NCT Oneshots {ot23} | open

First Love: JaeYong {Request}

▹request acc: markerrlee
▹prompt: jaehyun x taeyong fluff
▹word count: 2288
▹warnings: n/a

ˑ༄ؘ ۪۪۫۫ ▹❀◃ ۪۪۫۫ ༄ؘ ˑ

As soon as the professor dismisses the class, Jaehyun scrambles to pack away his textbooks and laptop, desperate to make it home. He doesn't think he's ever moved so fast in his life. His blood is pumping hard and his fingertips tingle from excitement, and nerves. Johnny waves at him in the corridor outside but he does his best to politely turn down the invitation to hang out.

"It's our anniversary." Jaehyun explains, his dimples apologetic and sweet from the energy buzzing through his body, and he flashes the silver ring on his right hand - a gift from Taeyong that morning. Johnny's face lights up when he remembers, then twists into a playful smirk.

"Alright. Go get your man." Johnny punches Jaehyun's shoulder and laughs as the younger speeds off.

Sometimes it's a blessing to be living off-campus. It's away from the raucous of the student bar, and allows him to have a brisk walk every morning. But sometimes it's a curse. Like now, when he's huffing and puffing to make it back home in time. He has it all planned out, all the timings in place, having spent most nights over the past month scrutinising the schedule, and now he just has to carry it all out as planned.

Taeyong has a late afternoon lecture, both suffering terribly from the packed schedules of a second-year student, but Jaehyun is glad to have a free afternoon. Well, he should be getting on with the multiple essays he has due next week, but his anniversary is the top priority.

Taeyong asked him out exactly one year ago today.

It's their one-year anniversary, so of course Jaehyun wants it to be special. They mutually decided to have a night in, nothing fancy, but nevertheless he has a lot to prepare before Taeyong returns.

Jaehyun launches his bag onto the bed once the door has clicked behind him and directs straight to the kitchen. The mixing bowl, scales, wooden spoon, and the ingredients are all where he checked that morning while Taeyong was in the shower. All he needs to do is load the recipe on his phone before getting started.

He hasn't baked many cakes in his life. And he certainly hasn't decorated any. Not since his childhood, at least, and even then it was really just his mother telling him what to do, then doing all of it when he threw a tantrum and started sulking. But he prays he's studied youtube tutorials hard enough to not mess this one up. Doyoung and Kun's secret masterclasses should help, too.

Taeyong means the world to him, and Jaehyun will never hear the end of it if it turns out a disaster. He'll never dig himself out of his pit of shame. The back of his mind supplies the knowledge that Taeyong would still appreciate the effort, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he needs to get it right. For his own satisfaction and comfort.

Jaehyun weighs out the ingredients, bopping his head to one of Taeyong's playlists in the background, then mixes everything together with relative ease. The cake has just gone in the oven when his phone pings. Immediately, his heart surges into his throat and he pauses the music, scrambling to find the device and check his messages. He breathes out in relief when it's only Doyoung.

Hey have you burnt the kitchen down yet?

Jaehyun pouts, indignant that his friend would even assume he was that incapable of baking. There have been no fire incidents, although the kitchen does appear to be the victim of a flour bomb because the counters are dusted white, decorated by the leftover batter that drips onto the floor. And he may or may not have dropped an egg. Or two. But besides the mess, it's all in hand. He tells Doyoung so, then declines his friend's offer of help.