Chapter Text
Pfftt.
Go with what flow?
Moon Chaewon should have known that she was absolute rubbish at being spontaneous. Regret was seeping into her bones but it was all too late now. She had already invited one Lee Joongi over to her place for dinner.
Her part-time cleaner had just left the house, and the house was thankfully spotless without Chaewon having to lift a finger. She made a mental note to add a little extra to her payment this month considering how last minute this job request was.
Honestly, it was not that Joongi would care about the state of cleanliness at her place - actually, she was quite sure he would not even notice. It was probably more for Chaewon's sake than his, if she was honest with herself. It gave her something to distract herself with.
She huffed loudly, stray strands of her hair fluttering in her exhalation. There was barely anything left to do but she still felt jittery.
Her hands did not stop though. Her fingers continued its repetitive motions, gently removing the yellowed leaves from the pot of Golden Pothos in her guest toilet.
There was something in Chaewon that wanted to ensure that everything in the house looked perfect. For Joongi. And she was finally allowing herself to acknowledge it, whatever it meant.
Outside her window, the sun was starting to dip lower into the horizon, painting orange and pink streaks across the darkened sky. It was a balmy day and the neighbourhood birds were chirping their sweet melody.
It was the perfect sort of evening for Chaewon to relax into, if only her nerves would stay still and stop its incessant tingling under her skin. Tendrils of excitement had crept up her chest gradually across the course of her day, like a vine plant finally given a trellis, and Chaewon was relieved - yes that's the word, relieved - that she could finally allow herself to face her feelings for Joongi.
Not that she was very good at the actual facing of feelings.
Chaewon knew herself well - she would describe herself more as cautious and avoidant. If she could, she would avoid trouble, avoid scandals and any potential heartbreak.
Yet the thought of Joongi back in her home got her excited. She had known it went beyond just platonic interest, had known not just from the heated on-screen intimacy they have shared, but also because this felt very different from her friendship with Kwangsoo, or with Joo Won.
A low bubbling sound on the stove came to her awareness.
The mushroom soup was almost ready.
Chaewon concluded her impromptu gardening, adjusting all her plant pots so that the prettiest side faced outwards before heading to the kitchen.
Breathing in the wonderful aroma of mushroom and spices, she gave herself a pat on the back and turned off the fire. Chaewon had made the soup from scratch, following the first recipe that she had found online.
Lucky for her it was a simple recipe, and easy to follow. And the repetitive actions of chopping, measuring and blending of the mushroom, onions and potatoes had calmed her, and she felt a little less frazzled.
She hoped that Joongi would enjoy the soup. Perhaps they could just talk about that. The soup. Because Chaewon was still not very sure of what she would say to Joongi.
How did one go about saying things like these anyway. Didn't these things happen naturally? An accidental slip of tongue, a casual caress or a drunken kiss? Why didn't she follow all the drama scripts like she had always done?
Why was she being so adult about this and decide to have a conversation instead?
The doorbell rang and she glanced quickly at the clock. Seven o'clock. Joongi was right on the dot.
Chaewon sighed. Well, it was too late for regrets now. It must have been all the strong and assertive female characters that she had been typed into all these years. It must have influenced her, somehow.
The man was smiling and waving brightly at her doorstep camera, and she buzzed him in. At least the man of the hour was a really good looking one.
On her way to the door, she checked her appearance. Chaewon was dressed casually in a navy tunic dress, with minimal make up. Flipping her loose hair over her shoulder, she smiled into the mirror. Her hair was falling across her shoulders in glossy waves. She had combed through it about fifty times to ensure that.
Looking good, Moon Chaewon.
"Hello there," he said simply when she opened the door.
Joongi was dressed in an oversized black tee and camel coloured slacks. It was an understated look, a change from his usual choice of bright vibrant colours. His eyes were friendly and open.
And he was clutching a petite bouquet, which he thrusted towards her.
Hydrangeas, in dusty shades of blue and purple. Chaewon looked up from the flowers to find that his eyes had arched into dark crescents.
His smile was blinding.
"For you, Chaewon-ah."
Flowers.
Does this mean we're on a date?
"Wow, they're my favourite," she said, before taking a deep breath, allowing their fresh scent to assault her senses. "I love them. Thank you Oppa."
Joongi stepped into her house, moving towards her kitchen with such great familiarity that it made her heart skip. He hovered over the black pot on the stove and took a deep inhale, almost dramatically.
"Mmm! I know this smell! Mushroom soup? It's my favourite!"
"I know," she hesitated for a moment, before continuing. "I've been paying attention too."
Joongi stopped in his tracks and turned towards her. His face was frozen momentarily before lighting up when he processed what she meant.
"Really?"
Did it please him that much? He looked like he won the lottery.
"Eo," she said, averting his bright eyes. "How hungry are you? I was thinking we could have the soup first, before cooking the steak."
She gestured briefly at the slabs of red meat on the counter, marinating in a mix of freshly chopped rosemary and Maldon salt flakes.
"Sounds like a great plan, Chaewon-ah. I know I can always count on you."
They jointly decided to have the soup at her kitchen island - Chaewon liked it. It felt more casual, and yet intimate too.
She ladled out the soup and then watched as Joongi picked up the pepper grinder to crack some into their bowl. There was a familiar domesticity between them, and her heart started to flutter. They did make a pretty good team.
She pursed her lips and watched his face closely as he sent a spoonful of soup to his mouth. His eyes dramatically shut in bliss. Chaewon chuckled. She felt like she was watching a Mukbang, live.
"Oppa. Stop it. I can't tell if you're doing that to humour me or if it's really that good."
He had another mouthful.
"It's perfect Chaewon-ah. I'm a good actor, I know. But this is also really good soup."
"So Mister Good Actor, what have you been up to these days?"
"Well, I'm still reviewing scripts for now. I don't think I want to start anything just yet. So just practising my dance moves and going for jiu jitsu lessons for now."
"Oh! I saw the Tiktok you did with IU the other day. I thought that was really cool."
"Wait. You have a Tiktok account?! Wow, I thought it was a miracle when you got an Instagram account. And now Tiktok too? I'm impressed Moon Chaewon."
She frowned.
He was definitely teasing her. And he didn't need to know that she signed up for Tiktok specifically to follow him.
That would give off a stalker vibe, no?
"You really have good chemistry with her. I heard that the producers are considering a second season for Moon Lovers."
He laughed and squeezed her shoulder lightly, his warmth bleeding into her body.
"Well, we have really good chemistry too. I hope that our producers will consider a second season for us too."
This was her moment.
Chaewon could feel it in her bones that this was the perfect moment for her to say something about her budding feelings for him. But she didn't know how exactly to respond and the pause became pregnant.
"Uh, yeah. I'd like a second season for us too."
He was looking at her so intently, he was going to bore a hole through her clothing.
Well. Here goes nothing.
"Maybe we could even uh, ditch the producers and continue on our own... "
Joongi put down his bowl and swept in closer. Chaewon took a step back and her back hit the edge of the counter.
"Uh, like our own story... " she stuttered, searching for the words that she had carefully planned to say. She should have practised her lines. They sound terrible now that she had said it out loud.
He was now in front of her, his face tilted at an angle. His gaze was hot, and she wasn't sure where to look.
".. Like with us, uh, writing our own script... "
She wasn't sure when but Joongi's large hand had slid up the side of her face. Up close, Chaewon could smell his aftershave. It reminded her of fresh pine and their forest hike. Joongi's thumb came into contact with her lower lip and her heart started drumming loudly in her chest.
She promptly forgot what she was trying to say.
"... for our own story?" He ventured, completing her sentence. Chaewon looked up. Joongi's eyes were dark and questioning.
She mustered a squeak in response. Her throat had closed up on her and she was embarrassingly nodding like a bobble head doll.
"I'd love that, Chaewon-ah. Can I kiss you now?"
Her mind was blank. All she could think about was how his eyes could be both smiley and smouldering at the same time. She nodded some more.
He leaned in closer, and she could see how there was a light smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose. She caught a whiff of his hot breath, it was familiar and reeled her in like a moth to a flame.
Soft lounge music played on in the background but Chaewon barely heard anything. Blood was rushing loudly in her ears as his mouth covered hers.
A part of her brain registered that she was supposed to be used to this. She must have kissed him a million times but this kiss felt different.
It felt new and exciting. His lips were both firm and soft, and stroked hers in a way that felt devastating gentle. Her knees almost buckled, and she felt a strong arm sliding up the curve of her waist to hold her steady.
Chaewon was supposed to be an expert in kissing.
She knew exactly where to place her lips, where to go pliant and soft. She knew the perfect angle to tilt her chin so as to allow the camera to capture that tender lip on lip action.
She was rubbish at real kissing.
Her experience in kissing was limited to one ex-boyfriend and a high school peck at the bus stop. She always felt overly nervous, worried about how good it would be for the other party. Kissing felt like ice running down her back and a fire raging in her belly at the same time - unbearably confusing.
Kissing Joongi though, felt different. The taste of his breath and plump bottom lip were familiar and comforting. She tried not to focus on the fact that it felt like a warm welcome, like home. His warm tongue licked the sensitive underside of her upper lip and she gasped, her fingers pulling him closer. Joongi pressed her body closer to him - she didn't think two bodies could get any closer than this. Then he slipped his tongue into her mouth, and her brain short-circuited.
They ended up on the couch. And they were both breathless.
Good. Chaewon was relieved that she was not the only one. Joongi's eyes were heavily lidded and his cheeks were rosy with heat. He gave her a lazy smile, his fingers still stroking the skin under her shirt.
"Is this okay, Chaewon-ah?"
He's going to kill her with this gentleness. She leans in for another kiss. This time, she took the lead as her hands pressed his shoulders into the soft leather seat. Joongi smelled so good and it made her want to rub her face all over him so that she could take in more of his scent.
"Is this okay?" He asked again.
"More than okay." Her voice sounded raspy to her ears. Joongi guided her legs so that she could straddle his lap and face him.
"Chaewon-ah, where have you been all my life?"
He laced his fingers through hers as his eyes searched hers.
"Just kiss me." She bit out as she leaned back in. He chuckled loudly before cradling her face to do just that.
The future was uncertain. But somehow, in Joongi's arms, Chaewon knew she would be just fine.