Chapter Text
Kim Namjoon.
It's easy to fall in love with him. He's smart, witty, handsome, and also a complete dork. Who wouldn't fall for him? They'd be a fool not to.
He practically swept you off your feet with his words. It didn't take much to notice him amongst his group of friends. You could tell he was different - in a good way, and you were right.
After several late-night talks into the wee hours of the morning, you discover the uncanny similarities between the pair of you - both idealistic, which became a bad thing. The two of you were constantly amused by daydreams, egging each other on without actually putting yourselves to good use and making your dreams happen.
Emotions ran deep for you and him. While he was good at expressing and communicating everything he felt, it was the complete opposite for you. He never liked how you shut him out, keeping him at bay from your emotions and thoughts.
Namjoon was brilliant, sometimes too brilliant, which intimidated you, and at times, you felt he was too good for you. You were brilliant and impressive in other ways, too; that's how the pair of you fit together so well.
He also had a way with words. His use of language made you marvel with heart eyes whenever he spoke. You could sit there and listen to him ramble on and on about humanity, injustices happening around the world, or a new random obsession he came to adore. So, in your eyes, he could do no wrong.
Twenty-one years old, and the pair of you were fools. Fools, so in love - coming up with ridiculous ideas, leading to spontaneous trips, insane, passionate sex, and heated arguments. But all these things made you love Namjoon and want to continue on this path of romance and destruction.
"We should get married," Namjoon casually suggested while the two of you were at breakfast, almost choking you on your buttered toast.
"What did you just say?" You needed confirmation to make sure you didn't hear things. The two of you joked here and there, calling each other hubby and wifey for the hell of it, but you didn't think he was legit thinking about actually getting married.
Some of you found it thrilling and exciting, and you looked at your ring finger for a split second. You loved the thought of being claimed by Kim Namjoon - that you were his and no one else's.
He put down his fork and intently looked into your eyes, "Let's do it. I love you, and you love me. Easy peasy, pumpkin squeezy." Namjoon grabbed his fork again, chewing down his toast and a piece of bacon.
You stared at him blankly. Actually, no , it's probably not that easy. There were a lot of things one needed to do if one wanted to get married - like a marriage license. You were practical, and Namjoon was not.
"You're kidding me, right?"
Namjoon raised an eyebrow, "Does it look like I'm kidding, wifey? "
You let out a sigh. Whenever Namjoon set his mind on something, he wouldn't let it go, no matter how outrageous the idea was.
"What about our taxes?"
He laughed. "You're worried about how we're going to file taxes?"
You scoffed, "Well, one of us has to be realistic right now because I think you've had one too many bottomless mimosas today."
One too many mimosas later, and the pair of you found yourself down at city hall, signing your marriage license. Since this was so last minute, you returned to the restaurant to grab the hostess who was getting off work to be your witness at your civil ceremony. Confused as hell, but she also wanted to see whether the two of you would last, so she agreed to this insane scheme.
The two of you looked pretty decent for your last-minute wedding. Namjoon looked dapper in his dark blue sweater and black dress pants while you were in a white sundress. The hostess, Lana, picked up a bouquet from the random guy on the street corner and, in addition, grabbed two ring pops on the way before catching up to the pair of you.
It was perfect.
…until it wasn't.
"I don't see the same person I loved when I look at you anymore," Namjoon said with sadness.
Your bags were packed and ready to go—three years of marriage down the drain. And you didn't want to say it, but were these years wasted?
"That's because I'm not the same stupid 21-year-old girl you once knew. I've grown up Namjoon, and so should you. We can't keep living in dreams that never come true."
Life took a turn, and somehow you ended up in New York City, where Namjoon was rumored to be. You didn't keep up with him after the two of you separated. Why would you? You deleted all your socials and had a new circle of friends, and there was no need to know about his life other than that you heard he remarried shortly after the two of you were officially divorced.
It was not surprising at all. He was always the romantic in your relationship, and you figured he was still young. He should get remarried, and you had hoped the next person would be everything he dreamed of and more.
But every now and again, you'd be reminded of Namjoon. There was no escaping him, whether it was a book you think he'd like, or an ad for a new art exhibit rolling into town - a part of him continued to linger throughout the years you were without him.
When your boss threw a launch party for their newest book, you had no choice but to attend, you were their latest editor, so you needed to make your rounds and kiss up to people.
The newest book titled 'Mistakes We Knew We Were Making' by RM was all the rage for the autobiographical fiction genre - a masterpiece, some would say. You didn't have a chance to read it yet, but it was on your list.
Your heart dropped when you walked in, seeing Kim Namjoon chatting with your boss. He looked up and caught your eye, and you being you, quickly darted amongst the crowd.
When you found an empty hallway to simmer down, the breath you were holding in was finally released, but it wasn't long before you heard someone calling for you. "Ah, there you are! Come on! You need to meet the author."
You flashed a thin smile to your boss. You'd be okay. It was just Kim Namjoon, your ex-husband. No biggie . You had no idea why he was here, but you were sure you'd find out sooner or later.
Immediately, your eyes spotted Namjoon amidst the crowd; it was hard not to notice him when he was practically a foot taller than the sea of women surrounding him. And, of course, he was as gorgeous as ever - his chest virtually swelling underneath the black turtleneck he was sporting, and his hair, god, his hair. It was at your favorite length - long enough to tug and pull while–
Okay, no –stop thinking about your ex-husband and yourself in compromising positions.
Your boss continued beelining her way towards Namjoon while you followed closely behind.
No.
No.
He can't–he can't be the author, could he? RM? Was it a pen name? Is this what he was up to all these years? Did he finally make his dreams come true?
With Namjoon's dimpled chuckle charming the panties off of the women around him, he looked up at your boss when she made her way through the sea of women clawing at a piece of him. Elena, your boss, stepped aside to introduce you to who you assumed was the author of the hour.
Were you hoping he was just an acquaintance of your boss? Perhaps.
Well, only because you knew if he was, in fact, RM, the author, the publishing company would continue to work with him if he produced more manuscripts.
Namjoon smiled, dimly letting your name roll off his tongue, which made your boss narrow her eyes, taking a second look at the two of you.
"Do you two know each other? Elena asked with curiosity laced in her tone.
"We…uh, go way back," you answered vaguely, without going into further detail. You were sure Elena would ask later to get the full scoop on you and her new author.
Namjoon leaned in. "It's good to see you, baby," he whispered smugly.
You shook your head. His arrogance was also another thing that got him into trouble.
As the night continued, you did your best to mingle and stay clear of Namjoon. You knew you'd have to talk to him at some point, but did it have to be at your company's party?
"So, how's your wife?" You asked when he sat next to you at the bar counter, and you wanted to get that question out early to set your boundaries in case he had any ideas.
Namjoon chuckled, "Divorced."
"Guess you couldn't keep her satisfied either," you teased, waving the bartender down and placing your and Namjoon's drink order with him.
Namjoon was fantastic in bed, so you were sure that wasn't the issue.
He shook his head, "No, that wasn't it."
" Oh? " You questioned, wondering what happened between the two but didn't want to pry. It was none of your business.
Again, Namjoon knew how you functioned, and you weren't going to ask, so he wanted to tell you instead. "She wasn't you," he said casually before thanking the bartender for his drink.
It was hard suppressing the smile creeping up. He always knew the right things to say, but this time, you didn't know if he was genuine or not. "Wasn't me, huh? Joonie, we were disastrous together."
He didn't deny your claim because it was mostly true. But to him, that's what made him feel alive. He missed the daydreams and adventures, the unknowns of the future - and life with his most recent ex-wife became boring, ordinary, predictable. To be honest, he couldn't stop thinking about you and where the two of you would be today if you had stayed together.
After taking a sip of your cocktail and swirling it around in your glass, you turned to Namjoon, your knees slightly brushing against his side. "Do you think we would have found each other in an alternate timeline?" You asked while continuing to swivel on the bar stool.
He quickly peered in your direction, smiling at the drink before him, mimicking you by swirling his glass around, shifting his position so his knees were now brushing against yours., "I don't know, maybe?"
Namjoon knew how much you loved entertaining the thought of different timelines and alternate universes - the what-ifs, the maybes, the what could have been. He was amused that it was still your thing after all these years.
"Do you think we would have made the same mistakes?" You asked, tapping the side of your glass, unsure of why you even asked in the first place. It's not like you were looking for an answer.
Namjoon chuckled before taking a sip of his whiskey, grimacing at the last drops sliding down his throat. He stood up, and you assumed he didn't want to have this conversation with you anymore, and you'd completely understand if he didn't. It's hard rehashing the past.
You looked at him with a thin smile, letting him know that it was okay if he wanted to leave. You didn't need an answer, and it was just nice being in his presence again.
He placed his hand on the back of your stool, leaning in. "In whatever timeline or universe we're in, I'd choose to keep making the same mistakes if it meant crossing paths with you."