#this is scheduled cos i honestly should be asleep already (no i will not reveal what time it is as i type this)

[allineedisabook-18]

Happy birthday @bookishjules hope you have the most wonderful day and sending you all my love xxxx

[aching-tummies]

Indulgent Scenario

This started out as a “RP Starter”/”What Would You Do?” piece inspired by “Warmth for an Upset Tummy”...but it quickly morphed into some self-indulgent fictional “I wish” scenario. Shockingly enough, I think I managed to write this piece gender-neutral. Enjoy! And feel free to send me asks or chat or whatever, especially if you like this scenario of mine. If I get enough encouragement I may be tempted to write more stuff like this.

It's a lazy afternoon. Life's been pretty hectic for you and your partner. It's the busy season at work for both of you--dealing with customers and failing equipment all around on top of fending off sickness. It's a miracle neither of you has come home with so much as a cough, yet. Another small miracle is in the fact that the two of you are at home at the same time and both of you are awake. Busy workloads and sickness claiming co-workers have caused the concept of an "advance work schedule" to go out the window for both of you. You think you're working 2-8 but joke's on you when you drag yourself to work only to be told by the manager to go home 'cuz someone canceled 1-9 tomorrow and they want you to fill that one. Looks like you're pawning off that movie ticket after all. The unpredictable working hours have left the two of you exhausted and you've both lost count of the number of unsatisfying nights trudging your way home to find your partner already asleep or not home yet. Unexpected expenses have made it so that indulgences are few and far between lately, and indulging in each other has become a dream within a dream at this point.

Today is a rare day. It's your day off and you weren't called in to cover someone's hours. Honestly if it weren't for the car-insurance hike, you'd have shut off your phone after getting off from the late shift last night. You've spent the day trying to whittle down the "To-Do" list for your shared living area. Laundry has been long on the list and while the second load is taking a turn in the dryer you decided to finally tackle the dusty book-shelf that's been causing your partner's allergies to flare up randomly.

Your partner was called in to work the opening shift this morning. You slept through that phone call but got the details from a hurried text message. Luckily, they were only called in for three hours to cover for one of their co-workers who was going to be late dealing with some school thing for their child. Your partner is home now and lounging on the bed with a book after being woken much too early to be called into work. Neither of you two has been keeping track of each other's schedules, so the fact that today was supposed to be a shared day-off came as a surprise. Your partner was shocked when they saw you still home upon completing their impromptu work shift.

GRRRBL....rrrRRrrrBBbp...lllrrr...

You turn toward the sound, raising an eyebrow as you try to locate the source of that oddly familiar sound. Seven feet away, through the open door to your shared bedroom, you have a clear line of sight to the bed. Your partner shifts on the bed, their face coloring into a tell-tale blush.

...rrrrRRBLb....

They bring their knees up, creating a tent with the blankets still pulled over their lap. They slink down in bed until all you can see of them is the twin peaks of their knees propping up the blankets. You hear a muffed curse cut off by a sharp intake of breath. Smiling, you set down the duster and stride into the bedroom. You steadily close in on the mattress. You reach out a hand, palm-down, as you lower yourself onto the edge of the bed.

The shifting of the mattress causes your partner's body to convulse with an unexpected hiccup, followed by a soft groan. You place your hand on their stomach, still covered with their zipped-up-hoodie. They look up at you with half-lidded eyes, clearly exhausted. The residual embarrassment from their loud stomach is still on their face.

...blblbl...RRR....bl...

Their blush intensifies. 'Cute', you think.

"Stomach ache?" You ask them softly, rocking your palm over their stomach gently. You don't want to press too hard until you figure out what's causing the loud grumbles.

"Nope." They close their eyes and you catch traces of bliss on their face. The trace encourages you to go deeper with your massage and you languidly slide your hand under their hoodie and the camisole underneath, pushing the material aside to reveal your partner's slightly rounded tummy.

You feel the vibrations under your palm as their stomach shifts again. This one's not too audible, but that may be because of the pressure of your hand. Your partner let out a breathless moan and sinks lower into the mattress, the picture of 'blissed out and relaxed'.

A short, quiet 'urp' spills from their lips as you press into the upper left of their belly. You smirk as they mumble something that sounds like '...fuckin' finally...' followed by what you swear is '...do that again', but you can't be sure. Their voice is muffled by their relaxed and no-doubt sleepy state as well as the book that they've carelessly let flop over the lower half of their face. Chuckling, you reach over to remove the book. You want to see their face and hear all of the sensual noises they'll make as a result of your ministrations.

"What'd you eat?" You call out just as your partner appears to be on the cusp of sleep. You know they need the rest, but you can't even remember the last time the two of you got to indulge in your shared kink. You want this moment to last.

"...hhnn...?" Their confused intonation is a question--like 'how did you know?' or something.

"Your tum's really grumbly right now. It's so loud; I heard it from outside the bedroom, sweetie. If I didn't know any better I would have thought we had a bear in the house." They hum out a nonconsequential response, clearly not even trying to fight sleep.

You've been rubbing a slow, large circle over their tummy, keeping your touch light to prevent stirring up their guts too much. Deciding to get back at them for choosing sleep over indulgence, you abruptly push down into the center of their tummy, causing their eyes to go wide less than a split second before they let out a sharp belch. Their belly quivers under your palm, resounding with a wet squelch.

"Ugh...warning next time..." they murmur.

"You ate without me. What'd ya eat?" You prod them again, both figuratively and literally as you jab a sharp fingernail into their shallow navel, delighting in the aggressive grumbles that result from the motion. “Aww...is someone full and achy?” you murmur this to their stomach before you prod your partner for an answer once again.

"Urgh...didn't think you'd be home...tummy's been upset...lately...nnngh...wanted...wanted something warm and *urp*...easy to digest..." Your partner interrupts themselves with groans, grunts, and short burps as you continue to tease their somewhat bloated belly. “Ugh...sick of being hungry...hurts”

You ease up on your ministrations at their explanation, It'd slipped your mind in the presence of the chance to indulge in your favorite kink. You know your partner's been suffering from indigestion and a hurting stomach all week. You both go to bed hungry more often than not and you've had to pry pillows from their clenched jaw in the mornings as they dream about filling their belly. You’ve seen them with a hand or cushion pressed against their tummy more ofthen than not when they’re home.

Hungry nights, inconsistent meal-times, followed by filling up on 'empty calories' when they have the chance to do so for the last two weeks has led to no end of digestive distress for your partner. You've come home from the late shift more than a few times in the past week to find your partner resting fitfully as their sickly tummy cramps and convulses inside of them. The empty state of their guts by the time they return home from work is probably the only reason you haven't caught them puking. You've spent a few of those nights awake in the dark, rubbing the ache out of their protesting guts while they slept.

You know that noodles in hot broth is their go-to comfort-food--especially during the cold months or when their tummy hurts. You just never realized how loud their stomach could get from it all. The deep growls that enticed you into the bedroom just now are way louder than any of the angry grumbles or sickly rumbles you've associated with their guts in the last few weeks.

"Is your belly still upset?"

"...hmm...?...n--*urp*...nope...full...warm...nice... ... sleepy..."

You smile as you interpret their broken sentence...if it can be called that. Apparently, all of those late nights you spent massaging their sore tummy could have been mitigated with a large bowl of hot broth and noodles. You know the noodle-shop your partner must have gone to--their favorite place when they're willing to splurge on a meal. You should have ordered take-out from there a week ago; it would have spared your partner a week of indigestion and interrupted sleep due to hunger.

You place a chaste kiss on your partner's tummy as you lay down, pressing an ear against the noisiest part of their tum even as you continue to squeeze the sides of their sated tummy with both hands. Your actions are clearly stirring things up inside your partner if the squelches, rumbles, and soft belches are any indication. Your partner’s always had a hard time passing gas. If you weren’t there to press it all out of them they’d walk around bloated and achy a lot. You silently vow to get noodles and hot broth into them more often, both because it's clearly making them feel loads better and also because the noises and sensations beneath your ear are heavenly.

You've both missed this--being able to indulge in each other, to make each other feel good, and to indulge in tummies.

[myforeverforlife]

Sweet Lies (3).

An incessant beeping noise could be heard, waking you up from your slumber. 

Word Count: 4,094

Masterlist

Series masterlist: ( 1 )  ( 2 )  ( 3 )  ( Final )

Eyes opening blearily, you shifted from where you lay, taking in the hospital bedsheets underneath you and the fabric of the nightgown that you wore.

“Y/N,” a voice gasped out in relief. 

You looked up, catching Jongdae’s eye from where he sat across the room from you. He jumped up from his seat and instantly came to stand by your side. “Are you okay? How do you feel?”

You swallowed back the dryness in your throat, giving him a weak smile. “I’m okay. Jongdae... I missed you.”

“I’m here now.” Jongdae pulled a chair over, settling down onto the plush material of the seat before picking up your hand and holding it in one of his own.

“Dae.” You could see your vision getting cloudy, and you tried to wipe away the tears beginning to gather at the edges of your eyes with your free hand. “I was so scared,” you told him, voice almost inaudible as your words fell from your lips in feather-light whispers.

Jongdae’s face fell, and he scooted closer, squeezing your hand in both of his.”I know.”

“I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to see you all again, and then I remembered that the last time I had seen you, we’d been arguing. I needed you to know that I’m not mad at you, I just miss you and-”

Jongdae hushed you, cutting off your distressed rambling. “Don’t worry about that. I just want you to feel better.”

“Dae, I love you. I didn’t get to tell you earlier because I was so fucking angry, but I love you too.”

His eyes widened at your sudden confession, mouth agape in shock as he fumbled with words, stumbling over his sentences. “Y/N, I-”

You leaned in, eyes closing as you pressed your lips to his cheek, pulling back to gauge his reaction.

You began to feel a sense of dread come over you as Jongdae stared at you unblinkingly, one hand reaching up to touch the place where you had just kissed him. A goofy smile appeared, and you found yourself giving a nervous giggle of relief.

“I love you so much, Dae. I mean, I’m still mad at you for hiding stuff from me, but this past month, I haven’t been the same without you. I know you’re still not going to tell me what this big secret is, but... will you tell me eventually?” 

Jongdae chewed on the inside of his cheek, exhaling deeply from his nose as he thought. “I can’t promise you when, but I will. Someday, I swear.”

You nodded in acknowledgement, a pitiful smile of defeat on your lips. “Okay.” Leaning in once more, you pressed your forehead to his as your eyes slid closed, reveling in the feel of Jongdae next to you.

“Y/N...”

“Hmm?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Your eyes shot back open, and you shifted back a bit so that you could look at him head on. You nodded, throat dry as you prepared your next words.

“Kiss me, Dae.”

That was all Jongdae needed, hands reaching up with one cradling the side of your face while the other supported your back. He moved in, closing the distance and pressing his lips against yours in a frenzy. All of the pent up fervor he had been saving for you for so long was finally able to let loose.

You sighed against his mouth, letting him into your own as you wrapped your arms around his neck, hanging onto him loosely. He gave your bottom lip a small nibble, grin spreading on your face when you shivered in delight. You pulled away, needing air and some time to collect yourself.

Jongdae, on the other hand, was still needy. His hands moved to rest on your hips as he pressed light, tender kisses to your neck. To your surprise, you gave an involuntary noise of pleasure, goosebumps forming on your skin at the thrill of his lips on your skin. You could practically feel the smile on his lips as he kissed you, reveling in the fact that he was making you feel this way. 

“Dae...”

He hummed in response, moving to your shoulders and placing kisses there over the fabric of your hospital gown.

“As much as I’m enjoying this, I’d really prefer not to make out in a hospital room.”

At this, Jongdae paused, lifting his head to quirk an eyebrow at you. “Why not?”

“Look at me.” You gestured to your outfit, lifting one of the strings of the hospital gown at your sides and letting it drop back down, watching it with a frown. “This is one of the least attractive outfits to be making out in.”

“I still think that you look beautiful.”

Rolling your eyes, you clucked your tongue skeptically. “Stop being gross, you already won me over a long time ago.”

“But it’s the truth.”

“Ew, please, Dae.”

A sudden tap at the door startled both of you, Jongdae jumping back into his chair and you straightening up, posture stick-straight as you called out for the person to enter.

A doctor came in, Kyungsoo trailing behind. You could see the faces of your other friends waiting outside, faces alight once they caught sight of you before the door closed on them.

Kyungsoo moved past the doctor, coming to stand on the other side of the bed before taking your hand in his. “Did you wake up right now? I told Jongdae to tell me, but the doctor said that you should be waking up soon, so I-”

“Soo, relax, I’m fine. I’ve only been awake for like, five minutes. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk so quickly,” you teased.

“Your brother’s been worried about you,” the doctor chimed in, giving you a gentle smile before looking down at his clipboard. “Thankfully, you’ve only suffered minor physical injuries. We did keep you sedated for a little longer while we ran tests, but everything seems to be fine. Do you feel any pain? Fatigue?”

“Just fatigue. I’m so tired,” you answered, becoming more aware of the heaviness in your legs. “How long have I been asleep for?” 

“About half a day. It’s a good thing that Spiderman brought you here as soon as he could.”

At the mention of your hero’s name, you startled, gaze flickering to the door. “Is he still here? I never got to thank him.”

“He left after dropping you off, but I’m sure that he knows.”

“Still...” you bit your lip in disappointment. “I hope he’s okay.” 

Beside you, Jongdae’s head ducked down, hiding the proud smirk on his face from your eyes and the doctor’s, but not Kyungsoo’s observant ones.

“He’s Spiderman, I’m sure he’s fine,” said Kyungsoo, rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand and laughing internally at how Jongdae had reacted to your concern.

“Do you mind if I check your bruises?” the doctor asked. 

You nodded, watching as Kyungsoo moved back to let the doctor through, or Dr. Yoo, as his nametag read. Dr. Yoo lifted the edge of your sleeve up, revealing the purple shadows of fingerprints left on your skin, the bruises wrapping around your arm. You stifled a gasp, horrified by the extent of your injury.

“Does it hurt?” Dr. Yoo asked, worried by your response.

Gathering yourself together, you cleared your throat. “No, I just... I didn’t realize how bad it was.”

“You’re very lucky to have been spared from even more threatening injuries,” the doctor mused as he pressed lightly against skin and nodding to himself when you hissed under your breath at the pressure. 

He also made sure to check your breathing and heart rate, taking note of them on his clipboard before addressing you once more. “You seem to be fine, but I advise icing your bruise once you get home. I can bring you the documents for release if you’re ready. Your brother has already agreed to drive you.”

“Yes, please,” you replied gratefully, anxious to get out of the eerily sterile room and back to the comforts of your home.

“Alright, sit tight. Someone should be back soon to help you. Don’t forget, only two guests at a time!”

With that, Dr. Yoo was out the door, but not before you caught another glimpse of your friends outside, eagerly waiting for you.

“You’re driving me home?” you asked Kyungsoo.

“All you need to focus on right now is resting. I called your boss too, but she said that you’re already technically on leave for a week?” His brow raised in suspicion.

“Yeah, work just got really hectic and I was basically forced to leave,” you told him, sugarcoating the part where your boss and co-workers had been worried for your health. You didn’t want to give your brother and friends any more reason to worry about you. 

“Did you tell Mom and Dad what happened?” you asked suddenly, tone accusatory as you already assumed what the answer would be. 

True to form, Kyungsoo’s face turned a light pink, stammering over his words as he formed a response. “You were in danger, Y/N. Of course I called them,” he said in his own defense.

You groaned, leaning back against the hospital pillow in defeat. “Great, now they’re going to worry their heads off and God knows they’ll keep me at home with them for years until they’re convinced it’s safe for me to live alone again. Are they on their way back right now?”

“No, but they’ll be back next week. I told them not to worry.”

“Of course they’re gonna worry, Soo! I wish you hadn’t told them,” you pouted. 

“Well, if he hadn’t told them, it would probably be worse,” Jongdae added from where he still sat on your other side. “They’re your parents, Y/N. They’re always gonna worry about you.”

“I know,” you gave in. “But I don’t want to give them anything extra to worry about. Plus, I’m fine now. Honestly.”

Both boys looked you over skeptically, Jongdae with a questionable glance while Kyungsoo glared at you stonily. 

“You guys, really, I’m fine.”

“Do you want me to stay over tonight?” Kyungsoo asked. “Just so you have company?”

“Don’t you have an art show tomorrow?”

“Yeah, but I’ll be able to make it on time.”

“Soo, I’d rather not risk having you be late to that. You don’t have to stay.”

“Can I stay?”

You glanced back over at Jongdae, his face hopeful as he waited for an answer.

“Aren’t you busy at work tomorrow?” you asked, always aware of Jongdae’s hectic schedule.

“I don’t have to go in until later, I’ll be okay. Unless... you don’t want me to stay over?”

As childhood friends, you and Jongdae had a countless amount of sleepovers at each other’s houses, even sleeping in the same beds as children until the two of you had grown old enough to find it awkward. But now, after having him over and the two of you alone after what had happened earlier, you felt different. Different, but still constantly yearning to be near him.

“No, I do. I want you to stay over with me tonight,” you told him wholeheartedly.

Jongdae’s expression changed to one of reassurance, sighing audibly before flashing you a beaming grin.

“No funny business, you two,” Kyungsoo warned sternly, although more directed towards Jongdae as he gave him a pointed look.

Immediately, you felt your whole face warm up, and you saw the tips of Jongdae’s ears turn red, even though he tried his best to keep his face neutral.

“What? What happened?” Kyungsoo asked, startled by your simultaneous reactions. “What did you do to my sister?”

“I might have kissed him,” you told him, voice coming out in a squeak as you waited for Kyungsoo’s outburst. He had always been protective of you, wary of any guys that approached you and taking on the role of the stereotypical scary brother that your previous boyfriends had been terrified of.

“Might have? You either did or you didn’t,” Kyungsoo argued, looking between you and Jongdae in disbelief.

“Okay, we did, but I made a move first, so don’t get mad at Dae.”

“You kissed my sister?” Kyungsoo’s brows shot up, voice sliding up in pitch as he targeted Jongdae.

“Soo, it’s not a big deal. You better not intimidate him like the others,” you threatened, thinking back to when he had scared off your boyfriend of only three days in eighth grade during lunch time. Kyungsoo had simply taken advantage of his serious, intimidating gaze and shot your boyfriend a couple of warning glances from across the cafeteria.

“I don’t intimidate your boyfriends,” he exclaimed, backtracking once he saw both yours and Jongdae’s doubtful faces. “And anyways, Jongdae’s my friend too. I’m not going to interrogate you or anything,” he addressed Jongdae at the end. 

“Like you did with Yoon Haneul in 9th grade?” Jongdae asked, laughing lightly at the memory.

“You remember that?” you asked in wonder. You had dated Yoon Haneul for about a month before you broke up with him. It didn’t have anything to do with Kyungsoo, the two of you had just lost interest in each other, although Kyungsoo did scare him once.

“Of course I do. Soo made me help him,” Jongdae explained. Kyungsoo had looked for Haneul, dragging Jongdae along with him until they found him at the soccer field for practice. Kyungsoo had asked him if he really knew you, quizzing him on things like your favorite color, your favorite food and so on. Both he and Jongdae felt a small twinge of guilt when they saw how embarrassed he was at not knowing these things about you, but it was overpowered by a sense of protectiveness. Kyungsoo had told you at the time that he didn't think you and Haneul would last long since you barely knew each other. When you firmly denied it, he took it upon himself to prove it.

“Okay, Haneul was different,” Kyungsoo claimed. “You’re my friend though, so I’ll go easy on you.”

“Thanks, I’m honored,” Jongdae joked, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

“But if you hurt my sister-”

“I won’t, Soo. I promise.”

The two boys held each other’s gaze, neither one unwavering as they both stared each other down. After a few moments, Kyungsoo looked away, turning towards you instead. “I’m still gonna drive you home though.”

You sighed, shaking your head at his tenacity. “Okay, Soo. Whatever makes you happy.”

“I’m serious. No funny business you two, okay?”

“Yes, yes. Okay, Dad,” you quipped. “Now get me out of here so I can actually rest in peace.”

“Dae, I swear, I’m fine. You don’t have to baby me, it’s not like I broke my leg or something.”

“Still,” he whined, biting on the inside of his cheek as he watched you spit out the remaining toothpaste in your mouth.

Kyungsoo had dropped the two of you off at your apartment, giving Jongdae a final look of warning and once again advising you to stay safe before driving away. Now, you were almost ready for bed. You had set up blankets for Jongdae on the sofa, even though you had told him that it was fine for him to sleep in your bed with you. “If Kyungsoo finds out, that’ll be the end of me,” he had said by way of explanation. At the time, you had laughed at how his fear of Kyungsoo’s possible reactions were keeping him from sleeping in bed with you. But now, you found yourself wishing that he would stay here with you through the night.

You finished rinsing your mouth, wiping your hands and face on the bathroom towel before switching the lightswitch off and pushing Jongdae out of the bathroom. “Dae, I’m serious. Stop babying me.”

“Okay,” he acquiesced, although you noticed a small pout playing at the edges of his lips.

You leaned up quickly, pressing a kiss to his lips before giggling and heading down the hall to your room.

“Mmm, minty,” you heard him call out from behind you.

You burst out into laughter, pushing the covers of your bed back before looking over your shoulder at him. “You’re so weird.”

“I know, that’s my charm,” he joked, coming up behind you and hugging your waist.

This wasn’t new to you, Jongdae had held you like this many times before. But in this current context, especially after what had happened at the hospital, every familiar movement was given a new meaning. You could sense the newfound tenderness in the way his arms held you close to him, the way his body leaned in to slightly curve over yours.

You turned around in his hold, head tilted to one side as you examined his features. “You’re right,” you agreed. “I love your dorkiness.”

“Hey!” His hands shifted in a flash until they were splayed against your sides, tickling you there until you were a giggling, gasping mess.

He watched you fondly, smile becoming more somber as your laughter died down. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Dae. I’m fine. Now let me sleep, I’m tired.”

He lingered over you a moment longer, still holding you protectively before he let go. “Okay. But I’ll be in the living room if you need me.”

“Okay. Good night, Dae.”

“Good night.” He pressed a light kiss to your forehead before heading out, stopping by the door. “Do you want it closed?”

“Yes, please,” you answered, crawling into bed and settling down under  the covers. 

“Still scared of monsters?”

“Shut up, Dae.”

He started chuckling quietly to himself, closing the door as he did so. “Good night!”

“G’night!”

The door shut closed with a soft click, the only sound in the room now the hushed noise of cars driving by a couple of streets away.

You yawned loudly, eyes closing as you reveled in the comfortable feeling of your blankets, wrapped around you in a soft cocoon. Despite all of the sleep you had gotten that day, the stress of it all had left you extremely tired.

Faster than you would have thought possible, you found yourself drifting away, sleep pulling you from your surroundings and towards the land of dreams.

You don’t know how much later it was, but you were awoken by a loud, high-pitched scream. What terrified you the most wasn’t the noise, but the fact that you had been the one screaming. You shot up in bed, chest heaving as wheezing gasps escaped from your lungs in frantic breaths.

The door to your bedroom burst open, Jongdae pausing in the doorway with clothes all wrinkled from tossing and turning in sleep before running to your side.

“Y/N? What happened? Are you okay?” His hands found your face, lifting it gently and looking for anything out of place. Something near your eye caught his attention, and he traced a careful trail down your cheek with a finger. “Were you crying?” he asked, horror-struck.

“I-I don’t know,” you hiccuped out. “I just remember falling asleep, and then I saw that man from the museum, and all of a sudden I’m screaming and now-”

“Hey, shh,” Jongdae hushed you, pulling you to his chest, hands rubbing your back comfortingly as he held you close to him. “It’s okay, it was just a dream. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

He pressed his face to the top of your head, lips resting their against the strands of your hair as you held onto him, while you gripped his T-shirt tightly in both of your hands. 

Jongdae didn’t pressure you, but simply let you hold onto him for as long as you needed. The sounds of your gasping breaths seemed to echo in the small space of your bedroom until they gradually began to die down, breathing becoming more regulated.

You gave a last feeble, shuddering sigh, head aching and hands trembling from your nightmare. “Dae?” you spoke, words barely making it out as a whisper.

“Yes?” Jongdae’s voice was equally as hushed, trying to maintain the calm, soothing atmosphere.

“Can you stay with me? I’m scared of being alone right now.”

His eyes softened at your words, moisture pricking at them as he was overcome with guilt. He felt that he should have been at the museum earlier, been there to stop that man from getting his hands on you. “Yeah, of course,” he replied. 

You let him lay you back down gently on the bed, drawing the covers over both of before snuggling closer, arm draped carefully over your body. 

Although you felt more at ease with Jongdae by your side, you still couldn’t let your guard down enough for you to fall back asleep. You stared at a bleach stain on Jongdae’s shirt, lost in thought. “Dae, what if he finds me? That man?”

Jongdae’s arm twitched involuntarily over your figure, and he swallowed back a lump in his throat. “He won’t. He and the Kingpin are locked up where they won’t get to anyone, especially you.”

“But police say that the Kingpin is ruthless, and has connections everywhere. What if he finds me? What if he sends someone to finish the job? What-”

“Hey,” Jongdae’s voice cut you off, stern and firm as you looked up to see him staring at you, gaze burning with conviction. “That’s not happening. I swear, he will never lay a hand on you. You’re going to be safe, Y/N, I promise.”

“How do you know?”

To be quite honest, Jongdae didn’t know. It was a fear he also shared, nightmares consisting of you being taken away and kept in the hands of one of his enemies. But he did know that he would rather die before letting that happen to you. “I’ll protect you.”

To his surprise, you gave him a weak smile, a bit of your usual self returning. “You can’t even kill a spider, Dae. I highly doubt you can take on a person.”

If only you knew. “I’ll do anything, if it means keeping you safe.”

You blinked in awe at the weight of his words. Not once had you ever seen him this serious, yet you knew that he meant every word. Jongdae wasn’t one to mince words, and everything that he said, he truly meant.

“I know, Dae. Thank you.” You pressed closer, head dropping back down to rest against his chest, breathing in and out with the pattern of his own breaths. 

“Go to sleep. I’ll be here.”

Minutes passed, and as much as you desperately wanted to fall asleep to forget about everything that happened, you were still wide awake. You could tell that Jongdae was too, his breathing still uneven and too heavy.

“Dae? Can you sing for me?”

Silence, and then a sudden clearing of his throat. “What do you want me to sing?” he asked, voice rumbling from where you were leaning against him.

“Anything. I just... I need something to distract me.”

You had heard Jongdae sing numerous times over the years, especially when he had joined choir in high school. Every time that he sang, you were taken away by the breadth of his ability, like you were hearing him for the first time. Now was no different. 

“Close your eyes, and listen to what I have to say Before the end of this I’ll be dreaming a dream of you Little star, tonight I’ll watch over you all night. When I first met you, you were dazzling When I first saw your smile, my whole world changed Little star, tonight I’ll watch over you all night. When I hold you in my arms and see you fast asleep I can’t even close my eyes for a second Like this, you’re so pretty It seems like I’ll stop breathing How am I supposed to fall asleep? My love, my everything, an angel sent down from heaven You’ve stolen away my two eyes, my whole world Little star, tonight I’ll watch over you all night. I’ll protect you for all my life.”

As Jongdae finished singing, his voice dying down with his last notes, he glanced down at where you lay fast asleep, mouth parted with every exhale.

He smiled to himself briefly before pulling the covers up over both of you and settling in, arm still draped over your body. As he felt his eyes begin to close and sleep tug at the edges of his mind, his last thoughts were of you.

“I’ll keep you safe, no matter what it takes.”

Series masterlist: ( 1 )  ( 2 )  ( 3 )  ( Final )

A/N: The song Jongdae sings to Y/N is “Little Star” by the K-indie group Standing Egg! Baekhyun’s sung it on V Live broadcasts a couple of times, and it’s so pretty. This chapter seems shorter to me, but I swear the next (and last chapter) will be a bit longer!

@noona-clock @baekfanapleintemps