist, legs tangled along the cushions. you’re way too close. close enough that he can feel the way your tiny sleeping shorts leave nothing up to the imagination. the curve of your ass is pressed tightly against his growing erection. vernon is a hundred percent sure you can feel how hard he is right now, yet he’s still frozen in place, not wanting to reveal his dirty little secret even further.
sneaking a peek at your face, your eyes are still trained on the movie, but vernon can’t handle it anymore. he needs to do something. anything.
it’s like a shot to his chest, you squirm under his grasp and if he wasn’t so aware, a groan would’ve left his lips. instead, he sucks in a breath, doing everything in his power to create the smallest bit of distance between you.
“hey, are you feeling warm?” he asks you, trying to distract himself from the way the blood is draining his body and rushing into his semi hard on.
��no, not really? are you okay?” you turn, eyes piercing into his soul.
“a little bit,” he sighs, not realizing he’s been holding his breath this whole time.
you stiffen up, and the smallest graze of your ass against him has his brain turning to mush. vernon is filled to the brim with confusion and frustration, and it’s even worse that he can’t seem to get an ounce of relief. not unless he wants to embarrass himself in front of the girl he’s been pining over for years.
“i can go grab you some–v-vernon!” your sentence is cut off, vernon cannot have you standing up just to see how hard he is right now.
“n-no it’s fine just–just stay where you are,” vernon breathes out.
the look you give him is filled with confusion, but you do what he says anyways.
“fine. let’s finish the movie first.”
snuggling into him more, vernon’s breath hitches. self-control slipping away from his fingertips the more you situate yourself into a more comfortable position. he’s really starting to lose it now, whatever morals he had left were thrown out the window with his conscience.
as if he’s being controlled by a puppeteer, his hips find themselves moving on their own. rutting into the crevice of your ass, the shorts bunching up to reveal the supple skin underneath. vernon’s brain is fogged with arousal and no matter how badly he feels for using you; the relief he’s receiving overrides every single one of the morals he’s set up for himself.
“A-ah–vernon? w-what’s going on?” you whimper as he continues to grind into you.
“i-i’m sorry. i really tried to ignore it, but shit, it feels so fucking good,” vernon groans from behind you.
the nape of your neck is in front of him, and hides his face in it, not wanting to reveal the rosy blush sprawled on his cheeks. the friction between you two creates a tent to strain against his pants, his large hands move down towards your soft thighs. touching them with the softest of caresses, the heat of your skin radiates onto his palms.
his fingers trailing up your skin, skipping the heat between your legs in favour of your breasts. the speed of his hips pick up and now both of his hands have you encased into his body. both of his palms grope at your tits over the thin fabric of your tank top.
it’s as if he’s been put in a trance. no matter how guilty he feels, he can’t stop himself from defiling you.
“i’m so sorry darling, i can’t stop,” he whimpers against you.
“v-vernon, i’m not sure about this,” you speak up, but your ass is following his movements in tandem. pushing back against his hard member as he continues to grope you.
“just give it to me, just this once. i’ll make it worth while darling,” vernon grunts against you.
his hands move down once more, propping your thigh up to give himself access to where he needs you most. the other palm still tweaking your nipple, under your top this time. pointer finger and thumb rolling the sensitive nub till you’re putty in his hands.
vernon’s attention moves back to your cunt, the thin piece of fabric from your shorts being the only thing in the way from touching you where it matters. if he knew any better, he would’ve thought you weren’t wearing panties for a reason. but the problem is, vernon isn’t thinking with his mind. his hard cock is making all his decisions for him.
shifting the fabric aside, he is finally able to touch your bare pussy. your lips wet with arousal, slick and ready for him. he groans into your ear, peppering kisses along your neck as he rubs your clit. you moan against him, and he can practically feel you vibrating against his body.
there’s a whine that leaves your lips as he recoils his fingers away from your hot cunt.
shifting behind you, vernon frees his cock from his sweats. there’s a breath of relief between all the hot tension. finally.
“you’re fucking soaking. tell me you don’t want this ‘cause i’m not stopping,” vernon groans, not even allowing you to answer back.
he slips his dick between your slippery folds before forcing your thighs closed once again. the head of his length is bumping into your clit as vernon begins to hump into you sideways.
“n-nonie, f-fuck, p-please,” you moan out between your pleas.
“jesus christ, darling, tell me how good it feels,” he grunts into your ear once more.
“your dick feels so good, a-ah, fuck, fuck, fuck, keep going please,” you beg him, synchronizing with his movements.
vernon is drunk on lust. the sounds of your squelching pussy fill the room and the sound alone is dizzying. he picks up his pace, the coil in his abdomen starting to tighten. he wants to be inside you, he craves it.
“keep those legs open for me baby,” vernon mumbles.
your hand goes under your knee, propping your one thigh up. vernon shifts slightly, his pulsing cock in his palm as he lines himself up with your entrance. the tip slides against your wet pussy before his tip is shoved into your tight hole.
you visibly tremble, and vernon thrusts up enough to bottom out inside you. the arm you're using to hold you up gives out, but vernon is quick to replace it with his own. slapping his hips into you, he holds your leg up to give him room to continue fucking you.
“tightest pussy ever, holy fuck,” vernon practically drools.
your walls are gummy, and so soft. the heat of your cunt engulfs the whole entirety of his cock. it motivates him to continue pistoning into you until his balls begin to squeeze. he knows he’s close but he doesn’t want it to end. as if he can go on for hours drowning into the heat of your tight pussy.
“you fill me up so well,” you whimper, craning your neck to catch his lips.
vernon kisses back, tongues tangling with one another as the two of you are practically eating each other faces off. you jolt with every thrust vernon gives you, the hand that was groping as your tit moves to grip your neck. fingers squeezing at the sides to cut off your airflow the slightest bit.
the muffled moans that leave your lips are vernon’s breaking point. your pussy clenches around him the harder he squeezes your neck and it’s enough to send him over the edge.
gasping into your mouth, vernon’s hips halt as he spurts his cum into your hole. the semen overflows and coats his cock with the mixture of your arousal and his own.
“i’m sorry, you didn’t even cum yet,” vernon pants against your lips.
“it’s fine. i’m not ready for this to be over yet anyways,” you breathe out, cheeks flushed.
vernon looks into your eyes, the glint in your pupils unmissable. what the hell did you put in those chocolates?
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❁ a/n: thanks for reading! i hope you enjoyed this as much as i did hehe :3
#tw: dubcon#vernon smut#seventeen smut#svt smut#seventeen x reader#vernon x reader#chwe vernon#chwe hansol#hansol x reader#hansol smut#seventeen fanfic#svt fanfic#seventeen fic#svt x reader
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yuuji's bedtime is 7:30 each night.
there are occasional exceptions like holidays or special events, but as a general rule jin is diligent about making sure his six-year-old is tucked up snug in his little bed by 7:30 sharp so he can get all the sleep he needs to learn and grow and thrive.
sukuna thinks that's all a load of shit.
as such, yuuji's strict bedtime routine is rarely followed when uncle sukuna is tasked with watching him for the night. partially because he thinks it's stupid, and the kid should be allowed to stay up as late as he wants, and partially to spite his older brother for asking him to babysit in the first place.
yuuji hops from one dingy tile to the next on one leg while sukuna surveys the convenience store shelves before his eyes. it's 8:15 now, a full 45 minutes past yuuji's bedtime, and the kid shows no sign of dropping anytime soon—futher proof, sukuna thinks smugly, that all that stuff his brother's always spouting about "childhood development" and "gentle parenting" is a bunch of garbage. he reaches out and plucks a bag of chips off the shelf in front of him, tossing it into the basket dangling from his hand.
"jichan!" yuuji finally lets both his little light-up sneakers hit the floor, looking up at his uncle with sparkling, expectant eyes. sukuna quirks a brow in his direction, waiting for him to continue. "can i show you my dance when we get home?"
"depends," sukuna says, turning and wandering a little further down the aisle. "'s it any good?"
"fushiguro-kun said it was really, really good when i showed him at school!"
sukuna clicks his tongue. "that so?"
"uh-huh!" yuuji replies cheerfully, watching as his uncle tosses a packet of candy into the shopping basket along with the rest of the junk food they'd set out on their after-hours excursion to procure. sukuna has every intention of letting the kid eat as much of it as he wants when they get back to jin's house, which he's sure would appall his older brother.
"if it sucks i'm gonna tell you," sukuna remarks pointedly, grabbing a second pack of the same gummy candy after deciding one was insufficient.
"it doesn't suck!" yuuji insists, trailing along after his uncle as they continue making their way through the store. the young man waves his hand dismissively as he fights back a smirk at the indignation in the brat's voice.
after grabbing a few more items—some chocolate candies, a pint of ice cream, and pack of cigarettes (which even sukuna isn't enough of a degenerate to share with the kid)—the two set off on the short walk back to jin's apartment with their spoils. yuuji is hopping on one foot again, trying to avoid the cracks in the pavement as they make their way home.
sukuna wishes the kid didn't have to stick so close, because he could really go for one of those cigarettes right now, but he resists the urge to fish one out from the pack and resolves to sneak out onto the balcony and smoke one when they get home and he can distract yuuji with the TV long enough to sneak away. in the pocket of his jacket, his cell phone vibrates, signifying a new text, and he digs it out to check the notification.
[new message - 8:22PM] how's babysitting duty?
sukuna smirks a little when he sees your name and message on the small screen in his palm. his eyes briefly flicker up to yuuji, who's wandered ahead a little bit, and then back to the device as he types out his reply.
'he's still alive.'
[new message - 8:23PM] a glowing endorsement
"ojiiiiiichan!"
sukuna glances up from the screen of his phone to see yuuji staring at him.
"what?" he asks his nephew flatly.
the noisy tyke cocks his head to the side. "why'd ya stop walking?"
sukuna blinks, he hadn't noticed he'd stopped while he was texting you.
"and why're you smiling like that?" the kid adds after a moment.
sukuna scowls, tightening his grip on the plastic convenience store bag in his hand in a way that makes it rustle. "'m not smiling like anything."
"you were," yuuji insists as the two start walking in the direction of home again, but this time he falls into step with his uncle instead of racing ahead. sukuna feels his curious eyes on his face as they near jin's apartment.
"stop staring at me," he snaps. "it's rude."
"papa says you're the rudest person he knows," yuuji remarks innocently, blissfully unaware of how scathing the comment really is.
"yeah, well your father's a cun—" he catches himself before he says what he wants to say, quickly (though awkwardly) correcting himself, "—niving guy."
"what's conniving?" yuuji asks.
"it means annoying," sukuna answers with a grunt. it's not true, but that doesn't matter to him.
"jichan, were you talking to a girl on your phone back there?"
sukuna almost stumbles in his surprise, his head whipping to the side to stare at his nephew in shock. "what the hell makes you say that?"
"hell is a bad word!" yuuji points up at his uncle admonishingly.
"i'm a grown up, i'm allowed to say whatever i want," sukuna says with a roll of his eyes. "now back to the question, brat."
"papa says that you're always talking to the girls in your phone when we're eating dinner at the table. it's part of what makes you rude."
sukuna sneers. his brother's always been a narc.
"conniving," sukuna mutters under his breath.
the apartment building is in sight now, and he's grateful because that craving for a cigarette has resurfaced with renewed vigour.
"papa also says that girls don't like ojichan because ojichan makes them cry."
"your papa doesn't know what he's talking about," sukuna grunts, irritated.
"did you make the girl you were talking to back there cry?" yuuji prods again for information.
"no, i didn't," the elder of the duo counters indignantly—weirdly indignantly, if he's being honest.
"good," yuuji says with a firm nod. he starts hopping on one foot again as the two of them approach the main entrance to the building. the lights on his sneakers dance across the pavement in the dark. "if you made her cry that would make me sad for her."
sukuna thinks about you then. you're probably at home now, waiting for him to reply to that last message he didn't get the chance to respond to. you're probably wearing those slippers you like so much, the ones he teases you about every time he comes over. probably in pyjamas already, since you tend to be early to bed. he wonders if you'll still be awake by the time jin gets home to relieve him from his childminding duties. wonders if you'll answer the phone when he calls. wonders if you'll let him come over if he asks.
"yeah," sukuna says quietly, almost unconsciously, as he pulls open the apartment door and allows his nephew to hop across the threshold ahead of him. "that'd make me sad too."
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Happy Tears | AL12
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In which Arthur drives alongside his brother in a Formula 1 car in free practice for the first time and has his whole family there to support him, and his girlfriend y/n in particular is moved to tears by this special moment
pairing — arthur leclerc x reader
words — 3035
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The sixth of December was a very special day. For many people, especially children, this day was so special because St Nicholas came on this day.
But St Nicholas did not make the sixth of December a special day for the Leclerc family, you, Arthur's family and especially Arthur.
The sixth of December was so special for all of you because Arthur finally got to sit in a Formula 1 car in free practice. And not just in any car, but in the Ferrari next to his brother.
The two brothers would also make history today as they were the first brothers to drive together in a team, even if it was only for free practice today, it was something very special.
The tingling in your stomach had been with you since you got up and was getting more intense by the minute.
Arthur was currently in the bathroom of your hotel room, more or less getting dressed up for the day - including a complete outfit in red.
You had also bought a red dress especially for today, which clung a little tighter around your curves and became a little wider towards the floor. Alex, Charles' girlfriend, had helped you pick out the dress and it had quickly become your favourite dress and you couldn't wait to see what Arthur would say about it.
"Are you going to be long?" you called across the hotel room to the bathroom as you reached for the lighter and waited anxiously for your boyfriend's answer.
Once again, his hair probably didn't want to do what Arthur wanted - that often happened and so your friend spent almost longer in the bathroom than you did.
"I'll be ready in a minute!" he called back and that was your cue.
You carefully opened the beige box from the bakery, which wasn't too far from the hotel.
When Arthur had got into the shower this morning, you had scurried over to the little bakery to pick up the pre-order you had placed a few days ago.
Inside the box was a small chocolate cake, with a candle and icing to decorate it.
When the bathroom door opened, you hurried to quickly light the candle before reaching for the box, which you balanced in your hands and waited for your friend to finally arrive.
Within seconds, he appeared in the hotel room with a puzzled expression, which quickly brightened when he saw the cake in your hand.
The Ferrari logo was painted on the cake with icing and the words 'I'm so proud of you, love'
"Chéri..." he murmured, touched, as you ran towards him to present the cake to him once more, while the candle on the cake slowly burned down and Arthur wouldn't have too much time left to blow out the candle.
"Today is a special day and you know how we start special days, don't you? " you asked with a grin.
In fact, it had become a ritual that Arthur and you always spent special days with a cake.
This tradition was started by Arthur two years ago when he surprised you with a cake that said 'will you be my girlfriend' on one of your dates.
And since then, cakes have been an integral part of such moments.
"That's... that's so wonderful of you," he beamed as he leant forward and then closed his eyes before blowing out the candle and you knew he had made a wish.
"I'm so incredibly proud," you grinned as you leant forward and then carefully placed your lips on his cheek, which was still damp from washing, and gave him a gentle kiss.
"And I'm incredibly nervous," he mumbled and began to scratch the back of his neck, which he did so often when he was nervous.
In fact, he hadn't slept half the night and spent most of his time tossing and turning, which was always the case when Arthur was excited.
Each time he couldn't sleep before a special event, so he usually turned up to these events totally exhausted. Today, however, there didn't seem to be a trace of tiredness, which was probably because all the adrenaline and excitement wore off the tiredness.
"I know, Love. But that's perfectly normal. But you know what? This is going to be amazing! I mean, you've always dreamed about it and today it's finally coming true! " you beamed at him as your hand found its place on his arm, where you slowly stroked it again and again with your thumb to calm him down a little.
"It still feels like a dream," he laughed nervously and glanced at the cake again. " But we'll have to eat it later, won't we? I definitely can't get a slice down now."
Arthur gave you an apologetic look, to which you just shook your head. You were glad that he'd managed to get some scrambled eggs and toast down this morning so that he had a little something in his stomach.
"That's what I thought. And that's all the better, otherwise Lorenzo, your mum and Alex will behead me," you laughed.
Because the three of them had actually told you hundreds of times that they really wanted to eat the cake with Arthur to celebrate Arthur's successful test day at the end of the day.
Arthur joined in with your laughter, which was a good sign because it meant that you had managed to distract him a little from his nervousness.
"We'll just put it in the fridge and we'll all eat it together later when we get back."
You took the cake from Arthur and put it away in the small fridge in your hotel room.
When you turned round again, Arthur was standing at the window looking out between the large white curtains, lost in thought.
From the side, you could see his brow furrowed in thought and he looked rather pensive.
You knew for sure that he was brooding about today - again.
Days ago, he had already told you about his fears and thoughts, which were understandable but unfounded.
He was afraid of making a mistake, wrecking the car or even being the worst.
Of course, it was only a free practice session that Arthur was driving, but for him it was much more than that.
A first step in a direction that could open the door to the Formula 1 world for him completely. He already had one foot in it and the training could open more doors for him.
"Love," your voice rang out softly as you carefully wrapped your arms around his stomach and buried your face against his muscular back.
"Hm?" he merely said, but you could feel his slightly tense back loosen a little and his posture become more relaxed.
"Please stop thinking so much. If your head is so damn full, you can't concentrate on the track and the car and are more likely to make a mistake..."
"And how am I supposed to clear my head, Chéri? Should I meditate?"
You shook your head. "No."
"Then what?"
"You'll see when the time comes. I promise you it will work. And now we have to go, okay?"
You carefully released your arms from him and then reached for your bag, in which you had stowed the most important things.
"Okay, let's go," Arthur agreed after taking another deep breath before grabbing your hand, intertwining your fingers and walking out of the room with you towards the lifts.
——
The Ferrari pit was already a hive of activity. Mechanics were scurrying from A to B, making the final preparations for free practice.
Over the last hour and a half, you, Pascale, Charles, Lorenzo, Charlotte - Lorenzo's girlfriend and Alex - Charles' girlfriend, had done a pretty good job of distracting the youngest of the Leclerc family.
But now, as he came to a halt in front of you, Lorenzo, Pascale, Charlotte and Alex in his red Ferrari suit, you could clearly see the nervous expression on his face.
His eyes darted nervously back and forth, while his lips were pressed tightly together and his hands - which must have been wet with sweat - kept running over the fabric of his racing suit.
Arthur's mum, Pascale, gave you a gentle look that suggested you were just the person to reassure her youngest son.
Of course, she would have loved to take on the role herself and reassure her youngest son, but she knew very well that you had a completely different effect on her son than she did.
"Love?" your voice rang out, causing Arthur's restless eyes to focus on you and his gaze to soften a little within a few seconds. "Do you have five minutes? "
He merely nodded.
You carefully grabbed his hand, which was incredibly sweaty and cold, and pulled him with you into the small driver's room that Arthur had at his disposal that day.
There was nothing in the room except a massage table and a small shelf containing two of Arthur's helmets, several racing suits and fireproof underwear.
"You need to relax," were the first words that came out of your mouth after the door closed behind you.
"It's hard, Chéri. I'm so nervous and my head is still so damn full..." he mumbled as he rubbed his forehead.
"Do you remember what I said earlier?"
He nodded.
You carefully removed your hand from his and then placed it on his cheek and gently stroked his warm skin with your thumb.
This movement caused him to slowly begin to relax. It didn't help one hundred per cent, but it helped a little, so that he came down a little.
"I'm proud of you, Arthur. We all are out there. It's such a big leap you've made and I'm sure this will open new doors for you. You are such a talented racer who deserves to have his talent recognised and nurtured," you began, eliciting a small smile from him.
"Please don't worry about it. Because I know for a fact that you're going to rock it out there. You're going to show everyone what you're made of and what a wonderful racer you are, do you hear me? You're one of the best. And you know what? You're my number one. No matter what happens out there."
Carefully, you began to spread feather-light kisses on his face, so that Arthur began to relax under the touch of your lips on his skin.
"I love you, Arthur. And I'm not only incredibly proud but also your biggest fan. And I've got something else for you."
From your little bag, you pulled out a small photo of you and Arthur together.
In the photo, Arthur has his arms wrapped around you while you look up at him, enamoured and overjoyed, while he looks down at you and returns your gaze.
"This is my favourite picture," he almost whispered as he stroked the photo with his thumb and smiled.
In fact, that was exactly why you had chosen the photo, because it was not only Arthur's lock screen, but now also his lucky charm.
"Turn it over," you told him with a smile as Arthur turned the picture around in his hand and began to read the words you had written on it.
Never forget that I am your biggest supporter and will always stand behind you. Forever. Forever you and me.
Light tears began to gather in his eyes, which he bravely began to blink away before he opened his racing suit slightly and let the picture disappear inside.
"Thank you, Chéri," he breathed against your lips before he kissed you tenderly, pouring all his love and gratitude into the kiss.
And at that moment, you could clearly feel how relaxed Arthur was now. And this merit was all yours.
— —
Half the Leclerc family plus girlfriends more or less took over the Ferrari garage, while every single one of them wore headphones to follow everything closely.
Your eyes were fixed on the monitor, on which Arthur was more or less being followed by the camera as he raced round the track.
In the meantime, Pascale had raked in on you and kept giving you a proud smile, which you were only too happy to return.
She was incredibly proud of her two sons, who were racing around the track together as a team. You couldn't even begin to imagine how proud she must be - as you were already threatening to burst with pride.
As the two of them drove side by side towards the end of free practice and Charles drove slowly alongside Arthur and waved to him, tears began to gather in Pascale's eyes and roll down her cheeks shortly afterwards.
It was a truly heart-warming moment, which also caused tears to begin to gather in your eyes.
Today was not only special, but also incredibly touching, so it was a wonder that you hadn't shed a single tear yet.
You gave Pascale a gentle hug as she gave you a grateful smile while tears began to roll down her cheeks.
And suddenly there was a slight crack in the headphones you were wearing and shortly afterwards Arthur's voice rang in your ears.
" Thanks to the whole team for giving me this opportunity. It was so much fun to drive the free practice session! And I also have to thank someone very special. Chéri? I know you're listening. Thank you for being my biggest fan and always finding the right words that I need to hear. I love you. And I am incredibly grateful that I have you by my side. I love you. Forever. Forever you and me. "
And this radio message made it happen for you too. At first, a few tears began to fall from your eyes and roll down your cheeks, until they became more and more and countless tears of joy began to roll down your cheeks.
Pascale stroked your back again and again, while Lorenzo, Charlotte and Alex joined you to pull you into a warm group hug.
The warmth completely enveloped you, while the tears continued to flow down your cheeks and just didn't seem to stop.
Sometimes it was really difficult to stop crying when you were crying with joy.
Your make-up must have been pretty smudged by now, but you didn't care. Because this was a special moment that would probably never come back and that's why you savoured it to the full.
It wasn't long before the cars were pushed back into the garage and the Ferrari garage was once again as busy as before the race, which was a sign for everyone to slowly move away from you.
Longingly, you stood on tiptoe and looked around, searching for your friend.
Charles was the first to enter the garage and was greeted with a smile by his family. You briefly touched the Monegasque on the shoulder and gave him a gentle smile, which he returned with a grateful smile.
Until he suddenly appeared. Arthur.
He held his helmet in his hand while his eyes travelled through the box searching.
He was looking for someone very special. You.
Without hesitation, your legs started to move, past the mechanics and over to Arthur.
When he spotted you, he carelessly placed his helmet on the tyre trolley before spreading his arms.
Your legs sped up and you started to run shortly afterwards, throwing yourself into the sweaty but warm arms of your friend, who wrapped his arms around you tightly and hugged you to him.
He opened his mouth to say something. But you didn't even give him the chance, because your lips pressed firmly against his.
As he returned the kiss, you kept tasting a few drops of sweat running down Arthur's face, but you didn't care.
Your hands found their way into his sweaty hair, where they buried themselves and ran lightly through the thick hair as you put so much love and pride into the kiss that you hoped Arthur would never forget.
"I'm so proud of you," you breathed softly against his lips as you breathlessly broke away from each other a short time later.
You were still in the same place, surrounded by all the mechanics who paid no attention to you and were completely absorbed in their work.
But one or two of the photographers had probably taken a picture of you, so that one or two of your photos would now be circulating on Instagram. But you didn't care.
This moment belonged only to you. And no one would be able to take this moment away from you.
"I love you, Chéri. And I'm so grateful that you were by my side today. That you are always by my side."
Carefully, he let you back onto your feet and then put his hand to your cheek, running his thumb over your red cheek as he gave you the most enamoured look.
"I love you too."
A wide smile crept onto your lips as you leaned in to kiss Arthur one more time. However, your plans were interrupted by a loud clearing of the throat.
Startled, you staggered back a few steps, seeming to lose your balance for a moment, so Arthur carefully pulled you to his chest and put his arms around you protectively.
The Leclerc family stood in front of you, as did the two brothers' girlfriends, who looked at you with a grin.
At the thought that they had been standing there watching you for a long time, your cheeks began to turn a deep shade of red.
"We don't really want to disturb you. But we've heard that there's cake again? And one of your traditions must continue, right? "
#arthur leclerc#arthur leclerc imagine#f1 fanfic#f1 fic#f1 imagine#f1 x reader#f1#formula one imagine#arthur leclerc x reader#arthur leclerc x you
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The Plus One
Summery: You and Pedro have been in a relationship for a while but for some reason he'd stopped inviting you to social events. Has he grown tired of you...?
Warnings: swearing, angst (because I liiive for it!), mental health issues, low self esteem from reader, caring Pedro, fluff, use of Y/N.
This is inspired by the video of Pedro dancing his arse off at Sarah Paulsons 50th birthday party. God bless this man for randomly inspiring us when he's not even trying to lol.
Word Count: 3,516
It's a quiet evening at home. The living room fireplace is softy blazing, the crackling red and orange flames along with the Christmas tree lights and low lamp light bathes the room in a reposeful ambience. You're snuggled up on the settee in your favourite fluffy Oodie, sipping a hot chocolate as you finish reading a Christmas rom com by one of your favourite authors. And while this is something that usually helps you to unwind at the end of the day, you can't seem to shift that gutting feeling deep down in your stomach. You should have been with Pedro tonight at Sarah's party instead of here alone. With the book finished you're about to check Kindle for your next read but before opening the app, you'd decided to check your notifications on facebook.
Now you wish you hadn't. Of course the first thing to pop up would be a video of Pedro having the time of his life at the party. Not that that is the real issue here. You're not the controlling or possessive type who wants to keep their partner all for yourself and deny them any kind of social life; quite the opposit, in fact. The thing that really hurts, that makes your heart physically ache is that you're never included in Pedro's social events anymore. You would have loved to have been his date to Sarah's party and make memories with him like normal couples do. You've met Sarah on several occasions and the two of you had always got along really well, so why would he rather go alone than bring you?
You've been together for six months now, so it's not like you're in the early stages where you're both yet to meet the others' family and friends. It just doesn't make sense. You had attended a few ceremonies and promotional events for Pedro's movies with him before now and even though they had been quite intense environments to be in, you were just thrilled to be there with him, to support him and show the world how proud you are of him. And you'd like to think that you were adept at hiding the effects that your social anxiety had on you during these occasions. You'd smile, engage in chit chat and if it became too overwhelming you'd always secretly resort to your special coping technique to calm your nerves; stroking slow circles on the palm of your hand.
But it had been months since you'd last attended any events with him and as time goes on it just hurts more and more. You'd hoped time would have made it easier to accept, but truthfully it makes you feel abandoned, insignificant, like you don't belong in his world. Is that it? Is he embarrassed by you? It's true you're both from very different worlds, having met through friends of friends and not through working together in the film industry. Sometimes you still can't understand why he'd chose to be with a nobody like you when he could literally have any woman he wanted. As your mind continues to spiral, taking you to dark places, tears begin to roll down your cheeks.
To love him so much, only to feel it's not enough for him to want you around is... soul crushing. You'd been trying for so long to ignore that niggling little voice in the back of your mind; the one telling you that you aren't good enough for him and there has been times when you'd been able to mute it, especially when you're together and he looks at you with pure adoration in his eyes, or the times he would come home to LA between filming, even if it was just for a couple of days to see you or if he couldn't make it he'd fly you out to the set. No matter what he always made time for your relationship, but only out of the public eye. Pedro has always been a private person, especially when it comes to romantic involvements, but it feels like he's trying to hide you.
And now, this latest video has turned that niggling little voice into a full on megaphone, screaming an endless barrage of ugly truths at you; you're not enough for him. He's bored of you. You're an embarrassment, a stone around his neck. It was only a matter of time. You clutch at your chest as your heart shatters into a thousand pieces, sobs wracking your body. It's over! How could you have not seen it sooner?! He doesn't need you in his life. He's bloody Pedro Pascal for heavens' sake.
You were a delusional fool to ever believe you had anything to offer him. Maybe this is his way of subtly telling you it wasn't working for him anymore. Maybe he'd hoped showing you the stark differences between you both would have made you realise it couldn't continue, and being the kind and gentle man he is, he didn't want to outright dump you and hurt you, so this was the best strategy.
Now your sorrow is tinged with anger. If he wanted to end it all this time he damn well should have had the balls to tell you instead of dragging it out. So, it's down to you now; if he won't do it, you'll have to. Your tablet screen is now shining with your tears. You wipe it dry with your sleeve and throw it down beside you, Knidle well and truly forgotton. Fluffing up a cushion, you curl up on the settee while your broken heart mourns and weeps.
As the party came to an end Pedro couldn't help but feel a little relieved. He'd had a great time and wouldn't have missed one of his best friends' milestone birthdays for the world, but he missed you like hell tonight. He especially felt the sting of your absence when he would see couples dancing or sitting together, hand in hand or snuggling up. He feels selfish, but he wishes you could have been here tonight. And not just tonight, but to all his recent public appearances like the premiers for The Wild Robot and Gladiator 2, but he won't put you through that again.
The guilt still eats away at him when he casts his mind back to the last couple of times you'd attended high profile events with him, even low key and private ones where there isn't a constant blinding flash of cameras. He knows of your struggles with your mental health, in particular with social anxiety (something he can absolutely relate to) and even through your obvious facade he could see what the pressure was doing to you, often feeling a slight tremble in your hand while laced with his. He could see the difference between your forced smile and your genuine smile; the one that would make your eyes sparkle and he could lose himself in them completely.
But the worst thing was when you start rubbing the palm of your hand over and over when you'd thought he wasn't watching. He knew then it was all becoming too much for you and that's when he'd decided that he won't be selfish anymore, that he had to prioritise your well being and comfort before his own and if that meant attending ceremonies and large gatherings alone, so be it. Of course, he always felt incomplete without you at his side, but your needs far outweigh his own as far as he's concerned. Knowing he can shield you from even a fraction of discomfort makes the sacrifice worth it.
After slipping into his jacket, Pedro found Sarah at the front door of her house, waving some guests off. Wrapping her in a big hug, he said, "Happy birthday again, sweetie and thanks for inviting me." Sarah returned the hug. "I'm so glad you came, but I missed seeing Y/N tonight. How is she?" Pedro couldn't hold back the grin that broke out across his face at the mention of your name. "She's great. I wanted to bring her tonight, but I think the crowd would have been too much for her." Sarah smiled endearingly at her friend. "You really do love her, don't you?" Pedro chuckled. "What makes you say that?"
"Oh no reason..." she smirked. " Only that I've never seen you so smitten and protective over any other woman in all the years I've known you. You've got it bad." Pedro rolled his eyes, playfully. "Yeah, I guess I do." "So, what are you waiting for?" Sarah crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you talking about?" Pedro asked, knowing exactly what she meant. "You've been carrying that ring around with you for weeks now and still haven't asked her. What's holding you back?" Pedro shifted uncomfortably, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Just worried about her, that's all. The moment word gets out of an engagement, paparazzi will be circling like vultures. I don't just want her overwhelmed." "I think you underestimate her," Sarah began, "I don't think she'd ever let her anxiety get in the way of being with you. It's obvious how much she loves you. In fact when I'm around you two for too long, the sweetness gives me temporary diabetes." Pedro let out a deep belly laugh at that, drawing one from Sarah in return.
"Just do it..." she urged, gently. "You know she'll say yes." Pedro smiled and nodded, "I know." "Well..." Sarah yawned, "Get out of here. I'm fifty now and need my beauty sleep." She gave Pedro another hug. "So, I'll see you and Y/N for lunch next week?" "Sure," Pedro replied, "Goodnight, sweetie." He waved as he walked to his car. "Night," Sarah called out before closing the door.
Settling in his car, Pedro connected his phone to the car speaker and rang your phone. He promised he'd call after the party to say goodnight and couldn't wait to hear your voice. But as soon as you answered, he knew something was wrong. "Hey baby, everything okay?" he asked, worridly. His worry only increased when you cleared your throat, trying to hide the tremble in your voice. "Yeah um... I'm fine." You most definitely aren't fine! "You're a shit liar, you know that?" Pedro says, lightheartedly to help put you at ease. Now his tone turns more serious. "Tell me what's wrong." Silence... "Y/N? You're starting to scare me now." "I told you I'm fine. I'm just... tired." You tried to sound convincing but failed, spectacularly.
"I'm coming over -" "No!" Your abrupt outburst silenced Pedro. You've never turned him away in all the months you've been together. "It's... uh... it's late. You should just get home safe." Pedro sighed. "I know something's wrong and if you won't tell me on the phone I'm coming over." At that, you burst into tears. A pang shot straight through Pedro's heart at the sound of you crying. "Hey, baby, talk to me!" he pled. "What happened?" In between the the sniffling your voice became strained. "I didn't want to do this over the phone." Pedro suddenly had a sinking feeling in his gut, not liking the tone of this conversation. "Do what?" he asked, hesitantly. "Its..." sniffle, "It's over."
If Pedro hadn't already been sitting in the car his legs would have given out on him! "W- what?!" he stuttered in disbelief. "What do you mean it's over?!" His hands gripped the steering wheel for support. Where the fuck did this come from all of a sudden?! "Please..." you whispered, sounding mentally drained. "Don't pretend you didn't know this was coming. If you don't want me anymore you should have said something sooner." Pdero jerked his head back, blinking in shock. "What the hell are you talking about, Y/N?" You are full on sobbing now, your words just an unintelligible jumble. "I'm coming over, right now!" "No, please-" "I'm coming over!" he cut you off bluntly and hung up the phone.
His hands shook as he started up the engine and it took all of his willpower to not floor it to your house. Getting pulled over for speeding is the last thing he needs right now. The whole way over, his mind was a frantic mess. What could have happened between the last time he saw you (which was only yesterday) and now? Did he say something? Do something? When he got to your house, he practically flew from the car, his fist pounding on your front door almost as hard as his heart was pounding behind his ribs. "Baby open up, please. I'm not leaving until you talk to me." A few moments later the door cracked open and there you stood, puffy eyed and blotchy faced. Your lips had swollen and your nose shone red from crying.
Pedro could have cried himself from the state you're in. Without a second thought he pushed his way through the door and swept you into his arms, cupping the back of your head to his chest. To his relief, instead of pushing him away, you encircled your arms around his waist, holding him tight. He reached back to close the door behind him, then guided you to the setee, sitting beside you. "Now, what's all this about, hmm? I know this isn't what you really want." You shook your head, a small humourless laugh escaping you. "Of course it's not, but deep down I think it's what you want."
Pedro's forefinger gently tipped your chin up so you were looking into his eyes; big puppy dog eyes filled hurt, confusion and fear. "What I want?" His bottom lip twitched as if he was lost for words. You nod, wiping your cheeks. "W- why would you ever think something like that, sweetheart?" Pedro's shocked expression now has you doubting yourself. Were you wrong? But how could you be? For a while, you've been trying to ignore the feeling that he was slipping away but looking at him now... It's like he'd never even entertained the idea of leaving you. All this uncertainty is giving you whiplash and you can't hold it in anymore. You need to get everything off your chest.
"I..." you trail off as you feel more tears gathering, ready to pour out along with all your insecurities. "...I feel like you don't want me around anymore..." you begin, chest shuddering with nerves and hiccups. "You never invite me to anything, whether it's to do with your public life or even your social life. I'm never included like a partner should be. I need you to be honest... Are you ashamed of me? Because sometimes I feel like you don't want to be seen with me and that you've been pulling away..." You're rambling now, but you just can't stop. "I know I'm not on the same level as you and there are so many beautiful women out there throwing themselves at your feet. Maybe I don't belong in your world. Maybe I'm not enough for you-" Pedro's hands on either side of your face stops your self deprecating tirade.
"Baby, don't you ever put yourself down like that again, you hear me?" You're shocked to see Pedro's cheeks are now wet too. "I'm sorry. Fucking hell! I'm so sorry I made you feel that way. I thought I was protecting you this whole time." "Protecting me?" you ask in bewilderment. Pedro gave you a sad smile. "I Know from years of experience that being in the spotlight is tough. It can be draining and I could see how hard it was for you." Pedro took one of your hands and turned it over, rubbing slow circles into your palm. When you realised what he meant by that action, he nodded and kissed your forehead.
"I know you tried to hide it from me, but I noticed every time." "I'm sorry," you mumbled, shame burning your cheeks. "No." Pedro squeezed your hand. "You never apologise for that. I'm the one who's sorry. I was afraid if I mentioned it, you deny it for my sake, so I stopped asking you to come with me thinking it was the best thing for you." Pedro exhaled and your heart ached for him, seeing the guilt and remorse crushing him. "I didn't think it would have looked like I never want you around, 'cause the truth is I miss you, EVERY GODDAMN TIME I have to attend these things without you. I want you with me, now and forever. I'll tell you what..." he looked to be carefully considering his next words. "if you feel up for it, come with me to the next event and if you feel overwhelmed at any point, you tell me and we'll take some time out or even leave."
More tears fall, but this time from sheer relief. You hadn't realised you'd dropped your head again until Pedro, once again, lifted your chin. He looked into your eyes with a fierce and passionate determination. "Now, I'll say this only once; I'm not ashamed of you, we are on the same level, you are more than enough for me and you ARE my world. I love you, so much!" You couldn't fight the beaming smile that practically split your face and you grabbed Pedro by the collar of his jacket, crashing your lips against his.
A surprised "Oomph!" came from his throat and you felt him smile against your mouth. His hands slid to your waist and he pulled you flush to his upper body. His tongue licked your lips and you opened them, allowing him to deepen then kiss; a kiss filled with love, reassurance and a promise of forever. Pedro then broke the kiss, pulling you into a hug. "I love you too," you whispered into his ear. "And I'm sorry, I should have told you how I was feeling instead of keeping it from you." Pedro cupped your cheek, wiping away a tear. "I'm sorry too, for making that decision for you instead of talking to you."
You let out a lighthearted chuckle, Pedro's frown softening at the sound. "I guess it was just bad communication on both our parts." "Yeah..." he agreed. "Let's make a promise to each other, right now; that we'll always be open and honest with each other and not keep things bottled up." "I promise," you smile and kiss the tip of his nose. "And I promise, too," he returned the kiss. With all the tension drained from your body, you suddenly feel exhausted and can't stop the big yawn taking over you. Pedro smiled at you, adoringly. "I think we should get you to bed, sweetheart." He stood up, picking you up off the setee and made his way to your bedroom.
"Will you stay tonight?" You whisper as you snuggle into his neck, inhaling the scent you love so much. "Of course I will." He kissed the crown of your head. While you used the bathroom, pedro changed into a pair of PJ bottoms and an old T-shirt he'd left here for when he'd stay over. He used the bathroom after you, rushing through brushing his teeth just so he could return to you sooner. Walking into the bedroom, he laughed to himself when all could see was your eyes peeking at him from the edge of the quilt, which was pulled up to cover your nose. God, you look adorable. Your eyes creased in the corners as you laughed under the cover, then pulled it away for him to settle in next to you.
Pedro laid on his back, lifting his arm for you to snuggle into him. Sighing happily, you lay your head on his broad chest and lace a leg over his hips, the steady thump of his heartbeat and the warmth of his body soothing you instantly. "I love you." You tipped your head up to kiss him softly on his lips. "I love you too," he purred, tightening his arms around you. It didn't take you more than ten minutes to drop off, judging by your slow breaths. Pedro, on the other hand, stayed awake long after you'd dropped off, just relishing the feeling of holding you in his arms. He feels sick to his stomach when he thinks about how close he came to losing you tonight, and all because of a misunderstanding.
He thinks of the ring he's been carrying around, how he almost lost the opportunity to give it to you. Well, he won't wait any longer. If tonight has taught him anything, it's that nothing is guaranteed in life and, even though he never once doubted you'd say yes, just your devastated reaction to believing you'd lost him proves that you love and need him as much as he does you. Tomorrow he'll ask you; He'll wine and dine you at your favourite restaurant, take you on a stroll along the beach and then, he'll get down on one knee and invite you to share the rest of your life with him.
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