Chapter Text
It had been an accident. You had gone to deliver snacks and caffeine to Jae, your best friend, and the other members of Day6. It wasn’t like it was your first time either - you spent most of your free time with them anyway, usually writing in the corner while they rehearsed just so you didn’t have to work alone. Of course, there were always rumors of you and Jae being together, but you both made sure to let everyone know you were just friends.
“Are these fresh?” Younghyun asked, his eyes widening as he opened the cookie container.
“Well, I made them from a bag, but they’re still warm.” You laughed at how everyone instantly swarmed the tupperware container.
“You’re the best human in existence.” The bassist groaned into the cookie. He put his hand on the back of your head to kiss you on the cheek - something he’s done several times before - just as Jae called to you.
You turned your head just as Younghyun went to kiss your cheek. His lips were soft and warm against yours, the kiss tasting like coffee and chocolate. The moment seemed to last ages but not long enough.
“Well,” You laughed, blushing. “If I knew all it took to get a kiss around here was to bring cookies, I would have done it sooner.”
“If you wanted a kiss, all you had to do was ask.” Younghyun snickered, his own cheeks bright red. Jae coughed from the other side of the room and the bassist’s blush doubled. He shoved the rest of his cookie in his mouth and went to tune his instrument before practice started. You couldn’t help but watch him go, your face on fire.
They got into position behind their mic stands as you curled in the corner with your laptop. You were an author, signed with a small publishing company based right in the city. They were still fairly unknown, but your royalty checks were enough for rent and that’s what counted. Your editor said your characters in the novel you were writing were starting to blend together. She suggested doing character profiles for your friends and take some of those characteristics for your own writing.
The first song started as you pulled out your notebook and your favorite pencil. You started with Jae, jotting down likes and dislikes, personality quirks, good and bad habits. It was almost too easy, seeing how you had been friends for ages. You sketched a quick doodle of Jae playing the guitar, just because you loved how into it he got.
You moved onto Sungjin, jotting down the same sort of things, adding little notes like how he closes his eyes when he sings occasionally and how he sings along silently to the other parts. You doodled a sketch of him as well, tying to capture the way his brow furrows when he concentrates and failing spectacularly.
You paused at Younghyun, your cheeks heating up a little as you found yourself watching his mouth more than usual. You looked up only to meet his eyes dead on. He was watching you with a smirk, singing directly to you. You blush more and start writing to avoid looking at him, only to glance up every few seconds. His eyes never left you. You found yourself mouthing along with his parts, grinning at him as he sang back at you.
“Alright, take a break guys.” Sungjin said after an hour. His voice was starting to sound hoarse, and you were worried that he was getting sick. Before you could ask him how he was feeling, Younghyun sat next to you, jokingly pushing you into the wall.
“Whatcha up to?” He asked, peering over your shoulder at your notebook.
“Character profiling,” You answered, handing him the book. “My editor was getting on my case about my characters starting to blend together and suggested I profile some friends so I can separate my guys.”
“These are pretty accurate,” He smiled as he saw the little doodles of them. When he saw his own, his eyes softened a little. “You made me look so… intense.”
“That’s how you look though,” You said, a little confused. You glanced back at your sketch, content with how you drew it. “You always look intense when you’re singing.”
“Hmm you look at me that closely?” He asked, raising one eyebrow. You blushed and took your notebook back.
“I watch all of you,” You said quickly, not meeting his eye. “You’re all my friends.”
“Jae’s profile was more detailed than the rest of ours.” He noted.
“Well I’ve known Jae for years,” everyone knew you and the guiratest had been close for ages, and all wondered why you weren’t dating yet. “I know him better than I know myself.”
“You guys are cute together.” Younghyun said, testing the water.
“Nah, I’m not his type.” You giggled, feeling your chest flutter a little as he sat a little closer. You didn’t have romantic feelings for Younghyun, but you couldn’t deny he was unbelievably handsome. That, and your lips still tingled a little from when he kissed you. It had been a while since the last time you had kissed anyone, so you were more than a little affected by his closeness.
“Interesting,” He said, his chest vibrating your shoulder as he talked. “So what you’re saying is he wouldn’t be upset if someone asked you out?”
“He’d probably be a little protective cuz we’ve known each other for so long, but it’s not like he has any say in who I date.” You glanced at Younghyun, who was looking curiously flushed.
“Would… would you want to get coffee sometime?” He asked, and for the first time since meeting him, Younghyun sounded nervous.
“Would you want to go get some now?” You suggested, biting back a grin as his ears turned even redder. “You have a break and I finished my drink.”
“Y-yeah! Sounds good.” He grinned and stood, offering his hand to help you up. You shoved your notebook in your bag and closed your laptop before taking his hand and walking out of the practice room.
Jae watched you leave with narrowed eyes. Dowoon and Wonpil had already left to get lunch as soon as Sungjin called break, so the two guitarists were the only ones left in the practice room. The lanky blonde was fuming, but he wasn’t entirely sure why.
“Watch out hyung, you’re going to glare a hole through the door.” Sungjin teased, handing Jae a water bottle. He took is angrily, ripping the cap off and downing half of it in big gulps.
“I’m fine.” He growled, roughly tapping his passcode into his phone.
“You’re jealous.” Sungjin said easily. Jae choked on his water, his eyes widening as he coughed loudly.
“She’s my best friend,” He said when he was finally able to take a breath. “I’ve known her since high school! Why would I be jealous that she’s getting coffee with Brian of all people?”
“Because you like her and refuse to admit it,” Sungjim said with a bored look. “Don’t think I don’t know how you chase off anyone who shows interest in her.”
“I’m just protecting her!”
“You’re trying to keep her to yourself,” the leader shook his head. “If you don’t want to lose her, you better ask her out before Younghyun does.”
“I-” He started to object before his eyes began to sting. He sniffled, angrily wiping his eyes.
“I know how much you love her,” Sungjin said softly. “You just have to let her know.”
“What if she says no? I’d ruin everything.” A tear slipped down his cheek despite his best efforts to stop it. He scowled even more as he wiped it away.
“Have you seen the way she looks at you? There’s no way she’d say no.” The younger man grinned.
Jae didn’t answer but looked back at the door. He hesitated for only a second before slipping his phone into his pocket and running from the practice room. Sungjin watched him go with a smirk and a shake of his head.
Jae didn’t stop running until he reached the cafe where he knew you would go. You were very loyal when it came to your drinks, and sure enough there you were sitting with Younghyun at your favorite table by the window.
He pushed opened the door, his heart flipping when you instantly saw him - your whole face lit up and you sat a little straighter in your seat. Younghyun glanced over to what had caught your attention. Jae could see his smile drop a little as he approached.
“Jae!” You called over, grinning wide. Jae felt like he had been hit in the chest - Sungjin was right, wasn’t he?”
“Hyung, what brings you here?” Younghyun asked, scooting over so the elder could squeeze another chair at the small table.
“No reason,” He said innocently. “Hey, uh Brian could you go order me something to drink?”
“Why-?” Younghyun asked, confused. Jae threw some cash in his direction and smiled wide. The bassist sighed and got up, heading to the counter as Jae turned back to you.
“What’s going on Jae?” You asked, noticing how he was sitting with his back completely straight, his hands folded on his lap.
“Um… We’ve been friends for a while, right?” He asked, unable to meet your eye.
“Yeah! You’re my best friend.” You smiled, still confused.
“What if we changed that?” Jae could feel himself turning red.
“What?” Your throat was starting to sting. What was he implying?
“What if we weren’t best friends anymore?”
“Are you- are you mad at me?” You whispered, your eyes filling with tears. His head whipped up to stare at you in horror.
“Shit! No I’m asking you to be my girlfriend!” he said abruptly and loudly. Everyone in the cafe froze, looking over at the two of you.
“I-” You stared at him, mouth open.
“I didn’t mean to say it like that,” He covered his face. “I- shit, I just- I don’t want to lose you and I’m so scared someone is going to take you away from me.”
“I’m not going anywhere, idiot,” You laughed, your eyes filling. “Why didn’t you just ask me before? I would have said yes at any time.”
“I- I don’t know why, honestly…” he looked away. “I guess I never realized I loved you because I always told myself I was just being protective because we’ve been friends for so long but I was really just being an asshole.”
“You love me?” You whispered, staring at him with wide eyes.
“Yeah, I think I do.” He smiled softly, taking your hands across the table.
“Congrats hyung,” Younghyun came back with an iced tea in his hands and a small smile on his lips. “You guys are good for each other.”
“Sorry for stepping on toes Brian.” Jae said, taking the cup awkwardly.
“Nah, it’s good man,” Younghyun grinned as he sat back down. “I knew she liked you when I asked her out… Guess I was just being a little optimistic.”
“Younghyun…” You trailed off, hating that you felt guilty.
“Seriously, it’s all good,” He grinned, and you could tell he was being completely genuine. “I’m gonna head back. Let you two enjoy your first date.”
“I owe you one Bri.” Jae grinned and shook Younghyun’s hand in that bro-dude way you always teased them about.
“I’ll see if I can stall practice to give you two more time.” He winked and slipped from the cafe before you could say anything else.
The rest of the time you spent at the cafe was… normal, but not. You talked and laughed the way you normally did with Jae, but this time he was holding your hand and rubbing your inner wrist with the pad of his thumb. This time he smiled softly at you when you talked. This time he pressed soft kisses to your fingers.
You made your way back to the company building after getting a warning text from Younghyun telling Jae that Sungjin wasn’t going to stall anymore. He opened the door for you, his hand resting on the small of your back as you stepped onto the elevator. You didn’t think anything he could do would fluster you anymore, but he was proving you wrong.
“Want to get dinner when we’re done?” Jae whispered into your ear as the elevator went up.
“I’d love to.” You smiled, leaning into his chest. He muttered something that you couldn’t make out, so you turned your head to hear him. Only, instead of repeating himself, Jae closed the small gap between your lips and kissed you.
It was your second kiss in one day, but this was so different than the kiss with Younghyun. Jae pressed soft kisses to your mouth, moving from your lips to the corner of your smile, the kisses gentle and quick but enough to make your heart flutter. His hands rested on your waist, holding you securely as he laughed into the kiss.
“Wow, I can’t believe I finally get to kiss you.” He whispered, his words fanning against your lips.
“You can kiss me whenever you want.” You giggled, your whole body feeling light and bubbly.
“Oh my god, I can.” He said, sounding so excited that you couldn’t help but throw your arms around his neck and jump into his embrace. He laughed as he kissed you, his happiness almost blinding you.
“You have to get back to practice.” you said as he pulled you off to the side of the hallway. You could hear the faint sounds of the others warming up to get back to work as Jae pinned you against the wall and kissed you again and again.
“They can wait.” He kissed down your jaw, biting your throat gently enough to make you jump without leaving a mark.
“Jae-” You giggled again as his eyelashes tickled your neck.
“Ugh, fine,” He pouted as he pulled away. “But you’re mine after dinner.”
“I’ve always been yours, dummy.” You kissed the end of his nose, feeling pride swell in your chest as his cheeks lit up red. He grumbled something before taking your hand and walking back to the practice room.
“Okay, so the winner gets to choose where we go for the weekend.” Jae said, handing you a controller. You grinned and took it, knowing you were absolutely going to win. It was a test of endurance, to see who could play the longest before falling asleep or getting bored. You had managed to find a copy of your favorite two player RPG from your childhood and you had the upper hands thanks to your inside knowledge of the game as well as the five cups of coffee you had consumed in preparation for this event.
Jae wanted to go to the shore for the weekend - bar jumping on the boardwalk and walking along the beach under the stars and playing overpriced games to win cheap prizes. You wanted to go camping for two nights - making smores and watching the stars and taking artsy pictures on the hiking trails. You were content with either, honestly, but you both had a bit of a competitive streak so when Jae suggested a game to choose, what were you going to say? No?
“Okay, so we’re going to come up to the first ambush,” You warned, knowing the first part of the game like the back of your hand. “Watch your left.”
“What- oh shit!” Jae rushed towards the goblins, forgetting he was playing the necromancer character and dying instantly. You laughed and raced back to the save point to revive him before pulling out your weapon and slaughtering the whole ambush. You let him loot half the bodies though, because he was pouting over dying.
You were surprised how much progress you were making. The last time you had played the game, it had taken you hours to reach the spot you and Jae had gotten in just one. You could feel the caffeine rushing through your body, despite the many yawns that made your eyes water.
“Oh no, is someone getting tired?” Jae teased, bumping you with his shoulder.
“Never!” You cried, leaning against him. He was so warm and you instantly felt more comfortable. His arm snaked around you before taking up his controller again, so you were tucked against his chest, his controller resting on your lap as yours was propped on his arms.
“Hey, do you have any healing potions-?” He asked, only to realize you were asleep already. It was funny how quickly you had passed out, seeing how just seconds before you were shouting over a boss. You slumped in his arms and he couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips as he kissed your forehead.
He went ahead and saved the game before carefully placing you on the couch and pulling your favorite blanket over you. You stirred briefly before instantly settling back into the soft cushions.
“What am I going to do with you?” He whispered before yawning wide. The plan was to stay up all night and get breakfast in the morning, but the sun was close to rising and he knew when you woke up, you’d be bitter about falling asleep in the first place.
He slipped on his shoes, grabbed his longboard and went to the convenience store around the corner. He knew he looked exhausted - his hair a mess, the bags under his eyes heavy, the way he was holding his board as if he was going to drop it - and it didn’t help that the cashier only charged him for one bottled iced coffee instead of the two in his hands. He half grinned and waved at the guy before taking off back to your apartment.
“Hmm Jae?” You muttered, popping awake at the sound of the door closing behind him. “When did I fall asleep?”
“Um…” He handed you the drink, which you happily took. You hummed as you took a sip, the sweetness and the chill waking you up some. “A little after me I think.”
“Wait, that means I won?” You jumped up, instantly more awake. “I won!”
“You won,” He smiled softly at you before pulling you into a slow kiss. His lips were chilly from his coffee and tasted sweeter than usual. You wrapped your hands around his wrists and pulled his arms so they were holding you comfortably. “I’ve been wanting to go camping for a while.”
“We can do the beach when it gets warmer,” You smiled into the next kiss, loving how he peppered your lips and cheeks with soft touches. “It’s been a while since we’ve gone to the ocean together.”
“I’m sorry I’ve been so busy,” He sighed, pressing kisses to your forehead. “I was hoping with the tour being over, we’d have more time together but-”
“Hey, it’s okay,” You interrupted quickly. “I love seeing you perform. It’s what makes you happy. Besides, as long as we can have moments like this, I’m okay.”
“You make me happy too,” He bumped your nose with his. “You’re my muse, you know that right? It’s thanks to you that I can write music and perform.”
“You’re being sappy…” You giggled, blushing red as he kissed the corner of your lips. You could hear the loading screen music playing softly in the background.
“Yeah, well it’s your fault,” He kissed the tip of your nose. “You make me sappy. Now, who wants breakfast?”
“I wanna take a nap.” You whined, leaning heavily on him.
“But you’re the one that planned today,” He laughed, holding you upright. “This was your idea.”
“Let’s get breakfast in an hour.” You suggested, your eyes fluttering shut.
“Sounds good kitten.” He brought you over to the couch and let you lie on his chest. You fell asleep instantly, despite the coffee you just had. He smiled and set an alarm for two hours on his phone before letting his own eyes slip shut, your comforting weight on his chest making him feel warm and safe.
“Jae… what are you doing?” You asked, watching in horror and fascination as the lanky idol tried measuring water with a drinking glass. He had recently gotten his hair dyed a beautiful burgundy, and as much as you adored it, you were still getting used to it. He had been bleaching it for years, and you had sort of associated blonde with Jae.
“Measuring the water, what else?” he said, trying to get the water to fill the cup perfectly. You thought if you rolled your eyes anymore, they’d roll out of your head completely.
“Have you never cooked before?” You asked, taking the cup from him. He cried out when some of the water splashed back into the sink.
“Of course I have!” He said quickly, only to backtrack when he saw your unamused face. “Well, I like to be in the kitchen while others cook…”
“Then you should still know what a liquid measuring cup is,” You said, pulling said liquid measuring cup out of the drawer. “You would have flooded the batter.”
“So that’s what that is.” He said, and you resisted the urge to smack him.
You were making food for a small party that night. It wasn’t anything big, but the guys were coming over for dinner to celebrate you moving into your first apartment and you were excited to try out your new kitchen for real.
“Can you chop up the peppers?” You asked, pointing to the cutting board and a pile of various veggie that needed to be cut. Jae nodded and went over, taking the knife and cutting into one instantly. You watched him for a moment - admiring the line of his back, the broadness of his shoulders despite how skinny he looked, how cute he looked when he was concentrating hard on something - before turning back to what you were doing.
There was a comfortable silence, the only sounds were from your tasks and the music playing softly from your phone. Everything was going smoothly until you heard a loud thump and Jae curse loudly.
“What happened?” You asked,rushing to his side.
“Almost cut my damn finger off.” He gritted out, reaching for a napkin to cover his bleeding hand. You grimaced and pulled him to the bathroom. He didn’t fight you as you sat him on the toilet and dug out the brand new first aid kit you had put under the sink.
“Let me see.” You ordered, taking his hand. You, thankfully, weren’t afraid of blood so you quickly removed the napkin and began cleaning his hand. The wound wasn’t that bad, but it was bleeding a decent amount and you knew it was going to hurt like a bitch for a few days. You wet a towel and dabbed at his finder, muttering an apology when he hissed.
You quickly smeared some neosporin onto a bandaid and wrapped it around the small cut firmly, putting a second bandage on to keep the first in place.
“Thanks kitten, you’re a lifesaver.” He grinned and kissed your nose as you stood.
“How did you even do this?” You asked with a small grin.
“I was… distracted,” He said, his cheeks warming. You raised an eyebrow and nodded your head for him to continue. “I, well I was thinking about- um… if you’d let me stay over after everyone leaves, and if you did let me what we could do possibly…”
“You’re an idiot.” You giggled, your ears heating up.
“But I’m your idiot.” He grinned at you, pulling you into a hug. You looked up at him, closing your eyes and humming happily as he leaned down to kiss you deeply. You let yourself get lost in the kiss, his tongue dancing across yours. It made sense that a singer would be able to use his tongue, but it still made you flustered.
“Jae-” You breathed, leaning closer to him. Before you could continue, the fire alarm went off. You jumped apart, your heart beating so fast that you felt your knees weaken. You rushed into the kitchen and turned off the stove, fanning the smoke with a towel as Jae pulled off the fire alarm and turning it off. By the time the alarm had stopped and the smoked had cleared, the food was ruined and the dinner was supposed to start in an hour. You sat heavily at the kitchen table, chuckling under your breath.
“Well what now?” You asked, wiping some sweat from your forehead.
“Take out?” he suggested with an tired yet amused grin.
“Take out.” You laughed, going to grab some menus.
“I thought you were making dinner?” Sungjin asked as they walked into the kitchen. You glanced at the stove - with the charred pan soaking on top - to the trash can - that was still smoking a little - before turning back to your friend and smiling.
“There was a… complication.” You said with an awkward grin.
“She burnt everything!” Jae said loudly from the living room. You closed your eyes, took a deep breath and opened them again.
“Because Jae was stupid enough to almost cut his finger off and I had to play nurse.” You shot back, causing the four boys to laugh at their eldest, who was looking at you as if you had outed him for something horrendous.
“Sounds about right.” Younghyun snickered, elbowing Jae in the side.
“This is slander.” Jae whined, rubbing his rubs and pouting. You went over and kissed him quickly to make him stop, and it worked like a charm. He instantly smiled and pulled you into his arms.
“You guys are cute and all,” Wonpil commented dryly. “But the smell of the food is making my stomach eat itself and I’d much rather have dinner than watch you make a kid in the living room.”
“Wonpil!” You explained, your cheeks heating up. The pianist grinned and rushed to the kitchen to avoid being smacked by either you or Jae. You went in after him, making sure to smack him on the back of the head before serving dinner.