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The low hum of laughter fills the private dining room, plates half-cleared and soju bottles scattered like fallen soldiers. Comeback promotions are finally over, and tonight is the first real breather everyone’s had in months. You’re pleasantly tipsy, cheeks warm, but sober enough to play caretaker. Your boyfriend, on the other hand, is gone.
Soobin is slumped against you, all six-foot-something of broad, warm muscle. His long legs are tangled with yours under the table, one big hand curled possessively around your thigh like he might float away if he lets go. His neck is fully exposed where the collar of his oversized button-up has slipped open—flushed deep pink all the way down to his collarbones, the color spreading beautifully across his chest. Every time he laughs, that pretty red deepens.
“Baby,” he whines right against your ear, voice low and syrupy, breath hot. His lips brush the shell of your ear on purpose. “You’re not even looking at me. I did so good this comeback… don’t I deserve all your attention?”
You bite back a smile, stroking his fluffy hair. “You’re drunk, Soob.”
“Am not,” he lies, then immediately ruins it by nuzzling into your neck with a pathetic little sound. His drunk eyes—half-lidded, sparkling, unfairly hot—find yours when he pulls back just enough to wriggle his eyebrows at you. The effect is devastating. That lazy, lopsided smile of his makes your stomach flip even after years together.
Across the table, Taehyun snorts into his water. “Hyung, you’re so gone. You just tried to feed Y/N a piece of lettuce with your fingers. You know she hates it.”
The whole table erupts—Beomgyu cackling loudest, Kai screaming something you can't comprehend, Yeonjun recording on his phone with zero shame. Even the staff friends who’ve known you all forever are trying to make a point.
Soobin tries to play it cool. He straightens up (as much as a giant clingy octopus can), runs his long fingers through your hair, tucking it behind your ear with exaggerated gentleness. “I’m being very normal,” he declares, voice still slurred. Then he ruins it again by leaning his full weight on you, chin on your shoulder, whispering hotly, “You smell so good… wanna go home and cuddle. Or… not just cuddle.” He wriggles his eyebrows again, playful and shameless.
You laugh, cupping his burning cheek. God, he’s so fine like this—tall frame loose and relaxed, broad shoulders brushing yours, that exposed flushed neck begging to be kissed, drunk eyes full of open adoration. Years of dating him and he still makes your heart race like the first time.
Taehyun leans over, poking Soobin’s arm. “Hyung, blink twice if she needs to carry you out.”
Soobin blinks once, slowly, then twice while staring straight at you with the hottest, dumbest smile you’ve ever seen.
The energy is starting to wind down, the warm glow of the hanging lanterns casting soft amber light over the table. Empty soju bottles glint beside half-eaten side dishes, and the low chatter of the staff friends mixes with the distant hum of the restaurant’s playlist.
You stroke his hair again. “You okay, baby? Want some water?”
“Mmm… yeah,” he mumbles, but instead of reaching for the glass, he picks up the last bit of his soju, takes two slow, deliberate sips like he’s trying to prove he can still function. The liquid makes his already flushed neck and chest look even warmer under the low lighting. He sets the glass down with careful focus, then goes surprisingly quiet.
His big body is still pressed against yours, one arm draped heavily around your waist, but the playful wriggling stops. You can tell he’s concentrating hard—eyelids heavy, long lashes casting shadows on his cheeks, jaw set like he’s personally fighting off sleep just to stay here with you a little longer. The ambient glow from the paper lanterns paints golden highlights across his sharp jawline and the soft curve of his lips. His broad chest rises and falls in slow, steady breaths, the open collar of his shirt slipping even lower, revealing more of that pretty flushed skin.
You keep stealing glances at him, unable to look away. He catches you every time. Each time your eyes meet, a small, sleepy smile tugs at his mouth, deep dimples carving into his cheeks like they were made just for you.
“You’re staring,” he whispers after a while, voice lower now, a little rough around the edges. He leans in closer, nose brushing your temple. “Am I that handsome when I’m drunk?”
“Insanely,” you admit, brushing your thumb over one of his dimples. “But you’re also about to pass out on me.”
“Am not…” he lies softly, then chuckles, the sound vibrating through his chest into yours. The table has mostly quieted, everyone lost in their own sleepy conversations, fairy lights twinkling overhead like tiny stars. Soobin’s fingers trace lazy patterns on your side, his warmth wrapping around you like a blanket.
After another minute of comfortable silence, he straightens up just enough to look around the table, then back at you. His dimples flash again as he smiles, slow and sweet. “You want anything else, love? Dessert? More water? Anything…” He pauses, blinking slowly like the words are taking extra effort. "I'm gonna go pay, ok?"
You melt a little, heart squeezing at how hard he’s trying to be coherent and responsible even while clearly fighting sleep. “I’m good, Soob. We can head home.”
He nods, dimples deepening as he pulls you closer one last time, pressing a lingering, slightly clumsy kiss to your cheek. "Be right back."
You watch him rise, all tall and broad and still a little unsteady, that flushed neck catching the warm lantern light as he buttons his collar with clumsy fingers. The shift hits you instantly— the second he decides it’s time to handle things, the whiny, clingy drunk melts away and your responsible boyfriend clicks back into place. It’s the same Soobin who led the group through months of brutal promotions without complaint, the one who always makes sure everyone eats, rests, and gets home safe.
He stands there for a second, scanning the table with hazy but focused eyes, mentally counting bottles and plates like he’s checking for anything forgotten. His big hand rests on the back of your chair for balance, thumb brushing your shoulder once, gently, before he steps away.
Yeonjun notices immediately. With a small, knowing smirk, the older boy slips out of his seat and follows Soobin toward the counter without a word. You can’t help but smile as you watch them from afar. Soobin is already pulling out his card, insisting in that soft, slurry voice that tonight’s on him—“No, hyung, I got it. You all worked hard too…”—while Yeonjun quietly argues back, trying to split it anyway. Their voices are low, the exchange fond and familiar, like two older brothers bickering over who gets to treat the kids. It’s so cute you almost laugh out loud.
The soft amber glow of the restaurant wraps around them, fairy lights twinkling overhead, the quiet clink of glasses and low chatter from the remaining staff friends filling the warm air. Soobin towers over everyone even when swaying slightly, his broad shoulders filling out that half-unbuttoned shirt, cheeks and neck still beautifully pink. He’s fighting sleep so hard for this one last responsible act, and it makes your chest ache with affection.
You love this side of him more than anything—the quiet leader, the attentive one who acts like a true father figure to the boys even when he’s barely standing. He remembers the little things no one else does. He carries the weight without ever making it feel heavy. After years together, it still makes your heart flutter: how he can go from playful, whiny, and shamelessly clingy to this—steady, caring, and quietly in control—in the span of a heartbeat.
Eventually they come back, Soobin looking victorious but sleepy, Yeonjun rolling his eyes fondly behind him. Your boyfriend immediately returns to you, sliding back into his seat and draping his long arm around your shoulders like it’s the only place he belongs.
“Done,” he murmurs against your temple, voice soft and proud. “Ready to go home now?"
You lean into his warmth, breathing in his familiar scent mixed with soju and the faint restaurant aroma. “Yeah, Soob. Let’s go home."