Favorite Crime | Lee Taeyong x reader

crush culture makes me wanna spill my guts out

You were seventeen when you first knew you had fallen for Taeyong. An inkling of what was a crush, so small it didn't even matter, but it was the start.

Seventeen, three years ago, the middle of midterms, and you were a mess. It was when you started pulling full on all nighters, just so you could cram as much information until the last minute.

And it was worth it, you made it through finals week knowing you did well. You would discover that you passed with flying colours the next week.

You had to make it past the weekend, which would be full of nervous anticipation, which you were determined to forgo. There was a party that evening, on Friday, the day of your last paper, to kick off the summer break with a bang and unwind after the stressful week.

However you ended up not going, not because you weren't keen on having to navigate sweaty bodies and deal with underage drunk kids much like yourself, nor was it because you were hopelessly lightweight, but because the stress and toll of pulling so many all nighters, you had fallen sick.

So you spent your Friday in your bed, surrounded by boxes of kleenex and with a fever.

Lovely.

Sniffling for what must have been the tenth time in the span of half an hour, you were dejected and lonely. You were supposed to be having fun, not moping about in a pool of self pity and germs.

You reached out for one of the kleenex boxes, raising the tissue to your nose and blowing rather violently, so much so that your nose hurt more than it already did. Just as you were about to reach over for another, the door of your room burst open, with Taeyong standing there, holding a brown paper bag.

He was definitely dressed up, a button up black shirt that had a few buttons open at the top, and skinny jeans. His hair was in its usual messy state, except this looked more accidental than usual. He walked in as if he owned the place, placing the bag on your bedside table and frowning at you.

"You look like death."

"I'll inflict it on you if you don't shut up," you said, not missing a beat. Not even a fever could come in between your banter. He smirked, reaching a hand out and ruffling your already messed up hair, "What happened?"
"I'm sick", you deadpanned, rolling your eyes, looking at the bag. "Holy shit, did you get-"

"Chinese? Yeah"

"I love you", you said, forgetting about your kleenex and leaning over to grab it, but he took it before you could. "Slow down Rudolph Reject," he said, taking a jab at your red nose, pulling out your chair from your desk and sitting next to your bed. Carefully taking out the boxes, he placed it back on your table, opening it for you.

"I'm not paralized," you said, albeit touched by his thoughtfulness. He rolled his eyes, opening the dumplings for you, "Don't worry, I'm not feeding you or anything, just opening shit up."

He held it out and you took one, popping it into your mouth. It was greasier than you expected it to be, and you studied the logo on the bag, before sighing in disappointment, "It's The Green Chilli."

"It was the closest okay?"

"Wok and Roll would have been ten times better."

He glared at you, "I go and get you food, ditching a party and this is how you thank you? Jeez, kids these days, so ungrateful-"

You laughed, shaking your head, "Slow your roll grandpa, if it means so much to you, thank you." He looked slightly pacified at this, taking a dumpling for himself. You watched him for a moment before the realization hit you. You narrowed your eyes.

"Why aren't you at the party?"

He gave you an unimpressed look, "Because when I came over to pick you up your mom told me you were sick, so I went to Green Chilli to get you food." He shrugged as if this wasn't a big deal, and hey, maybe it wasn't. Maybe your fever was making you delusional, but you were touched by the fact.

Then you realized you would do the same for him, he was far more important than a stupid party to you. But the thing was, he chose to spend his evening with you, even though he couldn't get sick himself. He chose you over them, and hell, you would choose Taeyong again and again and-

"Hey, you good? Feeling light headed or something?" His voice cut you out of your reverie, looking concerned. "You spaced out."

Blinking, you shook your head, lowering it and looking at your hands, feeling heat rush to your face. It was a new sensation, you thought it was ridiculous at the time. To suddenly think of someone that way, especially when that someone called you a Rudolph reject not even five minutes ago.

Shaking it off, you took another dumpling, and continued paying attention to the conversation, which was mostly carried by Taeyong considering your sick state.

Three years ago Taeyong touched your heart, and whirred it to life with his simple gesture. You fell in love with your best friend three years ago, when he chose you over everyone else.

~

"Do you mind answering a question?" You asked Yeji out of the blue, glancing up from your laptop. She looked up from her phone, nodding slowly, "Sure what's up?"

The two of you were studying together, not that your majors were anything similar, her's being dance, but she was an english minor just like you, and could help you in assignments she had already done previously when she was a junior. Currently she was taking a break while you racked your brains for a way to start the article.

"Well you know how I haven't dated around much, right?" You asked. She grinned, shooting you a smirk, "Of course, you're too busy being Taeyong's best friend, hmm?" There was a teasing lilt to her voice, and you made a point to ignore that statement, focusing on her affirmation.

"Well, you're in a relationship aren't you?" Your question confused her as she narrowed her cat like eyes, but nodded nevertheless. "Yeah, what about it?"

"Well, my article is supposed to be about love." You clicked your tongue, turning the laptop around so she could see your screen, which held the same blank document, "And I don't know where to start."

She raised an eyebrow at you, "And I do?"

"Well, I was hoping I could ask you your perception of it- what do you feel when you're with Jake?" At the mention of her boyfriend, her lips curled upwards at the sides. She shifted in her seat, "It's great, we just click you know? But then again-"

You were already typing the first few words. Yeji sighed, walking over and grabbing your wrist. "That's just one example Y/n, you're not planning on writing an entire article about it, are you?"
"With enough synonyms and careful repetition, it can be done." You said confidently. Yeji pinched the bridge of her nose, sitting next to you on the sofa. "That's not enough, definitely not for a project of this caliber." Her tone was disapproving, like a mother trying to correct her child.

You were confused, cocking your head to the side for her to continue. Clearing her throat, she continued to explain her point. "Well, I mean, love can be anything right? It's not just one type. What I feel might not be the same for you."

Nodding slowly, you looked back at your document, before slumping and letting out a frustrated sound. "Back at square one."

"Take your own example, it's supposed to be your interpretation of it, right?" Yeji alluded, "Take Taeyong as an example."

"He doesn't love me?" It ended like a question, but you were very sure of the fact, so much so that it didn't really hurt much anymore. "But you love him?"

The question made heat rush to your face, as you dropped your gaze from your friend to the screen, staring at its emptiness. She sighed, getting up and collecting her things, "You can't run on my experiences or advice, Y/n, you have to find your own."

She left you alone, with your mind working overtime at the thought.